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Monitoring variation in population features such as abundance and density is essential for evaluating and implementing conservation actions. Camera trapping can be important for assessing population status and trends and is increasingly used to generate density estimates through capture–recapture models. Moreover, success in using this technique can vary seasonally given shifting animal distributions and camera encounter rates. Notwithstanding these potential advantages, a gap still exists in our understanding of the performance of such models for estimating density of cryptic Neotropical terrestrial carnivores with low encounter rate probability with cameras. In addition, scanty information is available on how sampling design can affect the accuracy and precision of density estimates for Neotropical carnivores. We evaluate the performance of spatially explicit versus nonspatial capture–mark–recapture models for estimating densities and population size of ocelots (Leopardus pardalis) within an Atlantic Forest fragment in Brazil. We conducted two spatially concurrent surveys, a random camera-trap deployment covering the entire study area and a systematic camera-trap deployment in a small portion of the study area, where trails and unpaved roads were located. We obtained 244 photographs of ocelots in the Rio Doce State Park from April 2016 to November 2017, using 54-double camera stations spaced approximately 1.5 km apart (random placement) totaling 4,320 trap-nights and 15-double camera stations spaced from 0.3–10 km apart (systematic placement) totaling 1,200 trap-nights. Using the random placement design, ocelot density estimates were similar during the dry season, 14.0 individuals/km2 (± 5.6 SE, 6.6–30.0, 95% CI) and 13.78 individuals/km2 (± 4.25 SE, 5.4–22.1, 95% CI) from spatially explicit capture–recapture and nonspatial models, respectively. Using the systematic placement design spatially explicit models had smaller and less precise ocelot density estimates than nonspatial models during the dry season. Ocelot density was 12.4 individuals/100 km2 (± 5.0 SE, 5.8–26.7, 95% CI) and 19.9 individuals/km2 (± 5.2 SE, 9.7–30.1, 95% CI) from spatially explicit and nonspatial models, respectively. During the rainy season, we found the opposite pattern. Using the systematic placement design, spatial-explicit models had higher and less precise estimates than nonspatial models. Ocelot density was 24.6 individuals/100 km2 (± 13.9 SE, 8.7–69.4, 95% CI) and 11.89 individuals/km2 (± 3.93 SE, 4.19–19.59, 95% CI) from spatially explicit and nonspatial models, respectively. During the rainy season, we could not compare models using the random placement design due to limited number of recaptures to run nonspatial models. In addition, a single recapture yielded an imprecise population density estimate using spatial models (high SE and large 95% CIs), thus precluding any comparison between nonspatial and spatially explicit models. We demonstrate relative differences and similarities between the performance of spatially explicit and nonspatial capture–mark–recapture models for estimating density and population size of ocelots and highlight that both types of capture–recapture models differ in their estimation depending on the sampling design. We highlight that performance of camera surveys is contingent on placement design and that researchers need to be strategic in camera distribution according to study objectives and logistics. This point is especially relevant for cryptic or endangered species occurring at low densities and having low detection probability using traditional sampling methods.

While museum voucher specimens continue to be the standard for species identifications, biodiversity data are increasingly represented by photographic records from camera traps and amateur naturalists. Some species are easily recognized in these pictures, others are impossible to distinguish. Here we quantify the extent to which 335 terrestrial nonvolant North American mammals can be identified in typical photographs, with and without considering species range maps. We evaluated all pairwise comparisons of species and judged, based on professional opinion, whether they are visually distinguishable in typical pictures from camera traps or the iNaturalist crowdsourced platform on a 4-point scale: (1) always, (2) usually, (3) rarely, or (4) never. Most (96.5%) of the 55,944 pairwise comparisons were ranked as always or usually distinguishable in a photograph, leaving exactly 2,000 pairs of species that can rarely or never be distinguished from typical pictures, primarily within clades such as shrews and small-bodied rodents. Accounting for a species geographic range eliminates many problematic comparisons, such that the average number of difficult or impossible-to-distinguish species pairs from any location was 7.3 when considering all species, or 0.37 when considering only those typically surveyed with camera traps. The greatest diversity of difficult-to-distinguish species was in Arizona and New Mexico, with 57 difficult pairs of species, suggesting the problem scales with overall species diversity. Our results show which species are most readily differentiated by photographic data and which taxa should be identified only to higher taxonomic levels (e.g., genus). Our results are relevant to ecologists, as well as those using artificial intelligence to identify species in photographs, but also serve as a reminder that continued study of mammals through museum vouchers is critical since it is the only way to accurately identify many smaller species, provides a wealth of data unattainable from photographs, and constrains photographic records via accurate range maps. Ongoing specimen voucher collection, in addition to photographs, will become even more important as species ranges change, and photographic evidence alone will not be sufficient to document these dynamics for many species.

Contemporary congregational songs (ccs) are a global genre of Christian worship, driven presently from Western production centres. Streaming media platforms, in particular YouTube, have become essential vehicles for disseminating these songs globally, as well as a way for fans to contribute to the popularity of songs through views, likes, comments, sharing, and uploading their own fan-created videos. While this activity has had some scholarly attention, it has not focussed on the varied forms these videos take and how they contribute to and nuance the definition of the genre. This article utilises the most sung songs data from recent Christian Copyright Licensing International reports across five regions to establish the 32 most sung ccs globally. A media studies analysis is then conducted, with contributions from musicology and theology, of the most viewed versions of those ccs on YouTube. Three typical video forms are identified and discussed in relation to the way they reflect and shape perceptions of the contemporary congregational song genre.

The article of record may be found at https://doi.org/10.1575/1912/27821 The Surface Ocean – Lower Atmosphere Study (SOLAS) (http://www.solas-int.org/) is an international research initiative focused on understanding the key biogeochemical-physical interactions and feedbacks between the ocean and atmosphere that are critical elements of climate and global biogeochemical cycles. Following the release of the SOLAS Decadal Science Plan (2015-2025) (Brévière et al., 2016), the Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction Committee (OAIC) was formed as a subcommittee of the Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry (OCB) Scientific Steering Committee to coordinate US SOLAS efforts and activities, facilitate interactions among atmospheric and ocean scientists, and strengthen US contributions to international SOLAS. In October 2019, with support from OCB, the OAIC convened an open community workshop, Ocean-Atmosphere Interactions: Scoping directions for new research with the goal of fostering new collaborations and identifying knowledge gaps and high-priority science questions to formulate a US SOLAS Science Plan. Based on presentations and discussions at the workshop, the OAIC and workshop participants have developed this US SOLAS Science Plan. The first part of the workshop and this Science Plan were purposefully designed around the five themes of the SOLAS Decadal Science Plan (2015-2025) (Brévière et al., 2016) to provide a common set of research priorities and ensure a more cohesive US contribution to international SOLAS. This report was developed with federal support of NSF (OCE-1558412) and NASA (NNX17AB17G). This report was developed with federal support of NSF (OCE-1558412) and NASA (NNX17AB17G).

Naked mole-rats (NMRs) (Heterocephalus glaber) are long-lived mammals that possess a natural resistance to cancer and other age-related pathologies, maintaining a healthy life span >30 years. In this study, using immunohistochemical and RNA-sequencing analyses, we compare skin morphology, cellular composition, and global transcriptome signatures between young and aged (aged 3‒4 vs. 19‒23 years, respectively) NMRs. We show that similar to aging in human skin, aging in NMRs is accompanied by a decrease in epidermal thickness; keratinocyte proliferation; and a decline in the number of Merkel cells, T cells, antigen-presenting cells, and melanocytes. Similar to that in human skin aging, expression levels of dermal collagens are decreased, whereas matrix metalloproteinase 9 and matrix metalloproteinase 11 levels increased in aged versus in young NMR skin. RNA-sequencing analyses reveal that in contrast to human or mouse skin aging, the transcript levels of several longevity-associated (Igfbp3, Igf2bp3, Ing2) and tumor-suppressor (Btg2, Cdkn1a, Cdkn2c, Dnmt3a, Hic1, Socs3, Sfrp1, Sfrp5, Thbs1, Tsc1, Zfp36) genes are increased in aged NMR skin. Overall, these data suggest that specific features in the NMR skin aging transcriptome might contribute to the resistance of NMRs to spontaneous skin carcinogenesis and provide a platform for further investigations of NMRs as a model organism for studying the biology and disease resistance of human skin.

Music and religion have a long and constitutive history. When considering the potential religious dimensions of the Star Wars universe, musical elements should not be ignored. This article explores the iconic musical scores of John Williams for the Star Wars franchise as a form of worship music. Worship music, especially in Western contemporary Christian contexts, is employed for embodied expression, emotional experience, and spiritual encounter. In a similar fashion, the musical themes and sound world of Star Wars can engage fans in a visceral experience of, and encounter with, something beyond the natural. This article establishes the criteria and effects of contemporary worship music and applies that framework to Williams’s key themes for the Star Wars universe.

This is the first of four chapters that undertake the trace (or neutral-level) analysis of the musical texts of the 32 most sung contemporary congregational songs (CCS). This chapter approaches the analysis from a corpus perspective, comparing and contrasting CCS with the scholarly analysis of secular popular music. It examines melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, textural, and instrumental components of the genre as a whole. Song lengths, tempos, time signatures, and structural elements are also explored. The features of the corpus are defined and considered in light of what they mean for the genre. CCS hold in tension elements of secular popular music and those of vernacular music in a way that makes them uniquely definable among other genres.

This chapter brings the three layers of analysis together in dialogue, summarising the findings and articulating the nature of meaning-making as it relates to the contemporary congregational song (CCS) genre. It explores the contested nature of the genre and the conflicting messages that come through the research, including the balance between the new and the familiar, the tension between popular music and vernacular music priorities, and the negotiations between what is perceived as secular and sacred. This chapter contains a definitive descriptive section of the current global CCS genre. It also examines the evolving nature of the genre and its future trajectories impacted by technological advancement, the globalisation of Christian musical worship, and key CCS producers and megachurches. Finally, it discusses the functional nature of CCS and their place in the personal and corporate musical worship of Christians.

This is the first chapter focused on the esthesic analysis of contemporary congregational songs (CCS)—exploring the perception, reception, and interpretation of CCS by their audience/co-performers. The data utilised in this section comes from an online survey conducted by the researcher among 214 Australian Christians. The chapter begins by describing the survey method and parameters around the collection of vocal recordings and written responses. It traces the challenges associated with people’s confidence in having their singing recorded. It then proceeds to identify the four broad connections Christians have with specific CCS. First, people connect with songs through significant and/or emotional life events. Second, people connect with songs because of their memorable and/or meaningful lyrics. Third, people connect with songs because of musical elements, particularly, the catchiness of a part of the song. Fourth, some people connect with songs because they connect to the artist or church that produced them.

Continuing from Chap. 4, the focus of the interviews with the six key contemporary congregational song (CCS) composers shifts to consider a variety of factors affecting their writing. These include the way many CCS composers have integrated traditional worship forms (hymns) with CCS and the different ways CCS writers approach theological considerations related to their lyrics. They talk about the increasing practice of co-writing and reflect on their various roles and responsibilities in all areas of their life and how those impact their writing. The chapter finishes by bringing the perspectives of the poietic analysis together to highlight some of the tensions between industry and ministry, and summarise the meaning-making processes within the production milieu.

This is the second part of the poietic analysis. It initially introduces the six key contemporary congregational song (CCS) writers/worship leaders whose interviews provide much of the content for this chapter and the next. It establishes the diversity among the interviewees by age, background, denominational association, and country while justifying their place in the CCS canon. The USA, the UK, and Australia are the only countries represented in the representative CCS list, and they are represented among the interlocutors. The chapter then proceeds to discuss how these writers think about writing CCS, how they shape their writing for congregations, and how they predict or determine a song’s success.

This chapter initially focuses on the contested nomenclature for this genre, including its historical evolution and theological justifications. Space is given to addressing the particularly problematic term, ‘Praise and Worship’. The chapter then proceeds to qualify each of the three words (contemporary, congregational, and songs) in the chosen term for the genre, arguing that while it has limitations, it is still currently the most helpful term available for discussing such songs. The next section deals with the 32 most sung contemporary congregational songs (CCS) under analysis based on the Christian Copyright Licensing International’s biannual Church Copyright License and SongSelect reports and on YouTube views. A rationale is provided regarding how these most sung songs are representative of the global CCS genre.

This chapter begins by discussing the issues related to only analysing contemporary congregational songs (CCS) as a corpus, acknowledging the need to also focus on individual songs and their unique qualities. Four songs from Australia, specifically from Hillsong Church, are examined: “Cornerstone”, “Mighty to Save”, “Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)”, and “What a Beautiful Name”. Each of these songs, although from the same producer, contains unique elements from the approach to composition, to the individual styles of the writers, to the production techniques. Furthermore, the most viewed YouTube versions have their own features and backstories, and they contribute to the meaning-making for these songs.

This chapter is the first part of the poietic analysis looking at the contemporary congregational song (CCS) industry in relation to the 32 most sung CCS. It breaks down the national origins of the songs as well as the local contexts in which they are birthed. It explores issues around gender inequality in the industry, as well as notions of originality and authenticity. “Our God” is used as a case study to explore the promotion and dissemination of CCS. The final section outlines several stories from CCS industry veterans, Malcolm Du Plessis and Les Moir, which provide a broader insight into the world of CCS production. These anecdotes feature the backstories to the creation of “In Christ Alone”, “Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)”, and “10,000 Reasons”. They explore some of the influences on the evolution of the genre and the changing financial landscape for CCS creators.

This second part of the esthesic analysis utilises survey data from Australia’s National Church Life Surveys (NCLS) conducted in 2011 asking congregants questions related to musical worship and their church’s worship services. Time is taken to examine the way in which questions were asked and interpreting the responses which were often not plainly evident. An additional Operations Survey is also analysed which provided information regarding church services, including service and sermon durations. The conclusion brings together the researcher’s survey findings and those of the NCLS to articulate some of the meaning-making processes Christians engage in relating to CCS.

This chapter introduces the global contemporary congregational song (CCS) genre. First, it explores genre theory to establish the validity of CCS as a genre. An overview of the history of CCS follows, alongside a selective review of its associated scholarship. This leads to a discussion and justification of the chosen methodology, music semiology, for this monograph, and its interdisciplinary partners, including popular music studies, vernacular music studies, media studies, musicology, and theology. It outlines the three interactive layers of analysis; the production milieu (poietic), the music texts (trace), and the audience/congregation (esthesic). Finally, YouTube mediations are established as the primary music texts for CCS, alongside the written score, for the trace analysis of songs.

This chapter continues the trace analysis of key individual contemporary congregational songs (CCS), this time, three songs from the UK and two from the USA. “10,000 Reasons”, “Here I Am to Worship”, and “In Christ Alone” represent different UK composers from different contexts and in different stages of their output. “How Great Is Our God”, one of the most popular CCS of the last two decades, is analysed, including a discussion of the associated song, “How Great Thou Art”. Finally, “Revelation Song” one of the few most sung CCS composed solely by a female songwriter is analysed. This song and its mediated versions have numerous unique qualities that bring a nuanced understanding of the global CCS genre.

Background Cellular senescence, a permanent state of replicative arrest in otherwise proliferating cells, is a hallmark of aging and has been linked to aging-related diseases. Many genes play a role in cellular senescence, yet a comprehensive understanding of its pathways is still lacking. Results We develop CellAge (http://genomics.senescence.info/cells), a manually curated database of 279 human genes driving cellular senescence, and perform various integrative analyses. Genes inducing cellular senescence tend to be overexpressed with age in human tissues and are significantly overrepresented in anti-longevity and tumor-suppressor genes, while genes inhibiting cellular senescence overlap with pro-longevity and oncogenes. Furthermore, cellular senescence genes are strongly conserved in mammals but not in invertebrates. We also build cellular senescence protein-protein interaction and co-expression networks. Clusters in the networks are enriched for cell cycle and immunological processes. Network topological parameters also reveal novel potential cellular senescence regulators. Using siRNAs, we observe that all 26 candidates tested induce at least one marker of senescence with 13 genes (C9orf40, CDC25A, CDCA4, CKAP2, GTF3C4, HAUS4, IMMT, MCM7, MTHFD2, MYBL2, NEK2, NIPA2, and TCEB3) decreasing cell number, activating p16/p21, and undergoing morphological changes that resemble cellular senescence. Conclusions Overall, our work provides a benchmark resource for researchers to study cellular senescence, and our systems biology analyses reveal new insights and gene regulators of cellular senescence.

© The Author(s) 2020. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License., Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) is a premature aging disease in children that leads to early death. Smooth muscle cells (SMCs) are the most affected cells in HGPS individuals, although the reason for such vulnerability remains poorly understood. In this work, we develop a microfluidic chip formed by HGPS-SMCs generated from induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), to study their vulnerability to flow shear stress. HGPS-iPSC SMCs cultured under arterial flow conditions detach from the chip after a few days of culture; this process is mediated by the upregulation of metalloprotease 13 (MMP13). Importantly, double-mutant LmnaG609G/G609GMmp13-/- mice or LmnaG609G/G609GMmp13+/+ mice treated with a MMP inhibitor show lower SMC loss in the aortic arch than controls. MMP13 upregulation appears to be mediated, at least in part, by the upregulation of glycocalyx. Our HGPS-SMCs chip represents a platform for developing treatments for HGPS individuals that may complement previous pre-clinical and clinical treatments., This work was funded by FEDER through the Program COMPETE and by Portuguese fund through FCT in context of the projects EXPL/BIM-MED/2267/2013 and POCI-01-0145-FEDER-029229, as well as the European project ERAatUC (ref. 669088).PRP wishes to thank FCT for a BD fellowship (SFRH/BD/71042/2010). AR is supported by the Miguel Servet research contract CPII15/00003 from Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain. The FLI is a member of the Leibniz Association and is financiallysupported by the Federal Government of Germany and the State of Thuringia. The authors gratefully acknowledge support from the FLI proteomics core facility.

Objectives: We investigated factors associated with Care Home (CH) discharge following stroke using routinely collected data in unselected patients and assessed the relevance of previous research findings to such patients seen in routine clinical practice. Design: Retrospective analysis of data from the Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme using univariate analysis and logistic regression. Setting: A large acute and rehabilitation UK stroke unit with access to early supported discharge. Subjects: All patients with stroke treated from 1 January 2014 to 1 January 2017. Main measures: National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS). Results: Of 2584 patients (median age 78 years, interquartile range (IQR) 69–86; 50.6% male; 86.7% infarcts; median admission NIHSS 4, IQR 2–9), 401 (15.5%) died in hospital and 203 patients (7.9%) were permanently discharged to CH for the first time. Most had pre-discharge mRS scores of 4/5. Factors (odds ratios; 95% confidence intervals) associated with CH discharge included age (1.07; 1.05–1.10), incontinence (11.5; 7.13–19.25), dysphagia (2.13; 1.39–3.29), severe weakness (1.93; 1.28–2.92), pneumonia (1.68; 1.13–2.50), urinary tract infection (UTI) (1.70; 1.04–2.75) and depression (1.65; 1.00–2.72). In a subgroup of all patients with a pre-discharge mRS of 4/5, age (1.04; 1.02–1.06), incontinence (4.87; 2.39–11.02), UTI (2.0; 1.09–3.71) and pneumonia (1.59; 1.02–2.50) were the only factors associated with CH discharge. Conclusion: Potentially modifiable variables like incontinence, UTI and pneumonia were associated with CH discharge, particularly in the severely disabled.

Australia’s popular music charts are not dominated by Australian music. However, in the popular music subgenre, contemporary congregational songs, a single Australian producer has a disproportionately high chart presence compared to international producers: Hillsong Music. This article offers an exploration of and explanation for this anomaly. It examines the extra musical and musical/lyrical components contributing to Hillsong Music’s dominance in the field based on a music semiological approach. Comparisons are made with the international competition within the genre, based on church usage. Finally, this article proposes ways of understanding Hillsong Music within the context of the contemporary congregational song genre both nationally and globally.

Cellular senescence, a permanent state of replicative arrest in otherwise proliferating cells, is a hallmark of ageing and has been linked to ageing-related diseases like cancer. Senescent cells have been shown to accumulate in tissues of aged organisms which in turn can lead to chronic inflammation. Many genes have been associated with cell senescence, yet a comprehensive understanding of cell senescence pathways is still lacking. To this end, we created CellAge (http://genomics.senescence.info/cells), a manually curated database of 279 human genes associated with cellular senescence, and performed various integrative and functional analyses. We observed that genes promoting cell senescence tend to be overexpressed with age in human tissues and are also significantly overrepresented in anti-longevity and tumour-suppressor gene databases. By contrast, genes inhibiting cell senescence overlapped with pro-longevity genes and oncogenes. Furthermore, an evolutionary analysis revealed a strong conservation of senescence-associated genes in mammals, but not in invertebrates. Using the CellAge genes as seed nodes, we also built protein-protein interaction and co-expression networks. Clusters in the networks were enriched for cell cycle and immunological processes. Network topological parameters also revealed novel potential senescence-associated regulators. We then used siRNAs and observed that of 26 candidates tested, 19 induced markers of senescence. Overall, our work provides a new resource for researchers to study cell senescence and our systems biology analyses provide new insights and novel genes regarding cell senescence.

In spite of a growing body of research and data, human ageing remains a poorly understood process. To facilitate studies of ageing, over 10 years ago we developed the Human Ageing Genomic Resources (HAGR), which are now the leading online resource for biogerontologists. In this update, we present HAGR’s main functionalities, including new additions and improvements to HAGR. HAGR consists of five databases: 1) the GenAge database of ageing-related genes, in turn composed of a dataset of >300 human ageing-related genes and a dataset with >2000 genes associated with ageing or longevity in model organisms; 2) the AnAge database of animal ageing and longevity, featuring >4000 species; 3) the GenDR database with >200 genes associated with the life-extending effects of dietary restriction; 4) the LongevityMap database of human genetic association studies of longevity with >500 entries; 5) the DrugAge database with >400 ageing or longevity-associated drugs or compounds; 6) the CellAge database with >200 genes associated with cell senescence. All our databases are manually curated by experts to ensure a high quality data and presented in an intuitive and clear interface that includes cross-links across our databases and to external resources. HAGR is freely available online (http://genomics.senescence.info/).

Age-related conditions are the leading causes of death and health-care costs. Reducing the rate of aging would have enormous medical and financial benefits. Myriad genes and pathways are known to regulate aging in model organisms, fostering a new crop of anti-aging companies. Approaches range from drug discovery efforts to big-data methods and direct-to-consumer (DTC) strategies. Challenges and pitfalls of commercialization include reliance on findings from short-lived model organisms, poor biological understanding of aging, and hurdles in performing clinical trials for aging. A large number of potential aging-associated interventions and targets exist, but given the long validation times only a small fraction can be explored for clinical applications. If even one company succeeds, however, the impact will be huge.

An array of defence strategies is available to help companies defend themselves against unwelcome takeover attempts. However, such takeover defences have been the subject of some controversy, both in terms of their motivations and their effectiveness. This paper presents an empirical investigation into the use and impact of post-bid takeover defences within recent UK hostile acquisitions. Specifically, using data from 56 contested takeover approaches, the study explores the impact of individual defence tactics on the eventual outcome of the takeover attempt, the bid premium offered to shareholders, and the level of executive retention within the target company. Statistical analysis reveals that ‘white knights’ and ‘management buy outs’ were the most effective takeover defences and suggests that other commonly employed defence tactics, including the lobbying of stakeholders and regulatory appeals, have a weak and indecisive impact on bid outcome. Furthermore, once in a contested situation, the capacity of executives to use takeover defences either to entrench themselves or to boost the bid premium for shareholders was found to be limited. The findings provide important insights for executives faced with a takeover approach.

Current threats to the population at large and the requirement for non-lethal methods of incapacitation are resulting in increased usage of lawful crowd-control agents such as ochlorobenzylidene malonitrile (CS), v-chloroacetophenone (CN) and dibenzoxazepine (CR) [1]. CS gas deployment, used by police forces in the UK since 1996, continues to increase both in the public domain and on NHS premises with 16 trusts admitting those patients in their care had been restrained by police with CS gas [2]. Although safety profiles focus primarily on the transient effects of CS exposure on ocular, oral and respiratory mucous membranes, the dermatologic effects following direct skin contact can be both severe and long lasting. In view of this, physicians should be alert to the clinical effects and recommended methods of treatment of patients exposed to such substances. Our aim is to increase awareness of these injuries and the specific treatment required which contrasts with standard treatments for chemical burns.

In wilderness search and rescue, objects not native or typical to a scene may provide clues that indicate the recent presence of the missing person. This paper presents the results of augmenting an aerial wilderness search-and-rescue system with an automated spectral anomaly detector for identifying unusually colored objects. The detector dynamically builds a model of the natural coloring in the scene and identifies outlier pixels, which are then filtered both spatially and temporally to find unusually colored objects. These objects are then highlighted in the search video as suggestions for the user, thus shifting a portion of the user's task from scanning the video to verifying the suggestions. This paper empirically evaluates multiple potential detectors then incorporates the best-performing detector into a suggestion system. User study results demonstrate that even with an imperfect detector users' detection increased significantly. Results further indicate that users' false positive rates did not increase, though performance in a secondary task did decrease. Furthermore, users subjectively reported that the use of detector-based suggestions made the overall task easier. These results suggest that such suggestion-based systems for search can increase overall searcher performance but that additional external tasks should be limited.

Background As countries expand immunisation programmes to include new vaccines and ensure increased coverage and equity, existing and potential constraints exist within the supply chain systems to manage an estimated four-fold increase in vaccine volume per fully immunised child and a five-fold increase in the cost of vaccines to fully vaccinate a child from 2010 to 2020. To address existing and anticipated future supply chain system challenges, the Alliance has developed a comprehensive strategy.

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Contemporary congregational songs (elsewhere referred to as ‘praise and worship’ music, or contemporary worship music) began some forty years ago in Western Pentecostal/Charismatic contexts, but their influence is now worldwide and pan-denominational. While professional and popular discourses relating to this genre are widespread, scholarly engagement is still nascent. Where it is available, it is most often the examination of a specific contextualisation of the genre. Moreover, the music of the genre is under-represented in analyses because researchers have preferred sociological, historical, or theological methodologies. Finally, lacking from the contemporary congregational song (CCS) discourse is a research method and meta-language to facilitate a generic understanding of the genre; its texts, producers, and consumers. This thesis provides a broad scholarly platform for CCS; a framework for their creation, analysis, and evaluation upon which future scholarship can build. This thesis identifies, defines, and explores the CCS genre, its texts, its production and producers, and Christians’ engagement with these mediated texts as individuals, and in corporate worship settings. The methodology employed to achieve these aims is a tri-level music semiology (Nattiez, 1990). At the first level, twenty-five of the most popular CCS sung in churches around the world are subject to individual and collective analyses, based on their most-viewed YouTube versions. Key lyrical, musical, and extra-musical characteristics were identified. At the second level, Christians attending CCS-oriented churches were directly surveyed to ascertain their engagement with CCS. Two key questions were explored: What can Christians sing? And, What do Christians want to sing, and why? Supporting data from the 2011 National Church Life Survey (NCLS) was also analysed and cross-tabulated. Finally, key CCS writers/producers/performers were interviewed to ascertain the degree to which they considered diverse and localised congregational engagement. This study sheds new light on the CCS genre, articulating its musical, lyrical, and extra-musical elements in greater detail and depth than has previously been available. It also reveals CCS as primarily a functional genre, facilitating musical worship for individual and gathered Christians. Furthermore, CCS is a contested genre, constantly under a process of negotiation and transformation by various stakeholders. Tensions between the new and the familiar, the individual and communal, the professional and vernacular, all contribute to the formation and evolution of the contemporary congregational song genre.