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Nature Feb 2022The sensing of gravity has emerged as a tool in geophysics applications such as engineering and climate research, including the monitoring of temporal variations in...
The sensing of gravity has emerged as a tool in geophysics applications such as engineering and climate research, including the monitoring of temporal variations in aquifers and geodesy. However, it is impractical to use gravity cartography to resolve metre-scale underground features because of the long measurement times needed for the removal of vibrational noise. Here we overcome this limitation by realizing a practical quantum gravity gradient sensor. Our design suppresses the effects of micro-seismic and laser noise, thermal and magnetic field variations, and instrument tilt. The instrument achieves a statistical uncertainty of 20 E (1 E = 10 s) and is used to perform a 0.5-metre-spatial-resolution survey across an 8.5-metre-long line, detecting a 2-metre tunnel with a signal-to-noise ratio of 8. Using a Bayesian inference method, we determine the centre to ±0.19 metres horizontally and the centre depth as (1.89 -0.59/+2.3) metres. The removal of vibrational noise enables improvements in instrument performance to directly translate into reduced measurement time in mapping. The sensor parameters are compatible with applications in mapping aquifers and evaluating impacts on the water table, archaeology, determination of soil properties and water content, and reducing the risk of unforeseen ground conditions in the construction of critical energy, transport and utilities infrastructure, providing a new window into the underground.
PubMed: 35197616
DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-04315-3 -
Acta Pharmaceutica (Zagreb, Croatia) Jun 2022Nebulization is a very effective method of drug administration. This technique has been popular since ancient times when inhalation of plants rich in tropane alkaloids... (Review)
Review
Nebulization is a very effective method of drug administration. This technique has been popular since ancient times when inhalation of plants rich in tropane alkaloids with spasmolytic and analgesic effects was widely used. Undoubtedly, the invention of anasthesia in the 19th century had an influence on the development of this technique. It resulted in the search for devices that facilitated anasthesia such as pulveriser or hydronium. From the second half of the 21st century, when the first DPI and MDI inhalers were launched, the constant development of aerosol therapy has been noticed. This is due to the fact that nebulization, compared with other means of medicinal substance application (such as oral and intravenous routes of administration), is safer and it exhibits a positive dose/efficacy ratio connected to the reduction of the dose. It enables drugs administration through the lung and possesses very fast onset action. Therefore, various drugs prescribed in respiratory diseases (such as corticosteroids, β-agonists, anticholinergics) are present on the market in a form of an aerosol.
Topics: Nebulizers and Vaporizers; Administration, Inhalation; Aerosols; Metered Dose Inhalers; Dry Powder Inhalers
PubMed: 36651510
DOI: 10.2478/acph-2022-0017 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2022Many tasks that require a large workforce are automated. In many areas of the world, the consumption of utilities, such as electricity, gas and water, is monitored by...
Many tasks that require a large workforce are automated. In many areas of the world, the consumption of utilities, such as electricity, gas and water, is monitored by meters that need to be read by humans. The reading of such meters requires the presence of an employee or a representative of the utility provider. Automatic meter reading is crucial in the implementation of smart grids. For this reason, with the aim to boost the implementation of the smart grid paradigm, in this paper, we propose a method aimed to automatically read digits from a dial meter. In detail, the proposed method aims to localise the dial meter from an image, to detect the digits and to classify the digits. Deep learning is exploited, and, in particular, the YOLOv5s model is considered for the localisation of digits and for their recognition. An experimental real-world case study is presented to confirm the effectiveness of the proposed method for automatic digit localisation recognition from dial meters.
Topics: Humans; Computer Systems; Electricity
PubMed: 36616673
DOI: 10.3390/s23010075 -
PloS One 2022Past work has suggested that perception of object distances in natural scenes depends on the environmental surroundings, even when the physical object distance remains...
Past work has suggested that perception of object distances in natural scenes depends on the environmental surroundings, even when the physical object distance remains constant. The cue bases for such effects remain unclear and are difficult to study systematically in real-world settings, given the challenges in manipulating large environmental features reliably and efficiently. Here, we used rendered scenes and crowdsourced data collection to address these challenges. In 4 experiments involving 452 participants, we investigated the effect of room width and depth on egocentric distance judgments. Targets were placed at distances of 2-37 meters in rendered rooms that varied in width (1.5-40 meters) and depth (6-40 meters). We found large and reliable effects of room width: Average judgments for the farthest targets in a 40-meter-wide room were between 16-33% larger than for the same target distances seen in a 1.5-meter-wide hallway. Egocentric distance cues and focal length were constant across room widths, highlighting the role of environmental context in judging distances in natural scenes. Obscuring the fine-grained ground texture, per se, is not primarily responsible for the width effect, nor does linear perspective play a strong role. However, distance judgments tended to decrease when doors and/or walls obscured more distant regions of the scene. We discuss how environmental features may be used to calibrate relative distance cues for egocentric distance judgments.
Topics: Cues; Distance Perception; Environment; Female; Humans; Judgment; Male
PubMed: 35143537
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263497 -
Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Jan 2023Water quality monitoring allows communities to achieve sustainable management of water resources, which is crucial for life-supporting processes. Water quality is...
Water quality monitoring allows communities to achieve sustainable management of water resources, which is crucial for life-supporting processes. Water quality is determined by measuring chemical, physical, and biological parameters, requiring sophisticated meters and trained specialists to perform the measurement. However, in low-income communities, water quality is determined by using human senses-smell, color, and taste-since meter acquisition is limited by costs and most people do not know how to monitor water quality. Therefore, accessible technology is necessary to empower communities to have a sustainable lifestyle. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of PortAqua, a 2-parameter water quality meter (WQM), to promote training on water quality measurement. Using basic electronic components, PortAqua is capable of measuring pH with an error of 0.4, and conductivity with an error of 33% at 85 µS cm, and 8.7% at 1413 µS cm. To demonstrate its preliminary effectiveness as a WQM and its science communication capabilities, the meter has been used in a hands-on workshop with undergraduate and graduate students. During the workshop, attendees participated in a short lecture about water quality measurement techniques and local regulations. Then, they collected water samples from a local source, measured the samples using PortAqua, and discussed the results based on the concepts and regulations. The workshop's effectiveness was evaluated through pre- and post-assessments which revealed increased knowledge of water quality regulations, measurement, and parameters at the end of the activity.
Topics: Humans; Water Quality; Environmental Monitoring; Students; Communication
PubMed: 36705766
DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10804-3 -
Foods (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2023Food safety has emerged as a significant concern for global public health and sustainable development. The development of analytical tools capable of rapidly,... (Review)
Review
Food safety has emerged as a significant concern for global public health and sustainable development. The development of analytical tools capable of rapidly, conveniently, and sensitively detecting food safety hazards is imperative. Over the past few decades, personal glucose meters (PGMs), characterized by their rapid response, low cost, and high degree of commercialization, have served as portable signal output devices extensively utilized in the construction of biosensors. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of the mechanism underlying the construction of PGM-based biosensors, which consists of three fundamental components: recognition, signal transduction, and signal output. It also detailedly enumerates available recognition and signal transduction elements, and their modes of integration. Then, a multitude of instances is examined to present the latest advancements in the application of PGMs in food safety detection, including targets such as pathogenic bacteria, mycotoxins, agricultural and veterinary drug residues, heavy metal ions, and illegal additives. Finally, the challenges and prospects of PGM-based biosensors are highlighted, aiming to offer valuable references for the iterative refinement of detection techniques and provide a comprehensive framework and inspiration for further investigations.
PubMed: 37959066
DOI: 10.3390/foods12213947 -
Journal of Dairy Science Feb 2023The primary objective of this observational study was to investigate whether incremental milk flow rates (in the 0-15 s, 15-30 s, 30-60 s, and 60-120 s intervals) from... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
The primary objective of this observational study was to investigate whether incremental milk flow rates (in the 0-15 s, 15-30 s, 30-60 s, and 60-120 s intervals) from electronic on-farm milk flow meters can be used to detect bimodal milk flow curves in dairy cows compared with the use of a portable milk flow meter. Our second objective was to study the concordance between an electronic on-farm milk flow meter and a portable milk flow meter for assessing the 2-min milk yield and total milk yield. In this cross-sectional study, data from 92 milking observations from individual cows were analyzed. We collected data on incremental milk flow rates, the 2-min milk yield, and the total milk yield simultaneously with an on-farm milk flow meter and a portable milk flow meter. Bimodality detected by the on-farm milk flow meter was defined as lower milk flow rates during any of the 15-30 s, 30-60 s, and 60-120 s intervals compared with the previous intervals (0-15 s, 15-30 s, and 30-60 s). Bimodality according to the portable milk flow meter (BIM) was observed through automatic detection. κ statistics indicated good agreement between bimodality detected by the on-farm milk flow meter and BIM [κ (95% confidence interval): 0.69 (0.49-0.90)]. Using BIM as the gold standard, diagnostic test statistics for bimodality detected by the on-farm milk flow meter indicated moderate performance for sensitivity [0.73 (0.54-0.86)] as well as high performance for positive predictive value [0.83 (0.63-0.93)], specificity [0.94 (0.85-0.98)], and negative predictive value [0.90 (0.81-0.95)]. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses revealed that the 30-60 s milk flow rate was the variable that best predicted BIM yielding an area under the curve of 0.89. Pearson correlation coefficients (r) revealed a very strong correlation between the 2 devices for both the 2-min milk yield [0.97 (0.96-0.98)] and total milk yield [r (95% confidence interval), 0.97 (0.96-0.98)]. Additionally, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and concordance correlation coefficients (CCC) indicated excellent agreement between the 2 devices for the 2-min milk yield [ICC, 0.97 (0.96-0.98); CCC, 0.94 (0.92-0.96)] and total milk yield [ICC, 0.97 (0.96-0.98); CCC, 0.97 (0.95-0.98)]. Therefore, we concluded that electronic on-farm milk flow meters that measure incremental milk flow rates can be used to detect bimodality in dairy cows and that on-farm milk flow meters facilitate precise measurements of the 2-min milk yield and total milk yield.
Topics: Female; Cattle; Animals; Milk; Lactation; Cross-Sectional Studies; Dairying; ROC Curve
PubMed: 36494231
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22437 -
Frontiers in Plant Science 2022The time delay in receiving conventional tissue nutrient analysis results caused red raspberry ( L.) growers to be interested in rapid sap tests to provide real-time...
The time delay in receiving conventional tissue nutrient analysis results caused red raspberry ( L.) growers to be interested in rapid sap tests to provide real-time results to guide immediate nutrient management practices. However, sap analysis has never been conducted in raspberry. The present work aimed to evaluate the relationship of petiole sap nitrate (NO ), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) concentrations measured using compact ion meters and leaf tissue total nitrogen (TN), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) concentrations measured using conventional tissue nutrient analysis. The relationship of petiole sap NO and leaf tissue TN concentrations with plant growth and production variables was also explored. Fertilizer treatments of urea were surface applied to raised beds of established "Meeker" floricane red raspberry plots at control, low, medium, and high rates (0, 34, 67, and 101 kg N ha, respectively) in 2019 and 2020. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Whole leaves were collected from representative primocanes in mid- and late- July and August 2019 and 2020 (i.e., four sampling time points per year). At each sampling time point, a subsample of leaves was used for petiole sap analyses of NO , K, and Ca concentrations using compact ion meters, and conventional tissue testing of leaf tissue TN, K, and Ca concentrations, respectively. There were no interactions between N fertilizer rate and year nor between N fertilizer rate and sampling time. No significant differences were found due to N fertilizer rate for petiole sap NO , K, Ca nor leaf tissue TN, K, Ca concentrations. However, significant year and sampling time effects occurred in measured petiole sap and leaf tissue nutrient concentrations. Overall, the correlations between petiole sap NO and leaf tissue TN, petiole sap Ca and leaf tissue Ca, petiole sap K and leaf tissue K concentrations were non-strong and inconsistent. Future research is warranted as the interpretation of correlations between raspberry petiole sap and leaf tissue nutrient concentrations were inconclusive.
PubMed: 35991427
DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.918021 -
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2023This paper provides a comprehensive review of the applications of smart meters in the control and optimisation of power grids to support a smooth energy transition... (Review)
Review
This paper provides a comprehensive review of the applications of smart meters in the control and optimisation of power grids to support a smooth energy transition towards the renewable energy future. The smart grids become more complicated due to the presence of small-scale low inertia generators and the implementation of electric vehicles (EVs), which are mainly based on intermittent and variable renewable energy resources. Optimal and reliable operation of this environment using conventional model-based approaches is very difficult. Advancements in measurement and communication technologies have brought the opportunity of collecting temporal or real-time data from prosumers through Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI). Smart metering brings the potential of applying data-driven algorithms for different power system operations and planning services, such as infrastructure sizing and upgrade and generation forecasting. It can also be used for demand-side management, especially in the presence of new technologies such as EVs, 5G/6G networks and cloud computing. These algorithms face privacy-preserving and cybersecurity challenges that need to be well addressed. This article surveys the state-of-the-art of each of these topics, reviewing applications, challenges and opportunities of using smart meters to address them. It also stipulates the challenges that smart grids present to smart meters and the benefits that smart meters can bring to smart grids. Furthermore, the paper is concluded with some expected future directions and potential research questions for smart meters, smart grids and their interplay.
PubMed: 36850711
DOI: 10.3390/s23042118 -
EFSA Journal. European Food Safety... Feb 2022The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) for the EU territory. This species is not included in the EU Commission...
The EFSA Panel on Plant Health performed a pest categorisation of (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) for the EU territory. This species is not included in the EU Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/2072. . Uchida & Inouye is a well-defined species, native to a large part of Japan, which was introduced to the Republic of Korea and eastern China: Fujian and Shandong. It attacks , . and . in Japan; . and . in Korea; and . in China, and has been observed to attack other two-needle pine species, including species present in the EU. The pest is univoltine and the adults emerge between May and August. The adults live only for 1 day. Each female oviposits in batches on developing needles. The neonate larvae crawl to the base of the needle fascicle and create a gall in which they feed gregariously by sap sucking. The third-instar larvae leave the galls in November, overwinter in a cocoon in the soil and pupate at the end of the winter. Degree day models have been developed to predict adult emergence. Survival of overwintering stages is poor below 15°C and above 30°C. The pest can be detected by its symptoms (stunted or dead needles, galls at the base of infected needle fascicles), and identified using morphological characters or the mitochondrial COI gene. . is one of the major forest pests in the Republic of Korea, where 1.7 million trees were cut to control it in 2014-2015. It flies uneasily (a few hundred metres) but can be transported in galls on plants for planting, including artificially dwarfed plants, or with cut branches. Climate matching and host tree distribution suggest that . would be able to establish and have an impact in the EU territory. . satisfies all the criteria that are within the remit of EFSA to assess for it to be regarded as a potential Union quarantine pest.
PubMed: 35136424
DOI: 10.2903/j.efsa.2022.7088