Hasil untuk "Special industries and trades"

Xiaoyang Liu, Xupeng Huang, Rongjin Zhu et al.

To improve the counting accuracy in dense rice seed scenarios, this study proposes a YOLOv5-based dense rice seed counting method that integrates C3CBAM and Soft-NMS. This method integrates the CBAM attention module into the shallow C3 modules of the backbone network to enhance image features. Additionally, it removes the original large and medium-sized object detection heads of YOLOv5 and adds a dedicated detection head for tiny rice seeds. For post-processing of model prediction data, the Soft-NMS algorithm is employed to replace standard Non-Maximum Suppression (NMS) and reduce missed detections. Finally, image acquisition, seed counting, and a user interface are integrated into a single system, enabling rice breeders to conduct seed counting tasks more intuitively and efficiently. Compared with the baseline YOLOv5 model, the recall and mAP@[0.5:0.95] of the improved model increase by 6.4 % and 5.7 %, respectively. Furthermore, this study designs experiments with three levels of seed density. In the intermediate-type rice seed samples, the detection accuracy reaches 100 % under light and moderate density conditions, while it maintains stable counting performance under heavy density conditions with an accuracy above 99.7 %. This work significantly enhances rice seed counting efficiency for researchers and facilitates rice variety improvement studies.

Rina Khan, Annabelle Sauve, Imaan Bayoumi et al.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has led to many promising developments; however, increasingly, AI research is funded by the private sector leading to potential trade-offs between benefits to patients and benefits to industry. Health AI practitioners should prioritize successful adaptation into clinical practice in order to provide meaningful benefits to patients, but translation usually requires collaboration with industry. We discuss three features of AI studies that hamper the integration of AI into clinical practice from the perspective of researchers and clinicians. These include lack of clinically relevant metrics, lack of clinical trials and longitudinal studies to validate results, and lack of patient and physician involvement in the development process. For partnerships between industry and health research to be sustainable, a balance must be established between patient and industry benefit. We propose three approaches for addressing this gap: improved transparency and explainability of AI models, fostering relationships with industry partners that have a reputation for centering patient benefit in their practices, and prioritization of overall healthcare benefits. With these priorities, we can sooner realize meaningful AI technologies used by clinicians where mutua

Filip Vidojević, Andrijana Džamić, Dušan Džamić et al.

Hybrid flow shop (HFS) environments are prevalent in various industries, including glass, steel, paper, and textiles, posing complex scheduling challenges. This paper introduces a novel approach employing Variable Neighborhood Search (VNS) to address the HFS scheduling problem, with a primary focus on minimizing makespan. The fundamental innovation lies in the fusion of VNS with domain-specific strategies, harnessing the adaptability of VNS. Departing significantly from conventional HFS approaches, our methodology incorporates a special encoding that allows jobs to wait strategically, even when free machines are available. This approach trades immediate machine utilization for the potential of improved makespan. Additionally, using this encoding, a proper decomposition of the problem is feasible. This innovative strategy aims to balance machine load while optimizing the overall scheduling performance. Experimental testing demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach in comparison to existing methods.

Belinda Lopéz-Galán, Tiziana de-Magistris

Abstract This study analyses the influence of geographical origin and taste on honey consumer behavior. First, we explore the influence of geographical origin on consumers’ hedonic evaluation of honey. We then assess the influence of geographical origin and taste on their willingness to pay (WTP) for honey. We conducted a field experiment at a real supermarket. The participants were exposed to two treatments (blind and informed treatment). The findings showed that knowledge about the geographical origin of honey influences consumers’ hedonic evaluations and that the WTP for honey is more strongly influenced by geographical origin than by taste.

Sharon Paoli Bias Ramos, Gabriel Rodrigues Martins de Freitas, Silvana Teresa Lacerda Jales

Objetivo: analisar o perfil pós-consumo dos medicamentos descartados pela comunidade universitária no coletor disponibilizado no Centro de Ciências da Saúde da Universidade Federal da Paraíba. Métodos: O projeto de extensão Descarta CIM instalou um coletor no Centro de Informações sobre Medicamentos - CIM do Departamento de Ciências Farmacêuticas e promoveu campanhas educativas em outros centros de ensino do Campus I. A partir disso, foi feita a pesagem e catalogação dos medicamentos descartados durante um período de 6 meses, seguida de análise detalhada do tipo de medicamento, categoria regulatória, classificação ATC (Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical), forma farmacêutica, tipo de embalagem e prazo de validade. Resultados: Os dados encontrados indicam que os medicamentos genéricos representam 42,5% do volume descartado, seguidos por medicamentos de referência (35,7%) e similares (21,7%). A análise da classificação ATC revela uma prevalência de medicamentos relacionados ao sistema digestivo e metabolismo, seguidos por sistema cardiovascular, sistema nervoso e músculo-esquelético. Observa-se uma alta porcentagem de medicamentos fora do prazo de validade (72,8%), levantando questões sobre a prática de automedicação e a necessidade de conscientização sobre o uso racional de medicamentos. Conclusão: O estudo demonstra algumas limitações, sobretudo quando não se pode determinar com exatidão se todos os medicamentos descartados foram efetivamente utilizados pela comunidade universitária. Contudo, a análise demonstrou que a promoção de campanhas educativas e a presença de coletores incentivam o descarte adequado de medicamentos e estimulam uma mudança de comportamento e a prática de ações de proteção ambiental.  

Mainak Singha

Financial markets exhibit an apparent paradox: while directional price movements remain largely unpredictable--consistent with weak-form efficiency--the magnitude of price changes displays systematic structure. Here we demonstrate that real-time order-flow entropy, computed from a 15-state Markov transition matrix at second resolution, predicts the magnitude of intraday returns without providing directional information. Analysis of 38.5 million SPY trades over 36 trading days reveals that conditioning on entropy below the 5th percentile increases subsequent 5-minute absolute returns by a factor of 2.89 (t = 12.41, p < 0.0001), while directional accuracy remains at 45.0%--statistically indistinguishable from chance (p = 0.12). This decoupling arises from a fundamental symmetry: entropy is invariant under sign permutation, detecting the presence of informed trading without revealing its direction. Walk-forward validation across five non-overlapping test periods confirms out-of-sample predictability, and label-permutation placebo tests yield z = 14.4 against the null. These findings suggest that information-theoretic measures may serve as volatility state variables in market microstructure, though the limited sample (36 days, single instrument) requires extended validation.

Suprokash Hazra

In this article, we introduce special domains and discuss the geometry of these domains, which includes showing that every pseudoconvex truncated tube domain is a special domain. Next, we prove a theorem for the envelope of special domains in $\C^n ~(n\geq 2)$. Our theorem on special domains is a generalization of a recent result by Jarnicki-Pflug on the envelope of holomorphy of truncated tube domains in $\C^n$. We also establish a result on schlichtness in complex dimension 2, and conclude this article with two higher-dimensional generalizations of the same result by Jarnicki-Pflug mentioned above.

Peter Klimek, Sophia Baum, Markus Gerschberger et al.

Rare earth elements (REEs) are critical to a wide range of clean and high-tech applications, yet global trade dependencies expose countries to vulnerabilities across production networks. Here, we construct a multi-tiered input-output trade network spanning 168 REE-related product codes from 2007-2023 using a novel AI-augmented statistical framework. We identify significant differences between dependencies in upstream and intermediate (input) products, revealing that exposure and supplier concentration are systematically higher in input products, while systemic trade risk is lower, suggesting localized vulnerabilities. By computing network-based dependency indicators across countries and over time, we classify economies into five distinct clusters that capture structural differences in rare-earth reliance. China dominates the low-risk, high-influence cluster, while the EU and US remain vulnerable at intermediate tiers. Regression analyses show that high exposure across all products predicts future export strength, consistent with import substitution. However, high systemic trade risk in input products like magnets, advanced ceramics or phosphors, significantly impedes the development of comparative advantage. These results demonstrate that the structure of strategic dependencies is tier-specific, with critical implications for industrial resilience and policy design. Effective mitigation strategies must move beyond raw material access and directly address country-specific chokepoints in midstream processing and critical input production.

Harish Ms, Thejasswini.SS, S. S et al.

Mining is one of the most dangerous trades all over the world. In some countries, underground miners lack safety, social guarantees and in case of injury may be left to cope without assistance. There are negative social impacts as well, such as displacement and lost livelihoods. The mining industry has the highest incidence of occupational deaths among all industries. Common causes of occupational deaths include rock falls, fires, explosions, methane intoxication, and electrocution. In the hazardous environment of underground mining, ensuring the safety and well-being of workers is of paramount importance. This project proposes a Zigbee-based system to monitor various critical parameters, including breath level, heartbeat, surrounding gas concentrations, vibration levels, and MEMS (Microelectromechanical Systems) data. The real-time monitoring system aims to provide early warnings and facilitate prompt responses to potential threats, thus enhancing the safety and operational efficiency of mining activities.

Soraya Araujo, Andrea Bento, Carolina Cohen

Introdução Este estudo analisou a participação social nas consultas públicas promovidas pela CONITEC (Comissão Nacional de Incorporação de Tecnologias no Sistema Único de Saúde) com o objetivo de promover a equidade no acesso a tecnologias em saúde. A pesquisa, realizada por meio de um formulário eletrônico durante junho e julho de 2023, buscou compreender a percepção da sociedade sobre as consultas públicas da CONITEC e propor melhorias na metodologia de Avaliação de Tecnologias em Saúde (ATS). Métodos Foram coletadas respostas de 650 participantes por meio de um questionário eletrônico. Os dados incluíram informações demográficas, níveis de conhecimento sobre a CONITEC e ATS, percepções sobre o impacto das ATS na qualidade da assistência no SUS, viabilidade da participação pública, confiança nas decisões governamentais e a importância da participação da população na formulação de políticas de saúde. Resultados A pesquisa revelou que a maioria dos respondentes estava na faixa etária de 26 a 45 anos, com predomínio de mulheres (69,2%). Cerca de 47,7% dos participantes não trabalhavam na área de saúde, enquanto 52,3% estavam envolvidos de alguma forma, com destaque para aqueles que trabalhavam em estabelecimentos de saúde (26,2%). A maioria dos entrevistados (64,6%) conhecia a CONITEC e seu papel na saúde pública, mas apenas 58,5% entendiam o que era ATS. A maioria acreditava que as ATS impactavam positivamente a qualidade da assistência no SUS (75,5%) e que sua participação nas consultas públicas era viável (80%). No entanto, uma parcela significativa (63,1%) não tinha confiança de que o governo utilizava as informações coletadas nas consultas para incorporar novas tecnologias. A participação da população nas políticas de saúde foi considerada importante por 76,9% dos entrevistados, embora apenas 60% tivessem participado de consultas públicas online, possivelmente devido à falta de conhecimento (76,9%) e confiança (15,4%) em sua capacidade de contribuir efetivamente.  Discussão e conclusões Os resultados destacam a necessidade de melhorias nas consultas públicas da CONITEC para aumentar a confiança da população e garantir que suas opiniões sejam consideradas. Uma sugestão apoiada por 67,7% dos participantes foi a criação de formulários específicos para diferentes doenças ou tecnologias. Essas conclusões ressaltam a importância de reformular a metodologia de ATS e promover uma participação efetiva da sociedade na tomada de decisões em saúde.

Silvia Andrés González-Moralejo

Abstract This study analyzes the changes that have occurred in food logistics in the three years since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic and the one year since the war in Ukraine commenced. Food logistics companies are highly sensitive to demand shocks, energy prices, and staff availability. In this study, “first-hand” information was collected in the Iberian Peninsula, and it showed a process of Schumpeterian transformation. This crisis environment in which food logistics companies have been operating has opened a unique opportunity to renew operating procedures and seek new solutions, products, and markets. Therefore, food logistics companies have developed more effective communication strategies and innovative, profitable, and forward-looking commercial strategies to adapt to the new needs of their clients, applied more efficient transport planning and management methods, implemented new technologies to increase automation and digitization in warehouses, transport platforms, and trucks, and boosted market concentration and investment in infrastructure. Therefore, public authorities and top executives must focus on promoting and facilitating these improvements.

Iván Tulli

Joyce structures were introduced by T. Bridgeland in the context of the space of stability conditions of a three-dimensional Calabi-Yau category and its associated Donaldson-Thomas invariants. In subsequent work, T. Bridgeland and I. Strachan showed that Joyce structures satisfying a certain non-degeneracy condition encode a complex hyperkähler structure on the tangent bundle of the base of the Joyce structure. In this work we give a definition of an analogous structure over an affine special Kähler (ASK) manifold, which we call a special Joyce structure. Furthermore, we show that it encodes a real hyperkähler (HK) structure on the tangent bundle of the ASK manifold, possibly of indefinite signature. Particular examples include the semi-flat HK metric associated to an ASK manifold (also known as the rigid c-map metric) and the HK metrics associated to certain uncoupled variations of BPS structures over the ASK manifold. Finally, we relate the HK metrics coming from special Joyce structures to HK metrics on the total space of algebraic integrable systems.

Vyacheslav P. Spiridonov

A unifying scheme of classical special functions of hypergeometric type obeying orthogonality or biorthogonality relations is described. It expands the Askey scheme of classical orthogonal polynomials and its $q$-analogue based on the Askey--Wilson polynomials. On the top, it has two-index biorthogonal functions formed from elliptic hypergeometric series with the absolutely continuous measure determined by the elliptic beta integral. A new result is an inclusion of complex hypergeometric functions into the scheme. Its further potential generalizations are discussed as well.

杜婉琳*, 梅桂华, 马明 et al.

海上风电经长距离高压交流海底电缆接入电网，海底电缆容升效应显著，容易引起工频过电压，同时电力电子器件和线路电容引起的谐波谐振问题也严重影响着电网电能质量，因此进行海上风电场无功配置时应充分考虑过电压和谐波谐振问题。针对上述问题，建立了海上风电场谐波模型，对海上风电场的谐波模态阻抗进行扫描，继而分析海上风电场的谐振特性；然后研究了海上风电场无功特性，计算各种发电出力水平和并网点电压下的风电场无功缺额；接着以降低综合成本为目标，以静态电压稳定裕度、最小补偿容量、谐波谐振及过电压为约束，进行海上风电场无功优化配置；最后通过Matlab/Simulink仿真验证所提方法的有效性。

Sourish Dutta

Studying intra-industry trade involves theoretical explanations and empirical methods to measure the phenomenon. Indicators have been developed to measure the intensity of intra-industry trade, leading to theoretical models explaining its determinants. It is essential to distinguish between horizontal and vertical differentiation in empirical analyses. The determinants and consequences of intra-industry trade depend on whether the traded products differ in quality. A method for distinguishing between vertical and horizontal differentiation involves comparing exports' unit value to imports for each industry's intra-industry trade. This approach has limitations, leading to the need for an alternative method.

Jorge Segovia

The number of exotic candidates in both light- and heavy-quark hadron sectors has increased dramatically since the discovery by the Belle Collaboration of the so-called $X(3872)$ in 2003. It is clear that the simple quark model picture needs an extension and thus the last twenty years have witnessed an explosion of related theoretical and experimental activity. The ultimate goal of theory is to describe the properties of exotic states from the first principles of Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD), which is the non-Abelian Quantum Field Theory that describes the strong interaction. However, since this task is quite challenging, a more modest goal to start with is the development of QCD-motivated phenomenological models that specify the colored constituents, how they are clustered, and the forces between them. This Special Issue invited contributions reporting recent advances of phenomenological quark models in the study of hadron's spectrocopy, structure, and interactions, paying special attention to the exotic candidates but without losing sight of the conventional states. In response to the call for papers, and after a comprehensive peer review process, 8 articles qualified for acceptance in the final edition of the Special Issue. The authors are from geographically distributed countries such as Spain, South Africa, Ghana, China, Brazil, Argentina. This reflects the impact of the proposed topic and the effective organization of the guest editorial team of this Special Issue.

{Nurul Huda Mahmood, Gilberto Berardinelli, Emil J. Khatib et al.

Future industrial applications will encompass compelling new use cases requiring stringent performance guarantees over multiple key performance indicators (KPI) such as reliability, dependability, latency, time synchronization, security, etc. Achieving such stringent and diverse service requirements necessitates the design of a special-purpose Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) network comprising a multitude of specialized functionalities and technological enablers. This article proposes an innovative architecture for such a special-purpose 6G IIoT network incorporating seven functional building blocks categorized into: special-purpose functionalities and enabling technologies. The former consists of Wireless Environment Control, Traffic/Channel Prediction, Proactive Resource Management and End-to-End Optimization functions; whereas the latter includes Synchronization and Coordination, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence Algorithms, and Auxiliary Functions. The proposed architecture aims at providing a resource-efficient and holistic solution for the complex and dynamically challenging requirements imposed by future 6G industrial use cases. Selected test scenarios are provided and assessed to illustrate cross-functional collaboration and demonstrate the applicability of the proposed architecture in a wireless IIoT network.

Vasyl Mishchanyn

The first German colonists in Transcarpathia appear in the twelfth and fifteenth centuries and the largest number of German settlers settled in various parts of the region in the XVIII – XIX centuries. They were mostly farmers, specialists for timber, timber industries, mining and salt deposits, representatives of the construction trades. It is estimated that before the Second World War there lived about 17 – 18 thousand of German colonists. But the fate of the German population of Transcarpathia changed dramatically on the final stage of World War II. Serious demographic changes begin in the country with the liberation of the Transcarpathia Red Army (on October 28, 1944) and by the adoption of the Manifesto on reunification of the Transcarpathian Ukraine SSR (on November 26, 1944). Already on November 24, 1944 arrived in the Transcarpathian Ukraine special representatives of the NKVD had a task to complete account of the entire German population aged 16 to 50 years. This contributed to the ruling People's Council of Transcarpathian Ukraine the confiscation of all property evicted Germans. The first wave of deportations continued in 1944 – 1945 years in terms of Transcarpathian Ukraine, which before signing the agreement on June 29, 1945 was legally a part of Czechoslovakia. Then 215 people were deported. The second wave of deportations took place in conditions of Zakarpattya Oblast (established on January 22, 1946) – component of the administrative unit of the USSR. According to the Resolution of the NKVD on January 15, 1946 about the mass deportation of Transcarpathia of German nationality, the subject to eviction were those, who "the most compromised themselves during the German occupation of Hungary." During 1946 two thousand Transcarpathian Germans were taken to Siberia.

Mahesh Bashyal, Michael J. Mulvaney, Dewey Lee et al.

Abstract Brassica carinata (carinata), a non‐food oilseed feedstock mainly used for biofuel, is a relatively new alternative winter crop in the southeastern (SE) United States (US). However, there are limited N rate and N application timing data available at the regional scale. These data are needed to expand production in the SE US. An N rate study was conducted during the winter–spring growing seasons during 2017–2018 and 2018–2019 in Florida, US, and at three locations during 2018–2019 in Georgia, US, to quantify the effects of N rate (0, 45, 90, 134, and 179 kg N ha−1) on carinata nutrient uptake, biomass, seed yield, and seed chemical composition. Seed yield showed a linear response up to 134 kg N ha−1. Seed protein and glucosinolate concentrations decreased from 0 to 90 kg N ha−1, then increased from 90 to 179 kg N ha−1. Seed oil concentration was inversely related to seed protein concentration. A two‐factor N application timing study (4 N application timing: at‐plant, pre‐bolting, at‐plant + pre‐bolting, at‐plant + pre‐bolting + bolting × 4 N rates: 0, 45, 90, and 134 kg N ha−1) was conducted in Georgia, US, over three site‐years to quantify the effect of N application timing on yield and agronomic and economic optimum N rates (AONR and EONR, respectively). All split applications increased AONR by at least 10 kg N ha−1 compared to a single at‐plant application. A two‐split N application was more profitable than either a single N application or a three‐split N application based on marginal return. A two‐way split application (at‐plant + pre‐bolting) at 134 kg N ha−1 is recommended to optimize yield and economical production. Based on uncertainty analyses, the 50% credible interval of EONR occurred between 116 and 152 kg N ha−1, with a median estimate at 130 kg N ha−1.

Jianmin Chen