Mode Bifurcation and Fold Points of Complex Dispersion Curves for the Metamaterial Goubau Line

In this paper the complex dispersion curves of the four lowest-order transverse magnetic modes of a dielectric Goubau line ($\epsilon>0, \mu>0$) are compared with those of a dispersive metamaterial Goubau line. The vastly different dispersion curve structure for the metamaterial Goubau line is characterized by unusual features such as mode bifurcation, complex fold points, both proper and improper complex modes, and merging of complex and real modes

Endemic nephropathy

Autori iznose podatke o rezultatima dosadašnjih ispitivanja endemske nefropatije („nefropatije balkanskih zemalja“) jugoslavenskih, bugarskih, rumunjskih i drugih istraživača. Osvrću se na historijat, geografsku rasprostranjenost, učestalost i ističu epidemiološke značajke ove endemske bolesti. Razmatraju etiološke hipoteze, analizirajući potanje suvremene postavke o mogućim etiološkim faktorima. Navode obdukcijske i bioptičke pato-morfološke nalaze, ističući nađene razlike između nalaza pojedinih skupina istraživača. Osvrću se na kliničku sliku, teškoće u dijagnostici i dosadašnje rezultate u razradi i provjeri dijagnostičkih metoda koje doprinose dijagnozi dokazivanjem tubularnog tipa proteinurije. Kritički razmatraju pojedine rezultate i postavke, iznoseći svoje stavove koji rezultiraju iz vlastitih iskustava. U zaključku ističu socijalno-medicinske aspekte problema endemske nefropatije i zalažu se za potrebu intenzivnijeg planskog, usklađenog rada na istraživanju, koje bi omogućilo djelotvorne preventivne mjere.The results of studies of endemic nephropathy (Balkan Nephropathy) obtained by Yugoslav, Bulgarian, Roumanian and other authors are reviewed. The history of the disease, its geographical distribution and frequency are dealt with and epidemiological significance pointed out. Hypotheses concerning the etiology of the disease are considered and current assumptions about possible etiological factors are analyzed in detail. Pathological findings obtained by autopsy and biopsy are presented and differences in findings of various groups of authors discussed. The clinical picture of the disease, difficulties encountered in diagnosis and current results in the development and checking up of diagnostic methods for the detection of the tubular type of proteinuria are also described. Certain results and assumptions arc critically evaluated and commented upon from the point of view of own experience. In conclusion, socio-medical aspects of the problem of endemic nephropathy are presented and the necessity for intense, well planned and coordinated research which would result in efficient preventive measures is emphasized

How Flies Are Flirting on the Fly

Background  Flies have some of the most elaborate visual systems in the Insecta, often featuring large, sexually dimorphic eyes with specialized “bright zones” that may have a functional role during mate-seeking behavior. The fast visual system of flies is considered to be an adaptation in support of their advanced flight abilities. Here, we show that the immense processing speed of the flies’ photoreceptors plays a crucial role in mate recognition. Results  Video-recording wing movements of abdomen-mounted common green bottle flies, Lucilia sericata, under direct light at 15,000 frames per second revealed that wing movements produce a single, reflected light flash per wing beat. Such light flashes were not evident when we video-recorded wing movements under diffuse light. Males of L. sericata are strongly attracted to wing flash frequencies of 178 Hz, which are characteristic of free-flying young females (prospective mates), significantly more than to 212, 235, or 266 Hz, characteristic of young males, old females, and old males, respectively. In the absence of phenotypic traits of female flies, and when given a choice between light emitting diodes that emitted either constant light or light pulsed at a frequency of 110, 178, 250, or 290 Hz, males show a strong preference for the 178-Hz pulsed light, which most closely approximates the wing beat frequency of prospective mates. Conclusions  We describe a previously unrecognized visual mate recognition system in L. sericata. The system depends upon the sex- and age-specific frequencies of light flashes reflecting off moving wings, and the ability of male flies to distinguish between the frequency of light flashes produced by rival males and prospective mates. Our findings imply that insect photoreceptors with fast processing speed may not only support agile flight with advanced maneuverability but may also play a supreme role in mate recognition. The low mating propensity of L. sericata males on cloudy days, when light flashes from the wings of flying females are absent, seems to indicate that these flies synchronize sexual communication with environmental conditions that optimize the conspicuousness of their communication signals, as predicted by sensory drive theory

Morbidity and mortality from endemic nephropathy in the village of Kaniža

Izneseni su rezultati jednogodišnjeg kontinuiranog kliničko-laboratorijskog praćenja populacije jednog endemskog sela u Brodskoj Posavini. Primijenjen način rada omogućuje egzaktnije određivanje stope morbiditeta a posebice mortaliteta. Tako je utvrđeno da je u selu Kaniži u toku 1974. godine od endemske nefropatije bolovala 7,3% ljudi, da je 4,3% sumnjivo na endemsku nefropatiju i da je 1,4% umrlo od tog uzroka. U dobnim skupinama starijih od 40 godina broj oboljelih raste geometrijskom progresijom. Žene obolijevaju nešto češće od muškaraca. Nema značajnih razlika u obolijevanju između autohtonog stanovništva i imigranata.A one-year study of endemic nephropathy was carried out in the village of Kaniža in the Posavina region near Slavonski Brod. The methods used in the study and the results obtained are presented in this paper. The study included the entire population of the selected village at risk. Four criteria important for the setting up of an accurate diagnosis were used: proteinuria, ereatinemia anemia and family history of endemic nephropathy. The most important criterion - proteinuria was determined by two methods: the sulphsalicylic test and an immunodiffusion test for beta, - microglobulins. These tests were performed once a month throughout the observation time (12 months). This allowed a safer distinction between real, pathognomonic and occasional or accidental albuminurias. To obtain as exact a mortality rate as possible the cause of each death was medically scrutinized, which is not an ordinary practice. In 1974 7.3% of the Kaniža population was affected by endemic nephropathy and 4.3% was found suspect. These percentages are inversely proportional to those recorded in previous observations. The number of cases in the age group of above 40 rises at a nearly geometric progression. Endemic nephropathy was the cause of death in 1.4% of the population which is a several times higher percentage than usually reported. Women are affected more often than men (8.5% and 6.0% respectively). This is in agreement with previous observations. At first sight the autochtonous population appears to be more susceptible to endemic nephropathy than immigrants (8.3% against 5.8%). However, if the autochtonous population aged over 20 is compared with immigrants who lived at Kaniža for over 20 years - this being an approximate minimal length of exposure to the hypothetical causative agents or the latent phase of the disease - there is in fact no difference (12% against 14%)

Community Parameters and Genome-Wide RAD-Seq Loci of Ceratothoa oestroides Imply Its Transfer between Farmed European Sea Bass and Wild Farm-Aggregating Fish

Wild fish assemblages that aggregate within commercial marine aquaculture sites for feeding and shelter have been considered as a primary source of pathogenic parasites vectored to farmed fish maintained in net pens at an elevated density. In order to evaluate whether Ceratothoa oestroides (Isopoda, Cymothoidae), a generalist and pestilent isopod that is frequently found in Adriatic and Greek stocks of farmed European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), transfers between wild and farmed fish, a RAD-Seq (restriction-site-associated DNA sequencing)-mediated genetic screening approach was employed. The double-digest RAD-Seq of 310 C. oestroides specimens collected from farmed European sea bass (138) and different wild farm-aggregating fish (172) identified 313 robust SNPs that evidenced a close genetic relatedness between the “wild” and “farmed” genotypes. ddRAD-Seq proved to be an effective method for detecting the discrete genetic structuring of C. oestroides and genotype intermixing between two populations. The parasite prevalence in the farmed sea bass was 1.02%, with a mean intensity of 2.0 and mean abundance of 0.02, while in the wild fish, the prevalence was 8.1%; the mean intensity, 1.81; and the mean abundance, 0.15. Such differences are likely a consequence of human interventions during the farmed fish’s rearing cycle that, nevertheless, did not affect the transfer of C. oestroides

The Ginninderra CH4 and CO2 release experiment: An evaluation of gas detection and quantification techniques

A methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) release experiment was held from April to June 2015 at the Ginninderra Controlled Release Facility in Canberra, Australia. The experiment provided an opportunity to compare different emission quantification techniques against a simulated CH4 and CO2 point source release, where the actual release rates were unknown to the participants. Eight quantification techniques were assessed: three tracer ratio techniques (two mobile); backwards Lagrangian stochastic modelling; forwards Lagrangian stochastic modelling; Lagrangian stochastic (LS) footprint modelling; atmospheric tomography using point and using integrated line sensors. The majority of CH4 estimates were within 20% of the actual CH4 release rate (5.8 g/min), with the tracer ratio technique providing the closest estimate to both the CH4 and CO2 release rates (100 g/min). Once the release rate was known, the majority of revised estimates were within 10% of the actual release rate. The study illustrates the power of measuring the emission rate using multiple simultaneous methods and obtaining an ensemble median or mean. An ensemble approach to estimating the CH4 emission rate proved successful with the ensemble median estimate within 16% for the actual release rate for the blind release experiment and within 2% once the release rate was known. The release also provided an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of stationary and mobile ground and aerial CH4 detection technologies. Sensor detection limits and sampling rates were found to be significant limitations for CH4 and CO2 detection. A hyperspectral imager’s capacity to image the CH4 release from 100 m, and a Boreal CH4 laser sensor’s ability to track moving targets suggest the future possibility to map gas plumes using a single laser and mobile aerial reflector

Metals and kidney markers in adult offspring of endemic nephropathy patients and controls: a two-year follow-up study

Abstract Background The etiology of Balkan Endemic Nephropathy, (BEN), a tubulointerstitial kidney disease, is unknown. Although this disease is endemic in rural areas of Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, and Serbia, similar manifestations are reported to occur in other regions, for instance Tunisia and Sri Lanka. A number of explanations have been stated including lignites, aristolochic acid, ochratoxin A, metals, and metalloids. Etiologic claims are often based on one or a few studies without sound scientific evidence. In this systematic study, we tested whether exposures to metals (cadmium and lead) and metalloids (arsenic and selenium) are related to Balkan Endemic Nephropathy. Methods In 2003/04 we recruited 102 adults whose parents had BEN and who resided in one of three communities (Vratza, Bistretz, or Beli Izvor, Bulgaria). A control group comprised of 99 adults having non-BEN hospitalized parents was enrolled in the study during the same time. We conducted face-to-face interviews, ultrasound kidney measurements, and determined kidney function in two consecutive investigations (2003/04 and 2004/05). Metals and metalloids were measured in urine and blood samples. To assess the agreement between these consecutive measurements, we calculated intraclass correlation coefficients. Repeated measurement data were analyzed using mixed models. Results We found that cadmium and arsenic were associated with neither kidney size nor function. Lead had a significant but negligible effect on creatinine clearance. Selenium showed a weak but significant negative association with two of the four kidney parameters, namely creatinine clearance and β2-microglobulin. It was positively related to kidney length. These associations were not restricted to the offspring of BEN patients. Adding credence to these findings are reports showing comparable kidney effects in animals exposed to selenium. Conclusion The findings of this 2-year follow-up study indicate that metals and metalloids do not play a role in the etiology of Balkan Endemic Nephropathy. Against the assumption in the literature, selenium was not protective but a risk factor. Since comparable associations were observed in animals, future studies are needed to explore whether selenium may have adverse renal effects in humans.</p

The Ginninderra CH(4) and CO(2) release experiment: An evaluation of gas detection and quantification techniques

Available online 15 March 2018A methane (CH₄) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) release experiment was held from April to June 2015 at the Ginninderra Controlled Release Facility in Canberra, Australia. The experiment provided an opportunity to compare different emission quantification techniques against a simulated CH₄ and CO₂ point source release, where the actual release rates were unknown to the participants. Eight quantification techniques were assessed: three tracer ratio techniques (two mobile); backwards Lagrangian stochastic modelling; forwards Lagrangian stochastic modelling; Lagrangian stochastic (LS) footprint modelling; atmospheric tomography using point and using integrated line sensors. The majority of CH₄ estimates were within 20% of the actual CH₄ release rate (5.8g/min), with the tracer ratio technique providing the closest estimate to both the CH₄ and CO₂ release rates (100g/min). Once the release rate was known, the majority of revised estimates were within 10% of the actual release rate. The study illustrates the power of measuring the emission rate using multiple simultaneous methods and obtaining an ensemble median or mean. An ensemble approach to estimating the CH₄ emission rate proved successful with the ensemble median estimate within 16% for the actual release rate for the blind release experiment and within 2% once the release rate was known. The release also provided an opportunity to assess the effectiveness of stationary andmobile ground and aerial CH₄ detection technologies. Sensor detection limits and sampling rates were found to be significant limitations for CH₄ and CO₂ detection. A hyperspectral imager’s capacity to image the CH₄ release from 100 m, and a Boreal CH₄ laser sensor’s ability to track moving targets suggest the future possibility to map gas plumes using a single laser and mobile aerial reflector.Andrew Feitz, Ivan Schroder, Frances Phillips, Trevor Coates, Karita Negandhi, Stuart Day, Ashok Luhar, Sangeeta Bhatia, Grant Edwards, Stefan Hrabar, Emili Hernandez, Brett Wood, Travis Naylor, Martin Kennedy, Murray Hamilton, Mike Hatch, John Malos, Mark Kochanek, Peter Reid, Joel Wilson, Nicholas Deutscher, Steve Zegelin, Robert Vincent, Stephen White, Cindy Ong, Suman George, Peter Maas, Sean Towner, Nicholas Wokker, David Griffit

Spectroscopy along flerovium decay chains. II. Fine structure in odd-A 289Fl

Fifteen correlated α-decay chains starting from the odd-A superheavy nucleus 289Fl were observed following the fusion-evaporation reaction 48Ca+244Pu. The results call for at least two parallel α-decay sequences starting from at least two different states of 289Fl. This implies that close-lying levels in nuclei along these chains have quite different spin-parity assignments. Further, observed α-electron and α-photon coincidences, as well as the α-decay fine structure along the decay chains, suggest a change in the ground-state spin assignment between 285Cn and 281Ds. Our experimental results, on the excited level structure of the heaviest odd-N nuclei to date, provide a direct testing ground for theory. This is illustrated by comparison with new nuclear structure calculations based on the symmetry-conserving configuration mixing theory