Non-destructive characterisation and classification of ceramic artefacts using pEDXRF and statistical pattern recognition

Background: Portable energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (pEDXRF) spectrometry analysis was applied for the characterisation of archaeological ceramic findings from three Neolithic sites in Serbia. Two dimension reduction techniques, principal component analysis (PCA) and scattering matrices-based dimension reduction were used to examine the possible classification of those findings, and to extract the most discriminant features. Results: A decision-making procedure is proposed, whose goal is to classify unknown ceramic findings based on their elemental compositions derived by pEDXRF spectrometry. As a major part of decision-making procedure, the possibilities of two dimension reduction methods were tested. Scattering matrices-based dimension reduction was found to be the more efficient method for the purpose. Linear classifiers designed based on the desired output allowed for 7 of 8 unknown samples from the test set to be correctly classified. Conclusions: Based on the results, the conclusion is that despite the constraints typical of the applied analytical technique, the elemental composition can be considered as viable information in provenience studies. With a fully-developed procedure, ceramic artefacts can be classified based on their elemental composition and well-known provenance

A collaborative approach to exploring the future of Cancer treatment and care in relation to Precision Medicine: A design perspective.

The Precision Medicine and the Future of Cancer project was jointly conceived by the Innovation School at Glasgow School of Art and the Institute of Cancer Sciences at the University of Glasgow. Graduating year Product Design students from the Innovation School were presented with a challenge-based project to produce a vision of the future based on current trends that relate to Precision Medicine(PM) and Cancer treatment. This project involved working closely with scientists, clinicians, patients, industry and academic professionals from Glasgow University, staff at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Clinical Innovation Zone, staff at Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre, Patient Representatives and external design experts from Studio AndThen and GOODD design consultancy. The objective of this project was to investigate, in both analytical and speculative ways, future forms and functions of cancer treatment and care in relation to Precision Medicine, to develop future scenarios and design artefacts, services, and the experiences associated with them. One of the most significant societal shifts currently taking place within the field of PM is the transformation around what it means to be a patient and a professional working within this context. The public’s role is developing beyond once-passive patients into stakeholders valued within the medical industry and healthcare sector for their participation in clinical trials, and contribution towards policy-making and decision-making committees. This new dynamic is changing the traditional patient-doctor relationship and challenging the hegemony of medical practice at an institutional level. The impetus for this shift is relentless technological acceleration and increased scientific research, in particular driven by advances in PM. This project asked students to consider what will happen in a cancer landscape ten years from now, where PM has evolved to the extent that new forms of medical practice, cancer treatment and care transform how we interact with each other, with professionals and the world around us. The brief gave students the opportunity to reflect on the underlying complexities regarding the future of health, technological acceleration, post-capitalism and human agency, to envision a future world context, develop it as an experiential exhibit, and produce the designed products, services and experiences for the people who might live and work within it. The project was divided into two sections: The first was a collaborative stage where groups of students were assigned a specific area of focus from Social, Technological, Economic, Ethical, Educational, Political, Legal, Ecological [STEEEPLE]. These groups focused on researching and exploring their specific lenses and gathering as much information and understanding while working with external experts to further their knowledge. This group stage culminated in an exhibition of the collaborative understanding of what the future could look like in 10 years from now, after exploring the possible consequences of current actions. The second stage saw students explore their individual response to the world that had been defined in the first stage. Each student had their own response to the research by iteratively creating a design outcome that was appropriate to the subject matter. This culminated in each student having created a design product/service/experience relating to the future scenario. A full report (Project Process Journal [PPJ]) is included within the repository of each student which breaks down their process of designing and the outcome they have designed. The project aims to tackle the emerging possibilities where medical professionals and design can collaborate, to create a future where forms of medical practice are more preventative and are more appropriate for an aging population now and into the future. The deposited materials are arranged as follows: Readme files - two readme files relate to stage one and stage two of the project as outlined above. Overview poster - gives a visual overview of the structure and timeline of the project. Data folders - the data folders for stage one of the project are named for the lens through which each group viewed possible futures. The data folders for stage two of the project are named for the individual students who conducted the work

Sweet sorghum under soil water shortage: stress indicators and biomass production

International audienc

Impact of climate change on yield, irrigation requirements and water productivity of maize cultivated under the moderate continental climate of Bosnia and Herzegovina

In the past 20 years, extreme weather events (atypical variations of temperature and precipitation in space and time) have increased in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the consequences being significant material damage and decreased crop yields. The aims of the current paper were to investigate the impact of climate change on yield, irrigation requirements and water productivity of maize grown in one of the most important agricultural regions of the country. It used the results of projections of the EBU-POM regional climate model (Eta Belgrade University - Princeton Ocean Model) for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) A1B, A2 and A1B > carbon dioxide (CO2), A2 > CO2 for the 2020s (2010-2039), the 2050s (2040-2069) and the 2080s (2070-2099), and it compared them with the reference period (1961-1990) using measured and modelled data. AquaCrop was calibrated for the study area using data from experimental studies. The model was applied in simulations of future cultivation scenarios considering different irrigation regimes and variations in precipitation, temperature, CO2 concentration and sowing date. The results of simulations indicate that in the 2020s, there will be no significant changes in irrigation needs and yield due to the earlier sowing date and overall shifting of the growing season early in spring. A slightly larger negative impact of climate change will occur by the 2050s and a larger one by the 2080s due to a reduction in precipitation in the summer months. Compared with the reference period, in the 2080s, irrigation requirements are expected to increase by almost 100% (from 100 to 200 mm) and to provide up to 30% greater yield. In the future, water productivity of maize will remain high and will be even greater than current levels for both rainfed and irrigated cultivation due to anticipation and shortening of the growing season, reduction in crop evapotranspiration and increase in CO2 concentration. Due to an increase in precipitation in early spring and its reduction in the May-June period, the blue-to-green water ratio will increase in the future with positive environmental connotations. The productive use of blue water will also increase

Assessment of Soil Erosion Intensity in the Kutinska River Basin in the Period 1971-2016

Soil erosion assessment plays an important role in the conservation of natural resources because soil degradation is a major problem in many parts of the world. This study explains the links between changes in arable land areas, rural population dynamics and soil erosion intensity. The Erosion Potential Method was used to determine spatial changes in erosion intensity and annual sediment yield in the Kutinska River Basin, Serbia. The analysis of proportional changes was used to determine demographic changes and arable land areas-land use patterns in the basin area. The period of the research is 1971-2016. During the research period, it was determined that there was a decrease in the soil erosion intensity and sediment yield as a consequence of land use changes, primarily due to the reduction of arable land areas, abandonment of arable land by the agricultural population, which caused economic and social changes. Land use changes have been identified as the most important factor in reducing the intensity of soil erosion in the basin. Results of research are the basis for water management, soil and environmental protection measures, argiculture and other human activities

Assessment of Soil Erosion Intensity in the Kutinska River Basin in the Period 1971-2016

Soil erosion assessment plays an important role in the conservation of natural resources because soil degradation is a major problem in many parts of the world. This study explains the links between changes in arable land areas, rural population dynamics and soil erosion intensity. The Erosion Potential Method was used to determine spatial changes in erosion intensity and annual sediment yield in the Kutinska River Basin, Serbia. The analysis of proportional changes was used to determine demographic changes and arable land areas-land use patterns in the basin area. The period of the research is 1971-2016. During the research period, it was determined that there was a decrease in the soil erosion intensity and sediment yield as a consequence of land use changes, primarily due to the reduction of arable land areas, abandonment of arable land by the agricultural population, which caused economic and social changes. Land use changes have been identified as the most important factor in reducing the intensity of soil erosion in the basin. Results of research are the basis for water management, soil and environmental protection measures, argiculture and other human activities