This brief review covers the thermoelectric properties of one-dimensional materials, such as nanowires and nanotubes. The highly localised peaks of the electronic density of states near the Fermi levels of these nanostructured materials improve the Seebeck coefficient. Moreover, quantum confinement leads to discrete energy levels and a modified density of states, potentially enhancing electrical conductivity. These electronic effects, coupled with the dominance of Umklapp phonon scattering, which reduces thermal conductivity in one-dimensional materials, can achieve unprecedented thermoelectric efficiency not seen in two-dimensional or bulk materials. Notable advancements include carbon and silicon nanotubes and Bi3Te2, Bi, ZnO, SiC, and Si1-xGex nanowires with significantly reduced thermal conductivity and increased ZT. In all these nanowires and nanotubes, efficiency is explored as a function of the diameter. Among these nanomaterials, carbon nanotubes offer mechanical flexibility and improved thermoelectric performance. Although carbon nanotubes theoretically have high thermal conductivity, the improvement of their Seebeck coefficient due to their low-dimensional structure can compensate for it. Regarding flexibility, economic criteria, ease of fabrication, and weight, carbon nanotubes could be a promising candidate for thermoelectric power generation.

Phenotypic covariation among suites of traits may constrain or promote diversification both within and between species, yet few studies have empirically tested this relationship. In this study, we investigate whether phenotypic covariation of craniofacial traits is associated with diversification in an adaptive radiation of pupfishes found only on San Salvador Island, Bahamas (SSI). The radiation includes generalist, durophagous, and lepidophagous species. We compared phenotypic variation and covariation (i.e., the P matrix) between (1) allopatric populations of generalist pupfish from neighboring islands and estuaries in the Caribbean, (2) SSI pupfish allopatric lake populations with only generalist pupfish, and (3) SSI lake populations containing the full radiation in sympatry. Additionally, we examine patterns observed in the P matrices of two independent lab-reared F2 hybrid crosses of the two most morphologically distinct members of the radiation to make inferences about the underlying mechanisms contributing to the variation in craniofacial traits in SSI pupfishes. We found that the P matrix of SSI allopatric generalist populations exhibited higher levels of mean trait correlation, constraints, and integration with simultaneously lower levels of flexibility compared to allopatric generalist populations on other Caribbean islands and sympatric populations of all three species on SSI. We also document that while many craniofacial traits appear to result from additive genetic effects, variation in key traits such as head depth, maxilla length, and lower jaw length may be produced via non-additive genetic mechanisms. Ultimately, this study suggests that differences in phenotypic covariation significantly contribute to producing and maintaining organismal diversity.

Processing of quantifiers such as \"many\" and \"few\" relies on number knowledge, linguistic abilities, and working memory. Negative quantifiers (e.g., \"few,\" \"less than half\") induce higher processing costs than their positive counterparts. Furthermore, the meaning of some quantifiers is flexible and thus adaptable. Importantly, in neurotypical individuals, changing the meaning of one quantifier also leads to a generalized change in meaning for its polar opposite (e.g., the change of the meaning of \"many\" leads to the change of that of \"few\"). Here, we extended this research to patients with fluent and non-fluent aphasia after stroke. In two experiments, participants heard sentences of the type \"Many/few of the circles are yellow/blue,\" each followed by a picture with different quantities of blue and yellow circles. The participants judged whether the sentence adequately described the picture. Each experiment consisted of three blocks: a baseline block to assess the participants\' criteria for both quantifiers, a training block to shift the criteria for \"many,\" and a test block, identical to the baseline to capture any changes in quantifier semantics. In Experiment 1, the change of the meaning of \"many\" was induced by using adaptation to small numbers (20-50%) of circles of the named color. In Experiment 2, explicit feedback was given in the training block after each response to rate proportions of 40% (or higher) as \"many,\" whereas 40% is normally rather rated as \"few.\" The objective was to determine whether people with fluent or non-fluent aphasia were able to process quantifiers appropriately and whether generalized semantic flexibility was present after brain damage. Sixteen out of 21 patients were able to perform the task. People with fluent aphasia showed the expected polarity effect in the reaction times and shifted their criteria for \"many\" with generalization to the untrained quantifier \"few.\" This effect, however, was only obtained after explicit feedback (Experiment 2) but not by mere adaptation (Experiment 1). In contrast, people with non-fluent aphasia did not change the quantifier semantics in either experiment. This study contributes to gaining new insights into quantifier processing and semantic flexibility in people with aphasia and general underlying processing mechanisms.

Several arboviral diseases have been known to be endemic (e.g., Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Rift Valley fever) or are emerging (dengue fever, chikungunya, O\'nyong-nyong) in human populations in Mauritania, while others have become rare in recent years (e.g. yellow fever). Moreover, domestic animals, especially cattle, camels, goats, and sheep, are also known to be infected with some of these arboviruses (e.g. Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, Rift Valley fever). For these reasons, viral hemorrhagic fever surveillance in Mauritania is part of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR). However, limited information is available on the efficacy of the viral hemorrhagic fever surveillance system in the Assaba region of Mauritania. The aim of the present study was to assess the performance of the surveillance system, in particular its general utility, simplicity, flexibility, acceptability, and reactivity.
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from July to August 2022 in the Assaba region with the objective of evaluating the characteristics of the system by interviewing key actors involved in the surveillance of viral hemorrhagic fevers, with a focus on Rift Valley fever and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever, using questionnaires developed following the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, Georgia, USA). Data from 2020-2022 on viral hemorrhagic fevers from the National Institute of Public Health laboratory were analyzed. Medians, interquartile ranges, and proportions were calculated using Epi Info® 7.2.5.0 and Excel® 2021.
The questionnaire was answered by all twenty-six persons involved in the viral hemorrhagic fever surveillance system in Assaba region. The majority of survey respondents found the system to be useful (51%), simple (63%), acceptable (46%), responsive (64%), and flexible (46%). An analysis of the data revealed a positive predictive value of 28% for Rift Valley Fever. The weekly distribution of cases within the wilaya indicates that the moughataa of Kiffa recorded the highest number of cases in September, with a notable weekly peak during that month in 2020. According to the analysis of the National Institute of Public Health database, cases of viral hemorrhagic fevers were promptly handled. Survey responses and database analysis revealed issues related to data quality and data management mechanisms. These limitations in the surveillance system are likely to be due to insufficient resources and training of the personnel, in particular with regards to data collection and management, which in turn led to incomplete or missing data and invalid data entry. These weak points can be ascribed, at least in part, to financial constraints and inadequate attribution of priority to arboviral diseases. Despite these limitations, disease data generated by the surveillance system were generally reliable.
The viral hemorrhagic fever surveillance system in the Assaba region adheres to the organization and functioning of the national viral hemorrhagic fever surveillance system, which is part of the IDSR. The characteristics of utility, simplicity, responsiveness, and flexibility of the viral hemorrhagic fever surveillance system are good, but acceptability and flexibility need further improvement. The earlier the first arboviral human or animal cases are detected, the more likely an active intervention can be organized in response to the emerging epidemic or epizootic and prevent the spread of the disease. An efficient viral surveillance system is the key to reducing the negative impact of arboviral diseases in Assaba region.

UNASSIGNED: Creativity is a fundamental competence that manifests itself in various domains of knowledge, including verbal creativity. The main aim of this study was to identify indicators of verbal creativity for the assessment of three writing tasks.
UNASSIGNED: Sixteen multidisciplinary and international creativity experts participated in a two-stage Delphi panel. The administered questionnaire asked about the measurement or non-measurement of eight indicators of verbal creative thinking in three tasks: problem posing, creative idea generation, and idea improvement. Originality is the most important indicator of creativity. The indicators identified in the first task were fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration, and sensitivity to problems. The second task measures flexibility, originality, elaboration, opacity, and dynamic integration. In the third task, fluency, flexibility, originality, elaboration, dynamic integration, and refinement of ideas are considered.
UNASSIGNED: The results of this study are key to progress in the field of measuring verbal creative thinking.
UNASSIGNED: The identification of indicators of the construct called verbal creativity allows the determination of its components in order to be able to estimate the creative potential in this specific domain.

Previous studies examining the flexion-relaxation phenomenon (FRP) in back muscles through trunk forward flexion tests have yielded inconsistent findings, primarily due to variations in leg posture control. This study aimed to explore the influence of leg posture control and individual flexibility on FRP in back and low limb muscles. Thirty-two male participants, evenly distributed into high- and low-flexibility groups, were recruited. Activities of the erector spinae, biceps femoris, and gastrocnemius muscles, alongside the lumbosacral angle (LSA), were recorded as participants executed trunk flexion from 0° to 90° in 15° increments, enabling an analysis of FRP and its correlation with the investigated variables. The findings highlighted significant effects of all examined factors on the measured responses. At a trunk flexion angle of 60°, the influence of leg posture and flexibility on erector spinae activities was particularly pronounced. Participants with limited flexibility exhibited the most prominent FRP under constrained leg posture, while those with greater flexibility and unconstrained leg posture displayed the least FRP, indicated by their relatively larger LSAs. Under constrained leg posture conditions, participants experienced an approximate 1/3 to 1/2 increase in gastrocnemius activity throughout trunk flexion from 30° to 90°, while biceps femoris activity remained relatively constant. Using an inappropriate leg posture during back muscle FRP assessments can overestimate FRP. These findings offer guidance for designing future FRP research protocols.

This study first draws inspiration from the dual biomimetic design of plant cell walls and honeycomb structures, drawing on their structural characteristics to design a flexible shell structure that can achieve significant deformation and withstand large loads. Based on the staggered bonding of this flexible shell structure, we propose a new design scheme for a large-load pneumatic soft arm and establish a mathematical model for its flexibility and load capacity. The extension and bending deformation of this new type of soft arm come from the geometric variability of flexible shell structures, which can be controlled through two switches, namely, deflation and inflation, to achieve extension or bending actions. The experimental results show that under a driving pressure within the range of 150 kpa, the maximum elongation of the soft arm reaches 23.17 cm, the maximum bending angle is 94.2 degrees, and the maximum load is 2.83 N. This type of soft arm designed based on dual bionic inspiration can have both a high load capacity and flexibility. The research results provide new ideas and methods for the development of high-load soft arms, which are expected to expand from laboratories to multiple fields.

This study aimed to achieve two primary objectives. Firstly, to compare physical fitness levels based on sex, age groups, and body composition. Secondly, to examine physical fitness of the older adults against criterion-referenced fitness standard values using a representative sample from the district of Leiria in Portugal, a region undergoing exponential population growth, including a rise in the elderly population. Data from cross-sectional assessments of the Portuguese older adult community living in the Municipality of Leiria from 2014 to 2022 were collected. This study comprised a sample of 664 community-dwelling older adults (female = 480; male = 184) aged between 60 and 90 years (M = 70.34; SD = 12.67). Participants had a body mass ranging from 45 kg to 122 kg (M = 71.48; SD = 12.34) and a height ranging from 1.30 m to 1.89 m (M = 1.59; SD = 0.08). The Senior Fitness Test battery was used to evaluate parameters of physical fitness, body mass index was calculated, and abdominal circumference was measured. Females displayed a tendency to greater physical fitness compared to males, specifically in terms of lower and upper body flexibility compared to older male adults (p < 0.05). In addition, sexagenarian and older adults with normal weight tended to display greater physical fitness compared to septuagenarian and octogenarian, and overweight adults and those with obesity (p < 0.05), respectively. Information concerning physical fitness is crucial for guiding policymakers and other stakeholders in Leiria for the promotion of healthy aging among the older adult community. Furthermore, this study has established the preliminary reference standards for physical fitness, serving as a tool to promote healthy aging among Portuguese older adults residing in Leiria.

The field of ability-related emotional intelligence (ability EI) could benefit from new perspectives concerning dynamic operations. According to a recent perspective, variations in ability EI are likely to be linked to variations in skills related to evaluation. This perspective contends, perhaps counterintuitively, that higher levels of ability EI are likely to be linked to higher levels of emotional reactivity, defined in terms of stronger event-emotion relationships. Two studies (total N = 245) pursue such ideas in the context of multilevel models involving event valence and emotional experience. Variations in ability EI modulated event-emotion relationships in the context of laboratory inductions involving hypothetical events (Study 1), affective images varying in valence (Study 1), and with respect to naturally occurring variations in positive and negative daily events (Study 2), such that higher levels of ability EI were linked to stronger event-emotion relationships, regardless of whether events and emotions were positive or negative in valence. These results provide new evidence for recent theorizing concerning ability EI while speaking to functional versus dysfunctional perspectives on emotional reactivity.

UNASSIGNED: Falls are the leading cause of accidental death among older persons, with postmenopausal women facing a greater hazard of falling due to osteoporosis. This study aimed to examine the effects of Taijiquan practice on balance control and functional fitness in at-risk females.
UNASSIGNED: Chinese women who self-reported a tendency to fall and had a baseline one-leg stand test time (4.1 s in the Taijiquan group) below the national average for their age group (60-64 years: 10.9 s, 65-69 years: 9.9 s) were assigned to either a control group (n = 26, mean age = 63.9 years) or a Taijiquan group (n = 24, mean age = 63.9 years). The Taijiquan group participated in a 12-week supervised intervention, while the control group maintained their daily activities. The average duration of each exercise session was 52 min. Static balance and functional fitness were assessed at the beginning and end of the intervention.
UNASSIGNED: After 12 weeks, the Taijiquan group significantly outperformed the control group in terms of balance, flexibility, and muscular fitness (all p < 0.05). Participants in the Taijiquan group improved their one-leg stand by 61.0% (+2.5 s, Hedge\'s g = 0.85), arm curl by 8.3% (+1.7 repetitions, g = 0.53), handgrip strength by 8.3% (+1.9 kg, g = 0.65), and sit-and-reach by 163.2% (+6.2 cm, g = 1.17).
UNASSIGNED: The improvement in balance, coupled with other functional fitness benefits, suggests that Taijiquan could serve as a useful exercise for older women with an elevated risk of falling.