Multi-DMEs for alternative position, navigation and timing (A-PNT)

Distance measuring equipment (DME/DME) as the main reversionary method provides alternative positioning, navigation and timing (A-PNT) services for use during a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) outage. Considering the geometry limitation of DME/DME, multi-DMEs with better geometry can be used to increase the accuracy and integrity performance of positioning. This paper discusses the opportunities and challenges related to use of multi-DMEs as an alternate source of positioning, navigation and timing. To support the performance for A-PNT, the basic idea is considering the existing installed equipment. In this paper, barometer altimeter and TACAN are used to help improve the performance of A-PNT provided by multi-DMEs both in accuracy and integrity. Based on the database of EUROCONTROL, the test results demonstrate that 79⋅7% of a reference area roughly matching with the continental European locations achieve RNP 1 using multi-DMEs when the DME measurement accuracy is 0⋅2 NM (95%). When the DME measurement accuracy is 0⋅1 NM (95%), 87⋅9% of the reference area can achieve RNP 1 using multi-DMEs. The usage of barometer/TACAN measurements aided multi-DMEs improves the performance of the accuracy and integrity monitoring.

Aspects from the evolution of past vegetation in Southern Transylvania (Sibiu region)

The article reviews the results obtained through the palynological study of sequences obtained from the Sibiu region and adjacent areas. The oldest Upper Pleistocene sequences we refer to seem to reflect snapshots from the Last Glacial Maximum. The history of the Late Glacial and Holocene vegetation here is broadly part of the succession known for the territory of Romania, in the Carpathians and the surrounding areas of medium and low altitudes. The dynamics of the main forest and grasses taxa were highlighted, influenced both by natural factors and, more recently, by human activity. The reference area is characterized by the domination of the forests during the interstadials and by open landscape of forested steppe during the cold, stadial periods.

Distribution and Demographics of Fuchsia Excorticata, Nelson Lakes National Park

<p>The small tree Fuchsia excorticata (Onagraceae) is found on disturbed riparian sites throughout New Zealand. Spatial distribution and demographic changes in populations of F. excorticata were surveyed in the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project (RNRP) area, and an associated non-treatment reference area, Nelson Lakes National Park, over the period 2005 to 2007. The RNRP is an intensively managed "mainland island" project in mixed beech (Nothofagus) forest, pest animal species especially possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), rodents, and mustelids are controlled. The aim of this study was to survey the condition of F. excorticata in the managed and reference areas to determine if any differences could be detected between the populations over time. The only significant (p<0.05) difference between the two areas was in sapling abundance, which was higher in the RNRP management area. This was tentatively attributed to pest management; however the concurrence of complex environmental influences, and a lack of management replication, prevented a simple interpretation of the data. There was no significant difference in recruitment, growth, mortality, and tree or seedling abundance between the managed and reference areas. Growth rate, especially of saplings, was significantly greater at lower elevations in the RNRP managed area, however the inverse held for the reference area. Mammalian herbivory was light; the main affect being to restrict seedling growth through hedging. Periodic heavy flooding was responsible for much of the mortality, however many newly disturbed sites were rapidly populated with fuchsia seedlings. The need for rigour in establishing ecologically comparable reference sites for comparative studies was evident. There were inherent difficulties in establishing causal relationships between ecological changes and management practices where management was not replicated geographically.</p>

Distribution and Demographics of Fuchsia Excorticata, Nelson Lakes National Park

<p>The small tree Fuchsia excorticata (Onagraceae) is found on disturbed riparian sites throughout New Zealand. Spatial distribution and demographic changes in populations of F. excorticata were surveyed in the Rotoiti Nature Recovery Project (RNRP) area, and an associated non-treatment reference area, Nelson Lakes National Park, over the period 2005 to 2007. The RNRP is an intensively managed "mainland island" project in mixed beech (Nothofagus) forest, pest animal species especially possums (Trichosurus vulpecula), rodents, and mustelids are controlled. The aim of this study was to survey the condition of F. excorticata in the managed and reference areas to determine if any differences could be detected between the populations over time. The only significant (p<0.05) difference between the two areas was in sapling abundance, which was higher in the RNRP management area. This was tentatively attributed to pest management; however the concurrence of complex environmental influences, and a lack of management replication, prevented a simple interpretation of the data. There was no significant difference in recruitment, growth, mortality, and tree or seedling abundance between the managed and reference areas. Growth rate, especially of saplings, was significantly greater at lower elevations in the RNRP managed area, however the inverse held for the reference area. Mammalian herbivory was light; the main affect being to restrict seedling growth through hedging. Periodic heavy flooding was responsible for much of the mortality, however many newly disturbed sites were rapidly populated with fuchsia seedlings. The need for rigour in establishing ecologically comparable reference sites for comparative studies was evident. There were inherent difficulties in establishing causal relationships between ecological changes and management practices where management was not replicated geographically.</p>

The historical trajectory of Byzantine religious music in the Romanian space: volutes and milestones

The trajectory of the Romanian cult music is intertwined with the trajectory of the Byzantine cult music, the mega-phenomenon and its zonal manifestation conditioning and enhancing each other. Respectively, any attempt to stage the evolution of sacred singing in the reference area refers to the transformations supported by Byzantine music as a whole. In the historiography of the field, we found several variants of systematization of the Byzantine ecclesiastical music on the Romanian territories: according to historical epochs, according to the stages of consolidation of the national Church, according to the linguistic factor (succession of sacred languages), according to stylistic manifestations. Based on the way in which the studies are structured, it is observed that historians do not consistently follow one way or another, but opt for summing them up. Thus, a milestone with generalizing value is outlined, in which the first Christian centuries mark the penetration and spread of Proto-Byzantine and Byzantine song in the Romanian space, the IX-X centuries – the enrollment of Romanianism in the Byzantine-Slavic religious front, the XIV century – the inauguration of the period of cultural effervescence related to the constitution of the Romanian medieval states, the end of the XVI century – the XVIII century – the Romanianization of the liturgical melody, the beginning of the XIX century – the XXI century – the passage of the Byzantine chant through the avatars of modernity and contemporaneity.

The Groundwater Geochemistry and the Human Health Risk Assessment of Drinking Water in an Area with a High Prevalence of Chronic Kidney Disease of Unknown Etiology (CKDu), Sri Lanka

Chronic kidney disease of unknown etiology (CKDu) has become an alarming health issue in Sri Lanka. The disease is more notable among farming communities and people who consume groundwater as their main source of drinking water. To assess the possible links between drinking water chemistry and expansion of CKDu, the study was compared with hydrogeochemical data of drinking water sources in a CKDu prevalent area (Girandurukotte GND, Badulla District) and a reference area (Dambethalawa GND, Ampara District) in Sri Lanka. Based on the results, nephrotoxic heavy metal (Cd, Cr, Pb, and As) concentrations were significantly higher in the CKDu prevalent site than the reference area, compromised the harmful consequences to the people in the CKDu hotspot. Results of the inverse distance weighted (IDW) interpolation tool indicated the nephrotoxic heavy metals contents including Cd, Pb, As, and Cr in CKDu hotspot were changed in the ranges of 9.78–187.25 μg/L, 0.08–0.66 μg/L, 20.76–103.30 μg/L, and 0.03–0.34 μg/L. The random distribution patterns were shown by the result in Moran’s index values. Noteworthy, the results have emphasized a strong association between fluoride and water hardness. The frequency of occurrence above the threshold limit of fluoride was 28% in non-CKDu water samples, while 81% in CKDu prevalent sites. The hardness values in the CKDu prevalent site indicated “moderately hard water,” while the non-CKDu area indicated the “soft water.” Furthermore, this paper quantified overall water quality and heavy metal contamination and assessed the human health risks associated with drinking water. According to the results of the water quality index, 90% of the samples in the CKDu prevalent area were classified as “poor water” and “very poor water” for drinking purposes, while 73.33% of the samples in the non-CKDu area were “good” and “excellent” for drinking usage. Calculated chronic daily intake (CDIoral) and hazard quotient (HQoral) of nephrotoxicants were higher in CKDu hotspot than the non-CKDu site. Besides, the hazard index (HI) values obtained for the CKDu prevalent area exceeding the acceptable limit (HI = 1) indicated potential health risks to the people in those areas. This study suggests that long-term exposure to nephrotoxic heavy metals, water hardness, and fluoride present in drinking water may threaten human health and affect kidney functions. Therefore, regular monitoring and better management of water supplies in CKDu prevalent areas are essential to determine the contamination load and reduce the health impacts due to excessive and long-term exposure to the nephrotoxicants.

Soil Quality Indicators in Conventional and Conservation Tillage Systems in the Brazilian Cerrado

Conventional and conservation tillage systems can alter soil aggregation and total and labile soil organic matter (SOM) contents. This study aimed to determine the degree of soil aggregation, quantify total carbon (TC), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), light organic matter (LOM), and potentially mineralizable carbon (CO2-C) contents in soils aggregates, and assess soil quality indices at sites under conventional and conservation tillage in the Cerrado region of Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Four experimental areas were analyzed: a area under conventional tillage for 20 years, a area under no-till for 6 years, a area under no-till for 18 years, and a reference area of undisturbed Cerrado vegetation. Soil aggregates retained on 8.0 to 4.0 mm sieves were evaluated for size class distribution and mean weight diameter. TC, POXC, LOM, daily and total CO2-C emissions were also analyzed. These data were used to calculate the C/N ratio and sensitivity, carbon pool, and lability indices. The results of SOM compartments were in agreement with those obtained for the soil aggregation status. Environmental conditions at no-till areas promoted macroaggregate formation and preserved TC and LOM contents, resulting in a high degree of aggregate stability. Soil quality indices were sensitive to identify changes between the reference area and managed areas. Soil aggregates from no-till areas had higher CO2-C emissions and accumulations than those from the conventional tillage area.

Assessment of stent optimization in clinical practice using optical coherence tomography: a multicentric observational study

Background Stent under-expansion obtained at the time of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been shown to be associated with worse outcomes. Purpose We sought to define OCT assessed optimal stent expansion index which associates with lower incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during follow-up in a sample of patients stented at five high volume centers of central Europe. Methods We analyzed 370 lesions stented during the period between 2012 and 2018, with their final procedural results imaged using optical coherence tomography (OCT). QIvus Research Edition v3.1 (Medis, Leiden, NL) was used for OCT analysis. The stented segment was split in two equal halves. Stent expansion index (SEI) was calculated for both halves separately by dividing minimum stent area by the mean reference lumen area [(proximal reference area + distal reference area)/2]. Smallest of the two prevailed as the SEI of that case. MACE during post-PCI follow-up was defined as composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, stent thrombosis and target lesion revascularization. Data is expressed as mean±SD or median (Interquartile range). Incidence of subsequent MACE is expressed as crude rates (%). Results A total of 316 cases (370 lesions), aged 64.6±11.7 years were included for OCT analysis. Of them, 78.8% were males, 22.8% were diabetics, 75.9% were hypertensives while 35.1% had family history of coronary artery disease. 38.0% of the cases had acute coronary syndrome at presentation. 62.4% of treated lesions were complex (Type B2/C). A mean of 1.11±0.34 stents/scaffolds were implanted per treated lesion. Analyzed segment length was 20.4 (15.17, 27.0) mm. Minimal stent area (MSA) in the overall stented segment was 6.02 mm2 (4.65, 7.93). Median stent expansion index (minimum) was 0.79 (0.71, 0.86). Median follow-up duration was 557 days (326, 1,096). 47 lesions (12.7%) suffered MACE during follow-up. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis using Youden's rule identified 0.84 as SEI cut-off powered to predict post-PCI MACE (AUC= 0.60, sensitivity= 0.85, specificity= 0.34). MACE was observed in 38/249 (15.3%) of lesions with SEI≤0.84 and in 9/121 (7.4%) of lesions with SEI&gt;0.84 (p=0.03). Univariate regression analysis of MACE revealed significant association with SEI≤0.84 (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1.1–4.8, p=0.04) Adaptive Lasso regression identified SEI≤0.84 (OR=4.1, 95% CI=1.3–12.6, p=0.02) and coronary calcification at baseline (OR=2.7, 95% CI=1.1–6.6, p=0.03) as independent predictors of MACE during follow-up. Kaplan-meier curve for MACE free survival with optimal SEI (n=121) and sub-optimal SEI (n=249) subgroups using SEI cut-off of 0.84, however showed modest separation (p=0.11). Conclusions The present study identified SEI&gt;0.84 associated with lower incidence of MACE as optimal cut-off in daily practice. Along with SEI of ≤0.84, coronary calcification was also significantly associated with MACE during post PCI follow-up. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.

Non-invasive sampling of bats reflects their potential as ecological indicators of elemental exposure in a diamond mining area, northern Limpopo Province, South Africa

Bats have been proposed as reliable bioindicators for monitoring bioaccumulation of elements and chemicals in natural and transformed ecosystems. Non-invasive methods are becoming more popular as research moves away from destructive methodologies. We present the first concentrations of 23 elements in Mops condylurus and Tadarida aegyptiaca (Molossidae) fur and blood from an opencast diamond mine and reference area using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Concentrations of B, K, Rb and Cd in the bats’ fur were significantly higher in the mining footprint compared to the reference area (P < 0.05). Other elements such as Zn and Hg were significantly higher in the blood of bats from the mining footprint than the reference area (P < 0.05), whereas Mn was significantly higher in the blood of bats from the reference area than from the mining footprint (P < 0.05). Sixteen of the 22 elements above the limit of detection, with the exception of Ba, were significantly higher in the fur samples than in the blood due to elements being incorporated over time into the fur as it grows, whereas blood reveals short-term exposure to elements. Concentrations of most of the elements were reasonably low except Al, Fe and Zn. In general, the element concentrations particularly in the fur samples were comparable with other international studies reporting elemental fur concentrations from anthropogenically impacted and natural areas. Fur and blood have the potential to be viable indicators of environmental toxicity, but research is required on toxic thresholds and physiological and ecological unknowns around element concentrations in bat tissues and organs.

Valid 3D surface superimposition references to assess facial changes during growth

Currently, the primary techniques applied for the assessment of facial changes over time utilize 2D images. However, this approach has important limitations related to the dimensional reduction and the accuracy of the used data. 3D facial photography has been recently introduced as a risk-free alternative that overcomes these limitations. However, the proper reference areas that should be used to superimpose serial 3D facial images of growing individuals are not yet known. Here, we tested various 3D facial photo superimposition reference areas and compared their outcomes to those of a standard anterior cranial base superimposition technique. We found that a small rectangular area on the forehead plus an area including the middle part of the nose and the lower wall of the orbital foramen provided comparable results to the standard technique and showed adequate reproducibility. Other reference areas that have been used so far in the literature were less reliable. Within the limitations of the study, a valid superimposition reference area for serial 3D facial images of growing individuals is suggested. The method has potential to greatly expand the possibilities of this highly informative, risk free, and easily obtained 3D tool for the assessment of facial changes in growing individuals.