The First Large Absorption Survey in H i (FLASH) is a large-area radio survey for neutral hydrogen in and around galaxies in the intermediate redshift range $0.4\lt z\lt1.0$, using the 21-cm H i absorption line as a probe of cold neutral gas. The survey uses the ASKAP radio telescope and will cover 24,000 deg$^2$ of sky over the next five years. FLASH breaks new ground in two ways – it is the first large H i absorption survey to be carried out without any optical preselection of targets, and we use an automated Bayesian line-finding tool to search through large datasets and assign a statistical significance to potential line detections. Two Pilot Surveys, covering around 3000 deg$^2$ of sky, were carried out in 2019-22 to test and verify the strategy for the full FLASH survey. The processed data products from these Pilot Surveys (spectral-line cubes, continuum images, and catalogues) are public and available online. In this paper, we describe the FLASH spectral-line and continuum data products and discuss the quality of the H i spectra and the completeness of our automated line search. Finally, we present a set of 30 new H i absorption lines that were robustly detected in the Pilot Surveys, almost doubling the number of known H i absorption systems at $0.4\lt z\lt1$. The detected lines span a wide range in H i optical depth, including three lines with a peak optical depth $\tau\gt1$, and appear to be a mixture of intervening and associated systems. Interestingly, around two-thirds of the lines found in this untargeted sample are detected against sources with a peaked-spectrum radio continuum, which are only a minor (5–20%) fraction of the overall radio-source population. The detection rate for H i absorption lines in the Pilot Surveys (0.3 to 0.5 lines per 40 deg$^2$ ASKAP field) is a factor of two below the expected value. One possible reason for this is the presence of a range of spectral-line artefacts in the Pilot Survey data that have now been mitigated and are not expected to recur in the full FLASH survey. A future paper in this series will discuss the host galaxies of the H i absorption systems identified here.

Jellyfish are a well-known component of marine ecosystems. Here, we aimed to assess whether populations of the jellyfish species Mastigias cf. papua and Cassiopea ornata inhabiting different marine lakes and jellyfish species from open water habitat host ‘core’ symbionts and if there is evidence of species-specific host-microbial associations. Compositionally, jellyfishes hosted prokaryotic communities distinct from those found in water samples. All jellyfish samples across habitats and species exhibited a core OTU, assigned to the genus Endozoicomonas. This OTU was particularly abundant (>90% of all sequences) in C. ornata from one Papuan marine lake. Additionally, an OTU assigned to the Entomoplasmatales order was found in all but two jellyfish specimens, and was particularly abundant in marine lake specimens from Berau and Papua, Indonesia. Given the well-known relationship between Endozoicomonas and Symbiodinium spp., we tested for Symbiodinium presence in pooled specimens of M. papua from Berau. Our results showed that OTUs assigned to the genus Symbiodinium accounted for >99% of all sequences in jellyfish-associated microeukaryotic communities; these were closely related to organisms from Symbiodinium clade C. These results suggest the existence of a widespread and abundant jellyfish core symbiont, which may interact with symbiotic Symbiodinium populations to influence host fitness.

This study is focused on the development of longitudinal aerodynamic models for steady flight conditions. While several commercial solvers are available for this type of work, we seek to evaluate the accuracy of an open source software. This study aims to verify and demonstrate the accuracy of the OpenFoam solver when it is used on basic computers (32–64GB of RAM and eight cores). A new methodology was developed to show how an aerodynamic model of an aircraft could be designed using OpenFoam software. The mesh and the simulations were designed only using OpenFoam utilities, such as blockMesh, snappyHexMesh, simpleFoam and rhoSimpleFoam. For the methodology illustration, the process was applied to the Bombardier CRJ700 aircraft and simulations were performed for its flight envelope, up to M0.79. Forces and moments obtained with the OpenFoam model were compared with an accurate flight data source (level D flight simulator). Excellent results in data agreement were obtained with a maximum absolute error of 0.0026 for the drag coefficient, thus validating a high-fidelity aerodynamic model for the Bombardier CRJ-700 aircraft.

This paper introduces the Low Acoustic Noise and Turbulence (LANT) wind tunnel of the Sao Carlos School of Engineering, University of Sao Paulo (USP-EESC), Brazil. The closed-loop wind tunnel features several devices to improve flow uniformity, reduce swirl, and lower the background acoustic noise and turbulence, enabling stability and aeroacoustic experiments. The design criteria was based on the best practices reported, in particular for low turbulence wind tunnels. Yet, these criteria are conflicting and we discuss the decisions that had to be made and present flow quality results that were achieved. The 16-bladed axial fan with 13-blade stators is driven by a variable-speed electric motor. At the corners, 100 mm dense acoustic foam is installed on the vertical walls, floor and ceiling, and the turning vanes are filled with acoustic-absorbing material. The long settling chamber contains a 3.175 mm mesh hexagonal honeycomb and five fine mesh nylon screens, ending in a 7:1 area ratio short contraction. The 3-m long closed-working section has a $1\times 1\ {\rm m}^2$ cross-section area. At 15 m/s the working section wall boundary layer is less than 100 mm thick, providing an area of at least $800\times 800\ \mathrm{mm}^2$ where the streamwise flow uniformity was within 1%. In the 10–30 m/s flow speed range, the turbulence intensity ranged from 0.05% to 0.071% and the background acoustic noise level, obtained with an inflow microphone, ranged from 90 and 110 dB. A benchmark experiment on a flat plate boundary layer produced an almost perfect two-dimensional Blasius profile up to $Re_x \approx 2.5 \times 10^6$. A beamforming benchmark experiment on aeroacoustics accurately identified the sound emitted by a cylinder immersed in the flow.

Probiotics have been shown to reduce the intensity of Toxocara canis infection in mice. However, larval transmission of this nematode also occurs via transplacental and transmammary routes. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Saccharomyces boulardii probiotic on the vertical transmission of T. canis in Swiss mice. The mice received 107 S. boulardii colony-forming units per gram of food. The supplementation began 15 days before mating and was maintained throughout pregnancy and lactation. The animals were inoculated with 300 T. canis embryonated eggs on the 14th day of pregnancy. The presence of larvae was examined in the organs of the females and their offspring. The examined organs included the following: brain, liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, spleen, eye, skeletal muscle (carcass) and mammary glands of lactating females. There was a 42% (P = 0.041) reduction in the number of larvae transmitted to offspring in the group that received probiotic-supplemented food (GI). Additionally, there was a 50% reduction (P = 0.023) in the number of larvae found in the brains of lactating offspring in the GI group. These results reveal the potential of S. boulardii probiotic use as an auxiliary method of controlling visceral toxocariasis.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the combined use of different chemical (albendazole, ivermectin, glycerine and Vaseline) and biological (Monacrosporium thaumasium) compounds in the control of Ancylostoma caninum. Infective larvae of A. caninum were obtained from coprocultures of positive faeces from naturally infected dogs. We used 1% ivermectin, 1% albendazole, 100% glycerine, 100% Vaseline and an isolate of the nematophagous fungus M. thaumasium (NF34), alone or in combinations. Next, an experimental test was set up with 16 groups in microtubes, with a 24-h interaction. The groups (G1 to G15) that contained any chemical or biological compound (NF34) and/or their combined use (chemical + biological) showed a difference in relation to the control group, except G5 – Vaseline 100% without combinations. It was concluded that, even on an experimental basis, the combined use of anthelmintic drugs with biological control was efficient; however, more studies must be carried out in order to elucidate the synergistic action between chemical and biological compounds to be used in the effective control of hookworms in the future.

The article deals with the modeling of stiffness properties of the rotors flange joints, which largely determine overall dynamics. Research is conducted on the example of the standard compressor shaft flange connection and the disk of the high-pressure turbine in the gas generator of the gas turbine engine (GTE). It is noted that the bending stiffness of the flange connection is a nonlinear function of the bending moment, whose both experimental and analysis magnitude is related to the rotor deflection from the unbalanced forces. It is shown that the value of the bending stiffness essentially depends not upon the flange connection geometry but on the bolts tightening force, the axial force, the tensile joint, the contact strain of the flange surfaces. Analysis of the effect obtained in different models of the flange connection of the bending stiffness values on the overall dynamics of the rotor showed the necessity of taking into account the entire set of factors acting in the joint.

The general objetive of this paper is to better understand emotional expression in people with autism. In the first place, we will focus on the identification of patterns in emotional communication in order to demonstrate that people with autism show emotional communicative intentions but not following the normalized patterns (Alonso, Fernández and Suberviola, 2007). In the second place, we want to correlate patters identified by professionals and families in order to determine if there is a common ground among them. Plutchik (2001) identifies four pairs of Basic emotions -sadness/happiness, acceptance/disgust, fear/anger and anticipation/surprise - plus secondary emotions, resulting from the combinations of the above in different degrees of intensity.

In order to clarify and make known these atypical emotional reactions, we have devised a measurement instrument which will allow us to gather information and work out an answer inventory from people with TEA.

The instrument consists of three different parts:

• a) Personal identification. Data gathering on socio economic and cultural status of the family, schooling, and diagnosis of the person with TEA,

• b) physiological needs that can provoke emotions (for instance, hunger or thirst) and

• c) emotional states (following Plutchik taxonomy), distinguishing verbal and non verbal behaviour and the accompanying facial expressions that are used.

The reliability of the instrument has been assessed by two extensive interjudge tests conducted by a wide number of national and international experts from different professional fields related to TEA: direct attention, advice and support, assessment and diagnosis, and study and research.

Drying reduces seed moisture content, which improves subsequent seed survival periods. Diverse maximum temperatures have been recommended to limit or avoid damage to seeds, but some high-temperature drying regimes may improve subsequent seed quality. Seeds from 20 different accessions of five rice (Oryza sativa L.) variety groups (aromatic, Aus, Indica, temperate Japonica, tropical Japonica) were harvested over several seasons at different stages of maturation and either dried throughout at 15°C/15% relative humidity (RH) or for different initial periods (continuous or intermittent) in different drying regimes at 45°C before final equilibrium drying at 15°C/15% RH. Subsequent seed longevity in hermetic storage at 45°C with 10.9% moisture content was determined. In no case did initial drying at 45°C provide poorer longevity than drying at 15°C/15% RH throughout. There was a split-line relation, which did not differ amongst investigations, between longevity after initial drying at 45°C relative to that at 15°C/15% RH throughout and harvest moisture content, with a break point at 16.5% (a seed moisture status of about –14 MPa). Below 16.5%, relative longevity did not differ with harvest moisture content with little or no advantage to longevity from drying at 45°C. Above 16.5%, relative longevity showed a positive relation with harvest moisture content, with substantial benefit from drying at 45°C to subsequent longevity of seeds harvested whilst still moist. Hence, there are temporal (immediately ex planta cf. subsequent air-dried storage) and water status discontinuities (above cf. below 16.5%) in the effect of temperature on subsequent air-dried seed longevity.

Effects of daylength and night temperature on the onset of flowering of selected cowpea cultivars have been investigated, using automatically controlled glasshouses at Reading. The results show close agreement with those from field trials in Nigeria, wherein low intensity incandescent lighting was used to extend the natural daylength. As the field technique has proved an effective screen for daylength insensitivity, future screening work in glasshouses can be for effects of night temperature on time to first flower and for day temperature on the rate of leaf senescence and components of seed yield. This integrated approach can accelerate the screening of cowpea cultivars for sensitivity to environmental factors over ranges characteristic of the low altitude, humid tropics.

The effects of different soil temperature regimes on vegetative growth, symbiotic nitrogen fixation and seed yield of two cowpea cultivars (K 2809 and Prima) were investigated in experiments carried out in plastic houses during the UK summer. Mean maximum soil temperatures above 32°C significantly reduced vegetative growth of both cultivars, through their effects on branch, peduncle and root dry weight per plant and, to a lesser extent, leaf production. The warmest temperature regime (35.4°C) also reduced nodule activity, especially in cv. Prima. Seed yields were adversely affected, due largely to changes in the number of peduncles per plant, as mean maximum soil temperature increased from 25.8 to 35.4°C.

The infectivity and virulence of pathogenic trypanosomatids are directly associated with the efficacy of their antioxidant system. Among the molecules involved in the trypanosomatid response to reactive oxygen or nitrogen species, trypanothione reductase (TRed) is a key enzyme. In this study, we performed a molecular and functional characterization of the TRed enzyme from Trypanosoma rangeli (TrTRed), an avirulent trypanosome of mammals. The TrTRed gene has an open reading frame (ORF) of 1473 bp (~490 aa, 53 kDa) and occurs as a single-copy gene in the haploid genome. The predicted protein contains two oxidoreductase domains, which are equally expressed in the cytosol of epimastigotes and trypomastigotes. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) generation is reduced and endogenous H2O2 production is elevated in T. rangeli Choachí strain compared with T. cruzi Y strain epimastigotes. Oxidative stress induced by H2O2 does not induce significant alterations in TrTRed expression. Overexpression of TrTRed did not influence in vitro growth or differentiation into trypomastigotes, but mutant parasites showed increased resistance to H2O2-induced stress. Our results indicate that T. rangeli constitutively expresses TRed during the entire life cycle, with reduced levels during infective and non-replicative trypomastigote stages.

Shape memory alloys are functional materials that can recover plastic strains between 2 and 6%. This property can be used to produce actuators for many areas as medicine, robotic, aeronautic and others. Recently, it has been observed the particular interest for shape memory alloys welding, especially to obtain Ni-Ti similar and dissimilar joints and fabricate simple or complex structures. In this sense, this work present an experimental study of tungsten inert gas pulsed welding applied to Ni-Ti shape memory alloy wires with 0.9 mm in diameter, previously heat treated at 450 °C for 20 minutes and air cooled. For that, it was carried out tensile tests at isothermal temperatures from 40 °C to 90 °C (steps of 10 °C) for welded and unwelded wires. The transformation temperatures obtained from differential scanning calorimetry were compared to verify the effect of welding process. It was also performed a stabilization process by mechanical cycling in some welded and unwelded Ni-Ti wires. The results showed a low strength and strain capacity of the weld joint at higher temperatures. Although, at lowest temperature, close to 40 °C, it was observed higher values of maximum stress and strain for welded Ni-Ti wires.