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Crime Script Sequencing: An optimal forensic combination for cold case analysis
Get PDFCriminal cases go cold when investigative leads or forensic testing does not lead to a successful arrest. In these cases, investigators are often keen to use novel methods to derive fresh ideas or insights. Recently, academics from a range of fields, including Psychology, Criminology, and Forensic Sciences have developed a range of new methods and tests to assist with police investigations. The current paper outlines a novel approach to assisting with police cold case investigations: Crime Script Sequencing. The new method combines two leading temporal methods, Crime Script Analysis and Behaviour Sequence Analysis. A real-world cold case, the bombing of Canadian Pacific Airlines Fight 21, is presented and analysed using Crime Script Sequencing to offer readers a guide of how to use the method for other investigations. Impacts, insights, and potential future developments of the method are outlined
Conservation agriculture effects on yield and profitability of rice-based systems in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain
No full textSustaining productivity of the rice-based cropping systems in the Eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain (EIGP) requires practices to reverse declining soil fertility resulting from excessive tillage and crop residue removal, while decreasing production costs and increasing farm profits. We hypothesize that the adoption of conservation agriculture (CA), involving minimum tillage, crop residue retention and crop rotation, can address most of these challenges. Therefore, the effects of crop establishment methods – strip planting (SP), bed planting (BP) and conventional tillage (CT); and levels of crop residue retention – high residue (HR) and low residue (LR) on individual crop yield, system yield and profitability were evaluated in a split-plot design over three cropping seasons in two field experiments (Alipur and Digram sites) with contrasting crops and soil types in the EIGP. The SP and BP of non-rice crops were rotated with non-puddled rice establishment; CT of non-rice crops was rotated with puddled transplanted rice. In the legume-dominated system (rice-lentil-mung bean), lentil yields were similar in SP and CT, while lower in BP in crop season 1. A positive effect of high residue over low residue was apparent by crop season 2 and persisted in crop season 3. In crop season 3, the lentil yield increased by 18–23% in SP and BP compared to CT. In the cereal-dominated system (rice-wheat-mung bean), significant yield increases of wheat in SP and BP (7–10%) over CT, and of HR (1–3%) over LR, were detected by crop season 3 but not before. Rice yields under CA practices (non-puddled and HR) were comparable with CT (puddled and LR) in both systems. Improved yield of lentil and wheat with CA was correlated with higher soil water content. The net income of SP increased by 25–28% for dry season crops as compared to CT and was equal with CT for rice cropping systems. Conservation agriculture practices provide opportunities for enhancing crop yield and profitability in intensive rice-based systems of the EIGP of Bangladesh
Development, validation, and application of an algorithm for canine adrenal gland volume estimation
Get PDFIntroduction: Using computed tomography (CT) for quantifying adrenal volume could aid identification and management of adrenal disease. This study determined anatomic features associated with CT volume of adrenals of dogs, and validated an algorithm to estimate subject-specific adrenal volume. Application of the algorithm to clinical cases with known adrenal pathology is reported.
Material and Methods: Dimensions and volume of the left (VLA) and right (VRA) adrenals, first lumbar vertebrae (L1), and aorta, from CT images of 150 dogs undergoing abdominal scans for reasons other than adrenal disease were used to model adrenal volume. Using cross validation, multiple linear regression established best-fit explanatory subsets and predictive models. Additional data from 29 dogs were used for external validation and agreement testing of estimated and measured volumes. The algorithm was retrospectively applied to 46 dogs that underwent adrenalectomy and histologic examination of excised glands. Linear measurements of caudal pole thickness and lesion diameter were also recorded.
Results: Mean normal left and right adrenal volumes were 1.22cm3 (range 0.23 to 2.84cm3) and 1.11cm3 (0.14 to 2.97cm3), respectively, and were highly correlated (r=0.88). Bodyweight (W) was the best single explanatory variable for variance in each adrenal and improved with addition of L1 height (HL1). Algorithms after cross validation and adjustment for bias were: VLA= 0.154 + (0.02 x W) + (0.07 x HL1) (adjR2=0.62); and VRA= -0.116 + (0.02 x W) + (0.06 x HL1) (adjR2=0.64). Application of the algorithm to adrenals with known pathology identified enlargement in all dogs compared to inconsistent assessment using linear measurements.
Conclusion: Left and right adrenal volume is associated with subject bodyweight and L1 height, and application of a validated algorithm consistently identified enlargement in adrenals with confirmed pathology
Characterisation of retrotransposon insertion polymorphisms in whole genome sequencing data from individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Get PDFThe genetics of an individual is a crucial factor in understanding the risk of developing the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). There is still a large proportion of the heritability of ALS, particularly in sporadic cases, to be understood. Among others, active transposable elements drive inter-individual variability, and in humans long interspersed element 1 (LINE1, L1), Alu and SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) retrotransposons are a source of polymorphic insertions in the population. We undertook a pilot study to characterise the landscape of non-reference retrotransposon insertion polymorphisms (non-ref RIPs) in 15 control and 15 ALS individuals’ whole genomes from Project MinE, an international project to identify potential genetic causes of ALS. The combination of two bioinformatics tools (mobile element locator tool (MELT) and TEBreak) identified on average 1250 Alu, 232 L1 and 77 SVA non-ref RIPs per genome across the 30 analysed. Further PCR validation of individual polymorphic retrotransposon insertions showed a similar level of accuracy for MELT and TEBreak. Our preliminary study did not identify a specific RIP or a significant difference in the total number of non-ref RIPs in ALS compared to control genomes. The use of multiple bioinformatic tools improved the accuracy of non-ref RIP detection and our study highlights the potential importance of studying these elements further in ALS
The multifarious endophytic actinobacterial isolate, streptomyces tubercidicus UAE1, combined with the seaweed biostimulant further promotes growth of Avicennia marina
Get PDFMangrove (Avicennia marina) is a “green lung” tree growing along the Arabian Gulf coastline in the United Arab Emirates. Here, we aimed to determine the impact of the application of a commercial seaweed extract (SWE) biostimulant and endophytic actinobacterial isolates on growth performance and endogenous hormonal levels of mangroves. Therefore, we isolated endophytic plant growth-promoting (PGP) actinobacteria (PGPA) from mangrove roots and evaluated their potential as biological inoculants on mangrove seedlings under greenhouse and open-field nursery conditions. Seven salt-tolerant isolates had the ability to produce different levels of in vitro plant growth regulators (PGRs) and 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) deaminase (ACCD) and to solubilize phosphorus. Accordingly, only one isolate, Streptomyces tubercidicus UAE1 (St), was selected based on its relative superiority in displaying multiple modes of action and in successfully colonizing mangrove tissues for 15 weeks. In the greenhouse experiments, plants treated with St and SWE significantly (p < 0.05) improved dry biomass by 40.2% and 55.1% in roots and 42.2% and 55.4% in shoots, respectively, compared to seawater-irrigated non-treated mangrove plants (control). However, St+SWE caused a greater significant (p < 0.05) increase in dry weight of roots (67.6%) and shoots (65.7%) than did control plants. Following the combined treatment of St+SWE, in planta PGR levels were found to be greatly enhanced over the non-treated control plants grown in non-SWE supplemented sediments, or plants inoculated with only St without the supplementation with SWE, or with non-inoculated plants grown in sediments supplied with SWE only. This was evident from the significant (p < 0.05) increases in the photosynthetic pigments and production of PGRs, as well as the reduction in the endogenous ACC levels of plant tissues compared to those in other treatments. Tissue nutrient contents of seedlings also increased by at least two-fold in St+SWE treatment as compared to control. Similar effects were observed on all growth parameters under natural open-field nursery conditions. Combining St with SWE not only stimulates plant growth but also potentially has additive effects on mangrove ecosystem productivity in nutrient-impoverished soils in the Arabian coastal areas. This report is the first in the field of marine agriculture that uses SWE as a nutrient base for actinobacteria capable of producing PGRs and ACCD
Disclosure of key audit matters (KAMs) in financial reporting: evidence from an emerging economy
No full textPurpose
The new audit regulation for disclosure of key audit matters (KAMs) in financial reporting has been introduced in both developed and developing countries. This study investigates the influence of three distinctive sets of variables, namely industry features, firm characteristics and auditor attributes, on the extent, pattern and level of disclosure of KAMs by companies listed in Bangladesh, an emerging economy.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses qualitative and quantitative research approaches to investigate the pattern of disclosure of KAMs and their determinants. With a sample of 447 firm-year observations from companies listed on the Dhaka Stock Exchange over 2018–2020, the study reveals industry-level, firm-level and auditor-specific characteristics that affect KAMs' communication in the new audit reporting model.
Findings
The findings suggest that significant differences exist between firms in the number and types of KAMs reported and the extent of their disclosure. The study findings also observed variations both within and across different industry sectors. Highly regulated firms disclose a greater number of KAMs, while environmentally sensitive firms are found to provide a greater detail of the issues presented as KAMs. Further, both firm size and age positively impact the number of KAMs disclosed and the extent of the disclosure provided. Big-4-affiliated auditors do not issue a significantly higher number of KAMs but deliver extensive details to their KAMs description, compared to non-Big-4 auditors. In addition, while auditors, in general, tend to issue boilerplate KAMs, Big-4 associates are found to disclose more new KAMs. However, audit fees and auditor rotation do not influence KAMs disclosure.
Research limitations/implications
This study is based on two years of publicly available data. However, future studies could consider in-depth interviews to explore the motivation behind KAMs' disclosure in Bangladesh and other developing countries with similar cultural and contextual values.
Practical implications
These findings have substantial policy considerations for improving firms' audit quality and, thus, their financial reporting quality, with implications for national and international standard-setters, regulators and other stakeholders.
Originality/value
This study is one of the earliest endeavours to investigate KAMs in a context of an emerging country, such as Bangladesh, which adopted KAMs' disclosure in 2018
Spatial composition and turnover of the main molecules in the adult glomerular basement membrane
No full textThe glomerular basement membrane (GBM) is an important tissue structure in kidney function. It is the membrane through which filtrate and solutes must pass to reach the nephron tubules. This review focuses on the spatial location of the main extracellular matrix components of the GBM. It also attempts to explain this organization in terms of their synthesis, transport, and loss. The picture that emerges is that the collagen IV and laminin content of GBM are in a very slow dynamic disequilibrium, leading to GBM thickening with age, and in contrast, some heparan sulfate proteoglycans are in a dynamic equilibrium with a very rapid turnover (i.e. half-life measured in ~hours) and flow direction against the flow of filtrate. The highly rapid heparan sulfate turnover may serve several roles, including an unclogging mechanism for the GBM, compressive stiffness of the GBM fiber network, and/or enabling podocycte-endothelial crosstalk against the flow of filtrate
Study on Advanced Image Processing Techniques for Remote Sensor Data Analysis
No full textImage processing is the act of altering photographs with arithmetic computations for a variety of objectives including erasing clean lines, dividing groups of objects, noise removal from photos, detecting edges, and so on. Remote sensing is a method for observing the planet's surface or environment through satellites or from the air (via airplanes). Electromagnetic radiation reflected or radiated by the earth's surface is recorded using this approach. Numerous techniques and technologies can be used in remote sensing to monitor electromagnetic waves of different wave lengths, including visual, infrared, heat infrared, and so forth. In this study, digital cameras are utilized to acquire photos in the visible range and then used advanced image processing and filtering algorithms to the raw data. Homomorphic filtering, median filtering, Gaussian filtering, histogram-based thresholding, contrast stretching, and other techniques are used. The results of this research will be valuable for enhanced picture analysis
Diving into the vertical dimension of elasmobranch movement ecology
Get PDFKnowledge of the three-dimensional movement patterns of elasmobranchs is vital to understand their ecological roles and exposure to anthropogenic pressures. To date, comparative studies among species at global scales have mostly focused on horizontal movements. Our study addresses the knowledge gap of vertical movements by compiling the first global synthesis of vertical habitat use by elasmobranchs from data obtained by deployment of 989 biotelemetry tags on 38 elasmobranch species. Elasmobranchs displayed high intra- and interspecific variability in vertical movement patterns. Substantial vertical overlap was observed for many epipelagic elasmobranchs, indicating an increased likelihood to display spatial overlap, biologically interact, and share similar risk to anthropogenic threats that vary on a vertical gradient. We highlight the critical next steps toward incorporating vertical movement into global management and monitoring strategies for elasmobranchs, emphasizing the need to address geographic and taxonomic biases in deployments and to concurrently consider both horizontal and vertical movements
Spillover of a tobamovirus from the Australian indigenous flora to invasive weeds
Get PDFThe tobamovirus yellow tailflower mild mottle virus (YTMMV) was previously reported in wild plants of Anthocercis species (family Solanaceae) and other solanaceous indigenous species growing in natural habitats in Western Australia. Here, we undertook a survey of two introduced solanaceous weeds, namely Solanum nigrum (black nightshade) and Physalis peruviana (cape gooseberry) in the Perth metropolitan area and surrounds to determine if YTMMV has spread naturally to these species. At a remnant natural bushland site where both solanaceous weeds and indigenous Anthocercis hosts grew adjacent to one another, a proportion of S. nigrum and P. peruviana plants were asymptomatically-infected with YTMMV, confirming spillover had occurred. Populations of S. nigrum also grow as weeds in parts of the city isolated from remnant bushland and indigenous sources of YTMMV, and some of these populations were also infected with YTMMV. Fruit was harvested from virus-infected wild S. nigrum plants and the seed germinated under controlled conditions. Up to 80% of resultant seedlings derived from infected parent plants were infected with YTMMV, confirming that the virus is vertically-transmitted in S. nigrum, and therefore infection appears to be self-sustaining in this species. This is the first report of spillover of YTMMV to exotic weeds, and of vertical transmission of this tobamovirus. We discuss the roles of vertical and horizontal transmission in this spillover event, and its implications for biosecurity