Introduced marine species in Croatian waters (Eastern Adriatic Sea)

The Croatian part of the Adriatic Sea covers more than 35% of the total Croatian territory, which means that monitoring changes in marine ecosystems and the conservation of biodiversity are of great importance. Following global changes, Croatia is experiencing increasing problems due to the introduction of new species that include aliens (due to aquaculture activities and shipping) and species from other Mediterranean subregions that are extending their geographic range. This work provides a checklist of introduced species in Croatian waters. A total of 113 species (15 phytoplankton, 16 zooplankton, 16 macroalgae, 44 zoobenthic and 22 fish species) have been recorded in the eastern part of the Adriatic Sea, of which 61 species are alien and 52 introduced, due to climate change

Dynamic layout of visual summaries for scalable video

The paper brings a novel method for generating visual summaries of scalable videos. The generated summaries can dynamically adapt to requirements defined by display size, userpsilas needs or channel limitations. It utilises compressed domain features coupled with efficient contour evolution algorithm in order to generate a scale space of temporal video descriptors. The layout of the visual summary is created using an efficient graph clustering technique and a fast discrete optimisation algorithm, enabling dynamic video summarisation in real-time. The experimental results show good scalability of the dynamic layout and highly efficient generation of visual summaries

A reliable measure of Information Security Awareness and the identification of bias in responses

The Human Aspects of Information Security Questionnaire (HAIS-Q) is designed to measure Information Security Awareness. More specifically, the tool measures an individual’s knowledge, attitude, and self-reported behaviour relating to information security in the workplace. This paper reports on the reliability of the HAIS-Q, including test-retest reliability and internal consistency. The paper also assesses the reliability of three preliminary over-claiming items, designed specifically to complement the HAIS-Q, and identify those individuals who provide socially desirable responses. A total of 197 working Australians completed two iterations of the HAIS-Q and the over-claiming items, approximately 4 weeks apart. Results of the analysis showed that the HAIS-Q was externally reliable and internally consistent. Therefore, the HAIS-Q can be used to reliably measure information security awareness. Reliability testing on the preliminary over-claiming items was not as robust and further development is required and recommended. The implications of these findings mean that organisations can confidently use the HAIS-Q to not only measure the current state of employee information security awareness within their organisation, but they can also measure the effectiveness and impacts of training interventions, information security awareness programs and campaigns. The influence of cultural changes and the effect of security incidents can also be assessed.Agata McCormac, Dragana Calic, Marcus Butavicius, Kathryn Parsons, Tara Zwaans, Malcolm Pattinso

Observables of interest for the characterisation of Spent Nuclear Fuel

The characterisation of Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) in view of intermediate storage and final disposal is discussed. The main observables of interest that need to be determined are the decay heat, neutron and -ray emission spectra. In addition, the inventory of specific nuclides that are important for criticality safety analysis and to verify the fuel history has to be determined. Some of the observables such as the decay heat and neutron and -ray emission rate can be determined by Non-Destructive Analysis (NDA) methods. Unfortunately, this is not always possible especially during routine operation. Hence, a characterisation of SNF will rely on theoretical calculations combined with results of NDA methods. In this work the observables of interest, also referred to as source terms, are discussed based on theoretical calculations starting from fresh UO2 and MOX fuel. The irradiation conditions are representative for PWR. The Serpent code is used to define the nuclides which have an important contribution to the observables. The emphasis is on cooling times between 1 a and 1000 a.JRC.G.2-Standards for Nuclear Safety, Security and Safeguard

Early decompressive hemicraniectomy in thrombolyzed acute ischemic stroke patients from the international ENCHANTED trial

Abstract Decompressive hemicraniectomy (DHC) can improve outcomes for patients with severe forms of acute ischemic stroke (AIS), but the evidence is mainly derived from non-thrombolyzed patients. We aimed to determine the characteristics and outcomes of early DHC in thrombolyzed AIS participants of the international Enhanced Control of Hypertension and Thrombolysis Stroke Study (ENCHANTED). Post-hoc analyses of ENCHANTED, an international, partial-factorial, open, blinded outcome-assessed, controlled trial in 4557 thrombolysis-eligible AIS patients randomized to low- versus standard-dose intravenous alteplase (Arm A, n = 2350), intensive versus guideline-recommended blood pressure control (Arm B, n = 1280), or both (Arms A + B, n = 947). Logistic regression models were used to identify baseline variables associated with DHC, with inverse probability of treatment weights employed to eliminate baseline imbalances between those with and without DHC. Logistic regression was also used to determine associations of DHC and clinical outcomes of death/disability, major disability, and death (defined by scores 2–6, 3–5, and 6, respectively, on the modified Rankin scale) at 90 days post-randomization. There were 95 (2.1%) thrombolyzed AIS patients who underwent DHC, who were significantly younger, of non-Asian ethnicity, and more likely to have had prior lipid-lowering treatment and severe neurological impairment from large vessel occlusion than other patients. DHC patients were more likely to receive other management interventions and have poor functional outcomes than non-DHC patients, with no relation to different doses of intravenous alteplase. Compared to other thrombolyzed AIS patients, those who received DHC had a poor prognosis from more severe disease despite intensive in-hospital management

Active Semiconductor Nanophotonics based on Deterministic Quantum Wire and Dot Systems

investigate the use of MOVPE-grown ordered nanostructures on non-planar substrates for quantum nano-photonics and quantum electrodynamics-based applications. The mastering of surface adatom fluxes on patterned GaAs substrates allows for forming nanostrucutres confining well-defined charge carrier states. An example given is the formation of quantum dot (QD) molecules tunneled-coupled by quantum wires (QWRs), in which both electron and hole states are hybridized. In addition, it is shown that the high degree of symmetry of QDs grown on patterned (111) B substrates makes them efficient entangled-photons emitters. Thanks to the optimal control over their position and emission wavelength, the fabricated nanostructures can be efficiently coupled to photonic nano-cavities. Low-threshold, optically pumped QWR laser incorporating photonic crystal (PhC) membrane cavities are demonstrated. Moreover, phonon-mediated coupling of QD exciton states to PhC cavities is observed. This approach should be useful for integrating more complex systems of QWRs and QDs for forming a variety of active nano-photonic structures

Carnal encounters and producing socialist Yugoslavia: voluntary youth labour actions on the newsreel screen

This article explores the role that the newsreel genre played in the production of socialist Yugoslav territory, understood as reshaping the body of the socius. We analyse news reports concerning voluntary youth labour actions, which were one of the most important features of Yugoslav socialist society and which featured heavily in Yugoslav official newsreels. We argue that the newsreel provided a specific liminal space in between the ‘real’/non-cinematic and ‘screened’/cinematic experience, where we locate occurrences of carnal encounters between the body on the cinematic screen and the body of the audience. In this regard, we discuss two characteristic types of frame which were present in the newsreel reports on labour actions: the somatic frame and the machinic-labour frame