A Workable Solution for Reducing the Large Number of Vehicle and Pedestrian Accidents Occurring on a Yellow Light

Traffic intersections are incredibly dangerous for drivers and pedestrians. Statistics from both Canada and the U.S. show a high number of fatalities and serious injuries related to crashes at intersections. In Canada, during 2019, the National Collision Database shows that 28% of traffic fatalities and 42% of serious injuries occurred at intersections. Likewise, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) found that about 40% of the estimated 5,811,000 accidents in the U.S. during the year studied were intersection-related crashes. In fact, a major survey by the car insurance industry found that nearly 85% of drivers could not identify the correct action to take when approaching a yellow traffic light at an intersection. One major reason for these accidents is the “yellow light dilemma,” the ambiguous situation where a driver should stop or proceed forward when unexpectedly faced with a yellow light. This situation is even further exacerbated by the tendency of aggressive drivers to inappropriately speed up on the yellow just to get through the traffic light. A survey of Canadian drivers conducted by the Traffic Injury Research Foundation found that 9% of drivers admitted to speeding up to get through a traffic light. Another reason for these accidents is the increased danger of making a left-hand turn on yellow. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA), left turns occur in approximately 22.2% of collisions—as opposed to just 1.2% for right turns. Moreover, a study by CNN found left turns are three times as likely to kill pedestrians than right turns. The reason left turns are so much more likely to cause an accident is because they take a driver against traffic and in the path of oncoming cars. Additionally, most of these left turns occur at the driver’s discretion—as opposed to the distressingly brief left-hand arrow at busy intersections. Drive Safe Now proposes a workable solution for reducing the number of accidents occurring during a yellow light at intersections. We believe this fairly simple solution will save lives, prevent injuries, reduce damage to public and private property, and decrease insurance costs.

Efficacy of lidocaine wet compress combined with red-light irradiation for chronic wounds

BACKGROUND Chronic wounds that fail to progress through normal phases of healing present a significant healthcare burden owing to prolonged treatment and associated costs.Traditional wound care typically involves regular dressing changes,which can be painful.Recent approaches have explored the use of lidocaine to manage pain and red-light irradiation(RLI),known for its anti-inflammatory and cell proliferation effects,to potentially enhance wound healing.AIM To investigate the therapeutic efficacy of lidocaine wet compression(LWC)combined with RLI for chronic wounds.METHODS We enrolled 150 patients with chronic wounds from the Wound and Ostomy Outpatient Clinic of the Second Hospital of Anhui Medical University from April to September 2022.The wounds were treated with dressing changes.The patients were randomly assigned to the control and experimental groups using a random number table and given the same first dressing change(2%LWC for 5 min and routine dressing change).From the second dressing change,in addition to 2%LWC for 5 min and routine dressing change,the experimental group received RLI,whereas the control group continued to receive the same LWC and dressing change.The first and second dressing changes were performed on days 1 and 2,respectively.The third dressing change was performed 3 d after the second change.The frequency of subsequent dressing changes was determined based on wound exudation and pain.Pain during the first three dressing changes was evaluated in both groups.The average number of dressing changes within 28 d and the degree of wound healing on day 28 were also recorded.RESULTS During the initial dressing change,no noticeable differences were observed in the pain levels experienced by the two groups,indicating similar pain tolerance.However,during the second and third dressing changes,the experimental group reported significantly less pain than the control group.Furthermore,over 28 d,the experimental group required fewer dressing changes than the control group.CONCLUSION Notably,the effectiveness of wound healing on the 28th day was significantly higher in the experimental group than that of in the control group.The combination of LWC and RLI was effective in reducing early-stage pain,promoting wound healing,decreasing the frequency of dressing changes,and enhancing patients’overall quality of life with chronic wounds.

Effective Dose Screening of Low Level Red Light in Different Cell Indexes

The low level red light irradiation dose that produced positive response on different cell indexes was selected through experiments.In fibroblast detection model,the low level red light irradiation dose that had positive response to the four indicators of mitochondrial membrane potential,ATP release,cell migration and collagen synthesis was screened.The experimental results showed that low level red light with a irradiation dose of 2 J/cm^(2) had a positive response to the above four indexes in fibroblast.The test model on fibroblast was later transferred to dermal papilla cells for further experimental verification.The results showed that low level red light with a irradiation dose of 2 J/cm^(2) also had a positive response to the four indicators of dermal papilla cells,namely,mitochondrial membrane potential,ATP release,cell proliferation rate and collagen synthesis.It is proved that the low level red light with a irradiation dose of 2 J/cm^(2) could improve the mitochondrial function,cell migration and collagen synthesis of fibroblast and dermal papilla cell,thus providing energy for cell activities,improving cell repair ability and cell anti-aging ability.

Treatment of Recalcitrant Viral Warts with Photodynamic Therapy with Mal and Red Light

Background: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer. In recent years, its use has expanded to new indications. Viral warts (VW) are some of the most promising. Methods: A retrospective, descriptive, observational study was carried out. Patients who did not respond to cryotherapy were selected and were occluded with methyl aminolevulinate (MAL) for three hours and they were illuminated with red light. Tolerance to treatment was evaluated using a visual analog scale for pain (from 0 to 10). Results: A total of 15 patients with 134 VW were treated. A complete response was obtained in 13 of 15 patients (87%) and in 127 of 134 lesions (95%). The mean number of sessions was 3.1 (range 1 to 6) and the average pain score was 3.1 (range 0 to 8). Conclusions: PDT is a treatment that offers good results in the treatment of VW that are resistant to routine treatment. The treatment was well tolerated in our patient group.

Experimental study of red light therapy instrument combined with insulin on type 2 diabetic foot model rats

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effect and clinical value of red light therapy combined with insulin therapy on wound in type 2 diabetic foot (DF) rats. Methords: Wistar rats were injected intraperitoneally with medium-dose high-fat and high-fat streptozotocin and carefully controlled at room temperature. The type 2 diabetes mellitus Wistar rats were reproved with high glucose and high fat streptozotocin (STZ) Foot involvement in the establishment of type 2 diabetic foot rat model. The rats were randomly divided into three groups: metformin 0.140 g/kg group, red light therapy group combined with insulin treatment group, model group, blank control group (30 d after intragastric administration of rats), further observation of each group of rat wounds Healing rate, insulin, blood glucose and blood lipid and vascular endothelial activity factors such as laboratory changes. Results: The observation of red light therapy combined with insulin treatment group was the most obvious, the difference was statistically significant, significantly promoted wound healing in DF rats, increased healing rate, increased insulin sensitivity (NO) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) were increased in the serum of rats. The insulin resistance and platelet aggregation rate of the DF model rats were significantly higher than those of the control group, and the insulin sensitivity index (ISI) , Blood glucose, blood lipid, blood viscosity and endothelin (ET) and other active factors were significantly reduced. Conclusion: (1) treatment of red light therapy can improve blood rheology, improve glucose and lipid metabolism, improve insulin sensitivity, Vascular endothelial cell activation and so on to improve the wound healing rate of DF wound in rats. (2) The treatment of red light therapy is effective, safe and high in clinical application.

Supplemental blue and red light promote lycopene synthesis in tomato fruits

Lycopene, one of the strongest natural antioxidants known and the main carotene in ripe tomato, is very important for human health. Light is well known to be one of the most important environmental stimuli influencing lycopene biosynthesis; specifically, red light induces higher lycopene content in tomato. However, whether blue light promotes lycopene synthesis remains elusive and exactly how light stimulation promotes lycopene synthesis remains unclear. We applied supplemental blue and red lighting on tomato plants at anthesis to monitor the effect of supplemental blue and red lighting on lycopene synthesis. Our results showed that supplemental blue/red lighting induced higher lycopene content in tomato fruits; furthermore, we found that the expression of key genes in the lycopene synthesis pathway was induced by supplemented blue/red light. The expression of light signaling components, such as red-light receptor phytochromes(PHYs), blue-light receptor cryptochromes(CRYs) and light interaction factors, phytochrome-interacting factors(PIFs) and ELONGATED HYPOCOTYL 5(HY5) were up-or down-regulated by blue/red lighting. Thus, blue and red light increased lycopene content in tomatoes by inducing light receptors that modulate HY5 and PIFs activation to mediate phytoene synthase 1(PSY1) gene expression. These results provide a sound theoretical basis for further elucidation of the light regulating mechanism of lycopene synthesis in tomatoes, and for instituting a new generation of technological innovations for the enhancement of lycopene accumulation in crop production.

Transcriptome analysis of carotenoid biosynthesis in Dunaliella salina under red and blue light

The quality of light is an important abiotic factor that affects the growth and development of photosynthetic organisms.In this study,we exposed the unicellular green alga Dunaliella salina to red(660 nm)and blue(450 nm)light and analyzed the cell growth,total carotenoid content,and transcriptomes.The growth of D.salina was enhanced by illumination with red light,whereas blue light was not able to promote the algal growth.In contrast,the total carotenoid content increased under both red and blue light.The RNA of D.salina was sequenced and the transcriptomic response of algal cells to red and blue light was investigated.Six transcripts encoding for the blue light receptor cryptochrome were identified,and transcripts involved in the carotenoid metabolism were up-regulated under both red and blue light.Transcripts encoding for photoprotective enzymes related to the scavenging of reactive oxygen species were up-regulated under blue light.The present transcriptomic study provides a more comprehensive understanding of carotenoid biosynthesis in D.salina under different wavelengths of light.

Overhead supplemental far-red light stimulates tomato growth under intra-canopy lighting with LEDs

Far-red(FR) light regulates phytochrome-mediated morphological and physiological plant responses.This study aims to investigate how greenhouse tomato morphology and production response to different durations of FR light during daytime and at the end of day(EOD).High-wire tomato plants were grown under intra-canopy lighting consisting of red(peak wavelength at 640 nm) and blue(peak wavelength at 450 nm) light-emitting diodes(LEDs) with photosynthetic photon flux density(PPFD) of 144 μmol m–2 s–1 at 10 cm away from the lamps,and combined with overhead supplemental FR light(peak wavelength at 735 nm) with PPFD of 43 μmol m–2 s–1 at 20 cm below the lamps.Plants were exposed to three durations of FR supplemental lighting including: 06:00–18:00(FR12),18:00–19:30(EOD-FR1.5),18:00–18:30(EOD-FR0.5),and control that without supplemental FR light.The results showed that supplemental FR light significantly stimulated stem elongation thereby resulting in longer plants compared with the control.Moreover,FR light altered leaf morphology toward higher leaf length/width ratio and larger leaf area.The altered plant architecture in FR supplemented plants led to a more homogeneous light distribution inside the canopy.Total plant biomass was increased by 9–16% under supplemental FR light in comparison with control,which led to 7–12% increase in ripe fruit yield.Soluble sugar content of the ripe tomato fruit was slightly decreased by longer exposure of the plants to FR light.Dry matter partitioning to different plant organs were not substantially affected by the FR light treatments.No significant differences were observed among the three FR light treatments in plant morphology as well as yield and biomass production.We conclude that under intra-canopy lighting,overhead supplemental FR light stimulates tomato growth and production.And supplementary of EOD-FR0.5 is more favorable,as it consumes less electricity but induces similar effects on plant morphology and yield.

Genetic Analysis and Molecular Mapping of Light-Sensitive Red-Root Mutant in Rice

The light-sensitive red-root mutant, designated as HG1, was newly observed from an indica rice variety, Nankinkodo, when seedlings were grown with roots exposed to natural light. The root color of the mutant began to turn slight-red when the roots were exposed to the light at the intensity of 29 ）Jmol/（m^2·s）, then turned dark-red at the light intensity of 180 pmol/（m^2·s）, suggesting that the root color of the mutant was evidently sensitive to light. Furthermore, genetic analysis showed that the character of light-sensitive red-root of the HG1 mutant was controlled by a single dominant gene, tentatively designated as Lsr. With simple sequence repeat markers, Lsrgene was located between the markers RM252 and RM303 on chromosome 4 with the genetic distances of 9.8 cM and 6.4 cM, respectively. These results could be useful for fine mapping and cloning of Lsrgene in rice.

Effect of Light on Flavonoids Biosynthesis in Red Rice Rdh

The effect of light on flavonoids biosynthesis in red rice Rdh was studied. The panicles of red rice Rdh produced colorless caryopses after darkness treatment; and these colorless caryopses displayed bright-red after vanillin treatment, but did not display red color after light inducing for 15 days, suggesting that red rice Rdh could produce leucoanthocyanidin, but could not produce polyproanthocyanidins in darkness. Histological study revealed that the aleurone layers of Rdh colorless caryopses displayed bright-red after vanillin assay, but the pericarp and seed coat layers did not display color change, which indicated that the aleurone layers could accumulate precursors of polyproanthocyanidins in darkness, but the pericarp and seed coat could not. Additionally, color ofRdh caryopses changed from green in immaturity to red in maturity, and the green caryopses changed color from green to red gradually indoor for 7 days after harvest, suggesting that leucoanthocyanidins could synthesize polyproanthocyanidins. It was concluded that light was necessary for red pigment biosynthesis in red rice Rdh, leucoanthocyanidins biosyntheses in the aleurone layers did not need light, leucoanthocyanidins biosynthesis in pericarp and seed coat needed light inducing, the effect of leucoanthocyanidin biosynthesis in Rdh to light had tissue specificity.

Effects of UV-B radiation on tetraspores of Chondrus ocellatus Holm(Rhodophyta),and effects of red and blue light on repair of UV-B-induced damage

We evaluated the effects of red and blue light on the repair of UV-B radiation-induced damage in tetraspores of Chondrus ocellatus Holm. Tetraspores of C. ocellatus were treated with different UV-B radiation levels(0,36,72,108,144 and 180 J/m2),and thereafter subjected to PAR,darkness,or red or blue light during a 2-h repair stage,each day for 48 days. The diameters and cellular contents of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimmers(CPDs),chlorophyll a(Chl a),phycoerythrin,and UV-B-absorbing mycosporinelike amino acids(MAAs) contents of the tetraspores were determined. Our results show that low doses of UV-B radiation(36 and 72 J/m 2) promoted the growth of C. ocellatus; however,increased UV-B radiation gradually reduced the C. ocellatus growth(greater than 72 J/m2). The MAAs(palythine and asterina-330) in C. ocellatus were detected and analyzed by LC/MS. Our results suggest that moderate red light could induce the growth of this alga in aquaculture. In addition,photorepair was inhibited by red light,so there may be some other DNA repair mechanism activated by red light. Blue light promoted the activity of DNA photolyase,greatly improving remediation efficiency. Red and blue lights were found to reduce the capacity of C. ocellatus to form MAAs. Therefore,PAR,red light,and blue light play different roles during the repair processes for damage induced by UV-B radiation.

Effects of Different Combinations of Red and Blue Light on Morphology and Photosynthetic Characteristic of Tomato Seedlings

Blue and red light are spectral wavelengths more effective for plants. The effects of different ratios of red and blue light （R/B=2, R/B=4, R/B=8, R/B=12） provided by LEDs on morphology and photosynthetic characteristics of tomato seedlings were studied. The results showed that plant height, stem diameter, fresh weight, dry weight, seedling index and G value increased with the increase of R/B ratio until 8. On the contrary, SPDA value decreased with the increase of R/B ratio. Photosynthetic characteristics were measured by CO 2 assimilation （ Pn ）, stomatal conductance （ gs ） and intracellular CO 2 concentration （ Ci） . Pn and gs decreased with the increase of R/B ratio. Furthermore, similar trend was investigated in photochemical quenching （qP） and electron transport rate （ETR）. Results of this study suggest that compared with white LED, appropriate combination of red and blue light can enhance plant growth and photosynthetic characteristics, and the optimal blue/red ratio for tomato growth was R/B=8.

Transcriptome analysis reveals effects of red and blue lightemitting diodes(LEDs)on the growth,chlorophyll fluorescence and endogenous plant hormones of potato(Solanum tuberosum L.)plantlets cultured in vitro

Red and blue light illumination has been reported to significantly affect plantlet growth.Potato is an important food and feed crop in the world and potato plantlet cultured in vitro plays an important role in potato production.However,few studies have documented the effects of red and blue light on the growth of potato plantlets revealed at the transcriptome level.The objective of this study was to determine the growth and physiological responses of potato plantlets cultured in vitro under monochromatic red(RR),monochromatic blue(BB)as well as combined red and blue(RB)LEDs using the RNA-Seq technique.In total,3150 and 814 differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were detected in potato plantlets under RR and BB,respectively,compared to RB(used as control).Compared to the control,the DEGs enriched in"photosynthesis"and"photosynthesis-antenna proteins"metabolic pathways were up-regulated and down-regulated by BB and RR,respectively,which might be responsible for the increases and decreases of maximum quantum yield(F_(v)/F_(m)),photochemical quantum yield(φ_(PSII)),photochemical quenching(q_(P))and electron transfer rate(ETR)in BB and RR,respectively.Potato plantlets exhibited dwarfed stems and extended leaves under BB,whereas elongated stems and small leaves were induced under RR.These dramatically altered plantlet phenotypes were associated with variable levels of endogenous plant hormones gibberellin(GAs),indoleacetic acid(IAA)and cytokinins(CKs),as assessed in stems and leaves of potato plantlets.In addition,monochromatic red and blue LEDs trigged the opposite expression profiles of DEGs identified in the"plant hormone signal transduction"metabolic pathway,which were closely related to the endogenous plant hormone levels in potato plantlets.Our results provide insights into the responses of potato plantlets cultured in vitro to red and blue LEDs at the transcriptomic level and may contribute to improvements in the micro-propagation of potato plantlets cultured in vitro from the light spectrum aspect.

Study on the Effect of Monochromatic Light on the Growth of the Red Tide Diatom <i>Skeletonema Costatum</i>

Effects of light intensity and quality of three kinds of LED monochromatic lights (blue, green, and red) on the growth of Skeletonema costatum are investigated in batch culture conditions. Seven light intensities (20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 60 and 80 μmol·m-2·s-1) are used to evaluate the specific growth rate, spectrum absorption coefficient and saturated light intensity of LED monochromatic light. Results show that the growth rates of Skeletonema costatum increase with the enhanced light intensity;however, the light level beyond the saturation light intensity inhibited the growth of Skeletonema costatum. Compared with red and green light, the growth rate of Skeletonema costatum under blue light is higher within saturated light intensity, and saturated light intensity of LED monochromatic light is lower under blue light and higher under green light. It is concluded that under different monochromatic light, the saturated light intensity decreases and the growth rate increases with the increasing of spectrum absorption coefficient.

Determination of AF and AFG in Red Ginseng by High Performance Liquid Chromatography with Evaporative Light Scattering Detector (HPLC-ELSD)

[Objective]The paper was to establish a method for determining AF and AFG in red ginseng.[Method]A new simple,rapid and sensitive method for simultaneous determination of two amadori compounds,arginyl-fructose(AF)and arginyl-fructosyl-glucose(AFG),in extracts of three kinds of ginseng preparations was developed and validated using high performance liquid chromatography with evaporative light scattering detector(HPLC-ELSD).Two target analytes were efficiently separated by Prevail CTM18 column(4.6 mm×250 mm,5μm)at the flow rate of 0.8 mL/min within 15 min of single chromatographic run.[Result]Under optimized conditions,the detection limits were 0.015 and 0.02 mg/mL for AF and AFG,respectively.Calibration curves of peak area for two analytes were linear over three orders of magnitude with the correlation coefficients greater than 0.999.The average recoveries,precision,reproducibility and stability for two analytes(AF and AFG)were 99.5% and 100.9%,0.43% and 0.47%,0.46% and 0.43%,0.41% and 0.49%,respectively.[Conclusion]This method was successfully applied for quantifying AF and AFG in red ginseng and the method was efficient,sensitive and accurate.

The effect of external Ca^(2+) and Ca^(2+)-channel modulators on red-light-induced swelling of protoplasts of Phaseolus radiatus L.

Red-light-induced swelling of the protoplasts isolated from hypocotyl of etiolated mung bean (Phaseolus radiatus L.) was observed only when Ca2+ ions were present in the medium. The optimal CaCl2 concentration was 250 μM. Swelling response declined when Ca2+ was supplied into the medium after red light irradiation. The Ca2+-chelator EGTA eliminated the red-light-induced swelling and 45Ca2+ accumulation in the protoplasts. In contrast, A23187, a Ca2+-ionophore, could mimic the effect of red light in darkness. These results indicate that Ca2+ may play a role in light signal transduction. In addition, swelling response was prevented by TFP and CPZ (both are CaM antagonists), implying the involvement of CaM in red-light-induced and Ca2+ -dependent protoplast swelling.

660 nm red light-enhanced bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for hypoxic-ischemic brain damage treatment

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation is an effective treatment for neonatal hy- poxic-ischemic brain damage. However, the in vivo transplantation effects are poor and their survival, colonization and differentiation efficiencies are relatively low. Red or near-infrared light from 600-1,000 nm promotes cellular migration and prevents apoptosis. Thus, we hypothesized that the combination of red light with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation would be effective for the treatment of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage. In this study, the migra- tion and colonization of cultured bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on primary neurons after oxygen-glucose deprivation were detected using Transwell assay. The results showed that, after a 40-hour irradiation under red light-emitting diodes at 660 nm and 60 mW/cmz, an increasing number of green fluorescence-labeled bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells migrated towards hypoxic-ischemic damaged primary neurons. Meanwhile, neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage were given an intraperitoneal injection of 1 x 106 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, followed by irradiation under red light-emitting diodes at 660 nm and 60 mW/cm2 for 7 successive days. Shuttle box test results showed that, after phototherapy and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation, the active avoidance response rate of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage rats was significantly increased, which was higher than that after bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation alone. Experimental findings indicate that 660 nm red light emitting diode irradiation promotes cells, thereby enhancing the contribution ic-ischemic brain damage. the migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem of cell transplantation in the treatment of hypox-

<i>Pinus taeda</i>cDNA Microarray as a Tool for Candidate Gene Identification for Local Red/Far-Red Light Adaptive Response in <i>Pinus sylvestris</i>

Light quality response is a vital environmental cue regulating plant development. Conifers, like angiosperms, respond to the changes in light quality including the level of red (R) and far-red (FR) light, which follows a latitudinal cline. R and FR wavelengths form a significant component of the entire plant life cycle, including the initial developmental stages such as seed germination, cotyledon expansion and hypocotyl elongation. With an aim to identify differentially expressed candidate genes, which would provide a clue regarding genes involved in the local adaptive response in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) with reference to red/far-red light;we performed a global expression analysis of Scots pine hypocotyls grown under two light treatments, continuous R (cR) and continuous FR (cFR) light;using Pinus taeda cDNA microarrays on bulked hypocotyl tissues from different individuals, which represented different genotypes. This experiment was performed with the seeds collected from northern part of Sweden (Ylinen, 68?N). Interestingly, gene expression pattern with reference to cryptochrome1, a blue light photoreceptor, was relatively high under cFR as compared to cR light treatment. Additionally, the microarray data analysis also revealed expression of 405 genes which was enhanced under cR light treatment;while the expression of 239 genes was enhanced under the cFR light treatment. Differentially expressed genes were re-annotated using Blast2GO tool. These results indicated that cR light acts as promoting factor whereas cFR antagonises the effect in most of the processes like C/N metabolism, photosynthesis and cell wall metabolism which is in accordance with former findings in Arabidopsis. We propose cryptochrome1 as a strong candidate gene to study the adaptive cline response under R and FR light in Scots pine as it shows a differential expression under the two light conditions.

NOVEL RED LIGHT-EMITTING POLYMERS BASED ON 2,7-CARBAZOLE AND THIOPHENE DERIVATIVES

A series of conjugated copolymers derived from 9-ethylhexyl-2,7-carbazole(Cz)and 4,7-di(4-hexylthien-2-yl)- 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole(DHTBT)was synthesized by Suzuki polycondensation.The photo-and electro-luminescent properties of these polymers were investigated.Efficient energy transfer from the Cz segment to the DHTBT unit occurs even if the DHTBT content as low as 1 mol%.PL emission was red-shifted significantly from 645 nm to 700 nm with the increase in DHTBT content by 1-50 mol%.PL efficiencies decreased...