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While historical geographers and historians increasingly recognise the benefits of and need for participatory research, the rigid structures regimenting academic practice have acted as barriers to successful knowledge exchange. Community involvement and place‐based research come with a number of challenges characterised by miscommunications, frustrations, and failures. This paper reflects on findings that emerged from a three‐month internship investigating public and community engagement activities at the Centre for History, University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI). The internship was the outcome of a collaboration between UHI and the Centre for the History of People, Place, and Community (CHPPC), Institute of Historical Research London (IHR). Based on interviews with UHI academics and heritage institutions beyond the Higher Education sector based across the Highlands and Islands, the paper explores the inevitable pitfalls that comes with community engagement and the ethical questions raised by knowledge co‐production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sociologists know very little about the religious lives of the current generation of American adolescents. This study provides an updated portrait of adolescent religious commitment and direct tests of religious change across cohorts by comparing data from the 2017–2018 National Survey of Moral Formation to the 2002–2003 National Study of Youth and Religion. There has been a significant growth in the percentage of adolescents who are not at all religious (by multiple measures). There has been a less substantial decline in the percentage of adolescents who are highly religious. Changes in religiosity have occurred across sociodemographic groups, though not always at the same rate, resulting in new patterns across gender, race, regional, and socioeconomic lines on some aspects of religiosity. Despite declines in religiosity, however, parental transmission of religion is similar to what it was in the previous generation. The decline in adolescent religiosity, notably, reflects a decline in parental religiosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on the introduction of crofting tenure in the Annexed Estates (1752–1784). In 1763, the Board of Commissioners in charge of managing the estates on behalf of the British Crown launched its most ambitious 'improvement' scheme. Parcels of three acres, usually detached from principal farms, were turned into new settlements for disbanded soldiers and sailors from the Seven Years War. The scheme, this article argues, was one of the earliest crofting schemes ever implemented in the Scottish Highlands. The plan hoped to put the Highlands' natural and human resources to the service of the state by ensuring that the Crown could tap into a future recruiting pool and that the Board would benefit from a cheap workforce to reclaim unproductive grounds and develop the linen manufacture in the estates. The settlements were also a way to solve 'improvement's contradictions via spatial planning by preventing depopulation caused by the creation of contiguous farmsteads. The failure of the experiment ultimately highlighted the entrenched contractions of 'improvement' ideology and led to the emergence of an alternative geography of 'improvement' by the turn of the century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responding to disasters triggered by natural hazards is a deeply political process, but it is usually presented by practitioners as an apolitical endeavour. This is striking when disasters occur in authoritarian and politically highly polarised conflict‐affected settings. Although the literature provides leads as to why and how humanitarians depoliticise aid, there has been little empirical research on the implications of depoliticisation, especially at the community level. Based on qualitative fieldwork that focused on the drought responses that overlapped with the 2016–19 sociopolitical crises in Zimbabwe, this paper details the practices, motivations, and implications of humanitarian depoliticisation. It differentiates between strategic, coerced, and routine managerial depoliticisation, and argues that, in an authoritarian conflict‐affected setting, depoliticisation strategically allows state and non‐state actors to defuse sensitive issues and actor relations and to remain safe. However, depoliticisation can also have implications for information management, monitoring, accountability, and protection, and thus ultimately for upholding humanitarian principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data‐art inquiry is an arts‐integrated approach to data literacy learning that reflects the multidisciplinary nature of data literacy not often taught in school contexts. By layering critical reflection over conventional data inquiry processes, and by supporting creative expression about data, data‐art inquiry can support students' informal inference‐making by revealing the role of context in shaping the meaning of data, and encouraging consideration of the personal and social relevance of data. Data‐art inquiry additionally creates alternative entry points into data literacy by building on learners' non‐STEM interests. Supported by technology, it can provide accessible tools for students to reflect on and communicate about data in ways that can impact broader audiences. However, data‐art inquiry instruction faces many barriers to classroom implementation, particularly given the tendency for schools to structure learning with disciplinary silos, and to unequally prioritize mathematics and the arts. To explore the potential of data‐art inquiry in classroom contexts, we partnered with arts and mathematics teachers to co‐design and implement data‐art inquiry units. We implemented the units in four school contexts that differed in terms of the student population served, their curriculum priorities, and their technology infrastructure. We reflect on participant interviews, written reflections, and classroom data, to identify synergies and tensions between data literacy, technology, and the arts. Our findings highlight how contexts of implementation shape the possibilities and limitations for data‐art inquiry learning. To take full advantage of the potential for data‐art inquiry, curriculum design should account for and build on the opportunities and constraints of classroom contexts. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Arts‐integrated instruction has underexplored potential for promoting students' data literacy, including their appreciation for the role of context and real‐world implications of data and for the personal and social relevance of data.Arts‐integrated instruction is difficult to implement in school contexts that are constrained by disciplinary silos.What this paper adds Descriptions of four data‐art inquiry units, which take an arts‐integrated approach to data literacy.Examples of the synergies and tensions observed between data literacy, technology, and the arts during classroom implementation in four different schools.Reflections on the role of school contexts in shaping disciplinary synergies and tensions.Implications for practice and/or policy Arts‐integration offers opportunities for data literacy learning.Consideration of the unique resources and constraints of classroom contexts is critical for fulfilling the promises of data‐art inquiry learning.There is a need to develop school support specific to arts‐integrated data literacy instruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Chapters 7 and 8, Rennie tells the untold story of the Gabhsann clearances and the subsequent land raids which took place in 1887-8. Clues in the landscape have allowed Rennie to draw a picture of the many groups of human settlers who inhabited Gabhsann. Winner of the Highland Book Prize in 2020, Frank Rennie's I The Changing Outer Hebrides i is a thought-provoking reflection on heritage, human ecology and one's sense of place. [Extracted from the article]

Aim Method Results Interpretation To describe the impact of paediatric myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody‐associated disease (MOGAD) on academic and cognitive outcomes.This was an observational, retrospective, and descriptive single‐centre study, carried out on a paediatric case series of children with MOGAD.A total of 51 patients were included (22 females); their median age was 8 years and the median follow‐up duration was 31.1 months (interquartile range 23.5). The most frequent clinical presentation was acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (54.9%), followed by optic neuritis (35.5%). At the last follow‐up, regardless of the clinical phenotype at disease onset, 39.5% of patients with MOGAD received academic and educational interventions (p < 0.05 compared to before disease onset), including academic accommodations (p < 0.05) or the need for a learning support assistant (p < 0.05). Ten patients were evaluated with the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC‐V). The overall IQ was calculated for six patients (mean = 92); two of these patients had an IQ lower than 85. No difference was found regarding prenatal and neonatal neurodevelopmental characteristics between this cohort and the general population.MOGAD was associated with a need for academic support; lower scores were found on the WISC‐V. Patients with MOGAD should receive cognitive and academic assessments to inform educational planning and support academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Through the case of the response to the 2017 Mocoa mudslide, the purpose of this paper is to contribute to a deeper understanding of why and how humanitarian response should be locally led, particularly in more complex contexts such as those affected by conflict. Design/methodology/approach: The study draws on qualitative data collected during a four-month period in 2017, with a focus on the immediate April 2017 emergency phase which presented the largest diversity of local, national and international actors. Findings: The study has found that competing legitimacy claims between the state and non-state response blocs led to tensions and confrontations between disaster response actors and consequently a problematic response process and outcome. The institutional map that was plotted based on locally perceived actor legitimacies indicates a local state-led response would have better served the broader goals of humanitarian support, development and peacebuilding. Practical implications: These findings have significant implications for the understanding of how the locally led response should be understood. Better alignment with local needs and feasibilities requires a differential outlook on what is to be understood as "local." This study puts forward the insider/outsider lens as a tool to identify the actors who possess local trust and legitimacy and are thus best suited to bridge the elements of the humanitarian-development-peacebuilding triple nexus. Originality/value: This study gives a voice to state actors, which was largely absent in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humanitarian governance is usually understood according to the classic, Dunantist paradigm that accords central importance to international humanitarian agencies. However, this is increasingly paralleled by 'resilience humanitarianism' that focuses, among other things, on including national actors in humanitarian governance. This article views humanitarian governance as emerging through interactions between authorities, implementing agencies and communities. It is based on interactive ethnography in five countries by Partners for Resilience (PfR). Using the Theory of Change (ToC) tool, it analyses the various interpretations and priorities of actors involved in humanitarian problems, solutions and programme governance. For example, PfR had a 'software' focus, aiming to unlock communities' potential for resilience, whereas communities and authorities preferred to receive tangible 'hardware' support. The findings highlight the crucial role of local authorities in shaping humanitarian aid. This is especially pertinent in view of the international agenda to localise aid, which requires the understanding and support of national actors in order to responsibly protect the vulnerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to rekindle the debate on the politics of aid in the increasingly common – yet still under-studied – authoritarian and low-intensity conflict settings, detailing the case of Ethiopia in 2016, when a 50-year drought coincided with a wave of protests and a state of emergency. During four months of qualitative fieldwork in 2017, state, civil society, Ethiopian and international actors were approached – from humanitarian headquarters to communities in the Amhara, Oromiya and Somali regions. Research participants relayed stark discrepancies between the humanitarian theatre's 'frontstage', where disaster responders showcase an exemplary response, and its 'backstage', where they remove their frontstage masks and reflect on the information, the decision-making monopoly of the state and the intrusion of conflict dynamics into the humanitarian response. In humanitarian research and in policy, a collective conversation is necessary on where to draw the line between respect for governments' sovereignty and the intrusion of humanitarian principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clumped distribution of food resources promotes food defensibility and can lead to the monopolizing of resources by high-ranking individuals. However, the balance of power is set at different levels according to societies, meaning that resource partitioning should vary between them. This study investigates whether dominance asymmetry and resource partitioning are related in non-human primates by comparing two species with contrasting social styles, namely rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) which display strong social intolerance and a steep gradient of dominance, and Tonkean macaques (Macaca tonkeana), which exhibit higher levels of tolerance and more balanced dominance relationships. Study groups were kept in semi-free ranging conditions. Animals were provided with fruit in three different clumped conditions during 30-min trials. We found that higher-ranking rhesus macaques had priority for the access to fruit: these individuals spent longer in the feeding area in the first 10-min period of trials, while lower-ranking individuals had diminished access to fruit under the most clumped condition; this was associated with sustained agonistic interactions. Dominance effects were weaker in Tonkean macaques. They exhibited co-feeding between high- and low-ranking individuals in the first period; there was no significant effect of dominance even in the most clumped condition; and frequencies of agonistic interactions remained moderate relative to the number of individuals present in the feeding area. These results show that food resources were more equitably distributed among group members in tolerant macaques than in their intolerant counterparts. Dominance gradient and social tolerance may be considered as two aspects of the same phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A map is not a product, the temporary representation of reality, but rather the most visible component at the surface of an ongoing and often contested mapping process. This significant epistemological recognition directs our attention towards the linkages between ‘mapped space’, ‘everyday space’, and ‘spaces of knowledge building and decision-making’. Applying an organizational ethnography and critical cartography, this paper argues that a shift in the production and circulation of spatial knowledge concerning coastal set-back lines occurred in Cape Town. It describes the shift, interrogates how it came about, and what the implications are. As a governance instrument to promote risk-averse decision-making concerning dynamic coastal ecosystems and coastal infrastructure exposed to storm surges and sea-level rise, the set-back line discursively and materially re-shapes people's realities. But its delineation and the linked multi-actor discussions led by the City of Cape Town's Coastal Management Unit (CMU) also emerge from a specific context. Caught in a constant balancing act between varying interests, sources of knowledge and epistemologies on map-making, the CMU engaged in strategic negotiations and counter-mapping. Effectively acting as ‘champions’, or ‘bureaucratic activists’, local government officials enabled the transition towards a reflexive, iterative and inclusive delineation process, departing from a technical knowledge building model according to which coastal engineers and consultants still dominate the intellectual space regarding coastal risk governance in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bringing a wider range of stakeholders together has become increasingly important in disaster risk reduction discourse, particularly in informal settlements located on marginal, flood-prone land in many cities of the global South. Attempts by the City of Cape Town (CCT) municipality, civil society organizations (CSOs) and affected residents to cope with floods, which impact about 88,000 households on the low-lying Cape Flats, reflect the ongoing political, social and technical constraints inherent in areas of informality. Using the flood-prone informal settlement of Sweet Home as a case study, a participatory, qualitative methodology was adopted to question the extent to which the CCT, CSOs and Sweet Home residents currently collaborate to address flood risk. Although the CCT's Flood and Storms Task Team is recognized as an innovative, collaborative and pro-active approach for addressing city-wide flood risk, shortcomings still remain. Focusing not only on ‘why collaboration is necessary’, but also on ‘how’ collaboration can be achieved in the highly politicized context of South African informal settlements, this research identifies some of the critical barriers faced by stakeholders in Cape Town to address flood risk collaboratively. It explores how these barriers can be overcome and highlights the role that academics can play in creating more politically neutral platforms for stakeholders to engage with each other. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this editorial, the author talks about importance of science education in justice system. Topics discussed include role of scientific evidence in the conviction of the guilty; importance of forensic science in a lawsuit; and role of criminal defense attorney in looking for scientific evidence in the criminal cases.

AbstractRisso's dolphins (Grampus griseus) were taken for the first time by the opportunistic drive fishery in the Faroe Islands in two separate incidents: three in September 2009 and 21 in April 2010, with in total 16 females and eight males. Their sizes ranged from 193 to 308 cm in length and 60 to 395 kg in weight for females, and 186 to 323 cm in length and 70 to 505 kg in weight for males; the maximum weights are heavier than previously documented for this species. The smallest mature female was 277 cm long, while the youngest and also lightest mature female was 8 y old and weighed 280 kg. Sperm competition and a promiscuous mating system were suggested for the species based on large testicular masses. The diet was composed of cephalopods from both the water column (Todarodes and Loligo) and the ocean floor (Eledona and Todaropsis). Although both schools landed showed a mixed diet, the September school diet centred on a pelagic squid (Todarodes sagit-tatus), while the April school diet centred upon a benthic octopod (Eledona cirrhosa). Since August 2009, Risso's dolphins have been observed on five occasions in waters around the Faroese north of 61° 34' N, the northernmost observation situated at a latitude of 62° 23' N. Sightings of the species off Shetland occur mostly between April and September, with a peak in August and September, the observations in Faroese waters (2 in April, 1 in August, and 2 in September) falling within this period. While the species had not previously been observed in this area north of the Shetland-Faroe Channel, these observations in Faroese territorial waters indicate a likely northward extension of the known range of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are self-renewing, multipotent cells that could potentially be used to repair injured cartilage in diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA). In this study we used bone marrow, adipose tissue from articular and subcutaneous locations, and synovial fluid samples from 18 patients with knee OA to find a suitable alternative source for the isolation of MSCs with high chondrogenic potential. MSCs from all tissues analysed had a fibroblastic morphology, but their rates of proliferation varied. Subcutaneous fat-derived MSCs proliferated faster than bone marrow- and Hoffa's fat pad-derived MSCs, while synovial fluid-derived MSCs grew more slowly. CD36 and CD54 expression was similar across all groups of MSCs with several minor differences. High expression of these surface markers in subcutaneous fat-derived MSCs was correlated with poor differentiation into hyaline cartilage. Synovial fluid-derived MSCs presented a relatively small chondrogenic differentiation capacity while Hoffa's fat pad-derived MSCs had strong chondrogenic potential. In conclusion, MSCs from elderly patients with OA may still display significant chondrogenic potential, depending on their origin. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are self-renewing, multipotent cells that could potentially be used to repair injured cartilage in diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA). In this study we used bone marrow, adipose tissue from articular and subcutaneous locations, and synovial fluid samples from 18 patients with knee OA to find a suitable alternative source for the isolation of MSCs with high chondrogenic potential. MSCs from all tissues analysed had a fibroblastic morphology, but their rates of proliferation varied. Subcutaneous fat-derived MSCs proliferated faster than bone marrow- and Hoffa's fat pad-derived MSCs, while synovial fluid-derived MSCs grew more slowly. CD36 and CD54 expression was similar across all groups of MSCs with several minor differences. High expression of these surface markers in subcutaneous fat-derived MSCs was correlated with poor differentiation into hyaline cartilage. Synovial fluid-derived MSCs presented a relatively small chondrogenic differentiation capacity while Hoffa's fat pad-derived MSCs had strong chondrogenic potential. In conclusion, MSCs from elderly patients with OA may still display significant chondrogenic potential, depending on their origin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The liquid-to-particle mass transfer in micro packed beds of different hydraulic to particle diameter ratio N and different channel geometries, i.e. circular and rectangular, was studied with the copper dissolution method. In this paper, we demonstrate that the shape of the channel has no influence on the liquid-to-particle mass transfer as long as N is constant. Moreover, higher Sherwood numbers were measured with increasing N for 4< N <24.4, but the opposite influence was observed for N <4. In the case of N >4 we highlight that the channeling effect, i.e. higher velocities in the wall region compared to the center of the packed bed, has a main impact on the mass transfer. For N <4 the packed bed cross section cannot be differentiated anymore in a wall region and a center region, hence there is no wall effect and a better flow distribution through the packed bed cross section is induced which increases mass transfer, as proposed in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The experimental observations of intermittent dynamics of Lagrangian acceleration in a 'free' high-Reynolds-number turbulence are shown to be consistent with the Kolmogorov-Oboukhov theory. In line with Kolmogorov-Oboukhov's predictions, a new sub-grid scale (SGS) model is proposed and is combined with the Smagorinsky model. The new SGS model is focused on simulation of the non-resolved total acceleration vector by two stochastic processes: one for its norm, another for its direction. The norm is simulated by stochastic equation, which was derived from the log-normal stochastic process for turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate, with the Reynolds number, as the parameter. The direction of the acceleration vector is suggested to be governed by random walk process, with correlation on the Kolmogorov's timescale. In the framework of this model, a surrogate unfiltered velocity field is emulated by computation of the instantaneous model-equation. The coarse-grid computation of a high-Reynolds-number stationary homogeneous turbulence reproduced qualitatively the main intermittency effects, which were observed in experiment of ENS in Lyon. Contrary to the standard LES with the Smagorinsky eddy-viscosity model, the proposed model provided: (i) non-Gaussianity in the acceleration distribution with stretched tails; (ii) rapid decorrelation of acceleration vector components; (iii) 'long memory' in correlation of its norm. The turbulent energy spectra of stationary and decaying homogeneous turbulence are also better predicted by the proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we present the synthesis of organic nanocrystals in a 3D hydrodynamic focusing device through a non-solvent crystallization process. This microreactor was designed in order to control the supersaturation level, while manipulating mixing conditions, and to avoid fouling and clogging within the main channel. Rubrene, the molecule of interest, was dissolved in a THF–ethanol mixture and was injected through a silica capillary. Two side flows containing the non-solvent and the surfactant, water and CTACl respectively, surround and interact with the capillary flow and mixing occurs through diffusion. First, we quantify the water diffusion process within the focused beam by confocal fluorescence microscopy in the presence of fluorescein. It is shown here that the efficiency and the quality of the mixing between the aqueous side flow and the focused organic solution are improved by increasing the side flow rate to the capillary flow rate ratio, i.e. the focusing ratio. Second, the synthesis of rubrene crystals were performed under a variety of flow rate conditions. We show that, by increasing the focusing ratio (from 5 to 40), the mean size of nanocrystals decreases (from 110 to 50nm). The characterization of the mixing process allows for a better understanding of rubrene nanocrystal synthesis: a fast supersaturation induces the generation of numerous nuclei, which limits the crystal growth. Herein, we show that the 3D hydrodynamic focusing microreactor efficiently produces organic nanoparticles of controlled size, without the deposition of large, unwanted crystals on the microchannel walls. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The altimeter range is corrected for tropospheric humidity by means of microwave radiometer measurements (Envisat/MWR, Jason-1/JMR, Jason-2/AMR). Over an open ocean, the altimeter/radiometer combination is satisfactory. However, in coastal areas, radiometer measurements are contaminated by the surrounding land surfaces, and the humidity retrieval method is not appropriate anymore. In this paper, a variational assimilation technique is proposed to retrieve the wet tropospheric correction near coasts. The method is first developed on simulations using the data from a meteorological model. A performance assessment is performed, as well as a comparison with a standard algorithm. The method is then applied on actual measurements, thus evaluating its feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The altimeter range is corrected for tropospheric humidity by means of microwave radiometer measurements (Envisat/MWR, Jason-1/JMR, Jason-2/AMR). Over an open ocean, the altimeter/radiometer combination is satisfactory. However, in coastal areas, radiometer measurements are contaminated by the surrounding land surfaces, and the humidity retrieval method is not appropriate anymore. In this paper, a variational assimilation technique is proposed to retrieve the wet tropospheric correction near coasts. The method is first developed on simulations using the data from a meteorological model. A performance assessment is performed, as well as a comparison with a standard algorithm. The method is then applied on actual measurements, thus evaluating its feasibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the fluidized bed dry impregnation of coarse alumina porous particles by a metallic salt, manganese nitrate, is investigated. In this technique the penetration of each drop of metallic solution in the porous solid particle and solvent evaporation takes place at the same time, then liquid diffusion phenomenon is negligible. So, the metal loading is directly related to the operating time and liquid flow rate and concentration. It is found that the competition between two phenomena, drying and capillary flow, controls the deposit location. In order to determine the importance of the solvent evaporation process compared to the solution penetration by capillarity, an impregnation module, IM, was defined as the ratio between the drying characteristic time and a capillary penetration time. The adequate choice of the operating conditions (bed temperature, liquid and fluidization gas flow rate) allows a uniform deposition of the metallic precursor inside the porous matrix or on the support surface. The impregnation under slow drying conditions (IM ≥ 10 and solvent content in the bed atmosphere τs ≥ 0.2) leads to a homogeneous deposition inside the pores. Under fast drying conditions (IM <5 and τs <0.2), the deposit is located at the particle external surface. In the case of slow drying, the impregnation kinetics can be represented by a shrinking core" model. The critical impregnation rate is controlled by the competition between dissolution and recrystallization at the elementary grain scale. The size of the metal crystallites depends on the pore mean size and size distribution and on the drying rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines outcomes of a women's substance abuse treatment program based on empowerment, choice, and client/therapist collaboration. The program was assessed through qualitative and quantitative research methods. The article includes extensive quotes from six client interviews as well as data from pre-post surveys of 50 women in the treatment program. Results show that the women felt they benefited from the collaborative treatment approach. Benefits to the women included feeling more empowered and learning to take responsibility for their lives. The importance of taking a broad view of recovery that includes ongoing evaluation of positive changes in various areas of the clients' lives is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines outcomes of a women's substance abuse treatment program based on empowerment, choice, and client/therapist collaboration. The program was assessed through qualitative and quantitative research methods. The article includes extensive quotes from six client interviews as well as data from pre-post surveys of 50 women in the treatment program. Results show that the women felt they benefited from the collaborative treatment approach. Benefits to the women included feeling more empowered and learning to take responsibility for their lives. The importance of taking a broad view of recovery that includes ongoing evaluation of positive changes in various areas of the clients' lives is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A 3D hydrodynamic focusing microreactor was used to observe the in situ nanocrystallization of rubrene by fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM). The crystallization is achieved by a precipitation method based on the addition of a non-solvent. The rubrene solution flows from a capillary and is squeezed in 3D by two side flows containing water. The principle of the 3D hydrodynamic focusing is detailed; this device allows to follow the in situ crystallization process in less that 5ms. Moreover, different experiments have demonstrated the possibility of quantifying the dynamics of the crystallization process which is linked with the diffusion process. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to correct the altimeter range for tropospheric humidity, a microwave radiometer is added to altimetry missions [Envisat/microwave radiometer, Jason/Jason Microwave Radiometer, and TOPEX-Poseidon/TOPEX Microwave Radiometer (TMR)]. Over open ocean, the combination altimeter/radiometer is satisfactory. This is not the case in coastal zones, where the signal coming from the surrounding land surfaces contaminates the radiometer measurement and makes the humidity-retrieval method unsuitable. In this paper, a radiometer simulator is built, using data from a field experiment (in situ measurements and collocated TMR measurements) and analyses from a mesoscale-forecast model. This simulator is used to perform sensitivity tests and to evaluate the current methods to retrieve the wet tropospheric correction in transition areas. The purpose of this paper is to analyze and compare the performances of these methods. After examining simple correction methods (extension of the open-sea wet tropospheric correction and use of the meteorological model value), we evaluated the feasibility and performances of two methods, which propose to take into account the land-surface effect in the brightness-temperature estimation. The latter was found to give significantly better results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The production of supported catalysts by impregnation method of porous supports can be carried out in a fluidized bed. This technique allows to obtain, in only one apparatus, catalysts which by the traditional way must successively undergo the stages of impregnation, filtration, drying and calcination/activation. This paper deals with the results of experiments related to the manufacture of traditional catalysts and new generation catalysts containing various metals (nickel, manganese, copper, palladium) deposited on a porous support such as alumina or silica gel. Moreover, it was shown that the reproducible synthesis of metallic nanoparticles of size, composition and controlled surface quality could be carried out under mild conditions with organometallic precursors. The principle of this technique consists in the spraying of a solution containing a metallic precursor into a hot fluidised bed of porous fine particles as chosen support. The adequate choice of operating conditions makes possible a uniform deposit of the metal precursor inside the porous matrix. After the impregnation step, the decomposition of the metallic precursor and metal activation can be operated in the same reactor. For organometallic complexes the decomposition/activation is achieved at low temperature (T <80 °C) under a reactive atmosphere (H2/N2 mixture) giving then rise to the synthesis of metal nanoparticles with controlled size and composition. Feasibility studies and optimisation of the operating conditions have been carried out, solid characterization and catalytic tests have been conducted to validate the process. In the case of asymmetric catalysts, Pd nanoparticles associated to cinchonidine as an asymmetric ligand inside silica particles have been prepared by this process for the ethyl pyruvate hydrogenation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We address the control of a hybrid energy storage system composed of a lead battery and hydrogen storage. Powered by photovoltaic panels, it feeds a partially islanded building. We aim to minimize building carbon emissions over a long-term period while ensuring that 35% of the building consumption is powered using energy produced on site. To achieve this long-term goal, we propose to learn a control policy as a function of the building and of the storage state using a Deep Reinforcement Learning approach. We reformulate the problem to reduce the action space dimension to one. This highly improves the proposed approach performance. Given the reformulation, we propose a new algorithm, DDPG α rep , using a Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) to learn the policy. Once learned, the storage control is performed using this policy. Simulations show that the higher the hydrogen storage efficiency, the more effective the learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on a study that argued for a choice-driven model of treatment and described an intensive outpatient program that is built around the feminist principles of empowerment through the provisions of choices in treatment. History of program evolution; Program description and evaluation; Conclusions.

Proposes two superconducting magnets as detectors for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Materials required for the superconductors; Critical current density measurements of the superconducting magnets; Aluminum properties of superconductors; Conclusions.

With growing awareness of, and attention to, the potential of data to inform decisions across contexts, has come an increasing recognition and need to develop data literacy strategies that support people to learn to be critical of data, given this consequential nature of data use (and abuse). To achieve a just society, inequities in both capacity for data literacy, and the applications of data in society, must be addressed. A key aim is to create learning experiences that engage learners with issues of power and inequity, including those typically marginalized by data literacy education. In this way, data literacy and social justice learning goals are intertwined, and mutually supportive, in developing data literacy in learning about, through, and for social justice. This special issue assembles five empirical studies on learning at the intersection of data literacy and social justice, and that illustrate various approaches to intertwining data science and social justice learning goals. They moreover highlight the importance of the learning sciences as a perspective for understanding how people learn in specific contexts of data justice. This essay reflects on themes raised by these contributions, and offers a framework for conceptualizing the intersections between the learning of data literacy and justice. In particular, we draw on existing distinctions between “reading” and “writing the world,” and propose a mapping of data literacy justice activities from data comprehension to participation, and from thin to thick justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Methods Results Interpretation There is currently scarce data on the electroclinical characteristics of epilepsy associated with synapsin 1 (SYN1) pathogenic variations. We examined clinical and electro‐encephalographic (EEG) features in patients with epilepsy and SYN1 variants, with the aim of identifying a distinctive electroclinical pattern.In this retrospective multicenter study, we collected and reviewed demographic, genetic, and epilepsy data of 19 male patients with SYN1 variants. Specifically, we analyzed interictal EEG data for all patients, and electro‐clinical data from 10 epileptic seizures in 5 patients, using prolonged video‐EEG monitoring recordings. Inter‐ictal EEG functional connectivity parameters and frequency spectrum of the 10 patients over 12 years of age, were computed and compared with those of 56 age‐ and sex‐matched controls.The main electroclinical features of epilepsy in patients with SYN1 were (1) EEG background and organization mainly normal; (2) interictal abnormalities are often rare or not visible on EEG; (3) more than 60% of patients had reflex seizures (cutaneous contact with water and defecation being the main triggers) isolated or associated with spontaneous seizures; (4) electro‐clinical semiology of seizures was mainly temporal or temporo‐insulo/perisylvian with a notable autonomic component; and (5) ictal EEG showed a characteristic rhythmic theta/delta activity predominating in temporo‐perisylvian regions at the beginning of most seizures. Comparing patients with SYN1 to healthy subjects, we observed a shift to lower frequency bands in power spectrum of interictal EEG and an increased connectivity in both temporal regions.A distinct epilepsy syndrome emerges in patients with SYN1, with a rather characteristic clinical and EEG pattern suggesting predominant temporo‐insular involvement. ANN NEUROL 2024 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Novel fault detection indicator Performance to Peers (P2P). • Based on comparisons between neighbouring PV installations. • Only requires PV energy data; no metadata, no solar irradiation. • Developed and validated on 6000 distributed PV systems in Europe. • Typical MAD (P2P) is 10% for hourly data and 5% for daily data. The fault detection applied to a large amount of small distributed PV systems needs to be simple, cost-effective, and reliable. This work presents a fault detection procedure applied to distributed PV system fleets, based on a novel performance indicator, designated as Performance to Peers (P2P), that can be constructed on the sole basis of the comparison of the energy production data of several neighboring PV systems. This article explains how to construct this performance indicator and how to use it to carry out automatic fault detections. This fault detection procedure has been developed in the context of the performance analysis carried out on approximately 6000 PV installations located in Europe, and it is illustrated and discussed through real application cases. The P2P has been shown to be more stable than the Performance Ratio (PR), in particular in the presence of sub-par metadata on the PV systems, and it thus constitutes a more robust performance indicator for fault detection. The stability of P2P is characterized by an Absolute Median Deviation (MAD) that is typically of 10% for hourly data and 5% for daily data. The application of P2P to fault diagnosis is illustrated on four categories of faults that are among the most frequently observed on PV systems. The main limitations of this novel methodology are discussed, and several future lines of research are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Makerspaces persist as formal and informal spaces of learning for youth, promoting continued interest in studying how design can support the variety of learning opportunities within these spaces. However, much of the current research examining learning in makerspaces neglects the perspectives of educators. This not only hinders our understanding of educators' goals and how educators navigate makerspaces but also constrains how we frame the design space of the learning experiences and environments. To address this, we engaged in a set of semi-structured interviews to examine the contexts, goals, values, and practices of seven educators across five makerspaces. A thematic analysis of the data identified six key categories of competencies that these educators prioritize including a range of skills, practices, and knowledge, such as technical proficiency, communication, and contextual reflection. The analysis also identified five categories of strategies to accomplish certain goals, such as scaffolding, collaboration, and relationship building. Last, it also shed light on three categories of challenges faced at the student-level, teacher-level, and institutional level. We conclude with a discussion on our insights into how we can broaden the problem space in the design of educational technologies to support learning in makerspaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents responses to Suter and Forrest's criticism of their application of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) in their observation on the randomness of vigilant behavior in purple sandpiper and Barbary doves. Testing for non-randomness; Conclusion drawn on nature of inter-scan intervals.

During the past 25 years, Fjord&Bælt (F&B) in Denmark has kept harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) for research and education. Some animals were bycaught in static fishing gear and then brought to the center under a special permit, and some were born at the facility. At F&B, the harbour porpoises are trained several times every day for research projects, public presentations for visitors, and educational programs for schools. They are also provided with enrichment activities in addition to the enclosure's natural and dynamic habitat. The center's research on animal behaviour, reproductive and diving physiology, outreach, and bioacoustics have resulted in more than 60 scientific publications, involving scientists from research institutions in Denmark and abroad. There is a close collaboration between F&B and the adjacent Marine Biological Research Center (MRC) of the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), also established in 1997. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercellular communication between monocytes/macrophages and cells involved in tissue regeneration, such as mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and primary tissue cells, is essential for tissue regeneration and recovery of homeostasis. Typically, in the final phase of the inflammation-resolving process, this intercellular communication drives an anti-inflammatory immunomodulatory response. To obtain a safe and effective treatment to counteract the cytokine storm associated with a disproportionate immune response to severe infections, including that associated with COVID-19, by means of naturally balanced immunomodulation, our group has standardized the production under GMP-like conditions of a secretome by coculture of macrophages and MSCs. To characterize this proteome, we determined the expression of molecules related to cellular immune response and tissue regeneration, as well as its possible toxicity and anti-inflammatory potency. The results show a specific molecular pattern of interaction between the two cell types studied, with an anti-inflammatory and regenerative profile. In addition, the secretome is not toxic by itself on human PBMC or on THP-1 monocytes and prevents lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced growth effects on those cell types. Finally, PRS CK STORM prevents LPS-induced TNF-A and IL-1Β secretion from PBMC and from THP-1 cells at the same level as hydrocortisone, demonstrating its anti-inflammatory potency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study analyzed the phenotype and the chondrogenic differentiation of bone marrow-derived MSCs from old patients undergoing knee osteoarthritis or femoral fracture surgery. Twenty patients (12 females), with a mean age of 77.35±8.76 years, were studied. Ten patients suffered of knee osteoarthritis (OA) pathology and underwent surgery for arthroplasty, and the other 10 patients suffered femoral fracture. A comparative study of bone marrow-derived cultured human MSCs was carried out, and the main morphological parameters, proliferative activity and expression of surface markers were characterized. Bone marrow was obtained from the femur in all cases. The χ 2-test, Mann–Whitney U-test, correlation coefficient and the Spearman test were applied. Bone marrow MSCs from old patients were able to differentiate into chondrocytic lineages. Proliferation and flow cytometry data showed no difference associated to the gender. No significant differences between the knee arthroplasty group or the femoral fracture group were found, except for higher CD49d % in MSC from fracture, and higher CD49f % in MSC from knee OA patients at passage one. MSCs from old patients suffering knee OA can be differentiated into chondrocytic lineages, and these present no differences with MSCs from femoral fracture patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present the use of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) as reaction solvent in a packed bed silicon/glass microreactor in case of the hydrogenation of cyclohexene as a model reaction. In situ phase studies in the continuous flow of the reaction mixture, hydrodynamic characterization and the influence of pressure and temperature on the reaction performance are discussed. The results are compared with the same reaction conducted in three phase gas–liquid–solid state and larger scale reactors using scCO2 as reaction solvent. The phase study experiments show a single phase flow behavior at 136bar and 25°C for a 90:5:5 molar mixture of CO2:C6H10:H2. At 50°C compositions up to 87.8:2.4:9.8 show single phase flow. The reaction performance increases with increasing temperature where pressure variations show no significant change. The comparison with larger scale systems indicates an increase of about one order of magnitude in space time yield in the presented microreactor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Microsporidia are obligate intracellular eukaryotic parasites that infect a wide range of hosts, including invertebrates and vertebrates. Microsporidia have emerged as important opportunistic pathogens of humans with the onset of the AIDS pandemic. The potential impact of these infections in human pathology has required the development of antiparasitic strategies, based on the search for molecules having an effect on the development and/or the multiplication of microsporidia. This creates a demand for a simple and reliable in vitro technique for measuring the multiplication of microsporidia. We developed a new monoclonal antibody (MAb) enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique and measured the growth of Encephalitozoon intestinalis in an in vitro culturing system using this method. The monoclonal antibody is specific for a coat protein of E. intestinalis sporogonic stages produced in parasitophorous vacuole. An anti-mouse antibody labeled with peroxidase was used as conjugate. This ELISA is a suitable, specific and semiquantitative technique for measuring the spread of E. intestinalis. It is easy to perform and required 5 h from start to end. A good correlation was observed when the ELISA data were compared with the manual microscopic counts of parasitophorous vacuoles obtained after immunofluorescent assay (IFA). Moreover, the ELISA method proved more accurate than the immunofluorescent assay. In summary, the ELISA system described in this study provides a simple reliable assay for measuring the spread of microsporidia in vitro and may prove valuable for the screening of putative interesting antimicrosporidial compounds. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Summary The understanding of the immunopathology of infections caused by microsporidia has pinpointed the importance of T cell-mediated immunity. The immunopathology caused by the interesting protozoan parasite Encephalitozoon intestinalis, a microsporidium pathogenic in man, is not clearly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that a specific cellular immune response is implicated in the control of microsporidiosis infection in mice. Interferon (IFN)-gamma receptor knockout mice (IFN-gamma R %) developed a chronic injection with E. intestinalis, whereas a transient infection developed in wild-type mice. Encephalitozoon intestinalis proteins induced proliferation of murine spleen and mesenteric lymph node cells collected from infected mice. The host response to microsporidia infection was regulated by a specific pattern of cytokine protection. Spleen cells derived from resistant 129 Sv/Ev mice inoculated with E. intestinalis secreted significant levels of gamma-interferon and interleukin-2 but cells from highly susceptible IFN-gamma R knockout mice secreted high levels of interleukin-4 (mostly between 2 and 4 weeks post injection). This is the first report in which a specific cellular immune response against E. intestinalis infection is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]