Avionics system design for high energy fields: A guide for the designer and airworthiness specialist

Because of the significant differences in transient susceptibility, the use of digital electronics in flight critical systems, and the reduced shielding effects of composite materials, there is a definite need to define pracitices which will minimize electromagnetic susceptibility, to investigate the operational environment, and to develop appropriate testing methods for flight critical systems. The design practices which will lead to reduced electromagnetic susceptibility of avionics systems in high energy fields is described. The levels of emission that can be anticipated from generic digital devices. It is assumed that as data processing equipment becomes an ever larger part of the avionics package, the construction methods of the data processing industry will increasingly carry over into aircraft. In Appendix 1 tentative revisions to RTCA DO-160B, Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment, are presented. These revisions are intended to safeguard flight critical systems from the effects of high energy electromagnetic fields. A very extensive and useful bibliography on both electromagnetic compatibility and avionics issues is included

Translocation as a Population Restoration Technique for Northern Bobwhites: A Review and Synthesis

Northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) abundance has declined precipitously for decades across much of the species range, to the point of widespread local, regional, and statewide extirpation. Because of successful translocations of other gallinaceous birds, bobwhite enthusiasts increasingly call for use of the approach. Consequently, the National Bobwhite Technical Committee (NBTC), on behalf of state agencies, requested a review and recommendation by the NBTC Science Subcommittee. Thus, our paper is co-authored by invited experts and includes reviews of peer-reviewed publications, manuscripts in these proceedings, state agency reports, experience by co-authors, and a survey of perspectives on translocations by state wildlife agency members of the NBTC. We discuss the state of science on key aspects of bobwhite conservation, offer best management practices (BMPs) for using translocation as a potential bobwhite restoration technique, and suggest ways to reduce uncertainty about implementation. We note that although conservationists operate on a relatively solid foundation of improving bobwhite abundance via increased quantity, connectivity, and quality of habitat, population restoration success to- date is relatively rare and unpredictable. Similarly, some past translocations have been unreliable with an abundance of failures and inadequate experimental designs. We conclude that because of major uncertainties regarding habitat, population phenomena (e.g., Allee effect) and restoration techniques, outcomes of translocations remain unpredictable; thus, future efforts must be a part of sound and rigorous peer-reviewed research. To improve scientific efforts, we recommend the following BMPs for future translocations: (1) target bobwhite abundance should be \u3e800 post-translocation which will likely necessitate ≥600 ha of suitable and accessible habitat while a larger (e.g., \u3e800 ha) area will be needed in areas with lower carrying capacity and when sites are highly fragmented or isolated, (2) personnel should identify and avoid stressors to bobwhites in all phases of the translocation process (i.e., capture, holding, transportation, and release), (3) source populations should be disease free and from similar environments and latitude; preferably from the nearest suitable source, (4) conspecifics should be present on recipient sites (5) birds should be released just before the breeding season (i.e., March or April), and (6) the translocation should incorporate robust short- and long-term bird (i.e., abundance and/or density) and habitat monitoring efforts (i.e., the Coordinated Implementation Program (CIP) of the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative (NBCI)). In conclusion, we note that translocation of bobwhites is not a panacea for broad scale restoration of bobwhites; however, the technique should remain at the forefront of bobwhite science, taking into account knowledge of the species’ life history and ecology, so that a practical and reliable solution can be developed. We recognize this paper is just the beginning of vigorous debate, testing of concepts, and on-the ground implementation of successful bobwhite conservation

Role of Fibronectin in the Adhesion of Acinetobacter baumannii to Host Cells

Adhesion to host cells is an initial and important step in Acinetobacter baumannii pathogenesis. However, there is relatively little information on the mechanisms by which A. baumannii binds to and interacts with host cells. Adherence to extracellular matrix proteins, such as fibronectin, affords pathogens with a mechanism to invade epithelial cells. Here, we found that A. baumannii adheres more avidly to immobilized fibronectin than to control protein. Free fibronectin used as a competitor resulted in dose-dependent decreased binding of A. baumannii to fibronectin. Three outer membrane preparations (OMPs) were identified as fibronectin binding proteins (FBPs): OMPA, TonB-dependent copper receptor, and 34 kDa OMP. Moreover, we demonstrated that fibronectin inhibition and neutralization by specific antibody prevented significantly the adhesion of A. baumannii to human lung epithelial cells (A549 cells). Similarly, A. baumannii OMPA neutralization by specific antibody decreased significantly the adhesion of A. baumannii to A549 cells. These data indicate that FBPs are key adhesins that mediate binding of A. baumannii to human lung epithelial cells through interaction with fibronectin on the surface of these host cells

Crop Updates 2002 - Cereals

This session covers thirty one papers from different authors: VARIETIES AND BREEDING 1. Agronomic evaluation of wheat and barley in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia, Peter Burgess1and Gary Fawell2, 1Agritech and 2Farmanco Management 2. Evaluating stress tolerance to terminal drought by Western Australian wheats, Dean Diepeveen and Dr Tim Setter, Department of Agriculture 3. Broadscale wheat variety comparisons featuring Wyalkatchem, Jeff Russell, Department of Agriculture 4. Australian crop accreditation system variety selector, Tony Seymour, Australian Crop Accreditation System 5. Future wheat varieties, Robin Wilson, Iain Barclay,Robyn McLean, Robert Loughman, Jenny Garlinge, Bill Lambe, Neil Venn and Peter Clarke, Department of Agriculture AGRONOMY 6. Beware of wheat variety interactions with row spacing and seed rate, Mohammad Amjad and Wal Anderson, Department of Agriculture 7. Yield and falling numbers of wheat varieties on the South Coast, Mohammad Amjad and Wal Anderson, Department of Agriculture 8. Maximising wheat variety performance through agronomic management, Wal Anderson, Raffaele Del Cima, James Bee, Darshan Sharma, Sheena Lyon, Melaine Kupsch, Mohammad Amjad, Pam Burgess, Veronika Reck, Brenda Shackley, Ray Tugwell, BindiWebb and Steve Penny Jr, Department of Agriculture 9. High impact of soil type and seasonal rainfall on optimum wheat seed rate , Raffaele Del Cima and Wal Anderson Department of Agriculture 10. 101 seasons in one day: Using the ‘WA Wheat’ database to predict wheat yield, James Fisher1, Bill Bowden1, Craig Scanlan1, Senthold Asseng2and Michael Robertson2 1Department of Agriculture, 2CSIRO 11. Economics of improving compact soils, M.A. Hamza1, G. McConnell2and W.K. Anderson1, 1Department of Agriculture, 2Planfarm 12. Reducing the risks in producing durum wheat in Western Australia, Md Shahajahan Miyan and Wal Anderson, Department of Agriculture 13. Taking the Why out of Wyalkatchem – the new widely adopted wheat variety, Steve Penny, Department of Agriculture 14. Influence of nutrition and environmental factors on seed vigour in wheat, Darshan Sharma, Wal Anderson and Daya Patabendige, Department of Agriculture NUTRITION 15. N and K are important for oat yield and quality, Patrick Gethin, Stephen Loss, Tim O’Dea, Ryan Guthrie and Lisa Leaver, CSBP Futurefarm 16. Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on the grain yield and quality of noodle wheat, Tyrone Henning1, Lionel Martin1and Wal Anderson2 1Muresk Institute of Agriculture, 2Department of Agriculture 17. Assessment of a high input fertiliser regime on the yield and quality of Gairdner barley, Narelle Hill1, Simon Wallwork2and Laurence Carslake2 1Department of Agriculture, 2Wesfarmers Landmark 18. The use of Flexi-N to achieve high yielding, high protein wheat, Darren Hughes1, Lionel Martin1, Wal Anderson2and Stephen Loss3 1Muresk Institute of Agriculture, 2Department of Agriculture, 3CSBP Futurefarm 19. Are liquid phosphorus fertilisers more efficient than solid fertilisers in Western Australia?Stephen Loss, Lisa Leaver, Ryan Guthrie, Patrick Gethin and Tim O’Dea, CSBP Futurefarm 20. Oats respond to phosphorus and potassium, Glenn McDonald, Department of Agriculture PESTS AND DISEASES 21. Cereal disease diagnostics and rust monitoring, Nichole Burges and Dominie Wright, Department of Agriculture 22. Distribution and incidence of aphids and barley yellow dwarf virus in over-summering grasses in the Western Australian wheatbelt, Jenny Hawkes and Roger Jones, Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture and Department of Agriculture 23. Spring sprays for powdery mildew control in cereals, Kith Jayasena1, Kazue Tanaka1, Vanessa Johnson1, Robert Loughman1and Josh Jury2 1Department of Agriculture, 2Wesfarmers Landmark 24. Impact of root lesion nematodes on wheat and triticale in Western Australia, Sean Kelly and Shashi Sharma, Department of Agriculture 25. Cropping options for the management of root lesion nematodes in Western Australia, Sean Kelly, Shashi Sharma and Robert Loughman, Department of Agriculture 26. Cereal rust update 2002 – new stem rust on Camm wheat, Robert Loughman1and Robert Park2 1Department of Agriculture, 2University of Sydney 27. Cereal aphids and direct feeding damage to cereals, Phil Michael, Department of Agriculture 28. A decision support system for control of aphids and BYDV in cereal crops, Debbie Thackray, Jenny Hawkes and Roger Jones, Department of Agriculture and Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture STORAGE 29. Aeration – opportunity for profit, Christopher Newman, Department of Agriculture CLIMATE 30. Financial impact of frost on the Western Australian grains industry, Garren Knell and Kim Povey, ConsultAg 31. Summary of 2001 weather and seasonal prospects for 2002, David Stephens, Department of Agricultur

Micromechanical Properties of Injection-Molded Starch–Wood Particle Composites

The micromechanical properties of injection molded starch–wood particle composites were investigated as a function of particle content and humidity conditions. The composite materials were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction methods. The microhardness of the composites was shown to increase notably with the concentration of the wood particles. In addition,creep behavior under the indenter and temperature dependence were evaluated in terms of the independent contribution of the starch matrix and the wood microparticles to the hardness value. The influence of drying time on the density and weight uptake of the injection-molded composites was highlighted. The results revealed the role of the mechanism of water evaporation, showing that the dependence of water uptake and temperature was greater for the starch–wood composites than for the pure starch sample. Experiments performed during the drying process at 70°C indicated that the wood in the starch composites did not prevent water loss from the samples.Peer reviewe

Genetic mechanisms of critical illness in COVID-19.

Host-mediated lung inflammation is present1, and drives mortality2, in the critical illness caused by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Host genetic variants associated with critical illness may identify mechanistic targets for therapeutic development3. Here we report the results of the GenOMICC (Genetics Of Mortality In Critical Care) genome-wide association study in 2,244 critically ill patients with COVID-19 from 208 UK intensive care units. We have identified and replicated the following new genome-wide significant associations: on chromosome 12q24.13 (rs10735079, P = 1.65 × 10-8) in a gene cluster that encodes antiviral restriction enzyme activators (OAS1, OAS2 and OAS3); on chromosome 19p13.2 (rs74956615, P = 2.3 × 10-8) near the gene that encodes tyrosine kinase 2 (TYK2); on chromosome 19p13.3 (rs2109069, P = 3.98 ×  10-12) within the gene that encodes dipeptidyl peptidase 9 (DPP9); and on chromosome 21q22.1 (rs2236757, P = 4.99 × 10-8) in the interferon receptor gene IFNAR2. We identified potential targets for repurposing of licensed medications: using Mendelian randomization, we found evidence that low expression of IFNAR2, or high expression of TYK2, are associated with life-threatening disease; and transcriptome-wide association in lung tissue revealed that high expression of the monocyte-macrophage chemotactic receptor CCR2 is associated with severe COVID-19. Our results identify robust genetic signals relating to key host antiviral defence mechanisms and mediators of inflammatory organ damage in COVID-19. Both mechanisms may be amenable to targeted treatment with existing drugs. However, large-scale randomized clinical trials will be essential before any change to clinical practice

Proceedings of Patient Reported Outcome Measure’s (PROMs) Conference Oxford 2017: Advances in Patient Reported Outcomes Research

A33-Effects of Out-of-Pocket (OOP) Payments and Financial Distress on Quality of Life (QoL) of People with Parkinson’s (PwP) and their Carer

Haploinsufficiency of SOX5 at 12p12.1 is associated with developmental delays with prominent language delay, behavior problems, and mild dysmorphic features

SOX5 encodes a transcription factor involved in the regulation of chondrogenesis and the development of the nervous system. Despite its important developmental roles, SOX5 disruption has yet to be associated with human disease. We report one individual with a reciprocal translocation breakpoint within SOX5, eight individuals with intragenic SOX5 deletions (four are apparently de novo and one inherited from an affected parent), and seven individuals with larger 12p12 deletions encompassing SOX5. Common features in these subjects include prominent speech delay, intellectual disability, behavior abnormalities, and dysmorphic features. The phenotypic impact of the deletions may depend on the location of the deletion and consequently which of the three major SOX5 protein isoforms are affected. One intragenic deletion involving only untranslated exons was present in a more mildly affected subject, was inherited from a healthy parent and grandparent, and is similar to a deletion found in a control cohort. Therefore, some intragenic SOX5 deletions may have minimal phenotypic effect. Based on the location of the deletions in the subjects compared to the controls, the de novo nature of most of these deletions, and the phenotypic similarities among cases, SOX5 appears to be a dosage-sensitive, developmentally important gene

Using X-Ray Polarimetry to Probe the Physics of Black Holes and Neutron Stars

This white paper highlights compact object and fundamental physics science opportunities afforded by high-throughput broadband (0.1-60 keV) X-ray polarization observations. The polarimetric observations can reveal the inner workings of high-energy sources, and allow us to test physical laws in the extreme conditions close to compact objects