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(1) Background: Alpine skiing, with its long history, has experienced numerous innovations and developments on all levels ranging from technology to fashion over the past 120 years. However, teaching approaches for beginners remained quite consistent for many decades and are mainly grounded in experience. The One-Ski-Method (OSM) is an alternative approach to the predominant snowplow (SP) method with the strategy to initially experience and acquire the elementary positions and actions on one ski in order to subsequently transfer these to two skis. The aim of the study was to compare the effects of the SP and the OSM by assessing the position of the ski via load distribution sensors. (2) Methods: A total of 33 participants were groupwise randomly assigned to the two methods and tested via load insoles on the first and the fifth day on a moderate slope for six turns. Between the two measurements, the groups were instructed according to the SP or the OSM methods, respectively. The data were analyzed via Matlab and SPSS. (3) Results: The OSM group showed a significantly greater forefoot load than the SP group (p = 0.029). The SP group developed a greater rearfoot loading from pre- to post testing. (4) Conclusions: The findings make it perceivable that OSM learners acquire a beneficial specific position on the ski due to the exercises of the OSM.

For effective winter road management in snow-prone regions, timely snow removal that reflects weather and traffic conditions is required. In Akita City, Japan, city hall staff measure snow depth and dispatch contracted snow removal crews only when a predefined threshold is exceeded. Consequently, dispatch decisions depend heavily on staff experience. This study demonstrates objective, experience-independent dispatching based on predicting the number of snowplow dozers in operation, thereby reducing the municipal decision burden and improving contractor efficiency. The target variable is highly imbalanced, with long non-operational periods and wide variations in the number of deployed units during snowfall events. When trained directly on such data, models tend to regress toward near-median values and face difficulty capturing operational dynamics. To address this issue, we propose a two-stage framework: firstly, a classifier predicts whether snow removal operations will occur; secondly, a regressor estimates the number of operating dozers based on the operation. We further integrate multi-year datasets to enhance generalization across diverse snow conditions. Experiments showed that the proposed approach achieved an AUPRC of 0.84 for operation occurrence and an RMSE of 1.85 for dozer-count estimation, outperforming models trained on a single year.

Flowable composites improve adaptability at the gingival margin but may affect mechanical properties. This study tested the surface hardness of proximal restorations as indicator of depth-of-cure and mechanical properties. Typodont teeth with 4 mm deep disto-occlusal preparations were (a) restored with three flowable composites in 4 mm bulk, and (b) restored with a thin layer of a flowable at the gingival margin under a universal composite. For the latter, two techniques were tested: ‘pre-cure’ and ‘snowplow’. In the pre-cure technique, the flowables were cured separately; in the snowplow technique, they were cured together with the universal composite. The universal composite placed in two 2 mm increments was the control. After 24 h, the Vickers hardness of the proximal restorations was measured every 0.5 mm from occlusal to gingival. The results were statistically analyzed using ANOVA and post hoc tests (α = 0.05). The sample size was 10/group. Bulk-filled restorations having undergone 40 s of light curing were significantly harder than those cured for 20 s. The pre-cure technique decreased hardness at depths of 3 mm and greater. The snowplow technique also led to significantly lower hardness at 4 mm, but less reductions at the 3.0 and 3.5 mm depths. The fiber-reinforced flowable composite increased the overall hardness of the restorations. In conclusion, using a flowable composite in a thin layer at the gingival margin to improve adaptation affected the hardness of the restoration. The snowplow technique reduced the softening effect associated with flowable composites compared to the pre-cure technique.

During the winter season, snowplowing has a significant effect on road users as it is critical to winter road maintenance and operations. The main goal of this study is to generate optimal routes for snowplowing trucks for efficient road maintenance. In addition to the conventional problem of reducing travel time and distance, this study also incorporates actual operational constraints, such as minimum maintenance standards and driver safety, to improve the overall efficiency of operations. To achieve the objectives, we first implemented the Chinese Postman Problem (CPP) to create Euler circuits from the initial routes and then identified the shortest paths by applying Dijkstra’s algorithm. Then, the Tabu search algorithm was chosen as a metaheuristic algorithm for the optimization process that finds near-optimal solutions by considering operational constraints for snowplow routes. Unsafe turning conditions and minimum maintenance standards were taken into account in the objective function defined for the optimization process. In simulations, the route obtained by our approach was compared to one with the application of CPP only in terms of travel distance, time, turning conditions, and road maintenance priority.

This book describes two aspects of fusion plasma physics that are usually treated separately. Written in tutorial form, the first part of the book presents some of the essentials of magnetically confined plasma physics that are necessary for an in-depth understanding of the basic principles and underlying phenomena, in a consistent and comprehensive way. The second part is focused on existing powerful sources of high-frequency coherent radiation used for electron cyclotron resonance heating (ECRH), electron cyclotron resonance current drive (ECRCD), as well as for plasma ignition, control, and diagnostics in different fusion devices such as ITER and DEMO that are currently under development. Part of IOP Series in Plasma Physics.

A recent body of research in fatigue management indicates that other factors, including in-cab and external equipment, contribute to operator fatigue. The goal of this project was to identify winter road maintenance equipment (in-cab and external) that may increase or mitigate snowplow operator fatigue. To accomplish this goal, questionnaires from 2011 snowplow operators were collected from 23 states in the U.S. Results confirmed previous research that fatigue is prevalent in winter road maintenance operations. Winter road maintenance equipment that produced excessive vibrations, noise, reduced visibility, and complex task demands were found to increase snowplow operators’ self-reported fatigue. Similarly, equipment that reduced vibrations and external noise, improved visibility, and limited secondary tasks were found to reduce snowplow operator’s self-reported fatigue. Based on the questionnaire responses and the feasibility of implementation, the following equipment may help to mitigate or prevent snowplow operator fatigue: dimmable interior lighting, LED bulbs for exterior lighting, dimmable warning lights, a CD player or satellite radio in each vehicle, heated windshield, snow deflectors, narrow-beam auxiliary lighting, and more ergonomically designed seats with vibration dampening/air-ride technology.

Studies of political participation typically analyze voting, contentious collective action, or membership in voluntary associations. Few scholars investigate a more mundane—but highly consequential—form of neighborhood politics: requests for basic city services. We conceptualize city service requests as a direct, instrumental contact with local government that alters the geographical distribution of public goods. We hypothesize that rates of service requests vary with the ethnic and immigrant composition of neighborhoods, due to differences in these communities' expectations of local government. We test this hypothesis using administrative data from the City of Boston. We find neighborhoods with high concentrations of firstgeneration immigrants less likely to request services, relative to need. The concentration of African Americans, however, is associated with large increases in neighborhood service requests. We conclude with implications for the study of race, inequality, and political incorporation.

In this paper, combining with the domestic design and application of the snowplow in quality and quantity two aspects, basing on engineering application software ADAMS and CATIA, dynamics for 10t snowplow working device was researched, and the strength of the main stress components was analyzed by finite element method. On the basis of lightweight, strength and structure reasonable design, the snowplow device structure was verified feasibility through the research results. The paper studies could have a certain theoretical reference for the theoretical design and practical application of similar products.

Objective:Climatic conditions may enable or deter active school transportation in many North American cities, but the topic remains largely overlooked in the existing literature. This study explores the effect of seasonal climate (i.e., fall versus winter) and weekly weather conditions (i.e., temperature, precipitation) on active travelling to school across different built and policy environments. Methods:Home-to-school trips by 11–12-year-old children in the City of Toronto were examined using data from the 2006 Transportation Tomorrow Survey. Binomial logistic regressions were estimated to explore the correlates of the choice of active (i.e., walking) versus non-active (i.e., private automobile, transit and school bus) mode for school trips. Results:Climate and weather-related variables were not associated with choice of school travel mode. Children living within the sidewalk snow-plough zone (i.e., in the inner-suburban neighbourhoods) were less likely to walk to school than children living outside of the zone (i.e., in the inner-city neighbourhoods). Conclusion:Given that seasonality and short-term weather conditions appear not to limit active school transportation in general, built environment interventions designed to facilitate active travel could have benefits that spill over across the entire year rather than being limited to a particular season. Educational campaigns with strategies for making the trip fun and ensuring that the appropriate clothing choices are made are also warranted in complementing built environment modifications.