An expanded calibration model for inferring lakewater and air temperatures from fossil chironomid assemblages in northern Fennoscandia

Chironomid-temperature inference models based on an expanded data set of surface-sediment and limnological data from 53 Subarctic lakes in northern Fennoscandia have been developed using eight different numerical techniques, each based on slightly different underlying statistical models or ecological assumptions. The study sites are mostly small, shallow, bathymetrically simple, oligotrophic lakes, with a pH range from 5.0 to 7.8, a total organic carbon range from 2.5 to 12.6 mg l- 1, a mean July lakewater temperature ranging from 6.1 to 15.4°C, and a mean July air temperature ranging from 8.5 to 14.9°C. A series of redundancy analyses (RDA) identified sediment organic content, maximum lake depth, and lakewater temperature as being the most important explanatory variables. Variance partitioning by partial RDAs further suggested that each of these variables accounted for a significant fraction of variance independent from each other. Different cali bration models were assessed on the basis of their statistical performance, with particular reference to prediction errors and the amount of bias along the temperature gradient. Of the eight calibration models, modern analogue techniques, weighted averaging partial least squares, simple weighted averaging with an‘inverse’ deshrinking regression, and linear partial least squares consistently performed best. These methods can all be used to develop transfer functions for surface-water and air July temperatures with a root mean squared error of predic tion (RMSEP) of about 1.5–1.6°C (water temperature) and 0.8–1.1°C (air temperature), as assessed by leave-one-out cross-validation. The resulting models do, however, have relatively high maximum biases (up to 3.9°C) in the lowest segments of the air and water temperature gradients, highlighting the need for enlarging and expanding the calibration data set to include lower temperatures

LTSmin: high-performance language-independent model checking

In recent years, the LTSmin model checker has been extended with support for several new modelling languages, including probabilistic (Mapa) and timed systems (Uppaal). Also, connecting additional language front-ends or ad-hoc state-space generators to LTSmin was simplified using custom C-code. From symbolic and distributed reachability analysis and minimisation, LTSmin’s functionality has developed into a model checker with multi-core algorithms for on-the-fly LTL checking with partial-order reduction, and multi-core symbolic checking for the modal μ calculus, based on the multi-core decision diagram package Sylvan.\ud In LTSmin, the modelling languages and the model checking algorithms are connected through a Partitioned Next-State Interface (Pins), that allows to abstract away from language details in the implementation of the analysis algorithms and on-the-fly optimisations. In the current paper, we present an overview of the toolset and its recent changes, and we demonstrate its performance and versatility in two case studies

The effect of nasal steroid aqueous spray on nasal complaint scores and cellular infiltrates in the nasal mucosa of patients with nonallergic, noninfectious perennial rhinitis

Topical corticosteroids are the therapy of choice for nonallergic, noninfectious perennial rhinitis (NANIPER). However, the efficacy of steroid therapy in NANIPER is controversial, as is its mode of action. To our surprise, of 300 patients initially diagnosed as having NANIPER, only 65 reached threshold nasal symptom scores. Patients were randomized into four different treatment regimens: placebo administered twice daily (BD) for 8 weeks, fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray (FPANS) (200 microg) once daily (OD) and placebo OD for 8 weeks, FPANS (200 microg) OD and placebo OD for 4 weeks followed by FPANS (200 microg) BD for 4 weeks, and FPANS (200 microg) BD for 8 weeks. A small decrease in nasal symptoms was found, which only reached significance for sneezing in the FPANS 200 microg BD group. A significant dose-dependent decrease in immunocompetent cells was found in nasal biopsy specimens obtained before, after 4 weeks, and after 8 weeks of treatment. We conclude that FPANS did not significantly reduce nasal symptoms in this group of selected NANIPER patients, even though a significant effect on cells in the nasal mucosa was see

Mast cells, eosinophils and IgE-positive cells in the nasal mucose of patients with vasomotor rhinitis - An immunohistochemical study

Vasomotor rhinitis (VMR) is a disorder of unknown pathogenesis. Forty patients with VMR were carefully selected on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria proposed by Mygind and Weeke. Nasal biopsy specimens were taken in the patient group as well as in a group of ten controls. Brush cytology was also taken in the VMR group. Inflammatory cells were identified and counted in the nasal mucosa, with the use of immunohistochemical techniques and a panel of monoclonal antibodies. Eosinophils were studied with the use of BMK13, EG2, and Giemsa. Mast cells were studied with anti-chymase (B7), anti-tryptase (G3) and toluidine blue. Sections were stained with IgE as well. There was no significant difference in the number of eosinophils, mast cells and IgE-positive cells between the two groups. Additionally, in contrast with other reports, in sections that were double-stained with anti-chymase and anti-tryptase, single chymase-positive cells were found

Extending the voltage window in the characterization of electrical transport of large-area molecular junctions

A large bias window is required to discriminate between different transport models in large-area molecular junctions. Under continuous DC bias, the junctions irreversibly break down at fields over 9 MV/cm. We show that, by using pulse measurements, we can reach electrical fields of 35 MV/cm before degradation. The breakdown voltage is shown to depend logarithmically on both duty cycle and pulse width. A tentative interpretation is presented based on electrolysis in the polymeric top electrode. Expanding the bias window using pulse measurements unambiguously shows that the electrical transport exhibits not an exponential but a power-law dependence on bias. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3608154

Physicochemical and rheological properties of a transparent asphalt binder modified with Nano-TiO2

Transparent binder is used to substitute conventional black asphalt binder and to provide light-colored pavements, whereas nano-TiO2 has the potential to promote photocatalytic and self-cleaning properties. Together, these materials provide multifunction effects and benefits when the pavement is submitted to high solar irradiation. This paper analyzes the physicochemical and rheological properties of a transparent binder modified with 0.5%, 3.0%, 6.0%, and 10.0% nano-TiO2 and compares it to the transparent base binder and conventional and polymer modified binders (PMB) without nano-TiO2. Their penetration, softening point, dynamic viscosity, master curve, black diagram, Linear Amplitude Sweep (LAS), Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR), and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) were obtained. The transparent binders (base and modified) seem to be workable considering their viscosity, and exhibited values between the conventional binder and PMB with respect to rutting resistance, penetration, and softening point. They showed similar behavior to the PMB, demonstrating signs of polymer modification. The addition of TiO2 seemed to reduce fatigue life, except for the 0.5% content. Nevertheless, its addition in high contents increased the rutting resistance. The TiO2 modification seems to have little effect on the chemical functional indices. The best percentage of TiO2 was 0.5%, with respect to fatigue, and 10.0% with respect to permanent deformation.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia—under the projects for Strategic Funding UIDB/04650/2020 and UIDB/04029/2020, and Nanobased concepts for Innovative and Eco-sustainable constructive material surfaces PTDC/FIS/120412/2010. Furthermore, we would like to thank the Industrial Research Fund (IOF) of the University of Antwerp for funding the PAPPoA project (IOF/SBO/41859/2020). Lastly, the first author would like to acknowledge FCT for the PhD scholarship (SFRH/BD/137421/2018

Modification of a transparent binder for road pavements using TiO2 nanoparticles

Light and heat are relevant factors for road pavements since they promote the aging of the asphalt surfaces [1], and a large amount of heating can intensify the Urban Heat Island (UHI) effect [2]. Contrariwise, the lack of light strongly affects visibility conditions, reducing safety [3]. The conventional black color of asphalt pavements absorbs light and stores a large amount of thermal energy, which can be reduced opting by the application of light-colored pavements using, for example, a transparent binder [3]. Industrial activities and road traffic are the main sources of pollutant emissions, mostly SO2 and NOx, which are hazardous atmospheric pollutants. There are several consequences at different scales caused by these harmful gases, such as intensification of the greenhouse effect, acid rain, and public health problems. With the use of nano-TiO2 into/over asphalt mixtures, and consequently with the functionalization process considering the photocatalytic and self-cleaning properties, road pavements become the ideal places to mitigate environmental pollution due to proximity to the emissions [4]. If a transparent binder modified with nanoparticles of TiO2 is used, pavements will present multifunction effects and benefits when submitted to high solar irradiation. The production at laboratory-scale of such pavements is presented in Figure 1. First, the transparent binder was modified with nano-TiO2 (0, 0.5%, 3.0%, 6.0% and 10.0%). Binder's workability was confirmed. It presented similar behavior as a polymer modified binder. In these binder samples, the addition of high contents of nano-TiO2 increased the rutting resistance, but it seemed to reduce fatigue life, except for the 0.5%. Also, the nano-TiO2 modification had a slight effect on the chemical functional indices. The best percentage of TiO2 was 10.0% considering rutting resistance and 0.5% concerning fatigue life

Adapting chain referral methods to sample new migrants

Background: Demographic research on migration requires representative samples of migrant populations. Yet recent immigrants, who are particularly informative about current migrant flows, are difficult to capture even in specialist surveys. Respondent-driven sampling (RDS), a chain referral sampling and analysis technique, potentially offers the opportunity to achieve population-level inference of recently arrived migrant populations. Objective: We evaluate the attempt to use RDS to sample two groups of migrants, from Pakistan and Poland, who had arrived in the UK within the previous 18 months, and we present an alternative approach adapted to recent migrants. Methods: We discuss how connectedness, privacy, clustering, and motivation are expected to differ among recently arrived migrants, compared to typical applications of RDS. We develop a researcher-led chain referral approach, and compare success in recruitment and indicators of representativeness to standard RDS recruitment. Results: Our researcher-led approach led to higher rates of chain-referral, and enabled us to reach population members with smaller network sizes. The researcher-led approach resulted in similar recruiter-recruit transition probabilities to traditional RDS across many demographic and social characteristics. However, we did not succeed in building up long referral chains, largely due to the lack of connectedness of our target populations and some reluctance to refer. There were some differences between the two migrant groups, with less mobile and less hidden Pakistani men producing longer referral chains. Conclusions: Chain referral is difficult to implement for sampling newly arrived migrants. However, our researcher-led adaptation shows promise for less hidden and more stable recent immigrant populations. Contribution: The paper offers an evaluation of RDS for surveying recent immigrants and an adaptation that may be effective under certain conditions