206 research outputs found
Comparing the inviscid and viscous flows in a shock tube to analyze the boundary layer effects
No full textThe purpose of the present work is to analyze the effects of viscosity in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Undergraduate Laboratory shock tube at a pressure ratio (p4/p1) of approximately 1.54. Ten tests were performed at this ratio to check for consistency in the system. The experimental results from this facility were compared with results obtained from the typical shock tube equations, as well as computer simulations in Matlab and GASP. Among these methods, GASP was the only one which took viscosity into consideration. Multiple simulations were run with this program to determine the appropriate grid size (coarse or fine), as well as compare the inviscid and viscous results. The other methods (theory and Matlab) assumed a one-dimensional inviscid flow for simplification of the computation. The results showed that all of the data from the latter three methods matched relatively well for the flow in the center of the shock tube. However, near the wall, the viscous GASP computation showed a variation in density, temperature, and velocity, while the others remained at a constant value. This is due to the no-slip boundary condition at the walls used for the viscous flow. By taking a specific point along the shock tube with viscous flow and comparing the velocity profiles from when the incident wave and when the reflected wave passes, it was discovered that a wall jet was created in the boundary layer. This jet moves in the opposite direction of the mainstream flow and at a much higher speed (more than 20~m/s greater).M.S.Includes bibliographical references (p. 105-106)by Christel M. Seite
Culinary Star Wars: A Review of The Cultivation of Taste: Chefs and the Organization of Fine Dining by Christel Lane
No full textThe Cultivation of Taste: Chefs and the Organization of Fine Dining researches the world of Michelin-starred restaurants and the chefs who run them. Author Christel Lane conducts a comparative study of restaurants in Britain and Germany, and applies her findings in an effort to examine the broader issue of social and economic differences in these two societies, placing chefs in the center of this intriguing universe. Book review by Claire Stewart
On the choice of the mesh for the analysis of geostatistical data using R-INLA
No full textMany methods used in spatial statistics are computationally demanding, and so, the development of more computationally efficient methods has received attention. A important development is the integrated nested Laplace approximation method which is carry out Bayesian analysis more efficiently This method, for geostatistical data, is done considering the SPDE approach that requires the creation of a mesh overlying the study area and all the obtained results depend on it. The impact of the mesh on inference and prediction is investigated through simulations. As there is no formal procedure to specify it, we investigate a guideline to create an optimal mesh.The first author acknowledge the financial support of the "Ciencia sem Fronteiras" program of CNPq (Brazil) under the process number 200573/2015-2. Support from the IAP Research Network P7/06 of the Belgian State (Belgian Science Policy) is also gratefully acknowledged by the second and third author.Ribeiro, PJ (reprint author), Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Exatas, BR-13418900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
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The Combined Effect of Acute Interval and Cognitive Training on Visual-Spatial Abilities in Women: Preliminary Insights for Health Promotion
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The Combined Effect of Acute Interval and Cognitive Training on Visual-Spatial Abilities in Women: Preliminary Insights for Health Promotion
by Christel Galvani 1,2,*ORCID,Sabrina Demarie 3ORCID,Ester Tommasini 1,2ORCID,Alessandro Antonietti 2ORCID,Thomas Zandonai 4,5ORCID andPaolo Bruseghini 1,2ORCID
1
Exercise & Sport Science Laboratory, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
2
Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy
3
Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome “Foro Italico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
4
Department of Pharmacology, Paediatrics and Organic Chemistry, Miguel Hernández University of Elche, 03550 Sant Joan Alicante, Spain
5
Addiction Science Laboratory, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, 38068 Rovereto, Italy
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2025, 22(10), 1524; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22101524
Submission received: 29 August 2025 / Revised: 25 September 2025 / Accepted: 2 October 2025 / Published: 5 October 2025
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Abstract
Different sports require elevated visual-spatial and related cognitive abilities, which are increasingly recognized as crucial not only for athletic performance but also for broader public health implications. Sex-related differences in these abilities have often been explained through both biological and sociocultural factors, with males traditionally described as having superior visual-spatial skills. However, fewer studies have investigated how targeted physical training can enhance these abilities in women. This study aimed to analyze the influence of two different cycling interval training exercises on visual-spatial ability in women. Seventy-two healthy, active, and young women engaged in (1) a High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) session followed by a cognitive training (CT); or (2) a Low-Volume Interval Training (LVIT) session followed by a CT; or (3) a cognitive (COG) session, consisting of listening to music followed by a CT; or (4) a control (CTRL) session, consisting of solely listening to music. Cognitive performance was assessed at baseline and after the training sessions using the Metzler and Shepard Test (MS), the Paper Folding and Cutting Test (PFC), and the Mental Rotation Test (MRT). No significant between-group differences were observed. However, in all groups the time to complete the PFC and MRT tests was significantly lower and the number of errors was significantly smaller for the PFC test in the post-test compared with the pre-test. These findings expand the current literature by demonstrating that interval training, whether high intensity or low volume, when combined with cognitive training, may improve certain aspects of visual-spatial cognitive performance in healthy, active, young women. These findings highlight the potential of combining structured exercise with cognitive challenges. Such interventions may promote cognitive health in women and contribute to long-term public health outcomes
Reflections on that-has-been : Snapshots from the students-as-partners movement
No full textEDITORIAL NOTE (Alison): The idea for this multipart reflective essay emerged from first author Christel Brost’s reflections on her experience of striving to develop a students-as-partners approach within the context of a summer institute and then back at her home institution. To aid reflection on these experiences, Christel used Roland Barthe’s construct of that-has-been, which she explains below, to examine several “mental snapshots” of her experiences and what those mean for her personally and for students-as-partners work. Inspired by the vivid, emotion filled representation of Christel’s “snapshots,” we (co-editors of reflective essays for the journal, Anita Ntem and Alison Cook-Sather) invited participants from two other venues to share their reflections within the same frame. Authors of each section of this essay use Barthes’ construct to “zoom in” on different moments and lived experiences of partnership, creating mental snapshots from three students-as-partners venues. The first venue is the Change Institute at the May 2017 International Summer Institute on Students as Partners held at McMaster University, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The second is the May 2017 Pedagogic Partnership Conference held at Lafayette College in, Easton, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The third is the June 2017 RAISE International Partnership Colloquium held at Birmingham City University in Birmingham, England
Bayesian Nowcasting with Laplacian-P-Splines
No full textDuring an epidemic, the daily number of reported infected cases, deaths or hospitalizations is often lower than the actual number due to reporting delays. Nowcasting aims to estimate the cases that have not yet been reported and combine it with the already reported cases to obtain an estimate of the daily cases. In this article, we present a fast and flexible Bayesian approach for nowcasting by combining P-splines and Laplace approximations. Laplacian-P-splines provide a flexible framework for nowcasting that is computationally less demanding as compared to traditional Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques. The proposed approach also permits to naturally quantify the prediction uncertainty. Model performance is assessed through simulations and the nowcasting method is applied to COVID-19 mortality and incidence cases in Belgium. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.VERDI: This project was supported by the VERDI project (101045989), funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
ESCAPE: This project was supported by the ESCAPE project (101095619), funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. The authors acknowledge funding from the Special Research Fund through the Methusalem project BOF22M01
Geospatial patterns of excess mortality in Belgium: Insights from the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textObjectives: Belgium experienced multiple COVID-19 waves that hit various groups in the population, which changed the mortality pattern compared to periods before the pandemic. In this study, we investigated the geographical excess mortality trend in Belgium during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We retrieved the number of deaths and population data in 2020 based on gender, age, and municipality of residence, and we made a comparison with the mortality data in 2017–2019 using a spatially discrete model. Results: Excess mortality was significantly associated with age, gender, and COVID-19 incidence, with larger effects in the second half of 2020. Most municipalities had higher risks of mortality with a number of exceptions in the northeastern part of Belgium. Some discrepancies in excess mortality were observed between the north and south regions. Conclusions: This study offers useful insight into excess mortality and will aid local and regional authorities in monitoring mortality trends.Funding T.N. gratefully acknowledges funding by the Internal Funds KU Leuven, Belgium (project number 3M190682) and the Fund for Scientific Research– Flanders, Belgium (grant number G0A4121N). C.F. acknowledges support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020project EpiPose (Grant agreement number 101003688) and European Union’s Horizon Europe– project ESCAPE (Grant agreement number 101095619). Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them
Spatio-temporal dynamic of the COVID-19 epidemic and the impact of imported cases in Rwanda
No full textIntroductionAfrica was threatened by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) due to the limited health care infrastructure. Rwanda has consistently used non-pharmaceutical strategies, such as lockdown, curfew, and enforcement of prevention measures to control the spread of COVID-19. Despite the mitigation measures taken, the country has faced a series of outbreaks in 2020 and 2021.In this paper, we investigate the nature of epidemic phenomena in Rwanda and the impact of imported cases on the spread of COVID-19 using endemic-epidemic spatio-temporal models. Our study provides a framework for understanding the dynamics of the epidemic in Rwanda and monitoring its phenomena to inform public health decision-makers for timely and targeted interventions.ResultsThe findings provide insights into the effects of lockdown and imported infections in Rwanda's COVID-19 outbreaks. The findings showed that imported infections are dominated by locally transmitted cases. The high incidence was predominant in urban areas and at the borders of Rwanda with its neighboring countries. The inter-district spread of COVID-19 was very limited due to mitigation measures taken in Rwanda.ConclusionThe study recommends using evidence-based decisions in the management of epidemics and integrating statistical models in the analytics component of the health information system.The last author (CF) received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme - project EpiPose (No. 101003688
Bayesian multi-scale modeling for aggregated disease mapping data
No full textIn disease mapping, a scale effect due to an aggregation of data from a finer resolution level to a coarser level is a common phenomenon. This article addresses this issue using a hierarchical Bayesian modeling framework. We propose four different multiscale models. The first two models use a shared random effect that the finer level inherits from the coarser level. The third model assumes two independent convolution models at the finer and coarser levels. The fourth model applies a convolution model at the finer level, but the relative risk at the coarser level is obtained by aggregating the estimates at the finer level. We compare the models using the deviance information criterion (DIC) and Watanabe-Akaike information criterion (WAIC) that are applied to real and simulated data. The results indicate that the models with shared random effects outperform the other models on a range of criteria.The authors would like to acknowledge support from the National Institutes of Health via grant
R01CA172805. The third author also acknowledges support from the IAP Research Network P7/06 of the
Belgian State (Belgian Science Policy)
Organisations et territoires
No full textVisionner les territoires ruraux - Gérald Domon et Julie Ruiz
Incontournable dimension territoriale - Jean Rüegg
Nouveaux regards sur l'agroalimentaire - Fabien Jouve, Carole Chazoule et Rémy Lambert
Agriculture et occupation des territoires - André Joyal et Kamal El Batal
Ruralité au pays de futebol - Jandir Ferrera de Lima
Ruralité française sous le programme Leader - Fabien Nadou
Devenir agriculteur sans héritage - Diane Parent
Capital stratégique dans les communautés de la Jamésie - Chakda Yorn, Karl Lussier et Paul Prévost
L'échec démocratique de la régionalisation - Donald Martel et Jean-François Albert
Pour un développement rurbain durable - Antoine Bailly
Les pôles d'excellence rurale - Christel Alvergne et Priscilla De Roo
Néo-ruraux et culture territoriale - Myriam Simard
Pactes ruraux et logique territoriale - Louis Allie
Pour accueillir la décentralisation au Québec - Yvon Lecler
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