A rapid review of leading indicators to measure Australian farm safety culture.

Agriculture accounts for over half of Australia's land use therefore the farmers managing this land need to be safe at work. This paper offers measuring farm safety culture as a way to overcome the stagnation in the trend of fatal farm injury burden. To work towards achieving a way to measure farm safety culture, this research reviewed the leading indicators of safety. Following PRISMA guidelines, we screened for globally significant literature in the field of methodologies to measure safety climate and safety culture. We performed a rapid review of literature resulting in nineteen articles that add to our understanding of how to create and re-adapt existing questionnaires and produce validated metrics. The leading indicators were grouped into 8 dimensions where we found a translational disconnect between safety for organisational structures and safety for family farm businesses. This paper provides recommendations for government, safety regulators, policymakers, and industry of the leading indicators that may be applicable for measuring farm safety culture for Australian farmers.

The evolution of raw data archiving and the growth of its importance in crystallography.

The hardware for data archiving has expanded capacities for digital storage enormously in the past decade or more. The IUCr evaluated the costs and benefits of this within an official working group which advised that raw data archiving would allow ground truth reproducibility in published studies. Consultations of the IUCr's Commissions ensued via a newly constituted standing advisory committee, the Committee on Data. At all stages, the IUCr financed workshops to facilitate community discussions and possible methods of raw data archiving implementation. The recent launch of the IUCrData journal's Raw Data Letters is a milestone in the implementation of raw data archiving beyond the currently published studies: it includes diffraction patterns that have not been fully interpreted, if at all. The IUCr 75th Congress in Melbourne included a workshop on raw data reuse, discussing the successes and ongoing challenges of raw data reuse. This article charts the efforts of the IUCr to facilitate discussions and plans relating to raw data archiving and reuse within the various communities of crystallography, diffraction and scattering.

The optical property measuring methods for resin composite using multiple spectrophotometers.

This study aimed to propose the measurement methods for resin composite translucency using four shades of resin composite and four spectrophotometers. Four methods were used for measuring translucency: (A) color measurement using reflectance mode, (B) visible light spectrum measurement using reflectance mode, (C) color measurement using transmittance mode, (D) visible light spectrum measurement using transmittance mode. Although there was a significant difference among the results of the translucency measuring methods, the same tendency was observed for translucency parameters obtained using each spectrophotometer. Therefore, the four methods can potentially be used as translucency measuring methods for resin composite.

Accuracy of a portable lower-limb muscle strength measuring device with a training function.

[Purpose] Quadriceps muscle strength is essential for daily living activities. Therefore, we developed a compact and simple lower limb muscle strength measuring device (LocomoScan [LCS]). This study aimed to compare LCS with other instruments to analyze its simplicity, reproducibility, and accuracy. [Participants and Methods] One hundred and four healthy university students (56 males and 48 females) were included in the study. The knee extension force was measured using LCS, and the knee extension torque was measured using other devices (Cybex). In addition, lower leg muscle mass was measured using a body composition meter. The reproducibility of LCS and the correlation between the knee extension torque and lower leg muscle mass were evaluated. [Results] The measurement reproducibility of LCS was significantly higher. The knee extension force confirmed the proportional relative reliability of Cybex with knee extension torque. A relationship between knee extension force and lower limb muscle mass was also observed, indicating that muscle mass cannot be estimated as muscle strength. [Conclusion] The high reproducibility of the knee extension force measurement using LCS demonstrates its potential as a portable alternative instrument for muscle strength measurement in clinical practice. Therefore, LCS device is a simple and effective tool for assessing muscle strength.

Identification of Respiratory Pauses during Swallowing by Unconstrained Measuring Using Millimeter Wave Radar.

Breathing temporarily pauses during swallowing, and the occurrence of inspiration before and after these pauses may increase the likelihood of aspiration, a serious health problem in older adults. Therefore, the automatic detection of these pauses without constraints is important. We propose methods for measuring respiratory movements during swallowing using millimeter wave radar to detect these pauses. The experiment involved 20 healthy adult participants. The results showed a correlation of 0.71 with the measurement data obtained from a band-type sensor used as a reference, demonstrating the potential to measure chest movements associated with respiration using a non-contact method. Additionally, temporary respiratory pauses caused by swallowing were confirmed by the measured data. Furthermore, using machine learning, the presence of respiring alone was detected with an accuracy of 88.5%, which is higher than that reported in previous studies. Respiring and temporary respiratory pauses caused by swallowing were also detected, with a macro-averaged F1 score of 66.4%. Although there is room for improvement in temporary pause detection, this study demonstrates the potential for measuring respiratory movements during swallowing using millimeter wave radar and a machine learning method.

Wire Bow In Situ Measurement for Monitoring the Evolution of Sawing Capability of Diamond Wire Saw during Slicing Sapphire.

Electroplated diamond wire sawing is widely used as a processing method to cut hard and brittle difficult-to-machine materials. Currently, obtaining the sawing capability of diamond wire saw through the wire bow is still difficult. In this paper, a method for calculating the sawing capability of diamond wire saw in real-time based on the wire bow is proposed. The influence of the renewed length per round trip, crystal orientation of sapphire, wire speed, and feed rate on the wire sawing capability has been revealed via slicing experiments. The results indicate that renewing the diamond wire saw, and reducing the wire speed and feed rate can delay the reduction in sawing capability. Furthermore, controlling the value of renewed length per round trip can make the diamond wire saw enter a stable cutting state, in which the capability of the wire saw no longer decreases. The sawing capability of diamond wire saw cutting in the A-plane of the sapphire is smaller than that of the C-plane, and a suitable feed rate or wire speed within the range of sawing parameters studied in this study can avoid a rapid decrease in the sawing capability of the wire saw during the cutting process. The knowledge obtained in this study provides a theoretical basis for monitoring the performance of the wire saw, and guidance for the wire cutting process in semiconductor manufacturing. In the future, it may even be possible to provide real-time performance parameters of diamond wire saw for the digital twin model of wire sawing.

Batch Specular Plane Flatness Measurements Based on Phase Measuring Deflectometry.

Flatness is a critical parameter in the manufacturing industry, directly impacting the fit and overall product performance. As the efficiency of manufacturing continues to advance, there is an increasing demand for more accurate and efficient measurement techniques. Existing methods often struggle to strike a balance between precision and efficiency. In response, this article introduces a novel approach that is capable of achieving high-precision and rapid measurements concerning multiple surfaces. By enhancing the traditional phase measuring deflectometry (PMD) method, employing a matching technique based on polar lines and normal vector constraints to address discrete surface measurement challenges, and implementing a plane pre-positioning method to tackle low efficiency in binocular matching and solving, we successfully performed swift and synchronized measurements for a large batch of specular surfaces and obtained the three-dimensional surface profile of each measured surface. Through experimental validation, the method proposed in this paper can perform the batch measurement of specular planes while maintaining high measurement accuracy.

Experimental Verification of Geometric Changes Caused by the Release of Residual Stresses for Large-Scale Welded Frames.

This paper presents geometric analyses of welded frames after free relaxing and vibratory stress relief (VSR). The tested frames were components of a prototype packaging machine. Two types of relaxation were carried out to remove stresses introduced as a result of the welding process. One of the frames was subjected to free relaxation, while the other one was subjected to accelerated vibration relaxation. Detection of the frame geometry changes was performed using a photogrammetric system. In addition, an evaluation of the geometry change was conducted for fifteen variants of a steel frame support. A comparative analysis of the geometric deviations of the frames after free and vibratory stress relief confirmed the assumption that the frame post vibration stress relief better reproduces the nominal dimensions. Nevertheless, it should be emphasized that after vibratory stress relief, the frame is not subject to further deformation, which is a desirable effect. In the case of free relaxing, the frame undergoes dimensional changes in a random manner. In summary, carrying out accelerated vibratory stress relief allows for control of spontaneous dimensional changes in the designed frame of a packaging machine resulting from spontaneous relaxation of stresses arising from the welding process. The shortening of the relaxation process of the welded frame is also an unquestionable advantage.

Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema Assessed via Tissue Dielectric Constant Measurements.

This review describes the use of tissue dielectric constant (TDC) measurements mainly in the assessment of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). PubMed, Web of Science, and EMBASE databases were initially searched using criteria that included the terms "dielectric" and "lymphedema." The initial search yielded a total of 131 titles. After removing studies not focused on upper extremity lymphedema, 56 articles remained. These articles, together with relevant articles from their bibliographies, formed the basis of the review. The findings show the potential utility and applications of TDC measurements to help detect and track BCRL, whether present in limbs, breasts, or trunks. It is reported as a non-invasive, simple-to-use method, with each measurement requiring less than 10 seconds, suggesting its practicality and useability as an in-office or in-clinic screening and tracking method. Although there are various ways to quantitatively evaluate lymphedema, most, if not all, are restricted to measurements on limbs. Thus, one significant advantage of the TDC approach is that almost any local region of interest can be effectively measured and tracked, which, for BCRL, could include specific regions of arms or hands, breasts, and truncal areas.

Assessing the Progress toward a Water-Efficient Economy in the United States from 1985 to 2015.

United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 tackles the long-neglected economic dimension of water utilization by monitoring nations' water use efficiency (WUE). However, it is imperative to emphasize the need for consistent spatial-temporal subnational WUE estimates, rather than relying solely on recent national trends, which can obscure crucial water use concerns and improvement opportunities. Here, a time series analysis of national, state, and sectoral (e.g., industrial, service, and agriculture) WUE from 1980 to 2015 was developed by compiling the most comprehensive and disaggregated water and economic data from 3243 US counties and 50 US states. The US total WUE increased by 181% from 16.2 (1985) to 45.6 USD/m3 (2015), driven by service sector WUE enhancements. The increased industry and service WUEs in most states were more strongly correlated with decreased per capita water withdrawal than with economic growth. Simultaneously, reductions in agriculture WUE were observed in 18 states potentially because of the complicated interaction of diverse factors specific to local communities. Expanding WUE gaps between affluent and less affluent states, and persisting WUE gaps between water-abundant andwater-scarce states highlight the need to advance policies to support under-resourced communities in effective water planning and water pricing for advancing equitable development.

Development and current application status of acupuncture manipulation measuring instrument and operating instrument. / é’ˆåˆºæ‰‹æ³•æµ‹å®šä»ªå’Œæ“ä½œä»ªçš„ç ”åˆ¶åŠåº”ç”¨çŽ°çŠ¶.

Acupuncture manipulation, a crucial component of acupuncture procedures, significantly influences the therapeutic outcomes. Acupuncture manipulation measuring instrument and operating instrument have been developed based on modern technology to objectively characterize manipulation parameters, and achieve standardized and normalized output of acupuncture manipulation. This paper systematically reviews the development and current application status of in vivo acupuncture manipulation measuring instrument, ex vivo acupuncture manipulation measuring instrument, and acupuncture manipulation operating instrument worldwide, and explores key issues that acupuncture manipulation operating instruments need to address for clinical applications, and provides insights into the future prospect of acupuncture robots.

Calibration Method Based on Virtual Gear Artefact for Computer Vision Measuring Instrument of Fine Pitch Gear.

The verification of the correctness, adaptability, and robustness of software systems in modern precision measurement instruments is of great significance. Due to the difficulty in processing and calibrating high-precision fine-pitch gear artefacts, the function verification and accuracy calibration of vision measurement instruments for the fine-pitch gear have become a challenge. The calibration method of the gear vision measurement system based on the virtual gear artefact involves two steps, namely obtaining and applying the virtual artefact. The obtained virtual gear artefact has the same geometric features, error features, and image edge features as the real artefact. The calibration method based on the virtual artefact can complete the correctness verification of the gear vision measurement system, and is superior to the traditional methods in adaptability verification, robustness verification, and fault analysis. In a test, the characteristic error of the virtual gear artefact could be reproduced with the original shape in the evaluation results of the computer vision gear measurement (CVGM) system, while the reproduction error did not exceed 1.9 µm. This can meet the requirements of the verification of the gear vision measurement software. The application of the virtual gear artefact can significantly improve the accuracy and robustness of the computer vision measuring instrument of the fine-pitch gear.

Distinction and Quantification of Noncovalent Dispersive and Hydrophobic Effects.

The possibilities of comparing computational results of noncovalent interactions with experimental data are discussed, first with respect to intramolecular interactions. For these a variety of experimental data such as heats of formation, crystal sublimation heats, comparison with energy minimized structures, and spectroscopic data are available, but until now largely have not found widespread application. Early force field and QM/MP2 calculations have already shown that the sublimation heats of hydrocarbons can be predicted with an accuracy of ±1%. Intermolecular interactions in solution or the gas phase are always accompanied by difficult to compute entropic contributions, like all associations between molecules. Experimentally observed T∆S values contribute 10% to 80% of the total ∆G, depending on interaction mechanisms within the complexes, such as, e.g., hydrogen bonding and ion pairing. Free energies ∆G derived from equilibrium measurements in solution allow us to define binding increments ∆∆G, which are additive and transferable to a variety of supramolecular complexes. Data from more than 90 equilibrium measurements of porphyrin receptors in water indicate that small alkanes do not bind to the hydrophobic flat surfaces within a measuring limit of ∆G = ±0.5 kJ/mol, and that 20 functions bearing heteroatoms show associations by dispersive interactions with up to ∆G = 8 kJ/mol, roughly as a function of their polarizability. Aromatic systems display size-dependent affinities ∆G as a linear function of the number of π-electrons.

Experimental Study on the Adhesion of Abalone to Surfaces with Different Morphologies.

To date, research on abalone adhesion has primarily analyzed the organism's adhesion to smooth surfaces, with few studies on adhesion to non-smooth surfaces. The present study examined the surface morphology of the abalone's abdominal foot, followed by measuring the adhesive force of the abalone on a smooth force measuring plate and five force measuring plates with different surface morphologies. Next, the adhesion mechanism of the abdominal foot was analyzed. The findings indicated that the abdominal foot of the abalone features numerous stripe-shaped folds on its surface. The adhesion of the abalone to a fine frosted glass plate, a coarse frosted glass plate, and a quadrangular conical glass plate was not significantly different from that on a smooth glass plate. However, the organism's adhesion to a small lattice pit glass plate and block pattern glass plate was significantly different. The abalone could effectively adhere to the surface of the block pattern glass plate using the elasticity of its abdominal foot during adhesion but experienced difficulty in completely adhering to the surface of the quadrangular conical glass plate. The abdominal foot used its elasticity to form an independent sucker system with each small lattice pit, significantly improving adhesion to the small lattice pit glass plate. The elasticity of the abalone's abdominal foot created difficulty in handling slight morphological size changes in roughness, resulting in no significant differences in its adhesion to the smooth glass plate.

A cross-sectional study of the anatomy of the jaws of a central-European caucasian population using cone beam computer tomography as a prerequisite for designing pre-formed calcium phosphate cement scaffolds.

PURPOSE: This study aims to measure the cortical and cancellous bone thickness in the upper and lower jaws, serving as a data template for developing pre-defined calcium phosphate cement primary implant forms. These measurements are crucial for creating a biphasic scaffold. METHODS: Forty complete jaws were assessed for cortical bone shape and thickness using statistical analysis and specific software tools. Sex and age were considered, and four groups were created. RESULTS: The cumulative thickness of the cortical layer varied from region to region. In both the upper and lower jaws, the cortical layer in the molar region was significantly thicker than in the frontal region. Within the alveolar process, cortical thickness increases with distance from the alveolar crest on both sides. The oral side of the lower jaw is significantly thicker than the vestibular side. For the upper jaw, no significant differences between the oral and vestibular sides were found in this study. Additionally, it is noteworthy that men have a significantly thicker cortical layer than women. Regarding age, no significant overall differences were found. CONCLUSION: Mathematical analysis of anatomical forms using polynomial functions improves understanding of jaw anatomy. This approach facilitates the design of patient-specific scaffold structures, minimizing the need for costly and time-consuming planning and enabling more efficient implementation of optimal therapy.

Design of a Self-Measuring Device Based on Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis for Regular Monitoring of Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease, in which permanent joint deformation is largely preventable with the timely introduction of appropriate treatment strategies. However, there is no consensus for patients with RA to monitor their progress and communicate it to the rheumatologist till the condition progresses to remission. In response to this unmet need, we proposed the design of a self-measuring device based on bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) for regular monitoring of inflammation levels. Twenty joints of both hands were measured to monitor trends in inflammation levels. Three electrodes were used to measure two joints of each finger. A central electrode was used for two consecutive measurements. A suitable form factor for the device was proposed for the vertical placement of the hand. To ensure the stability of measurements, an air cushion was incorporated into the back of the hand, hand containers were designed on both sides, and a mobile application was designed. We conducted a convergence-assessment experiment with five air pressures to validate the consistency and convergence of bioimpedance measurements. A heuristic evaluation of the usability around the product and mobile application was conducted in parallel by six subject matter experts and validated the design. This study underscores the significance of considering patients' disease activity during intervals between hospital visits and introduces a novel approach to self-RA care.

Inertial Measuring System to Evaluate Gait Parameters and Dynamic Alignments for Lower-Limb Amputation Subjects.

The study aims to construct an inertial measuring system for the application of amputee subjects wearing a prosthesis. A new computation scheme to process inertial data by installing seven wireless inertial sensors on the lower limbs was implemented and validated by comparing it with an optical motion capture system. We applied this system to amputees to verify its performance for gait analysis. The gait parameters are evaluated to objectively assess the amputees' prosthesis-wearing status. The Madgwick algorithm was used in the study to correct the angular velocity deviation using acceleration data and convert it to quaternion. Further, the zero-velocity update method was applied to reconstruct patients' walking trajectories. The combination of computed walking trajectory with pelvic and lower limb joint motion enables sketching the details of motion via a stickman that helps visualize and animate the walk and gait of a test subject. Five participants with above-knee (n = 2) and below-knee (n = 3) amputations were recruited for gait analysis. Kinematic parameters were evaluated during a walking test to assess joint alignment and overall gait characteristics. Our findings support the feasibility of employing simple algorithms to achieve accurate and precise joint angle estimation and gait parameters based on wireless inertial sensor data.

Parasitic Reflection Eliminating for Planar Elements Based on Multi-Frequency Phase-Shifting in Phase Measuring Deflectometry.

Phase measuring deflectometry (PMD) stands as an extremely important technique for specular surface measurement. However, the parasitic reflection from the rear surface poses a challenge for PMD. To solve this problem, this paper proposes an effective method based on multi-frequency and phase-shifting to search for the correct phase. Firstly, the relationship between the phase error and fringe frequency is adequately investigated. Subsequently, an auxiliary function is established to find the special frequency at which the phase error is zero theoretically and the unwrapped phase is the phase of the top surface exactly. Then, the shape of the top surface can be reconstructed correctly. A standard plane element with a thickness of 40 mm and a flat glass with 19 mm were measured. The experimental results verify the feasibility of the proposed method. Considering the result of the interferometer as a reference, the RMSE of the error map is up to 20 nm for the standard plane element. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method can successfully untangle the superposed reflections and reliably reconstruct the top surface of the object under test.

Prediction Technique and Measuring Device for Coupled Disturbance Forces from Large Equipment in the Spacecraft.

To guarantee the accuracy of sophisticated equipment in spacecraft, it is essential to evaluate the dynamic forces of vibration sources. In contrast to conventional rigid-based measuring approaches, a method for predicting the interference of dynamic forces from large sources on spacecraft considering vibration coupling is proposed. In addition, a flexible-based dynamic force measuring platform capable of withstanding large masses and mounting large-volume vibration sources is designed. After that, the experiments for calibrating the platform and acquiring unknown terms in the derived theoretical models are detailed. The principle prototype is then manufactured for feasibility verification. It is demonstrated that despite the low fundamental frequency of the measuring platform of 242.8 Hz, the measurement error of the flexible measuring platform is less than 8% when the coupling is taken into account, which is 29% lower than that without coupling. Additionally, the prediction error of disturbance forces is within 17%. As a result, the accuracy of the proposed dynamic force measurement and prediction of large vibration sources considering coupling is substantially improved, providing a good reference for aerospace applications.

The Design, Modeling and Experimental Investigation of a Micro-G Microoptoelectromechanical Accelerometer with an Optical Tunneling Measuring Transducer.

This treatise studies a microoptoelectromechanical accelerometer (MOEMA) with an optical measuring transducer built according to the optical tunneling principle (evanescent coupling). The work discusses the design of the accelerometer's microelectromechanical sensing element (MSE) and states the requirements for the design to achieve a sensitivity threshold of 1 µg m/s2 at a calculated eigenvalue of the MSE. The studies cover the selection of the dimensions, mass, eigenfrequency and corresponding stiffness of the spring suspension, gravity-induced cross-displacements. The authors propose and experimentally test an optical transducer positioning system represented by a capacitive actuator. This approach allows avoiding the restrictions in the fabrication of the transducer conditioned by the extremely high aspect ratio of deep silicon etching (more than 100). The designed MOEMA is tested on three manufactured prototypes. The experiments show that the sensitivity threshold of the accelerometers is 2 µg. For the dynamic range from minus 0.01 g to plus 0.01 g, the average nonlinearity of the accelerometers' characteristics ranges from 0.7% to 1.62%. For the maximum dynamic range from minus 0.015 g to plus 0.05 g, the nonlinearity ranges from 2.34% to 2.9%, having the maximum deviation at the edges of the regions. The power gain of the three prototypes of accelerometers varies from 12.321 mW/g to 26.472 mW/g. The results provide broad prospects for the application of the proposed solutions in integrated inertial devices.