Exclusion Strategy Research Articles

Lateral/caudal ganglionic eminence makes limited contribution to cortical oligodendrocytes.

The emergence of myelinating oligodendrocytes represents a pivotal developmental milestone in vertebrates, given their capacity to ensheath axons and facilitate the swift conduction of action potentials. It is widely accepted that cortical oligodendrocyte progenitor cells (OPCs) arise from medial ganglionic eminence (MGE), lateral/caudal ganglionic eminence (LGE/CGE), and cortical radial glial cells (RGCs). Here, we used two different fate mapping strategies to challenge the established notion that the LGE generates cortical OPCs. Furthermore, we used a Cre/loxP-dependent exclusion strategy to reveal that the LGE/CGE does not give rise to cortical OPCs. Additionally, we showed that specifically eliminating MGE-derived OPCs leads to a significant reduction of cortical OPCs. Together, our findings indicate that the LGE does not generate cortical OPCs, contrary to previous beliefs. These findings provide a new view of the developmental origins of cortical OPCs and a valuable foundation for future research on both normal development and oligodendrocyte-related disease.

Wetland plant species and biochar amendments lead to variable salinity reduction in roadway-associated soils

Salinization is an emerging threat in freshwater wetlands, with few techniques available to mitigate anthropogenic inputs such as road salts. Phytoremediation and biochar addition have each been proposed to remediate salt-affected soils generally, but interactive effects in wetland environments to improve soil conditions adjacent to roadways are not well understood. We conducted an 88-day fully factorial greenhouse experiment to quantify the effects of three plant treatments (unvegetated, Typha × glauca and Phragmites australis) and three biochar rates (0.0, 2.5, 5.0 % wt/wt) on the soil and leachate of a simulated wetland system. Both plant species significantly reduced soil Cl− content relative to unvegetated controls, while Typha also significantly reduced Cl− content of leachate and soil Na+. The difference in effects was likely due to different salt tolerance strategies: the salt-accumulating Typha contained a significantly higher volume of Na+, Cl−, and water in its tissue than Phragmites, whose greater K+:Na+ ratio and similar soil Na+ to controls indicated a salt exclusion strategy. Biochar did not influence the growth of either species but moderately increased tissue Na+ concentration in Typha. Furthermore, biochar's effects on soil and leachate salt levels varied by application rate with the medium rate moderately increasing soil Na+ and Cl− and leachate Cl−, while the highest application did not differ from controls across all metrics. Our results suggest that phytoremediation can be optimized with salt-accumulating species, whose mechanisms of salt tolerance involve the accumulation of salt ions from the surrounding environment. The consistent flooding in our study may have inhibited the influence of biochar. We recommend future studies parse the effects of water levels and redox potential on biochar's ability to influence wetland salinity.Data repository: doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/9QFZ7

Czy czasopisma konserwatywne Gazeta Polska i Najwyższy Czas! pogłębiają rasistowskie schematy myślenia? Kryzys migracyjny na granicy polsko-białoruskiej w świetle teorii Étienne’a Balibara

The aim of the research was to determine whether Polish conservative opinion magazines (Gazeta Polska and Najwyższy Czas!) may be responsible for the deepening of racist patterns of thinking. The research context included the issue of migration from the countries of the Middle East and Africa based on the example of events on the Polish‑Belarusian border. The main research method was content analysis, including discourse analysis (media framework). The research sample consisted of a total of 109 texts (GP 86 and NC 23). In formulating the research theses, the theory of the French philosopher Étienne Balibar was used, especially considerations regarding racism and the concept of border. The research results gave a positive answer to the main research problem. The comparative analysis showed similarities between both magazines in terms of the rhetoric used towards migrants (anti-immigrant narrative, the “us-them” division, linguistic treatments that are part of the exclusion strategy), as well as the multiplicity of the border topos, which is understood as: the external border of the territory of Poland, the zoopolitical border and the mental border. The element that differentiated the examined magazines was the political context – GP supported PiS policy and used the conflict to deepen internal polarization, while NC criticized the United Right government’s actions.

THE ATTACK OF AL-SYIFA HOSPITAL IN THE REPORT OF ONLINE MEDIA REPUBLIKA, ALJAZEERA, AND BBC NEWS

This article aims to reveal the exclusion and inclusion strategies and the differences in the use of reporting strategies onthe news of the Al-Syifa Hospital attack on Republika, Aljazeera, and BBC News online media using Van Luwen's critical discourse analysis theory. The type of research used is a qualitative method. Data sources are taken from Republika online news media entitled Pasukan Israel Kepung 3 Rumah Sakit di Gaza dan Mengebom kembali RS Al-Shifa, Aljazeera net entitled Al-Jazirah Nit Tarshadu Awdhaa'uhu, Hakadza Yabdu al-Mustasyfa al-Indunisiya bi Gazzah tahta al-Qashfi, and BBC News entitled “Israeli Militarry Looking into Reports of Gaza Hospital Blast”. The data were analyzed using descriptive analysis techniques, namely data presentation, data analysis, and conclusion drawing. The results showed that the news strategy used on Republika online media is an exclusion strategy with passivization and nominalization, and an inclusion strategy with differentiation, abstraction, nomination categorization, and nomination identification. Aljazeera uses exclusion strategies with passivization and nominalization techniques, as well as inclusion strategies with abstraction, nomination categorization and dissociation techniques. BBC News only uses exclusionary strategies with, passivization nominalization, and clause replacement techniques. The use of news strategies on Republika and Aljazeera media contrasts sharply with the use of strategies in the BBC News media, which only uses exclusion strategy. The use of these strategies shows that Republika and Aljazeera online media support Palestine, while BBC News online media support Israel.

Comparison of digital nerve repair techniques: a systematic review

Introduction: Digital nerves are the most injured upper limb peripheral nerves [1]. There are numerous different methods of repair, with no standardised treatment options or guidelines. This systematic review aims to evaluate literature that investigated thebiomechanical strength of digital nerve repairs through varying methods in cadaveric models.Aims/Hypothesis: The aim of the study is to evaluate the literature available for digital nerve repairs and directly compare which surgical method yields the best results. The primary outcome is maximum load to failure of the repaired digital nerve following biomechanical (tensile) strength testing. We postulate that out of all the repair methods, augmentation of repair with fibrin glue or additional conduit will increase the load to failure compared to suture only repair.Methodology: We utilised the PRISMA methodology to conduct the systematic review. The following databases were searched: Embase, Medline, Cochrane, and Web of Science. Studies were reviewed and screened by two researchers following an inclusion and exclusion strategy to retrieve relevant papers.Results: A total of seven papers were included in the final review; these papers reported biomechanical data on cadaveric digital nerve repairs. Due to heterogenicity of methods between papers, a combination of quantitative and qualitative analysis of the results was made.Conclusion: The use of minimal suturing with conduit or glue or both has the ability to increase the maximum load to failure of digital nerve repairs compared to suture only methods. This has additional benefits to decrease the number of sutures required for repair. This thereby reduces potential scarring and inflammation.

Social Actors Represented at the Press Conference on the Case of Chaka Zulu

In June 2022, people in the United States, especially celebrities were shocked by the news of the murder. The manager of actor and rapper Ludacris, Chaka Zulu, was accused as the murderer. With that accusations, he receive various negative reaction from the public. Chaka’s legal team immediately held a press conference to sway public opinion and in that occasion, it could be found social actor representation. Among the many pieces of research regarding social actor representation, research that investigate spoken discourse is rarely carried out. Therefore, this study aims to investigate exclusion and inclusion strategies used by lawyers when representing social actors in press conference. This study uses van Leeuwen’s social actor representation theory (2008). It uses a descriptive-qualitative method to ensure clear data analysis. The data were obtained from the FOX 5 Atlanta YouTube channel. This study reveals that lawyers use exclusion and inclusion. The lawyers used more inclusion than exclusion. Moreover, the most frequent sub-inclusion strategy is role allocation, as active and passive roles allow lawyers to show who is guilty and who is not. Meanwhile, the most frequent exclusion strategy is suppression, it allows lawyers to eliminate actors and emphasize others. Future studies is recommended to explore other van Leeuwen approaches. Future studies can also use other spoken discourse as research topics, for example press conference with public relation or others.

Exclusion or Subsidization? A Competitive Analysis of Quality Regulation Strategy for Two-Sided Platforms

With two-sided platforms becoming an increasingly ubiquitous business model, quality is a vital factor for the success of high-technology platforms that face fierce competition. To maintain competency, high-technology platforms commonly use two quality regulation strategies: the exclusion strategy (E strategy), in which the platform denies access to low-quality complementors, and the subsidization strategy (S strategy), in which the platform provides a fixed subsidy to high-quality complementors. This paper investigates the optimal quality regulation strategy for platforms in a duopoly setting. We examine and compare three scenarios: (i) both platforms adopt the exclusion strategy, i.e. mode EE, (ii) both platforms adopt the subsidization strategy, i.e. mode SS, and (ii) one platform adopts the subsidization strategy while the other adopts the exclusion strategy, i.e. mode SE. First, we find that although the developer network size is larger and the platforms charge developers higher access fees under SS, the average quality and the consumer access fees are lower under SS than under EE, leading to lower profits for platforms. Second, under SE, in comparison with the platform that adopts the exclusion strategy, the platform that uses the subsidization strategy achieves lower average quality and larger network sizes on both sides but may set higher or lower access fees on both sides. Moreover, the platform under the subsidization strategy profits more (less) when the operation cost on the developer side is high (low). Third, asymmetric mode SE does not necessarily induce moderate outcomes for market participants compared to modes EE and SS. We also examine the equilibrium mode by considering platforms’ optimal strategies for quality regulation. Our analyses reveal that as the operation cost on the developer side increases, the equilibrium mode evolves from EE to SE/ES and then to SS. These results and insights are robust to several alternative assumptions.

Efficient Exclusion Strategy of Shadowed RIS in Dynamic Indoor Programmable Wireless Environments

Recent efforts have promoted programmable wireless environments (PWEs) to enhance the reception quality in high-frequency bands via reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs). However, relevant research efforts are limited to setups with stationary users. This paper shows that crowd mobility in indoor PWEs induces spatio-temporal shadows on the surfaces, resulting in spatio-temporal sparsity in channel gains due to signal blockages. This overlooked aspect impacts the operation strategy of PWEs as the shadowed RIS tiles would contribute to the overheads while offering almost no improvement to the reception quality. Hence, this paper proposes an optimal strategy that excludes the shadowed tiles, which maximizes the utilization efficiency of RISs while minimizing the overheads. Since signal blockage is tied with the details of user mobility, a general model does not exist to identify such shadowed tiles for exclusion. Hence, we follow a data-driven approach that capitalizes on a realistic indoor mobility model and ray-tracing to generate the channel data. However, conventional ray-tracing presents high complexity that hinders data generation. So, we propose an approach to identify the shadow regions with a nine-order of magnitude reduction in complexity to efficiently generate the channel data. Furthermore, we present two exclusion strategies that offer guaranteed and best-effort quality-of-service support, and each can identify the tiles to be excluded via a search method with a complexity of <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">O(N)</i> for <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">N</i> tiles. The results indicate that the proposed strategies reduce the overheads by 45 - 50% while maintaining optimal service quality in various environments, operation frequencies, and user and access point density.

The influence of the environmental factors on the accumulation patterns of toxic elements in Plantago lanceolata sampled in the area under strong anthropopressure

The study aims to explore the environmental factors which activate accumulation abilities of Plantago lanceolata in the research area under strong anthropopressure resulting from the long-term pollution originating from copper mining-metallurgical activities in Southeastern Europe. Sampling was performed at the most endangered sites regarding its proximity to the major and/or secondary pollution sources, as well at the control site. The content of toxic elements (Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb and Zn) was determined in the roots, leaves, stalks and flowers of P. lanceolata. The anthropogenic origin of environmental contamination was denoted through the high concentrations of Cu, Pb and Zn in the leaves of P. lanceolata, reaching toxic levels, combined with the enrichment of plant parts (Enrichment factor >2), especially with Cu (as well as with Al, Fe, Ni and Zn) in samples from the immediate proximity to the copper smelter or at the prevailing wind directions. Biomonitoring potential, assessed through the correlations between toxic element content, as well as the values of Enrichment factor, was indicated for roots (in the case of Cu), all the aboveground plant parts (Fe) and stalks (Zn). The results have shown that the contents of toxic elements in plant parts as well as phytoremediation of P. lanceolata were dependent on soil element content, soil physico-chemical properties and soil enzyme activities, which were regarded as the main environmental drivers affecting phytoremediation ability. The analysis of biological factors (bioconcentration, translocation and bioaccumulation factor) indicated exclusion strategy and possible usage of P. lanceolata in phytostabilization of Zn. The results indicated that the study area is 'environmental hotspot' with potential threat to human health due to the high levels of bioaccumulation of the investigated toxic elements in P. lanceolata parts.

Development of novel ALOX15 inhibitors combining dual machine learning filtering and fragment substitution optimisation approaches, molecular docking and dynamic simulation methods

The oxidation of unsaturated lipids, facilitated by the enzyme Arachidonic acid 15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15), is an essential element in the development of ferroptosis. This study combined a dual-score exclusion strategy with high-throughput virtual screening, naive Bayesian and recursive partitioning machine learning models, the already established ALOX15 inhibitor i472, and a docking-based fragment substitution optimisation approach to identify potential ALOX15 inhibitors, ultimately leading to the discovery of three FDA-approved drugs that demonstrate optimal inhibitory potential against ALOX15. Through fragment substitution-based optimisation, seven new inhibitor structures have been developed. To evaluate their practicality, ADMET predictions and molecular dynamics simulations were performed. In conclusion, the compounds found in this study provide a novel approach to combat conditions related to ferroptosis-related injury by inhibiting ALOX15.

Genetic Polymorphisms of SCD1 gene and its relationship with some reproductive traits in Holstein cows in Iraq

The research was conducted at the Khalis cows station in Al-Khalis district - Diyala Governorate and the central laboratory of the Faculty of Agriculture - University of Tikrit for the period from 13/12/2020 to 1/2/2022, a sample of 63 Holstein cows, with the aim of extracting the genetic material and determining the genetic polymorphism of the SCD1 gene and its relationship to reproductive traits in Holstein cows, studying the percentage of distribution of genetic structures in the cows that were studied, the allele frequency and calculating the value of chi-square (χ2) were determined. The genotypes frequencies for the SCD1 gene in the studied cow samples were 47.62, 46.03 and 6.35% for AA, AV and VV genotypes respectively. The value of the chi-square (χ2) was highly significant (P &lt; 0.01). The frequency of allele A and V were 0.71 and 0.29 respectively. Some reproductive traits were significantly affected by the different genotypes of the SCD1 gene. Cows with the genotype AA achieved the highest Days Open (106.70 ± 5.84 days), while the genotypes VV and AV were 105.93 ± 14.25 and 92.82 ± 5.89 days respectively. The cows with AA genotype was the highest calving interval (389.77 ± 5.90 days), while the cows of the VV and AV genotypes reached 386.75 ± 14.39 and 374.27 ± 5.96 days respectively. It can be concluded by studying the genetic polymorphism of the SCD1 gene that it is possible to improve the reproductive traits in cows. We also recommend applying the study to a larger sample for several seasons and different locations of the gene, while studying more economic characteristics to give more accurate results for the application of the selection and exclusion strategy.

Dianthus sylvestris subsp. sylvestris as a promising candidate for phytostabilization of copper-contaminated post-mining sites in Alpine ecosystems.

The lack of remediation of inactive mine sites is a serious global concern, as they pose risks to the environment, human health, and safety. The potential of Dianthus sylvestris subsp. sylvestris to remediate post-mining sites contaminated with copper (Cu) at high altitudes, which is a challenging task for most management strategies, was explored in this study. More than 1300 mg Cu kg-1 in shoots were found in plants collected at the Monte Avanza legacy mine site (Alps). However, it is unclear whether this is due to hyperaccumulation or foliar contamination. To address this gap, field samples were washed with two different protocols, and a controlled Cu-tolerance test was conducted. While very high Cu concentrations, exceeding the Cu hyperaccumulation threshold of 300 mg kg-1, were found in samples washed with water, results for the plants cleaned with a more rigorous approach with EDTA suggested Cu exclusion strategy. Under controlled conditions, the plant showed Cu hypertolerance but did not hyperaccumulate Cu. Thus D. sylvestris presents a Cu exclusion strategy rather than hyperaccumulation potential, making it a suitable candidate for Cu phytostabilization at high altitude legacy mine sites. The study emphasizes the need for experiments under controlled conditions when assessing the phytoremediation potential.

āl-Irhāb āl-Ijrāmiy fi Bandung fi āl-Akhbār āl-'Arābiyāh ālā āl-Intirnit; Istinādān ilā tāhlil āl-Khithāb ān-Naqdiy li Theo Van Leeuwen

The mass media plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and influencing people's perceptions of important issues being discussed, one of which is terrorism. This research aims to identify and analyze critical discourse through exclusion strategies and inclusion strategies and describe the three Arab online media in constructing news. This research uses a critical discourse analysis approach from Theo van Leeuwen's perspective. Researchers used qualitative methods with content analysis techniques from Arabic online media, namely al Arabiya.net, al Jazeera.net, and okaz.com.sa with the theme of Indonesian criminal terrorism news namely Suicide Bombing in Bandung December 7, 2022 edition. The collection technique uses the documentation, observation, and record method. The results of the research show that the exclusion strategy is used in the media al Arabiya.net with 2 data and al Jazeera.net with 1 data, and the inclusion strategy is used in the media al Arabiya.net 6 models, al Jazeera.net 7 models, and okaz.com.sa as many as 5 data models. The three online media have a tendency towards groups or government agencies rather than terrorists. Furthermore, suggestions for further research use the theory of media psychology and emotional effects.

Partitioning of Circulating Monocyte Subsets in Immune Thrombocytopenia

Introduction Immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune disease characterized by accelerated platelet destruction with impaired platelet production leading to a platelet count decreased +/- bleeding manifestations, mostly caused by antiplatelet autoantibodies. The role of monocytes in ITP pathophysiology is not clearly established. Circulating monocyte subpopulations were identified phenotypically by flow cytometry and defined according to the surface expression of CD14 and of CD16 into classical (cMo), intermediate (iMo) and nonclassical (ncMo) monocytes. A new subpopulation, defined by the expression of the slan marker, has recently been described and represents a fraction of ncMo (ncMo slan +). Objectives The 1 st objective of the study was to analyze the partitioning of peripheral blood monocyte subsets by flow cytometry in ITP patients compared to a group of healthy blood donors (HD). Our second objective was to further characterize different phenotypic profiles of monocytes among ITP patients based on baseline characteristics, severity and treatment(s). Methods From April 2019 to January 2023, peripheral blood samples from ITP patients and HD were collected on EDTA and stained with the following antibodies: anti-CD45, CD2, CD56, CD24, CD14, CD16 and anti-slan. Acquisition analysis was performed either with a Navios or a DxFLEX cytometer. All files were analyzed with the previously described exclusion strategy of non-monocytes populations, using Kaluza™ analysis software, to characterize cMo, iMo, ncMo and ncMo slan + subsets. ITP patients were included regardless of their ITP status and/or phase of the disease. Results In total, 56 peripheral blood samples from 46 ITP patients and from 19 HD were analyzed. ITP patients had a median age of 50.5 years [19-91], 54.3% were females, whereas the median age of HD was 36 years [21-65] with 42.1% of females. ITP was defined as primary in 82.6% of the cases with a median disease duration of 3 years (&amp;lt;3 months or newly-diagnosed in 26.8% and &amp;gt;12 months or chronic ITP in 60.7%). Nine patients had undergone splenectomy (19.6%) at time of analysis. The platelet count was &amp;lt;50 x 10 9/L in 60.7% of ITP patients and absolute monocyte count ≥ 1 x 10 9/L was found in 21.4%. Regarding ITP treatment, 14 patients (25%) were receiving glucocorticoids (GC) at time of analysis whereas 9 (16.1%) had been exposed to GC within the previous month. Eleven patients (19.6%) had received intravenous immunoglobulin within a month prior to the analysis, 20 (35.7%) were on thrombopoietin receptor agonists, 9 (16.1%) had received rituximab in the previous year, 4 (7.1%) received another immunosuppressive therapy and 6 (10.7%) received another treatment. Eighteen patients (32.1%) were considered as “treatment-free” as they had not received any treatment for their ITP in the previous month or rituximab in the previous year. The latter group of “untreated” patients displayed a significant increase of the iMo relative fraction when compared to HD (4.92% vs 3.18%, p=0.018). There was no significant difference between the two groups regarding other monocytic subpopulations, including cMo, ncMo, ncMo slan+, the absolute and relative counts of monocytes. As for the treatment effect, the ongoing intake of GC therapy did not have a significant impact on monocytosis but was strongly associated with an increased proportion of cMo (94.2% vs 85.0%, p &amp;lt; 0.0001; Figure 1) and a decreased proportion of ncMo (2.31% vs 9.85%, p&amp;lt;0.0001) and ncMo slan+ (3.12% vs 7.46%, p&amp;lt;0.0001), mimicking the cMo accumulation characteristic of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia. Splenectomy and other treatments did not significantly interfere neither with monocyte count nor with the monocyte subpopulation partitioning. When excluding patients receiving GC, splenectomized patients had a higher monocyte count compared to non-splenectomized patients (1.0 vs 0.5G/L, p=0.008), with no difference in monocyte subset repartition. Conclusion Using multiparameter flow cytometry analysis, we demonstrated the expansion of iMo in untreated ITP patients. GC treatment led to the accumulation of cMo with reduced ncMo proportion, hence should be considered when interpreting the monocyte subset partitioning. These data suggest a potential role of monocytes in ITP pathogenesis and clinical response to GC therapy.

Antisocial peer exclusion does not eliminate the effectiveness of prosocial peer exclusion in structured populations

While prosocial exclusion has been proposed as a mechanism to maintain cooperation in one-shot social dilemma games, the evolution of prosocial peer exclusion in response to the threat of antisocial peer exclusion, particularly in structured populations, remains insufficiently understood. In this study, we employ an extended spatial public goods game to investigate the evolution of prosocial peer exclusion and its impact on cooperation in the presence of both prosocial and antisocial peer exclusion. Our model encompasses four primary strategies: traditional cooperation and defection, prosocial peer exclusion targeting defectors, and antisocial peer exclusion targeting cooperators. Our findings illuminate that the presence of antisocial peer exclusion significantly disrupts network reciprocity and suppresses cooperation. However, when coexisting with prosocial peer exclusion, it does not undermine the latter’s efficacy in upholding cooperation, except in scenarios with low exclusion costs Unlike the cooperation-sustaining cyclic dominance pattern observed in the exclusive presence of prosocial peer exclusion, the co-presence of prosocial and antisocial peer exclusion gives rise to more intricate pathways for maintaining cooperation. These pathways include cyclic dominance involving traditional cooperation, prosocial peer exclusion, and antisocial peer exclusion, or a similar pattern involving traditional defection and the two exclusion strategies, or even cyclic dominance among all four strategies. In essence, our study enhances the theoretical framework concerning the effectiveness of the prosocial exclusion strategy, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of its dynamics.

Hail netting excludes key insect pests and protects from fruit damage in a commercial Minnesota apple orchard.

Exclusion netting in some European and North American apple (Malus domestica Borkhausen, Rosaceae, Rosales) orchards has been documented to be an effective method of control for multiple insect pest species. By minimizing reliance on insecticides, these orchards have reduced costs, risks to the environment and non-target species, and reduced the risk of insecticide resistance. This study examined the use of commercially available hail netting (DrapeNet®; Prosser, WA) as a pest exclusion strategy under conditions in Minnesota, USA. In 2021 and 2022, we assessed the efficacy of hail netting as a tool for pest suppression in orchards by monitoring pest species in netted and open plots crossed with and without insecticide applications. Our findings show that both of the major pest species in Minnesota, the codling moth (Cydia pomonella L.; Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and the apple maggot (Rhagoletis pomonella Walsh; Diptera: Tephritidae), were significantly reduced inside the netting compared to open plots by 94% and 96%, respectively. For a secondary pest, the red-banded leafroller (Argyrotaenia velutinana Walker; Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), moth populations were reduced by 56%. We also found that insecticide application alone did not significantly reduce pest pressure in these species. Additionally, we investigated the subsequent effects of hail netting on fruit quality and yield. The use of hail netting and insecticide application resulted in significantly higher proportions of high-quality fruit at harvest. However, netting did not significantly influence yield. These findings suggest that hail netting can be used to control Midwest apple insect pests with limited insecticide applications while maintaining high fruit quality.

Nontarget Analysis and Comprehensive Characterization of Iodinated Polyfluoroalkyl Acids in Wastewater and River Water by LC-HRMS with Cascade Precursor-Ion Exclusions and Algorithmic Approach.

Poly- and perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) are a large family of widespread contaminants of worldwide concern and well-known as "forever chemicals". Direct emission of PFAAs from the fluorochemical industry is a crucial source of PFAA pollutants in the environment. This study implemented nontarget analysis and comprehensive characterization for a category of new PFAA contaminants, i.e., iodinated PFAAs (IPFAAs), in fluorochemical industry wastewater and relevant contaminated river water by liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry with a cascade precursor ion exclusion (PIE) strategy and in-house developed data extraction and processing algorithms. A total of 26 IPFAAs (including 2 isomers of an IPFAA) were found and identified with tentative molecular structures. Semiquantification of the IPFAAs was implemented, and the total concentrations of IPFAAs were 0.16-285.52 and 0.15-0.17 μg/L in wastewater and river water, respectively. The high concentrations in association with the predicted ecotoxicities and environmental behaviors demonstrate that these IPFAAs are worthy of more concern and further in-depth research. The cascade PIE strategy along with the data extraction and processing algorithms can be extended to nontarget analysis for other pollutants beyond IPFAAs. The nontarget identification and characterization outcomes provide new understanding on the environmental occurrence and pollution status of IPFAAs from a comprehensive perspective.

Predicting acute aortic syndrome using aortic dissection detection risk score, D-dimer, and X-ray

ObjectiveAcute aortic syndrome (AAS) is a fatal disease with high mortality. There were previous studies using aortic dissection detection risk score (ADD-RS) and D-dimer (DD) to screen AAS. There were screening failures in previous studies, suggesting the need for a more accurate tool. This study investigated the effect of combining ADD-RS and age adjusted D-dimer (DDage-adj) with abnormal findings on chest radiographs on the diagnosis of AAS in patients admitted to emergency department (ED). MethodsThis single-center retrospective case-control study included 93 patients with AAS and 465 with chest pain (CP), diagnosis other than AAS. We attempted to compare the initial clinical presentation and laboratory examination findings. ResultsAge-adjusted DD (DDage-adj), defined as age x 0.01 mg/L in patients ≥50 years, showed sensitivity of 92.5% and specificity of 76.3% for patients with AAS (p < 0.001). Positive chest radiography findings were significant with AAS group; sensitivity was 89.2% with a specificity of 80.9% (p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used; widened mediastinum, widening of aortic contour and aortic kinking indicates the probability of AAS in patients with CP (p < 0.05).ADD-RS was used to evaluate the risk of AAS. For low risk group, ADD-RS ≤1, combined use of chest radiography and DDage-adj showed meaningful result. Sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 67.1% with failure rate of 0% (p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis were made; widening of the mediastinum (p = 0.035), widening of the aortic contour (p < 0.001) and aortic kinking (p < 0.001) showed significant p-value. Combining DDage-adj and these three chest radiography findings in ADD-RS≤1 patients resulted 0% failure rate with 67.8% specificity (p < 0.001). ConclusionsThe combination of ADD-RS, DDage-adj and chest radiography could lower the failure rate of AAS exclusion strategy. This combination strategy satisfies low failure rate (<3%) and yields relatively high specificity of 67.8%.

Multiple Line Outage Detection for Power Systems Based on Binary Matching Pursuit

Line outage detection plays a key role in black-out prevention and recovery in power systems. Considering the number of outage lines is sparse as compared to total transmission lines in the early line outage stage, compressive sensing theory is applied to study the multiple line outage detection of power systems. By formulating the sparse line outage detection problem in a standard compressive sensing form, a binary matching pursuit algorithm is proposed to solve the problem. A dice coefficient and an atom exclusion strategy are subsequently introduced to improve the detection accuracy of the proposed algorithm. Algorithm complexity has also been analyzed. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm not only has more resilience to noise and less sensitivity to the data sampling size, but also shows lower computational burden and higher detection efficiency.

Exclusion strategy in socially responsible investment: One size does not fit all

A better overlap between the exclusion set used by socially responsible investments (SRI) managers and individual preferences could lead to higher adoption of SRI, which is in turn expected to promote a more sustainable development. In the first study, we find an essential mismatch: both the US (n=472) and the UK (n=560) respondents did not adhere to the classification of some of the most commonly excluded sin industries as being sinful. In the second study on US investors (n=1020), we show that two-thirds of respondents are willing to pay 2.1% of their initial investment to choose which industries should be excluded. In comparison, the rest of the sample is willing to pay 2.5% to have a panel of experts decide for them. These results suggest the need to refine the exclusion strategies used by funds and update the list of industries typically excluded to promote SRI.