Surface anthropometric measures are commonly used to assess body composition in trained individuals. Standardised pre-test guidelines (morning, fasted) present logistical concerns. The impact of daily activities on skinfold (SKF) assessment has been established in males; however, there is a lack of research examining females. The aim of this study was to assess the within-day agreement between standardised and non-standardised surface anthropometric measures in trained females. Measures including body mass, eight SKF and six circumferences were collected by an International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry level 1 anthropometrist on forty trained females (twenty naturally menstruating and twenty using a contraceptive) under standardised conditions (morning, fasted, rested and hydrated) and non-standardised conditions (9–10 h later after free-living) on the same day. The menstrual or contraceptive pill phase was not controlled for. The intra-class correlation coefficient and typical error were calculated to assess reliability. Overall group means were compared to assess if a significant change occurred. The sum of eight SKF sites (∑8 SKF) displayed excellent reliability, and no significant difference was noted between conditions. Greater levels of disagreement were represented by those with ∑8 SKF > 136 mm. Significant differences in group means were recorded for body mass and waist circumference. All other five circumference sites remained unchanged throughout the day. Findings suggest that if accuracy is required, body mass and waist circumference should be collected in a standardised state. SKF and all five other circumferences can be collected in trained females at any time of day without considering pre-test standard guidelines.

Theorists have responded to the challenge of pluralism in East Asia by either advocating a less-demanding form of Confucianism or neutral liberal democratic institutions. This article transcends this dichotomy by extending the challenge down to the individual, prioritizing “exit-based” institutional mechanisms characterized by polycentric interjurisdictional competition over collective “voice.” Drawing from the tradition of epistemic liberalism, this framework not only provides groups the space to enact their moral commitments but facilitates cultural discovery in a complex environment where knowledge of what is of cultural importance is in the first place not centralizable. Our novel proposal accepts the pluralist’s preference for an anti-perfectionist regime without being committed to political democracy. In our approach, not only is Confucianism knocked off its special status in justifying the social order, even democracy is deprived of its special status in the arena of governance.

In his seminal work on partitions and divisor functions, MacMahon introduced the following two q-series:

\begin{align*}A_k(q):= \sum_{0 \lt s_1 \lt s_2 \lt \cdots \lt s_k} \frac{q^{s_1+s_2+\cdots+s_k}}{(1-q^{s_1})^2(1-q^{s_2})^2\cdots(1-q^{s_k})^2},\qquad\quad\quad\quad\\[6pt]C_k(q):= \sum_{0 \lt s_1 \lt s_2 \lt \cdots \lt s_k}\frac{q^{2(s_1+s_2+\cdots+s_k)-k}}{(1-q^{2s_1-1})^2(1-q^{2s_2-1})^2\cdots(1-q^{2s_k-1})^2}.\end{align*}

In 2013, Andrews and Rose proved that $A_k(q)$ and $C_k(q)$ are quasimodular forms of weight $\leq 2k$. Recently, Ono and Singh proved two interesting identities involving $A_k(q)$ and $C_k(q)$ and showed that the generating functions for the three-coloured partition function $p_3(n)$ and the overpartition function $\overline{p}(n)$ have infinitely many closed formulas in terms of MacMahon’s quasimodular forms $A_k(q)$ and $C_k(q)$. In this paper, we introduce the finite forms $A_{k,n}(q)$ and $C_{k,n}(q)$ of MacMahon’s q-series $A_k(q)$ and $C_k(q)$ and prove two identities which generalize Ono–Singh’s identities. We also prove some new identities involving $A_{k,n}(q)$, $C_{k,n}(q)$ and certain infinite products based on two Bailey pairs. Those identities are analogous to Ono–Singh’s identities.

Myopia is a critical public health issue, particularly among adolescents. This study investigates the association between adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet and the odds of myopia in US adolescents. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2005 to 2008, involving 2473 participants aged 12–18 years. Adherence to the diet was assessed using the alternate Mediterranean diet (aMED) score. Myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent of ≤–0·50 dioptres (D). Multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for age, sex, race, education level, BMI, poverty income ratio and total energy intake were used to examine the association between aMED and myopia. Additionally, restricted cubic spline regression was used to explore non-linear relationships, and mediation analysis was conducted to identify potential biological pathways. Of the participants (median age: 15 years; 50·5 % male), 41 % were identified as having myopia. Participants with myopia had significantly lower aMED scores compared with non-myopic individuals (P < 0·05). Higher adherence to the aMED was associated with lower odds of myopia (OR: 0·830, 95 % CI 0·712, 0·968). A significant dose–response relationship was observed, with adolescents in the highest aMED quintile having a 41 % lower odds of myopia compared with the lowest quintile (OR: 0·592, 95 % CI 0·368, 0·952). The association was partially mediated by dietary cholesterol and eicosatetraenoic acid. In conclusion, adherence to a Mediterranean-style diet in adolescents is associated with a lower odds of myopia. Addressing diet quality may mitigate health risks related to myopia development.

In the course of archaeological excavations at Metropolis between 1999 and 2004 when the hall of the city council (boule) was unearthed, an important inscription now referred to as the ‘Apollonios Decree’ was discovered on the bouleuterion terrace. This inscription decrees that a statue honouring Apollonios is to be erected ‘in that part of the Agora where it will be the most conspicuous’. Ongoing excavations have revealed a concentration of sculptures in the same area, further strengthening the hypothesis that the Agora was located on the bouleuterion terrace. The present study was undertaken to better understand and interpret the functions of this part of the site based on the findings of excavations on the northern side of the bouleuterion in 2018. It also aims to ascertain if this is the area referred to in inscriptions as the place where public benefactors (euergetai) were honoured with boule-decreed statues, to determine if the statue dedicated to Apollonios of Metropolis was indeed located here, and to propose a possible location for the as-yet unidentified Metropolitan agora.

A first-order Gaussian autoregressive model is considered. The exact finite-sample joint density of the minimal sufficient statistic is derived, for any value of the autoregressive parameter. This allows us to derive explicitly the exact density of the autocorrelation coefficient and its Studentized t-ratio, whose densities were available only in the asymptotic case and not for all values of the parameter and the statistic. This article also demonstrates how to solve a general problem in statistical distribution theory (well beyond the specific case of autoregressive models), that of inverting confluent characteristic functions in multiple variables.

Cyclone Alfred disrupted dialysis services across South-East Queensland. Digital tools, including real-time surveys and AI-assisted analysis, were used to evaluate impact and guide immediate improvements. This low-cost, tech-enabled response demonstrated how agile methods can support disaster resilience and inform planning for vulnerable patient groups during extreme weather events.

The genus Alloophistolecithum was recently created and comprises species that were previously included in the genus Lecithaster. The two genera form the subfamily Lecithasterinae. The genera includes species that predominantly parasitize marine fish, and occasionally those inhabiting fresh or brackish water. This study describes a new species of Alloophistolecithum, which is a parasite of the Argentinian silverside (Odontesthes bonariensis), a fish species that inhabits brackish waters. Alloophistolecithum magaliae n. sp. is characterized by smooth, unnotched testes; a uterus extending to the posterior end of the body; and short caeca that do not reach the anterior edge of the vitellary. As genetic analyses are currently limited to a few species within the genus, it is premature to establish clear relationships between them. The Argentinian silverside is considered to be of great economic importance, having spread not only within Argentina but also to other countries for commercial exploitation. The anthropogenic spread of silversides outside their natural range could pose a risk of biological invasion, so studying their parasitological fauna is important.

Tropical urban estuaries are understudied, where ecosystem health is often considered through a temperate lens. Here, we use stable isotopes and other biogeochemical parameters to begin to address the hypothesis that the biogeochemical drivers of water column chemistry in tropical urban estuaries are qualitatively different from those in temperate systems. We measured salinity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, turbidity, dissolved nutrients, enterococcus concentrations, and suspended particulate stable isotope and nitrogen (N) and carbon concentrations every two weeks for three years in the San Juan Bay Estuary, Puerto Rico. Enterococcus concentrations exceeded acceptable limits (35 CFU 100 ml-1) in all but three water samples measured in a densely populated channel within the estuary that receives urban runoff and untreated sewage (n = 207). The δ15N values were lowest in this channel, highest in the portion of the estuary with open exchange with the sea, and negatively correlated with dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations. This observation, is contrary to current paradigms that were developed in temperate estuaries. The source of the low δ15N values is unknown, but consistent with observations in the sediment and consistent with high rates of N fixation. In addition to the need for a basic understanding of the biogeochemical and ecological processes involved, these data serve as a baseline to compare the effects of restoration efforts and climate change.

Domains exhibit a variety of different aspects, some are order theoretical, some are topological, some belong to topological algebra. In this paper, we introduce two kinds of congruence relations on domains: I-congruence relation and II-congruence relation on domains. We obtain that there is a bijection from the set of all kernel operators of domain $P$ preserving directed sups onto the set of all I-congruence relations on $P$ which exclude $P\times P$. There is also a bijection from the set of all closure operators of domain $P$ preserving directed sups onto the set of all II-congruence relations on $P$ which exclude $P\times P$. Furthermore, between two domains, we propose a new homomorphism called I-homomorphism and II-homomorphism, respectively. We conclude that the kernels of I-homomorphisms and II-homomorphisms between domains are I-congruence relations and II-congruence relations on domains, respectively. Therefore, we obtain the I-homomorphism and I-isomorphism theorems, as well as II-homomorphism and II-isomorphism theorems for domains. Besides, we give a positive answer to an open problem on homomorphisms and quotients of continuous semilattices posed by G. Gierz, et al.

This article focuses on perceptions and attitudes of ethnic minorities toward nation-building processes in Kazakhstan. It provides important insights on how ethnic minorities position and perceive themselves after more than thirty years of nation-building. The article draws on a survey (N=4,000) and semi-structured interviews conducted in 17 regions of Kazakhstan. It concludes that despite some variations in perceptions toward civic and ethnic identities, in general, ethnic minorities positively evaluate the nation-building processes in Kazakhstan. The evidence suggests that ethnic identity continues to play an important role in self-identification of ethnic minorities, while civic identity is important to a limited degree. The study also shows that there is variation across different ethnicities in terms of salience of ethnic and civic identities.