scholarly journals Limitations imposed by optical turbulence profile structure and evolution on tomographic reconstruction for the ELT

2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (2) ◽  
pp. 2773-2784 ◽  
Author(s):  
O J D Farley ◽  
J Osborn ◽  
T Morris ◽  
T Fusco ◽  
B Neichel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Tomographic Reconstruction ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Atmospheric Conditions ◽  
Optical Turbulence ◽  
Statistical Nature ◽  
Number Of Layers ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT The performance of tomographic adaptive optics (AO) systems is intrinsically linked to the vertical profile of optical turbulence. First, a sufficient number of discrete turbulent layers must be reconstructed to model the true continuous turbulence profile. Secondly over the course of an observation, the profile as seen by the telescope changes and the tomographic reconstructor must be updated. These changes can be due to the unpredictable evolution of turbulent layers on meteorological time-scales as short as minutes. Here, we investigate the effect of changing atmospheric conditions on the quality of tomographic reconstruction by coupling fast analytical AO simulation to a large data base of 10 691 high-resolution turbulence profiles measured over two years by the Stereo-SCIDAR instrument at ESO Paranal, Chile. This work represents the first investigation of these effects with a large, statistically significant sample of turbulence profiles. The statistical nature of the study allows us to assess not only the degradation and variability in tomographic error with a set of system parameters (e.g. number of layers and temporal update period), but also the required parameters to meet some error threshold. In the most challenging conditions where the profile is rapidly changing, these parameters must be far more tightly constrained in order to meet this threshold. By providing estimates of these constraints for a wide range of system geometries as well as the impact of different temporal optimization strategies we may assist the designers of tomographic AO for the extremely large telescope to dimension their systems.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Quality of Irrigation Machinery by Monitoring Changes in the Coefficients of Uniformity and Non-Uniformity of Irrigation

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1499
Author(s):  
Ján Jobbágy ◽  
Peter Dančanin ◽  
Koloman Krištof ◽  
Juraj Maga ◽  
Vlastimil Slaný
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measurements ◽  
Joint Stock Company ◽  
Stock Company ◽  
Uniformity Coefficient ◽  
Quality Of Work ◽  
Total Length ◽  
Irrigation Uniformity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Recently, the development of agricultural technology has been focused on achieving higher reliability and quality of work. The aim of the presented paper was to examine the possibilities of evaluating the quality of work of wide-area irrigation machinery by monitoring the coefficients of uniformity and non-uniformity of irrigation. The object of the research was pivot irrigation machinery equipped with sprinklers with a total length from 230 to 540 m. The commonly applied quality of work parameter for wide-range irrigators is the irrigation uniformity coefficient according to Heermann and Hein CUH. Work quality evaluations were also carried out through other parameters applicable in practice, such as irrigation uniformity coefficients calculated according to Christiansen CU, Wilcox and Swailes Cws, and our introduced parameters, the coefficient ar (derived from the degree of unevenness according to Oehler) and the degree of uniformity γr (derived from the degree of non-uniformity according to Voight). Other applied parameters for determining the quality of work of wide-range irrigation machinery were the coefficients of irrigation uniformity according to Hart and Reynolds CUhr, further according to Criddle CUcr and subsequently according to Beale and Howell CUbr. Next, the parameters of the non-uniformity coefficient according to Oehler a, the coefficient of variation according to Stefanelli Cv, the degree of non-uniformity according to Voigt γ and the degree of non-uniformity according to Hofmeister Ef were evaluated. Field tests were performed during the growing season of cultivated crops (potatoes, corn and sugar beet) in the village of Trakovice (agricultural enterprise SLOV-MART, southwest of the Slovakia) and in the district of Piešťany (Agrobiop, joint stock company). During the research, the inlet operating parameters (speed stage, inlet pressure, irrigation dose), technical parameters (number of sprayers, total length, number of chassis) and weather conditions (wind speed and temperature) were recorded. The obtained results were examined by one-way ANOVA analysis depending on the observed coefficient or input conditions and subsequently verified by Tukey and Duncan tests as needed. Irrigation uniformity values ranged from 67.58% (Cws) to 95.88% (CUbh) depending on the input conditions. Irrigation non-uniformity values ranged from 8.58 (a, Ef) to 32.42% (Cv). The results indicate a statistically significant effect of the site of interest and thus the impact of particular field conditions (p < 0.05). When evaluating the application of different coefficients of irrigation uniformity, the results showed a statistically significant effect only in the first test (p = 0.03, p < 0.05). During further repeated measurements, the quality of work increased due to the performed inspection of all sprayers and the reduction in the influence of the wind.

scholarly journals An Adaptive Bitrate Switching Algorithm for Speech Applications in Context of WebRTC

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Mohannad Alahmadi ◽  
Peter Pocta ◽  
Hugh Melvin
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Data Exchange ◽  
Quality Of Experience ◽  
End User ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Switching Algorithm ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) combines a set of standards and technologies to enable high-quality audio, video, and auxiliary data exchange in web browsers and mobile applications. It enables peer-to-peer multimedia sessions over IP networks without the need for additional plugins. The Opus codec, which is deployed as the default audio codec for speech and music streaming in WebRTC, supports a wide range of bitrates. This range of bitrates covers narrowband, wideband, and super-wideband up to fullband bandwidths. Users of IP-based telephony always demand high-quality audio. In addition to users’ expectation, their emotional state, content type, and many other psychological factors; network quality of service; and distortions introduced at the end terminals could determine their quality of experience. To measure the quality experienced by the end user for voice transmission service, the E-model standardized in the ITU-T Rec. G.107 (a narrowband version), ITU-T Rec. G.107.1 (a wideband version), and the most recent ITU-T Rec. G.107.2 extension for the super-wideband E-model can be used. In this work, we present a quality of experience model built on the E-model to measure the impact of coding and packet loss to assess the quality perceived by the end user in WebRTC speech applications. Based on the computed Mean Opinion Score, a real-time adaptive codec parameter switching mechanism is used to switch to the most optimum codec bitrate under the present network conditions. We present the evaluation results to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach when compared with the default codec configuration in WebRTC.

scholarly journals The importance of anemia and health-related quality of life in the elderly

2020 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
Raditya Wratsangka ◽  
Rully Ayu Nirmalasari Haryadi Putri
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Hemoglobin Concentration ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
World Population ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

Anemia is a global health problem with an extremely high prevalence and occurring in nearly 25% of the world population, particularly in the elderly group. Currently Indonesia is facing a rapid growth of the elderly population, with around 21 million elderly (8.2% of the total population), that is projected to increase to 33.7 million (11.8%) in the year 2025. Anemia in the elderly is frequently neglected, although the facts show that low hemoglobin concentration is an important marker of physiological decline and functional limitations. Although the factor of intrinsic aging may cause low hemoglobin concentration, anemia in the elderly is known to have a wide range w88ith regard to etiology, underlying disorders, and  possible mechanisms, such that it should be clinically followed up. Whatever its causes or underlying pathophysiological, anemia in the elderly has been proven to play a role in their morbidity and mortality, and may decrease their quality of life, that comprises all aspects of physical, mental, and social health, known as health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The impact of anemia on HRQoL has been studied in various populations, and most studies report the presence of an association between HRQoL and anemia in elderly individuals, which on the subscale level is particularly associated with physical health. Early diagnosis of anemia is important to prevent aggravation of the condition, to retard the progress of the disease, and to improve the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the patient. Prior to determining the treatment plan, the primary diagnosis and the comorbidities, especially treatable disorders, had better be identified first. The available data show that the overall prognosis will improve for anemia in patients with well-managed and corrected chronic disorders.

scholarly journals Congenital Micropenis: Aetiology And Management

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Rita Stancampiano ◽  
Kentaro Suzuki ◽  
Stuart O’Toole ◽  
Gianni Russo ◽  
Gen Yamada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Racial Differences ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Long Term Outcomes ◽  
Penile Length ◽  
Appearance Quality ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In the newborn, penile length is determined by a number of androgen dependent and independent factors. The current literature suggests that there are inter-racial differences in stretched penile length in the newborn and although congenital micropenis should be defined as a stretched penile length of less than 2.5SDS of the mean for the corresponding population and gestation, a pragmatic approach would be to evaluate all boys with a stretched penile length below 2 cm, as congenital micropenis can be a marker for a wide range of endocrine conditions. However, it remains unclear as to whether the state of micropenis, itself, is associated with any long-term consequences. There is a lack of systematic studies comparing the impact of different therapeutic options on long-term outcomes, in terms of genital appearance, quality of life and sexual satisfaction. To date, research has been hampered by a small sample size and inclusion of a wide range of heterogeneous diagnoses; for these reasons, condition specific outcomes have been difficult to compare between studies. Lastly, there is a need for a greater collaborative effort in collecting standardized data so that all real-world or experimental interventions performed at an early age can be studied systematically into adulthood.

Epilepsy and Stroke Emerging From Climate Change-Related Neurotoxicity

2019 ◽  
pp. 322-347
Author(s):  
Hind Benammi ◽  
Omar El Hiba ◽  
Abdelmohcine Aimrane ◽  
Nadia Zouhairi ◽  
Hicham Chatoui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Heavy Metals ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Toxic Elements ◽  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Quality Of Water ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Shed Light

Climate change has an important impact on the environment. As it degrades the quality of water, soil, and area, it also spreads the distribution of many toxic elements, specifically heavy metals and pesticides. The impact of climate change on contamination with heavy metals and pesticides has been well investigated and discussed. The influence of these elements on human health is obviously exacerbated following their extended distribution. Moreover, a wide range of health problems have been associated to such intoxication, among which impairment and dysfunction of the nervous system are prominent. In this chapter, the authors will shed light on two most common neurological diseases such as epilepsy and stroke affecting people worldwide arising from food and water contaminations, mainly with heavy metals and pesticides.

Impact of Cloud Gaming in Health Care, Education, and Entertainment Services

2017 ◽  
pp. 261-283
Author(s):  
Padmalaya Nayak ◽  
Shelendra Kumar Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Computational Cost ◽  
Large Data ◽  
Health Care Education ◽  
Video Streams ◽  
Client Side ◽  
Audio Video ◽  
Use Of Internet ◽  
The Impact

With the rapid growth of Cloud Computing, various diverse applications are growing exponentially through large data centers with the use of Internet. Cloud gaming is one of the most novel service applications that helps to store the video games in cloud and client can access the games as audio/video streams. Cloud gaming in practice substantially reduces the computational cost at the client side and enables the use of thin clients. Further, Quality of Service (QoS) may be affected through cloud gaming by introducing access latency. The objective of this chapter is to bring the impact and effectiveness of cloud gaming application on users, Health care, Entertainment, and Education.

scholarly journals Forecasting seeing for the Maunakea Observatories

2020 ◽  
Vol 496 (4) ◽  
pp. 4734-4748
Author(s):  
Ryan Lyman ◽  
Tiziana Cherubini ◽  
Steven Businger
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Atmospheric Stability ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Image Resolution ◽  
Image Motion ◽  
Optical Turbulence ◽  
Observational Measures ◽  
Weather Model ◽  
Operational Forecasting

ABSTRACT Optical turbulence greatly impacts the range and quality of astronomical observations. Advanced knowledge of the expected atmospheric optical turbulence provides important guidance that helps astronomers decide which instrument to schedule and enables them to optimize the adaptive optics technology that improves image resolution. Along with forecasts of weather conditions, prediction of the optical observing quality on the Maunakea summit has been a goal for the Maunakea Weather Center (MKWC) since its inception more than 20 yr ago. Forecasting optical turbulence, and its derivative, ‘seeing’, has proven to be quite challenging because optical turbulence is too small and complex to directly capture with a regional weather model. Fortunately, the permanent installation of a Differential Image Motion Monitor (DIMM) and Multi-Aperture Scintillation Sensor (MASS) at the summit of Maunakea has made seeing observations available during the last decade, providing valuable feedback to the MKWC. This paper summarizes the experience at MKWC in anticipating optical turbulence for the summit of Maunakea accrued through years of daily operational forecasting, and continuous comparison between MKWC official forecasts, model guidance, and observational measures of seeing. Access to a decade seeing observations has allowed quantification the factors that impact seeing, including wind shear, atmospheric stability patterns, and optical turbulence, and to document the seasonal and intra-seasonal variations in seeing. Consequently, the combination of experience gained, and custom model guidance has led to more accurate seeing forecasts (rms errors averaging &lt;0.25 arcsec since 2012) for the Maunakea astronomical observatories.

scholarly journals Valuing the impact of health and social care programs using social return on investment analysis: how have academics advanced the methodology? A systematic review

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. e029789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Louise Hutchinson ◽  
Angela Berndt ◽  
Deborah Forsythe ◽  
Susan Gilbert-Hunt ◽  
Stacey George ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Return On Investment ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Assessment Tool ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Social Return On Investment ◽  
Health And Social Care ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesTo identify how social return on investment (SROI) analysis—traditionally used by business consultants—has been interpreted, used and innovated by academics in the health and social care sector and to assess the quality of peer-reviewed SROI studies in this sector.DesignSystematic review.SettingsCommunity and residential settings.ParticipantsA wide range of demographic groups and age groups.ResultsThe following databases were searched: Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, Econlit, Medline, PsychINFO, Embase, Emerald, Social Care Online and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Limited uptake of SROI methodology by academics was found in the health and social care sector. From 868 papers screened, 8 studies met the criteria for inclusion in this systematic review. Study quality was found to be highly variable, ranging from 38% to 90% based on scores from a purpose-designed quality assessment tool. In general, relatively high consistency and clarity was observed in the reporting of the research question, reasons for using this methodology and justifying the need for the study. However, weaknesses were observed in other areas including justifying stakeholders, reporting sample sizes, undertaking sensitivity analysis and reporting unexpected or negative outcomes. Most papers cited links to additional materials to aid in reporting. There was little evidence that academics had innovated or advanced the methodology beyond that outlined in a much-cited SROI guide.ConclusionAcademics have thus far been slow to adopt SROI methodology in the evaluation of health and social care interventions, and there is little evidence of innovation and development of the methodology. The word count requirements of peer-reviewed journals may make it difficult for authors to be fully transparent about the details of their studies, potentially impacting the quality of reporting in those studies published in these journals.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42018080195.

scholarly journals Lack of application of the European Work Time Directive: effects on workload, work satisfaction and burnout among Italian physicians

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 159
Author(s):  
Paola Gnerre ◽  
Domenico Montemurro ◽  
Andrea P. Rossi ◽  
Costantino Troise ◽  
Carlo Palermo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Work Conditions ◽  
Public Hospitals ◽  
Burnout Syndrome ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Work Time ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

The Italian Parliament has excluded hospital physicians from the application of the European Work Time Directive (EWTD), which imposes a maximum workweek of 48 h and compulsory resting periods. This resulted in extended and excessive work time for the category. This paper is aimed at evaluating the impact of this legislation gap, by assessing the presence of excessive work-related stress and risk for burnout syndrome among Italian physicians working in public hospitals. This observational study is based on an on-line survey conducted on a sample of 1925 Italian doctors (covering a wide range of age, work experience and contractual positions) from October 2014 to February 2015. The questionnaire included 30 questions concerning their personal and professional life (<em>e.g</em>., assessment of workloads, number of uncomfortable or extra shifts, unused days-off, <em>etc</em>.). On the basis of the results, it can be inferred that the average Italian doctor working in public hospitals is under considerable stress at work with negative consequences on his health. He is exposed to high risk of suffering from sleep disorders and cardiovascular diseases (due to the lack of time for private practice and eating regular meals). Overall, his perception is that his job worsens his quality of life. This study shows the relevance of the risk of burnout among Italian physicians employed in public hospitals due to severe workload and work conditions. The resulting impact on the quality of care and the significant cost involved - both in human and economic terms - calls for significant emergency measures by the Italian health work organization. An important increase and prolonged working time is associated with a worsening of the objective cognitive performance and an increase of clinical risk, but also to an increased risk of diseases for operators and of the burnout syndrome. Our survey shows that lack of application of the EWTD has adverse effects on the quality of life and performance of Italian doctors. Failure to respond by all Italian doctors is the greatest limitation of our survey.

Comparison of rural versus urban residence for symptoms and quality of life in recurrent ovarian cancer: Baseline analysis of GOG-0259, an NRG Oncology/GOG study.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (15_suppl) ◽  
pp. e18083-e18083 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah M. Belcher ◽  
Susan M. Sereika ◽  
Zan M. Dodson ◽  
Meghan K. Mattos ◽  
Teresa Hagan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Recurrent Ovarian Cancer ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Protective Effects ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

e18083 Background: Women with recurrent ovarian cancer (OC) experience a wide range of cancer- and treatment-related symptoms that negatively impact quality of life (QOL). Studies have reported healthcare disparities by geographic residence related to distance, time, and financial barriers to accessing high quality care. However, no studies have evaluated the impact of residence on symptoms and QOL in women with OC. Therefore, our objectives were to evaluate whether geographic residence (urban versus rural) is associated with symptoms and QOL in a sample of women with recurrent OC. Methods: The Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion conceptual framework guided analyses of baseline GOG-0259 data. We mapped zip codes to RUCA commuter codes and compared sociodemographic and clinical variables between rural and urban groups using two-sample t and chi-square tests. We used MANCOVA, adjusted for age and marital status, to test for associations between residence and symptoms (Symptom Representation Questionnaire) and QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Ovarian). Results: Rural (n = 122, 25%) and urban (n = 374, 75%) women were similar in all sociodemographic and clinical comparisons except for marital status (83% vs. 70% married, p = .003). Women reported moderate symptom severity (M = 5.5, SD = 2.3) and QOL scores similar to other OC studies (M = 108.4, SD = 19.5). In multi-variate analyses, age and marital status were both associated with symptoms; marital status was associated with QOL. Geographical residence was not associated with either symptoms or QOL. Conclusions: Counter to previous research, there were no symptom or QOL disparities based on geographic residence in this sample. Possible explanations to be explored in future research include a) cooperative group selection bias for women with good access to care regardless of geographic residence and b) protective effects of marital status on symptoms and QOL.

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