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Implement an acoustic sound system by Hann Window with Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to analyze characteristics in a pipe for robotic
No full textBy measuring the amplitude utilizing the pipe's frequency range, we create an acoustic sound system to test in a pipe. In this study, we use digital signal processing techniques with a microphone to be a part of sensors. Our primary objective is to transmit signals from a loudspeaker or sender to the microphone or receiver while minimizing external noise and managing acoustic dispersion within the pipe. We develop an acoustic system based on pipes that can be applied to robotics in the future. Using a microphone and loudspeaker, we suggest the characteristics of the acoustic sound in the pipe. This subject is covered by the large field of acoustic signal processing. Our project intends to bring about a significant change in the management of buried pipe infrastructure in the future by developing specialized robots that can operate within subterranean pipe networks for communication. The assessment of acoustics in pipes using acoustic sound analysis is the focus of our research
Revisiting the black shale depositional enigma: Transport processes and contrasting sediment sources in a heterolithic basin fill – Bowland Basin, England
Get PDFFactors that control the accumulation of organic-rich shales are keenly debated and include basin redox variations, sediment provenance and diverse depositional processes. The relative importance of hemipelagic settling versus sediment gravity flows has been especially contentious in recent years. This study examines the Bowland Shale, a thick succession of organic-rich mudrock with subsidiary facies, from the late Mississippian Bowland Basin of northern England that records a broad range of depositional processes. Interbedded amongst the mudrocks are several elongate, calciturbidite fans ca 10 km in length, sourced from a small carbonate platform to the south-east of the basin, whilst a turbidite body of siliciclastic sand entered the basin from the east. An intrabasinal high in the north-west of the basin deflected the progradation of the turbidite sandstones and was likely also responsible for the reflection of the carbonate-carrying sediment gravity flows generating combined flow structures in the calciturbidite fans. Abundant, fine calcareous detritus was also sourced from the south-east, forming an apron of calcareous mudstone delivered by low-strength debris flows. Interbedded amongst these diverse facies types, the Bowland Shale primarily consists of hemipelagic, organic-rich shale with a fabric consisting of compacted clay lenses (0.05–0.4 mm in width), hemipelagic components (including larval shells of bivalves, goniatites and syngenetic framboids) and organic filaments (marine snow). The lenses are interpreted to be faecal pellets formed above the redoxcline before settling to the seabed. An alternative idea, that has gained much traction in mudrock studies, is that the clay lenses are transported intraclasts and that black shales are substantially the product of deposition from traction currents sourced from adjacent basin margins. This idea is problematic because it fails to address why basinal shales have a euxinic geochemical signature rather than recording the well-oxygenated conditions of the purported source area
Balancing accuracy versus precision: Enhancing the usability of sub-seasonal forecasts
Get PDFForecasts are essential for climate adaptation and preparedness, such as in early warning systems and impact models. A key limitation to their practical use is often their coarse spatial grid spacing. However, another less frequently discussed but crucial limitation is that forecasts are often more precise than they are accurate when their grid spacing is finer than the scales they can accurately predict. Here, we adapt the fractions skill score, a metric conventionally used to quantify spatial forecast accuracy by the meteorological community, to help users navigate the trade-off between forecast accuracy versus precision. We demonstrate how this trade-off can be visualized for daily European precipitation, focusing on deterministic predictions of anomalies and probabilistic predictions of extremes, derived from three years of sub-seasonal forecasts from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). Our results show that decreasing precision through spatial aggregation increases forecast accuracy, extends predictable lead times, and enhances the maximum possible accuracy relative to the grid scale, while increased precision diminishes these benefits. Notably, spatial aggregation benefits daily-accumulated forecasts more than weekly-accumulated ones, per unit lead-time. We demonstrate the practical value of our approach in three examples: communicating early warnings, managing hydropower capacity, and commercial aviation planning—each characterized by distinct user constraints on accuracy, spatial scale, or lead-time. The results suggest a different approach for using forecasts; post-processing forecasts to focus on the most accurate scales rather than the default grid scale, thus offering users more actionable information
Macroeconomic implications for the Global South of a green transition in the Global North
No full textThis paper examines the potential macroeconomic impacts on countries and regions in the Global South arising from a reduction in the material footprint of countries in the Global North. Using environmentally extended (multi-regional) input-output analysis, we develop and compare stylised scenarios of two alternative green transition strategies— ‘green growth’ and ‘degrowth’ — each of which aims to achieve such a reduction through different mechanisms.The findings reveal that, on average, both scenarios lead to reductions in GDP, employment, and a worsening in the balance of trade (as a percentage of GDP) in the Global South. These outcomes highlight that, regardless of the strategy adopted, the green transition in the Global North risks exacerbating economic vulnerabilities and triggering macroeconomic crises in Global South countries under the prevailing patterns of trade and productive specialisation. The paper argues that a just and sustainable green transition requires not only reductions in material consumption in the Global North but also a fundamental restructuring of development strategies in the Global South. This entails moving away from neo-extractivism—characterised by reliance on raw material exports and the import of manufactured goods —towards diversified and equitable economic models that reduce structural dependencies and enhance resilience
Impact of HADS Anxiety and Depression Scores on the Efficacy of Dietary Interventions for Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Get PDFBackground
Anxiety and depression are associated strongly with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Dietary therapies are used increasingly in the management of IBS, but the impact of common mental disorders on response to these has not been well studied.
Aims
To examine whether symptoms compatible with common mental disorders influence response to dietary interventions.
Methods
Prospective cohort study of adults, with either diarrhoea-predominant or mixed bowel habits, IBS Severity Scoring System [IBS-SSS] score ≥ 75 points. Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression score (HADS) and attended initially for British Dietary Association advice for IBS. IBS-SSS was re-checked 3 months later to assess response. If primary endpoint (≥ 50 point decrease in IBS-SSS) was not achieved, patients were offered low fermentable oligo-, di- and monosaccharides and polyol diet and repeated IBS-SSS after another 3 months. Secondary endpoints included of change in IBS-SSS and effect of symptom severity on response.
Results
In total, 448 patients took part, average age of 42 years and 79.0% were female. 69.9% of participants had HADS-A scores ≥ 8 and 39.3% with HADS-D scores ≥ 8. Average IBS-SSS score at baseline was 290 (SD 86). No significant difference was noted in achievement of the primary endpoint according to HADS-A scores (53.4% vs. 62.2% by ITT in those with HADS-A ≥ 8 vs. HADS-A < 8, p = 0.09). Patients with HADS-D ≥ 8 were significantly less likely to achieve the primary endpoint compared with those with HADS-D < 8 (43.8% vs. 64.0% by ITT, p < 0.01).
Conclusion
Understanding psychological profile of patients can help predicting their response to IBS dietary interventions
Moral inferentialism and moral psychology
Get PDFThis paper raises a challenge for moral inferentialism. Moral inferentialism explains moral discourse in terms of the distinctive kinds of discursive commitments we acknowledge and undertake in making moral claims. However, like any metaethical theory, inferentialism owes us an account not only of what it is to make moral claims, but of what it is to think moral thoughts. The paper argues that what inferentialists have said about moral thought is unsatisfactory. While more satisfactory accounts are available, adopting such accounts robs inferentialism of certain supposed advantages that it enjoys over its main competitor, moral expressivism. Insofar as inferentialism is motivated as a non-representationalist alternative to expressivism, the challenge therefore undermines a central motivation for inferentialism
The impact of COVID-19 on quality of life among Lebanese adults: a cross-sectional study
Get PDFBackground: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. First identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, the virus rapidly spread worldwide, leading to its designation as a global pandemic. Beyond its significant mortality toll, concerns have emerged regarding its negative impact on the quality of life (QoL).
Aims: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of fear of COVID-19 and its impact on QoL among Lebanese adults and identify sociodemographic, behavioral, and health-related predictors influencing fear of COVID-19 and QoL during the pandemic.
Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between October and December 2022 using a snowball sampling technique. A total of 402 respondents participated in the study. Statistical analyses, including multiple regression models, were conducted to determine predictors of fear and QoL deterioration.
Results: The results demonstrated that 47% of participants experienced a negative impact on QoL, while 34% reported extreme fear of COVID-19. Key predictors of fear included education level (OR = 4.457, p = 0.028), number of household rooms (OR = 0.470, p = 0.048), and fear of limited access to treatment (OR = 0.865, p = 0.027). Factors associated with greater QoL deterioration included being female (OR = 2.239, p = 0.001), fear of limited access to treatment (OR = 3.032, p = 0.001), and having a worried family member (OR = 2.028, p = 0.016). Other significant predictors were household size, presence of mental illness, and emotional sharing with family or others. The study highlights the psychological and social burdens associated with COVID-19.
Conclusion: Therefore, the findings highlight the urgent need to enhance access to healthcare, social support, and wellness programs to strengthen resilience in Lebanon. Enhancing access to healthcare, strengthening social support systems, and implementing wellness programs are crucial in fostering resilience in Lebanon. Addressing these issues can mitigate the psychological and social burdens of COVID-19, improving overall wellbeing
Analysis and mitigation strategies of energy backflow in an IPMSM drive system with a small dc‐link capacitor
Get PDFThe energy backflow phenomenon is unavoidable in small dc-link capacitor-based PMSM drive systems, which is first identified and comprehensively analysed in this paper. This phenomenon occurs when the amplitude of the stator voltage exceeds the minimum value of the fluctuating dc-link voltage. To address this issue, flux weakening (FW) control can effectively reduce the stator voltage and mitigate the energy backflow phenomenon. However, dc-link voltage fluctuation can introduce several challenges to the conventional feedback FW control. For instance, a dc offset in the calculated d-axis reference current is identified in this paper due to the dc-link voltage fluctuation. Additionally, an analysis of the small-signal model reveals that when the fluctuating q-axis voltage becomes negative, it can lead to system instability. Moreover, the commonly used PI controller in FW control fails to adequately control the ac component introduced by these fluctuations. Therefore, this paper proposes an optimised FW control method to mitigate the energy backflow issues. Furthermore, an optimal phase angle selection method for the d-axis reference current, based on the least mean square algorithm and gradient descent algorithm, is introduced to suppress current ripple caused by the fluctuating dc-link voltage. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed optimised methods
Precision-edited histone tails disrupt polycistronic gene expression controls in trypanosomes
Get PDFTranscription of protein coding genes in trypanosomatids is atypical and almost exclusively polycistronic. In Trypanosoma brucei, for example, approximately 150 polycistrons, and 8000 genes, are constitutively transcribed by RNA polymerase II. The RNA pol-II promoters are also unconventional and characterised by regions of chromatin enriched for histones with specific patterns of post-translational modification on their divergent N-terminal tails. To investigate the roles of histone tail-residues in gene expression control in T. brucei, we engineered strains exclusively expressing mutant histones. We used an inducible CRISPR-Cas9 system to delete >40 histone H4 genes, complementing the defect with a single ectopic H4 gene. The resulting “histoneH4” strains were validated using whole-genome sequencing and transcriptome analysis. We then performed saturation mutagenesis of six histone H4 N-terminal tail lysine residues, that are either acetylated or methylated, and profiled relative fitness of 384 distinct precision-edited mutants. H4lys10 mutations were not tolerated, but we derived nineteen strains exclusively expressing distinct H4lys4 or H4lys14 mutants. Proteomic and transcriptomic analysis of H4lys4 glutamine mutants revealed significantly reduced expression of genes adjacent to RNA pol-II promoters, where glutamine mimics abnormally elevated acetylation. Thus, we present direct evidence for polycistronic expression control by modified histone H4 N-terminal tail residues in trypanosomes
NT-proBNP and BNP testing in pulmonary arterial hypertension: point-of-care and remote monitoring
Get PDFBackground and Objectives
Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) and N-terminal prohormone of BNP (NT-proBNP) are important biomarkers in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, results are rarely available at the time of clinical assessment. The reliability of NT-proBNP/BNP point-of-care tests (POCT) in PAH patients and the stability of NT-proBNP in posted blood samples, to simulate remote monitoring, was investigated.
Methods
Group 1 PAH patients were prospectively recruited. A sample of 40 was required to demonstrate an intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.94 with a 95% confidence interval width of < 0.1 for agreement between POCT and the laboratory standard. Blood samples were taken at two time-points for laboratory and POCT NT-proBNP/BNP. Separate samples were returned to the laboratory by post and some samples were assessed pre- and post-exercise assessing the impact of exercise.
Results
Forty-one patients were enrolled with 56 study visits. NT-proBNP laboratory and POCT (n = 50) provided equivalent test results (Passing–Bablok slope = 1.08, CI = 0.97–1.19, intercept = 18.22, CI = −41.6 to 4.5) and ICC = 0.97. However, laboratory and POCT BNP (n = 49), showed non-equivalence (Passing–Bablok slope = 1.24, CI 1.11–1.31, intercept = −5.11, CI = −9.4 to −0.46), ICC = 0.96. POCT NT-proBNP/BNP correctly classified 92% and 86% of cases, respectively against COMPERA 2.0 4-risk-strata thresholds. NT-proBNP postal laboratory samples and immediately processed NT-proBNP laboratory samples showed good agreement and exercise had no clinically significant effect on NT-proBNP/BNP results. Laboratory BNP identified fewer patients as high risk compared to NT-proBNP. BNP and NT-proBNP risk status agreed at only 57% of visits (p < 0.0009).
Conclusions
These data support the use of POCT NT-proBNP as a rapidly accessible and reliable alternative in clinical settings and highlight the potential of NT-proBNP for remote monitoring via posted samples.
Trial Registration
ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT0542194
Data sources:
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