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Uniting Africa’s longitudinal cohorts
Optimization strategies for elderly hearing aid user satisfaction based on the Kano QFD integrated model and FAD theory
Abstract Advancements in global healthcare and declining birth rates have accelerated population aging, intensifying challenges such as workforce shortages and increasing the demand for tailored solutions to enhance the quality of life for the elderly. This study addresses a critical gap in the design of smart products for seniors by proposing a two-stage user satisfaction framework that integrates the Kano model, Quality Function Deployment (QFD), and Fuzzy Axiomatic Design (FAD) to manage uncertainties in user evaluations. Using a case study of Senior Hearing Aids (SHAs), the framework identifies nine key design factors and prioritizes improvements based on Importance Coefficients (ICs): environmental mode audio noise reduction (FR7, IC = 0.9140), battery systems (FR₄, IC = 0.3416) for extended usage, and lightweight structure (FR₃, IC = 0.3219) for comfort. Secondary improvements focus on modular design (FR₅) and audio components (FR₆) to ease maintenance and enhance sound clarity. Lower-priority features, such as simple button interaction and easy-to-remove components, are optimized through integrated design strategies. Uncertainty analysis using FAD, combined with expert validation, demonstrates the framework’s practicality and offers a scalable approach for aging-focused product design, with broader implications for smart healthcare innovations.
End GDP mania: how the world should really measure prosperity
Critical ion velocities for nanostructure formation on metal surfaces by slow highly charged ions at arbitrary incidence angles
Abstract Surface nanostructuring of metal targets induced by irradiation with slow, highly charged ions at various incidence angles is investigated. We extend our recently developed cohesive energy model to analyze the influence of impact geometry. At low ion energies, both the neutralization energy and the deposited kinetic energy, resulting from processes occurring above and below the surface, contribute to changes in the material’s morphology. We define the critical ion velocity as a key parameter that characterizes the interplay between these two energy contributions and determines which mechanism predominantly drives nano-sized object formation. Based on the critical velocity definition, hillocks formation indicates that the neutralization energy is a dominant energy source, whereas craters formation implies that the deposited kinetic energy plays a significant role for a given collision geometry. The effect of the incidence angle on the critical ion velocity is examined in detail. The model predictions for angular effects are applied to a system consisting of slow, highly charged $$\hbox {Xe}^{q+}$$ ions interacting with a gold target.
Transformation of Alternaria dauci demonstrates the involvement of two polyketide synthase genes in aldaulactone production and fungal pathogenicity
A lightweight YOLOv11-based framework for small steel defect detection with a newly enhanced feature fusion module
Abstract In order to address the challenges of deployment difficulties and low small-object detection efficiency in current deep learning-based defect detection models on terminal devices with limited computational capacity, this paper proposes a lightweight steel surface defect detection model, Pyramid-based Small-target Fusion YOLO (PSF-YOLO), based on an improved YOLOv11n object detection framework. The model employs a low-parameter Ghost convolution (GhostConv) to substantially reduce the required computational resources. Additionally, the traditional feature pyramid network structure is replaced with a Multi-Dimensional-Fusion neck (MDF-Neck) to enhance small-object perception and reduce the number of model parameters. Moreover, to achieve multi-dimensional integration in the neck, a Virtual Fusion Head is utilized, and the design of an Attention Concat module further improves target feature extraction, thereby significantly enhancing overall detection performance. Experimental results on the GC10-DET+ dataset demonstrate that PSF-YOLO reduces model parameters by 25% while achieving improvements of 3.2% and 3.3% in $$mAP_{50}$$ and $$mAP_{50-95}$$ , respectively, compared to the baseline model. This approach offers valuable insights and practical applicability for deploying defect detection models on terminal devices with limited computational resources.
How research hospitals are meeting the world’s health challenges
Transformation of water chemistry in the Stara River under climate and land use changes in the Carpathians
Abstract The chemistry of the Stara River changes along its course due to both natural processes and human activities. Its chemical composition is influenced by tributary inflows, groundwater infiltration, and anthropogenic pollution. Particularly noticeable are sudden changes in the concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, as well as Na⁺ and Cl⁻ ions, indicating a strong impact of human activities, especially in agricultural and urbanized areas. Although no significant trends in total precipitation have been recorded, higher temperatures lead to increased evaporation, which results in higher ion concentrations. Climate change accelerates rock weathering, leading to increased ion release, particularly HCO3⁻ and Ca²⁺. Land use changes significantly impact water quality. The expansion of urbanized areas leads to water quality deterioration, especially through increased concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and chlorides. In contrast, an increase in forested areas contributes to water quality improvement by reducing erosion and retaining pollutants. In agricultural regions, a decrease in SO4 2− concentrations is observed due to reduced fertilizer use. PCA analysis indicates that hydrometeorological conditions are the most important factor shaping water chemistry. Land use also plays a significant role – urban areas increase the biogenic load, while agriculture influences NH4⁺, NO2⁻, and PO4 3− concentrations.
Unmasking hidden cardiovascular risk: masked hypertension, aortic stiffness and cardiac remodeling in women with prior preeclampsia
AI is dreaming up millions of new materials. Are they any good?
A simple and fast explainable artificial intelligence-based pre-screening tool for breast cancer tumor malignancy detection
Design and experimental validation of highly miniaturized microfluidically frequency reconfigurable self-triplexing antenna with high isolation
Hospitals have long been key for research, now their influence is broadening
Robustness of urinary extracellular vesicle-derived MiRNA profiles over multiple days and the impact of urine concentration
Late fluid flow in a primitive asteroid revealed by Lu–Hf isotopes in Ryugu
Contextualizing the Norwegian standardized intensity zone framework in an international sample of endurance practitioners
Abstract This study investigated potential differences in the adoption and use of endurance intensity zone scales across geographic regions, sports disciplines, practitioner roles, and performance levels. A total of 778 endurance practitioners completed a survey, with 710 responses analyzed for the number of intensity zones used, and 298 responses analyzed for lower percentage of maximum heart rate (%HRmax) demarcations within a 5-zone scale. A 5-zone scale (47%) was most frequently used. Norwegian respondents were 2.7 times more likely to use a 5-zone scale than all other regions combined. The lower limits of Zones 2–3 differed across regions, and Zones 1–3 across sports, particularly between running and cycling. Norwegian respondents reported the highest mean %HRmax lower limits of Zones 2 and 3. Cyclists self-selected the lowest mean %HRmax lower limits of Zones 1, 2, and 3. No differences were observed in zone demarcations across roles or performance levels. The results suggest that the standardized intensity scale developed for Norwegian elite endurance athletes has been broadly adopted across sports and performance levels. The widespread use of a single intensity scale is speculated to improve communication across sports. Cyclists may self-select lower zone demarcations in the low-intensity domain by virtue of longer session durations and lower mechanical stress, contributing to the popularity of “Zone 2 training” in cycling.