K-AirWrite: Real-Time Continuous Air Handwriting Recognition Using Kinect

Response of tropical and subtropical chthamalid barnacles to increasing substrate temperatures

A new breakup regime of liquid drops, named the dual-bag breakup regime, in a continuous and uniform air jet flow is identified at We ranging from 28 to 41 at the present investigation. The dual-bag breakup regime is characterized by two successive bag breakup processes; the first one is suffered by the initial main drop, and the second one is suffered by the core drop produced in the first bag breakup process. Shadowgraph and high-speed cameras were used to record the temporal properties of liquid drops in the dual-bag breakup regime. Parameters including breakup time, drop deformation rate, and volume fraction of core drop, are measured and given as a function of Weber numbers in the dual-bag breakup regime.

A calculation for estimating concentrations of long-lived airborne particulate radioactivity using fixed-filter continuous air monitors is given in an ISO standard. The method uses counts integrated over relatively long time intervals, rather than the 'instantaneous' count rates that in digital systems are evaluated using much shorter time intervals and some form of variance-reduction filtering. This article presents three ways of deriving and interpreting this calculation, based on previously published mathematical models that were derived from first principles. The method is also extended here to apply for short-lived activity. Some statistical properties of the estimator are discussed, including its time-dependent variance and the presence of strong autocorrelation in the concentration estimates. An interactive simulation was used to examine the performance of the concentration estimation, using physically plausible concentration time-dependence profiles; example plots are provided. The conclusion of these studies is that the method, as modified herein, can perform remarkably well in providing periodic average-concentration estimates for both long- and short-lived activity, and it should be considered an appropriate method in those situations where the tracking of a time-dependent concentration is deemed necessary.

This work examines the breakup of a single drop of various low viscosity fluids as it deforms in the presence of continuous horizontal air jet. Such a fragmentation typically occurs after the bulk liquid has disintegrated upon exiting the atomizer and is in the form of an ensemble of drops which undergo further breakup. The drop deformation and its eventual disintegration is important in evaluating the efficacy of a particular industrial process, be it combustion in automobile engines or pesticide spraying in agricultural applications. The interplay between competing influences of surface tension and aerodynamic disruptive forces is represented by the Weber number, We, and Ohnesorge number, Oh, and used to describe the breakup morphology. The breakup pattern considered in our study corresponds to that of a bag attached to a toroidal ring which occurs from ∼12 < We < ∼16. We aim to address several issues connected with this breakup process and their dependence on We and Oh which have been hitherto unexplored. The We boundary at which breakup begins is theoretically determined and the expression obtained, $We = 12( {1 + {\raise0.7ex\hbox{2} \!\mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {2 3}}\right.\kern-\nulldelimiterspace}\!\lower0.7ex\hbox{3}}Oh^2 } )$We=12(1+2/3Oh2), is found to match well with experimental data {[L.-P. Hsiang and G. M. Faeth, Int. J. Multiphase Flow 21(4), 545–560 (1995)] and [R. S. Brodkey, “Formation of drops and bubbles,” in The Phenomena of Fluid Motions (Addison-Wesley, Reading, 1967)]}. An exponential growth in the radial extent of the deformed drop and the streamline dimension of the bag is predicted by a theoretical model and confirmed by experimental findings. These quantities are observed to strongly depend on We. However, their dependence on Oh is weak.

Self-healing capability of cementitious composites incorporating different supplementary cementitious materials

Sustainable city planning requires detailed information on spatial temperature variations. Remotely sensed land surface temperature (LST) is known to differ substantially from air temperature (AT) causing misinterpretations of the ambient conditions. We demonstrate a reliable and cost-efficient method for AT modelling in urban environments using open data and few temperature observations. The study area is the city of Turku SW Finland, where we have a dense in situ AT observation network of 64 Onset Hobo temperature loggers as a reference. Landsat 8 thermal data from different seasons were used to extract pixel-based LST by employing MODIS and ASTER emissivity libraries and CORINE land cover classification. The LSTs were analysed against the in situ AT first with the correlation analysis. Except for December, the Pearson's correlation coefficients were statistically significant (0.449–0.654, p ≤ 0.001). Seasonally adjusted linear regression models were applied to predict spatially continuous air temperatures (ATp) based on the extracted LST. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to predict urban ATs reliably - within ca. half-a-degree accuracy (MAE 0.36–0.62 °C). The prediction works best in spring, summer and autumn. It improves the capacity to produce reliable high spatial resolution AT information even if in situ observations are sparse.

SummaryLong-term storage of potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) tubers provides year-round availability of the crop, but is limited by sprouting. Continuous exposure to ethylene during storage can prolong the storage-life of potato tubers by suppressing sprouting, yet there is little information on the effects of ethylene on a wide selection of common cultivars. Six different UK potato cultivars were stored at 6ºC for 30 weeks under continuous 10 µl l 1 ethylene treatment, under continuous air, or transferred from air to 10 µl l 1 ethylene at the first indication of sprouting, or vice versa. Fructose, glucose, and sucrose concentrations were determined in samples of tuber flesh and in potato skins. Texture and sprouting were measured after 30 weeks in cold storage. Ethylene applied at the first indication of sprouting was as effective at suppressing further sprouting in ‘Desiree’, ‘Sylvana’, and ‘Fianna’ as observed when ethylene was applied continuously and resulted in no additional ethylene-induced sugar accumulation. The texture data suggested that ethylene treatment had an indirect effect on tuber firmness through the inhibition of sprout growth only in ‘Sylvana’ potato tubers. The implications of these results are that the cost of ethylene application in cold-store rooms could be reduced by manipulating the timing of its application.

Funded knowledge about the physiological impact of laparoscopic surgery in children is sparse. Although there are data on hemodynamic compromise after creation of a pneumoperitoneum in children, little is known about microcirculatory changes at the mucosa level. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess gastric microcirculation by continuous gastric air tonometry in the setting of laparoscopic versus open appendectomy. Twenty children 5-17 years old undergoing laparoscopic and 7 children undergoing open appendectomy were included in the study. Gastric intramucosal CO(2) pressure (pCO(2)i) was measured under standardized flow and intraperitoneal pressure using continuous air tonometry (TONOCAP(®), Datex Ohmeda), and ΔpCO(2) (pCO(2)i - end-expiratory CO(2) pressure [pCO(2)e]) was obtained for the time course of surgery. ΔpCO(2) increased significantly from the baseline value not only in the laparoscopic group but also in the open surgery group. Even though ΔpCO(2) was higher in the laparoscopic group at all time points, the overall increase in ΔpCO(2) for both groups was uniform. The largest differences were observed during the initial 20 minutes of the operation. The changes observed were exclusively due to an increase of pCO(2)i in relation to a constant pCO(2)e. In the setting of a standardized, simple operation in an otherwise healthy child above the age of 5 years, our data suggest that the effect of a pneumoperitoneum on splanchnic perfusion is comparable to the compromise caused by open surgery. Further research must be obtained when evaluating the full impact of laparoscopy in children.

In India, Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) is becoming the hotspot of air pollution due to increasing anthropogenic activities such as rapid industrial growth, infrastructure development, transportation activities, and seasonal practice of crop residue burning. In the current study, seasonal variation in ambient air quality for 14 parameters, i.e., particulate matter (PM), trace gases, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), along with meteorological parameters, was studied in 21 districts of the Haryana state for year 2019, situated in IGP. To analyze spatial variation of pollutants, ambient air quality data of 23 continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations were divided into three zones based on ecology and cropping pattern. All the zones showed annual mean PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations much higher than national ambient air quality standards. Annual mean PM10 concentration (±standard deviation) in Zones-1, 2, and 3 was 156±86, 174±93, and 143±74 μg m-3, whereas for PM2.5 was 71±44, 85±54, and 78±47 μg m-3. The results showed a considerable seasonal variation in the concentration of all pollutants. Most of the pollutants peak in the post-monsoon season, followed by winters in which crop residue burning predominates in many parts of the Haryana. PM10 concentrations increased by 65-112% and PM2.5 concentrations increased by 131-147% in the post-monsoon season compared to monsoons. The post-monsoon season showed the highest concentration of PM10, NO, and toluene (Zone-1); and PM2.5, NH3, CO, and benzene (Zone-2); whereas in winters, SO2 (Zone-1); ethylbenzene, m,p-xylene, and xylene (Zone-2); and NO2 and NOx (Zone-3) showed the maximum pollution levels. The O3 concentration was highest in the pre-monsoon season (Zone-1). The satellite-based fire counts and PCA results show a significant influence of crop residue burning in the post-monsoon season and solid biomass burning in winters on Haryana's air quality. The study could help to understand seasonal variation in ambient air quality and the influence of factors such as crop residue burning in the IGP region, which could help to formulate season-specific control measures to improve regional air quality.

Mobile monitoring platforms equipped with low-cost sensors (LCS) are increasingly used to enhance the spatial coverage of air quality monitoring networks. In this study, we systematically evaluated the performance of ATMOS sensors for measuring PM₂.₅ by assessing their accuracy, precision and agreement with a reference-grade Beta Attenuation Monitor (BAM). Six identical ATMOS units were co-located and operated continuously for 27 days during the winter season at a Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Station (CAAQMS) situated at an urban background site within the IIT Bombay campus. The site is influenced by nearby traffic emissions and a lake, representing complex urban micro-environment. This study investigated the role of meteorological conditions in modulating PM₂.₅ concentration and its measurement by LCS relative to BAM observations. Diurnal variations in temperature and relative humidity recorded by ATMOS sensors showed strong agreement with BAM, yielding Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.89 and 0.96, respectively. In contrast, PM₂.₅ measurements from the LCS exhibited systematic biases with temperature–humidity regimes and between daytime (06:00–18:00 local time) and nighttime (18:00–06:00 local time). During daytime conditions characterized by relative humidity ≤70% and temperatures >20°C, the LCS consistently underestimated PM₂.₅ concentrations compared to BAM. Conversely, nighttime conditions with elevated relative humidity (>70%) and lower temperatures (80%). These observations underscore the influence of humidity on PM₂.₅ measurements relative to temperature, likely through hygroscopic particle growth. Overall, the findings demonstrate that low-cost PM₂.₅ sensors can provide robust and consistent measurements under a range of meteorological conditions when their environmental sensitivities are explicitly characterized. These results support the application of LCS for air quality monitoring and exposure assessment, particularly when combined with regime-specific corrections or calibration strategies.

In this work, an online calibration system with an electric balance is integrated to a novel NMR/MRI system which has continuous and controlled air supply. The water status and distribution of the internal moisture content and total moisture content are measured simultaneously, respectively, by the NMR/MRI and the balance. Fresh and pretreated broccoli stalks and potatoes were employed as the food materials. Data obtained from the integrated balance were compared with the data obtained from NMR and MRI. The results show that the signal intensity is linear against the moisture content (R2 >0.90). However, the linearity of the NMR data is much better than that of the MRI data, which is due to the device characteristics. The detection limits of the moisture content were about 11% and 20% for NMR and MRI, respectively. The study demonstrates that LF-NMR/MRI can be used as an online analytical method to quantify the moisture content and drying rates during drying of vegetables.

<div class="htmlview paragraph">Secondary air scheduling and average delivery rate have a great influence on the performance (carbon monoxide and hydrocarbon cleanup) of rich thermal manifold reactors. A continuously modulated secondary air system was devised to provide a tailpipe air-fuel ratio that did not change significantly with engine speed or load when a “flat” carburetion calibration was incorporated. This system involved throttling the inlet of the air pump(s) so that the air pump and engine intake pressures were equal. The continuous air modulation system was compared with an unmodulated system and a step-modulated system. The secondary air systems were investigated with both GMR “small volume” cast iron thermal reactors and Du Pont V thermal reactors on modified 350 CID V-8 engines in 1969 Chevrolet passenger vehicles.</div> <div class="htmlview paragraph">It was found that thermal reactor performance improved with each increase in control of the secondary air schedule. With the continuous air modulation system a reduction in CO emissions of approximately 45% (on the 1972 Federal Test Procedure emissions test) was achieved relative to an unmodulated system. None of the systems tested, however, demonstrated the capability to achieve 1975-1976 Federal exhaust emission standards.</div>

Purpose: Sleep apnea disorder brings about negative effects to the quality of life of the people involved. Debilitation of cognitive functioning is one of the consequences of this condition. Scant researches have been carried out to explore the efficacy of cognitive therapy on mitigating clinical symptoms and cognitive functions of the brain. The novelty of the present study is in combining cognitive method and medical treatment. This research aims to compare the effectiveness of continuous positive air pressure (CPAP) therapy and cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) on improving mental cognitive functions in patients with sleep apnea. Methods: The study population included all patients referred to the Bahar Sleep Disorders Clinic in Tehran, Iran. The sample consisted of 45 people who were randomly placed into three groups of 15 people (CPAP therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and control groups). All three groups were psychologically assessed prior to the intervention. Next, individuals in the cognitive-behavioral group underwent 12 sessions of cognitive training, progressive muscle relaxation, mental visualization, and sleep hygiene. The other group went through CPAP therapy. After the intervention, both groups were assessed psychologically. Data collection instruments included Wisconsin cognitive software, simple Stroop, complex Stroop, continuous performance, polysomnography device, and CPAP devices. Results: The results indicated that both types of intervention can enhance cognitive functioning; however, a greater efficacy is obtained by combining the two methods compared with the exclusive application of medical treatment. Conclusion: The authors propose cognitive-behavioral therapy OSA as a complement to medical treatment.

Characterisation of NMHCs in a French urban atmosphere: overview of the main sources

Bloqueo auriculoventricular avanzado de presentación atípica tras infarto agudo de miocardio en el síndrome de apnea del sueño