Designer drugs on the Internet : a phenomenon out-of-control? : The emergence of hallucinogenic drug Bromo-Dragonfly

Copyright Bentham Science PublishersBased on the material available in both the scientific literature and on the web, the present paper provides an updated pharmacological, chemical, toxicological and behavioural overview of Bromo-Dragonfly (1-(8-bromobenzo[1,2- b;4,5-b']difuran-4-yl)-2-aminopropane; 'B-fly'). B-Fly is a powerful, long lasting, LSD-like, hallucinogenic drug, which has been associated with a number of acute intoxications and fatalities in a number of countries. A critical discussion of the potential of misuse of B-fly but also of the methodological limitations, which are intrinsically associated with the analysis of online, non-peer reviewed, material, is presented. It is concluded that the availability of online information on novel psychoactive drugs, such as B-fly, may constitute a public health challenge. Better international collaboration levels may be needed to tackle this novel and fast growing phenomenonPeer reviewe

Progress and outlook on advanced fly scans based on Mamba

Development related to PandABox-based fly scans is an important part of the active work on Mamba, the software framework for beamline experiments at the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS); presented in this paper is the progress of our development, and some outlook for advanced fly scans based on knowledge learned during the process. By treating fly scans as a collaboration between a few loosely coupled subsystems - motors / mechanics, detectors / data processing, sequencer devices like PandABox - systematic analyses of issues in fly scans are conducted. Interesting products of these analyses include a general-purpose software-based fly-scan mechanism, a general way to design undulator-monochromator fly scans, a sketch of how to practically implement online tuning of fly-scan behaviours based on processing of the data acquired, and many more. Based on the results above, an architectural discussion on >=10kHz fly scans is given.Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures, accepted by Synchrotron Rad. New

NASA/RAE collaboration on nonlinear control using the F-8C digital fly-by-wire aircraft

Design procedures are reviewed for variable integral control to optimize response (VICTOR) algorithms and results of preliminary flight tests are presented. The F-8C aircraft is operated in the remotely augmented vehicle (RAV) mode, with the control laws implemented as FORTRAN programs on a ground-based computer. Pilot commands and sensor information are telemetered to the ground, where the data are processed to form surface commands which are then telemetered back to the aircraft. The RAV mode represents a singlestring (simplex) system and is therefore vulnerable to a hardover since comparison monitoring is not possible. Hence, extensive error checking is conducted on both the ground and airborne computers to prevent the development of potentially hazardous situations. Experience with the RAV monitoring and validation procedures is described

Larvae for layers

Companies and researchers are in close collaboration developing a container- based system for cultivating fly larvae at organic poultry farms. In a one week process, manure will be converted to compost and the live larvae will be harvested and used for feeding laying hens. The larvae are expected to have a beneficial effect on the growth performance, intestinal health and on animal behavior in flocks

THE CAVES Project - Collaborative Analysis Versioning Environment System; THE CODESH Project - Collaborative Development Shell

A key feature of collaboration in science and software development is to have a {\em log} of what and how is being done - for private use and reuse and for sharing selected parts with collaborators, which most often today are distributed geographically on an ever larger scale. Even better if this log is {\em automatic}, created on the fly while a scientist or software developer is working in a habitual way, without the need for extra efforts. The {\tt CAVES} and {\tt CODESH} projects address this problem in a novel way, building on the concepts of {\em virtual state} and {\em virtual transition} to provide an automatic persistent logbook for sessions of data analysis or software development in a collaborating group. A repository of sessions can be configured dynamically to record and make available the knowledge accumulated in the course of a scientific or software endeavor. Access can be controlled to define logbooks of private sessions and sessions shared within or between collaborating groups.Comment: 4 pages, presented at the Meeting of the Division of Particles and Fields of the APS, Riverside, USA, August 200

Collaborating in a Crisis:Perspectives on Trust and Technological Framework in Organising a COVID-19 Online Hackathon

Abstract This paper explores trust in online-only-collaboration, where a team was gathered to organise a COVID-19 online hackathon with only three days notice. The study is based on the thematic analysis of ten in-depth interviews with the hackathon organisers. The findings report how trust among the organisers was encapsulated in 1) the shared big goal, 2) the significance of real-life networks, 3) a strong lead organiser on the collaboration forming on the fly, and 4) the lack of face-to-face contact in relation to becoming familiar or staying unknown. Technology related findings showed that the collaboration platforms were selected based on familiarity and ease of use. The chosen communication channels created a split between age groups, and transparency of the communication suffered somewhat from one-to-one communications in the background and divided application use. However, trust between the organisers helped them to overcame the transparency challenges. The findings are applicable to societal crisis situations in which technologies are used to build collaboration in aim to address shared challenges

Calcium hydroxide curing for accelerated carbonation testing of high volume fly ash cementitious blends

During wet curing, the alkali concrete compounds, such as calcium hydroxide, can be leached out to the curing solution, due to the pH gradient between concrete and curing solution. In the presence of high volume fly ash cementitious blends, there is a decrease in concrete pH that may further magnify the problem. In this context it was carried out a research in mortars with an original composition of high volume fly ash and calcium hydroxide. These were exposed to water curing and water saturated with calcium hydroxide curing. The results show that the introduction of calcium hydroxide in the curing solution, provides a slightly enhancement of carbonation resistance. Based on the obtained results, the incorporation of calcium hydroxide in the initial composition seems to be useful to develop extra strength to carbonation of high volume of fly ash concrete.The authors wish to acknowledge the team of the Laboratory of Building Materials of University of Minho and the Unit for Research and Development Materials of ESTG from Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo in this research collaboration. Also thank Secil SA, BASF SA and Mota Engil by its kindly supply of cement, superplasticizer and fly ash, respectively. SEM and XRD facilities were funded by FEDER Funds through QREN - Aviso SAIECT- IEC/2/2010, Operacao NORTE-07-0162-FEDER-000050

Urban Air Mobility Market Study

The Booz Allen Team explored market size and potential barriers to Urban Air Mobility (UAM) by focusing on three potential markets – Airport Shuttle, Air Taxi, and Air Ambulance. We found that the Airport Shuttle and Air Taxi markets are viable, with a significant total available market value in the U.S. of $500 billion, for a fully unconstrained scenario. In this unconstrained best-case scenario, passengers would have the ability to access and fly a UAM at any time, from any location to any destination, without being hindered by constraints such as weather, infrastructure, or traffic volume. Significant legal and regulatory, weather, certification, public perception, and infrastructure constraints exist, which reduce the market potential for these applications to only about 0.5$2.5 billion, in the near term. However, we determined that these constraints can be addressed through ongoing intra-governmental partnerships, government and industry collaboration, strong industry commitment, and existing legal and regulatory enablers. We found that the Air Ambulance market is not a viable market if served by electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles due to technology constraints but may potentially be viable if a hybrid VTOL aircraft are utilized

Stimulating The Use Of Secondary Materials In The Construction Industry: The Role Of Certification\ud

Introduction of secondary materials in the construction industry is quite difficult and has not always been successful, even when they satisfy all necessary product demands and environmental (leaching) conditions. Besides the financial and commercial aspects the main problem is convincing the user or customer that the secondary material is a safe and reliable alternative for primary materials. The best way to deal with this problem is by certification of the secondary material. Optimal results can be expected when authorities and both suppliers and users of the new type of material closely collaborate. This can be achieved by mutual consulting in regard to technical aspects and their demands concerning the product. Collaboration between suppliers enables joint investments in order to obtain certification and to enhance the knowledge about their product. This collaboration will also stimulate the consideration that the supplier is a good and reliable trading partner for the use