Soft n-Ary Subgroups

AbstractSoft set theory plays a vital role in solving many complicated problems with inherited uncertainty. An n-ary algebraic systems is a generalization of algebraic structures and it is the most natural way for the further development, deeper understanding of their properties. In this paper, we apply soft set theory to an n-ary algebraic systems and introduce the notions of soft n-ary groups and soft n-ary subgroups. Further, some operations on soft sets are extended to the former. Finally, we provide the characterization of soft n-ary subgroups over an n-ary group (G,f) and study their related properties

Coordination variability associated with attendance to a longitudinal reducing biofeedback schedule

The aim of this paper was to assess skill exploration via coordinated variability (CoordVar) during attendance to a longitudinal, reducing biofeedback (BFb) intervention. Novices (n=15 BFb; n=15 Control) were introduced to a lunge touch task. Visual BFb were given on the timing and magnitude of rear leg kinematics. A modified CI2 method (CI2area) was used to quantify CoordVar for rear leg joint couplings. Coefficient of variability was used to quantify CoM horizontal velocity as performance variability (PerfVar). Linear regression 95% confidence intervals were compared between groups to assess changes over time. The BFb group demonstrated increasing CoordVar as a response to the BFb, with all participants showing no change in PerfVar. This highlights the potential for CoordVar to identify the effectiveness of BFb provision by practitioners

Characterising the within-field scale spatial variation of nitrogen in a grassland soil to inform the efficient design of in-situ nitrogen sensor networks for precision agriculture

The use of in-situ sensors capable of real-time monitoring of soil nitrogen (N) may facilitate improvements in agricultural N-use efficiency (NUE) through better fertiliser management. The optimal design of such sensor networks, consisting of clusters of sensors each attached to a data logger, depends upon the spatial variation of soil N and the relative cost of the data loggers and sensors. The primary objective of this study was to demonstrate how in-situ networks of N sensors could be optimally designed to enable the cost-efficient monitoring of soil N within a grassland field (1.9 ha). In the summer of 2014, two nested sampling campaigns (June & July) were undertaken to assess spatial variation in soil amino acids, ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3−) at a range of scales that represented the within (less than 2 m) and between (greater than 2 m) data logger/sensor cluster variability. Variance at short range (less than 2 m) was found to be dominant for all N forms. Variation at larger scales (greater than 2 m) was not as large but was still considered an important spatial component for all N forms, especially NO3−. The variance components derived from the nested sampling were used to inform the efficient design of theoretical in-situ networks of NH4+ and NO3− sensors based on the costs of a commercially available data logger and ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). Based on the spatial variance observed in the June nested sampling, and given a budget of £5000, the NO3− field mean could be estimated with a 95% confidence interval width of 1.70 μg N g−1 using 2 randomly positioned data loggers each with 5 sensors. Further investigation into “aggregate-scale” (less than 1 cm) spatial variance revealed further large variation at the sub 1-cm scale for all N forms. Sensors, for which the measurement represents an integration over a sensor-soil contact area of diameter less than 1 cm, would be subject to this aggregate-scale variability. As such, local replication at scales less than 1 cm would be needed to maintain the precision of the resulting field mean estimation. Adoption of in-situ sensor networks will depend upon the development of suitable low‐cost sensors, demonstration of the cost-benefit and the construction of a decision support system that utilises the generated data to improve the NUE of fertiliser N management

Transitions between lifetime alcohol use, regular use and remission: Results from the 2004 South African Stress and Health Survey

Background. Hazardous alcohol consumption presents a serious threat to the health and wellbeing of all people and is linked to chronic and acute health problems.Objectives. To: (i) estimate the prevalence of alcohol use disorders and remission from alcohol abuse and dependence in the South African (SA) population; and (ii) determine whether age of onset, education, sex and level of cohort alcohol use are associated with commencement of use, regularity of use, and transitions to and remission from more harmful levels of use.Methods. The study was a nationally representative sample of 4 315  individuals aged ≥18 years. In a multistage, area probability sample of adults, data were collected from 4 311 alcohol users using the World Mental Health Survey Initiative version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview version 3.0. All analyses were carried out using SAS version 9.4.Results. Of the respondents, 40.6% indicated lifetime use of alcohol,  35.3% reported regular use, and 8.8% met diagnostic criteria for alcohol abuse and 2.7% for alcohol dependence. The prevalence of remission from lifetime abuse without dependence was 55.9%. The median age of onset of alcohol use was 20 years, with transition from use to regular use occurring within ~1 - 3 years. The results suggest that males, students (compared with those who had completed a high level of education) and greater  alcohol use in the respondent’s birth cohort were all associated with increased odds of commencing alcohol use. For transitions from use to regular use, increased odds were associated with males, greater birth cohort alcohol use, low education and later (>21 years) onset of first alcohol use.Conclusions. Our findings suggest that cohort alcohol use is associated with transition to commencement of use and from use to regular use in the general SA population. The study further highlighted the need for  interventions among males and university students, given that hazardous alcohol consumption seems to be the most prevalent public health issue encountered by university students and males

Racial Differences in Physical and Mental Health

This article examines the extent to which racial differences in socio-economic status (SES), social class and acute and chronic indicators of perceived discrimination, as well as general measures of stress can account for black-white differences in self-reported measures of physical and mental health. The observed racial differences in health were markedly reduced when adjusted for education and especially income. However, both perceived discrimination and more traditional measures of stress are related to health and play an incremental role in accounting for differences between the races in health status. These findings underscore the need for research efforts to identify the complex ways in which economic and non-economic forms of discrimination relate to each other and combine with socio-economic position and other risk factors and resources to affect health.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67159/2/10.1177_135910539700200305.pd