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Announces that the 15th International Symposium on Contact Dermatitis (ISCD) is will be held in conjunction with the 5th International Symposium on Irritant Contact Dermatitis (ISICD) in Paphos, Cyprus on 6-9 November, 2005. Topics of plenary sessions, symposia and poster sessions; Contact information.

The article comments on reports published in the December 2006 issue of the periodical "Internal Research" about the Workshop on Security in Information Systems held in Paphos, Cyprus. The topics of the papers presented at the workshop ranged from online data auditing, real-time grid architectures to cryptographic protocols. The ability to characterize security problems is a precursor to its solution.

The article comments on the International Workshop on Security in Information Systems held in Paphos, Cyprus. The workshop is a yearly event organized by Doctor Eduardo Fernandez-Medina. Several presentations were selected for publication in the periodical "Internal Research". The workshop collected papers related to security in information systems with an emphasis on the Internet environment.

This paper aims to examine the use of satellite remote sensing for monitoring archaeological and more generally cultural heritage sites. For this purpose, multi-temporal data from Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+ and Quickbird images were applied.The paper also discusses the importance of atmospheric correction at the pre-processing step in order to determine true surface reflectance values by removing these effects from satellite images.Atmospheric correction is arguably the most important part of the pre-processing of satellite remotely sensed data and any omission produces erroneous results. The effects of the atmosphere are more severe where dark targets are shown in the satellite image. In the management of cultural heritage sites, since temporal satellite images are required for monitoring purposes, the effect of the atmosphere must be considered. In-situ spectro-radiometric measurements using the GER1500 field spectro-radiometer have been used to assess the reflectance values found after applying the darkest pixel atmospheric correction to the image data.The study area consist the Amathus archaeological site in Limassol and the Nea Paphos archaeological site area located in Paphos district area in Cyprus. Vegetation Index (NDVI) change detection algorithm has been applied to a series of thirteen Landsat TM/ETM+ images of Amathus archaeological site in Limassol. Classification and extraction algorithms have been applied to Landsat TM and Quickbird high resolution images of Nea Paphos archaeological site area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-five samples of Byzantine glazed pottery from two archaeological sites between Limassol and Paphos region (Cyprus), dated between the 12th and 15th centuryad were studied using micro X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. It was found that all the glazes contain lead, following the main manufacturing process of medieval pottery in the Mediterranean territory, while some of them contain tin, possibly for better opacity. Furthermore, it is shown that copper, iron and cobalt with nickel are responsible for the decoration colours. Finally, the application of principal component analysis revealed significant differentiation for some of the samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a research project which integrates technological tools for developing a complete system for monitoring and determining irrigation demand on a systematic basis in Cyprus. Such tools are multi-spectral remotely sensed data dynamic water budget simulation and optimization, crop evapotranspiration (ETc) models and microsensor technology. The main aim is to estimate ETc in Cyprus and, furthermore, to undertake the required measures for an effective irrigation water management in the future. Evapotranspiration is difficult to determine since it combines various meteorological and field parameters while in literature quite many different models for estimating ETc are put forward. The proposed wireless sensor network acts as a monitoring tool for providing measurements of the necessary parameters: meteorological, climatic data and other auxiliary parameters required by the irrigation model in order to determine the irrigation demand. Reflectance is determined directly from satellite images. Finally, using the WaterWare irrigation software, irrigation scheduling is planned for the area of interest in Paphos, Cyprus. This area is located at almost sea level and is characterized by mild micro-climate. The results of the paper refer to year 2009 and show the daily water requirements of the specific crop in study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The word 'Paphos' emerged as early as the 7th century BC and was subsequently written in varying manners, firstly on inscriptions and later in literary texts. Yet it is only from about the second half of the 4th century BC that it appears inscribed on coins, solely in Greek alphabetic characters. The word is abbreviated to one, two or four letters, which sometimes form a monogram. On the extremely rare silver coins of the last king of Paphos, Nikokles, Paphos is written in a related form, ΠAΦIΟΝ and the exact meaning of this word will be considered in this paper. A further legend, ΠΒA, written behind the neck of a crowned female head on these late coins and the identification of the head itself have prompted several differing interpretations. The exceptional crown of this figure, the legend and the depiction as a whole will be studied within the political, historical and religious context of Paphos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In September 2008, over the course of excavations at the Early Roman House, the bust of a young man was discovered in Room 24. He is depicted with curly hair and is wearing a conical cap. The author of this paper discusses the possible identification of the sculpture. There are two differing ideas. According to the first, the young man could be identified as one of the Dioskouroi, while the other theory considers him to be Attis. The author does not determine conclusively which of the concepts is appropriate, because both are supported by strong evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

32 stamped amphora handles were excavated on the Agora site in Paphos (ancient Nea Paphos), Cyprus, within the framework of the Paphos Agora Project conducted by the Department of Classical Archaeology of the Jagiellonian University Institute of Archaeology under the direction of Professor E. Papuci-Wladyka since 2011. Most of them were found in contexts dated from the Hellenistic to the Roman period. There are, however, a few stamped handles that were uncovered in definitively uncontaminated Hellenistic contexts. Most probably all of the stamped handles date to the Hellenistic period. They come from Greek amphora production centres including Rhodes, Knidos, Thasos in the Aegean and from Sinope on the Black Sea coast. Most of these stamps are commonly known, although there are several examples of a special interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The city of Nea Paphos is the only ancient city of Cyprus to have preserved much of the painted decoration of its buildings and tombs and the following paper aims to present a fresco that has recently come to light in one of the cemeteries of the city. The newly found painting was discovered on the right-hand side of the entranceway to the funerary chamber of a tomb of Hellenistic and Roman date and may be part of a larger decoration that has been destroyed. A human figure, possibly a young man, is depicted inside a frame created by branches bearing pomegranates. The figure is holding a fruit and is turned to his right, possibly towards another person. Behind him, an open mirror hangs from the wall over something that looks like a funerary monument. Although fragmentary, the scene depicts features that have a deeply symbolic meaning observed for the first time in Paphos. It presents an opportunity to examine new funerary iconography and discuss issues concerning afterlife beliefs in the ancient city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the first excavation campaign of the Paphos Agora Project (3rd July – 6th August 2011), an interesting object was discovered. In Trench II, Area 2 (Room 5), in the upper, late Roman layer, an oval amulet was found (siltstone, 39.41 × 41.32 × 4.81mm). The layer is dated to the 6th century AD, partially due to the presence of ceramic objects of the Cypriot Red Slip Ware type (Hayes form 2, AD 450-550). The obverse of the amulet contains a schematic, simplified figure of a sitting Harpocrates and below the mummy of Osiris in a boat, as well as depictions of animals (a crocodile, a rooster and a snake) and symbolic astrals (a half-moon and a star). On the reverse, however, an eight-line text of the so-called ιαεω- palindrome, consisting of 59 letters of the Greek alphabet, was carved. According to the current state of knowledge, it was translated in the following way: “Yahweh is the bearer of the secret name, the lion of Re secure in his shrine”. Both the depiction and the text carved into the surface of the amulet clearly indicate the influence of the Orient and the context of solar ideas; the object may be dated to the 5th-6th century AD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper analyses current trends and approaches towards the conservation of abandoned monuments, demonstrating different strategies applied to historical buildings in Cyprus with an emphasis on medieval monasteries. Through the examination of two cases - the restoration of Panayia tou Sinti Monastery in Paphos and the revival of Ayios Nicolaos Monastery in Orounda - the positive and negative consequences of the different philosophy and strategy followed in each case is demonstrated. With the involvement of the authors, the monastery of Panayia tou Sinti was partly restored in the form of ruins and became an open-air museum, whereas the monastery of Ayios Nicolaos underwent a comprehensive maintenance and new extensions were designed by the authors using appropriate materials and forms. Through these examples, the different concepts of conserving historic complexes - such as 'museum' conservation, final form of ruins, matters of authenticity, dynamic maintenance, compatibility of materials, structural reinforcement - are discussed. This paper demonstrates that before making final decisions for the strategy to be followed for the conservation of a historic abandoned building, investigation and assessment of all its values within the philosophical framework of international principles for rehabilitation should be conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dengue virus host factors (DENV HFs) that are essential for the completion of the infection cycle in the mosquito vector and vertebrate host represent potent targets for transmission blocking. Here we investigated whether known mammalian DENV HF inhibitors could influence virus infection in the arthropod vector A. aegypti. We evaluated the potency of bafilomycin (BAF; inhibitor of vacuolar H+-ATPase (vATPase)), mycophenolic acid (MPA; inhibitor of inosine-5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH)), castanospermine (CAS; inhibitor of glucosidase), and deoxynojirimycin (DNJ; inhibitor of glucosidase) in blocking DENV infection of the mosquito midgut, using various treatment methods that included direct injection, ingestion by sugar feeding or blood feeding, and silencing of target genes by RNA interference (RNAi). Injection of BAF (5 µM) and MPA (25 µM) prior to feeding on virus-infected blood inhibited DENV titers in the midgut at 7 days post-infection by 56% and 60%, and in the salivary gland at 14 days post-infection by 90% and 83%, respectively, while treatment of mosquitoes with CAS or DNJ did not affect susceptibility to the virus. Ingestion of BAF and MPA through a sugar meal or together with an infectious blood meal also resulted in various degrees of virus inhibition. RNAi-mediated silencing of several vATPase subunit genes and the IMPDH gene resulted in a reduced DENV infection, thereby indicating that BAF- and MPA-mediated virus inhibition in adult mosquitoes most likely occurred through the inhibition of these DENV HFs. The route and timing of BAF and MPA administration was essential, and treatment after exposure to the virus diminished the antiviral effect of these compounds. Here we provide proof-of-principle that chemical inhibition or RNAi-mediated depletion of the DENV HFs vATPase and IMPDH can be used to suppress DENV infection of adult A. aegypti mosquitoes, which may translate to a reduction in DENV transmission. Author Summary: Arboviruses utilize homologous host factors of the mammalian and insect cellular machinery to complete the infection cycle. Studies in both mammalian and insect cell lines have shown that virus infection can be suppressed through inhibition of host factors by chemical compounds that therefore could be developed into transmission blocking agents. However, similar studies have not been conducted in adult mosquitoes. Here we investigated the effect of four chemical compounds (bafilomycin, mycophenolic acid, castanospermine, and deoxynojirimycin), known to inhibit the host factors vacuolar H+-ATPase (vATPase), inosine-5′-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH) and glucosidases, on dengue virus replication in adult mosquitoes. We found that bafilomycin and mycophenolic acid suppressed dengue virus replication in adult mosquito guts when they were injected prior to dengue virus infection; however, castanospermine and deoxynojirimycin did not. Ingestion of bafilomycin and mycophenolic acid also inhibited virus replication. We showed that the predicted target genes of bafilomycin and mycophenolic acid function as virus host factors in adult mosquitoes through RNAi-mediated gene silencing. Inhibition of vATPase also decreases mosquito longevity and fecundity, thereby further compromising vector capacity. Our study demonstrated that chemical compounds or double stranded RNAs (dsRNA) can be used to suppress virus infection through inhibition of host factors in adult mosquitoes, thereby rendering such approaches interesting for the development of novel transmission-blocking strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian archaeological mission to Nea Paphos in Cyprus has begun exploring the remains of a structure to the rear of the cavea of the ancient theatre on the southeastern edge of the hill known as Fabrika. The preliminary results of this excavation suggest a significantly large post-medieval building constructed using stone taken from the former theatre. The building appears to have been used in some sort of industrial production, the precise nature of which is not yet determined, and is perhaps the source of the etymology of the name of the hill. This paper discusses a need for a reassessment of this area of the city of Nea Paphos in its more recent history, and discusses the needs for a better understanding of the urban relationship between Fabrika and the theatrical precinct during the Hellenistic and Roman periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of an expanded granular sludge bed (EGSB) in combination with a biological aerated filter (BAF) system for petroleum refining wastewater treatment was investigated. The system was monitored for two months at a hydraulic retention time of 17.5 h and a digestion temperature of 34 ± 1°C. The results showed that the total chemical oxygen demand (CODCr) and oil removal efficiencies were up to 90 and 87%, respectively, with the average CODCr and oil concentrations of 85 and 11 mg/L in the system effluent. Moreover, almost 97% of suspended solids (SS) were removed by the system and the effluent SS concentration was only 15 mg/L. The sludge yield coefficient of 0.0036 mg/mgCODCr showed a low excessive sludge production for the EGSB reactor. The excellent treatment performance indicated that this EGSB-BAF system could be appropriate for refining wastewater treatment. Besides, methane yield was only about 0.21 mLCH4/mgCODCr in the EGSB reactor, lower than the theoretical yields. The poor methane production together with the low oil concentration and increased biodegradability of effluent indicated that the biochemical reaction of refining wastewater mainly remains in hydrolytic acidification phase in the EGSB reactor. For this reason, it was proposed that a highly efficient anaerobic process such as EGSB could be used as a pre-treatment process to improve the biodegradation performance of the following aerobic biochemical treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanisation processes as a result of population growth, migration and infrastructure initiatives have a direct impact to cultural heritage sites. This paper aims to monitor growth dynamics of the urbanisation process that took place in the Paphos district, southwest Cyprus during the last decades, and evaluate its impact to monuments and archaeological sites. In this extensive area, several important archaeological sites and monuments are found, while some of them are also listed in the UNESCO catalogue of World Cultural Heritage sites. GIS and remote sensing techniques have been used in order to map the listed monuments in the Paphos District, as well as to record spatial and temporal land use changes since the 1980s. The spatial patterns of urban sprawl are studied and analysed using archive time series medium resolution Landsat ETM+ and TM satellite imagery. In addition, a DMSP-OLS night-ime image was also used. Several supervised and unsupervised classification algorithms have been evaluated and examined for this purpose. Additionally, Markov equation were applied in an attempt to predict future urban expansion The final outcomes revealed that a dramatic increase of the urban areas took place in the last years in Paphos district, and as a result significant pressure is expected on archaeological sites found in the peri-urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oil lamps as archaeological finds and in museum collections provide a wealth of information. Various types of studies may be applied to investigate their meaning in ancient times. When several methods are used simultaneously, the objects may be interpreted according to distinct aspects, enabling us to study this group of ceramic objects from a multidisciplinary, comprehensive perspective. Such aspects are described in this paper, supplemented by a case study concerning oil lamps from the Agora in Nea Paphos, Cyprus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the 2014 season a late Hellenistic well was explored as part of the excavations on the Nea Paphos Agora. Many special finds, including ceramic vessels, iron and bronze items, and lamps were found. Moreover, on the bottom of the well a piece of textile attached to metal application was discovered. In our paper, we would like to present preliminary examination of that artefact, which is very uncommon considering the rarity of such remains in Cyprus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subject of this paper is a reconstruction of the architectural decoration of a façade of the House of Aion in Nea Paphos. During an excavation carried out in 1997 several pieces of decorated architectural elements were uncovered in room 19, among others the fragments of an arch, a lintel, an engaged column, an impost and two consoles. Those blocks served as a base for the reconstruction of the architectural frame of the main gateway. It took the form of a cantilevered, blind arcade of five spans erected above the main gate. Each span consisted of two engaged columns supporting an arch with a shallow niche underneath it, probably for a kind of decorative element. The reconstruction was based on similar architectural details known from the main room of the House of Aion, the Porta Aurea at the palace of Diocletian in Split, and the western façade of the Felix Romuliana Palace in Gamzigrad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to assess the risk of natural and anthropogenic hazards for cultural heritage in Cyprus by integrating multi-temporal GIS and earth observation analysis, in the area of Paphos District. The work presented here attends to re-evaluate previous results from earth observations and GIS analysis and go a step forward targeting more reliable outcomes for cultural heritage management. The scope of the paper was to develop a more accurate methodology for risk assessment against natural and anthropogenic hazards (e.g., soil erosion; urban expansion), based on homogeneous clustering of the monuments under consideration. The accomplished assessment approach, being lopsided and generic, cannot be applied across the board and undistractedly for cultural heritage management of all types of monuments of the district. Instead, the proposed clustering of monuments based on a variety of parameters is taking into consideration characteristics of their immediate environment, resulting rational local-based outcomes more useful for monuments and sites safeguarding and for prevention measurements. For each one of the five clusters of monuments located in the Paphos District, an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method was followed in order to address the individual and unique characteristics of the monuments and sites within the same cluster area. Subsequently, the weight factors from these clusters were interpolated to the whole district, prior to the application of the overall AHP risk assessment. Ultimately, the results were compared with the overall AHP method applied for the entire Paphos District, indicating that the proposed methodology can be more accurate and realistic for the different groups of the monuments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2006 UNESCO report has identified soil loss as one of the main threats of climate change with possible impact to natural and cultural heritage. The study illustrated in this paper shows the results from geomatic perspective, applying an interdisciplinary approach undertaken in order to identify major natural hazards affecting cultural landscapes and archaeological heritage in rural areas in Cyprus. In particular, Earth Observation (EO) and ground-based methods were identified and applied for mapping, monitoring and estimation of the possible soil loss caused by soil erosion. Special attention was given to the land use/land cover factor (C) and its impact on the overall estimation of the soil-loss. Cover factor represents the effect of soil-disturbing activities, plants, crop sequence and productivity level, soil cover and subsurface bio-mass on soil erosion. Urban areas have a definite role in retarding the recharge process, leading to increased runoff and soil loss in the broader area. On the other hand, natural vegetation plays a predominant role in reducing water erosion. The land use change was estimated based on the difference of the NDVI value between Landsat 5 TM and Sentinel-2 data for the period between 1980s' until today. Cover factor was then estimated for both periods and significant land use changes were further examined in areas of significant cultural and natural landscape value. The results were then compared in order to study the impact of land use change on the soil erosion and hence on the soil loss rate in the selected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the co-regency of Ptolemy VI and VIII, dated silver coinage was struck principally at Salamis, Citium and Paphos but also at Amathus and an uncertain mint or mints. We present a new die study of the coinage of the three main mints, which was less sporadic than previous studies indicated. The results have implications for the contemporaneous minting operations at Alexandria. The coinage of this period documents a surprising resilience of the Ptolemaic Empire in the wake of the Sixth Syrian War. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An all-fiber midinfrared supercontinuum with 20-dB spectral coverage from 1.9 to 4.6 µm is demonstrated with a record power ratio beyond 3.8 µm. The supercontinuum is generated in a piece of single-mode ZBLAN (ZrF4-BaF2-LaF3-AlF3-NaF) fiber pumped by a broadband, single-mode thulium-doped fiber amplifier. Under the optimized pulse repetition rate and ZBLAN fiber length, the output spectrum has a good flatness. The power ratio beyond 3.8 µm is measured to be over 30% when the average output power reaches 1.11 W. Based on the all-fiber configuration, we have provided a compact, reliable, and promising supercontinuum source for further spectral extension into the midinfrared region where a high long-wavelength ratio is preferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the paper is to extend the standard set of ceramic vessels used for thermal processing of food with two forms: jugs and colanders. The paper presents the functional analysis of ceramic jugs and colanders made of cooking ware found in early Roman layers of the residential quarter of ancient Nea Paphos, excavated by the Polish Archaeological Mission of Warsaw University at Kato Paphos. The examination is based on the shape of the vessels, the fabric, as well as on specific traces of use visible on the pots, such as mineral deposit on the inside or soot on the outside surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with public areas in ancient residences. These zones, emphasising the social status of the owners of the houses, are analysed in several large residences erected in the Graeco-Roman Period in Nea Paphos, Cyprus: the 'Hellenistic' House, the Villa of Theseus, and the House of Aion. Particularly, the special arrangement of the layout and the architectural decoration of three major public zones were studied: the entrance, the main courtyard, and the main room. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have prepared glasses in the ZrF4–BaF2–LaF3–AlF3–NaF (ZBLAN) and HfF4–BaF2–LaF3–AlF3–NaF (HBLAN) systems in which fluorine anions are partially replaced by chlorine and bromine anions. Structural changes in the chlorine-substituted glasses have been investigated by Raman spectroscopy and their crystallization behavior has been studied by differential thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction. The results demonstrate a characteristic decrease in glass transition temperature (Tg) and the precipitation of fine-particle crystalline chloride and bromide phases in a temperature range well below the crystallization temperature (Tx) of the fluoride analogues. We have identified phases that crystallize during heat treatment of the glasses at various temperatures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the timing and nature of effusion of lava in the summit regions of stratovolcanoes is important, because these volcanoes generate deadly and destructive block-and-ash flows (BAFs). The most recent eruption of Mt. Taranaki in New Zealand left a portion of a lava dome which now forms its 2518 m summit. In this study we demonstrate the value of applying paleomagnetic techniques to understand recent effusive episodes. By matching the direction of remanent magnetization of the dome lava with the regional paleomagnetic secular variation curve NZPSV1k, we estimate that this eruption occurred between AD1780 and 1800. The paleomagnetic signal and geochemistry show that the summit dome was part of a large lava coulee that spilled from a NW-breach in the crater, with other parts of this structure still remaining down slope (the "Turtle"). Paleomagnetic analyses were also used to reconstruct the thermal history of deposits formed by the dome/coulee collapse. Emplacement temperature estimates and groundmass textural data from the BAF deposit clasts show that the lava dome collapsed in multiple stages. A small, cooler portion of lower dome coulee collapsed first, before the progressively thicker and hotter parts of the central dome. The collapses generated BAFs which travelled up to 5 km from the source and maintained temperatures > 500 °C more than 2 km from the source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerin is an essential LEM (LAP2, Emerin, MAN1) domain protein in metazoans and an integral membrane protein associated with inner and outer nuclear membranes. Mutations in the human EMD gene coding for emerin result in the rare genetic disorder: Emery–Dreifuss muscular dystrophy type 1 (EDMD1). This disease belongs to a broader group called laminopathies—a heterogeneous group of rare genetic disorders affecting tissues of mesodermal origin. EDMD1 phenotype is characterized by progressive muscle wasting, contractures of the elbow and Achilles tendons, and cardiac conduction defects. Emerin is involved in many cellular and intranuclear processes through interactions with several partners: lamins; barrier-to-autointegration factor (BAF), β-catenin, actin, and tubulin. Our study demonstrates the presence of the emerin fraction which associates with mitotic spindle microtubules and centrosomes during mitosis and colocalizes during early mitosis with lamin A/C, BAF, and membranes at the mitotic spindle. Transfection studies with cells expressing EGFP-emerin protein demonstrate that the emerin fusion protein fraction also localizes to centrosomes and mitotic spindle microtubules during mitosis. Transient expression of emerin deletion mutants revealed that the resulting phenotypes vary and are mutant dependent. The most frequent phenotypes include aberrant nuclear shape, tubulin network mislocalization, aberrant mitosis, and mislocalization of centrosomes. Emerin deletion mutants demonstrated different chromatin binding capacities in an in vitro nuclear assembly assay and chromatin-binding properties correlated with the strength of phenotypic alteration in transfected cells. Aberrant tubulin staining and microtubule network phenotype appearance depended on the presence of the tubulin binding region in the expressed deletion mutants. We believe that the association with tubulin might help to "deliver" emerin and associated membranes to decondensing chromatin. Preliminary analyses of cells from Polish patients with EDMD1 revealed that for several mutations thought to be null for emerin protein, a truncated emerin protein was present. We infer that the EDMD1 phenotype may be strengthened by the toxicity of truncated emerin expressed in patients with certain nonsense mutations in EMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the properties of Ce3+-doped Y3Al5O12 (YAG:Ce3+) phosphors for white light emitting diodes by mechanical method was evaluated. The YAG:Ce3+ phosphors were synthesized by the mechanical method using an attrition-type mill without any extra-heat assistance. BaF2, YF3 and Al(OH)3 was used as an additive for its lower temperature reaction, respectively. The synthesis of YAG:Ce3+ phosphor was favorably achieved after 10-30 min by mechanical processing with the addition of each additive. As a result, it was made clear that the quantum yield of phosphor was well related to the crystallite size of the sample regardless of the kind of additives. The absorption rate of YAG phosphors were also well related to its median diameter. Both relationships almost agreed to those obtained for the YAG:Ce3+ phosphors synthesized by solid reaction method. It was suggested that the increase of crystallite size and median size of the sample synthesized by mechanical method is key issue to achieving higher quality of YAG:Ce3+ phosphor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive amounts of sewage sludge produced in sewage treatment plants along with the ban on its storage and dumping require rapid solutions to the problem of sewage sludge management. An example of a rational and environmentally viable method may be provided by its application in agriculture and environmental management. The optimal solution is to use sludge as a fertiliser for industrial plants, including energy crops, that is, those not used in food production. For environmental reasons it is essential to control soil quality and condition following sludge application. Analyses of the residual effect of sewage sludge and bacteria, actinobacteria, fungi microbial inoculant (BAF) on selected physiological parameters of plants and microbial activity of soil were conducted in the years 2013-2015 on experimental fields of the Poznan University of Life Sciences. The results indicate that the application of sewage sludge increased yields and improved selected photosynthesis activity and biometric traits of willow. Among the tested combinations the best results were obtained following the application of sewage sludge combined with the BAF medium microbial inoculant. Similar dependencies were observed when evaluating soil microbial activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of nonempirical quantum chemical calculations of CaF2, SrF2, and BaF2 crystals that were activated by In3+ and Ga3+ ions have been presented. The calculations were performed in the framework of density functional theory using the VASP software complex. The estimation of the width of the band gap of defect-free crystals have been carried out by different methods and the influence of impurity ions on the band gap width has been estimated as well as the possibility of getting rid of shallow traps by introducing an impurity of indium or gallium has been investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processes of photo-induced electron transfer from a bivalent acceptor lanthanide (Eu, Sm, and Yb) onto a trivalent donor lanthanide (Nd, Sm, Dy, Tm, and Yb) and the inverse thermally activated transfer are studied in barium fluoride crystals. At room temperature, photoinduced electron transfer is accompanied by oncoming displacement of the interstitial charge-compensating fluoride ion. On photoquenching at low temperatures, a bivalent donor lanthanide remains next to the interstitial fluoride ion, which causes a redshift of its 4f–5d absorption bands. The shift increases as the lanthanide size decreases (as in the series Nd, Sm, Dy, Tm, and Yb). A detailed analysis of the mechanisms of photo and thermal electron transfers between the different lanthanide centers in BaF2 crystals is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meat quality of Akkaraman, Bafra, and Bafra × Akkaraman F1 (BAF1) lamb genotypes was determined and then compared at slaughter weights of 34 and 42 kg. At the beginning of the study, 36 male lambs were fed intensively after weaning at approximately 3 months of age. Six animals of each genotype were slaughtered at each slaughter weight and certain meat quality characteristics, namely meat color, pH, cooking loss, tenderness, water holding capacity, and fatty acid profile, were investigated. The pH values of the M. longissimus dorsi (MLD) for the Bafra, Akkaraman, and BAF1 genotypes at 24 h after slaughter were 5.67, 5.53, and 5.54 for 34 kg slaughter weight, respectively, and 5.50, 5.56, and 5.53 for 42 kg slaughter weight, respectively. As the slaughter weight increased, the redness value (a*) of MLD at 24 h and M. semimembranosus at 0 and 24 h were increased for all the genotypes. The studied genotypes had similar values for tenderness and water holding capacity for both slaughter weight groups, but the Bafra genotype had the lowest cooking loss value at 42 kg slaughter weight. Polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated fatty acids levels of BAF1 were different between Akkaraman and Bafa genotypes for 34 kg slaughter weight, but the differences disappeared at 42 kg slaughter weight. In conclusion, the BAF1 genotype had similar meat quality values compared to Akkaraman and Bafra genotypes. It would be beneficial to do a sensory evaluation for determining if there were any flavor differences between BAF1 and the other genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, we studied the gamma photon attenuation properties for different germanate glasses systems with composition Sb 2 O 3 –GeO 2 –SiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 , TeO 2 –WO 3 –GeO 2 , GeO 2 –TeO 2 /SiO 2 –PbO–CaO–Tm 2 O 3 and B 2 O 3 –GeO 2 –Gd 2 O 3 –Eu 2 O 3 –GdF 3 –BaF 2. The mass attenuation coefficients (μ/ρ) for the selected germanate glasses were calculated at different energies (between 0.015 MeV and 15 MeV) using the MCNPX code. The calculated MCNPX μ/ρ values then compared with the WinXCom data to check the accuracy in the results. The results showed that the Sb 2 O 3 replacement by SiO 2 causes a decrease in μ/ρ for Sb 2 O 3 –GeO 2 –SiO 2 –Al 2 O 3 glass system. Also, it is found that for TeO 2 –WO 3 –GeO 2 glass system, μ/ρ decreases as GeO2 content increases from 1 to 20 mol%. While for GeO 2 –TeO 2 /SiO 2 –PbO–CaO–Tm 2 O 3 glass system, the results revealed that the glass samples contain TeO 2 possess higher μ/ρ values than the samples contain SiO 2. For the B 2 O 3 –GeO 2 –Gd 2 O 3 –Eu 2 O 3 –GdF 3 –BaF 2 glasses, we found that the μ/ρ values decrease as BaF 2 is increased from 0 to 15 mol%. Moreover, it is found that 50Sb-0Ge for series 1, TWG0 for series 2, 2G4T for series 3 and X = 0 for series 4 glass samples among the studied glasses have the highest effective atomic number values. On the basis of the results achieved, 50Sb-0Ge, TWG0, 2G4T and X = 0 samples have the best radiation shielding characteristics among the selected glasses. Highlights • Radiation shielding characteristics of different germanate glasses have been investigated. • The μ/ρ for the selected germanate glasses was evaluated by MCNPX simulation code at different energies. • The HVL results for the present germanate glasses suggested that the gamma photons absorption capacity increases as the density of the sample increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract In this paper, BaAl 11 O 16 N (BAON) based oxynitride phosphors have been synthesized via the employment of the flux method and Eu2+/Mn2+ co-doped technique. The effects of different fluxes on phase formation of the phosphor have been investigated. It has been found that BaF 2 is the best flux to prepare BAON as it can decrease the pure phase-forming temperature (∼1550 °C) than the normal solid state synthesis (∼1700 °C). It also gives the best luminescence quantum efficiency. The crystallinity, morphology and grain size of the phosphor can be improved when more BaF 2 flux has been added. The photoluminescence (PL) spectra and decay curves for Eu2+/Mn2+co-doped BAON phosphors reveal that an efficient energy transfer (ET) from Eu2+ to Mn2+ takes place in the BAON host. The corresponding ET efficiencies and mechanisms are evaluated and the critical distance (R c) is calculated in terms of the experimental data and analysis. The emission colors of the co-doped phosphors can be tuned from blue to green by simply varying the doping concentrations of Mn2+. White light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) are fabricated by coating the as-prepared samples on a near ultraviolet (n- UV) LED chip to explore the real application potentials. The excellent performance of this WLEDs verifies that the co-doped phosphor can be used as an efficient green component. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • A simple flux fusion routine for synthesizing BaAl 11 O 16 N:Eu2+,Mn2+ oxynitride phosphors. • Energy transfer between Eu2+ and Mn2+ takes a place in the BaAl 11 O 16 N host. • The WLEDs based on the as-prepared phosphors presents excellent warm white light performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nicolaides-Baraitser syndrome (NCBRS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by pathogenic sequence variants in SMARCA2 which encodes the catalytic component of the chromatin remodeling BAF complex. Pathogenic variants in genes that encode epigenetic regulators have been associated with genome-wide changes in DNA methylation (DNAm) in affected individuals termed DNAm signatures. Methods: Genome-wide DNAm was assessed in whole-blood samples from the individuals with pathogenic SMARCA2 variants and NCBRS diagnosis (n = 8) compared to neurotypical controls (n = 23) using the Illumina MethylationEPIC array. Differential methylated CpGs between groups (DNAm signature) were identified and used to generate a model enabling classification variants of uncertain significance (VUS; n = 9) in SMARCA2 as "pathogenic" or "benign". A validation cohort of NCBRS cases (n = 8) and controls (n = 96) demonstrated 100% model sensitivity and specificity. Results: We identified a DNAm signature of 429 differentially methylated CpG sites in individuals with NCBRS. The genes to which these CpG sites map are involved in cell differentiation, calcium signaling, and neuronal function consistent with NCBRS pathophysiology. DNAm model classifications of VUS were concordant with the clinical phenotype; those within the SMARCA2 ATPase/helicase domain classified as "pathogenic". A patient with a mild neurodevelopmental NCBRS phenotype and a VUS distal to the ATPase/helicase domain did not score as pathogenic, clustering away from cases and controls. She demonstrated an intermediate DNAm profile consisting of one subset of signature CpGs with methylation levels characteristic of controls and another characteristic of NCBRS cases; each mapped to genes with ontologies consistent with the patient's unique clinical presentation. Conclusions: Here we find that a DNAm signature of SMARCA2 pathogenic variants in NCBRS maps to CpGs relevant to disorder pathophysiology, classifies VUS, and is sensitive to the position of the variant in SMARCA2. The patient with an intermediate model score demonstrating a unique genotype-epigenotype-phenotype correlation underscores the potential utility of this signature as a functionally relevant VUS classification system scalable beyond binary "benign" versus "pathogenic" scoring. This is a novel feature of DNAm signatures that could enable phenotypic predictions from genotype data. Our findings also demonstrate that DNAm signatures can be domain-specific, highlighting the precision with which they can reflect genotypic variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The NL-eEDM collaboration is building an experimental setup to search for the permanent electric dipole moment of the electron in a slow beam of cold barium fluoride molecules [NL-eEDM Collaboration, Eur. Phys. J. D 72, 197 (2018)]. Knowledge of the molecular properties of BaF is thus needed to plan the measurements and, in particular, to determine the optimal laser-cooling scheme. Accurate and reliable theoretical predictions of these properties require the incorporation of both high-order correlation and relativistic effects in the calculations. In this work, theoretical investigations of the ground and lowest excited states of BaF and its lighter homologs, CaF and SrF, are carried out in the framework of the relativistic Fock-space coupled cluster and multireference configuration interaction methods. Using the calculated molecular properties, we determine the Franck-Condon factors (FCFs) for the A 2 Π 1 / 2 → X 2 Σ 1 / 2 + transition, which was successfully used for cooling CaF and SrF and is now considered for BaF. For all three species, the FCFs are found to be highly diagonal. Calculations are also performed for the B 2 Σ 1 / 2 + → X 2 Σ 1 / 2 + transition recently exploited for laser-cooling of CaF; it is shown that this transition is not suitable for laser-cooling of BaF, due to the nondiagonal nature of the FCFs in this system. Special attention is given to the properties of the A′2Δ state, which in the case of BaF causes a leak channel, in contrast to CaF and SrF species where this state is energetically above the excited states used in laser-cooling. We also present the dipole moments of the ground and excited states of the three molecules and the transition dipole moments (TDMs) between the different states. Finally, using the calculated FCFs and TDMs, we determine that the A 2 Π 1 / 2 → X 2 Σ 1 / 2 + transition is suitable for transverse cooling in BaF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current paper contributes new evidence to the ongoing discussion of the location and organisation of production of Hellenistic colour-coated ware (CCW), through interdisciplinary investigation of morphological style, technology and provenance of relevant pottery from a Late Hellenistic deposit found in a well in the Agora of Nea Paphos on Cyprus. Through naked eye examination, four major macroscopic groups were identified based on vessel typology and fabrics. Subsequently, 53 representative samples were selected and analysed through a combination of refiring tests, chemical analysis, thin section petrography and scanning electron microscopy. The results indicated that the sheer majority of this pottery, despite some compositional and technological variability, reflects the use of similar raw materials compatible with the geology of Paphos. Therefore, during the Late Hellenistic period, most of the CCW consumed in Paphos were locally produced. The observed variation in the assemblage can be associated with several factors, such as natural diversity of raw materials, a number of co-existing pottery workshops, technological choices made by the potters and to a lesser extent post-depositional processes. This integrated research has a profound impact on studies of production and consumption of the Late Hellenistic pottery on Cyprus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fiber-based mid-infrared (MIR) supercontinuum (SC) sources benefit from their spectral brightness and spatial coherence that are needed for many applications, such as spectroscopy and metrology. In this paper, an SC spanning from to is demonstrated in cascaded ZrF4–BaF2–LaF3–AlF3–NaF (ZBLAN) and As2Se3 step-index fibers. The pump source is a ZBLAN fiber-based MIR SC laser with abundant high-peak-power soliton pulses between 3000 nm and 4200 nm. By concatenating the ZBLAN fiber and the As2Se3 fiber, efficient cascading red-shifts are obtained in the normal dispersion region of the As2Se3 fiber. The spectral behavior of cascaded SC generation shows that the long-wavelength proportion of MIR SC generated in the ZBLAN fiber plays a critical role for further spectral extension in the As2Se3 fiber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the influence of soil contamination on the distribution of terrestrial isopods, species richness, relative abundance, and diversity, various indices were studied in 20 sampling sites from five industrial areas located in Sfax (SE Tunisia). The following hypotheses were tested: (1) is isopod diversity affected by soil properties? (2) What are the environmental factors that influence the isopod distribution? A total of 445 individuals were sampled and eight species of terrestrial isopods were identified. Porcellionides pruinosus was the most abundant species (38%); however, the highest specific richness per area was equal to four species. To evaluate the impact of metal contamination on isopod distribution, cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe) concentrations were measured in soils and terrestrial isopods. Moreover, multivariate analyses revealed a negative correlation between heavy metal concentrations and ecological parameters suggesting an impact of the contamination degree on biodiversity. In addition, to characterize the heavy metal accumulation in isopods, the bioaccumulation factor (BAF) was determined and revealed that Cu and Zn were the most accumulated elements. Results showed that for all species, the order of the BAF values is as follows: Cu ≫ Zn ≫ Cd > Pb > Fe. On the contrary, all species seemed to be deconcentrators of Fe and Cd, with some exceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel double‐cladding Ho3+/Tm3+ co‐doped Bi2O3–GeO2–Ga2O3–BaF2 glass fiber, which can be applied to a 2.0‐μm infrared laser, was fabricated by a rod‐tube drawing method. The thermal properties of the glass were studied by differential scanning calorimetry. It showed good thermal stability and matching thermal expansion coefficient for fiber drawing when Tx−Tg > 193°C and the maximum difference of the thermal expansion coefficient is 3.55 × 10−6/°C or less. The 2.0‐μm luminescence characteristics were studied using the central wavelength of 808 nm pump light excitation. The results show that when the concentration ratio of Ho3+/Tm3+ reaches 0.5 mol%:1.0 mol%, the maximum fluorescence intensity was obtained in the core glass, the emission cross section reached 10.09 × 10−21 cm2, and the maximum phonon energy was 751 cm−1. In this paper, a continuous laser output with a maximum power of 0.986 W and a wavelength of 2030 nm was obtained using an erbium‐doped fiber laser as a pump source in a 0.5 m long Ho3+/Tm3+ co‐doped glass fiber. In short, the results show that Ho3+/Tm3+ co‐doped 36Bi2O3–30GeO2–15Ga2O3–10BaF2–9Na2O glass fiber has excellent laser properties, and it is an ideal mid‐infrared fiber material for a 2.0‐μm fiber laser with excellent characteristics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the A-LIFE (Absorbing aerosol layers in a changing climate: aging, LIFEtime and dynamics) campaign, ground-based measurements were carried out in Paphos, Cyprus, to characterize the abundance, properties, and sources of aerosol particles in general and cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) and ice-nucleating particles (INP) in particular. New particle formation (NPF) events with subsequent growth of the particles into the CCN size range were observed. Aitken mode particles featured κ values of 0.21 to 0.29, indicating the presence of organic materials. Accumulation mode particles featured a higher hygroscopicity parameter, with a median κ value of 0.57, suggesting the presence of sulfate and maybe sea salt particles mixed with organic carbon. A clear downward trend of κ with increasing supersaturation and decreasing dcrit was found. Super-micron particles originated mainly from sea-spray aerosol (SSA) and partly from mineral dust. INP concentrations (NINP) were measured in the temperature range from -6.5 to -26.5 ∘C , using two freezing array-type instruments. NINP at a particular temperature span around 1 order of magnitude below -20 ∘C and about 2 orders of magnitude at warmer temperatures (T>-18 ∘C). Few samples showed elevated concentrations at temperatures >-15 ∘C , which suggests a significant contribution of biological particles to the INP population, which possibly could originate from Cyprus. Both measured temperature spectra and NINP probability density functions (PDFs) indicate that the observed INP (ice active in the temperature range between -15 and -20 ∘C) mainly originate from long-range transport. There was no correlation between NINP and particle number concentration in the size range >500 nm (N>500nm). Parameterizations based on N>500nm were found to overestimate NINP by about 1 to 2 orders of magnitude. There was also no correlation between NINP and particle surface area concentration. The ice active surface site density (ns) for the polluted aerosol encountered in the eastern Mediterranean in this study is about 1 to 3 orders of magnitude lower than the ns found for dust aerosol particles in previous studies. This suggests that observed NINP PDFs such as those derived here could be a better choice for modeling NINP if the aerosol particle composition is unknown or uncertain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A cornerstone of the management and conservation of archaeological sites is recording their physical characteristics. Documenting and describing the site is an essential step that allows for delineating the components of the site and for collecting and synthesizing information and documentation (Demas, 2012). The information produced by such work assists in the decision-making process for custodians, site managers, public officials, conservators, and other related experts. Rigorous documentation may also serve a broader purpose: over time, it becomes the primary archival and monitoring record. Both scholars and the public use this information and interpret the site, and they can serve as a posterity record in the event of catastrophic or gradual loss of the heritage asset. In May 2018 the Getty Conservation Institute and the Department of Antiquities of Cyprus collaborated with the Carleton Immersive Media Studio in undertaking the documentation of Nea Paphos, a World Heritage site with very important mosaic pavements in the eastern Mediterranean. This contribution outlines the critical components of the documentation project: field study, field measurements, data processing, validation, GIS, and integration of external data. The paper summarizes the digital workflows and procedures used to produce the deliverables, as well as the equipment and technology employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare inter‐ and intraobserver reliability and intermodality agreement on quantification of geographic atrophy, using two routinely available quantification tools, based on blue‐light fundus autofluorescence (BAF) and spectral‐domain optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT). Methods: Quantifications of atrophic lesions within the central 5 mm of 30 eyes from 30 patients (mean age: 76.1 years) were independently performed by two clinicians on BAF images using the region finder (RF; Heidelberg Engineering) and on SD‐OCT using the advanced retinal pigment epithelium tool (ARPET; Carl Zeiss Meditec) at baseline and follow‐up (mean interval: 336 days). Inter‐ and intraobserver reliability was determined by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Bland–Altmann plots. Additionally, graders rated the experienced difficulty of each measurement. Results: Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) showed excellent inter‐ and intraobserver reliability with values between 0.994 and 0.998 for RF and slightly higher values for ARPET of 0.997 and 0.999. Bland–Altman plots showed smaller variability for ARPET. Mean interobserver differences (95% CI) for size measurements were −0.11 (−0.27; 0.05) (baseline) and −0.05 mm² (−0.18; 0.08) (follow‐up) for RF and −0.04 (−0.14; 0.06) and −0.06 mm² (−0.14; 0.02) for ARPET. Measurements of lesions were on average 0.57 mm² (0.35; 0.79) or 7.6% larger in ARPET. Lesion size between graders did not differ significantly. There was no statistically significant difference in relative enlargement rates between methods. There was poor to moderate agreement between graders when rating the experienced difficulty of each measurement. Conclusion: Semi‐automated analysis of geographic atrophy with RF and ARPET is equally reliable and reproducible in clinical settings, despite both algorithms require frequent adjustment by users. The ARPET restricts size measurements to the central 5 mm, which limits its ability to fully track GA progression. Results of both tools are not interchangeable as measurements with ARPET result in larger lesion sizes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]