Bulk black holes radiating in non-Z_2 brane-world spacetimes

In this paper we present a general asymmetric brane model involving arbitrary energy transport to and from an embedded 4-D FRW universe. We derive a locally defined mass function for the 5D spacetime and describe its time evolution on the brane. We then specialise our model to the two cases of graviton production in the early universe and radiating black holes in the bulk

An evaluation of UniDoodle: a highly effective student response system for the STEM disciplines

Existing student response systems, such as Clickers, have limited input capabilities and lack the necessary features to gather the insightful and necessary information that is relevant in STEM-based disciplines, where the methodology is often more important than the final answer itself. Here, we propose the use of a new student response system, called UniDoodle, which uses tablets and smartphones to deliver a system that captures an extensive range of information in the form of sketches and annotations. Thus, information relating to equation solving, graph sketching, and diagram annotations can now be obtained in large classes in a quick, convenient and user-friendly manner. This information is obtained in real-time allowing for teachers to respond immediately to any issues that may arise in their students’ understanding of material. In this paper, we summarise the key features of the UniDoodle system and we carry out an extensive evaluation of its use in a live classroom environment. The context of the evaluation and the feedback obtained are presented within

SIOS’s Earth Observation (EO), Remote Sensing (RS), and operational activities in response to COVID-19

Shridhar D. Jawak, Bo N. Andersen, Veijo Pohjola, Øystein Godøy, Kim Holmén, Agnar Sivertsen, Richard Hann, Hans Tømmervik, Andreas Kääb, Małgorzata Błaszczyk, Roberto Salzano, Bartłomiej Luks, Kjell Arild Høgda, Rune Storvold, Lennart Nilsen, Rosamaria Salvatori, Kottekkatu Padinchati Krishnan, Sourav Chatterjee, Dag A. Lorentzen, Rasmus Erlandsson, Tom Rune Lauknes, Eirik Malnes, Stein Rune Karlsen, Hiroyuki Enomoto, Ann Mari Fjæraa, Jie Zhang, Sabine Marty, Knut Ove Nygård, Heikki LihavainenSvalbard Integrated Arctic Earth Observing System (SIOS) is an international partnership of research institutions studying the environment and climate in and around Svalbard. SIOS is developing an efficient observing system, where researchers share technology, experience, and data, work together to close knowledge gaps, and decrease the environmental footprint of science. SIOS maintains and facilitates various scientific activities such as the State of the Environmental Science in Svalbard (SESS) report, international access to research infrastructure in Svalbard, Earth observation and remote sensing services, training courses for the Arctic science community, and open access to data. This perspective paper highlights the activities of SIOS Knowledge Centre, the central hub of SIOS, and the SIOS Remote Sensing Working Group (RSWG) in response to the unprecedented situation imposed by the global pandemic coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) disease 2019 (COVID-19). The pandemic has affected Svalbard research in several ways. When Norway declared a nationwide lockdown to decrease the rate of spread of the COVID-19 in the community, even more strict measures were taken to protect the Svalbard community from the potential spread of the disease. Due to the lockdown, travel restrictions, and quarantine regulations declared by many nations, most physical meetings, training courses, conferences, and workshops worldwide were cancelled by the first week of March 2020. The resumption of physical scientific meetings is still uncertain in the foreseeable future. Additionally, field campaigns to polar regions, including Svalbard, were and remain severely affected. In response to this changing situation, SIOS initiated several operational activities suitable to mitigate the new challenges resulting from the pandemic. This article provides an extensive overview of SIOS’s Earth observation (EO), remote sensing (RS) and other operational activities strengthened and developed in response to COVID-19 to support the Svalbard scientific community in times of cancelled/postponed field campaigns in Svalbard. These include (1) an initiative to patch up field data (in situ) with RS observations, (2) a logistics sharing notice board for effective coordinating field activities in the pandemic times, (3) a monthly webinar series and panel discussion on EO talks, (4) an online conference on EO and RS, (5) the SIOS’s special issue in the Remote Sensing (MDPI) journal, (6) the conversion of a terrestrial remote sensing training course into an online edition, and (7) the announcement of opportunity (AO) in airborne remote sensing for filling the data gaps using aerial imagery and hyperspectral data. As SIOS is a consortium of 24 research institutions from 9 nations, this paper also presents an extensive overview of the activities from a few research institutes in pandemic times and highlights our upcoming activities for the next year 2021. Finally, we provide a critical perspective on our overall response, possible broader impacts, relevance to other observing systems, and future directions. We hope that our practical services, experiences, and activities implemented in these difficult times will motivate other similar monitoring programs and observing systems when responding to future challenging situations. With a broad scientific audience in mind, we present our perspective paper on activities in Svalbard as a case study

Dating and intimate partner violence among young persons ages 15-30 : evidence from a systematic review

While there has been much empirical research on adult dating violence, only recently has research began to also focus on young adult dating violence in general and teen dating violence specifically. With recognition of the growing research and media attention toward youth and young adult dating violence, the current study provides a systematic review of the extant literature devoted toward examinations of dating/intimate partner violence among individuals aged 15 to 30 and, more narrowly, on the prior research that has tested the effectiveness of dating/intimate partner violence interventions with this age group. Results from a comprehensive literature search of a number of existing databases revealed 169 studies that met the inclusion criteria, and 42 of these 169 studies were also characterized as intervention studies. Descriptive results are discussed for the 169 studies overall, and for the 42 intervention studies in particular in greater detail. Evidence gleaned from this systematic review revealed a number of similarities and differences between the studies in general, but also pointed toward the potential effectiveness of interventions to prevent the occurrence and re-occurrence of dating/intimate partner violence. Study limitations and directions for future research are also discussed. •169 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review.•42 of the 169 studies were classified as intervention studies.•There are a number of promising interventions

The rural and regional ambulance paramedic : moving beyond emergency response - report to the Council of Ambulance Authorities Inc. March 2006

Serious long-term recruitment and retention problems amongst rural health workers in Australiacontribute to inequitable health service access for rural Australians. In response, new healthcaremodels with flexible workforce roles are emerging including expanded-scope paramedic roles.This research project was born from the view that expanding ambulance paramedics’ scope ofpractice offers the potential to improve patient care and the general health of the community.New healthcare models with flexible workforce roles are clearly needed in rural Australia andexpanded-scope paramedic roles are valuable innovations

The contamination of in situ archaeological remains: a pilot analysis of microplastics in sediment samples using μFTIR

Background. Microplastics (MPs) are found in all environments: aquatic, airborne, and terrestrial. While their presence is not disputed, their potential impacts are not yet known.Objective. To undertake a pilot analysis of MP contamination in archaeological sediment samples, taken in the late 1980s from two archaeological excavation sites in the historic city of York (UK) as well as contemporary sources close to the same sites, with respect to the presence (if any), levels, and characteristics of any particles identified. Methods. This study analysed pre-digested sediment samples as follows: n=3 from Queens Hotel (QH) site and n=3 Wellington Row (WR) contemporary core-source, and n=3 QH and n=3 WR archival-source samples, alongside procedural controls (n=8), using μFTIR spectroscopy (size limitation of 5 μm) to detect and characterise any MPs present. Results. In total, 66 MP particles consisting of 16 MP polymer types were identified across both site and contemporary/archived samples. The highest levels of MP particles, 20588 MP/kg was identified at the lowest sample depth (~7.35 m) at archived WR, 5910 MP/kg in the mid depth layer (~5.85 m) at the contemporary QH site. Of the MPs detected in sediment samples overall, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), polybutylene sulfone (PSU), and polypropylene: polyethylene (PE:PP) copolymer polymer types were most abundant; mainly fragmented and irregular shape. Conclusions. This is believed to be the first evidence of MP contamination in archaeological sediment (or soil) samples with polymers and size ranges measured and while accounting for procedural blanks. These results support the phenomenon of transport of MPs within archaeological stratigraphy, and the characterisation of types, shapes and size ranges identified therein. Through contamination, MPs may compromise the scientific value of archaeological deposits, and environmental proxies suspended within significant sediment, and as such represent a new consideration in the dynamism of, as well as arguments for preserving, archaeological deposits in situ

The Composition and Metabolic Phenotype of Neisseria gonorrhoeae Biofilms

Neisseria gonorrhoeae has been shown to form biofilms during cervical infection. Thus, biofilm formation may play an important role in the infection of women. The ability of N. gonorrhoeae to form membrane blebs is crucial to biofilm formation. Blebs contain DNA and outer membrane structures, which have been shown to be major constituents of the biofilm matrix. The organism expresses a DNA thermonuclease that is involved in remodeling of the biofilm matrix. Comparison of the transcriptional profiles of gonococcal biofilms and planktonic runoff indicate that genes involved in anaerobic metabolism and oxidative stress tolerance are more highly expressed in biofilm. The expression of aniA, ccp, and norB, which encode nitrite reductase, cytochrome c peroxidase, and nitric oxide reductase respectively, is required for mature biofilm formation over glass and human cervical cells. In addition, anaerobic respiration occurs in the substratum of gonococcal biofilms and disruption of the norB gene required for anaerobic respiration, results in a severe biofilm attenuation phenotype. It has been demonstrated that accumulation of nitric oxide (NO) contributes to the phenotype of a norB mutant and can retard biofilm formation. However, NO can also enhance biofilm formation, and this is largely dependent on the concentration and donation rate or steady-state kinetics of NO. The majority of the genes involved in gonococcal oxidative stress tolerance are also required for normal biofilm formation, as mutations in the following genes result in attenuated biofilm formation over cervical cells and/or glass: oxyR, gor, prx, mntABC, trxB, and estD. Overall, biofilm formation appears to be an adaptation for coping with the environmental stresses present in the female genitourinary tract. Therefore, this review will discuss the studies, which describe the composition and metabolic phenotype of gonococcal biofilms

Challenge of Chimpanzees Immunized with a Recombinant Canarypox-HIV-1 Virus

AbstractTo evaluate the potential protective efficacy of a live recombinant human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) canarypox vaccine candidate, two chimpanzees were immunized five times with ALVAC-HIV-1 vCP250, a recombinant canarypox virus that expresses the HIV-1IIIB(LAI)gp120/TM,gag,and protease gene products. One month after the last booster inoculation, the animals were challenged by intravenous injection of cell-associated virus in the form of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from an HIV-1IIIB(LAI)-infected chimpanzee. One chimpanzee with a neutralizing antibody titer to HIV-1IIIB(LAI)of 128 at the time of challenge was protected, whereas both the second animal, with a neutralizing antibody titer of 32, and a naive control animal became infected. At 5 months after challenge, the protected chimpanzee and a third animal, previously immunized with various HIV-1MNantigens, were given a booster inoculation. The two animals were challenged intravenously 5 weeks later with twenty 50% tissue culture infectious doses of cell-free HIV-1DH12, a heterologous subtype B isolate. Neither chimpanzee had neutralizing antibodies to HIV-1DH12, and neither one was protected from infection with this isolate. The immune responses elicited by vaccination against HIV-1IIIB(LAI)or HIV-1MNdid not, therefore, protect the animals from challenge with the heterologous cell-free HIV-1DH12

Autonomous adaptation to climate-driven change in marine biodiversity in a global marine hotspot

While governments and natural resource managers grapple with how to respond to climatic changes, many marine-dependent individuals, organisations and user-groups in fast-changing regions of the world are already adjusting their behaviour to accommodate these. However, we have little information on the nature of these autonomous adaptations that are being initiated by resource user-groups. The east coast of Tasmania, Australia, is one of the world’s fastest warming marine regions with extensive climate-driven changes in biodiversity already observed. We present and compare examples of autonomous adaptations from marine users of the region to provide insights into factors that may have constrained or facilitated the available range of autonomous adaptation options and discuss potential interactions with governmental planned adaptations. We aim to support effective adaptation by identifying the suite of changes that marine users are making largely without government or management intervention, i.e. autonomous adaptations, to better understand these and their potential interactions with formal adaptation strategies. © 2019, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences