Following the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, early outbreak response relied on behavioural interventions. In the USA, local governments implemented restrictions aimed at reducing movements and contacts to limit viral transmission. In Pennsylvania, restrictions closed schools and businesses in the spring of 2020 and interventions eased later through the summer. Here we use passive monitoring of vehicular traffic volume and mobile device-derived visits to points of interest as proxies for movements and contacts in a rural Pennsylvania county. Rural areas have limited health care resources, which magnifies the importance of disease prevention. These data show the lowest levels of movement occurred during the strictest phase of restrictions, indicating high levels of compliance with behavioural intervention. We find that increases in movement correlated with increases in reported SARS-CoV-2 cases 9–18 days later. The methodology used in this study can be adapted to inform outbreak management strategies for other locations and future outbreaks that use behavioural interventions to reduce pathogen transmission.

UK universities re-opened in September 2020, amidst the coronavirus epidemic. During the first term, various national social distancing measures were introduced, including banning groups of >6 people and the second lockdown in November; however, outbreaks among university students occurred. We aimed to measure the University of Bristol staff and student contact patterns via an online, longitudinal survey capturing self-reported contacts on the previous day. We investigated the change in contacts associated with COVID-19 guidance periods: post-first lockdown (23/06/2020–03/07/2020), relaxed guidance period (04/07/2020–13/09/2020), ‘rule-of-six’ period (14/09/2020–04/11/2020) and the second lockdown (05/11/2020–25/11/2020). In total, 722 staff (4199 responses) and 738 students (1906 responses) were included in the study. For staff, daily contacts were higher in the relaxed guidance and ‘rule-of-six’ periods than the post-first lockdown and second lockdown. Mean student contacts dropped between the ‘rule-of-six’ and second lockdown periods. For both staff and students, the proportion meeting with groups larger than six dropped between the ‘rule-of-six’ period and the second lockdown period, although was higher for students than for staff. Our results suggest university staff and students responded to national guidance by altering their social contacts. Most contacts during the second lockdown were household contacts. The response in staff and students was similar, suggesting that students can adhere to social distancing guidance while at university. The number of contacts recorded for both staff and students were much lower than those recorded by previous surveys in the UK conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Anthropomorphic stone stelae of monumental dimensions dated to the 4th and 3rd millennia BC have been found in southern Europe between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caucasus. They are understood as symbolic human representations the size of which arises out of a new self-awareness of humankind in the world. Anthropomorphic stelae are one of many innovations appearing during this epoch. Other innovations are copper metallurgy and tools, in particular weapons and jewellery, as well as the wheel, the wagon, and the plough drawn by animals. These innovations are depicted on stelae; what is more, the stele itself is an innovation in which the other changes are bundled. Comparable stylistic features of stelae in different areas demonstrate far-reaching contacts. Often the origin of anthropomorphic stelae is seen in the Russian steppes, with the archaeogenetically proven migration from east to west being the cause for the building of stelae in central and western Europe. However, the oldest known stelae apparently originate in western Europe. The impulses behind the dissemination of innovations must have emanated from continuous exchange relations, but the migration in the 3rd millennium bce did not bring with it the idea itself of anthropomorphic stelae. Nowadays the question about the function of stelae is usually answered with the representation of ancestors. When anthropomorphic stones keep the memory of common roots alive, they serve the building of identity.

Dopaminergic interplexiform cells in the retina of the blue acara were investigated using an antiserum against tyrosine hydroxylase and PAP visualization. In whole-mount preparations, we observed a homogeneous distribution of cell bodies throughout the retina without any indication of regional specialization. At the fine and ultrastructural level, we studied the morphology of labeled telodendria within the outer plexiform layer. Apart from contacts with horizontal cell perikarya and bipolar cell dendrites, we observed direct contacts, mostly in the form of close appositions, with cone pedicles and rod spherules. Quantitative evaluation and reconstruction of serial sections showed that all cone pedicles and most rod terminals were approached in this way. The dopaminergic pathway terminating on horizontal cells and photoreceptors is discussed with respect to the localization of dopamine receptors in the outer retina, and the control of adaptive changes such as retinomotor movements, spinule formation, and horizontal cell coupling.

When fitting contacts to connectors, the flexibility of the wires and the irregularity of the contact shapes have proved to be the greatest obstacles in developing automation. Within the framework of the present project, two methods for fitting irregular and flexible parts have been developed, both using industrial robots supported by vibrating tools. For theoretical analysis the irregular, flexible part is mathematically idealized. The tests are carried out with these idealized parts and crimp contacts. These tests proved that the vibration method is suitable for fitting irregular, flexible parts.

We propose here a model and a numerical scheme to compute the motionof rigid particles interacting through the lubrication force. In thecase of a particle approaching a plane, we propose an algorithm andprove its convergence towards the solutions to the gluey particle modeldescribed in [B. Maury, ESAIM: Proceedings18 (2007)133–142]. We propose a multi-particle version ofthis gluey model which is based on the projection of the velocitiesonto a set of admissible velocities. Then, we describe a multi-particle algorithmfor the simulation of such systems and present numerical results.

Diodes were formed by intermediating a thin film of PEDOT:PSS between aluminum and heavily doped silicon. Both p-type and n-type Si substrates were used. Hysteresis loops were observed in their current-voltage (I-V) characteristics. A ‘state’ can be written by applying a voltage pulse to aluminum electrode. The state of the device can be read out from the current under a small probe voltage (0.3-0.6 V, to Al electrode). Appling +4.0 V induces a ‘low’ conductance state while applying -4.0 V switches the device back to the ‘high’ conductance state. The current difference between two states is up to 3 orders of magnitude. The space charge storage in the polymer is believed to be responsible for the memory effect. Upon positive voltage bias the charges are injected into the place near the Al/PEDOT:PSS interface. The charges are stored there and will resist subsequent charge injection, resulting in the ‘low’ conduction state. The redox reactions further reduce the conductance of the device. Negative bias can remove the stored charges and reverse the redox reactions, thus recover the device back to ‘high’ conduction state.