During the last decades, quite a number of interacting particle systems have been introduced and studied in the crossover area of mathematics and statistical physics. Some of these can be seen as simplistic models for opinion formation processes in groups of interacting people. In the model introduced by Deffuant et al. (2000), agents that are neighbors on a given network graph, randomly meet in p

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether alcohol use disorder (AUD) can be transmitted contagiously in siblings and likely acquaintances growing up close to one another (Propinquity-of-Rearing Defined Acquaintances [PRDAs]). Method: PRDAs were pairs of same-age subjects growing up within 1 km of each other and sharing the same school class, where one of whom (PRDA1) was first

AbstractRecent research in the wider archaeological landscape of Great Zimbabwe recovered moreevidence of metallurgical tuyeres fused in varied multiples indicative of their use in natural draft iron smelting technologies. We report the first detailed chemical, microstructural and thermal analyses of these ceramic materials most likely associated with large-scale iron production at the zenith of tWe report the first detailed chemical, microstructural and thermal analyses of a growing corpus of metallurgical tuyeres from the wider archaeological landscape of Great Zimbabwe in southern Africa. Of note is the fusion of the tuyeres in multiples, suggestive of widespread use of natural draft iron smelting technologies for large-scale production of iron most likely during the zenith period of Gr

The binocular field of vision differs widely in birds depending on ecological traits such as foraging. Owls (Strigiformes) have been considered to have a unique binocular field, but whether it is related to foraging has remained unknown. While taking into account allometry and phylogeny, we hypothesized that both daily activity cycle and diet determine the size and shape of the binocular field in

The parameters of PMSM with inter-turn fault are identified using a time-stepping finite element method (FEM). Analytical expressions (AE) uses the estimated parameters for fault analysis similar to FEM analysis. The fault waveforms, terminal voltages, obtained from the AE models are used for inter turn fault (ITF) detection, using Stator Flux Linkage DC offset (SFDO). A comparison is made between

Sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) is a phosphosphingolipid with pleiotropic biological functions. S1P acts as an intracellular second messenger, as well as extracellular ligand to five G-protein coupled receptors (S1PR1-5). In the brain, S1P regulates neuronal proliferation, apoptosis, synaptic activity and neuroglia activation. Moreover, S1P metabolism alterations have been reported in neurodegenerat

The modern study of Wilms tumour was prompted nearly 50 years ago, when Alfred Knudson proposed the ‘two-hit’ model of tumour development. Since then, the efforts of researchers worldwide have substantially expanded our knowledge of Wilms tumour biology, including major advances in genetics — from cloning the first Wilms tumour gene to high-throughput studies that have revealed the genetic landsca

The increasing application of monitoring technologies and the specific perspectives afforded through them are transforming our understanding of and relationship to our environment. Through systems of mass data accrual, the physical processes and elemental attributes of regional and planetary landscapes are transformed into media, such as digital multilayered maps, graphs, thermal imaging, models,

Clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), putatively via inflammasome activation. We pursued an inflammatory gene modifier scan for CHIP-associated CVD risk among 424,651 UK Biobank participants. We identified CHIP using whole-exome sequencing data of blood DNA and modeled as a composite, considering all driver ge

Within cultural and art theory, there has been an emergence of attention placed on machine vision technologies as introducing a new regime of images and ways of seeing. This paper addresses this subject in the context of environment and nature through an inquiry into machinic ways of seeing cloudscapes. Attention is placed on how the cloud form presents a challenge to the logic of machine vision t

Molluscan benthic assemblages provide unique opportunities for understanding both spatial and temporal patterns of biodiversity. Species richness in the shell remains found at a site (i.e. the death assemblage) is typically several times higher than in the counterpart living assemblage, reflecting a complex history of settlement, dissemination and decomposition post-mortem. We used high-density te

Purpose: To investigate the impact of reduced injected doses on the quantitative and qualitative assessment of the amyloid PET tracers [18F]flutemetamol and [18F]florbetaben. Methods: Cognitively impaired and unimpaired individuals (N = 250, 36% Aβ-positive) were included and injected with [18F]flutemetamol (N = 175) or [18F]florbetaben (N = 75). PET scans were acquired in list-mode (90–110 min po

Background: Previous studies demonstrated increases in diagnostic confidence and change in patient management after amyloid-PET. However, studies investigating longitudinal outcomes over an extended period of time are limited. Therefore, we aimed to investigate clinical outcomes up to 9 years after amyloid-PET to support the clinical validity of the imaging technique. Methods: We analyzed longitud

Background: Interactions between moss species in their earliest growth stages have received little attention. To what extent interspecific competition or priority effects influence spore germination, protonemal development and gametophore emergence is unknown. We evaluated such effects in pairwise interaction between six common bryophyte species: Atrichum undulatum, Bryum argenteum, Ceratodon purp

This report is written on the behalf of SAAB Kockums AB to investigate the feasibility of using water mist fire protection systems on board conventional submarines as an alternative to the traditional solution using Halon 1301. Halon 1301 has since the late eighties been phased out due to environmental concerns. The report studies existing rules and regulations regarding fire safety onboard ships,

The COVID-19 pandemic could be driving more households to migrate out of cities and to the countryside, but this might result in an increased demand for access to green space which, in the long run, may cause a widening of social inequalities in rural areas. On the contrary, if planned for, it could provide an opportunity for repopulation and regeneration. This article explores the underlying caus

BackgroundVentral midbrain (VM) dopaminergic progenitor cells derived from human pluripotent stem cells have the potential to replace endogenously lost dopamine neurons and are currently in preclinical and clinical development for treatment of Parkinson’s Disease (PD). However, one main challenge in the quality control of the cells is that rostral and caudal VM progenitors are extremely similar tr