Scavenging in Northwestern Europe: A Survey of UK Police Specialist Search Officers

Physical search methods used by police specialist searchers are based on counter-terrorism methods and not on the search and recovery of outdoor surface deposited human remains, nevertheless these methods are applied to scenes involving human remains. Additionally, there is limited published forensic literature within Northwestern Europe on the potential taphonomic agents within this region that are capable of modifying human remains through scavenging, scattering and removal. The counter-terrorism basis in physical search methods and the gap in published forensic literature regarding scavenging in this region can potentially impede searchers’ abilities to adapt physical search methods to their full efficiency in the search and recovery of scavenged human remains. This paper analysed through a questionnaire survey of 111 police specialist searchers, within the U.K., the impact of animal scavenging on the search and recovery of human remains.According to questionnaire respondents’ experiences and knowledge, the occurrence of scavenging at scenes in which respondents took part in a physical search for human remains was common (63.46%,n= 66) and happened most frequently with surface deposits (68.25%,n= 43). Scavenging resulted in the recovery of incomplete sets of remains (59.79%, n= 58) and influenced search perimeters (58.33%, n= 35). Scavenging also affected recovery rates at scene searches (80.43%,n= 74) that included the use of cadaver dogs with police handlers. The impact scavengers within this region have on different crime scene scenarios and search methods is not reflected in current published literature or search standards

Visual Similarity Perception of Directed Acyclic Graphs: A Study on Influencing Factors

While visual comparison of directed acyclic graphs (DAGs) is commonly encountered in various disciplines (e.g., finance, biology), knowledge about humans' perception of graph similarity is currently quite limited. By graph similarity perception we mean how humans perceive commonalities and differences in graphs and herewith come to a similarity judgment. As a step toward filling this gap the study reported in this paper strives to identify factors which influence the similarity perception of DAGs. In particular, we conducted a card-sorting study employing a qualitative and quantitative analysis approach to identify 1) groups of DAGs that are perceived as similar by the participants and 2) the reasons behind their choice of groups. Our results suggest that similarity is mainly influenced by the number of levels, the number of nodes on a level, and the overall shape of the graph.Comment: Graph Drawing 2017 - arXiv Version; Keywords: Graphs, Perception, Similarity, Comparison, Visualizatio

Estimativa do índice de desconforto térmico em Planaltina-DF.

Objetivou-se com o presente trabalho analisar o índice de desconforto térmico humano (IDT) para o município de Planaltina-DF. Os dados utilizados neste estudo foram coletados pela estação meteorológica automática principal da Embrapa Cerrados, no período de 01/01/2013 á 31/12/2013, cujas coordenadas geográficas são: latitude 15°36?04??S, longitude 47°42?50??W e altitude de 1001 m. Para a determinação do índice de desconforto térmico humano proposto por Thom, foram utilizados os componentes medidos: temperatura do ar (tar) e umidade relativa do ar (UR). Com base nessas estimativas, os valores de ID foram classificados em quatro intervalos: pouco desconfortável (IDT?14,9); confortável (15,0?IDT?19,9); parcialmente confortável (20,0?IDT?26,4); muito desconfortável (IDT?26,5). Os resultados mostraram que ao longo do período estudado, constataram-se valores de IDT variando entre 16,98 e 23,78, que ocorreram nos meses de julho e setembro, respectivamente. Verificou-se ainda que o período mais crítico ocorreu entre os meses de fevereiro e setembro onde foram observados valores de IDT entre 22,75 e 23,78. Os menores valores de IDT ocorreram entre os meses de maio (17,16) e julho (16,98). Contudo, verificou-se que a condição de IDT classificado como parcialmente confortável foi a que mais ocorreu durante o ano, representando cerca de 64% das estimativas, enquanto 36% foram classificadas como confortável. Os maiores riscos de desconforto térmico humano no município de Planaltina-DF ocorreram nos meses de março e setembro. Estes resultados podem estar associados à variabilidade da radiação solar e ao baixo número de dias chuvosos que aconteceu nestes meses. Setembro é um mês característico da época seca no Cerrado. ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was analyze the human thermal discomfort index (TDI) for the city of Planaltina-DF. The data used in this study were collected by the main automatic weather station Embrapa Cerrado, in the period 01/01/2013 to 31/12/2013, the positions are: latitude 15 ° 36'04 "S, longitude 47 ° 42 '50''W and altitude 1001 m. for determining the human thermal discomfort index proposed by Thom, were used the measured components: Air temperature (tar) and relative humidity (RH). Based on these estimates, the ID values were classified into four ranges: little uncomfortable (TDI?14,9); comfortable (15,0?TDI?19,9); partially comfortable (20,0? TDI ?26,4); very uncomfortable (TDI ?26,5). The results showed that during the study period were noted TDI values ranging between 16.98 and 23.78, which occurred in the months of July and September, respectively. It was also found that the most critical period occurred between the months of February and September where TDI values were observed between 22.75 and 23.78. Smaller TDI values occurred between the months of May (17.16) and July (16.98). However, it was found that the TDI condition classified as partially comfortable was the most occurred during the year, representing about 64% of the estimates, while 36% were classified as comfortable. The greatest risk of human thermal discomfort in Planaltina DF municipality occurred in the months of March and September. These findings may be related to the variability of solar radiation and the low number of rainy days that happened in these months. September is a typical month of the dry season in the Cerrado

Тактика ведения пациентов при синдроме Мэллори-Вейсса

МЭЛЛОРИ-ВЕЙСА СИНДРОМ /диагн /терПИЩЕВОДА ПЕРФОРАЦИЯ /диагн /терЖЕЛУДОЧНО-КИШЕЧНОЕ КРОВОТЕЧЕНИЕГЕМОСТАЗ ЭНДОСКОПИЧЕСКИ

Artificial intelligence and visual analytics in geographical space and cyberspace: Research opportunities and challenges

In recent decades, we have witnessed great advances on the Internet of Things, mobile devices, sensor-based systems, and resulting big data infrastructures, which have gradually, yet fundamentally influenced the way people interact with and in the digital and physical world. Many human activities now not only operate in geographical (physical) space but also in cyberspace. Such changes have triggered a paradigm shift in geographic information science (GIScience), as cyberspace brings new perspectives for the roles played by spatial and temporal dimensions, e.g., the dilemma of placelessness and possible timelessness. As a discipline at the brink of even bigger changes made possible by machine learning and artificial intelligence, this paper highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with geographical space in relation to cyberspace, with a particular focus on data analytics and visualization, including extended AI capabilities and virtual reality representations. Consequently, we encourage the creation of synergies between the processing and analysis of geographical and cyber data to improve sustainability and solve complex problems with geospatial applications and other digital advancements in urban and environmental sciences

Involvement of JNK-mediated pathway in EGF-mediated protection against paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in SiHa human cervical cancer cells

We investigated the signalling pathways by which epidermal growth factor (EGF) modulates paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in SiHa human cervical cancer cells. SiHa cells exposed to paclitaxel underwent apoptosis, which was strongly inhibited by EGF. This inhibition of apoptosis by EGF was not altered by pharmacological blockade of phosphatidylinositol 3′-OH kinase (PI-3K) with the PI-3K specific inhibitor LY294002 or blockade of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase (MEK) with the MEK specific inhibitor PD98059, or by transfection of the cells with PI-3K or MEK dominant-negative expression vectors. EGF did not stimulate PI-3K/Akt, MEK/MAPK, or p38 MAPK activity in SiHa cells but did transiently activate the c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK). Co-exposure of SiHa cells to SB202190 at concentrations that inhibit JNK abolished the protective effect of EGF on SiHa cells against paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. Our findings indicate that the JNK signaling pathway plays an important role in EGF-mediated protection from paclitaxel-induced apoptosis in SiHa cells. © 2001 Cancer Research Campaign http://www.bjcancer.co

Complex Processes from Dynamical Architectures with Time-Scale Hierarchy

The idea that complex motor, perceptual, and cognitive behaviors are composed of smaller units, which are somehow brought into a meaningful relation, permeates the biological and life sciences. However, no principled framework defining the constituent elementary processes has been developed to this date. Consequently, functional configurations (or architectures) relating elementary processes and external influences are mostly piecemeal formulations suitable to particular instances only. Here, we develop a general dynamical framework for distinct functional architectures characterized by the time-scale separation of their constituents and evaluate their efficiency. Thereto, we build on the (phase) flow of a system, which prescribes the temporal evolution of its state variables. The phase flow topology allows for the unambiguous classification of qualitatively distinct processes, which we consider to represent the functional units or modes within the dynamical architecture. Using the example of a composite movement we illustrate how different architectures can be characterized by their degree of time scale separation between the internal elements of the architecture (i.e. the functional modes) and external interventions. We reveal a tradeoff of the interactions between internal and external influences, which offers a theoretical justification for the efficient composition of complex processes out of non-trivial elementary processes or functional modes

Recent advances in the bcr-abl negative chronic myeloproliferative diseases

The chronic myeloproliferative disorders are clonal hematopoietic stem cell disorders of unknown etiology. In one of these (chronic myeloid leukemia), there is an associated pathognomonic chromosomal abnormality known as the Philadelphia chromosome. This leads to constitutive tyrosine kinase activity which is responsible for the disease and is used as a target for effective therapy. This review concentrates on the search in the other conditions (polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia and idiopathic mylofibrosis) for a similar biological marker with therapeutic potential. There is no obvious chromosomal marker in these conditions and yet evidence of clonality can be obtained in females by the use of X-inactivation patterns. PRV-1mRNA over expression, raised vitamin B(12 )levels and raised neutrophil alkaline phosphatase scores are evidence that cells in these conditions have received excessive signals for proliferation, maturation and reduced apoptosis. The ability of erythroid colonies to grow spontaneously without added external erythropoietin in some cases, provided a useful marker and a clue to this abnormal signaling. In the past year several important discoveries have been made which go a long way in elucidating the involved pathways. The recently discovered JAK2 V617F mutation which occurs in the majority of cases of polycythemia vera and in about half of the cases with the two other conditions, enables constitutive tyrosine kinase activity without the need for ligand binding to hematopoietic receptors. This mutation has become the biological marker for these conditions and has spurred the development of a specific therapy to neutralize its effects. The realization that inherited mutations in the thrombopoietin receptor (c-Mpl) can cause a phenotype of thrombocytosis such as in Mpl Baltimore (K39N) and in a Japanese family with S505A, has prompted the search for acquired mutations in this receptor in chronic myeloproliferative disease. Recently, two mutations have been found; W515L and W515K. These mutations have been evident in patients with essential thrombocythemia and idiopathic myelofibrosis but not in polycythemia vera. They presumably act by causing constitutional, activating conformational changes in the receptor. The discovery of JAK2 and Mpl mutations is leading to rapid advancements in understanding the pathophysiology and in the treatment of these diseases