Exploring the Mysteries of the Universe, and Innovation Leading the Future——Astronomical Techniques and Instruments

Dear Readers:Astronomical Techniques and Instruments is a professional English journal of open access devoted to recent develop-ments,discoveries,and theories in astronomical techniques,methods,and instruments.It will serve as a platform for dis-course,learning,and information sharing for astronomic and astrophysics professionals worldwide.

Analysis Of Urban Planning Instruments in Comala,Colima,Mexico(1997-2009)from a Gender Perspective-A Secondary Publication

This work is carried out based on the analysis of urban planning instruments,taking the gender perspective as a foundation.It arises from the inclusion of women in the participation of urban development,through an analysis of the gender gaps that have marked the history of women,the inequalities serve as a basis for carrying out this study.It highlights the challenges we face today as a society in the process of building citizen participation,where we must all be recognized and have equal opportunities within the territory in which we live.This article analyzes the extent to which the Municipal Urban Development Programs of the Mexican municipality of Comala,Colima,Mexico,consider the recommendations on gender and urbanism,established since the 1990s by international entities and applied transversally to urban planning policies.Considerable differences are found between women and men in terms of empowerment and participation in urban territorial planning instruments,mainly in the oldest instrument(1997).Significant progress is observed in the most recent document and is currently in force in the municipality of Comala(2009).

The CCD instrument background of the SMILE SXI

The ESA and CAS SMILE mission orbit is highly elliptical and will pass through multiple radiation environments.The Soft X-ray Imager(SXI)instrument aboard has a radiation shutter door designed to close when the surrounding radiation flux is high.The shutter door will close when passing below an altitude threshold to protect against trapped particles in the Earth’s Van Allen Belts.Therefore,two radiation environments can be approximated based on the shutter door position:open and closed.The instrument background for the CCDs(Charge-Coupled Devices)that form the focal plane array of the SXI were evaluated for the two environments.Due to the correlation of the space environment with the solar cycle,the solar minima and maxima,the background was also evaluated at these two extremes.The results demonstrated that the highest instrument background will occur during solar minima due to the main contributing source being Galactic Cosmic Rays(GCRs).It was also found that the open background was highest for solar minima and that the closed background was highest during solar maxima.This is due to the radiation shutter door acting as a scattering centre and the changes in the energy flux distribution of the GCRs between the two solar extremes.

Correlation analysis between fault frequency and service time of underground fluid instruments

In this paper, we make a statistical analysis of the fault information of the underground fluid instruments of 12 models in China from January 2021 to May 2022 based on the Pearson correlation coefficient, and compare the fault statistics of the meteorological three-element instruments of 3 models during the study period. The results show that:(1) The numbers of faults of the underground fluid instruments of 12models with different service times are basically positively correlated with the numbers of the corresponding instruments, with good consistency. Moreover, the automatic observation instruments(8models) with more than 30 units are significantly correlated at a 0.05 significance level(95% confidence level). Even at a 0.01 significance level(99% confidence level), there are 7 models(7/8) with significant correlation.(2) The positive and negative correlations between the monthly average number of faults and the corresponding service times of the underground fluid instruments of 12 models with different service times are random, and there are 9 models(75%) with no significant correlation at a 0.05 significance level(95% confidence level), while 12 models(100%) with no significant correlation at a 0.01significance level(99% confidence level).(3) The monthly average numbers of faults of the underground fluid instruments of 12 models are basically 0.02-0.05 times/(unit·month), and the overall fault frequency is low.(4) The fault statistics results of the meteorological three-element instruments of 3 models are consistent with the characteristics of the underground fluid instruments of 12 models. In general,there is no significant correlation between the fault frequency and the service time of underground fluid instruments.(5) The results of this paper demonstrate that the service time of underground fluid instruments cannot be taken as the main reason for whether to update the instruments. Similarly, the fault frequency of the instruments cannot be taken as the main reason for the service life of the instruments in the process of formulating the service life standards of underground fluid instruments.

Validation of short version of evidence-based practice instruments among nurses in clinical practice:Evidence-based practice beliefs,implementation,and organizational culture

Objective:The objective of the study is to validate the short version of evidence-based practice(EBP)instruments among nurses in clinical practice.Methods:An institutional-based cross-sectional research design was used and a stratified sampling technique to select 285 nurse clinicians.The study utilized a structured questionnaire comprising of demographic data from the participants and three validated scales:the shortened versions of the EBP Beliefs Scale,the EBP Implementation Scale,and the Organizational Culture and Readiness for System-Wide Integration of Evidence-Based Practice(OCRSIEP)survey.With the use of descriptive statistics,the data were analyzed and presented in frequencies and percentages,while inter-item correlation coefficient(ICC)and the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy were used to confirm the validity of using factor analysis.Results:Findings revealed the mean scores of the EBP Beliefs Scale ranged from 1.50 to 1.61,EBP Implementation Scale ranged from 1.84 to 1.94,and the OCRSIEP Scale ranged from 1.93 to 2.19.All the three shortened scales accordingly had good internal reliability,29.30±9.93 out of 80 for the EBP Beliefs Scale,19.56±7.37 out of 72 for the EBP Implementation Scale,and 66.32±20.35 out of 125 for the OCRSIEP Scale.Conclusion:This study has generated a valid Short Version of EBP reliable instrument that is psychometrically robust that can be used by nurses and clinicians to evaluate EBP in clinical settings since the results presented as a whole confirmed the high reliability and factorial validity.

Inheritance and Development of Guangxi Minority Musical Instruments and Their Integration With Operas

The traditional musical instrument of minorities converges the evolution of ethnic group culture and history,and ethnic musical instruments are a core component of minority culture.The traditional instruments of Guangxi minorities are rich and varied,and an all-round cultural inheritance and protection mechanism should be used for ethnic musical instruments,so that the performance form of classical musical instruments of minorities can be more widely understood and mastered.Therefore,in this paper,we discuss the specific practice idea of the inheritance and development of classical musical instruments of Guangxi minorities,and facilitate the innovation of development path of ethnic musical instruments by taking the inheritance form of integrating musical instruments with operas.

Between Tao and Instruments:Railways,China,and the World From the Perspective of Modern Thought(1875-1936)

In the evolution of modern railway thought,it includes not only the discussion of railway planning,sovereignty,debt,and construction,but also the discussion of spiritual guiding ideology such as“Tao,body and utility”and“material and spirit”.From the perspective of the relationship between road and equipment,the development of modern railway thought in China has experienced three stages.During the Westernization Movement,Li Hongzhang and other people expounded the benefits brought by railway construction from the angle of“utility”,and believed that there was still a unity of“Tao and style”.After the Sino-Japanese Naval Battle,with the emergence of the theory of railway sovereignty and the theory of dividing China,Kang Youwei and others questioned the thought of Westernization school.The unified Tao body was divided into two parts:China and the West.After the May Fourth Movement,railway,as a product of western material civilization,was compared with Eastern spiritual civilization by Liang Shuming,Li Dazhao,and others.The conflict between material and spirit made the Western“Tao style”evolve into the Europe-American way of pursuing“scientific spirit”and the Soviet-Russian way of exploring the ideas of revolution and transformation.The railway has thus become an important carrier of the“scientific spirit”and socialism.

Reform of Teaching Practice of Modern Instrumental Analysis in Biotechnology Programs

Through the online and offline practical reform of the Modern Instrumental Analysis course of biotechnology majors from teaching content,teaching method,teaching demonstration to teaching effect,the traditional single offline lecture is transformed into diversified and interactive modern teaching.The practical reform enriches and optimizes the course content,perfects and improves the course assessment system,and improves the teaching quality.It achieves the student-centered and application-oriented teaching goal,and also provides reference for further cultivating high-quality applied talents.

Surgical Management of Lumbar Spinal Canal Stenosis with Instrumentation at the Yaounde Central Hospital: Comparison of Unilateral versus Bilateral Pedicle Screw Fixation Combined with Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion

Introduction: The choice of adopting unilateral pedicle screw fixation or using bilateral pedicle screw fixation in lumbar spinal stenosis remains controversial. In our context, very few studies have been performed comparing the clinical effectiveness of unilateral versus bilateral fixation in the surgical management of lumbar spinal canal stenosis. Objective: Evaluate the impact on quality of life and clinical efficacy of unilateral spondylodesis compared to bilateral spondylodesis in the surgical management of lumbar spinal canal stenosis at the Yaounde Central Hospital. Methods: This was a retrospective descriptive cross-sectional study for a period of 4 years, from June 2015 to June 2019. It involved all patients operated for lumbar canal stenosis and who underwent spondylodesis or spinal fusion at the neurosurgery department of the Yaounde Central Hospital. Results: A total of 68 participants were recruited during our study period. 32 (47%) of the study population were in the 50 - 60 age group, with a mean age of 56.98 years ranging from 41 to 75 years. Females, housewives and farmers were the most affected. In our study, 72% of patients had unilateral spondylodesis and 28% had bilateral fusion. Preoperatively, 71% of patients had insurmountable pain, refractory to medical treatment. At 3 months postoperatively, 73.7% of patients with bilateral setup had moderate pain compared to 69% of those with unilateral setup. At 6 months postoperatively, 79% of patients with bilateral fusion had mild pain compared to 82% of patients with unilateral setup. At 1 year postoperatively, all patients had mild pain. Preoperatively, 66.2% of patients were unable to walk and 19.1% of patients were bedridden according to the Oswestry score. At 3 months postoperatively, 10.2% of patients with unilateral setup were unable to walk compared to 10.5% of patients with bilateral fixation, while 67.3% of patients with unilateral fixation had moderate disability compared to 52.6% of patients with bilateral fixation. At 6 months postoperatively, 51% of patients with unilateral setup had moderate disability compared to 47.4% of patients with bilateral fixation, while 42.9% of patients with unilateral fixation had mild disability compared to 42.1% of patients with bilateral fixation. At 1 year postoperatively, 81.6% of patients who underwent unilateral fixation had only mild disability compared to 73.7% of patients with bilateral fixation. Conclusion: The assessment of quality of life according to the set-up used shows similar results at 3 months, 6 months and 1 year, with no statistically significant differences. Single-sided pedicle screw fixation combined with transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion or mounting has the advantage of being faster, with less bleeding and is less expensive compared to bilateral fixation.

Development and validation of an instrument to assess knowledge,attitudes,and practices on digital health among nursing officers

Objective:Validation is an important aspect of an instrument,and it ensures the confidence of researchers to employ the instrument in their studies.This study was conducted to develop and validate an instrument to assess knowledge,attitudes,and practices(KAP) on digital health among nurses since digital health capacity is a major concern in health care that needs to be assessed.Methods:We conducted a methodological study to assess the content validity and reliability of the instrument.First,items were generated through a comprehensive literature review and by obtaining an expert opinion.Second,content and face validity were assessed by a panel of 7 experts.Both the item-level content validity index(I-CVI) and the scale-level content validity index(S-CVI) were established.Moreover,test–retest reliability and internal consistency of the instrument were assessed.Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.Results:The initial pool consisted of 60 items and after obtaining content,face,and construct validity,51 items remained.Items with an I-CVI <0.78 were considered relevant.The S-CVI for relevancy,clarity,ambiguity,and simplicity were 0.93,0.91,0.94,and 0.92,respectively.Five subcomponents were constructed in each knowledge and attitudes domain,and the test–retest reliability test revealed that the instrument has good reliability,showing correlation coefficient values for the KAP domains and the total questionnaire of 0.76,0.98,0.99,and 0.99,respectively.The independent Cronbach's α for all items was 0.76,indicating good internal consistency.Conclusions:The present study established the acceptable validity and ensured the good reliability and internal consistency of the instrument,which can serve as an assessment tool of KAP on digital health among healthcare professionals.

Instrument Automation Control System Faults and Maintenance

This article explores the topic of fault diagnosis and maintenance strategies for instrument automation control systems,analyzing them through specific cases.The aim of this research is to improve the stability and reliability of the system by conducting a thorough investigation of faults and maintenance in instrument automation control systems.By doing so,this research hopes to provide a strong guarantee for the smooth progress of industrial production.

Problems and principles in translation of cross-cultural research instruments

The process of translation is an important part of cross-cultural studies. Cross-cultural researchers are often confronted by the need to translate instruments from one language to another. In the translation, linguistic equivalence, functional equivalence, cultural equivalence and metric equivalence are factors that need to be considered greatly. This paper examines the translation of cross-cultural research instrument from these points of view, illustrates with examples and puts forward suggestions for incorporating each factor into research studies.

Research on Instruments of Formative Assessment for Differentiated Language Teaching

Formative assessment is crucial to differentiated language teaching.To ensure the quality of differentiated teaching,some assessment instruments should be adopted during formative assessment,such as differentiated learning portfolios and group activity journal.The effective application of these instruments can also improve the students' autonomous language learning ability.

Literature review and analysis of the application of health outcome assessment instruments in Chinese medicine

OBJECTIVE： To evaluate the application of health assessment instruments in Chinese medicine. METHODS： According to a pre-defined search strategy, a comprehensive literature search for all articles published in China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases was conducted. The resulting articles that met the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria were used for analysis. RESULTS： A total of 97 instruments for health outcome assessment in Chinese medicine have been used in fundamental and theoretical research, and 14 of these were also used in 29 clinical trials that were randomized controlled trials, or descriptive or cross-sectional studies. In 2 152 Chinese medicine-based studies that used instruments in their methodology, more than 150 questionnaires were identified. Among the identified questionnaires, 51 were used in more than 10 articles （0.5%）. Most of these instruments were developed in Western countries and few studies （4%） used the instrument as the primary evidence for their conclusions. CONCLUSION： Usage of instruments for health outcome assessment in Chinese medicine is increasing rapidly; however, current limitations include selection rationale, result interpretation and standardization, which must be addressed accordingly.

Cone-beam computed tomography analysis of curved root canals after mechanical preparation with three nickel-titanium rotary instruments

Cone beam computed tomography is a 3-dimensional high resolution imaging method. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of 3 different NiTi rotary instruments used to prepare curved root canals on the final shape of the curved canals and total amount of root canal transportation by using cone-beam computed tomography. A total of 81 mesial root canals from 42 extracted human mandibular molars, with a curvature ranging from 15 to 45 degrees, were selected. Canals were randomly divided into 3 groups of 27 each. After preparation with Protaper, Revo-S and Hero Shaper, the amount of transportation and centering ability that occurred were assessed by using cone beam computed tomography. Utilizing preand post-instrumentation radiographs, straightening of the canal curvatures was determined with a computer image analysis program. Canals were metrically assessed for changes （surface area, changes in curvature and transportation） during canal preparation by using software SimPlant; instrument failures were also recorded. Mean total widths and outer and inner width measurements were determined on each central canal path and differences were statistically analyzed. The results showed that all instruments maintained the original canal curvature well with no significant differences between the different files （P=0.226）. During preparation there was failure of only one file （the protaper group）. In conclusion, under the conditions of this study, all instruments maintained the original canal curvature well and were safe to use. Areas of uninstrumented root canal wall were left in all regions using the various systems.

Structural optimization of precision instruments through modal analysis

In order to improve the dynamic stability of precision instruments during the design process, a compositive design method based on modal analysis of structure is proposed. With uniform boundary conditions and material characters, the results of Finite Element Analysis (FEA) vary with models. It should be checked whether the model is correctly simplified. Modal experiments can be used for such purpose. The method combines the high efficiency and agility of FEA with the reliability and accuracy of experiments, and avoids the drawbacks of FEA or experiments, such as uncertainty of FEA and high cost of experiments. Taking rotor frame structure as an example, this method is applied as follows: First the modal characters of structure are analyzed with FEA, and then the natural frequencies of the structure are tested by experiments to check the reliability of FEA method, and finally the design scheme is optimized by modifying structure parameters with confirmed FEA.

An overview on observational instruments and measuring methods for dewfall

This paper systematically summarizes previous measuring methods and observational instruments for the magnitude of dewfall on land surface, analyzes the characteristics of common observational instruments for land surface dewfall, and describes several basic dewfall measurement methods. Moreover, the basic principles of these methods and instruments are interpreted, and their advantages, disadvantages, and applicability are analyzed. Recommendations for the further improvement of these observational instruments and the development of dewfall measuring methods are presented, and new technologies and scientific proposals for exploiting dewfall are elucidated.

Automatic Recognition Method for Optical Measuring Instruments Based on Machine Vision

Based on a comprehensive study of various algorithms, the automatic recognition of traditional ocular optical measuring instruments is realized. Taking a universal tools microscope(UTM) lens view image as an example, a 2-layer automatic recognition model for data reading is established after adopting a series of pre-processing algorithms. This model is an optimal combination of the correlation-based template matching method and a concurrent back propagation(BP) neural network. Multiple complementary feature extraction is used in generating the eigenvectors of the concurrent network. In order to improve fault-tolerance capacity, rotation invariant features based on Zernike moments are extracted from digit characters and a 4-dimensional group of the outline features is also obtained. Moreover, the operating time and reading accuracy can be adjusted dy-namically by setting the threshold value. The experimental result indicates that the newly developed algorithm has optimal recognition precision and working speed. The average reading ratio can achieve 97.23%. The recognition method can automatically obtain the results of optical measuring instruments rapidly and stably without modifying their original structure, which meets the application requirements.

Prevention and management of fractured instruments in endodontic treatment

Intracanal instrument fracture is an unpredictable and problematic occurrence that can prevent adequatecleaning and shaping procedures and influence the prognosis of endodontic treatment. The prevalence of instrument fracture is reported to range between 0.28% and 16.2%. This article presents an overview of the prevention and management of instruments fractured during endodontic therapy on the basis of literature retrieved from Pub Med and selected journal searches. Instrument fracture occurs because of reduced metal fatigue and/or torsional resistance. The reasons include canal morphology and curvature, manufacturing processes and instrument design, instrument use times and technique, rotational speeds and operator experience. With the development of various equipment and techniques, most of the retained instrument separations can be removed safely. However, in canals without associated periapical disease not every fractured separation should be removed from difficult locations because of the increased risk for root perforation and fracture. In difficult cases, either retain or bypass the fragment in the root canal and ensure regular follow-up reviews. Fractured instruments retained in the presence of periapical disease reduce significantly the prognosis of endodontically treated teeth, indicating a greater need to attempt the removal or bypass of the file separations. Apical surgery might be required in some instances, emphasizing the importance of preventing instrument fracture.

Lijiang 2.4-meter Telescope and its instruments

The Lijiang 2.4-meter Telescope(LJT), the largest common-purpose optical telescope in China,has been available to the worldwide astronomical community since 2008. It is located at the Gaomeigu site,Lijiang Observatory(LJO), in the southwest of China. The site has very good observational conditions.During its 10-year operation, several instruments have been equipped on the LJT. Astronomers can perform both photometric and spectral observations. The main scientific goals of LJT include recording photometric and spectral evolution of supernovae, reverberation mapping of active galactic nuclei, investigating the physical properties of binary stars and near-earth objects(comets and asteroids), and identification of exoplanets and all kinds of transients. Until now, the masses of 41 high accretion rate black holes have been measured, and more than 168 supernovae have been identified by the LJT. More than 190 papers related to the LJT have been published. In this paper, the general observation conditions of the Gaomeigu site is introduced at first. Then, the structure of the LJT is described in detail, including the optical, mechanical, motion and control system. The specification of all the instruments and some detailed parameters of the YFOSC is also presented. Finally, some important scientific results and future expectations are summarized.