On the center of mass of Ising vectors

We show that the center of mass of Ising vectors that obey some simple constraints, is again an Ising vector.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, LaTeX; Claims in connection with disordered systems have been withdrawn; More detailed description of the simulations; Inset added to figure

Mutation Testing as a Safety Net for Test Code Refactoring

Refactoring is an activity that improves the internal structure of the code without altering its external behavior. When performed on the production code, the tests can be used to verify that the external behavior of the production code is preserved. However, when the refactoring is performed on test code, there is no safety net that assures that the external behavior of the test code is preserved. In this paper, we propose to adopt mutation testing as a means to verify if the behavior of the test code is preserved after refactoring. Moreover, we also show how this approach can be used to identify the part of the test code which is improperly refactored

Future C loss in mid-latitude mineral soils: climate change exceeds land use mitigation potential in France

Many studies have highlighted significant interactions between soil C reservoir dynamics and global climate and environmental change. However, in order to estimate the future soil organic carbon sequestration potential and related ecosystem services well, more spatially detailed predictions are needed. The present study made detailed predictions of future spatial evolution (at 250 m resolution) of topsoil SOC driven by climate change and land use change for France up to the year 2100 by taking interactions between climate, land use and soil type into account. We conclude that climate change will have a much bigger influence on future SOC losses in mid-latitude mineral soils than land use change dynamics. Hence, reducing CO2 emissions will be crucial to prevent further loss of carbon from our soils

A comparison of the CAM-ICU and the NEECHAM Confusion Scale in intensive care delirium assessment: an observational study in non-intubated patients

No summary availabl

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON SMALL-HOLDER FARMING: A CASE OF EASTERN TIGRAY, NORTHERN ETHIOPIA

Although there are well-established concerns about climate change effects in northern Ethiopia, there is little quantitative information concerning how serious these effects are to small holder farming. Moreover, studies on farm level adaptations that farmers make to minimise the potential impacts of climate change are lacking. Both quantitative and qualitative information were, therefore, collected in a household survey in three representative agro-ecological zones to investigate these problems. There was a general perception among rural households that crop and livestock production, and land productivity declined in the last 20 years. The reduction was related to changes in rainfall. The rainfall was extremely unpredictable and erratic with a coefficient of variation ranging from 18 percent in the midlands to 42 percent in the lowlands. Livestock holding size and crop yield showed a positive correlation with rainfall amount. However, the number of pack animals significantly increased regardless of the decreased rainfall amount. This increased was due to farmers\u2019 shift to off-farm activities.M\ueame si les probl\ue8mes li\ue9s aux effets du changement climatique sont bien connus au Nord de l\u2019Ethiopie, les informations en rapport avec l\u2019ampleur de ces effets sur les petits exploitants restent insuffisantes. En plus, il n\u2019ya aucune \ue9tude disponible sur les m\ue9canismes d\u2019adaptation que les fermiers utilisent pour minimiser les impacts potentiels du changement climatiques. Les donn\ue9es quantitatives et qualitatives \ue9taient collect\ue9es au cours d\u2019une enquete de m\ue9nages dans trois zones agro \ue9cologiques repr\ue9sentatives, afin d\u2019\ue9tudier ces probl\ue8mes. Les r\ue9sultats ont montr\ue9 que les fermiers per\ue7oivent g\ue9n\ue9ralement que la production des cultures et d\u2019\ue9levage ainsi que la productivit\ue9 des terres ont diminu\ue9 depuis les 20 derni\ue8res ann\ue9es. Cette diminution \ue9tait li\ue9e au changement dans la pluviom\ue9trie. La pluviom\ue9trie \ue9tait extr\ueamement impr\ue9dictible et erratique avec un coefficient de variation allant de 18% dans les midlands \ue0 42% dans les bas fonds. La taille de la possession d\u2019\ue9levage et le rendement des cultures ont montr\ue9 une corr\ue9lation positive avec la quantit\ue9 des pluies. Cependant, le nombre du b\ue9tail en stabulation a significativement augment\ue9 malgr\ue9 la diminution des pluies. Cette augmentation \ue9tait due \ue0 la cr \ue9 ation d\u2019autres activit \ue9 s non agricoles

Bilateral vestibulopathy: a clinical update and proposed diagnostic algorithm

Bilateral vestibulopathy (BVP) is characterized by its heterogeneous and chronic nature with various clinical presentations and multiple etiologies. This current narrative review reflects on the main insights and developments regarding clinical presentation. In addition, it proposes a new diagnostic algorithm, and describes available and potential future therapeutic modalities

Detecting flood variations in Shanghai over 1949-2009 with Mann-Kendall tests and a newspaper-bases database

A valuable aid to assessing and managing flood risk lies in a reliable database of historical floods. In this study, a newspaper-based flood database for Shanghai (NFDS) for the period 1949-2009 was developed through a systematic scanning of newspapers. After calibration and validation of the database, Mann-Kendall tests and correlation analysis were applied to detect possible changes in flood frequencies. The analysis was carried out for three different flood types: overbank flood, agricultural waterlogging, and urban waterlogging. The compiled NFDS registered 146 floods and 92% of them occurred in the flood-prone season from June to September. The statistical analyses showed that both the annual flood and the floods in June-August increased significantly. Urban waterlogging showed a very strong increasing trend, probably because of insufficient capacity of urban drainage system and impacts of rapid urbanization. By contrast, the decrease in overbank flooding and the slight increase in agricultural waterlogging were likely because of the construction of river levees and seawalls and the upgrade of agricultural drainage systems, respectively. This study demonstrated the usefulness of local newspapers in building a historical flood database and in assessing flood characterization

Listening effort and fatigue among cochlear implant users: a scoping review

IntroductionIn challenging listening situations, speech perception with a cochlear implant (CI) remains demanding and requires high levels of listening effort, which can lead to increased levels of listening-related fatigue. The body of literature on these topics increases as the number of CI users rises. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of the existing literature on listening effort, fatigue, and listening-related fatigue among CI users and the measurement techniques to evaluate them.MethodsThe Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statements were used to conduct the scoping review. The search was performed on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify all relevant studies.ResultsIn total, 24 studies were included and suggests that CI users experience higher levels of listening effort when compared to normal hearing controls using scales, questionnaires and electroencephalogram measurements. However, executing dual-task paradigms did not reveal any difference in listening effort between both groups. Uncertainty exists regarding the difference in listening effort between unilateral, bilateral, and bimodal CI users with bilateral hearing loss due to ambiguous results. Only five studies were eligible for the research on fatigue and listening-related fatigue. Additionally, studies using objective measurement methods were lacking.DiscussionThis scoping review highlights the necessity for additional research on these topics. Moreover, there is a need for guidelines on how listening effort, fatigue, and listening-related fatigue should be measured to allow for study results that are comparable and support optimal rehabilitation strategies

Poorly Controlled HIV Infection: An Independent Risk Factor for Liver Fibrosis

Liver disease is a major cause of mortality among HIV-infected persons. There is limited information about the extent to which HIV disease severity impacts liver disease progression