Journal articles on the topic 'Tufts (Firm)'

The immature and adult stages of a new species of the genus Oukuriella Epler, 1986 from the Southeast of Brazil are described. The larvae, reared in laboratory to obtain adults, were obtained from submerged wood collected in a reservoir situated in the Jataí Ecological Station (Luiz Antônio, SP). According to Messias et al. (2000) the genus is composed of three species group. The adults of this new species congregate morphological characteristics of the Oukuriella - second group, which is characterised by wings without markings, abdominal tergites with setal tufts and gonostylus broad, 1,5x longer than gonocoxite, but is distinguished by different thoracic and abdominal pigmentation. This is the first description of female for the Oukuriella second group. The immature forms aggregate the same characteristics of O. intermedia, the one species whose pupae and larvae are known. The strongly hardly mental and mandibular teeth sees to indicate the ability to scrape and to shred firm surface as submerged wood, substrate where were collected.

ABSTRACTSiphonotretid brachiopod distribution in the Lower Ordovician of the Prague Basin is described and discussed; the new species Alichovia cometa is established. The preservation and distribution of the group indicate a preference for shallow-water offshore, high-energy environments: siphonotretids are abundant shelly fossils in the shallower-water, mostly marginal sites of the basin but are absent in the deeper parts. Their environmental limits were complementary to those of the graptolites; siphonotretids co-occur with epiplanktonic graptolites at only a few localities. Deeper offshore deposits with biramose dichograptids and diverse, generally delicate benthic dendroids lack siphonotretids. Indeed, siphonotretids were intolerant to dysoxia and preferred a well-aerated siliciclastic, firm sea floor in the shallower parts of the basin. They were tolerant to suspended coarser detritus, using their spines which functioned as an effective sieve. The density and ramification of spines indicate three sifting strategies. Suggested life styles above the seabed on elevated surfaces (algae, sponges, dendroids) are not supported by direct evidence. They more likely lived within more supple and soft matrices (sponges, tufts of algae) stabilised by their spines, with the spinose basket maintaining free space for inhalant and exhalant currents.

The predominant diseases of the commercial kumara (Ipomoea batatas) or sweetpotato crop are caused by fungal pathogens The field disease pink rot results from infection by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum Lesions form on vines but may spread down stems to the roots The widespread nature of this disease in sweetpotato appears peculiar to New Zealand Scurf is a disease caused by Monilochaetes infuscans which occurs in the field but may proliferate amongst stored roots The disease causes a superficial discolouration of the root surface which is mainly cosmetic but can also increase root water loss in storage Infection by Ceratocystis fimbriata produces a disease known as black rot The disease can be transmitted amongst plants at propagation but is particularly rampant amongst roots in storage This disease is readily transmitted and can cause severe economic loss Fusarium oxysporum causes surface rots in stored roots characterised by light to dark brown lesions that tend to be firm dry and superficial The lesions may be circular and centred on wounds caused by insects or mechanical damage at harvest Soft rot caused by Rhizopus stolonifer generally occurs in roots after they are washed and prepared for the market Fungal infection occurs through wounds or bruised tissue producing distinctive tufts of white fungal strands and black spores

A new subaerophytic cyanobacterium, Ewamiania thermalis gen. et sp. nov., was isolated from a thermal spring complex in tropical, north-eastern Australia and characterised using combined morphological and phylogenetic attributes. It formed blackish-green hemispherical caespitose mats that began as small circular tufts, maturing to form dense mats up to several metres long. It grew along the crests of the minidams just above the thermal waters as well as along some of the shallow unconfined areas of vent-discharge aprons. Morphologically, Ewamiania is most similar to members of the Scytonemataceae. Filaments were isopolar, cylindrical, straight or flexuous, densely arranged and erect, often parallely fasciculate, with tolypotrichoid false-branching, rarely with scytonematoid false-branching. Vegetative cells were short barrel-shaped or isodiametric, slightly constricted at the cross-walls, with granulated contents. Sheaths were firm, thick, lamellated, uncoloured to yellowish or darkly yellow–brown in colour, cylindrical and closed at the apex. Heterocytes were spherical or ovoid in shape, and occurred in both basal and intercalary positions, generally solitary, but sometimes up to two or three in a series, developing particularly at the base of branches. Reproduction occurred by the production of hormogonia by the formation of necridic cells; hormogonia were not constricted at cross-walls and often included terminal heterocytes. Phylogenetic analyses using partial 16S rRNA sequences obtained from a strain of E. thermalis showed that it formed a well supported monophyletic clade, sharing less than 94.3% nucleotide similarity with other cyanobacterial sequences, including putatively related taxa within the Scytonemataceae. It also formed a novel clade in the nifH phylogeny, which was associated with members of the genus Brasilonema M.F.Fiore, Sant’Anna, M.T.P.Azevedo, Komárek, Kastovsky, Sulek & Lorenzi.

Background:The Addressing Lupus Pillars for Health Advancement (ALPHA) Project is a global consensus initiative to identify, prioritize and address top barriers in lupus drug development, clinical care and access to care. The Lupus Foundation of America convenes ALPHA with Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development and a Global Advisory Committee of lupus experts representing clinician-scientists, industry and patients.Objectives:Collect global patient input to determine alignment with the lupus clinician-scientist community on prior published consensus of top lupus barriers.Methods:A 23-question online Qualtrics survey was developed to identify challenges across lupus diagnosis, clinical care and research participation. The survey, available in English, Spanish, Korean and simplified Chinese, was fielded in November 2019 to people with lupus and caregivers of children <18 with lupus. SPSS 26 and SAS 9.4 were used for descriptive statistics and sub-analysis.Results:Analysis included only consented responses with ≥ 68% survey completion (n=3,447) received across 83 countries. 95% were female with a mean age of 45. Respondents reported being White (57%), Black or of African descent (14%), Hispanic or Latino (18%) and Asian (10%). 65% resided in the US while 35% resided in countries outside of the US. 97% were people with lupus while 3% were caregivers to children <18 with lupus.Highest ranked challenges were similar globally and across children and adults: medication side effects, lack of treatment options and high out-of-pocket costs. Managing side effects ranked significantly higher (p<.05) outside of the US (48%) compared to US (40%). 50% of caregivers reported managing side effects as the top challenge for children compared to 43% of adults (p<.05). Research participation was low (24%) and lower among children (16%). The top reason for not participating in a clinical trial was not being asked by their doctor.Conclusion:This global survey revealed that medication side effects and lack of effective treatments are top challenges for people with lupus, including children. Most respondents were never asked by their doctors to participate in a clinical trial, which may explain difficulties in trial recruitment. These barriers are consistent with prior published barriers identified by the clinician-scientist community.Acknowledgments:ALPHA sponsors: EMD Serono, GSK, Aurinia, MallinckrodtDisclosure of Interests:Karin Tse: None declared, Yaritza Peña: None declared, Kathleen Arntsen: None declared, Sang-Cheol Bae: None declared, Lauren Bloch Consultant of: Faegre Drinker Consulting is a division of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, a law and consulting firm that represents patient advocacy organizations and sponsors developing drugs, Ian N. Bruce Grant/research support from: Genzyme Sanofi, GSK, and UCB, Consultant of: Eli Lilly, AstraZeneca, UCB, Iltoo, and Merck Serono, Speakers bureau: UCB, Karen Costenbader Grant/research support from: Merck, Consultant of: Astra-Zeneca, Bradley Dickerson Employee of: Aurinia, Thomas Dörner Grant/research support from: Janssen, Novartis, Roche, UCB, Consultant of: Abbvie, Celgene, Eli Lilly, Roche, Janssen, EMD, Speakers bureau: Eli Lilly, Roche, Samsung, Janssen, Kenneth Getz: None declared, Amy Kao Employee of: EMD Serono, Susan Manzi: None declared, Eric F. Morand Grant/research support from: AstraZeneca, Consultant of: AstraZeneca, Speakers bureau: AstraZeneca, Sandra Raymond: None declared, Brad H Rovin Grant/research support from: GSK, Consultant of: GSK, Laura Schanberg Grant/research support from: Sobi, BMS, Consultant of: Aurinia, UCB, Sanofi, Victoria Werth Grant/research support from: Biogen, Celgene, Gilead, Janssen, Viela, Consultant of: Biogen, Gilead, Janssen, Abbvie, GSK, Resolve, AstraZeneca, Amgen, Eli Lilly, EMD Serono, BMS, Viela, Kyowa Kirin, Joan Von Feldt Shareholder of: GSK, Employee of: GSK, David Zook Consultant of: Faegre Drinker Consulting is a division of Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, a law and consulting firm that represents patient advocacy organizations and sponsors developing drugs, Leslie Hanrahan: None declared

Abstract This conference paper reports the tuft bridging behaviour of a single tuft when used in an orthotropic or a quasi-isotropic laminate. Laminates are subjected to pull-out experiments with a full release film placed in the mid-layer of laminates. The force-separation diagrams and damaged samples obtained by tensile tests are analysed to compare two different laminate. The results show that the larger amount of resin present around the tuft in orthotropic laminate reduces by 60% the ultimate tensile strength of the tuft when compared to quasi-isotropic laminates. The tuft tends to fail in the mid-layer of quasi-isotropic laminate with no pull-out, while the tuft has a bit pulling out in orthotropic laminate, causing an increase in the fracture energy.

The mafic-dominated volcanic and related volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, which host the Archean Coniagas Zn–Pb–Ag massive sulfide deposit, are inferred to be the result of submarine explosive and effusive eruptions at depths of approximately 1000 m, as suggested by the presence of volcaniclastic turbidites, the absence of wave-induced sedimentary structures, pillowed lava flows, the sulfide deposit itself, and the incipient arc setting. The rock assemblage includes massive, pillowed and brecciated, basaltic to andesitic flows, massive, andesitic to rhyodacitic lapilli tuffs, andesitic stratified lapilli tuffs, and bedded tuffs. Preserved fragments and delicate volcanic textures, such as angularity of clasts, chilled clast margins, and clast vesicularity, and sedimentary structures are consistent with a subaqueous hydroclastic origin for the volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks. Explosive degasification of magma and (or) lava, in conjunction with fragmentation due to the interaction of magma–water, or nonexplosive hydroclastic fragmentation can account for the observed characteristics in the volcaniclastic deposits.The 280 m thick Coniagas volcano-sedimentary succession, used to reconstruct the volcanic history of the deposit, records two explosive–effusive volcanic cycles. The initial stage of each cycle is envisaged to have commenced with a small fire fountain or boiling-over eruption. Transport and deposition of the fragmented debris along the flanks of the volcanic edifice is attributed to high-concentration particulate gravity flows. The massive lapilli tuffs are interpreted as laminar debris flows, whereas the stratified lapilli tuffs may reflect turbulent flow deposits. The bedded tuffs were produced during the waning eruptive stages or elutriated from high-concentration syneruption flows. Ingestion of water, causing hydroclastic fragmentation, occurred during the eruptive and (or) the transport process. Calm, effusive mafic volcanism, characterized by massive, pillowed and brecciated flows and reworked counterparts, terminates each volcanic cycle. The massive, felsic lapilli tuffs, which host the mineralization, are inferred to represent locally reworked hydroclastic products of explosive or nonexplosive origin. The Coniagas mine deposit may serve as a guide for future exploration of small Archean volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposits with a restricted alteration halo.

The new species Tachigali inca is described and illustrated. It grows in lowland ‘terra firme’ forest of Amazonian Brazil, in the sub-Andean Amazon region of Peru, and in northeastern Bolivia. The species differs markedly from its most closely related species (T. amarumayu, T. prancei and T. setifera, all belonging to the “setifera group”), by the large cylindrical domatia on the leaf rachis, and by the brown-orange pulverulent indumentum on the abaxial surface of the leaflets and the young twigs; on older branches the indumentum becomes darker, degrades and then breaks off. It also differs by its linear petals with the upper half densely tomentose, the hairs forming small tufts.

Mineralogical and mineralogical-graphic analyzes of samples of the host and ore-bearing rocks of copper-zinc-pyrite deposits were carried out. The Program and the corresponding research methods offactors and patterns of development of the oxidation processes of sulfide ores and rocks have been developed and tested. The results of chemical-technological studies of sulfur-pyrite, copper-pyrite, copper-zinc ores, sericite-quartz rocks and metamorphosed tuffs are presented.

Lithistid sponges are an important component of many Ordovician faunas and form some of the earliest reef communities of the Paleozoic Evolutionary Fauna, yet they have received relatively little attention. Fossiliferous strata with abundant sponges occur at many horizons and localities within the Lower and Middle Ordovician Pogonip Group of the Great Basin. One of the best-known occurrences is near the middle of the Antelope Valley Limestone in central Nevada, where sponge-bearing units occur within the lower Whiterockian Stage. Lithistid sponges and associated species were also examined within the Shingle Limestone of eastern Nevada, where the sponge communities occur as small reef mounds about 55 m below the top of the formation in beds corresponding to the uppermost Ibexian Series. To acquire a more regional view of the environments and faunas present in Nevada during the Ordovician, contemporaneous units in the Pogonip Group were examined elsewhere in Nevada and in the Ibex area of western Utah.The general depositional setting of the Great Basin at this time was that of a carbonate ramp in the upper Ibexian developing into a carbonate platform during the Whiterockian. The sponge mounds in the Shingle Limestone, forming in water 1 to 15 m deep, may have participated in this development by interfering with water circulation along the outer portion of the carbonate ramp. The mounds are several meters in size and are often stacked, with grainstone-filled channels cutting through the mounds in several places. The mounds themselves have muddy cores and are flanked by well-sorted echinoderm grainstones. The reef trend extends for nearly two kilometers before being faulted out, and was probably even more extensive during its development. Besides sponges, the assemblage contains abundant calcareous algae and cyanobacteria, as well as trilobites, brachiopods, echinoderms, and other groups characteristic of the Paleozoic Fauna. These mounds are very similar to those found in the Wahwah and Juab Limestones of the Pogonip Group, suggesting that these latter buildups also formed in very shallow water.The younger sponge communities in the Antelope Valley Limestone at Ikes Canyon probably formed in about 20 to 40 m of water along the uppermost slope of a carbonate platform. The sediments consist of interbedded wackestones, mudstones, and shales with occasional hardgrounds. Some of the sponges have root tufts, indicating that they settled on soft substrate. Besides lithistid and heteractinid sponges, the unit contains a diverse assemblage of metazoans and occasional receptaculitids and other algae.Estimates of relative species abundances were calculated for random samples from the sponge-bearing units. The Shannon Diversity Index for the Antelope Valley Limestone fauna is 3.24 with an equitability value of 0.68, while the Shingle Limestone community has values of 3.44 and 0.74, respectively. Thus, not only were both communities diverse, but the species within each community were comparable in abundance. These values compare favorably with those of modern marine communities, especially when the effects of preservational bias are considered, and suggest that well-integrated ecological communities with substantial amounts of biotic interaction had evolved by the Middle Ordovician.The sponge communities of the Antelope Valley Limestone and Shingle Limestone are thus quite similar, yet only in the latter did the organisms build bioherms. The sucession of communities within these buildups indicate that the greater abundance of cyanobacteria and calcareous algae in the Shingle Limestone probably helped to bind and stabilize the sediment, creating a firm substrate. This was then settled by cylindrical and branching lithistid sponges and other species that not only acted as bafflers, causing mud to accumulate, but produced additional sediment when they died. As the mounds grew, the communities diversified, with cup-shaped lithistids becoming dominant as the bioherms approached sea level. The importance of calcareous algae and cyanobacteria in determining whether mud mounds developed in this depositional setting suggests that factors controlling the distribution of algae, primarily substrate, turbidity, and water depth, also control the distribution of mud mounds. This is probably true not only for these sponge mounds, but for mud mounds throughout the Paleozoic.

Static and dynamic mechanisms in a three-dimensional, turbulent, detached flow with a horseshoe vortex, which is encountered in turbomachinery, are clarified experimentally. Flow directional intermittency is obtained by a thermal tuft probe and wall pressure fluctuation survey is performed. Flow visualization is also made by the oil film and smoke wire technique. Four types of vortices exist in the detached region. These vortices are generated by the different process. The detached region is divided into two parts: the region I and II. The flow in the region II, including the detachment point, has dynamic characteristics with low-frequency fluctuation. A new flow model in the detached region is proposed.

AbstractThe design, construction, and validation of a new academic wind tunnel is described in detail. The wind tunnel is of a classical, blow-down type and generates a pressure-induced, turbulent separation bubble on a flat test surface by a combination of adverse and favorable pressure gradients. The Reynolds number, based on momentum thickness just upstream of separation, is Reθ≃ 5,000 at a free-stream velocity ofUref= 25ms−1. The length of the separation bubble is estimated at 0°42 ± 0°02m by three different methods. Results of a numerical simulation demonstrate the absence of flow separation in the wind-tunnel contraction. This results in a turbulence level of about 0·05% in the test section. Oil-film visualisation experiments show that the flow near the wall is strongly three-dimensional in the recirculating region and that the topology of the limiting streamlines is consistent with experiments performed on configurations with fixed separation. Finally, spatial variations of the forward-flow fraction have been documented using a thermal-tuft probe and are shown to compare well with the results of the oil-film visualisation.

Abstract Recent evidence suggests that the economic value of increased health has been enormous, with most of these gains being driven by medical R&D. The R&D process for pharmaceuticals is particularly expensive and time consuming, with well-known studies from the Tufts Center for the Study of Drug Development suggesting that developing a single successful drug costs around $1 billion and takes roughly 12 years. We argue that these estimates are incomplete because they do not incorporate the social costs imposed by the regulatory process, namely the costs to producers in terms of forgone profits and the costs to consumers in terms of delayed access to drugs. In this article, we develop a framework to estimate the social costs imposed by the regulatory process. Under this framework, delays in drug development are socially costly because of reduced consumer surplus (due to delayed access to beneficial therapies), reduced producer variable profits, and increased R&D expenditures. We apply this framework to the case of therapies aimed at treating AIDS, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and breast cancer. In each case, we find that the effects of drug delays on consumer surplus and variable producer profits are far larger than the effects on R&D costs. These findings suggest that patients, not firms, would be the primary beneficiaries from any improvements in streamlining the drug development process.

Yawed flow conditions introduce unsteady loads in a wind turbine that affect generated power quality and fatigue life. An unsteady phenomenon of special concern is dynamic stall, due to the significant load fluctuations associated with it. Although the assumptions underlying blade element momentum (BEM) models are totally inadequate in yawed flow conditions, these models, modified with engineering models, are still widely used in industry. It is therefore relevant to assess the capabilities of BEM models in predicting the location of dynamic stall on the blade for a rotor in yawed flow conditions. A rotor model is placed in an open jet wind tunnel and tested in yawed flow conditions. The locations of dynamic stall on the blade of a rotor model as a function of the blade position are observed. Two experimental techniques are used; tufts glued to the blade and hot-film anemometry in the near wake. The results from the two techniques are compared and possible causes for differences are identified. Furthermore, the rotor model in yaw is modeled with a simple BEM model, utilizing a Gormont dynamic stall model. The regions of dynamic stall on the blades predicted by the BEM model are compared with the experimental results. The BEM model seems capable of a crude prediction of the dynamic stall locations found for the rotor model in yawed flow conditions.

During the preparation of cotton cellulose hydrogels using the phase inversion gelation method of N,N-dimethylacetamide/LiCl solution under ethanol vapor, acetone (AC), methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), or diethyl ketone (DEK) were added as additives, and their gelation state and the properties of the resulting hydrogels were evaluated. Adding the ketones to the cellulose solution caused an increase in the gelation time, but the solution viscosity decreased, indicating that the cellulose tended to aggregate in the solution. Among the hydrogels prepared by adding ketones, the water content was as high as 2050%, especially for AC and MEK. In these hydrogels, cellulose formed an agglomerated fibrous network of a few micron widths, forming a tuft-like entrapment space of about 10 to 100 μm size. The structure surrounded water and held it in the hydrogels. The FTIR results showed that the water, which formed hydrogen bonds, was retained within the hydrogel network. This structural configuration was determined to be conducive to maintaining the gel state against external deformation forces, especially in the case of the addition of MEK.

A cohort of captive-bred red-eared slider turtles, Trachemys scripta, was received from a commercial vendor. Shortly after arrival, several turtles presented as lethargic with subjectively pale skin and multifocal areas of cotton-like tufts in the mouth area and distal extremities. The water was treated with a commercial anti-fungal and anti-bacterial preparation of Victoria Green B and acriflavine. Despite treatment, 10 turtles were euthanized and others demonstrated persistent clinical signs. A live turtle was submitted to a commercial diagnostic laboratory for microbiologic and histologic evaluation. Seven cultures were obtained from this turtle and numerous organisms grew from each culture, including Flavobacterium sp. Blood film analysis demonstrated intracytoplasmic gamonts of Haemogregarina sp. within erythrocytes. On necropsy, internal organs appeared to be slightly more adhered within the coelomic cavity than normal. The urinary bladder was markedly distended with turbid, dark yellow urine. Microscopic evaluation of the tissues revealed significant parasitism with Myxidium sp., Spirorchis sp. and Neopolystoma orbiculare. No fungal organisms were identified on histology or grown in culture. While there are scattered reports of these pathogens in freshwater turtles, none of the cases reported describe such extensive co-infections. It is likely that complicated infection and shipping stress exacerbated clinical signs typically seen with these organisms. Efforts to minimize stress and administration of prophylactic antiparasitic agents during the acclimation period may aid in reducing the consequences of internal parasitism in aquatic turtles.

In this paper, the relationships between the power augmentation of a HAWT due to Mie-type tip vane application and other factors influencing the efficiency of a wind turbine such as the blade aspect ratio, number of blades, blade pitch angle and Reynolds number are investigated. Experiments were carried out in a wind tunnel with an open, 3.6 m diameter, test section. Rotor models included two- and three-blade upwind turbines with four sets of blades with different aspect ratios. With the rotor blades tested, a maximum power augmentation of about 14.5% was achieved due to Mie vane application. The relationships between power augmentation due to the Mie vane and the above factors are investigated. It is found that the application of a tip-mounted Mie vane results in a larger increase in maximum power coefficient for rotors with smaller aspect ratios and for lower wind speeds. Surface oil film and surface tuft visualization methods were used to detect the flow patterns at the blade tip. Addition of the Mie vanes causes significant changes in flow behavior near the blade tip, resulting in additional blade lift.

Introduction. Teratomas are tumors derived from pluripotent germ cells, and they appear most frequently in ovaries. Strumal carcinoid belongs to the group of monodermal teratomas. Strumal carcinoid is characterized by the presence of carcinoid tumor, intermingled with thyroid tissue. Case report. A 52-year-old postmenopausal woman was referred to the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Clinical Center of Vojvodina, Novi Sad with complex right adnexal mass for surgery. Laparotomy revealed tumor arising from the right ovary, of firm consistency and intact capsule. On gross examination, yellowish brown tumor was 26 x 17 x 10 cm, with vague nodularity. The cut sections revealed predominantly solid mass with two cystic areas, and one of the cysts showed a tuft of hair. On histopathological examination, the cystic spaces were lined with skin and mucinous epithelium. The solid areas showed a population of monomorphic cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm and nuclei with ?salt and pepper? chromatin, arranged in acinar and trabecular patterns, respectively. In addition, focally follicular structures with central eosinophilic colloid-like material were seen. Based on the presence of these two components, a diagnosis of Strumal Carcinoid was made and confirmed on immunohistochemistry. The tumor cells were diffusely immunopositive for synaptophysin, chromogranin, and the follicles including the central colloid were immunopositive for thyroglobulin and Thyroid transcription factor-1. Neither proliferative or mitotic activity nor capsular or angiolymphatic invasion were noticed. At 3 year follow up the patient was disease free. Conclusion. In order to diagnose this rare tumor a team, consisting of a pathologist, surgeon and radiologist, is needed. Diagnosis of strumal carcinoid has to be confirmed on immunohistochemistry.

Many styles of gold mineralisation pose challenges during sampling because of the presence of coarse gold and high natural heterogeneity (“nugget effect”). The gold-bearing conglomerates of the Western Australian Pilbara provide some challenges. Novo Resources Corporation has addressed many of these over the last five years. Its Beatons Creek open pit operation is the first Pilbara conglomerate to go into production (January 2021) based on a total oxide Mineral Resource of 316,000 oz Au (5.2 Mt at 1.9 g/t Au at a 0.5 g/t Au cut-off). Mineralisation occurs within the Beatons Creek conglomerate member of the Hardey Sandstone formation, which constitutes part of the Fortescue Group. Gold is present within the matrix of multiple, narrow stacked and un-classified ferruginous-conglomeritic reef horizons, which are interbedded with un-mineralised conglomerate, sandstones and grits with minor intercalations of shale, mudstone, siltstone and tuffs. The gold occurs as free particles up to 5 mm across within the ferruginous matrix of the conglomerates. It is closely associated with detrital pyrite and authigenic nodules. Previous owners and Novo have employed several sampling techniques across the project including diamond and RC drilling, trench channel sampling and bulk sampling. Assay methods included fire assay, LeachWELL and more recently PhotonAssay. As part of its 2018 evaluation programme, fifty-eight c. 1-4 t bulk samples were collected from accessible oxide mineralisation and processed via a pilot plant. This paper presents some of the issues and solutions applied by Novo, which have wider implications and impact on the sampling of other heterogeneous orebodies.

Transportation of drinking water on the water supply network is a complex and important problem, which requires many practical problems. Thus, the water supply network is designed for the regime of maximum water consumption in the settlement, and the period of operation of the network is characterized not only by maximum water consumption, but also by minimum water use, which takes place at night. Therefore, the velocities of water flow through the pipes will change during the day from maximum to minimum, and in some areas will fall to zero and even change the direction of flow. This situation contributes to the formation on the inner surface of water pipes of biological film, which develops on all types of pipe material (concrete, plastic, steel, cast iron, copper). Hours of minimal water consumption, characterized by low water flow rates, are favor able for the process of fixing bacteria on the inner surface of the pipes and the formation of local colonies that destroy the material of the pipeline. Special attention is paid to iron bacteria, which oxidize iron oxide, turning it into oxidative. This process is accompanied by precipitation,- hydroxide. Therefore, in the process of vital activity of iron bacteria in the middle of the pipelines formed a mobile sediment, which reduces the diameter of the pipes, and the water gets a rusty-red color and an unpleasant odor. Attention is drawn to the fact that some artesian waters used for water supply of the population contain hydrogen sulfide. When oxygen enters such bodies, they begin to develop filamentous sulfur bacteria. In appearance filamentous sulfur bacteria (Beggiaroacea) resemble long tufts of gray hair, and congestion, formed from filamentous sulfur bacteria rapidly increase in volume and clog the living section of the pipes, saturating the drinking water with an unpleasant odor. Therefore, bacteria transported through the pipes together with drinking water degrade its quality, saturating the water with an unpleasant odor, clog the living section of the pipes and destroy the inner surface of the pipes and destroy the inner surface of the pipes due to corrosion.

The distal apical dendrites of layer 5 pyramidal neurons receive cortico-cortical and thalamocortical top-down and feedback inputs, as well as local recurrent inputs. A prominent source of recurrent inhibition in the neocortical circuit is somatostatin-positive Martinotti cells, which preferentially target distal apical dendrites of pyramidal cells. These electrically coupled cells can fire synchronously at various frequencies, including over a relatively slow range (5∼30 Hz), thereby imposing oscillatory inhibition on the pyramidal apical tuft dendrites. We examined how such distal oscillatory inhibition influences the firing of a biophysically detailed layer 5 pyramidal neuron model, which reproduced the spatiotemporal properties of sodium, calcium, and N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor spikes found experimentally. We found that oscillatory synchronization strongly influences the impact of distal inhibition on the pyramidal cell firing. Whereas asynchronous inhibition largely cancels out the facilitatory effects of distal excitatory inputs, inhibition oscillating synchronously at around 10∼20 Hz allows distal excitation to drive axosomatic firing, as if distal inhibition were absent. Underlying this is a switch from relatively infrequent burst firing to single spike firing at every period of the inhibitory oscillation. This phenomenon depends on hyperpolarization-activated cation current-dependent membrane potential resonance in the dendrite, but also, in a novel manner, on a cooperative amplification of this resonance by N-methyl-d-aspartate-receptor-driven dendritic action potentials. Our results point to a surprising dependence of the effect of recurrent inhibition by Martinotti cells on their oscillatory synchronization, which may control not only the local circuit activity, but also how it is transmitted to and decoded by downstream circuits.

Relevance. In the basin of the r. Pishma subvolcanic formations, localized in the fields of spreading of the Middle Devonian Rudyanskaya sequence, are presented by different on composition small bodies, sills and dykes, forming with volcanogenic rocks of the Rudyanskaya sequence a basalt-andesite-rhyolite complex, the formation of which is associated with volcanic activity, that took place in Middle Devonian in the environments close to the modern island arcs. Their isotope dating and geochemical characteristic are rather relevant for specification of the composition, volume and paleogeodynamic environment of the vulcanite formation. In the paper new data are presented on geochemistry of andesites of the dyke from the Diviy Kamen rock, considered as part of the Rudyanskaya sequence, as well as the age of zircon from them. Methods. Chemical analyses of vulcanites have been performed in the Centre of collective usage “Geoanalyst” of the Institute of Geology and Geochemistry of the UB of RAS (Ekaterinburg) by X-ray fluorescent method and ICP–MS method. Zircons were studied with scanning electron microscope JSM-6390L of the Jeol firm and with electrone-probe microanalyser Cameca SX100. The data on the U and Pb isotopes, as well as on elements-impurities in zircon grains were obtained by mass-spectrometry method with inductively coupled plasma with laser ablation (LA–ICP–MS) at the quadrupole ISP–MS NexION 300S with the attachment for laser ablation LA NWR 213. Purpose of researches. Getting new data on geochemical composition and age of the andesites of dyke in the section along the r. Pishma. Results. The andesite dyke intersects medium clastic unstratified tuffs and dipply occurring fragment of the lava flow of porphyry dacite. Andesites present themselves porphyry rocks with 20–30% of plagioclase phenocrysts. At the normalized many-component diagram the Ta–Nb minimum is displayed. For zircon grains are characteristic differentiated spectra, demonstrating the growth of compositions from light to heavy REE, positive Ce and negative Eu anomalies, typical of the zircon of magmatic genesis. For the first time geochronological study of zircons from andesites has been maded by method of LA–ICP–MS. 4 age groups of zircons, Ma: 390–387, 369–362, 337–345, 327–329 were revealed. Conclusions. The data obtained testify that andesites were formed under suprasubduction environments, and magmatic stage of rock formation corresponds to the upper Devonian varieties of zircons. Early Carboniferous datings can be associated with the thermal impact caused by the intrusion of a later dolerite dyke.

The new mineral radvaniceite, GeS2, was found on the burning coal mine dump of the abandoned Kateřina coal mine at Radvanice, near Trutnov, northern Bohemia, Czech Republic. It occurs as aggregates resembling cotton tufts up to 5 mm in size; they are composed of acicular crystals up to fibres about 1–5 μm thick and up to 3 mm in length. Individual fibres are distorted and partly resemble bent wires nucleated on rock fragments or on black, crumbly ash, in association with minerals of solid solutions of Bi-Sb and stangersite, herzenbergite, and greenockite. Radvaniceite was also observed as irregular grains in a range of 10–50 μm in size, forming part of earlier multicomponent aggregates upon which the above-described crystals grow. These aggregates are formed, in addition to radvaniceite, by minerals of Bi-Sb, Bi2S3-Sb2S3 and Bi2S3-Bi2Se3 solid solutions, Bi3S2, Bi-sulpho/seleno/tellurides, tellurium, unnamed PbGeS3, Cd4GeS6, GeAsS, Sn5Sb3S7, stangersite, greenockite, cadmoindite, herzenbergite, teallite, and Sn- and/or Se-bearing galena. Radvaniceite is formed under reducing conditions by direct crystallization from hot gasses (250–350 °C) containing Cl and F at a depth of 30–60 cm under the surface of a burning coal mine dump; the mine dump fire started spontaneously, and no anthropogenic material was deposited there. Acicular crystals up to fibres of radvaniceite are elastic to flexible; are white to yellowish grey in colour, with white streaks; are translucent in transmitted light; and have vitreous to adamantine lustre. Cleavage and fracture were not observed. The calculated density is 3.05 and 2.99 g·cm−3 for the empirical and ideal formulae, respectively. Radvaniceite is transparent under the microscope, with a very weak pleochroism (from colourless to pale greenish yellow), and has a refraction index > 1.8. Under reflected light, radvaniceite is light grey; bireflectance and pleochroism were not observed due to abundant, white to grey, internal reflections. Anisotropy in crossed polars is distinct with grey rotation tints. Reflectance values of radvaniceite in air (Rmin–Rmax, %) are: 15.4–18.8 at 470 nm, 16.1–20.4 at 546 nm, 16.4–20.8 at 589 nm, and 16.9–20.9 at 650 nm. The empirical formula, based on electron-microprobe analyses, is (Ge0.99Bi0.01)Σ1.00(S1.97Se0.03)Σ2.00. The ideal formula is GeS2, which requires Ge 53.10, S 46.90, total 100 wt. %. Radvaniceite is monoclinic, Pc, a = 6.8831(12), b = 22.501(3), c = 6.8081(11) Å, β = 120.365(9)°, with V = 909.8(4) Å3 and Z = 12. The strongest reflections of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d, Å (I) (hkl)] are: 5.7395 (100) (11-1, 110), 5.2067 (16) (021), 3.3650 (33) (111, 11-2), 2.8417 (33) (022), 2.8236 (16) (170, 17-1), 2.8134 (20) (080) and 2.6257 (19) (240, 24-2). According to X-ray powder diffraction data and Raman spectroscopy, radvaniceite is a natural analogue of synthetic monoclinic low-temperature β-GeS2 with distorted GeS4 tetrahedra forming four corner-sharing tetrahedral chains, which are connected by corner-sharing tetrahedra in a three-dimensional structure. We named the mineral after its type locality, Radvanice, one of the past centres of coal mining in the Czech limb of the Intra-Sudetic Basin. This mineral and its name have been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (number 2021-052).

<p><strong>Abstract.</strong> This is a critique – a rebuke of a method that I helped promote and grow within the cartographic discipline.</p><p>During this era of big-data fetishism, cartographers (including this author) have been searching for ways to analyze maps that are more quantitative than previous, descriptive methods. This discipline-specific shift is part of a much larger, well-documented swing in the sciences away from qualitative analysis (observation, interviewing, and descriptive evaluation) to quantitative data analysis (eye tracking, mouse-click watching, and statistical evaluation). To garner broad research appeal today (i.e., grant funding and publication), cartographic researchers often need to embrace some sort of statistical analysis.</p><p>It is argued here, however, that the results of this positivist trend are <i>not</i> all positive.</p><p>Enter Quantitative Content Analysis (QCA). In a matter of less than 10 years, QCA has gone from an esoteric research technique borrowed from the social sciences to a sure-fire method with which to push out numbers-driven cartographic publications.</p><p>I argue that QCA, a method that once gave promise to help bridge the art-versus-science dichotomy in the mapping sciences, is utterly failing the discipline. The cumulative result of contemporary QCA studies, both well and poorly done, is banal cartography. <i>Banal cartography</i> is defined here as map research that is largely insignificant, unoriginal, and sheds little-to-no-insight on maps that was not already discernible via qualitative observation.</p><p>There are three broad reasons QCA is failing.</p><p>First, QCA is frequently used for the wrong reason. All foundational literature on QCA notes that it should only be used to help answer pre-existing research questions of significance. Reviewing twenty-first-century QCA research in cartography, it is obvious that this is rarely the reason the method is chosen. Instead, it is often used in cartography to create large amounts of numeric data from which researchers can harvest answers to post-facto research questions of dubious merit. This approach nullifies the legitimacy of QCA.</p><p>Second, QCA simply sucks the soul out of cartographic research. The results of the research result in descriptive statistics – when we’re lucky! – that do nothing more than describe a sample of maps that is rarely, if ever, random. The journal articles read like fantasy football statistics about teams and players no one has ever heard of.</p><p>Instead of allowing us to analyze maps for what they are – a communication device in a particular social context – researchers using QCA typically break maps down into a set of binary codes of 1s and 0s.</p><p>Map has a north arrow? Check (1); Map has a title? No (0); ad nauseam.</p><p>Ironically, the numeracy of QCA is working to undermine our understanding of the complexity of maps. QCA merely provides a sum of all a map’s, or group of map’s, parts. We know that maps are always more complex than the elements comprising them. In this regard, QCA adds to a cartographer’s understanding of maps what counting the number of different brush strokes comprising a piece of fine art does for an art historian. With QCA, we are literally taking a visual communication and trying to force it into a data table. What a godawful thing to do!</p><p>Third, cartographers are often sloppy at content analysis making it unlikely most of the (typically inane) results could ever be replicated. If the results can’t be reliably replicated, what’s the point of stripping maps down into numbers and squashing them into spreadsheets? After all, one of the main benefits of content analysis is its supposed replicability.</p><p>Content analysis is brutal. I often quip to my students that I wouldn’t wish the method on my worst enemies. Developing useful codes takes hours, days, and even months of trial and error. Finding a sample of maps that is robust, non-homogenous, and not too systematically sampled is a chore. Then actually doing the analysis? Please see the first sentence of this paragraph for a synopsis.</p><p>That is a summary for one researcher. Content analysis is supposed to be replicable. One must find a second researcher willing to memorize the archaic coding scheme developed by the first, and then go through the same arduous process. Human error and sleep-deprived cheating exists in almost all studies. (Few researchers would openly admit this. But humans are involved in processing massive amounts of visual data. Some of whom are not paid much, if anything, to do it. Of course the work is fallible!)</p><p>Finally, after all of this work, <i>what</i> researchers discover is rarely a diamond in the rough. More typically a lump of coal. Of course, in science this is what is supposed to happen. If you aren’t failing to prove things most of the time, you aren’t doing science. In reality, of course, after spending months, years, and tons of assistant money on coding large datasets, you cannot end up with nothing.</p><p>And alas we come full-circle back to the original problem. New research questions are asked, post-facto (one of the biggest sins in QCA).</p><p>Questions like:</p><p>Was there variation in the dimensionality of bar charts found accompanying <i>Average Annual Precipitation</i> maps in Goode’s World Atlas? Result: Wow! They went three-dimensional for two editions in the 1990s even against the sage advice of Edward Tufte? We can write about this! (Never mind that, perhaps given the context, the change had nothing to do with cartographic decision-making, but a new intern hired to create the graphics.) QCA has a place in cartography, but it’s time we call a spade a spade. Many of the studies using this method are done poorly, are of minimal relevance, and probably don’t provide any knowledge or insight we couldn’t get more reliably via other means. I am not critiquing others alone. Some of my previous research is guilty of this as well. I never felt quite right about it. Artificial intelligence of maps will help alleviate much of the human error and allow us to ask more interesting questions about large samples of maps in the future. It may not alleviate the issues discussed in reason two, however. And until cartographic researchers stop creating QCA datasets to simply harvest for publications, the problem of banal cartography will continue for the foreseeable future. If nothing else, hopefully this abstract helps fuel a debate in the methodology sections of these future papers.</p>

Objective: To compare the wear of two different 3D printed resins and a lab manufactured night guard. Methods: Three different materials were tested for their ability to stand up to simulated nighttime grinding. The materials tested were (n=30): Flex: SprintRay Night Guard Flex (SprintRay, Los Angeles, CA), Firm: SprintRay Night Guard Firm (SprintRay, Los Angeles, CA), and NGP: Clear Splint Biocryl 2mm (Great Lakes Orthodontic, Tonawanda, NY). The materials tested were formed into 10mm cubes. Flex and Firm groups were made using the SprintRay Pro55 3D printer, according to manufacturer specifications then polished using silicon carbide grinding papers of 240 and 600 grit with water (Buehler, IL, USA). The NGP group was made with a sheet of 2mm Clear Splint Biocryl plastic placed over a template block in a Biostar V pressure molding machine to replicate the same dimensions as the Flex and Firm groups. The surface roughness of each sample was measured using the Profilometer - Roughness Tester PCE-RT 1200 (PCE Instruments) and marked as initial surface roughness (Ra1). After the wear test, another surface roughness test was measured with the Profilometer and marked as the final surface roughness score (Ra2). In addition, all the specimen of each material were analyzed before and after the test with a 3D laser profilometry TMS-500 Top Map Pro.Surf (Polytec GmbH, Germany). These measurements, prior to the wear test were the initial surface area roughness (Sa1) and the final surface area roughness (Sa2). Enamel antagonists (molars cusps) were prepared from caries-free extracted molars. Four cusps were collected from each tooth. Standardization of the enamel antagonists for shape and size were done by using a diamond bur and high-speed handpiece under water irrigation. The enamel cusps were randomized between three groups. The wear test was performed using a wear simulator developed by the Tufts University School of Engineering. To simulate wear the samples were run through 20,000 cycles roughly equivalent to one-month of normal wear, under a load of 25N. Specimen and antagonists were lubricated with water. Results: The change in roughness/wear (before-after) for each of the three groups (Firm, Flex and NGP) was calculated. Descriptive statistics were calculated for wear, the NGP group showed the highest wear with a mean±SD of -0.94±0.55 for stylus profilometry and -0.92±0.90 for the laser analysis. The Shapiro-Wilk test showed that the data for one of the three groups was not normally distributed; a Kruskal-Wallis test was conducted to assess the difference in wear between the three groups. The Kruskal-Wallis test showed a statistically significant association between group and wear, p<0.0001. The Dunn’s test along with the Bonferroni correction used to perform pairwise comparisons showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the Firm and NGP groups (p=0.004 stylus) and (p=0.014 laser) as well as the Flex and NGP groups (p<0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference between the Firm and Flex groups (p=0.612 stylus) and (p=0.443 laser). The statistical significance for within group differences was assessed using the Paired t-test for the Firm and NGP groups, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for the Flex group. The within group difference in the NGP group was statistically significant (p=0.0004 stylus) and (p=0.022 laser). Conclusion: Under these in vitro study conditions, Flex and Firm showed more resistance to wear than NGP. There was no statically significant difference between Firm and Flex groups.

ABSTRACT The tuft cell is a chemosensory cell, a specific cell type sharing the taste transduction system with a taste cell on the tongue, of which the existence has been discovered in various tissues including the gastrointestinal tract, gall bladder, trachea and pancreatic duct. To date, electron microscopic approaches have shown various morphological features of the tuft cell, such as long and thick microvilli, tubulovesicular network at the apical side and prominent skeleton structures. Recently, it has been reported that the small intestinal tuft cell functions to initiate type-2 immunity in response to helminth infection. However, the mechanisms by which such distinguished structures are involved with the physiological functions are poorly understood. To address this question, a combination of physiological study of tuft cells using genetic models and its morphological study using electron microscopy will be required. However, it is a challenge to observe tuft cells by electron microscopy due to their extremely low frequency in the epithelium. Therefore, in this paper, we suggest an advanced protocol to observe the small intestinal tuft cell efficiently by transmission electron microscopy using serial semi-thin sections on Aclar film. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Rapporten presenterer resultater fra siste feltsesong av forskningsutgravning av nausttufter på Nergården, Bjarkøy utført av Norges arktiske universitetsmuseum (UM) og Troms og Finnmarkfylkeskommune i fire feltperioder (2019-2022). De samlede utgravningsresultatene danner et grunnlag for tolkning av konstruksjon, kronologi og relasjoner mellom tre stornaustbygninger; et opprinnelig jernaldernaust fra vikingtid (tuft 1) som ble utvidet på 1000-tallet (utvidet tuft 1) og et høymiddelaldernaust bygd mot slutten av 1100-tallet, og som var i bruk frem til slutten av1300-tallet (tuft 2). Feltundersøkelsen i 2022 hadde flere målsettinger knyttet til vurdering av resultater fra en georadarundersøkelse av naustlokaliteten utført av NIKU i 2021. Hovedfokus var kartlegging av veggkonstruksjonsdetaljer både i de vestre og østre veggene i tuft 2, samt relasjoner mellom utvidet tuft 1 og tuft 2-naustene. En sjakt på tvers av veggvollene i tuft 2 fra2020 ble utvidet 5 m i vestlig retning for å avdekke den vestlige ytterveggen av tuft 2-stornaustet (sjakt 8). I tillegg ble en 7 x 0,5 m sjakt gravd i V-Ø retning sør for rute 3 fra 2021 (sjakt 9). Sjakta blir plassert mellom innerveggen i østlig del av tuft 2, samt vestlig yttervegg og takbærendestolperekke i utvidet tuft 1-stornaust. Hensikten var å avklare overgangen mellom utvidet naust 1og naust 2 strukturene og avdekke ytterveggen til tuft 2 med veggrøft og stolperekke som ble dokumentert i sjakt 5 fra 2020. Resultatene fra utgravning i 2022 bekrefter tidligere utgravningsresultater og en del av georadartolkningene når det gjelder dokumentasjon av inner- og ytterveggene i utvidet tuft 1 og tuft 2. Både innerveggen i utvidet tuft 1 og den østlige ytterveggen i tuft 2 var usynlig i georadarresultatene, men utgravningen i 2022 bekreftet beliggenhet og utforming av veggene avdekket ved tidligere utgravning. En rekke karbondateringer fra de vestre og østre veggvollene i tuft 2 forsterket kronologien for bruk av middelaldernaustet, men det ble dessverre ikke funnet nok trekull til datering av veggene i utvidet tuft 1-naustet hvor gjenstandsfunn også manglet. Det kan forklares med beliggenhet nær bakgavlen i et stornaust hvor aktivitet er antatt til å være begrenset. Det ble funnet en moderat mengde båtsaum og en del steingjenstander (bryner, ildflint og skiferheller) i sjakt 8. En grafisk designer ble engasjert å lage 3D illustrasjoner av hvordan alle tre naustene kunne ha sett ut basert på resultater av arkeologisk utgravning, georadarundersøkelsen og innspill fra eksperter innenfor tradisjonshåndverk. Dette blir et nyttigverktøy som kan brukes til formidling og faglig hypoteser om konstruksjon av stornaust fra førreformatorisk tid i landsdelen.

Drusilla Brown of Tufts University reviews, “Odd Couple: International Trade and Labor Standards in History “ by Michael Huberman. The Econlit abstract of this book begins: “Explores how workers, firms, and states in the first wave of globalization responded to questions about social policy and international integration. Discusses the virtuous circle of trade and the labor compact; challenge and response; markets and states in old and new worlds; whether international labor standards are ideas or trade based; whether the labor compact reduced inequality; whether labor standards harmed or benefited trade; the labor compact in the long twentieth century; and Émile Vandervelde's gift. Huberman is Professor of History at the University of Montreal.”

Introduction: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-shortening recessive genetic disease in Caucasians, affecting primarily the lungs. The objective of our study was to investigate potential ophthalmologic involvement in adult patients with CF. Methods: Fifty adult patients with cystic fibrosis and 60 age- and sex-matched controls underwent complete ophthalmologic examination including tear-film Break-Up Time (BUT), Macular Thickness, and peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer (pRNFL) thickness measurements using Spectral Domain-OCT. Results: CF patients had significantly lower nasal-inferior pRNFL thickness (median 82 IQR 67–102 vs 92.5 IQR 82–107, p = 0.005) and lower percentage of normal tear Break-Up Time (56.0% vs 96.7%, p = 0.001) than healthy controls. All CF patients with BUT <10 s were diagnosed with blepharitis at the time of our assessement. The subgroup of patients homozygous for the most common CF mutation, F508del, had lower nasal-inferior pRNFL thickness ( p = 0.014) and lower percentage of normal tear Break-Up Time ( p = 0.001) compared to the control group. Additional findings, present in the CF group only, were punctuate retinal hemorrhages (four patients), vessel tortuosity (four patients), snail-track degeneration, and retinal tufts (two patients without refractive error). There were no significant differences in visual acuity, refractive errors, gonioscopic findings, or intraocular pressure between the groups. Conclusions: Our study is, to the best of our knowledge, the largest ophthalmologic study of patients with cystic fibrosis. We found that CF patients had significantly decreased inferior-quadrant peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and decreased tear-film break-up time compared to controls. We highlight the importance of careful regular ophthalmologic assessment and follow-up of these patients.

Saat ini, dibandingkan dengan negara sekitar, di manakah posisi Indonesia? Tepat sesaat sebelum pandemi, World bank mengkategorikan Indonesia pada posisi upper middle income dan PBB mengklasifikasikan Indonesia pada posisi High HDI (Human Development Index). Seperti yang dapat dilihat pada gambar di bawah ini, di antara beberapa negara di asia pacific, Indonesia berada antara Vietnam dan Filipina. Data tersebut didapatkan tahun 2018, dari United Nation Development Program. Tidak berubah banyak di tahun 2020. Meskipun sampai sekarang, pada penelitian-penelitian ekonomi, masih terdapat perdebatan mengenai hubungan antara investasi teknologi dengan kemajuan ekonomi, bagaimana menghubungkan teknologi dengan indikator-indikator makro ekonomi, tetapi, tidak dapat dipungkiri, hampir semua ahli sepakat bahwa penguasaan teknologi akan meningkatkan kemajuan ekonomi bangsa (Vu et al., 2020). Oleh karenanya, hampir semua negara berlomba-lomba menjadi yang terdepan dalam teknologi. Berdasarkan hasil sebuah penelitian yang dilakukan Universitas Tufts berdasarkan data 12 tahun, tahun 2008-2019 (Chakravorti et al., 2020). Dijitalisasi Indonesia berada di bawah rata-rata. Tetapi, percepatan dijitalisasi Indonesia di atas rata-rata. Negara-negara lain yang berada di sekitar Indonesia misal: India, Vietnam, dan Azerbaijan. Pada kuadran yang sama, China terlihat jauh di depan. Malaysia, Emirat Arab, Qatar dan beberapa negara lainnya berada pada kuadran di atas kuadran Indonesia. Ada negara-negara yang melaju pesat, misal China dan Korea Selatan. Ada negara-negara dengan sumber daya melimpah, memiliki manusia-manusia pintar yang diperkirakan akan maju, tetapi ternyata jalan di tempat. Mengapa bisa seperti itu? Kalau melihat HDI yang tadi saya sebutkan, Iran misal, HDI di atas Indonesia tetapi digital score-nya dan juga digital momentumnya di bawah Indonesia. Meskipun saya membandingkan dengan kasar dan barangkali akan ada yang tidak setuju dengan pendapat saya, namun, saya ingin menunjukkan bahwa bisa jadi, ada sesuatu, yang menghalangi atau mempercepat kemajuan teknologi suatu negara di luar teknologi itu sendiri dan berlimpahnya sumber daya yang dimiliki. Dari berbagai macam kemungkinan, saya ingin menggarisbawahi peranan institusi dan organisasi pada pemanfaatan teknologi. Mengapa saya memilih ini? Karena di sekitar saya, menurut saya, banyak perhatian diberikan pada pengelolaan teknologi dan sumber dayanya. Namun tidak cukup banyak perhatian diberikan pada kondisi kontekstual yang melandasi sebuah teknologi dapat dikembangkan, digunakan, dan bermanfaat. Sebuah pandangan kritis dari peneliti-peneliti ternama di bidang sistem informasi seperti Michael myers - bukan saudaranya penyanyi, John Mayer-, Heinz Klein, Orlikowsky, dan Baroudi, mengatakan bahwa kita memiliki kemampuan mengubah situasi kita, tetapi kapasitas untuk berubah dibatasi oleh sistem ekonomi, politik, maupun budaya dominan yang berlaku (Silva, 2007). Pada pandangan ini, pengetahuan diasumsikan berlandaskan pada praktek-praktek di sosial dan sejarah (Marabelli & Galliers, 2017; Zuboff, 1988). Literatur yang saya baca menunjukkan bahwa terdapat korelasi yang sangat kuat antara aktor sosial dan teknologi dijital (Priharsari et al., 2020; Priharsari & Abedin, 2021b; van den Broek et al., 2021). Saya memberikan contoh sebuah penelitian yang seringkali saya jadikan contoh juga di kuliah saya. Sebuah penelitian di Taiwan yang dipublikasikan tahun 2012, oleh Mei-Lin Young dan kawan-kawan tentang knowledge management systems (Young et al., 2012). Sudah cukup lama, tapi saya rasa masih relevan untuk saya sebutkan disini. Penelitian tersebut menunjukkan bahwa, knowledge management systems tidak berhasil di Taiwan karena adanya budaya menjaga nama baik diri sendiri dan orang lain yang membuat mereka tidak bebas membagi pengetahuannya. Dari beberapa publikasi saya, serta juga bersumber dari penelitian yang sedang saya lakukan, pelajaran yang saya dapatkan adalah besarnya peranan manusia dan institusi serta organisasi dalam keberhasilan pemanfaatan dan pengembangan teknologi. Saya mengatakan institusi dan organisasi dengan berbeda. Yang saya maksud dengan organisasi adalah Lembaga formal, sedangkan institusi adalah norma atau aturan mengenai suatu aktivitas masyarakat. Dengan kata lain, institusi adalah sesuatu yang lebih abstrak dari organisasi. Saya mempelajari beberapa komunitas online dan saya melihat bahwa komunitas yang cair, terbuka akan perubahan, akan terus-menerus mengubah cara pandang mereka akan sesuatu. Apa yang saya tampilkan ini adalah hasil penelitian saya yang baru saja dipublikasi pada sebuah jurnal, yaitu Information Technology & People (Priharsari & Abedin, 2021a). Dengan mencapai sebuah kesepakatan dan bersama-sama, berkolaborasi, anggota komunitas akan melihat cara baru untuk bekerja sama yang ternyata secara ajaib dapat melihat teknologi yang sama dari sisi berbeda dan memanfaatkannya dengan berbeda. Padahal teknologi yang digunakan tetap. Inovasi-inovasi terjadi meskipun dibatasi ketidakmampuan mengubah teknologi material. Inovasi tersebut juga terjadi pada cara pandang melihat teknologi sehingga mengubah gaya dalam menggunakan teknologi yang kemudian menjadi cara baru memanfaatkan sebuah teknologi. Jadi, inovasi tidak hanya terbatas pada menghasilkan produk baru, melihat barang yang sama dengan perspektif berbeda dan menggunakannya secara berbeda pun juga dapat menjadi sebuah inovasi. Diambil dari Priharsari, D., and Abedin, B. (2021) Orchestrating Value Co-Creation in Online Communities as Fluid Organizations: Firm Roles and Value Creation Mechanisms. Information Technology & People (Priharsari & Abedin, 2021a) Bagaimana aktor sosial mempengaruhi teknologi sudah menjadi perhatian bidang sistem informasi selama beberapa dekade ini. Banyak penelitian telah dilakukan, misalnya: bagaimana cara pandang sistem analis akan mempengaruhi desain sebuah teknologi. Hal itupun dapat dipengaruhi oleh minat tertentu pada grup-grup tersebut. Kita juga mengetahui bahwa implementasi sistem informasi dapat juga mengundang konflik antara berbagai pemangku kepentingan, misalkan demo pengendara ojek saat gojek memperluas pasar. Apa yang saya ingin tegaskan adalah, adanya pandangan yang relatif tidak konvensional yang sering disebut sebagai pandangan kritis, tentang bagaimana teknologi dimaknai (Beckett & Myers, 2018; Hinings et al., 2018; Zuboff, 1988). Biasanya, teknologi dimaknai sebagai artifak yang netral. Artinya apa, artinya teknologi adalah alat yang penggunaannya dan aplikasinya dapat diperkirakan atau deterministik. Pandangan kritis tidak memandang teknologi seperti itu. Pandangan kritis melihat teknologi sebagai artifak yang merupakan hasil pergulatan politik, sehingga mereka membawa sebuah kepentingan tertentu. Sehingga, dapat dikatakan bahwa artifak teknologi tidak murni hasil dari proses desain dan rekayasa, tetapi sebuah produk yang merepresentasikan perbedaan dalam melihat dunia. Saya yakin, grup IT di kampus maupun programmer-nya (misal PSIK) paling paham tentang ini. Oleh karena itu, bagaimana sebuah teknologi bermanfaat bagi penggunanya, dapat dijelaskan dengan pemahaman yang baik tentang bagaimana sejarah dan interpretasi lokal yang berada di sekitar. Teknologi membutuhkan kontekstualisasi, yang artinya apa? Artinya tidak hanya melihat teknologi dari sisi desainer, tetapi juga dari konteks situasi yang melandasi teknologi tersebut diaplikasikan. Misalnya, hal yang menarik dan terjadi di sekitar kita adalah, penggunaan e-mail. Meskipun e-mail dapat diakui sebagai alat komunikasi resmi, di Indonesia secara umum, atau di lingkungan kampus, email seringkali menjadi alat kedua mengalahkan whatsapp. Saya sering melihat situasi responsif pada WA, tidak responsif pada e-mail. Akhir-akhir ini, ada wacana untuk memberikan notifikasi dari aplikasi akademik, atau lainnya yang terotomatis ke WA, bukan ke e-mail. Mengapa dalam sebuah organisasi, lebih mudah menggunakan WA daripada e-mail, sementara organisasi lain, e-mail lebih populer daripada WA? Terkesan sederhana, tetapi implikasi dari hal ini menurut saya luar biasa. Banyak lembaga publik yang mencantumkan e-mail pada websitenya, tetapi saat dikontak ke e-mail tersebut, puluhan hari tidak juga mendapat balasan. Implikasi lainnya, hanya orang-orang tertentu yang memiliki nomor kontak petugas dan kenal dengan mereka yang bisa mendapatkan pelayanan atau informasi lebih baik. Belum lagi dengan kontak pribadi yang tersebar kemana-mana, membuka kemungkinan tidak jelasnya antara jam kerja dan jam istirahat di rumah. Tanpa disadari, hal tersebut berdampak pada kualitas layanan, kepercayaan publik, dan kesejahteraan karyawan. Ada yang berpikir bahwa dengan mewajibkan, nanti karyawan akan menerima dan terbiasa. Saya sering mendengar kalimat, “dipaksa saja dahulu, nanti biasa”. Lalu, apakah dengan mengeluarkan aturan wajib menggunakan e-mail, maka seluruh karyawan akan pasti menggunakan e-mail, sementara sebelumnya sudah terbiasa dengan menggunakan WA? Saya tidak tahu, namun, sudah cukup banyak penelitian terdahulu yang menunjukkan perlawanan kuat dari aktor-aktor sosial terhadap kewajiban menggunakan sebuah teknologi, dapat berakhir pada kegagalan implementasi (Doolin, 2004; von Briel & Recker, 2017; Young et al., 2012). Padahal kita semua tahu betul, investasi teknologi besarannya tidak main-main. Dari contoh sederhana tersebut, kita dapat melihat dimensi teknologi yang tidak hanya terbatas kepada teknologinya saja. Teknologi tersebut membawa misi mengubah, namun manusia juga memiliki kuasa untuk resist, bertahan, memilih tidak menggunakan, atau mencari cara lain menggunakan. Bagi organisasi yang memang ingin melakukan transformasi teknologi, tentunya pemahaman akan situasi kontekstual organisasi mereka sangat diperlukan demi keberhasilan transformasi. Situasi kontekstual ini tidak terbatas pada apa yang ada di organisasi, tetapi juga pada sejarah, sosial, dan psikologi. Sehingga jelas, persoalan teknologi sebetulnya sebuah persoalan multidisipliner. Menyelesaikan persoalan tersebut dibutuhkan kolaborasi dari berbagai bidang ilmu, baik sosial maupun eksak. Dibutuhkan juga berbagai paradigma, dari positivism, interpretivism, maupun critical perspektif. Semakin banyak variasi disiplin ilmu yang berkolaborasi, semakin banyak ide-ide yang dapat dibangkitkan. Pada penerbitan kali ini, JUST-SI menampilkan 5 naskah yang menunjukkan keragaman implementasi keilmuan sistem informasi di berbagai bidang.