An Investigation into the Behaviour of the Magnetic Field from 1 Ga to Present Day

The magnetic field of Earth and its behaviour over time is linked to its origin within Earth’s liquid outer core. Complex internal processes that operate within the outer core are not only responsible for the creation of the geomagnetic field, but also the magnetic field’s strength, stability, and position on Earth. The magnetic field acts as a critical barrier of protection, shielding Earth from harmful solar radiation from the sun and confining Earth’s atmosphere beneath the exosphere. As Earth’s core evolves and cools over time, it releases heat at the core-mantle boundary (CMB), the magnetic field reflects this evolution by weakening, strengthening, and reversing in polarity over time. It is important to study and form a better understanding of the behaviour of the magnetic field and its intensity over time, as its ability to weaken may give rise to biological and technological damage to Earth and its inhabitants. Variation in magnetic field behaviour over time is preserved in the geologic record, but data is scarce and poorly constrained, thus, numerical modelling solutions remain an essential aspect of paleo-geomagnetic field analysis. In this study, we analyse model-predicted core-mantle boundary heat flux as a proxy indicator of the dynamic evolution of the magnetic field, from 1 Ga to present for four model cases. We do this in aim of including periods known to exhibit the weakening of the magnetic field (superchrons, hyperactive periods and periods of biological extinction), and also investigate the spherical harmonics and Pearson correlation between these data and the current paleo-geomagnetic reversal rate data of two previous studies (Hounslow et al. 2018), Olson et al. 2013). Results conclude that CMB heat flux correlates weakly with the geomagnetic reversal rates, with equatorial CMB heat flux variability (q* equatorial) correlating the greatest of all quantities investigated. Spherical 3 harmonics analysis reveals a 200 Myr cycle in magnetic field intensity that may correlate with Earth’s 200 Myr deep mantle convection cycle

4D-SFM photogrammetry for monitoring sediment dynamics in a debris-flow catchment: Software testing and results comparison

In recent years, the combination of Structure-from-Motion (SfM) algorithms and UAV-based aerial images has revolutionised 3D topographic surveys for natural environment monitoring, offering low-cost, fast and high quality data acquisition and processing. A continuous monitoring of the morphological changes through multi-temporal (4D) SfM surveys allows, e.g., to analyse the torrent dynamic also in complex topography environment like debris-flow catchments, provided that appropriate tools and procedures are employed in the data processing steps. In this work we test two different software packages (3DF Zephyr Aerial and Agisoft Photoscan) on a dataset composed of both UAV and terrestrial images acquired on a debris-flow reach (Moscardo torrent - North-eastern Italian Alps). Unlike other papers in the literature, we evaluate the results not only on the raw point clouds generated by the Structure-from- Motion and Multi-View Stereo algorithms, but also on the Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) created after post-processing. Outcomes show differences between the DTMs that can be considered irrelevant for the geomorphological phenomena under analysis. This study confirms that SfM photogrammetry can be a valuable tool for monitoring sediment dynamics, but accurate point cloud post-processing is required to reliably localize geomorphological changes

The space simulation facilities at IAL SPACE

The thermal vacuum facilities of IAL SPACE were tailored for testing of the ESA payloads. They were progressively upgraded for cryogenic payloads including 4 K (liquid helium temperature) experiments. A detailed review of the three vacuum chambers, ranging from 1.5 to 5 m diameter, is presented including the corresponding capabilities in the vacuum, thermal, and optical fields. The various aspects of cleanliness, product assurance, and quality control are also presented

The Effect of the 18-Year Old Drinking Age on Auto Accidents

The effect of Massachusetts' reduced drinking age on auto accidents is examined by employing an interrupted time series analysis of monthly accident data covering the period January, 1969, through September 1973. The data were stratified by driver age, accident type and (to a limited extent) operating-after-drinking. These raw data were adjusted using monthly mileage and seasonal indices and, where possible, a control group not affected by the drinking law. Correlograms of the adjusted series were computed to check for remaining systematic bias. Finally, the average accident rates for the adjusted, well-behaved series before and after the March 1973 change were compared using standard t-tests. Accident rates among 18-20 year olds did increase significantly-- about 40% for involvement in fatalities. Nevertheless, the results are consistent with the hypothesis that, as a result of the reduced drinking age, 18-20 year old driving-after-drinking behavior has become comparable to that of older drivers.This research was supported in part by NSF Grant GI 38004, by the MIT Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, and by the U. S. Army Research Office (Durham) under Contract No. DA HC04-73-C-003

Mapping potential surface ponding in agriculture using UAV-SfM

Among the environmental problems that could affect agriculture, one of the most critical is ponding. This may be defined as water storage on the surface in concavities and depressions due to soil saturation. Stagnant water can seriously affect crops and the management of agricultural landscapes. It is mainly caused by prolonged rainfall events, soil type, or wrong mechanization practices, which cause soil compaction. To better understand this problem and thus provide adequate solutions to reduce the related risk, high-resolution topographic information could be strategically important because it offers an accurate representation of the surface morphology. In the last decades, new remote sensing techniques provide interesting opportunities to understand the processes on the Earth's surface based on geomorphic signatures. Among these, Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), combined with the structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetry technique, represent a solid, low-cost, rapid, and flexible solution for geomorphological analysis. This study aims to present a new approach to detect the potential areas exposed to water stagnation at the farm scale. The high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) from UAV-SfM data is used to do this. The potential water depth was calculated in the DEM using the relative elevation attribute algorithm. The detection of more pronounced concavities and convexities allowed an estimation and mapping of the potential ponding conditions. The results were assessed by observations and field measurements and are promising, showing a Cohen's k(X) accuracy of 0.683 for the planimetric extent of the ponding phenomena and a Pearson's rxy coefficient of 0.971 for the estimation of pond water depth. The proposed workflow provides a useful indication to stakeholders for better agricultural management in lowland landscapes

A Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) Review Exploring Patient Reported Outcome Measures in Adult CAR T-cell therapy Patients

Background & Aims: Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a novel anti-cancer treatment option for patients with refractory or relapsed haematological malignancies. Preliminary research shows a significant proportion of patients receiving CAR T-cell therapy develop malnutrition and cachexia during treatment, with these nutritional issues associated with adverse patient outcomes. There is a lack of literature and no specific validated measures on patient experience and burden of symptoms for CAR T-cell therapy patients as well as the importance of clinical outcomes for these patients. Patient and public involvement (PPI) is a fundamental feature of proper research execution as it informs issues in the research that are most important in patients. The aim of this review was to identify priority patient-reported outcome measures in CAR T-cell therapy patients using PPI, in addition to exploring patient experiences, burden of symptoms, priorities, and knowledge of nutritional priorities in cancer. The PPI outcomes will also aid to inform the design and development of a future novel cohort study. Methods: Using participatory research (PPI), six adults aged 26e70 years who have received CAR T-cell therapy in the past two years, participated in one-to-one interviews. The interview questions were focused on the aims of identifying patient recommendations regarding clinical outcome measures of interest, their relevance to patient's experience of CAR T-cell therapy, and optimal design of the future cohort research protocol

Non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs for treatment of cancer cachexia: A systematic review

Cancer cachexia (CC) is a multifactorial syndrome driven by inflammation, defined by ongoing loss of skeletal muscle mass (with or without loss of fat mass) that cannot be fully reversed by conventional nutritional support. CC leads to progressive functional impairment, with its clinical management complicated and limited therapeutic options available. The objective of this review was to assess the efficacy and safety of non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) on patient‐centred outcomes in patients with CC. In 2013, two systematic reviews concluded that there was insufficient evidence to recommend NSAIDs for clinical management of CC outside of clinical trials. However, clinical trials of multi‐component CC interventions have included NSAIDs as an intervention component, so an up‐to‐date assessment of the evidence for NSAIDs in the treatment of CC is warranted. Four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CENTRAL and CINAHL) and three trial registers (clinicaltrials.gov, WHO ICTRP and ISRCTN) were searched on 16 December 2022. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing any NSAID (any dose or duration) with a control arm, in adult patients with CC, reporting measures of body weight, body composition, nutrition impact symptoms, inflammation, physical function or fatigue, were eligible for inclusion. Primary outcomes (determined with patient involvement) were survival, changes in muscle strength, body composition, body weight and quality of life. Included studies were assessed for risk of bias using the Revised Cochrane risk‐of‐bias tool for randomized trials. Five studies were included, which investigated Indomethacin (n = 1), Ibuprofen (n = 1) and Celecoxib (n = 3). Four studies were judged to be at high risk of bias for all outcomes, with one study raising concerns for most outcomes. Considerable clinical and methodological heterogeneity amongst the studies meant that meta‐analysis was not appropriate. There was insufficient evidence to determine whether Indomethacin or Ibuprofen is effective or safe for use in patients with CC; RCTs with lower risk of bias are needed. Celecoxib studies indicated it was safe for use in this population at the doses tested (200–400 mg/day) but found contrasting results regarding efficacy, potentially reflecting heterogeneity amongst the studies. There is inadequate evidence to recommend any NSAID for CC. While current clinical trials for CC treatments are shifting towards multi‐component interventions, further research to determine the efficacy and safety of NSAIDs alone is necessary if they are to be included in such multi‐component interventions. Furthermore, the lack of data on patient‐determined primary outcomes in this review highlights the need for patient involvement in clinical trials for C

Heroic viticulture: Environmental and socioeconomic challenges of unique heritage landscapes

Steep-slope agricultural landscapes cover a small fraction of global agricultural areas.1 Despite the limited coverage, they are relevant for high-quality food and wine production, history, and landscape value. On steep slopes, centuries of effort and tradition have created a unique cultural heritage to be preserved. Here, peculiar traditional local knowledge of soil and water conservation combined with agronomic practices (e.g., dry-stone wall terracing) has been handed down for generations. However, such landscapes are fragile and under threat

Biofilm bucal asociado al tratamiento ortodóncico y riesgo de caries: Caracterización clínica y microbiológica de pacientes previos al tratamiento

El uso de dispositivos de ortodoncia pone a los pacientes en condición de vulnerabilidad, por lo que valorar el riesgo individual constituye una importante actividad previa al inicio del tratamiento. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar las condiciones clínicas, sialoquímicas y microbiológicas de los pacientes al inicio del tratamiento ortodóncico, para adecuar la motivación de estos pacientes y las acciones clínicas que eviten patologías secundarias. Se trabajó con 15 pacientes adultos con necesidad de tratamiento ortodóncico, se confeccionó la historia clínica, se registraron parámetros clínicos y se tomaron muestras de placa bacteriana y saliva para determinar parámetros microbiológicos y sialoquímicos. Los pacientes mostraron altos valores medios del índice de caries; el 80% presentó valores del índice de placa indicativos de mala higiene bucal. Los pacientes más jóvenes mostraron mayor cantidad de placa bacteriana y cantidades de S.mutans significativamente mayor en los sectores anterior y posterior de la boca (p=0,05 y 0,006, respectivamente). Se observaron menores recuentos de microorganismos en la zona anterior de la boca que en la posterior, con diferencias significativas en S.mutans y Candida (p<0,0001). No se aisló Candida en la zona anterior de la boca; en la zona posterior se aisló Candida (35% de los pacientes) con mayores valores en varones que en mujeres (p=0,05). Este estudio muestra la necesidad de motivación del paciente por parte del ortodoncista previo al tratamiento ortodóncico con el fin de prevenir lesiones de descalcificación del esmalte dentario frecuentemente observadas al finalizar los tratamientos ortodóncicos.Fil: Vera Cucchiaro, Verónica. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Odontología; Argentina

INVESTIGATING THE PERFORMANCE OF A HANDHELD MOBILE MAPPING SYSTEM IN DIFFERENT OUTDOOR SCENARIOS

In recent years, portable Mobile Mapping Systems (MMSs) are emerging as valuable survey instruments for fast and efficient mapping of both internal and external environments. The aim of this work is to assess the performance of a commercial handheld MMS, Gexcel HERON Lite, in two different outdoor applications. The first is the mapping of a large building, which represents a standard use-case scenario of this technology. Through the second case study, that consists in the survey of a torrent reach, we investigate instead the applicability of the handheld MMS for natural environment monitoring, a field in which portable systems are not yet widely employed. Quantitative and qualitative assessment is presented, comparing the point clouds obtained from the HERON Lite system against reference models provided by traditional techniques (i.e., Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Photogrammetry)