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In this narrative review, we examined what level of research evidence is available that shift workers' sleep-wake disturbances can be minimized through ergonomie shift scheduling. We classified the pertinent studies conducted on real shift workers in field conditions by the type of shift system and study design (ie, whether the shift systems were modified or not— \"treatment\" versus \"no treatment\"). The results of the observational studies in which no changes to the shift system were made (ie, no treatment) showed that, irrespective of the shift system, night and early-morning shifts and quick returns are associated with short sleep and increases in sleepiness. The same is true for very long shifts (> 16 hours) and extremely long weekly working hours (> 55 hours). For all categories of shift systems, there were a lack of controlled intervention studies, limiting the possibility to provide solution-focused recommendations for shift scheduling. Most of the controlled intervention studies had been conducted on workers under regular 3-shift systems. These studies suggested that a change from slowly backward-rotating shifts to rapidly forward-rotating shifts is advantageous for alertness and, to some degree, sleep. We also found that a change from an 8-to 12-hour shift system does not necessarily result in impairments in the sleep-wake pattern. The level of research evidence was affected by many of the studies' frequent methodological limitations in measuring sleep and sleepiness. In all, to have reliable and solution-focused recommendations for shift scheduling, methodologically sound controlled intervention studies are required in different categories of shift systems.

General synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image automatic target recognition (ATR) methods perform well under standard operation conditions (SOCs). However, they are not effective in extended operation conditions (EOCs). To improve the robustness of the ATR system under various EOCs, an ATR method for SAR images based on the scattering parameter Gaussian mixture model (GMM) is proposed in this paper. First, an improved active contour model (ACM) is used for target–background segmentation, which is more robust against noise than the constant false alarm rate (CFAR) method. Then, as the extracted attributed scattering center (ASC) is sensitive to noise and resolution, the GMM is constructed using the extracted ASC set. Next, the weighted Gaussian quadratic form distance (WGQFD) is adopted to measure the similarity of GMMs for the recognition task, thereby avoiding false alarms and missed alarms caused by the varying number of scattering centers. Moreover, adaptive aspect–frame division is employed to reduce the number of templates and improve recognition efficiency. Finally, based on the public measured MSTAR dataset, different EOCs are constructed under noise, resolution change, model change, depression angle change, and occlusion of different proportions. The experimental results under different EOCs demonstrate that the proposed method exhibits excellent robustness while maintaining low computation time.

Background Working time characteristics have been used to link work schedule features to health impairment; however, extant working time exposure assessments are narrow in scope. Prominent working time frameworks suggest that a broad range of schedule features should be assessed to best capture non-standard schedules. The purpose of this study was to develop a multi-dimensional scale that assesses working time exposures and test its reliability and validity for full-time workers with non-standard schedules. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using full-time, blue-collar worker population samples from three industries - transportation ( n  = 174), corrections ( n  = 112), and manufacturing ( n  = 99). Using a multi-phased approach including the review of scientific literature and input from an advisory panel of experts, the WorkTime Scale (WTS) was created and included multiple domains to characterize working time (length, time of day, intensity, control, predictability, and free time). Self-report surveys were distributed to workers at their workplace during company time. Following a comprehensive scale development procedure (Phase 1), exploratory factor analysis (EFA) (Phase 2) and, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) (Phase 3; bivariate correlations were used to identify the core components of the WTS and assess the reliability and validity (Phase 4) in three samples. Results Phase 1 resulted in a preliminary set of 21 items that served as the basis for the quantitative analysis of the WTS. Phase 2 used EFA to yield a 14-item WTS measure with two subscales (“Extended and Irregular Work Days (EIWD)” and “Lack of Control (LOC)”). Phase 3 used CFA to confirm the factor structure of the WTS, and its subscales demonstrated good internal consistency: alpha coefficients were 0.88 for the EIWD factor and 0.76–0.81 for the LOC factor. Phase 4 used bivariate correlations to substantiate convergent, discriminant, and criterion (predictive) validities. Conclusions The 14-item WTS with good reliability and validity is an effective tool for assessing working time exposures in a variety of full-time jobs with non-standard schedules.

Multi-terminal voltage source converter-based high voltage direct current (VSC-MTDC) technology has become an efficient solution for grid integration of large-scale and long-distance offshore wind power. When onshore grid power fluctuations elevate the DC voltage of VSC-MTDC system, the surplus power causing the DC overvoltage issue can be effectively transferred through the power shifting method. To enhance the power shifting capability of receiving-end converters (RECs) and mitigate DC overvoltage, this paper proposes a coordinated power shifting strategy for VSC-MTDC based on the extended operation region. Firstly, the topology and control model of the VSC-MTDC system integrating offshore wind farms is established. Secondly, considering constraints containing apparent power, AC bus voltage, AC current, and voltage modulation ratio, the extended operation region model with regard to the overload capacity of REC is constructed. Furthermore, the coordinated active power shifting strategy for multiple converters is proposed to cope with onshore grid power fluctuations. Finally, simulation models of three-terminal and six-terminal VSC-MTDC systems are built using PSCAD V5 software. Simulation results show that the proposed strategy can exploit the system’s operational flexibility and reduce the risk of DC overvoltage, thus enhancing the disturbance immunity of VSC-MTDC system against onshore grid fluctuations.

Building on our previous 310-h test of a larger MEMS sensor, this study develops and validates a miniaturized, lift-off-fabricated, and FPC-integrated three-in-one microsensor. In addition to extending the operation to 744 h, we introduce a wireless MQTT/Node-RED architecture to enable real-time IoT-level monitoring in factory HVAC ducts. The microsensor was fabricated using Micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology and integrated with a flexible printed circuit (FPC) for improved mechanical compliance and ease of installation. To assess its durability and reliability, a 744-h long-term test was conducted in an industrial HVAC environment, where the performance of the microsensor was compared with that of two commercially available velocity sensors. The integrated sensor exhibited stable operation throughout the test and demonstrated effective measurement capabilities in the ranges of 10–40 °C for temperature, 60–90% RH for humidity, and 1.5–5.0 m/s for airflow velocity, with an overall accuracy of approximately ±3%. The results highlight the sensor’s potential for real-time environmental monitoring in factory HVAC systems, offering advantages in integration, adaptability, and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional single-function commercial sensors.

Soft set theory has been well-known as a technique for tackling uncertainty-related problems and modeling uncertainty since it was proposed by Molodtsov in 1999. It has been applied to a number of theoretical and real-world problems. The core concept of the theory-soft set operations-has piqued the interest of academics ever since it was introduced. A number of restricted and extended operations have been defined, and their characteristics have been examined up to now. Our proposed restricted star and extended star operations are novel restricted and extended soft set operations, and we thoroughly analyze their fundamental algebraic properties. We also look into the distributions of this operation over other types of soft set operations. By considering the algebraic properties of the extended star operation and its distribution rules, we show that when combined with other types of soft set operations, it forms several important algebraic structures, like semirings in the collection of soft sets over the universe. Since the operations of soft sets provide the basis for many applications, such as cryptology, and decision-making processes, this theoretical study is highly significant from both a theoretical and practical standpoint.

This work proposes an electric spring (ES) based on a back-to-back converter. The proposed electric spring is used for voltage control in a self-excited induction generator (SEIG)-based isolated system. This work focuses on extending the operating range of the ES as well as providing current filtering capabilities to the ES. For that, a back-to-back configuration-based ES is proposed in this work. This article provides a comparative study of the proposed electric spring with its widely used battery-operated counterpart. Unlike most battery-operated electric springs, the proposed one does not need a battery. The active power requirement of the electric spring is fulfilled through a back-to-back converter configuration. Using a back-to-back configuration not only improves the operating range of the electric spring but also reduces total harmonic distortion (THD) in various system currents and voltages through the active filter capabilities of its shunt side converter. The work shows that the proposed electric spring can handle 83.3% more power variation than its battery-operated counterpart. With a non-linear load, the proposed electric spring successfully filters out the current harmonics, thus keeping the current and voltage THD at 2.76% and 0.55%, respectively. In contrast, battery-operated electric springs are incapable of doing so. The performance of the proposed ES is also verified with computational delays of 1.8 and 2.5 μs, to show the effectiveness of the control structure. The proposed ES is also evaluated under dynamic load switching, both on the CL and NCL side, to show its response to suddenly changing loads. Apart from that, the real-time validation of the proposed system is carried out using an OPAL-RT 4510 platform, and the obtained results are presented in this article.

In this work, by Zadeh’s extension principle, we extend representable uninorms and their fuzzy implications (coimplications) to type-2 fuzzy sets. Emphatically, we investigate in which algebras of fuzzy truth values the extended operations are type-2 uninorms and type-2 fuzzy implications (coimplications), respectively.

Injuries sustained by disaster responders can impede the affected individuals’ ability to perform critical functions and often require the redirection of already scarce resources. Soft-tissue injuries to the hand are commonly experienced by disaster workers and even seemingly mild lacerations can pose the potential for significant complications in such hazard-filled environments. In this report, the authors describe their experience utilizing tissue adhesive to create a functional and effective barrier dressing for a hand injury sustained by a responder at the West, Texas USA fertilizer plant explosion. This technique of wound management allowed the patient to continue performing essential onsite functions for a sustained period following the explosion and the subsequent investigative processes. At the 30-day follow-up, the wound was well healed and without complications. This technique proved to be a valuable method of field expedient wound management and is worthy of consideration in similar future circumstances. Levy MJ , Tang N . Use of tissue adhesive as a field expedient barrier dressing for hand wounds in disaster responders. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2014;29(1):1-3 .

Direct invasion of a lung cancer into the liver is rare. Here we report a case with a non-small-cell lung cancer invading through the diaphragm into the liver. A 77-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital with a complaint of right chest pain. Chest X-ray showed a 10-cm shadow in the right lower lung field. Chest CT demonstrated a large heterogeneous tumor located in the right lower lobe of the lung. Chest MRI revealed the tumor directly invading through the diaphragm into the liver. Bronchoscopic biopsy revealed squamous cell carcinoma. Surgical resection was performed to prevent intrapulmonary rupture of the necrotic contents. A right lower lobectomy was performed with partial resection of the diaphragm, liver and chest wall. Marlex mesh was used to reconstruct the diaphragm and chest wall. The patient was discharged on the 23rd postoperative day without complications, but died 4 months later from bilateral pulmonary metastases. Invasion to the diaphragm and liver may increase the risk for hematological spread. Although there are limited reports on treatment options, combined resection of the liver should be considered in the case of non-small-cell lung cancer invading the liver, particularly in c-N0M0 case.