Temporal and spatial complementarity of wind and solar resources in Lower Silesia (Poland)

Science.gov (United States)

Jurasz, Jakub; Wdowikowski, Marcin; Kaźmierczak, Bartosz; Dąbek, Paweł

2017-11-01

This paper investigates the concept of temporal and spatial complementarity of wind and solar resources in Lower Silesia (south-wester Poland). For the purpose of our research we have used hourly load and energy yield from photovoltaics and wind turbines covering period 2010-2014. In order to assess the spatial complementarity we have divided the considered voivodeship into 74 squared regions with maximal area of 400 km2. The obtained results indicate an existence of temporal complementarity on a monthly time scale and a positive correlation between load and wind generation patterns (also on a monthly time scale). The temporal complementarity for hourly time series in relatively low but has potential to smooth the energy generation curves.

Black hole complementarity: The inside view

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David A. Lowe

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Within the framework of black hole complementarity, a proposal is made for an approximate interior effective field theory description. For generic correlators of local operators on generic black hole states, it agrees with the exact exterior description in a region of overlapping validity, up to corrections that are too small to be measured by typical infalling observers.

Evaluation of selectivity in homologous multimodal chromatographic systems using in silico designed antibody fragment libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Karkov, Hanne Sophie; Woo, James; Krogh, Berit Olsen; Ahmadian, Haleh; Cramer, Steven M

2015-12-24

This study describes the in silico design, surface property analyses, production and chromatographic evaluations of a diverse set of antibody Fab fragment variants. Based on previous findings, we hypothesized that the complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) constitute important binding sites for multimodal chromatographic ligands. Given that antibodies are highly diversified molecules and in particular the CDRs, we set out to examine the generality of this result. For this purpose, four different Fab fragments with different CDRs and/or framework regions of the variable domains were identified and related variants were designed in silico. The four Fab variant libraries were subsequently generated by site-directed mutagenesis and produced by recombinant expression and affinity purification to enable examination of their chromatographic retention behavior. The effects of geometric re-arrangement of the functional moieties on the multimodal resin ligands were also investigated with respect to Fab variant retention profiles by comparing two commercially available multimodal cation-exchange ligands, Capto MMC and Nuvia cPrime, and two novel multimodal ligand prototypes. Interestingly, the chromatographic data demonstrated distinct selectivity trends between the four Fab variant libraries. For three of the Fab libraries, the CDR regions appeared as major binding sites for all multimodal ligands. In contrast, the fourth Fab library displayed a distinctly different chromatographic behavior, where Nuvia cPrime and related multimodal ligand prototypes provided markedly improved selectivity over Capto MMC. Clearly, the results illustrate that the discriminating power of multimodal ligands differs between different Fab fragments. The results are promising indications that multimodal chromatography using the appropriate multimodal ligands can be employed in downstream bioprocessing for challenging selective separation of product related variants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B

Birth-Order Complementarity and Marital Adjustment.

Science.gov (United States)

Vos, Cornelia J. Vanderkooy; Hayden, Delbert J.

1985-01-01

Tested the influence of birth-order complementarity on marital adjustment among 327 married women using the Spanier Dyadic Adjustment Scale (1976). Birth-order complementarity was found to be unassociated with marital adjustment. (Author/BL)

Directed evolution of human T cell receptor CDR2 residues by phage display dramatically enhances affinity for cognate peptide-MHC without increasing apparent cross-reactivity

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Steven M.; Rizkallah, Pierre J.; Baston, Emma; Mahon, Tara; Cameron, Brian; Moysey, Ruth; Gao, Feng; Sami, Malkit; Boulter, Jonathan; Li, Yi; Jakobsen, Bent K.

2006-01-01

The mammalian α/β T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire plays a pivotal role in adaptive immunity by recognizing short, processed, peptide antigens bound in the context of a highly diverse family of cell-surface major histocompatibility complexes (pMHCs). Despite the extensive TCR–MHC interaction surface, peptide-independent cross-reactivity of native TCRs is generally avoided through cell-mediated selection of molecules with low inherent affinity for MHC. Here we show that, contrary to expectations, the germ line-encoded complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of human TCRs, namely the CDR2s, which appear to contact only the MHC surface and not the bound peptide, can be engineered to yield soluble low nanomolar affinity ligands that retain a surprisingly high degree of specificity for the cognate pMHC target. Structural investigation of one such CDR2 mutant implicates shape complementarity of the mutant CDR2 contact interfaces as being a key determinant of the increased affinity. Our results suggest that manipulation of germ line CDR2 loops may provide a useful route to the production of high-affinity TCRs with therapeutic and diagnostic potential. PMID:16600963

Niels Bohr and Complementarity An Introduction

CERN Document Server

Plotnitsky, Arkady

2012-01-01

This book offers a discussion of Niels Bohr’s conception of “complementarity,” arguably his greatest contribution to physics and philosophy. By tracing Bohr’s work from his 1913 atomic theory to the introduction and then refinement of the idea of complementarity, and by explicating different meanings of “complementarity” in Bohr and the relationships between it and Bohr’s other concepts, the book aims to offer a contained and accessible, and yet sufficiently comprehensive account of Bohr’s work on complementarity and its significance.

Complementarity in false memory illusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Brainerd, C J; Reyna, V F

2018-03-01

For some years, the DRM illusion has been the most widely studied form of false memory. The consensus theoretical interpretation is that the illusion is a reality reversal, in which certain new words (critical distractors) are remembered as though they are old list words rather than as what they are-new words that are similar to old ones. This reality-reversal interpretation is supported by compelling lines of evidence, but prior experiments are limited by the fact that their memory tests only asked whether test items were old. We removed that limitation by also asking whether test items were new-similar. This more comprehensive methodology revealed that list words and critical distractors are remembered quite differently. Memory for list words is compensatory: They are remembered as old at high rates and remembered as new-similar at very low rates. In contrast, memory for critical distractors is complementary: They are remembered as both old and new-similar at high rates, which means that the DRM procedure induces a complementarity illusion rather than a reality reversal. The conjoint recognition model explains complementarity as a function of three retrieval processes (semantic familiarity, target recollection, and context recollection), and it predicts that complementarity can be driven up or down by varying the mix of those processes. Our experiments generated data on that prediction and introduced a convenient statistic, the complementarity ratio, which measures (a) the level of complementarity in memory performance and (b) whether its direction is reality-consistent or reality-reversed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Complementarity beyond physics Niels Bohr's parallels

CERN Document Server

Bala, Arun

2017-01-01

In this study Arun Bala examines the implications that Niels Bohr’s principle of complementarity holds for fields beyond physics. Bohr, one of the founding figures of modern quantum physics, argued that the principle of complementarity he proposed for understanding atomic processes has parallels in psychology, biology, and social science, as well as in Buddhist and Taoist thought. But Bohr failed to offer any explanation for why complementarity might extend beyond physics, and his claims have been widely rejected by scientists as empty speculation. Scientific scepticism has only been reinforced by the naïve enthusiasm of postmodern relativists and New Age intuitionists, who seize upon Bohr’s ideas to justify anti-realist and mystical positions. Arun Bala offers a detailed defence of Bohr’s claim that complementarity has far-reaching implications for the biological and social sciences, as well as for comparative philosophies of science, by explaining Bohr’s parallels as responses to the omnipresence...

Complementarities between organizational changes, R&D activity and technological cooperation for the French manufacturing firms

OpenAIRE

Hajjem, Olfa; Ayadi, Mohamed; Garrouste, Pierre

2011-01-01

This article analyzes the determinants of the French companies’ innovation activity while highlighting the importance and the complementarities of the organizational and technological practices’impact. Our results suggest on one hand, that the product or process innovation is determined by the internal and external attributes of the company (size, demand pull and technological class). On the other hand, the complementarities tests between the technological (R&D activity and ...

Isolation of anti-toxin single domain antibodies from a semi-synthetic spiny dogfish shark display library

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goldman Ellen R

2007-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Shark heavy chain antibody, also called new antigen receptor (NAR, consists of one single Variable domain (VH, containing only two complementarity-determining regions (CDRs. The antigen binding affinity and specificity are mainly determined by these two CDRs. The good solubility, excellent thermal stability and complex sequence variation of small single domain antibodies (sdAbs make them attractive alternatives to conventional antibodies. In this report, we construct and characterize a diversity enhanced semi-synthetic NAR V display library based on naturally occurring NAR V sequences. Results A semi-synthetic shark sdAb display library with a complexity close to 1e9 was constructed. This was achieved by introducing size and sequence variations in CDR3 using randomized CDR3 primers of three different lengths. Binders against three toxins, staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB, ricin, and botulinum toxin A (BoNT/A complex toxoid, were isolated from panning the display library. Soluble sdAbs from selected binders were purified and evaluated using direct binding and thermal stability assays on the Luminex 100. In addition, sandwich assays using sdAb as the reporter element were developed to demonstrate their utility for future sensor applications. Conclusion We demonstrated the utility of a newly created hyper diversified shark NAR displayed library to serve as a source of thermal stable sdAbs against a variety of toxins.

Uncertainty and Complementarity in Axiomatic Quantum Mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Lahti, Pekka J.

1980-11-01

In this work an investigation of the uncertainty principle and the complementarity principle is carried through. A study of the physical content of these principles and their representation in the conventional Hilbert space formulation of quantum mechanics forms a natural starting point for this analysis. Thereafter is presented more general axiomatic framework for quantum mechanics, namely, a probability function formulation of the theory. In this general framework two extra axioms are stated, reflecting the ideas of the uncertainty principle and the complementarity principle, respectively. The quantal features of these axioms are explicated. The sufficiency of the state system guarantees that the observables satisfying the uncertainty principle are unbounded and noncompatible. The complementarity principle implies a non-Boolean proposition structure for the theory. Moreover, nonconstant complementary observables are always noncompatible. The uncertainty principle and the complementarity principle, as formulated in this work, are mutually independent. Some order is thus brought into the confused discussion about the interrelations of these two important principles. A comparison of the present formulations of the uncertainty principle and the complementarity principle with the Jauch formulation of the superposition principle is also given. The mutual independence of the three fundamental principles of the quantum theory is hereby revealed.

Financial liberalization and growth in African economies: The role of policy complementarities

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Ousmanou Njikam

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This paper examines whether the effect of financial liberalization on economic growth depends on reform complementarities. A non-linear growth regression specification that interacts a proxy of financial liberalization with proxies of reform complementarities is estimated using a panel of 45 Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA countries. The cross-country, panel-data evidence shows no clear relationship between financial liberalization and growth. The study however finds that financial liberalization is more likely to positively and significantly increase growth across the SSA region if the following complementary reforms are undertaken e.g. improvement in educational attainment, macroeconomic and external stability, and overall governance.

Complementarity and stability conditions

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Howard Georgi

2017-08-01

Full Text Available We discuss the issue of complementarity between the confining phase and the Higgs phase for gauge theories in which there are no light particles below the scale of confinement or spontaneous symmetry breaking. We show with a number of examples that even though the low energy effective theories are the same (and trivial, discontinuous changes in the structure of heavy stable particles can signal a phase transition and thus we can sometimes argue that two phases which have different structures of heavy particles that cannot be continuously connected and thus the phases cannot be complementary. We discuss what this means and suggest that such “stability conditions” can be a useful physical check for complementarity.

Impact of climate change on Taiwanese power market determined using linear complementarity model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tung, Ching-Pin; Tseng, Tze-Chi; Huang, An-Lei; Liu, Tzu-Ming; Hu, Ming-Che

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Impact of climate change on average temperature is estimated. ► Temperature elasticity of demand is measured. ► Impact of climate change on Taiwanese power market determined. -- Abstract: The increase in the greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere causes significant changes in climate patterns. In turn, this climate change affects the environment, ecology, and human behavior. The emission of greenhouse gases from the power industry has been analyzed in many studies. However, the impact of climate change on the electricity market has received less attention. Hence, the purpose of this research is to determine the impact of climate change on the electricity market, and a case study involving the Taiwanese power market is conducted. First, the impact of climate change on temperature is estimated. Next, because electricity demand can be expressed as a function of temperature, the temperature elasticity of demand is measured. Then, a linear complementarity model is formulated to simulate the Taiwanese power market and climate change scenarios are discussed. Therefore, this paper establishes a simulation framework for calculating the impact of climate change on electricity demand change. In addition, the impact of climate change on the Taiwanese market is examined and presented.

Complementarities Between Employee Involvement and Financial Participation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jones, Derek C.; Kalmi, Panu; Kato, Takao

2016-01-01

The authors investigate whether productivity is greater if firms use employee involvement (EI) in decision making and financial participation (FP) as complementary practices. Based on representative panel data from Finnish manufacturing firms, the study uses diverse specifications to examine...... different theoretical explanations of the productivity effects of complementarities. The authors find virtually no evidence to support the theory of complementarities when EI and FP are simply measured by their incidence. They do find some evidence for complementarities using cross-sectional data...... (controlling for several covariates that related work has found to be important for firm performance) and also when analyses use measures of the intensity of FP. In accounting for differences in empirical findings across varying settings, the findings suggest that outcomes depend on the institutional context...

Capital-Skill Complementarity and Rigid Relative Wages

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rose Skaksen, Jan; Sørensen, Anders

2004-01-01

be countercyclical. The labor market is competitivein the United States and therefore relative wages of skilled labor are expected to becountercyclical. We find that the business cycle development of the two economiesis consistent with capital-skill complementarity.Keywords: capital-skill complementarity, relative......The relative demand for skills has increased considerably in many OECD countriesduring recent decades. This development is potentially explained by capital-skillcomplementarity and high growth rates of capital equipment. When productionfunctions are characterized by capital-skill complementarity......, relative wages and employmentof skilled labor are countercyclical because capital equipment is a quasi-fixed factor in the short run. The exact behavior of the two variables depends onrelative wage flexibility. Relative wages are rigid in Denmark, implying that the employmentshare of skills should...

Structure-based non-canonical amino acid design to covalently crosslink an antibody–antigen complex

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jianqing; Tack, Drew; Hughes, Randall A.; Ellington, Andrew D.; Gray, Jeffrey J.

2014-01-01

Engineering antibodies to utilize non-canonical amino acids (NCAA) should greatly expand the utility of an already important biological reagent. In particular, introducing crosslinking reagents into antibody complementarity determining regions (CDRs) should provide a means to covalently crosslink residues at the antibody–antigen interface. Unfortunately, finding the optimum position for crosslinking two proteins is often a matter of iterative guessing, even when the interface is known in atomic detail. Computer-aided antibody design can potentially greatly restrict the number of variants that must be explored in order to identify successful crosslinking sites. We have therefore used Rosetta to guide the introduction of an oxidizable crosslinking NCAA, l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA), into the CDRs of the anti-protective antigen scFv antibody M18, and have measured crosslinking to its cognate antigen, domain 4 of the anthrax protective antigen. Computed crosslinking distance, solvent accessibility, and interface energetics were three factors considered that could impact the efficiency of l-DOPA-mediated crosslinking. In the end, 10 variants were synthesized, and crosslinking efficiencies were generally 10% or higher, with the best variant crosslinking to 52% of the available antigen. The results suggest that computational analysis can be used in a pipeline for engineering crosslinking antibodies. The rules learned from l-DOPA crosslinking of antibodies may also be generalizable to the formation of other crosslinked interfaces and complexes. PMID:23680795

Complementarity problems

CERN Document Server

Isac, George

1992-01-01

The study of complementarity problems is now an interesting mathematical subject with many applications in optimization, game theory, stochastic optimal control, engineering, economics etc. This subject has deep relations with important domains of fundamental mathematics such as fixed point theory, ordered spaces, nonlinear analysis, topological degree, the study of variational inequalities and also with mathematical modeling and numerical analysis. Researchers and graduate students interested in mathematical modeling or nonlinear analysis will find here interesting and fascinating results.

Uncertainty and complementarity in axiomatic quantum mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lahti, P.J.

1980-01-01

An investigation of the uncertainty principle and the complementarity principle is carried through. The physical content of these principles and their representation in the conventional Hilbert space formulation of quantum mechanics forms a natural starting point. Thereafter is presented more general axiomatic framework for quantum mechanics, namely, a probability function formulation of the theory. Two extra axioms are stated, reflecting the ideas of the uncertainty principle and the complementarity principle, respectively. The quantal features of these axioms are explicated. (author)

Complementarity between innovation knowledge sources: Does the innovation performance measure matter?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Mª Serrano-Bedia

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We analyse complementarity between different knowledge sources (internal, external and/or cooperation employing a wide range of innovation performance measures (product, process, organizational, and commercial. The empirical study uses 2014 Spanish CIS data and studies complementarities by performing conditional complementarity/substitutability tests. The results show evidence of conditional complementarity in product innovation performance between external and internal knowledge sources in absence of cooperation and of conditional substitute relationship between external and cooperation knowledge sources in presence of internal source. In product and process innovation performance we found a conditional substitute relationship between internal and cooperation sources when external source is used and not used, respectively. This relationship turns to conditional complementarity in organisational innovation in absence of external knowledge source. Therefore, when designing innovation strategy, managers must consider their objectives on a priority basis, since not all the strategies have the same effects on innovation performance.

Assessing temporal complementarity of solar, wind and hydrokinetic energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jurasz Jakub

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Renewable energy sources (RES exhibit various characteristics when it comes to their availability in time and space domain. Some are characterised by significant variability and limited predictability. This makes their integration to the power grid a complicated task. Temporal and spatial complementarity of RES is perceived as one of the possible ways to facilitate the process of integration. This paper investigates the concept of temporal complementarity of solar wind and hydrokinetic energy in case of two sites in Poland. Obtained results indicate existence of some beneficial complementarity on inter-annual and annual time scale. Combination of those three RES in one hybrid system makes power source more reliable.

Low energy description of quantum gravity and complementarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomura, Yasunori; Varela, Jaime; Weinberg, Sean J.

2014-01-01

We consider a framework in which low energy dynamics of quantum gravity is described preserving locality, and yet taking into account the effects that are not captured by the naive global spacetime picture, e.g. those associated with black hole complementarity. Our framework employs a “special relativistic” description of gravity; specifically, gravity is treated as a force measured by the observer tied to the coordinate system associated with a freely falling local Lorentz frame. We identify, in simple cases, regions of spacetime in which low energy local descriptions are applicable as viewed from the freely falling frame; in particular, we identify a surface called the gravitational observer horizon on which the local proper acceleration measured in the observer's coordinates becomes the cutoff (string) scale. This allows for separating between the “low-energy” local physics and “trans-Planckian” intrinsically quantum gravitational (stringy) physics, and allows for developing physical pictures of the origins of various effects. We explore the structure of the Hilbert space in which the proposed scheme is realized in a simple manner, and classify its elements according to certain horizons they possess. We also discuss implications of our framework on the firewall problem. We conjecture that the complementarity picture may persist due to properties of trans-Planckian physics.

On the Character of Quantum Law: Complementarity, Entanglement, and Information

Science.gov (United States)

Plotnitsky, Arkady

2017-08-01

This article considers the relationships between the character of physical law in quantum theory and Bohr's concept of complementarity, under the assumption of the unrepresentable and possibly inconceivable nature of quantum objects and processes, an assumption that may be seen as the most radical departure from realism currently available. Complementarity, the article argues, is a reflection of the fact that, as against classical physics or relativity, the behavior of quantum objects of the same type, say, all electrons, is not governed by the same physical law in all contexts, specifically in complementary contexts. On the other hand, the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics offers correct probabilistic or statistical predictions (no other predictions are possible on experimental grounds) in all contexts, here, again, under the assumption that quantum objects themselves and their behavior are beyond representation or even conception. Bohr, in this connection, spoke of "an entirely new situation as regards the description of physical phenomena that, the notion of complementarity aims at characterizing." The article also considers the relationships among complementarity, entanglement, and quantum information, by basing these relationships on this understanding of complementarity.

AbDesign: An algorithm for combinatorial backbone design guided by natural conformations and sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapidoth, Gideon D; Baran, Dror; Pszolla, Gabriele M; Norn, Christoffer; Alon, Assaf; Tyka, Michael D; Fleishman, Sarel J

2015-08-01

Computational design of protein function has made substantial progress, generating new enzymes, binders, inhibitors, and nanomaterials not previously seen in nature. However, the ability to design new protein backbones for function--essential to exert control over all polypeptide degrees of freedom--remains a critical challenge. Most previous attempts to design new backbones computed the mainchain from scratch. Here, instead, we describe a combinatorial backbone and sequence optimization algorithm called AbDesign, which leverages the large number of sequences and experimentally determined molecular structures of antibodies to construct new antibody models, dock them against target surfaces and optimize their sequence and backbone conformation for high stability and binding affinity. We used the algorithm to produce antibody designs that target the same molecular surfaces as nine natural, high-affinity antibodies; in five cases interface sequence identity is above 30%, and in four of those the backbone conformation at the core of the antibody binding surface is within 1 Å root-mean square deviation from the natural antibodies. Designs recapitulate polar interaction networks observed in natural complexes, and amino acid sidechain rigidity at the designed binding surface, which is likely important for affinity and specificity, is high compared to previous design studies. In designed anti-lysozyme antibodies, complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) at the periphery of the interface, such as L1 and H2, show greater backbone conformation diversity than the CDRs at the core of the interface, and increase the binding surface area compared to the natural antibody, potentially enhancing affinity and specificity. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Status Report: Black Hole Complementarity Controversy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Bum-Hoon; Yeom, Dong-han

2014-01-01

Black hole complementarity was a consensus among string theorists for the interpretation of the information loss problem. However, recently some authors find inconsistency of black hole complementarity: large N rescaling and Almheiri, Marolf, Polchinski and Sully (AMPS) argument. According to AMPS, the horizon should be a firewall so that one cannot penetrate there for consistency. There are some controversial discussions on the firewall. Apart from these papers, the authors suggest an assertion using a semi-regular black hole model and we conclude that the firewall, if it exists, should affect to asymptotic observer. In addition, if any opinion does not consider the duplication experiment and the large N rescaling, then the argument is difficult to accept

A class of singular Ro-matrices and extensions to semidefinite linear complementarity problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sivakumar K.C.

2013-01-01

Full Text Available For ARnxn and qRn, the linear complementarity problem LCP(A, q is to determine if there is xRn such that x ≥ 0; y = Ax + q ≥ 0 and xT y = 0. Such an x is called a solution of LCP(A,q. A is called an Ro-matrix if LCP(A,0 has zero as the only solution. In this article, the class of R0-matrices is extended to include typically singular matrices, by requiring in addition that the solution x above belongs to a subspace of Rn. This idea is then extended to semidefinite linear complementarity problems, where a characterization is presented for the multplicative transformation.

Somatic hypermutation of T cell receptor α chain contributes to selection in nurse shark thymus.

Science.gov (United States)

Ott, Jeannine A; Castro, Caitlin D; Deiss, Thaddeus C; Ohta, Yuko; Flajnik, Martin F; Criscitiello, Michael F

2018-04-17

Since the discovery of the T cell receptor (TcR), immunologists have assigned somatic hypermutation (SHM) as a mechanism employed solely by B cells to diversify their antigen receptors. Remarkably, we found SHM acting in the thymus on α chain locus of shark TcR. SHM in developing shark T cells likely is catalyzed by activation-induced cytidine deaminase (AID) and results in both point and tandem mutations that accumulate non-conservative amino acid replacements within complementarity-determining regions (CDRs). Mutation frequency at TcRα was as high as that seen at B cell receptor loci (BcR) in sharks and mammals, and the mechanism of SHM shares unique characteristics first detected at shark BcR loci. Additionally, fluorescence in situ hybridization showed the strongest AID expression in thymic corticomedullary junction and medulla. We suggest that TcRα utilizes SHM to broaden diversification of the primary αβ T cell repertoire in sharks, the first reported use in vertebrates. © 2018, Ott et al.

Indirect search for New Physics: complementarity to direct searches

CERN Document Server

Mahmoudi, F

2013-01-01

We present an overview on the interplay between direct searches for new physics at the LHC and indirect constraints from the flavour sector, with an emphasis on the implications of the recent LHCb results. The complementarity with the Higgs search results will also be addressed. We show the correlation and complementarity between the different sectors in the context of a few specific examples in supersymmetry.

Horizons of description: Black holes and complementarity

Science.gov (United States)

Bokulich, Peter Joshua Martin

Niels Bohr famously argued that a consistent understanding of quantum mechanics requires a new epistemic framework, which he named complementarity . This position asserts that even in the context of quantum theory, classical concepts must be used to understand and communicate measurement results. The apparent conflict between certain classical descriptions is avoided by recognizing that their application now crucially depends on the measurement context. Recently it has been argued that a new form of complementarity can provide a solution to the so-called information loss paradox. Stephen Hawking argues that the evolution of black holes cannot be described by standard unitary quantum evolution, because such evolution always preserves information, while the evaporation of a black hole will imply that any information that fell into it is irrevocably lost---hence a "paradox." Some researchers in quantum gravity have argued that this paradox can be resolved if one interprets certain seemingly incompatible descriptions of events around black holes as instead being complementary. In this dissertation I assess the extent to which this black hole complementarity can be undergirded by Bohr's account of the limitations of classical concepts. I begin by offering an interpretation of Bohr's complementarity and the role that it plays in his philosophy of quantum theory. After clarifying the nature of classical concepts, I offer an account of the limitations these concepts face, and argue that Bohr's appeal to disturbance is best understood as referring to these conceptual limits. Following preparatory chapters on issues in quantum field theory and black hole mechanics, I offer an analysis of the information loss paradox and various responses to it. I consider the three most prominent accounts of black hole complementarity and argue that they fail to offer sufficient justification for the proposed incompatibility between descriptions. The lesson that emerges from this

Hilbertian quantum theory as the theory of complementarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lahti, P.J.

1983-01-01

It is demonstrated that the notion of complementary physical quantities assumes the possibility of performing ideal first-kind measurements of such quantities. This then leads to an axiomatic reconstruction of the Hilbertian quantum theory based on the complementarity principle and on its connection with the measurement theoretical idealization known as the projection postulate. As the notion of complementary physical quantities does not presuppose the notion of probability, the given axiomatic reconstruction reveals complementarity as an essential reason for the irreducibly probabilistic nature of the quantum theory. (author)

Knowledge Complementarity of a Firm’s Internal and External R&D Capabilities

OpenAIRE

Koski, Heli; Svento, Rauli

2014-01-01

We use data from over 1500 Finnish companies for the years 2006-2008 and 2008-2010 to explore complementarity of a firm’s R&D strategy with its external knowledge acquisition and innovation collaboration strategies. We define knowledge complementarity (tacit knowledge complementarity) of R&D capabilities to exist when increase in investments in R&D also increases marginal returns from broader external knowledge search (deeper innovation collaboration with external partners). Our estimation re...

Complementarity and Area-Efficiency in the Prioritization of the Global Protected Area Network.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Kullberg

Full Text Available Complementarity and cost-efficiency are widely used principles for protected area network design. Despite the wide use and robust theoretical underpinnings, their effects on the performance and patterns of priority areas are rarely studied in detail. Here we compare two approaches for identifying the management priority areas inside the global protected area network: 1 a scoring-based approach, used in recently published analysis and 2 a spatial prioritization method, which accounts for complementarity and area-efficiency. Using the same IUCN species distribution data the complementarity method found an equal-area set of priority areas with double the mean species ranges covered compared to the scoring-based approach. The complementarity set also had 72% more species with full ranges covered, and lacked any coverage only for half of the species compared to the scoring approach. Protected areas in our complementarity-based solution were on average smaller and geographically more scattered. The large difference between the two solutions highlights the need for critical thinking about the selected prioritization method. According to our analysis, accounting for complementarity and area-efficiency can lead to considerable improvements when setting management priorities for the global protected area network.

Complementarity and Area-Efficiency in the Prioritization of the Global Protected Area Network.

Science.gov (United States)

Kullberg, Peter; Toivonen, Tuuli; Montesino Pouzols, Federico; Lehtomäki, Joona; Di Minin, Enrico; Moilanen, Atte

2015-01-01

Complementarity and cost-efficiency are widely used principles for protected area network design. Despite the wide use and robust theoretical underpinnings, their effects on the performance and patterns of priority areas are rarely studied in detail. Here we compare two approaches for identifying the management priority areas inside the global protected area network: 1) a scoring-based approach, used in recently published analysis and 2) a spatial prioritization method, which accounts for complementarity and area-efficiency. Using the same IUCN species distribution data the complementarity method found an equal-area set of priority areas with double the mean species ranges covered compared to the scoring-based approach. The complementarity set also had 72% more species with full ranges covered, and lacked any coverage only for half of the species compared to the scoring approach. Protected areas in our complementarity-based solution were on average smaller and geographically more scattered. The large difference between the two solutions highlights the need for critical thinking about the selected prioritization method. According to our analysis, accounting for complementarity and area-efficiency can lead to considerable improvements when setting management priorities for the global protected area network.

Bohr's Philosophy of Wave–Particle Complementarity

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 18; Issue 10. Bohr's Philosophy of Wave–Particle Complementarity. Dipankar Home. General Article Volume 18 Issue 10 October 2013 pp 905-916. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

Valuing Skill Differences: Perceived Skill Complementarity and Dyadic Helping Behavior in Teams

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oosterhof, Aad; van der Vegt, Gerben S.; van de Vliert, Evert; Sanders, Karin

2009-01-01

This article reports effects of perceived skill dissimilarity and perceived skill complementarity on dyadic helping behavior using a cross-lagged panel study. Specifically, the authors hypothesize that perceived skill dissimilarity is negatively related, whereas perceived skill complementarity is

Presence of Trifolium repens promotes complementarity of water use and N facilitation in diverse grass mixtures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pauline eHernandez

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Legume species promote productivity and increase the digestibility of herbage in grasslands. Considerable experimental data also indicate that communities with legumes produce more above-ground biomass than is expected from monocultures. While it has been attributed to N facilitation, evidence to identify the mechanisms involved is still lacking and the role of complementarity in soil water acquisition by vertical root differentiation remains unclear. We used a 20-month mesocosm experiment to investigate the effects of species richness (single species, two- and five-species mixtures and functional diversity (presence of the legume Trifolium repens on a set of traits related to light, N and water use and measured at community level. We found a positive effect of Trifolium presence and abundance on biomass production and complementarity effects in the two-species mixtures from the second year. In addition the community traits related to water and N acquisition and use (leaf area, N, water-use efficiency and deep root growth were higher in the presence of Trifolium. With a multiple regression approach, we showed that the traits related to water acquisition and use were with N the main determinants of biomass production and complementarity effects in diverse mixtures. At shallow soil layers, lower root mass of Trifolium and higher soil moisture should increase soil water availability for the associated grass species. Conversely at deep soil layer, higher root growth and lower soil moisture mirror soil resource use increase of mixtures. Altogether, these results highlight N facilitation but almost soil vertical differentiation and thus complementarity for water acquisition and use in mixtures with Trifolium. Contrary to grass-Trifolium mixtures, no significant over-yielding was measured for grass mixtures even those having complementary traits (short and shallow vs tall and deep. Thus, vertical complementarity for soil resources uptake in mixtures

Presence of Trifolium repens Promotes Complementarity of Water Use and N Facilitation in Diverse Grass Mixtures.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez, Pauline; Picon-Cochard, Catherine

2016-01-01

Legume species promote productivity and increase the digestibility of herbage in grasslands. Considerable experimental data also indicate that communities with legumes produce more above-ground biomass than is expected from monocultures. While it has been attributed to N facilitation, evidence to identify the mechanisms involved is still lacking and the role of complementarity in soil water acquisition by vertical root differentiation remains unclear. We used a 20-months mesocosm experiment to investigate the effects of species richness (single species, two- and five-species mixtures) and functional diversity (presence of the legume Trifolium repens) on a set of traits related to light, N and water use and measured at community level. We found a positive effect of Trifolium presence and abundance on biomass production and complementarity effects in the two-species mixtures from the second year. In addition the community traits related to water and N acquisition and use (leaf area, N, water-use efficiency, and deep root growth) were higher in the presence of Trifolium. With a multiple regression approach, we showed that the traits related to water acquisition and use were with N the main determinants of biomass production and complementarity effects in diverse mixtures. At shallow soil layers, lower root mass of Trifolium and higher soil moisture should increase soil water availability for the associated grass species. Conversely at deep soil layer, higher root growth and lower soil moisture mirror soil resource use increase of mixtures. Altogether, these results highlight N facilitation but almost soil vertical differentiation and thus complementarity for water acquisition and use in mixtures with Trifolium. Contrary to grass-Trifolium mixtures, no significant over-yielding was measured for grass mixtures even those having complementary traits (short and shallow vs. tall and deep). Thus, vertical complementarity for soil resources uptake in mixtures was not only

Categorizing the telehealth policy response of countries and their implications for complementarity of telehealth policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Varghese, Sunil; Scott, Richard E

2004-01-01

Developing countries are exploring the role of telehealth to overcome the challenges of providing adequate health care services. However, this process faces disparities, and no complementarity in telehealth policy development. Telehealth has the potential to transcend geopolitical boundaries, yet telehealth policy developed in one jurisdiction may hamper applications in another. Understanding such policy complexities is essential for telehealth to realize its full global potential. This study investigated 12 East Asian countries that may represent a microcosm of the world, to determine if the telehealth policy response of countries could be categorized, and whether any implications could be identified for the development of complementary telehealth policy. The countries were Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Three categories of country response were identified in regard to national policy support and development. The first category was "None" (Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam) where international partners, driven by humanitarian concerns, lead telehealth activity. The second category was "Proactive" (China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand) where national policies were designed with the view that telehealth initiatives are a component of larger development objectives. The third was "Reactive" (Hong Kong and Japan), where policies were only proffered after telehealth activities were sustainable. It is concluded that although complementarity of telehealth policy development is not occurring, increased interjurisdictional telehealth activity, regional clusters, and concerted and coordinated effort amongst researchers, practitioners, and policy makers may alter this trend.

Equilibrium Selection in Games with Macroeconomic Complementarities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kaarboe, Oddvar M.; Tieman, Alexander F.

1999-01-01

We apply the stochastic evolutionary approach of equilibrium selection tomacroeconomic models in which a complementarity at the macro level ispresent. These models often exhibit multiple Pareto-ranked Nash equilibria,and the best response-correspondence of an individual increases with ameasure of

Nanobody: the "magic bullet" for molecular imaging?

Science.gov (United States)

Chakravarty, Rubel; Goel, Shreya; Cai, Weibo

2014-01-01

Molecular imaging involves the non-invasive investigation of biological processes in vivo at the cellular and molecular level, which can play diverse roles in better understanding and treatment of various diseases. Recently, single domain antigen-binding fragments known as 'nanobodies' were bioengineered and tested for molecular imaging applications. Small molecular size (~15 kDa) and suitable configuration of the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of nanobodies offer many desirable features suitable for imaging applications, such as rapid targeting and fast blood clearance, high solubility, high stability, easy cloning, modular nature, and the capability of binding to cavities and difficult-to-access antigens. Using nanobody-based probes, several imaging techniques such as radionuclide-based, optical and ultrasound have been employed for visualization of target expression in various disease models. This review summarizes the recent developments in the use of nanobody-based probes for molecular imaging applications. The preclinical data reported to date are quite promising, and it is expected that nanobody-based molecular imaging agents will play an important role in the diagnosis and management of various diseases.

Nanobody: The “Magic Bullet” for Molecular Imaging?

Science.gov (United States)

Chakravarty, Rubel; Goel, Shreya; Cai, Weibo

2014-01-01

Molecular imaging involves the non-invasive investigation of biological processes in vivo at the cellular and molecular level, which can play diverse roles in better understanding and treatment of various diseases. Recently, single domain antigen-binding fragments known as 'nanobodies' were bioengineered and tested for molecular imaging applications. Small molecular size (~15 kDa) and suitable configuration of the complementarity determining regions (CDRs) of nanobodies offer many desirable features suitable for imaging applications, such as rapid targeting and fast blood clearance, high solubility, high stability, easy cloning, modular nature, and the capability of binding to cavities and difficult-to-access antigens. Using nanobody-based probes, several imaging techniques such as radionuclide-based, optical and ultrasound have been employed for visualization of target expression in various disease models. This review summarizes the recent developments in the use of nanobody-based probes for molecular imaging applications. The preclinical data reported to date are quite promising, and it is expected that nanobody-based molecular imaging agents will play an important role in the diagnosis and management of various diseases. PMID:24578722

Functional human antibody CDR fusions as long-acting therapeutic endocrine agonists.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tao; Zhang, Yong; Liu, Yan; Wang, Ying; Jia, Haiqun; Kang, Mingchao; Luo, Xiaozhou; Caballero, Dawna; Gonzalez, Jose; Sherwood, Lance; Nunez, Vanessa; Wang, Danling; Woods, Ashley; Schultz, Peter G; Wang, Feng

2015-02-03

On the basis of the 3D structure of a bovine antibody with a well-folded, ultralong complementarity-determining region (CDR), we have developed a versatile approach for generating human or humanized antibody agonists with excellent pharmacological properties. Using human growth hormone (hGH) and human leptin (hLeptin) as model proteins, we have demonstrated that functional human antibody CDR fusions can be efficiently engineered by grafting the native hormones into different CDRs of the humanized antibody Herceptin. The resulting Herceptin CDR fusion proteins were expressed in good yields in mammalian cells and retain comparable in vitro biological activity to the native hormones. Pharmacological studies in rodents indicated a 20- to 100-fold increase in plasma circulating half-life for these antibody agonists and significantly extended in vivo activities in the GH-deficient rat model and leptin-deficient obese mouse model for the hGH and hLeptin antibody fusions, respectively. These results illustrate the utility of antibody CDR fusions as a general and versatile strategy for generating long-acting protein therapeutics.

Complementarity and quantum walks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kendon, Viv; Sanders, Barry C.

2005-01-01

We show that quantum walks interpolate between a coherent 'wave walk' and a random walk depending on how strongly the walker's coin state is measured; i.e., the quantum walk exhibits the quintessentially quantum property of complementarity, which is manifested as a tradeoff between knowledge of which path the walker takes vs the sharpness of the interference pattern. A physical implementation of a quantum walk (the quantum quincunx) should thus have an identifiable walker and the capacity to demonstrate the interpolation between wave walk and random walk depending on the strength of measurement

Educational Finance Policy: A Search for Complementarities.

Science.gov (United States)

Geske, Terry G.

1983-01-01

An overview of recent state level policy developments and policy analysis research as related to equity and efficiency objectives in public school finance is presented. Emphasis is placed on identifying complementarities, rather than the tradeoffs, between equity and efficiency criteria. (Author/LC)

A Strongly and Superlinearly Convergent SQP Algorithm for Optimization Problems with Linear Complementarity Constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jian Jinbao; Li Jianling; Mo Xingde

2006-01-01

This paper discusses a kind of optimization problem with linear complementarity constraints, and presents a sequential quadratic programming (SQP) algorithm for solving a stationary point of the problem. The algorithm is a modification of the SQP algorithm proposed by Fukushima et al. [Computational Optimization and Applications, 10 (1998),5-34], and is based on a reformulation of complementarity condition as a system of linear equations. At each iteration, one quadratic programming and one system of equations needs to be solved, and a curve search is used to yield the step size. Under some appropriate assumptions, including the lower-level strict complementarity, but without the upper-level strict complementarity for the inequality constraints, the algorithm is proved to possess strong convergence and superlinear convergence. Some preliminary numerical results are reported

Non-Interior Continuation Method for Solving the Monotone Semidefinite Complementarity Problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Z.H.; Han, J.

2003-01-01

Recently, Chen and Tseng extended non-interior continuation smoothing methods for solving linear/ nonlinear complementarity problems to semidefinite complementarity problems (SDCP). In this paper we propose a non-interior continuation method for solving the monotone SDCP based on the smoothed Fischer-Burmeister function, which is shown to be globally linearly and locally quadratically convergent under suitable assumptions. Our algorithm needs at most to solve a linear system of equations at each iteration. In addition, in our analysis on global linear convergence of the algorithm, we need not use the assumption that the Frechet derivative of the function involved in the SDCP is Lipschitz continuous. For non-interior continuation/ smoothing methods for solving the nonlinear complementarity problem, such an assumption has been used widely in the literature in order to achieve global linear convergence results of the algorithms

Single Photon Experiments and Quantum Complementarity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georgiev D. D.

2007-04-01

Full Text Available Single photon experiments have been used as one of the most striking illustrations of the apparently nonclassical nature of the quantum world. In this review we examine the mathematical basis of the principle of complementarity and explain why the Englert-Greenberger duality relation is not violated in the configurations of Unruh and of Afshar.

The Role of the Popes in the Invention of Complementarity and the Anathematization of Gender

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary Anne Case

2016-03-01

Full Text Available This article examines the origins and uses by the Vatican of the theological anthropology of complementarity, arguing that the doctrine of complementarity, under which the sexes are essentially different though not unequal, is an invention of the twentieth century untraceable in earlier centuries, but developed by, among others, the Popes from Pius XII through Benedict XVI, in part as a response to feminist claims, including those recently anathematized by the Vatican under the term ‘gender.’ After exploring some difficulties with the application of the doctrine of complementarity as Catholic orthodoxy, the article concludes by compiling preliminary evidence as to the extent Pope Francis will continue his predecessors’ approach to complementarity.

Computational complementarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finkelstein, D.; Finkelstein, S.R.

1983-01-01

Interactivity generates paradox in that the interactive control by one system C of predicates about another system-under-study S may falsify these predicates. An ''interactive logic'' is formulated to resolve this paradox of interactivity. The construction generalizes one, the Galois connection, used by Von Neumann for the similar quantum paradox. The construction is applied to a transition system, a concept that includes general systems, automata, and quantum systems. In some (classical) automata S, the interactive predicates about S show quantumlike complementarity arising from interactivity. The interactive paradox generates the quantum paradox. Some classical S's have noncommutative algebras of interactively observable coordinates similar to the Heisenberg algebra of a quantum system. Such S's are ''hidden variable'' models of quantum theory not covered by the hidden variable studies of Von Neumann, Bohm, Bell, or Kochen and Specker. It is conceivable that some quantum effects in Nature arise from interactivity. (author)

Computational complementarity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Finkelstein, D; Finkelstein, S R

1983-08-01

Interactivity generates paradox in that the interactive control by one system C of predicates about another system-under-study S may falsify these predicates. An ''interactive logic'' is formulated to resolve this paradox of interactivity. The construction generalizes one, the Galois connection, used by Von Neumann for the similar quantum paradox. The construction is applied to a transition system, a concept that includes general systems, automata, and quantum systems. In some (classical) automata S, the interactive predicates about S show quantumlike complementarity arising from interactivity. The interactive paradox generates the quantum paradox. Some classical S's have noncommutative algebras of interactively observable coordinates similar to the Heisenberg algebra of a quantum system. Such S's are ''hidden variable'' models of quantum theory not covered by the hidden variable studies of Von Neumann, Bohm, Bell, or Kochen and Specker. It is conceivable that some quantum effects in Nature arise from interactivity.

Complementarity of information sent via different bases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Shengjun; Yu, Sixia; Mølmer, Klaus

2009-01-01

We discuss quantitatively the complementarity of information transmitted by a quantum system prepared in a basis state in one out of several different mutually unbiased bases (MUBs). We obtain upper bounds on the information available to a receiver who has no knowledge of which MUB was chosen...

Black Hole Complementarity and Violation of Causality

OpenAIRE

Rozenblit, Moshe

2017-01-01

Analysis of a massive shell collapsing on a solid sphere shows that black hole complementarity (BHC) violates causality in its effort to save information conservation. In particular, this note describes a hypothetical contraption based on BHC that would allow the transfer of information from the future to the present.

Benefits of integrating complementarity into priority threat management.

Science.gov (United States)

Chadés, Iadine; Nicol, Sam; van Leeuwen, Stephen; Walters, Belinda; Firn, Jennifer; Reeson, Andrew; Martin, Tara G; Carwardine, Josie

2015-04-01

Conservation decision tools based on cost-effectiveness analysis are used to assess threat management strategies for improving species persistence. These approaches rank alternative strategies by their benefit to cost ratio but may fail to identify the optimal sets of strategies to implement under limited budgets because they do not account for redundancies. We devised a multiobjective optimization approach in which the complementarity principle is applied to identify the sets of threat management strategies that protect the most species for any budget. We used our approach to prioritize threat management strategies for 53 species of conservation concern in the Pilbara, Australia. We followed a structured elicitation approach to collect information on the benefits and costs of implementing 17 different conservation strategies during a 3-day workshop with 49 stakeholders and experts in the biodiversity, conservation, and management of the Pilbara. We compared the performance of our complementarity priority threat management approach with a current cost-effectiveness ranking approach. A complementary set of 3 strategies: domestic herbivore management, fire management and research, and sanctuaries provided all species with >50% chance of persistence for $4.7 million/year over 20 years. Achieving the same result cost almost twice as much ($9.71 million/year) when strategies were selected by their cost-effectiveness ranks alone. Our results show that complementarity of management benefits has the potential to double the impact of priority threat management approaches. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

Role of electrostatic complementarity between perylenediimide and porphyrin in highly stabilized GNA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xiang, Yonggang [Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 (China); Zhang, Qingye [Agricultural Bioinformatics Key Laboratory of Hubei Province, College of Informatics Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 (China); Li, Zibiao, E-mail: lizb@imre.a-star.edu.sg [Institute of Materials Research and Engineering, A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research), 2 Fusionopolis Way, Innovis, #08-03, Singapore 138634 (Singapore); Chen, Hao, E-mail: hchenhao@mail.hzau.edu.cn [Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070 (China)

2017-01-01

Relatively electron-deficient perylenediimide (PDI) and relatively electron-rich porphyrin (Por) were introduced into the middle of 16-mer glycol nucleic acid (GNA), and up to five consecutive chromophores were arranged in the zipper-like interstrand alternating fashion. Remarkable variation for the CD spectra ascribed to chromophores was observed, and bathochromic shift in the UV/Vis absorption region of chromophores occurred upon duplex formation. Interestingly, zipper-like heteroaggregates of chromophores inside had marvelous positive effects on the stabilization of the duplex, T{sub m} of Por-PDI-Por sandwich-type modified GNA duplex was increased by 24 °C in comparison with three A-T base pairs, moreover, Por-PDI-Por-PDI-Por interstrand modified GNA duplex was even stabilized by 25 °C in replacement of five A-T base pairs. The specificity of high duplex stability might be driven by the strong hydrophobic electrostatic complementarity between PDI and Por face-centered stacking. - Highlights: • Electrostatic complementarity between relatively electron-deficient perylenediimide and relatively electron-rich porphyrin • Zipper-like heteroaggregates of perylenediimide and porphyrin could stablize the GNA duplex significantly. • Chromophores can lead to remarkable variation for the CD spectra and bathochromic shift occurred upon duplex formation.

Mutually exclusive aspects of information carried by physical systems: Complementarity between local and nonlocal information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oppenheim, Jonathan; Horodecki, Karol; Horodecki, Michal; Horodecki, Ryszard; Horodecki, Pawel

2003-01-01

Complex physical systems contain information which, under some well-defined processes can differentiate between local and nonlocal information. Both these fundamental aspects of information are defined operationally. Local information is locally accessible and allows one to perform processes, such as physical work, while nonlocal information allows one to perform processes such as teleportation. It is shown that these two kinds of information are complementary in the sense that two parties can either gain access to the nonlocal information or to the local information but not both. This complementarity has a form similar to that expressed by entropic uncertainty relations. For pure states, the entanglement plays the role of Planck's constant. We also find another class of complementarity relations which applies to operators and is induced when two parties can only perform local operations and communicate classical (LOCC). In particular, observables such as the parity and phase of two qubits commute but under LOCC, they are complementary observables. It is also found this complementarity is pure in the sense that it can be ''decoupled'' from the uncertainty principle. It is suggested that these complementarities represent an essential extension of Bohr's complementarity to complex (distributed) systems which are entangled

Wave-particle duality and Bohr's complementarity principle in quantum mechanics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sen, D.; Basu, A.N.; Sengupta, S.

1995-01-01

Interest on Bohr's complementarity principle has recently been revived particularly because of several thought experiments and some actually performed experiments to test the validity of mutual exclusiveness of wave and particle properties. A critical review of the situation is undertaken and it is pointed out that the problem with mutual exclusiveness arises because of some vagueness in the conventional formulation. An attempt is made to remove this vagueness by connecting the origin of mutual exclusiveness to some principles of quantum mechanics. Accordingly, it becomes obvious that to contradict complementarity principle without contradicting quantum mechanics would be impossible. Some of the recent experiments are critically analysed. (author). 31 refs., 3 ills

Experimental investigation of halogen-bond hard-soft acid-base complementarity.

Science.gov (United States)

Riel, Asia Marie S; Jessop, Morly J; Decato, Daniel A; Massena, Casey J; Nascimento, Vinicius R; Berryman, Orion B

2017-04-01

The halogen bond (XB) is a topical noncovalent interaction of rapidly increasing importance. The XB employs a `soft' donor atom in comparison to the `hard' proton of the hydrogen bond (HB). This difference has led to the hypothesis that XBs can form more favorable interactions with `soft' bases than HBs. While computational studies have supported this suggestion, solution and solid-state data are lacking. Here, XB soft-soft complementarity is investigated with a bidentate receptor that shows similar associations with neutral carbonyls and heavy chalcogen analogs. The solution speciation and XB soft-soft complementarity is supported by four crystal structures containing neutral and anionic soft Lewis bases.

Bohrian Complementarity in the Light of Kantian Teleology

Science.gov (United States)

Pringe, Hernán

2014-03-01

The Kantian influences on Bohr's thought and the relationship between the perspective of complementarity in physics and in biology seem at first sight completely unrelated issues. However, the goal of this work is to show their intimate connection. We shall see that Bohr's views on biology shed light on Kantian elements of his thought, which enables a better understanding of his complementary interpretation of quantum theory. For this purpose, we shall begin by discussing Bohr's views on the analogies concerning the epistemological situation in biology and in physics. Later, we shall compare the Bohrian and the Kantian approaches to the science of life in order to show their close connection. On this basis, we shall finally turn to the issue of complementarity in quantum theory in order to assess what we can learn about the epistemological problems in the quantum realm from a consideration of Kant's views on teleology.

Rescuing complementarity with little drama

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Ning; Bouland, Adam; Chatwin-Davies, Aidan; Pollack, Jason; Yuen, Henry

2016-12-01

The AMPS paradox challenges black hole complementarity by apparently constructing a way for an observer to bring information from the outside of the black hole into its interior if there is no drama at its horizon, making manifest a violation of monogamy of entanglement. We propose a new resolution to the paradox: this violation cannot be explicitly checked by an infalling observer in the finite proper time they have to live after crossing the horizon. Our resolution depends on a weak relaxation of the no-drama condition (we call it "little-drama") which is the "complementarity dual" of scrambling of information on the stretched horizon. When translated to the description of the black hole interior, this implies that the fine-grained quantum information of infalling matter is rapidly diffused across the entire interior while classical observables and coarse-grained geometry remain unaffected. Under the assumption that information has diffused throughout the interior, we consider the difficulty of the information-theoretic task that an observer must perform after crossing the event horizon of a Schwarzschild black hole in order to verify a violation of monogamy of entanglement. We find that the time required to complete a necessary subroutine of this task, namely the decoding of Bell pairs from the interior and the late radiation, takes longer than the maximum amount of time that an observer can spend inside the black hole before hitting the singularity. Therefore, an infalling observer cannot observe monogamy violation before encountering the singularity.

Digital Libraries that Demonstrate High Levels of Mutual Complementarity in Collection-level Metadata Give a Richer Representation of their Content and Improve Subject Access for Users

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aoife Lawton

2014-12-01

Full Text Available A Review of: Zavalina, O. L. (2013. Complementarity in subject metadata in large-scale digital libraries: A comparative analysis. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 52(1, 77-89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01639374.2013.848316 Abstract Objective – To determine how well digital library content is represented through free-text and subject headings. Specifically to examine whether a combination of free-text description data and controlled vocabulary is more comprehensive than free-text description data alone in describing digital collections. Design – Qualitative content analysis and complementarity comparison. Setting – Three large scale cultural heritage digital libraries: one in Europe and two in the United States of America. Methods – The researcher retrieved XML files of complete metadata records for two of the digital libraries, while the third library openly exposed its full metadata. The systematic samples obtained for all three libraries enabled qualitative content analysis to uncover how metadata values relate to each other at the collection level. The researcher retrieved 99 collection-level metadata records in total for analysis. The breakdown was 39, 33, and 27 records per digital library. When comparing metadata in the free-text Description metadata element with data in four controlled vocabulary elements, Subject, Geographic Coverage, Temporal Coverage and Object Type, the researcher observed three types of complementarity: one-way, two-way and multiple-complementarity. The author refers to complementarity as “describing a collection’s subject matter with mutually complementary data values in controlled vocabulary and free-text subject metadata elements” (Zavalina, 2013, p. 77. For example, within a Temporal Coverage metadata element the term “19th century” would complement a Description metadata element “1850–1899” in the same record. Main Results – The researcher found a high level of one

Investigating functional redundancy versus complementarity in Hawaiian herbivorous coral reef fishes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Emily L A; Eynaud, Yoan; Clements, Samantha M; Gleason, Molly; Sparks, Russell T; Williams, Ivor D; Smith, Jennifer E

2016-12-01

Patterns of species resource use provide insight into the functional roles of species and thus their ecological significance within a community. The functional role of herbivorous fishes on coral reefs has been defined through a variety of methods, but from a grazing perspective, less is known about the species-specific preferences of herbivores on different groups of reef algae and the extent of dietary overlap across an herbivore community. Here, we quantified patterns of redundancy and complementarity in a highly diverse community of herbivores at a reef on Maui, Hawaii, USA. First, we tracked fish foraging behavior in situ to record bite rate and type of substrate bitten. Second, we examined gut contents of select herbivorous fishes to determine consumption at a finer scale. Finally, we placed foraging behavior in the context of resource availability to determine how fish selected substrate type. All species predominantly (73-100 %) foraged on turf algae, though there were differences among the types of macroalgae and other substrates bitten. Increased resolution via gut content analysis showed the composition of turf algae consumed by fishes differed across herbivore species. Consideration of foraging behavior by substrate availability revealed 50 % of herbivores selected for turf as opposed to other substrate types, but overall, there were variable foraging portfolios across all species. Through these three methods of investigation, we found higher complementarity among herbivorous fishes than would be revealed using a single metric. These results suggest differences across species in the herbivore "rain of bites" that graze and shape benthic community composition.

The Solution Set Characterization and Error Bound for the Extended Mixed Linear Complementarity Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongchun Sun

2012-01-01

Full Text Available For the extended mixed linear complementarity problem (EML CP, we first present the characterization of the solution set for the EMLCP. Based on this, its global error bound is also established under milder conditions. The results obtained in this paper can be taken as an extension for the classical linear complementarity problems.

A complementarity model for the European natural gas market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egging, Ruud; Gabriel, Steven A.; Holz, Franziska; Zhuang, Jifang

2008-01-01

In this paper, we present a detailed and comprehensive complementarity model for computing market equilibrium values in the European natural gas system. Market players include producers and their marketing arms which we call 'traders', pipeline and storage operators, marketers, LNG liquefiers, regasifiers, tankers, and three end-use consumption sectors. The economic behavior of producers, traders, pipeline and storage operators, liquefiers and regasifiers is modeled via optimization problems whose Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) optimality conditions in combination with market-clearing conditions form the complementarity system. The LNG tankers, marketers and consumption sectors are modeled implicitly via appropriate cost functions, aggregate demand curves, and ex post calculations, respectively. The model is run on several case studies that highlight its capabilities, including a simulation of a disruption of Russian supplies via Ukraine

Is the firewall consistent? Gedanken experiments on black hole complementarity and firewall proposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Dong-il; Lee, Bum-Hoon; Yeom, Dong-han

2013-01-01

In this paper, we discuss the black hole complementarity and the firewall proposal at length. Black hole complementarity is inevitable if we assume the following five things: unitarity, entropy-area formula, existence of an information observer, semi-classical quantum field theory for an asymptotic observer, and the general relativity for an in-falling observer. However, large N rescaling and the AMPS argument show that black hole complementarity is inconsistent. To salvage the basic philosophy of the black hole complementarity, AMPS introduced a firewall around the horizon. According to large N rescaling, the firewall should be located close to the apparent horizon. We investigate the consistency of the firewall with the two critical conditions: the firewall should be near the time-like apparent horizon and it should not affect the future infinity. Concerning this, we have introduced a gravitational collapse with a false vacuum lump which can generate a spacetime structure with disconnected apparent horizons. This reveals a situation that there is a firewall outside of the event horizon, while the apparent horizon is absent. Therefore, the firewall, if it exists, not only does modify the general relativity for an in-falling observer, but also modify the semi-classical quantum field theory for an asymptotic observer

Rescuing complementarity with little drama

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bao, Ning; Bouland, Adam; Chatwin-Davies, Aidan; Pollack, Jason; Yuen, Henry

2016-01-01

The AMPS paradox challenges black hole complementarity by apparently constructing a way for an observer to bring information from the outside of the black hole into its interior if there is no drama at its horizon, making manifest a violation of monogamy of entanglement. We propose a new resolution to the paradox: this violation cannot be explicitly checked by an infalling observer in the finite proper time they have to live after crossing the horizon. Our resolution depends on a weak relaxation of the no-drama condition (we call it “little-drama”) which is the “complementarity dual” of scrambling of information on the stretched horizon. When translated to the description of the black hole interior, this implies that the fine-grained quantum information of infalling matter is rapidly diffused across the entire interior while classical observables and coarse-grained geometry remain unaffected. Under the assumption that information has diffused throughout the interior, we consider the difficulty of the information-theoretic task that an observer must perform after crossing the event horizon of a Schwarzschild black hole in order to verify a violation of monogamy of entanglement. We find that the time required to complete a necessary subroutine of this task, namely the decoding of Bell pairs from the interior and the late radiation, takes longer than the maximum amount of time that an observer can spend inside the black hole before hitting the singularity. Therefore, an infalling observer cannot observe monogamy violation before encountering the singularity.

Rescuing complementarity with little drama

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bao, Ning [Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology,1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena (United States); Bouland, Adam [Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge (United States); Chatwin-Davies, Aidan; Pollack, Jason [Walter Burke Institute for Theoretical Physics, California Institute of Technology,1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena (United States); Yuen, Henry [Computer Science Division, University of California, Berkeley,Berkeley (United States)

2016-12-07

The AMPS paradox challenges black hole complementarity by apparently constructing a way for an observer to bring information from the outside of the black hole into its interior if there is no drama at its horizon, making manifest a violation of monogamy of entanglement. We propose a new resolution to the paradox: this violation cannot be explicitly checked by an infalling observer in the finite proper time they have to live after crossing the horizon. Our resolution depends on a weak relaxation of the no-drama condition (we call it “little-drama”) which is the “complementarity dual” of scrambling of information on the stretched horizon. When translated to the description of the black hole interior, this implies that the fine-grained quantum information of infalling matter is rapidly diffused across the entire interior while classical observables and coarse-grained geometry remain unaffected. Under the assumption that information has diffused throughout the interior, we consider the difficulty of the information-theoretic task that an observer must perform after crossing the event horizon of a Schwarzschild black hole in order to verify a violation of monogamy of entanglement. We find that the time required to complete a necessary subroutine of this task, namely the decoding of Bell pairs from the interior and the late radiation, takes longer than the maximum amount of time that an observer can spend inside the black hole before hitting the singularity. Therefore, an infalling observer cannot observe monogamy violation before encountering the singularity.

R&D INVESTMENTS AND SPILLOVERS UNDER ENDOGENOUS ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY: COMPETITIVE R&D CANNOT TAKE FULL-ADVANTAGE OF COMPLEMENTARITY IN ABSORPTIVE CAPACITY WHILE COOPERATIVE R&D CAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mário A.P.M. Da Silva

2018-03-01

Full Text Available We show that the setting up of general conditions on complementarity in absorptive capacity gives rise to different, if not opposite Nash equilibrium outcomes to those found when absorptive capacity is assumed to be determined only by the similarity of R&D orientations. Firms that cooperate in R&D can take full-advantage of complementarity in R&D by adopting firm-specific R&D paths, which appears to contradict findings and predictions of existing theoretical literature on R&D and spillovers. Oddly, firms competing in R&D cannot gain the most from the potential of complementarity in knowledge by not choosing firm-specific R&D approaches in equilibrium under even milder conditions, which is contrary to another prediction of existing related models.

The Kantian framework of complementarity

Science.gov (United States)

Cuffaro, Michael

A growing number of commentators have, in recent years, noted the important affinities in the views of Immanuel Kant and Niels Bohr. While these commentators are correct, the picture they present of the connections between Bohr and Kant is painted in broad strokes; it is open to the criticism that these affinities are merely superficial. In this essay, I provide a closer, structural, analysis of both Bohr's and Kant's views that makes these connections more explicit. In particular, I demonstrate the similarities between Bohr's argument, on the one hand, that neither the wave nor the particle description of atomic phenomena pick out an object in the ordinary sense of the word, and Kant's requirement, on the other hand, that both 'mathematical' (having to do with magnitude) and 'dynamical' (having to do with an object's interaction with other objects) principles must be applicable to appearances in order for us to determine them as objects of experience. I argue that Bohr's 'complementarity interpretation' of quantum mechanics, which views atomic objects as idealizations, and which licenses the repeal of the principle of causality for the domain of atomic physics, is perfectly compatible with, and indeed follows naturally from a broadly Kantian epistemological framework.

Importance of Hypervariable Region 2 for Stability and Affinity of a Shark Single-Domain Antibody Specific for Ebola Virus Nucleoprotein.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George P Anderson

Full Text Available Single-domain antibodies derived from the unique New Antigen Receptor found in sharks have numerous potential applications, ranging from diagnostic reagents to therapeutics. Shark-derived single-domain antibodies possess the same characteristic ability to refold after heat denaturation found in single-domain antibodies derived from camelid heavy-chain-only antibodies. Recently, two shark derived single-domain antibodies specific for the nucleoprotein of Ebola virus were described. Our evaluation confirmed their high affinity for the nucleoprotein, but found their melting temperatures to be low relative to most single-domain antibodies. Our first approach towards improving their stability was grafting antigen-binding regions (complementarity determining regions of one of these single-domain antibodies onto a high melting temperature shark single-domain antibody. This resulted in two variants: one that displayed excellent affinity with a low melting temperature, while the other had poor affinity but a higher melting temperature. These new proteins, however, differed in only 3 amino acids within the complementarity determining region 2 sequence. In shark single-domain antibodies, the complementarity determining region 2 is often referred to as hypervariable region 2, as this segment of the antibody domain is truncated compared to the sequence in camelid single-domain antibodies and conventional heavy chain variable domains. To elucidate which of the three amino acids or combinations thereof were responsible for the affinity and stability we made the 6 double and single point mutants that covered the intermediates between these two clones. We found a single amino acid change that achieved a 10°C higher melting temperature while maintaining sub nM affinity. This research gives insights into the impact of the shark sdAb hypervariable 2 region on both stability and affinity.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE COMPLEMENTARITY PRINCIPLE WITHIN THE ROME STATUTE IN INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL LAW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heribertus Jaka Triyana

2014-03-01

Full Text Available In practice, the application of the complementarity principle in the Rome Statute remains unclear, particularly with respect to the prioritization of national penal law jurisdiction. This paper willdiscuss the relevance of the complementarity principle to the development of a national criminal justice system and to the investigation and prosecution of the most serious crimes provided for in the Statute. It was concluded that the complementarity principle should be used to unravel the twisted development of the national criminal justice system in accordance with the provisions of international law. We need to establish our national criminal justice system as the main and foremost forum (hence, willing and able in the process of investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes on earth. Dalam praktik, aplikasi Asas Pelengkap (the complementarity principle dalam Statuta Roma masihbelum jelas, khususnya terkait dengan pengutamaan (prioritization yurisdiksi hukum pidana nasional. Oleh karena itu, tulisan ini akan membahas relevansi asas tersebut terhadap pembangunan sistem hukum pidana nasional dan terhadap penyelidikan dan penuntutan kejahatan paling serius yang diatur dalam Statuta. Disimpulkan bahwa Asas Pelengkap harus Mahkamah digunakan sebagai pengurai benang kusutpembangunan sistem hukum pidana nasional Indonesia sesuai dengan ketentuan hukum internasional supaya menjadi forum utama (mau dan mampu dalam proses penyelidikan dan penuntutan kejahatan paling serius di muka bumi.

Inhibition of the Myotoxicity Induced by Bothrops jararacussu Venom and Isolated Phospholipases A2 by Specific Camelid Single-Domain Antibody Fragments.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nidiane D R Prado

Full Text Available Antivenoms, produced using animal hyperimmune plasma, remains the standard therapy for snakebites. Although effective against systemic damages, conventional antivenoms have limited efficacy against local tissue damage. Additionally, the hypersensitivity reactions, often elicited by antivenoms, the high costs for animal maintenance, the difficulty of producing homogeneous lots, and the instability of biological products instigate the search for innovative products for antivenom therapy. In this study, camelid antibody fragments (VHH with specificity to Bothropstoxin I and II (BthTX-I and BthTX-II, two myotoxic phospholipases from Bothrops jararacussu venom, were selected from an immune VHH phage display library. After biopanning, 28 and 6 clones recognized BthTX-I and BthTX-II by ELISA, respectively. Complementarity determining regions (CDRs and immunoglobulin frameworks (FRs of 13 VHH-deduced amino acid sequences were identified, as well as the camelid hallmark amino acid substitutions in FR2. Three VHH clones (KF498607, KF498608, and KC329718 were capable of recognizing BthTX-I by Western blot and showed affinity constants in the nanomolar range against both toxins. VHHs inhibited the BthTX-II phospholipase A2 activity, and when tested for cross-reactivity, presented specificity to the Bothrops genus in ELISA. Furthermore, two clones (KC329718 and KF498607 neutralized the myotoxic effects induced by B. jararacussu venom, BthTX-I, BthTX-II, and by a myotoxin from Bothrops brazili venom (MTX-I in mice. Molecular docking revealed that VHH CDRs are expected to bind the C-terminal of both toxins, essential for myotoxic activity, and to epitopes in the BthTX-II enzymatic cleft. Identified VHHs could be a biotechnological tool to improve the treatment for snake envenomation, an important and neglected world public health problem.

Fish complementarity is associated to forests in Amazonian streams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina Rodrigues Bordignon

Full Text Available The functional structure of communities is commonly measured by the variability in functional traits, which may demonstrate complementarity or redundancy patterns. In this study, we tested the influence of environmental variables on the functional structure of fish assemblages in Amazonian streams within a deforestation gradient. We calculated six ecomorphological traits related to habitat use from each fish species, and used them to calculate the net relatedness index (NRI and the nearest taxon index (NTI. The set of species that used the habitat differently (complementary or overdispersed assemblages occurred in sites with a greater proportion of forests. The set of species that used the habitat in a similar way (redundant or clustered assemblages occurred in sites with a greater proportion of grasses in the stream banks. Therefore, the deforestation of entire watersheds, which has occurred in many Amazonian regions, may be a central factor for the functional homogenization of fish fauna.

Affiliation and control in marital interaction: interpersonal complementarity is present but is not associated with affect or relationship quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Cundiff, Jenny M; Smith, Timothy W; Butner, Jonathan; Critchfield, Kenneth L; Nealey-Moore, Jill

2015-01-01

The principle of complementarity in interpersonal theory states that an actor's behavior tends to "pull, elicit, invite, or evoke" responses from interaction partners who are similar in affiliation (i.e., warmth vs. hostility) and opposite in control (i.e., dominance vs. submissiveness). Furthermore, complementary interactions are proposed to evoke less negative affect and promote greater relationship satisfaction. These predictions were examined in two studies of married couples. Results suggest that complementarity in affiliation describes a robust general pattern of marital interaction, but complementarity in control varies across contexts. Consistent with behavioral models of marital interaction, greater levels of affiliation and lower control by partners-not complementarity in affiliation or control-were associated with less anger and anxiety and greater relationship quality. Partners' levels of affiliation and control combined in ways other than complementarity-mostly additively, but sometimes synergistically-to predict negative affect and relationship satisfaction. © 2014 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

The workforce composition of young firms and product innovation - complementarities in the skills of founders and their early employees

OpenAIRE

Müller, Bettina; Murmann, Martin

2016-01-01

We investigate the extent to which complementarities between technical and business skills of founders and employees matter for the generation of market novelties by new ventures. Using data about German start-ups, we find that there are no complementarities between technical and business skills within the group of founders, but that there are significant complementarities between technically trained founders and employees who have business skills. This suggests that the innovation potenti...

Computational sequence analysis of predicted long dsRNA transcriptomes of major crops reveals sequence complementarity with human genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Peter D; Zhang, Yuanji; Wiggins, B Elizabeth; Petrick, Jay S; Zhu, Jin; Kerstetter, Randall A; Heck, Gregory R; Ivashuta, Sergey I

2013-01-01

Long double-stranded RNAs (long dsRNAs) are precursors for the effector molecules of sequence-specific RNA-based gene silencing in eukaryotes. Plant cells can contain numerous endogenous long dsRNAs. This study demonstrates that such endogenous long dsRNAs in plants have sequence complementarity to human genes. Many of these complementary long dsRNAs have perfect sequence complementarity of at least 21 nucleotides to human genes; enough complementarity to potentially trigger gene silencing in targeted human cells if delivered in functional form. However, the number and diversity of long dsRNA molecules in plant tissue from crops such as lettuce, tomato, corn, soy and rice with complementarity to human genes that have a long history of safe consumption supports a conclusion that long dsRNAs do not present a significant dietary risk.

Dissecting the Structure-Function Relationship of a Fungicidal Peptide Derived from the Constant Region of Human Immunoglobulins

OpenAIRE

Ciociola, Tecla; Pertinhez, Thelma A.; Giovati, Laura; Sperindè, Martina; Magliani, Walter; Ferrari, Elena; Gatti, Rita; D'Adda, Tiziana; Spisni, Alberto; Conti, Stefania; Polonelli, Luciano

2016-01-01

Synthetic peptides encompassing sequences related to the complementarity-determining regions of antibodies or derived from their constant region (Fc peptides) were proven to exert differential antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, and/or immunomodulatory activities in vitro and/or in vivo, regardless of the specificity and isotype of the parental antibody. Alanine substitution derivatives of these peptides exhibited unaltered, increased, or decreased candidacidal activities in vitro. The bioac...

Tumbling and complementarity in a chiral gauge theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goity, J.; Peccei, R.D.; Zeppenfeld, D.

1985-06-01

We consider in detail a chiral SU(N) gauge theory which undergoes multiple tumbling. An extension of the notion of complementarity is used which allows us to deduce the set of massless fermions, in the confining phase of the theory, which we needed for anomaly matching. The likelyhood of this confining phase ever being realized in practice is discussed. (orig.)

Complementarity and Compensation: Bridging the Gap between Writing and Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Killingsworth, M. Jimmie; Sanders, Scott P.

1990-01-01

Outlines two rhetorical principles for producing iconic-mosaic texts--the principle of complementarity and the principle of compensation. Shows how these principles can be applied to practical problems in coordinating the writing and design processes in student projects. (RS)

Negative Impact of HRM Complementarity on Knowledge Transfer in MNCs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Minbaeva, Dana

2005-01-01

This paper explores reasons for negative complementarity among HRM practices. It isbuilt upon the premise that there are certain HRM practices influencing extrinsic andintrinsic motivation of knowledge receivers. If those HRM practices are applied in acomplementary way, their impact on knowledge...

Institutional Complementarities between Organizational Architecture and Corporate Governance

OpenAIRE

Masahiko Aoki

2003-01-01

This paper explores an analytical reason why diverse corporate governance structure can be generated and sustained. The paper identifies three generic modes of organizational architecture in terms of information connectedness between the manager and the workers. Any of them cannot have absolute informational advantage in achieving an organizational objective independently of attribute of organizational product and technological task environment. Using the concept of strategic complementarity ...

Female choice for genetic complementarity in birds: a review

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mays Jr., H. L.; Albrecht, Tomáš; Liu, M.; Hill, G. E.

2008-01-01

Roč. 134, č. 1 (2008), s. 147-158 ISSN 0016-6707 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA206/06/0851 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60930519 Keywords : Female mate choice * Genetic compatibility * Genetic complementarity * Heterosis * Heterozygosity * Sexual selection Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.980, year: 2008

Critical sets in one-parametric mathematical programs with complementarity constraints

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouza Allende, G.; Guddat, J.; Still, Georg J.

2008-01-01

One-parametric mathematical programs with complementarity constraints are considered. The structure of the set of generalized critical points is analysed for the generic case. It is shown how this analysis can locally be reduced to the study of appropriate standard one-parametric finite problems. By

On computation of C-stationary points for equilibrium problems with linear complementarity constraints via homotopy method

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Červinka, Michal

2010-01-01

Roč. 2010, č. 4 (2010), s. 730-753 ISSN 0023-5954 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : equilibrium problems with complementarity constraints * homotopy * C-stationarity Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory Impact factor: 0.461, year: 2010 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2010/MTR/cervinka-on computation of c-stationary points for equilibrium problems with linear complementarity constraints via homotopy method.pdf

Wave-particle dualism and complementarity unraveled by a different mode.

Science.gov (United States)

Menzel, Ralf; Puhlmann, Dirk; Heuer, Axel; Schleich, Wolfgang P

2012-06-12

The precise knowledge of one of two complementary experimental outcomes prevents us from obtaining complete information about the other one. This formulation of Niels Bohr's principle of complementarity when applied to the paradigm of wave-particle dualism--that is, to Young's double-slit experiment--implies that the information about the slit through which a quantum particle has passed erases interference. In the present paper we report a double-slit experiment using two photons created by spontaneous parametric down-conversion where we observe interference in the signal photon despite the fact that we have located it in one of the slits due to its entanglement with the idler photon. This surprising aspect of complementarity comes to light by our special choice of the TEM(01) pump mode. According to quantum field theory the signal photon is then in a coherent superposition of two distinct wave vectors giving rise to interference fringes analogous to two mechanical slits.

A large-scale linear complementarity model of the North American natural gas market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gabriel, Steven A.; Jifang Zhuang; Kiet, Supat

2005-01-01

The North American natural gas market has seen significant changes recently due to deregulation and restructuring. For example, third party marketers can contract for transportation and purchase of gas to sell to end-users. While the intent was a more competitive market, the potential for market power exists. We analyze this market using a linear complementarity equilibrium model including producers, storage and peak gas operators, third party marketers and four end-use sectors. The marketers are depicted as Nash-Cournot players determining supply to meet end-use consumption, all other players are in perfect competition. Results based on National Petroleum Council scenarios are presented. (Author)

Ethnic Competition or Complementarity: Which Drives (Returns to) Self-employment?

OpenAIRE

Joanna Nestorowicz; Joanna Tyrowicz

2013-01-01

This paper explores the relationship between ethnic competition and complementarity in returns to self-employment. We use detailed individual data from the U.S. censuses. We find that while in general business competition is detrimental to profitability, higher self-employment concentrations of co-ethnics are associated with increase in returns.

Niels Bohr's complementarity its structure, history, and intersections with hermeneutics and deconstruction

CERN Document Server

Katsumori, Makoto

2011-01-01

Through detailed textual and conceptual analysis, and with special attention to the potentially conflicting elements of Bohr's thought, this volume's fresh approach analyzes the relations between realism and antirealism through the prism of complementarity.

Self-efficacy, values, and complementarity in dyadic interactions: integrating interpersonal and social-cognitive theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Locke, Kenneth D; Sadler, Pamela

2007-01-01

Dyadic interactions were analyzed using constructs from social-cognitive theory (self-efficacy and subjective values) and interpersonal theory (interpersonal circumplex [IPC] and complementarity). In Study 1, the authors developed a measure of efficacy for interpersonal actions associated with each IPC region--the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Efficacy (CSIE). In Study 2, the authors used the CSIE and the Circumplex Scales of Interpersonal Values (which assesses the subjective value of interpersonal events associated with each IPC region) to predict the dominance expressed and satisfaction experienced by members of 101 same-sex dyads trying to solve a murder mystery. Structural equation modeling analyses supported both social-cognitive and interpersonal theory. A social-cognitive person-variable (dominance efficacy) and an interpersonal dyadic-variable (reciprocity) together predicted dominant behaviors. Likewise, both a social-cognitive variable (friendliness values) and an interpersonal variable (correspondence of friendliness efficacy) predicted satisfaction. Finally, both shared performance outcomes and dynamic interpersonal processes predicted convergence of collective efficacy beliefs within dyads.

Mathematical programs with complementarity constraints in traffic and telecommunications networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Ralph, Daniel

2008-06-13

Given a suitably parametrized family of equilibrium models and a higher level criterion by which to measure an equilibrium state, mathematical programs with equilibrium constraints (MPECs) provide a framework for improving or optimizing the equilibrium state. An example is toll design in traffic networks, which attempts to reduce total travel time by choosing which arcs to toll and what toll levels to impose. Here, a Wardrop equilibrium describes the traffic response to each toll design. Communication networks also have a deep literature on equilibrium flows that suggest some MPECs. We focus on mathematical programs with complementarity constraints (MPCCs), a subclass of MPECs for which the lower level equilibrium system can be formulated as a complementarity problem and therefore, importantly, as a nonlinear program (NLP). Although MPECs and MPCCs are typically non-convex, which is a consequence of the upper level objective clashing with the users' objectives in the lower level equilibrium program, the last decade of research has paved the way for finding local solutions of MPCCs via standard NLP techniques.

Reviving Complementarity: John Wheeler's efforts to apply complementarity toward a quantum description of gravitation

Science.gov (United States)

Halpern, Paul

2017-01-01

In 1978, John Wheeler proposed the delayed-choice thought experiment as a generalization of the classic double slit experiment intended to help elucidate the nature of decision making in quantum measurement. In particular, he wished to illustrate how a decision made after a quantum system was prepared might retrospectively affect the outcome. He extended his methods to the universe itself, raising the question of whether the universe is a ``self-excited circuit'' in which scientific measurements in the present affect the quantum dynamics in the past. In this talk we'll show how Wheeler's approach revived the notion of Bohr's complementarity, which had by then faded from the prevailing discourse of quantum measurement theory. Wheeler's advocacy reflected, in part, his wish to eliminate the divide in quantum theory between measurer and what was being measured, bringing greater consistency to the ideas of Bohr, a mentor whom he deeply respected.

Complementarity between neutron capture and heavy-ion reactions in nuclear structure studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schult, O.W.B.

1978-01-01

The study of the complementarity of certain nuclear reactions in nuclear structure studies includes spectroscopic methods, nuclear rotation and coupling of nucleons to the core, and the de-excitation and structure of high lying states. 23 references

Efetividade da Estratégia Nacional para Alimentação Complementar Saudável na melhoria da alimentação complementar de lactentes em um município do Sul do Brasil

OpenAIRE

Baldissera, Rosane; Issler, Roberto Mário Silveira; Giugliani, Elsa Regina Justo

2016-01-01

Resumo: O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a efetividade da Estratégia Nacional para Alimentação Complementar Saudável (ENPACS) na melhoria da alimentação complementar no primeiro ano de vida em um município brasileiro. Trata-se de um estudo avaliativo de impacto, envolvendo 340 crianças com idades entre 6 e 12 meses, acompanhadas nas unidades básicas de saúde. Os desfechos avaliados foram prevalência do consumo de verduras, legumes, frutas e alimentos não saudáveis, e prevalência de...

How Hybrid Organizations Turn Antagonistic Assets into Complementarities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hockerts, Kai

2015-01-01

This article focuses on people excluded from traditional markets as employees, producers, or consumers on the grounds that they lack the appropriate skills. It describes the processes through which these perceived liabilities can be overcome by so-called hybrid organizations. Hybrids pursue...... explicit social missions through business-inspired earned-income strategies, with the express goal of creating market disequilibria. This article demonstrates the challenges hybrids face and outlines how to overcome them by identifying hidden complementarities and creating new ones, by eliminating the need...

Popov–Belevitch–Hautus type tests for the controllability of linear complementarity systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Camlibel, M. Kanat

2007-01-01

It is well-known that checking certain controllability properties of very simple piecewise linear systems are undecidable problems. This paper deals with the controllability problem of a class of piecewise linear systems, known as linear complementarity systems. By exploiting the underlying

Invasive carnivores alter ecological function and enhance complementarity in scavenger assemblages on ocean beaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Marion B; Schlacher, Thomas A; Schoeman, David S; Weston, Michael A; Huijbers, Chantal M; Olds, Andrew D; Connolly, Rod M

2015-10-01

Species composition is expected to alter ecological function in assemblages if species traits differ strongly. Such effects are often large and persistent for nonnative carnivores invading islands. Alternatively, high similarity in traits within assemblages creates a degree of functional redundancy in ecosystems. Here we tested whether species turnover results in functional ecological equivalence or complementarity, and whether invasive carnivores on islands significantly alter such ecological function. The model system consisted of vertebrate scavengers (dominated by raptors) foraging on animal carcasses on ocean beaches on two Australian islands, one with and one without invasive red foxes (Vulpes vulpes). Partitioning of scavenging events among species, carcass removal rates, and detection speeds were quantified using camera traps baited with fish carcasses at the dune-beach interface. Complete segregation of temporal foraging niches between mammals (nocturnal) and birds (diurnal) reflects complementarity in carrion utilization. Conversely, functional redundancy exists within the bird guild where several species of raptors dominate carrion removal in a broadly similar way. As predicted, effects of red foxes were large. They substantially changed the nature and rate of the scavenging process in the system: (1) foxes consumed over half (55%) of all carrion available at night, compared with negligible mammalian foraging at night on the fox-free island, and (2) significant shifts in the composition of the scavenger assemblages consuming beach-cast carrion are the consequence of fox invasion at one island. Arguably, in the absence of other mammalian apex predators, the addition of red foxes creates a new dimension of functional complementarity in beach food webs. However, this functional complementarity added by foxes is neither benign nor neutral, as marine carrion subsidies to coastal red fox populations are likely to facilitate their persistence as exotic

CPdock: the complementarity plot for docking of proteins: implementing multi-dielectric continuum electrostatics.

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, Sankar

2017-12-07

The complementarity plot (CP) is an established validation tool for protein structures, applicable to both globular proteins (folding) as well as protein-protein complexes (binding). It computes the shape and electrostatic complementarities (S m , E m ) for amino acid side-chains buried within the protein interior or interface and plots them in a two-dimensional plot having knowledge-based probabilistic quality estimates for the residues as well as for the whole structure. The current report essentially presents an upgraded version of the plot with the implementation of the advanced multi-dielectric functionality (as in Delphi version 6.2 or higher) in the computation of electrostatic complementarity to make the validation tool physico-chemically more realistic. The two methods (single- and multi-dielectric) agree decently in their resultant E m values, and hence, provisions for both methods have been kept in the software suite. So to speak, the global electrostatic balance within a well-folded protein and/or a well-packed interface seems only marginally perturbed by the choice of different internal dielectric values. However, both from theoretical as well as practical grounds, the more advanced multi-dielectric version of the plot is certainly recommended for potentially producing more reliable results. The report also presents a new methodology and a variant plot, namely CP dock , based on the same principles of complementarity specifically designed to be used in the docking of proteins. The efficacy of the method to discriminate between good and bad docked protein complexes has been tested on a recent state-of-the-art docking benchmark. The results unambiguously indicate that CP dock can indeed be effective in the initial screening phase of a docking scoring pipeline before going into more sophisticated and computationally expensive scoring functions. CP dock has been made available at https://github.com/nemo8130/CPdock . Graphical Abstract An example showing

The Development of Working Memory: Exploring the Complementarity of Two Models.

Science.gov (United States)

Kemps, Eva; De Rammelaere, Stijn; Desmet, Timothy

2000-01-01

Assessed 5-, 6-, 8- and 9-year-olds on two working memory tasks to explore the complementarity of working memory models postulated by Pascual-Leone and Baddeley. Pascual-Leone's theory offered a clear explanation of the results concerning central aspects of working memory. Baddeley's model provided a convincing account of findings regarding the…

Principles of classical statistical mechanics: A perspective from the notion of complementarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velazquez Abad, Luisberis

2012-01-01

Quantum mechanics and classical statistical mechanics are two physical theories that share several analogies in their mathematical apparatus and physical foundations. In particular, classical statistical mechanics is hallmarked by the complementarity between two descriptions that are unified in thermodynamics: (i) the parametrization of the system macrostate in terms of mechanical macroscopic observablesI=(I i ), and (ii) the dynamical description that explains the evolution of a system towards the thermodynamic equilibrium. As expected, such a complementarity is related to the uncertainty relations of classical statistical mechanics ΔI i Δη i ≥k. Here, k is the Boltzmann constant, η i =∂S(I|θ)/∂I i are the restituting generalized forces derived from the entropy S(I|θ) of a closed system, which is found in an equilibrium situation driven by certain control parameters θ=(θ α ). These arguments constitute the central ingredients of a reformulation of classical statistical mechanics from the notion of complementarity. In this new framework, Einstein postulate of classical fluctuation theory dp(I|θ)∼exp[S(I|θ)/k]dI appears as the correspondence principle between classical statistical mechanics and thermodynamics in the limit k→0, while the existence of uncertainty relations can be associated with the non-commuting character of certain operators. - Highlights: ► There exists a direct analogy between quantum and classical statistical mechanics. ► Statistical form of Le Chatellier principle leads to the uncertainty principle. ► Einstein postulate is simply the correspondence principle. ► Complementary quantities are associated with non-commuting operators.

Greater than the sum of their parts: Exploring the environmental complementarity of state, private and community protected areas

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tiphaine Leménager

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In a context of unprecedented environmental crisis, protected areas are expected to play a central role. Although considerable work has been done to understand the effectiveness of different types of protected area, there has been limited investigation of how a combination of different types of protected area within a system affects its overall environmental outcomes. Defining and using the concept of environmental complementarity, the paper explores whether or not the presence of private, state and community protected areas in a landscape has a positive effect on biodiversity conservation outcomes. Based on a Kenyan case study, it emphasizes the important and currently undervalued role of state protected areas and shows that other types of protected area can be analyzed as being a support. It suggests there is a complex array of complementarities between community, state and private protected areas. Differences in management capacity, staff skills, social acceptability, access to financial resources, tourism products, ecological resources, etc. between types of protected area were found to drive additionality and synergistic complementarities that undeniably contribute to strengthening the overall protected area system and increasing its resilience, as well as its capacity to generate environmental outcomes. Keywords: Biodiversity, Protected area, Environmental complementarity, Strategies

Trade unions and liberal values: struggle or complementarity in a democratic society?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. I. Tupitzya

2014-02-01

Thus, viewing the political position of trade unions in a modern democratic society suggests that the trade union units are fully capable to absorb some elements of liberal doctrines. This indicates a broad base complementarity and mutual conceptual foundations of trade unionism and democratic society.

Description of All Solutions of a Linear Complementarity Problem

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Rohn, Jiří

2009-01-01

Roč. 18, - (2009), s. 246-252 E-ISSN 1081-3810 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/09/1957; GA ČR GC201/08/J020 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : linear complementarity problem * Moore-Penrose inverse * verified solution * absolute value equation Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.892, year: 2009 http://www.math.technion.ac.il/iic/ ela / ela -articles/articles/vol18_pp246-252.pdf

Correlations in local measurements on a quantum state, and complementarity as an explanation of nonclassicality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wu, Shengjun; Poulsen, Uffe Vestergaard; Mølmer, Klaus

2009-01-01

and the classical correlations and we relate our quantitative finding to the so-called classical correlation locked in a quantum state. We derive upper bounds for the sum of classical correlation obtained by measurements in different mutually unbiased bases and we show that the complementarity gap is also present......We consider the classical correlations that two observers can extract by measurements on a bipartite quantum state and we discuss how they are related to the quantum mutual information of the state. We show with several examples how complementarity gives rise to a gap between the quantum...... in the deterministic quantum computation with one quantum bit....

A Regularization SAA Scheme for a Stochastic Mathematical Program with Complementarity Constraints

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Yu-xin Li

2014-01-01

Full Text Available To reflect uncertain data in practical problems, stochastic versions of the mathematical program with complementarity constraints (MPCC have drawn much attention in the recent literature. Our concern is the detailed analysis of convergence properties of a regularization sample average approximation (SAA method for solving a stochastic mathematical program with complementarity constraints (SMPCC. The analysis of this regularization method is carried out in three steps: First, the almost sure convergence of optimal solutions of the regularized SAA problem to that of the true problem is established by the notion of epiconvergence in variational analysis. Second, under MPCC-MFCQ, which is weaker than MPCC-LICQ, we show that any accumulation point of Karash-Kuhn-Tucker points of the regularized SAA problem is almost surely a kind of stationary point of SMPCC as the sample size tends to infinity. Finally, some numerical results are reported to show the efficiency of the method proposed.

Health, Enterprise, and Labor Complementarity in the Household.

Science.gov (United States)

Adhvaryu, Achyuta; Nyshadham, Anant

2017-05-01

We study the role of household enterprise as a coping mechanism after health shocks. Using variation in the cost of traveling to formal sector health facilities to predict recovery from acute illness in Tanzania, we show that individuals with prolonged illness switch from farm labor to enterprise activity. This response occurs along both the extensive (entry) and intensive (capital stock and labor supply) margins. Family members who are not ill exhibit exactly the same pattern of responses. Deriving a simple extension to the canonical agricultural household model, we show that our results suggest complementarities in household labor.

Reinforcement learning in complementarity game and population dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Jost, Jürgen; Li, Wei

2014-02-01

We systematically test and compare different reinforcement learning schemes in a complementarity game [J. Jost and W. Li, Physica A 345, 245 (2005)] played between members of two populations. More precisely, we study the Roth-Erev, Bush-Mosteller, and SoftMax reinforcement learning schemes. A modified version of Roth-Erev with a power exponent of 1.5, as opposed to 1 in the standard version, performs best. We also compare these reinforcement learning strategies with evolutionary schemes. This gives insight into aspects like the issue of quick adaptation as opposed to systematic exploration or the role of learning rates.

Medicinas alternativas e complementares no ensino médico: revisão sistemática

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Marisa Corrêa Christensen

Full Text Available O aumento crescente da utilização das medicinas alternativas e complementares (MAC requer que os profissionais de saúde estejam aptos a informar e atender seus pacientes, reconhecer efeitos colaterais, interações medicamentosas e praticar com segurança as medicinas complementares, isoladas ou associadas às medicinas convencionais. Este trabalho faz uma revisão sistemática da literatura (RSL sobre o ensino das MAC em escolas médicas, com a finalidade de refletir sobre as evidências publicadas. Foram analisados 33 artigos indexados no banco eletrônico de referências Pubmed, identificados a partir dos descritores: "ensino das medicinas alternativas e complementares" e "comple mentary and alternative medicine teaching". Observaram-se diferentes formas de inserção das MAC no ensino, atitudes positivas dos estudantes de Medicina frente a elas e desejo de aprendê-las com o objetivo de tratar e orientar futuros pacientes. Conclui-se que o ensino das MAC nas escolas de Medicina tem como fundamento adicionar à prática médica ferramentas diagnósticas e terapêuticas para a atenção, prevenção e promoção, nos diversos níveis de complexidade do sistema de saúde.

Multiple-algorithm parallel fusion of infrared polarization and intensity images based on algorithmic complementarity and synergy

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lei; Yang, Fengbao; Ji, Linna; Lv, Sheng

2018-01-01

Diverse image fusion methods perform differently. Each method has advantages and disadvantages compared with others. One notion is that the advantages of different image methods can be effectively combined. A multiple-algorithm parallel fusion method based on algorithmic complementarity and synergy is proposed. First, in view of the characteristics of the different algorithms and difference-features among images, an index vector-based feature-similarity is proposed to define the degree of complementarity and synergy. This proposed index vector is a reliable evidence indicator for algorithm selection. Second, the algorithms with a high degree of complementarity and synergy are selected. Then, the different degrees of various features and infrared intensity images are used as the initial weights for the nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF). This avoids randomness of the NMF initialization parameter. Finally, the fused images of different algorithms are integrated using the NMF because of its excellent data fusing performance on independent features. Experimental results demonstrate that the visual effect and objective evaluation index of the fused images obtained using the proposed method are better than those obtained using traditional methods. The proposed method retains all the advantages that individual fusion algorithms have.

Breathing shoes and complementarities: strategic innovation in a mature industry

OpenAIRE

A. Camuffo; A. Furlan; P. Romano; A. Vinelli

2008-01-01

This paper tells the story of Geox, an Italian footwear manufacturer that, in less than a decade, has become one of the world's largest shoe manufacturers. Applying the related notions of complementarity and performance landscape to study strategic positioning in the footwear industry, we show that, though grounded on product innovation (the original Geox breathes® patented system which allows ventilation in waterproof rubber sole), Geox's competitive advantage has not grown out of operationa...

Complementarity of long pulse and short pulse spallation sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mezei, F [Hahn-Meitner-Institut Berlin GmbH (Germany)

1995-11-01

The complementarity of short pulse spallation sources (SPSS) and steady state (CW) reactors is a widely accepted concept. SPSS and long pulse spallation sources (LPSS) are complementary in two ways: (a) in their performance in neutron scattering experiments LPSS closely emulate CW reactors. In this respect two facets of the time-of-flight (TOF) monochromator method adequate for LPSS will be discussed: the superiority of the TOF approach to the crystal monochromator method in high resolution powder diffraction, and the novel technique of repetition rate multiplication in TOF spectroscopy, (b) LPSS combined with adequate chopper systems can also emulate SPSS in a number of applications. It will be shown that the LPSS method of producing short neutron pulses is more efficient for cold and thermal neutrons (below an energy of about 100 MeV), while SPSS is the more favourable approach for hot, epithermal neutrons, i.e. in the slowing down regime in contrast to the moderated regime. These two aspects of complementarity of LPSS and SPSS lead to the conclusions that for about 75% of the spectrum of neutron scattering experiments as known of today the LPSS approach is the most advantageous one with a feasible neutron intensity exceeding that available at ILL by a factor of about 30, while for the remaining 25% of applications the SPSS technique is superior with a well-known potential of a similar gain over present day performances. (author) 7 figs., 6 refs.

Complementarity of long pulse and short pulse spallation sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mezei, F.

1995-01-01

The complementarity of short pulse spallation sources (SPSS) and steady state (CW) reactors is a widely accepted concept. SPSS and long pulse spallation sources (LPSS) are complementary in two ways: a) in their performance in neutron scattering experiments LPSS closely emulate CW reactors. In this respect two facets of the time-of-flight (TOF) monochromator method adequate for LPSS will be discussed: the superiority of the TOF approach to the crystal monochromator method in high resolution powder diffraction, and the novel technique of repetition rate multiplication in TOF spectroscopy, b) LPSS combined with adequate chopper systems can also emulate SPSS in a number of applications. It will be shown that the LPSS method of producing short neutron pulses is more efficient for cold and thermal neutrons (below an energy of about 100 MeV), while SPSS is the more favourable approach for hot, epithermal neutrons, i.e. in the slowing down regime in contrast to the moderated regime. These two aspects of complementarity of LPSS and SPSS lead to the conclusions that for about 75% of the spectrum of neutron scattering experiments as known of today the LPSS approach is the most advantageous one with a feasible neutron intensity exceeding that available at ILL by a factor of about 30, while for the remaining 25% of applications the SPSS technique is superior with a well-known potential of a similar gain over present day performances. (author) 7 figs., 6 refs

The Historical Complementarity of Both the Real and the Financial Sectors of Economy

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Kornivska Valeria О.

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The publication presents the results of an analysis of evolution of complementarity of the financial and the real sectors from the simple credit through the formation and allocation of intermediary activity to establishment of the exchange as a prototype of all the financial markets known to date. The author characterizes the European financial tradition, which is emerging from the first exchanges, linked to the mutual dependence of the banking and the securities sectors. The institutional basis for the predominantly speculative nature of securities transactions has been demonstrated, it has been shown that the current activity of banking structures in the fund space has historical roots. It has been proven that the peak of complementarity both in the financial and in the real sectors takes place in the capitalist economy, where synergy between the financial and the real economic processes has been maximized and expressed in innovative development, economic growth, and social well-being.

Equilibrium problems with complementarity constraints: case study with applications to oligopolistic markets

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mordukhovich, B. S.; Outrata, Jiří; Červinka, Michal

2007-01-01

Roč. 56, č. 4 (2007), s. 479-494 ISSN 0233-1934 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1030405 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : equilibrium problems with complementarity constraints * multiobjective optimization * necessary optimality conditions * numerical methods * oligopolistic market s Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.408, year: 2007

Assessing climate change impact on complementarity between solar and hydro power in areas affected by glacier shrinkage

Science.gov (United States)

Diah Puspitarini, Handriyanti; François, Baptiste; Zoccatelli, Davide; Brown, Casey; Creutin, Jean-Dominique; Zaramella, Mattia; Borga, Marco

2017-04-01

Variable Renewable Energy (VRE) sources such as wind, solar and runoff sources are variable in time and space, following their driving weather variables. In this work we aim to analyse optimal mixes of energy sources, i.e. mixes of sources which minimize the deviation between energy load and generation, for a region in the Upper Adige river basin (Eastern Italian Alps) affected by glacier shrinking. The study focuses on hydropower (run of the river - RoR) and solar energy, and analyses the current situation as well different climate change scenarios. Changes in glacier extent in response to climate warming and/or altered precipitation regimes have the potential to substantially alter the magnitude and timing, as well as the spatial variation of watershed-scale hydrologic fluxes. This may change the complementarity with solar power as well. In this study, we analyse the climate change impact on complementarity between RoR and solar using the Decision Scaling approach (Brown et al. 2012). With this approach, the system vulnerability is separated from the climatic hazard that can come from any set of past or future climate conditions. It departs from conventional top-down impact studies because it explores the sensitivity of the system response to a plausible range of climate variations rather than its sensitivity to the time-varying outcome of individual GCM projections. It mainly relies on the development of Climate Response Functions that bring together i) the sensitivity of some system success and/or failure indicators to key external drivers (i.e. mean features of regional climate) and ii) the future values of these drivers as simulated from climate simulation chains. The main VRE sources used in the study region are solar- and hydro-power (with an important fraction of run-of-the river hydropower). The considered indicator of success is the 'energy penetration' coefficient, defined as the long-run percentage of energy demand naturally met by the VRE on an hourly

Compatibility and Complementarity of Classroom Ecology and Didactique Research Perspectives in Physical Education

Science.gov (United States)

Leriche, Jérôme; Desbiens, Jean-François; Amade-Escot, Chantal; Tinning, Richard

2016-01-01

A large diversity of theoretical frameworks exists in the physical education literature. This article focuses on two of those frameworks to examine their compatibility and their complementarity. The classroom ecology paradigm concentrates on the balance between three task systems, two vectors, and programs of actions proposed by the physical…

What is complementarity?: Niels Bohr and the architecture of quantum theory

Science.gov (United States)

Plotnitsky, Arkady

2014-12-01

This article explores Bohr’s argument, advanced under the heading of ‘complementarity,’ concerning quantum phenomena and quantum mechanics, and its physical and philosophical implications. In Bohr, the term complementarity designates both a particular concept and an overall interpretation of quantum phenomena and quantum mechanics, in part grounded in this concept. While the argument of this article is primarily philosophical, it will also address, historically, the development and transformations of Bohr’s thinking, under the impact of the development of quantum theory and Bohr’s confrontation with Einstein, especially their exchange concerning the EPR experiment, proposed by Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen in 1935. Bohr’s interpretation was progressively characterized by a more radical epistemology, in its ultimate form, which was developed in the 1930s and with which I shall be especially concerned here, defined by his new concepts of phenomenon and atomicity. According to this epistemology, quantum objects are seen as indescribable and possibly even as inconceivable, and as manifesting their existence only in the effects of their interactions with measuring instruments upon those instruments, effects that define phenomena in Bohr’s sense. The absence of causality is an automatic consequence of this epistemology. I shall also consider how probability and statistics work under these epistemological conditions.

What is complementarity?: Niels Bohr and the architecture of quantum theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Plotnitsky, Arkady

2014-01-01

This article explores Bohr’s argument, advanced under the heading of ‘complementarity,’ concerning quantum phenomena and quantum mechanics, and its physical and philosophical implications. In Bohr, the term complementarity designates both a particular concept and an overall interpretation of quantum phenomena and quantum mechanics, in part grounded in this concept. While the argument of this article is primarily philosophical, it will also address, historically, the development and transformations of Bohr’s thinking, under the impact of the development of quantum theory and Bohr’s confrontation with Einstein, especially their exchange concerning the EPR experiment, proposed by Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen in 1935. Bohr’s interpretation was progressively characterized by a more radical epistemology, in its ultimate form, which was developed in the 1930s and with which I shall be especially concerned here, defined by his new concepts of phenomenon and atomicity. According to this epistemology, quantum objects are seen as indescribable and possibly even as inconceivable, and as manifesting their existence only in the effects of their interactions with measuring instruments upon those instruments, effects that define phenomena in Bohr’s sense. The absence of causality is an automatic consequence of this epistemology. I shall also consider how probability and statistics work under these epistemological conditions. (paper)

Marketing and technology resource complementarity : An analysis of their Interaction Effect in two environmental contexts

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Song, X.M.; Droge, C.; Hanvanich, S.; Calantone, R.J.

2005-01-01

The dynamic capabilities perspective posits that a firm can leverage the performance impact of existing resources through resource configuration, complementarity, and integration, but little empirical research addresses these issues. We investigate the effects on performance of marketing

Rationalization and Design of the Complementarity Determining Region Sequences in an Antibody-Antigen Recognition Interface

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ing-Chien; Lee, Yu-Ching; Chen, Jun-Bo; Tsai, Keng-Chang; Chen, Ching-Tai; Chang, Jeng-Yih; Yang, Ei-Wen; Hsu, Po-Chiang; Jian, Jhih-Wei; Hsu, Hung-Ju; Chang, Hung-Ju; Hsu, Wen-Lian; Huang, Kai-Fa; Ma, Alex Che; Yang, An-Suei

2012-01-01

Protein-protein interactions are critical determinants in biological systems. Engineered proteins binding to specific areas on protein surfaces could lead to therapeutics or diagnostics for treating diseases in humans. But designing epitope-specific protein-protein interactions with computational atomistic interaction free energy remains a difficult challenge. Here we show that, with the antibody-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) interaction as a model system, the experimentally observed amino acid preferences in the antibody-antigen interface can be rationalized with 3-dimensional distributions of interacting atoms derived from the database of protein structures. Machine learning models established on the rationalization can be generalized to design amino acid preferences in antibody-antigen interfaces, for which the experimental validations are tractable with current high throughput synthetic antibody display technologies. Leave-one-out cross validation on the benchmark system yielded the accuracy, precision, recall (sensitivity) and specificity of the overall binary predictions to be 0.69, 0.45, 0.63, and 0.71 respectively, and the overall Matthews correlation coefficient of the 20 amino acid types in the 24 interface CDR positions was 0.312. The structure-based computational antibody design methodology was further tested with other antibodies binding to VEGF. The results indicate that the methodology could provide alternatives to the current antibody technologies based on animal immune systems in engineering therapeutic and diagnostic antibodies against predetermined antigen epitopes. PMID:22457753

Punishment in a complementarity game

Science.gov (United States)

Li, W.; Cai, X.; Wang, Q. A.

2006-05-01

We study the effects arisen from the punishment in an evolutionary complementarity game. Each round one member of population “buyers” deals with a randomly chosen member of population “sellers”. When the buyer's offer is greater than the seller's, a deal is done and both players are rewarded by gaining some points. Otherwise the transaction is not successful and both will lose certain points as punishment. Our simulations indicate that the resulting equilibrium of the game with punishment embedded is remarkably time-delayed compared to the counterpart of the non-punishment game. However, the median fee and the success rate of deals at the equilibrium remain nearly unchanged in various cases of games with different degrees of punishment, whether severe or not. Symmetry, between the two populations, and the equilibrium value can still be maintained when the members of both of them are punished fairly in any failed transaction. If they are done in a different manner, namely, the members of one population are subject to very severe punishment whereas their opponents receive less or no punishment at all, the latter in most cases will be better off.

Information-reality complementarity: The role of measurements and quantum reference frames

Science.gov (United States)

Dieguez, P. R.; Angelo, R. M.

2018-02-01

Recently, a measure has been put forward which allows for the quantification of the degree of reality of an observable for a given preparation [Bilobran and Angelo, Europhys. Lett. 112, 40005 (2015), 10.1209/0295-5075/112/40005]. Here we employ this quantifier to establish, on formal grounds, relations among the concepts of measurement, information, and physical reality. After introducing mathematical objects that unify weak and projective measurements, we study scenarios showing that an arbitrary-intensity unrevealed measurement of a given observable generally leads to an increase of its reality and also of its incompatible observables. We derive a complementarity relation connecting an amount of information associated with the apparatus with the degree of irreality of the monitored observable. Specifically for pure states, we show that the entanglement with the apparatus precisely determines the amount by which the reality of the monitored observable increases. We also point out some mechanisms whereby the irreality of an observable can be generated. Finally, using the aforementioned tools, we construct a consistent picture to address the measurement problem.

Complementarity and the Nature of Uncertainty Relations in Einstein–Bohr Recoiling Slit Experiment

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Shogo Tanimura

2015-07-01

Full Text Available A model of the Einstein–Bohr recoiling slit experiment is formulated in a fully quantum theoretical setting. In this model, the state and dynamics of a movable wall that has two slits in it, as well as the state of a particle incoming to the two slits, are described by quantum mechanics. Using this model, we analyzed complementarity between exhibiting an interference pattern and distinguishing the particle path. Comparing the Kennard–Robertson type and the Ozawa-type uncertainty relations, we conclude that the uncertainty relation involved in the double-slit experiment is not the Ozawa-type uncertainty relation but the Kennard-type uncertainty relation of the position and the momentum of the double-slit wall. A possible experiment to test the complementarity relation is suggested. It is also argued that various phenomena which occur at the interface of a quantum system and a classical system, including distinguishability, interference, decoherence, quantum eraser, and weak value, can be understood as aspects of entanglement. Quanta 2015; 4: 1–9.

Simple security proof of quantum key distribution based on complementarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koashi, M

2009-01-01

We present an approach to the unconditional security of quantum key distribution protocols based on a complementarity argument. The approach is applicable to, but not limited to, every case that has been treated via the argument by Shor and Preskill based on entanglement distillation, with a benefit of decoupling of the error correction from the privacy amplification. It can also treat cases with uncharacterized apparatuses. We derive a secure key rate for the Bennett-Brassard-1984 protocol with an arbitrary source characterized only by a single parameter representing the basis dependence.

An improved error bound for linear complementarity problems for B-matrices

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Lei Gao

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract A new error bound for the linear complementarity problem when the matrix involved is a B-matrix is presented, which improves the corresponding result in (Li et al. in Electron. J. Linear Algebra 31(1:476-484, 2016. In addition some sufficient conditions such that the new bound is sharper than that in (García-Esnaola and Peña in Appl. Math. Lett. 22(7:1071-1075, 2009 are provided.

Genetic progression in microsatellite instability high (MSI-H) colon cancers correlates with clinico-pathological parameters: A study of the TGRbetaRII, BAX, hMSH3, hMSH6, IGFIIR and BLM genes.

Science.gov (United States)

Calin, G A; Gafà, R; Tibiletti, M G; Herlea, V; Becheanu, G; Cavazzini, L; Barbanti-Brodano, G; Nenci, I; Negrini, M; Lanza, G

2000-05-20

Colon carcinomas with microsatellite mutator phenotype exhibit specific genetic and clinico-pathological features. This report describes the analysis of 63 "microsatellite instability-high" (MSI-H) tumors for the presence of mutations in microsatellites located in the coding regions (CDRs) of 6 genes: TGFbetaRII, BAX, hMSH3, hMSH6, IGFIIR, and BLM. The following frequencies of mutations were detected: TGFbetaRII (70%), BAX (54%), hMSH3 (36.5%), IGFIIR (22%), hMSH6 (17.5%), and BLM (16%). The overall picture revealed combinations of mutations suggestive of a progressive order of accumulation, with mutations of TGFbetaRII and BAX first, followed by frameshifts in hMSH3, hMSH6, IGFIIR, and BLM. Correlations with 12 clinico-pathological parameters revealed that tumors with frameshifts in 1 or 2 CDRs were significantly better differentiated than tumors with frameshifts in more than 2 CDRs. We also found that mutations in the hMSH3 gene were significantly associated with decreased wall invasiveness and aneuploidy, and frameshifts in the BLM gene were significantly associated with the mucinous histotype. A trend toward an association between hMSH3 and IGFIIR with the medullary and conventional adenocarcinoma histotypes, respectively, was seen. Our results strengthen the concept that mutations in target genes have a role in the tumorigenic process of MSI-H tumors, and indicate that frameshifts in microsatellites located in CDRs occur in a limited number of combinations that could determine distinct clinico-pathological traits. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Convergence analysis of modulus-based matrix splitting iterative methods for implicit complementarity problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, An; Cao, Yang; Shi, Quan

2018-01-01

In this paper, we demonstrate a complete version of the convergence theory of the modulus-based matrix splitting iteration methods for solving a class of implicit complementarity problems proposed by Hong and Li (Numer. Linear Algebra Appl. 23:629-641, 2016). New convergence conditions are presented when the system matrix is a positive-definite matrix and an [Formula: see text]-matrix, respectively.

Modelling of passive films: complementarity and applicability to the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boissy, Clement; Normand, Bernard

2013-01-01

A review of the published models to describe the passivation of metallic materials is proposed. The objective is to illustrate the importance of the selection of a model considering their complementarity. The discussion is based on an analysis to assess whether the mass transport in the film must be taken into account or not in the modelling of the electrochemical impedance. (authors)

A linear complementarity method for the solution of vertical vehicle-track interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jian; Gao, Qiang; Wu, Feng; Zhong, Wan-Xie

2018-02-01

A new method is proposed for the solution of the vertical vehicle-track interaction including a separation between wheel and rail. The vehicle is modelled as a multi-body system using rigid bodies, and the track is treated as a three-layer beam model in which the rail is considered as an Euler-Bernoulli beam and both the sleepers and the ballast are represented by lumped masses. A linear complementarity formulation is directly established using a combination of the wheel-rail normal contact condition and the generalised-α method. This linear complementarity problem is solved using the Lemke algorithm, and the wheel-rail contact force can be obtained. Then the dynamic responses of the vehicle and the track are solved without iteration based on the generalised-α method. The same equations of motion for the vehicle and track are adopted at the different wheel-rail contact situations. This method can remove some restrictions, that is, time-dependent mass, damping and stiffness matrices of the coupled system, multiple equations of motion for the different contact situations and the effect of the contact stiffness. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed method is effective for simulating the vehicle-track interaction including a separation between wheel and rail.

FORMAÇÃO EM PRÁTICAS INTEGRATIVAS E COMPLEMENTARES EM SAÚDE: DESAFIOS PARA AS UNIVERSIDADES PÚBLICAS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marilene Cabral do Nascimento

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Resumo Legitimadas pela Organização Mundial da Saúde, as Práticas Integrativas e Complementares apresentam demanda crescente e têm a formação profissional como um dos maiores desafios para o seu avanço no Sistema Único de Saúde. O estudo quantitativo descrito apresenta a oferta de disciplinas e cursos em Práticas Integrativas e Complementares em seis instituições de ensino superior públicas no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, em 2014, identificada em seus respectivos sites e secretarias segundo as variáveis: instituições de ensino superior, subárea de saúde, nível do ensino (graduação e pós-graduação, subtemas das Práticas Integrativas e Complementares (Homeopatia, Acupuntura, Meditação etc., formato (obrigatório, eletivo ou optativo e conteúdo (informativo ou formativo. Os resultados mostram uma oferta de 56 unidades de ensino, distribuída em quase todas as subáreas de saúde, com maior concentração em cursos de Medicina, Farmácia e Enfermagem. De perfil predominantemente opcional e informativo, apresenta a Homeopatia, Meditação e Práticas Corporais como temas mais frequentes. A análise desta oferta, apoiada na perspectiva do cuidado integral e referenciada em literatura nacional e internacional, aponta desafios para a ampliação e qualificação do ensino de Práticas Integrativas e Complementares, dentre eles a inserção integrada em cursos de saúde visando a interação e complementaridade entre saberes distintos.

DESENVOLVIMENTO DE UM SISTEMA WEB PARA ACESSO E CONTROLE DE ATIVIDADES COMPLEMENTARES EM CURSOS SUPERIORES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Highor de Souza Rizzi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho tem por objetivo apresentar o Sistema para Controle de Normas Complementares, desenvolvido para o núcleo de informática do Instituto Federal do Espírito Santo, campus de Alegre, com o intuito de digitalizar, cadastrar e gerenciar as atividades complementares exercidas pelos alunos do campus. Atualmente, este processo é feito manualmente, utilizando recursos exclusivamente físicos, sendo potencialmente vulneráveis à ações do meio. Recursos físicos, tais como papel, pastas, entre outros, são frágeis e estão sujeitos a perda por mal manuseio, ações do tempo e principalmente não podem ser acessados por mais de um individuo simultaneamente. A solução proposta dispõe de um modelo de software baseado na arquitetura cliente servidor, disponível na web, e contemplará metodologias e técnicas computacionais para suportar e usufruir dos mais recentes recursos informáticos disponíveis atualmente.

Stability-Diversity Tradeoffs Impose Fundamental Constraints on Selection of Synthetic Human VH/VL Single-Domain Antibodies from In Vitro Display Libraries.

Science.gov (United States)

Henry, Kevin A; Kim, Dae Young; Kandalaft, Hiba; Lowden, Michael J; Yang, Qingling; Schrag, Joseph D; Hussack, Greg; MacKenzie, C Roger; Tanha, Jamshid

2017-01-01

Human autonomous V H /V L single-domain antibodies (sdAbs) are attractive therapeutic molecules, but often suffer from suboptimal stability, solubility and affinity for cognate antigens. Most commonly, human sdAbs have been isolated from in vitro display libraries constructed via synthetic randomization of rearranged V H /V L domains. Here, we describe the design and characterization of three novel human V H /V L sdAb libraries through a process of: (i) exhaustive biophysical characterization of 20 potential V H /V L sdAb library scaffolds, including assessment of expression yield, aggregation resistance, thermostability and tolerance to complementarity-determining region (CDR) substitutions; (ii) in vitro randomization of the CDRs of three V H /V L sdAb scaffolds, with tailored amino acid representation designed to promote solubility and expressibility; and (iii) systematic benchmarking of the three V H /V L libraries by panning against five model antigens. We isolated ≥1 antigen-specific human sdAb against four of five targets (13 V H s and 7 V L s in total); these were predominantly monomeric, had antigen-binding affinities ranging from 5 nM to 12 µM (average: 2-3 µM), but had highly variable expression yields (range: 0.1-19 mg/L). Despite our efforts to identify the most stable V H /V L scaffolds, selection of antigen-specific binders from these libraries was unpredictable (overall success rate for all library-target screens: ~53%) with a high attrition rate of sdAbs exhibiting false positive binding by ELISA. By analyzing V H /V L sdAb library sequence composition following selection for monomeric antibody expression (binding to protein A/L followed by amplification in bacterial cells), we found that some V H /V L sdAbs had marked growth advantages over others, and that the amino acid composition of the CDRs of this set of sdAbs was dramatically restricted (bias toward Asp and His and away from aromatic and hydrophobic residues). Thus, CDR sequence

Malachite green mediates homodimerization of antibody VL domains to form a fluorescent ternary complex with singular symmetric interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Szent-Gyorgyi, Chris; Stanfield, Robyn L.; Andreko, Susan; Dempsey, Alison; Ahmed, Mushtaq; Capek, Sara; Waggoner, Alan; Wilson, Ian A.; Bruchez, Marcel P.

2013-01-01

We report that a symmetric small molecule ligand mediates the assembly of antibody light chain variable domains (VLs) into a correspondent symmetric ternary complex with novel interfaces. The L5* Fluorogen Activating Protein (FAP) is a VL domain that binds malachite green dye (MG) to activate intense fluorescence. Crystallography of liganded L5* reveals a 2:1 protein:ligand complex with inclusive C2 symmetry, where MG is almost entirely encapsulated between an antiparallel arrangement of the two VL domains. Unliganded L5* VL domains crystallize as a similar antiparallel VL/VL homodimer. The complementarity determining regions (CDRs) are spatially oriented to form novel VL/VL and VL/ligand interfaces that tightly constrain a propeller conformer of MG. Binding equilibrium analysis suggests highly cooperative assembly to form a very stable VL/MG/VL complex, such that MG behaves as a strong chemical inducer of dimerization. Fusion of two VL domains into a single protein tightens MG binding over 1,000-fold to low picomolar affinity without altering the large binding enthalpy, suggesting that bonding interactions with ligand and restriction of domain movements make independent contributions to binding. Fluorescence activation of a symmetrical fluorogen provides a selection mechanism for the isolation and directed evolution of ternary complexes where unnatural symmetric binding interfaces are favored over canonical antibody interfaces. As exemplified by L5*, these self-reporting complexes may be useful as modulators of protein association or as high affinity protein tags and capture reagents. PMID:23978698

Somatic hypermutation of the new antigen receptor gene (NAR) in the nurse shark does not generate the repertoire: possible role in antigen-driven reactions in the absence of germinal centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, M; Greenberg, A S; Flajnik, M F

1998-11-24

The new antigen receptor (NAR) gene in the nurse shark diversifies extensively by somatic hypermutation. It is not known, however, whether NAR somatic hypermutation generates the primary repertoire (like in the sheep) or rather is used in antigen-driven immune responses. To address this issue, the sequences of NAR transmembrane (Tm) and secretory (Sec) forms, presumed to represent the primary and secondary repertoires, respectively, were examined from the peripheral blood lymphocytes of three adult nurse sharks. More than 40% of the Sec clones but fewer than 11% of Tm clones contained five mutations or more. Furthermore, more than 75% of the Tm clones had few or no mutations. Mutations in the Sec clones occurred mostly in the complementarity-determining regions (CDR) with a significant bias toward replacement substitutions in CDR1; in Tm clones there was no significant bias toward replacements and only a low level of targeting to the CDRs. Unlike the Tm clones where the replacement mutational pattern was similar to that seen for synonymous changes, Sec replacements displayed a distinct pattern of mutations. The types of mutations in NAR were similar to those found in mouse Ig genes rather than to the unusual pattern reported for shark and Xenopus Ig. Finally, an oligoclonal family of Sec clones revealed a striking trend toward acquisition of glutamic/aspartic acid, suggesting some degree of selection. These data strongly suggest that hypermutation of NAR does not generate the repertoire, but instead is involved in antigen-driven immune responses.

Substitution and Complementarity of Alcohol and Cannabis: A Review of the Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Subbaraman, Meenakshi Sabina

2016-09-18

Whether alcohol and cannabis are used as substitutes or complements remains debated, and findings across various disciplines have not been synthesized to date. This article is a first step towards organizing the interdisciplinary literature on alcohol and cannabis substitution and complementarity. Electronic searches were performed using PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge. Behavioral studies of humans with "alcohol" (or "ethanol") and "cannabis" (or "marijuana") and "complement(*)" (or "substitut(*)") in the title or as a keyword were considered. Studies were organized according to sample characteristics (youth, general population, clinical and community-based). These groups were not set a priori, but were informed by the literature review process. Of the 39 studies reviewed, 16 support substitution, ten support complementarity, 12 support neither and one supports both. Results from studies of youth suggest that youth may reduce alcohol in more liberal cannabis environments (substitute), but reduce cannabis in more stringent alcohol environments (complement). Results from the general population suggest that substitution of cannabis for alcohol may occur under more lenient cannabis policies, though cannabis-related laws may affect alcohol use differently across genders and racial groups. Alcohol and cannabis act as both substitutes and complements. Policies aimed at one substance may inadvertently affect consumption of other substances. Future studies should collect fine-grained longitudinal, prospective data from the general population and subgroups of interest, especially in locations likely to legalize cannabis.

Interpersonal Complementarity – Self-rated Behavior by Normal and Antisocial Adolescents with a Liked and Disliked Peer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camilla Hakelind

2007-12-01

Full Text Available The principle of complementarity in interpersonal theory and the SASB model (Structural Analysis of Social Behavior as developed by Benjamin (1974 were used to study how adolescents in a normal group of 60 adolescents and a group of 42 adolescents with severe behavioural problems rated that they usually behaved in relation to a liked and disliked peer. The peer’s behaviour varied in a systematic way on the dimensions of affiliation and dominance. Complementary behavior was defined as the same behaviour from peer and self and anticomplementarity was defined as opposite behaviour from self in relation the peer’s behavior. Consistent over the two groups complementarity and anticomplementarity were influenced by both the peer’s behaviour and type of relationship with the peer. Friendly behaviour from a liked peer evoked much more complementary friendly behaviour compared to a disliked peer who with the same behaviour evoked almost as much anticomplementary hostile behaviour as complementary friendly behaviour. Hostile behaviour from a disliked peer evoked much more complementary hostile behaviour compared to a liked peer with the same kind of behavior. Autonomy granting from a liked peer evoked more complementary autonomous behaviour compared to a disliked peer. Differences between the two groups were small and only in relation with a disliked peer. The results were discussed in terms of interpersonal theory and the principle of complementarity with focus on kind of relationship.

Entanglement of atomic beams: Tests of complementarity and other applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogar, P.; Bergou, J.A.

1996-01-01

It is shown that distinct atomic beams can be entangled when they interact with quantum superpositions of macroscopically separated micromaser fields. Experimentally feasible tests of complementarity are proposed, detecting Ramsey interference (or not) in one and open-quote open-quote Welcher Weg close-quote close-quote information (or not) in the other entangled beam. Available information and fringe contrast can be manipulated using classical and quantum fields. The open-quote open-quote quantum eraser close-quote close-quote is realized in the former case, while it is only a special feature in the latter one. Other applications of entangled atoms are also suggested. copyright 1996 The American Physical Society

Digital Libraries that Demonstrate High Levels of Mutual Complementarity in Collection-level Metadata Give a Richer Representation of their Content and Improve Subject Access for Users

OpenAIRE

Aoife Lawton

2014-01-01

A Review of: Zavalina, O. L. (2013). Complementarity in subject metadata in large-scale digital libraries: A comparative analysis. Cataloging & Classification Quarterly, 52(1), 77-89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01639374.2013.848316 Abstract Objective – To determine how well digital library content is represented through free-text and subject headings. Specifically to examine whether a combination of free-text description data and controlled vocabulary is more comprehensive than free...

The Eukaryotic Cell Originated in the Integration and Redistribution of Hyperstructures from Communities of Prokaryotic Cells Based on Molecular Complementarity

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Vic Norris

2009-06-01

Full Text Available In the “ecosystems-first” approach to the origins of life, networks of non-covalent assemblies of molecules (composomes, rather than individual protocells, evolved under the constraints of molecular complementarity. Composomes evolved into the hyperstructures of modern bacteria. We extend the ecosystems-first approach to explain the origin of eukaryotic cells through the integration of mixed populations of bacteria. We suggest that mutualism and symbiosis resulted in cellular mergers entailing the loss of redundant hyperstructures, the uncoupling of transcription and translation, and the emergence of introns and multiple chromosomes. Molecular complementarity also facilitated integration of bacterial hyperstructures to perform cytoskeletal and movement functions.

Complementarity As Generative Principle: A Thought Pattern for Aesthetic Appreciations and Cognitive Appraisals in General

Science.gov (United States)

Bao, Yan; von Stosch, Alexandra; Park, Mona; Pöppel, Ernst

2017-01-01

In experimental aesthetics the relationship between the arts and cognitive neuroscience has gained particular interest in recent years. But has cognitive neuroscience indeed something to offer when studying the arts? Here we present a theoretical frame within which the concept of complementarity as a generative or creative principle is proposed; neurocognitive processes are characterized by the duality of complementary activities like bottom-up and top-down control, or logistical functions like temporal control and content functions like perceptions in the neural machinery. On that basis a thought pattern is suggested for aesthetic appreciations and cognitive appraisals in general. This thought pattern is deeply rooted in the history of philosophy and art theory since antiquity; and complementarity also characterizes neural operations as basis for cognitive processes. We then discuss some challenges one is confronted with in experimental aesthetics; in our opinion, one serious problem is the lack of a taxonomy of functions in psychology and neuroscience which is generally accepted. This deficit makes it next to impossible to develop acceptable models which are similar to what has to be modeled. Another problem is the severe language bias in this field of research as knowledge gained in many languages over the ages remains inaccessible to most scientists. Thus, an inspection of research results or theoretical concepts is necessarily too narrow. In spite of these limitations we provide a selective summary of some results and viewpoints with a focus on visual art and its appreciation. It is described how questions of art and aesthetic appreciations using behavioral methods and in particular brain-imaging techniques are analyzed and evaluated focusing on such issues like the representation of artwork or affective experiences. Finally, we emphasize complementarity as a generative principle on a practical level when artists and scientists work directly together which can

Complementarity As Generative Principle: A Thought Pattern for Aesthetic Appreciations and Cognitive Appraisals in General

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Bao

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In experimental aesthetics the relationship between the arts and cognitive neuroscience has gained particular interest in recent years. But has cognitive neuroscience indeed something to offer when studying the arts? Here we present a theoretical frame within which the concept of complementarity as a generative or creative principle is proposed; neurocognitive processes are characterized by the duality of complementary activities like bottom-up and top-down control, or logistical functions like temporal control and content functions like perceptions in the neural machinery. On that basis a thought pattern is suggested for aesthetic appreciations and cognitive appraisals in general. This thought pattern is deeply rooted in the history of philosophy and art theory since antiquity; and complementarity also characterizes neural operations as basis for cognitive processes. We then discuss some challenges one is confronted with in experimental aesthetics; in our opinion, one serious problem is the lack of a taxonomy of functions in psychology and neuroscience which is generally accepted. This deficit makes it next to impossible to develop acceptable models which are similar to what has to be modeled. Another problem is the severe language bias in this field of research as knowledge gained in many languages over the ages remains inaccessible to most scientists. Thus, an inspection of research results or theoretical concepts is necessarily too narrow. In spite of these limitations we provide a selective summary of some results and viewpoints with a focus on visual art and its appreciation. It is described how questions of art and aesthetic appreciations using behavioral methods and in particular brain-imaging techniques are analyzed and evaluated focusing on such issues like the representation of artwork or affective experiences. Finally, we emphasize complementarity as a generative principle on a practical level when artists and scientists work

The Unusual Genetics and Biochemistry of Bovine Immunoglobulins.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanfield, Robyn L; Haakenson, Jeremy; Deiss, Thaddeus C; Criscitiello, Michael F; Wilson, Ian A; Smider, Vaughn V

2018-01-01

Antibodies are the key circulating molecules that have evolved to fight infection by the adaptive immune system of vertebrates. Typical antibodies of most species contain six complementarity-determining regions (CDRs), where the third CDR of the heavy chain (CDR H3) has the greatest diversity and often makes the most significant contact with antigen. Generally, the process of V(D)J recombination produces a vast repertoire of antibodies; multiple V, D, and J gene segments recombine with additional junctional diversity at the V-D and D-J joints, and additional combinatorial possibilities occur through heavy- and light-chain pairing. Despite these processes, the overall structure of the resulting antibody is largely conserved, and binding to antigen occurs predominantly through the CDR loops of the immunoglobulin V domains. Bovines have deviated from this general paradigm by having few VH regions and thus little germline combinatorial diversity, but their antibodies contain long CDR H3 regions, with substantial diversity generated through somatic hypermutation. A subset of the repertoire comprises antibodies with ultralong CDR H3s, which can reach over 70 amino acids in length. Structurally, these unusual antibodies form a β-ribbon "stalk" and disulfide-bonded "knob" that protrude far from the antibody surface. These long CDR H3s allow cows to mount a particularly robust immune response when immunized with viral antigens, particularly to broadly neutralizing epitopes on a stabilized HIV gp140 trimer, which has been a challenge for other species. The unusual genetics and structural biology of cows provide for a unique paradigm for creation of immune diversity and could enable generation of antibodies against especially challenging targets and epitopes. © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The World gas model. A multi-period mixed complementarity model for the global natural gas market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egging, Ruud; Holz, Franziska; Gabriel, Steven A.

2010-01-01

We provide the description, mathematical formulation and illustrative results of the World Gas Model, a multi-period complementarity model for the global natural gas market with explicit consideration of market power in the upstream market. Market players include producers, traders, pipeline and storage operators, LNG (liquefied natural gas) liquefiers and regasifiers as well as marketers. The model data set contains more than 80 countries and regions and covers 98% of world wide natural gas production and consumption. We also include a detailed representation of cross-border natural gas pipelines and constraints imposed by long-term contracts in the LNG market. The model is calibrated to match production and consumption projections from the PRIMES [EC. European energy and transport: trends to 2030-update 2007. Brussels: European Commission; 2008] and POLES models [EC. World energy technology outlook - 2050 (WETO-H2). Brussels: European Commission; 2006] up to 2030. The results of our numerical simulations illustrate how the supply shares of pipeline and LNG in various regions in the world develop very differently over time. LNG will continue to play a major role in the Asian market, also for new importers like China and India. Europe will expand its pipeline import capacities benefiting from its relative proximity to major gas suppliers. (author)

A toy model of black hole complementarity

CERN Document Server

Banerjee, Souvik; Papadodimas, Kyriakos; Raju, Suvrat

2016-01-01

We consider the algebra of simple operators defined in a time band in a CFT with a holographic dual. When the band is smaller than the light crossing time of AdS, an entire causal diamond in the center of AdS is separated from the band by a horizon. We show that this algebra obeys a version of the Reeh-Schlieder theorem: the action of the algebra on the CFT vacuum can approximate any low energy state in the CFT arbitrarily well, but no operator within the algebra can exactly annihilate the vacuum. We show how to relate local excitations in the complement of the central diamond to simple operators in the band. Local excitations within the diamond are invisible to the algebra of simple operators in the band by causality, but can be related to complicated operators called "precursors". We use the Reeh-Schlieder theorem to write down a simple and explicit formula for these precursors on the boundary. We comment on the implications of our results for black hole complementarity and the emergence of bulk locality fr...

A holographic model for black hole complementarity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lowe, David A. [Physics Department, Brown University,Providence, RI 02912 (United States); Thorlacius, Larus [University of Iceland, Science Institute,Dunhaga 3, IS-107, Reykjavik (Iceland); The Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics,Department of Physics, Stockholm University,AlbaNova University Centre, 10691 Stockholm (Sweden)

2016-12-07

We explore a version of black hole complementarity, where an approximate semiclassical effective field theory for interior infalling degrees of freedom emerges holographically from an exact evolution of exterior degrees of freedom. The infalling degrees of freedom have a complementary description in terms of outgoing Hawking radiation and must eventually decohere with respect to the exterior Hamiltonian, leading to a breakdown of the semiclassical description for an infaller. Trace distance is used to quantify the difference between the complementary time evolutions, and to define a decoherence time. We propose a dictionary where the evolution with respect to the bulk effective Hamiltonian corresponds to mean field evolution in the holographic theory. In a particular model for the holographic theory, which exhibits fast scrambling, the decoherence time coincides with the scrambling time. The results support the hypothesis that decoherence of the infalling holographic state and disruptive bulk effects near the curvature singularity are complementary descriptions of the same physics, which is an important step toward resolving the black hole information paradox.

Energy security and climate change protection: Complementarity or tradeoff?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Stephen P.A.; Huntington, Hillard G.

2008-01-01

Energy security and climate change protection have risen to the forefront of energy policy - linked in time and a perception that both goals can be achieved through the same or similar policies. Although such complementarity can exist for individual technologies, policymakers face a tradeoff between these two policy objectives. The tradeoff arises when policymakers choose the mix of individual technologies with which to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance energy security. Optimal policy is achieved when the cost of the additional use of each technology equals the value of the additional energy security and reduction in greenhouse gas emission that it provides. Such an approach may draw more heavily on conventional technologies that provide benefits in only one dimension than on more costly technologies that both increase energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. (author)

Substitution and complementarity of alcohol and cannabis: A review of the literature

Science.gov (United States)

2016-01-01

Background Whether alcohol and cannabis are used as substitutes or complements remains debated, and findings across various disciplines have not been synthesized to date. Objective This paper is a first step towards organizing the interdisciplinary literature on alcohol and cannabis substitution and complementarity. Method Electronic searches were performed using PubMed and ISI Web of Knowledge. Behavioral studies of humans with ‘alcohol’ (or ‘ethanol’) and ‘cannabis’ (or ‘marijuana”) and ‘complement*’ (or ‘substitut*’) in the title or as a keyword were considered. Studies were organized according to sample characteristics (youth, general population, clinical and community-based). These groups were not set a priori, but were informed by the literature review process. Results Of the 39 studies reviewed, 16 support substitution, ten support complementarity, 12 support neither and one supports both. Results from studies of youth suggest that youth may reduce alcohol in more liberal cannabis environments (substitute), but reduce cannabis in more stringent alcohol environments (complement). Results from the general population suggest that substitution of cannabis for alcohol may occur under more lenient cannabis policies, though cannabis-related laws may affect alcohol use differently across genders and racial groups. Conclusions Alcohol and cannabis act as both substitutes and complements. Policies aimed at one substance may inadvertently affect consumption of other substances. Future studies should collect fine-grained longitudinal, prospective data from the general population and subgroups of interest, especially in locations likely to legalize cannabis. PMID:27249324

AVC: Selecting discriminative features on basis of AUC by maximizing variable complementarity.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Lei; Wang, Jun; Wei, Jinmao

2017-03-14

The Receiver Operator Characteristic (ROC) curve is well-known in evaluating classification performance in biomedical field. Owing to its superiority in dealing with imbalanced and cost-sensitive data, the ROC curve has been exploited as a popular metric to evaluate and find out disease-related genes (features). The existing ROC-based feature selection approaches are simple and effective in evaluating individual features. However, these approaches may fail to find real target feature subset due to their lack of effective means to reduce the redundancy between features, which is essential in machine learning. In this paper, we propose to assess feature complementarity by a trick of measuring the distances between the misclassified instances and their nearest misses on the dimensions of pairwise features. If a misclassified instance and its nearest miss on one feature dimension are far apart on another feature dimension, the two features are regarded as complementary to each other. Subsequently, we propose a novel filter feature selection approach on the basis of the ROC analysis. The new approach employs an efficient heuristic search strategy to select optimal features with highest complementarities. The experimental results on a broad range of microarray data sets validate that the classifiers built on the feature subset selected by our approach can get the minimal balanced error rate with a small amount of significant features. Compared with other ROC-based feature selection approaches, our new approach can select fewer features and effectively improve the classification performance.

Contemporary Determinants of the Development of Socio-Economic Regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Czyż Teresa

2014-06-01

Full Text Available This article examines the effect on the development of socio-economic regions in Poland of contemporary external determinants considered at the European and the world scale. It consists of two parts. The first gives a description of the main general processes that are external determinants of regional development today: modernisation changes, globalisation, metropolitanisation, and European integration. Part two is empirical in character and seeks to find regional manifestations and effects of those determinants in Poland, and to establish how they influence regional income and spatial differences in its value.

SPATIOTEMPORAL MODELING FOR ASSESSING COMPLEMENTARITY OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES IN DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SYSTEMS

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L. Ramirez Camargo

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Spatial assessments of the potential of renewable energy sources (RES have become a valuable information basis for policy and decision-making. These studies, however, do not explicitly consider the variability in time of RES such as solar energy or wind. Until now, the focus is usually given to economic profitability based on yearly balances, which do not allow a comprehensive examination of RES-technologies complementarity. Incrementing temporal resolution of energy output estimation will permit to plan the aggregation of a diverse pool of RES plants i.e., to conceive a system as a virtual power plant (VPP. This paper presents a spatiotemporal analysis methodology to estimate RES potential of municipalities. The methodology relies on a combination of open source geographic information systems (GIS processing tools and the in-memory array processing environment of Python and NumPy. Beyond the typical identification of suitable locations to build power plants, it is possible to define which of them are the best for a balanced local energy supply. A case study of a municipality, using spatial data with one square meter resolution and one hour temporal resolution, shows strong complementarity of photovoltaic and wind power. Furthermore, it is shown that a detailed deployment strategy of potential suitable locations for RES, calculated with modest computational requirements, can support municipalities to develop VPPs and improve security of supply.

Complementary systems of aeolian and hydraulic energy in Brazil; Sistemas complementares de energia eolica e hidraulica no Brasil

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schultz, Dario Jackson; Sugai, Martha Regina von Borstel [Companhia Paranaense de Energia (COPEL), Curitiba, PR (Brazil)]. E-mail: dario@copel.com; martha.sugai@copel.com; Amarante, Odilon A. Camargo do [Camargo Schubert Engenheiros Associados Ltda., Curitiba, PR (Brazil)]. E-mail: ventar@terra.com.br; Rocha, Nelson de Andrade [Promon Engenharia Ltda, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mail: nelson.rocha@promon.com.br; Bittencourt, Rogerio Motta [Companhia Hidro Eletrica do Sao Francisco (CHESF), Recife, PE (Brazil)]. E-mail: rogeriob@chesf.gov.br

2005-10-15

One important historical challenge to the operation planning of the Brazilian interconnected electrical system has been the seasonal stabilization of the energy supply, due to the stochastic nature of hydro resources. Most of the significant Brazilian hydro power stations rely on the hydrological regimes of the Southeast, which have a remarkable tendency for seasonal fluctuations of significant amplitude. In the last decades, wind power generation has proven its suitability to the Gigawatt scale, necessary to an effective contribution to electric systems. This paper demonstrates, from existing data, the wind / hydro seasonal complementarity in the relevant areas of Brazil, and discusses its possible effect on the feasibility of seasonal stabilization of the energy supply in the Brazilian interconnected grid, taking advantage of the country's large natural resources available. Case studies for the southern/southeastern and the northeastern regions of Brazil are presented. (author)

Refugees and displaced persons. War, hunger, and public health.

Science.gov (United States)

Toole, M J; Waldman, R J

1993-08-04

The number of refugees and internally displaced persons in need of protection and assistance has increased from 30 million in 1990 to more than 43 million today. War and civil strife have been largely responsible for this epidemic of mass migration that has affected almost every region of the world, including Europe. Since 1990, crude death rates (CDRs) during the early influx of refugees who crossed international borders have been somewhat lower than CDRs reported earlier among Cambodian and Ethiopian refugees. Nevertheless, CDRs among refugees arriving in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nepal, Malawi, and Zimbabwe since 1990 ranged from five to 12 times the baseline CDRs in the countries of origin. Among internally displaced populations in northern Iraq, Somalia, and Sudan, CDRs were extremely high, ranging from 12 to 25 times the baseline CDRs for the nondisplaced. Among both refugees and internally displaced persons, death rates among children less than 5 years of age were far higher than among older children and adults. In Bangladesh, the death rate in female Rohingya refugees was several times higher than in males. Preventable conditions such as diarrheal disease, measles, and acute respiratory infections, exacerbated often by malnutrition, caused most deaths. Although relief programs for refugees have improved since 1990, the situation among the internally displaced may have worsened. The international community should intervene earlier in the evolution of complex disasters involving civil war, human rights abuses, food shortages, and mass displacement. Relief programs need to be based on sound health and nutrition information and should focus on the provision of adequate shelter, food, water, sanitation, and public health programs that prevent mortality from diarrhea, measles, and other communicable diseases, especially among young children and women.

From correspondence to complementarity: The emergence of Bohr's Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics

Science.gov (United States)

Tanona, Scott Daniel

I develop a new analysis of Niels Bohr's Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics by examining the development of his views from his earlier use of the correspondence principle in the so-called 'old quantum theory' to his articulation of the idea of complementarity in the context of the novel mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics. I argue that Bohr was motivated not by controversial and perhaps dispensable epistemological ideas---positivism or neo-Kantianism, for example---but by his own unique perspective on the difficulties of creating a new working physics of the internal structure of the atom. Bohr's use of the correspondence principle in the old quantum theory was associated with an empirical methodology that used this principle as an epistemological bridge to connect empirical phenomena with quantum models. The application of the correspondence principle required that one determine the validity of the idealizations and approximations necessary for the judicious use of classical physics within quantum theory. Bohr's interpretation of the new quantum mechanics then focused on the largely unexamined ways in which the developing abstract mathematical formalism is given empirical content by precisely this process of approximation. Significant consistency between his later interpretive framework and his forms of argument with the correspondence principle indicate that complementarity is best understood as a relationship among the various approximations and idealizations that must be made when one connects otherwise meaningless quantum mechanical symbols to empirical situations or 'experimental arrangements' described using concepts from classical physics. We discover that this relationship is unavoidable not through any sort of a priori analysis of the priority of classical concepts, but because quantum mechanics incorporates the correspondence approach in the way in which it represents quantum properties with matrices of transition probabilities, the

Quark-lepton complementarity relation and neutrino mass hierarchy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrandis, Javier; Pakvasa, Sandip

2005-01-01

Latest measurements have revealed that the deviation from a maximal solar mixing angle is approximately the Cabibbo angle [i.e., quark-lepton complementarity (QLC) relation]. We argue that it is not plausible that this deviation from maximality, be it a coincidence or not, comes from the charged lepton mixing. Consequently we have calculated the required corrections to the exactly bimaximal neutrino mass matrix ansatz necessary to account for the solar mass difference and the solar mixing angle. We point out that the relative size of these two corrections depends strongly on the hierarchy case under consideration. We find that the inverted hierarchy case with opposite CP parities, which is known to guarantee the renormalization group equations stability of the solar mixing angle, offers the most plausible scenario for a high-energy origin of a QLC-corrected bimaximal neutrino mass matrix. This possibility may allow us to explain the QLC relation in connection with the origin of the charged fermion mass matrices

On physical complementarity of Galileo and Lorentz groups in the electrodynamics of isotropic inertial moving media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barykin, V.N.

1989-01-01

A physical interpretation of the early detected ambiguity of the electrodynamic material equations of isotropic, inertially moving media which mathematically manifests itself through complementarity of the equations invariant under the Galileo group in some cases and in other ones - under the Lorentz group that can be experimentally discovered in the aberration phenomenon and Doppler effect

An interferometric complementarity experiment in a bulk nuclear magnetic resonance ensemble

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng Xinhua; Zhu Xiwen; Fang Ximing; Feng Mang; Liu Maili; Gao Kelin

2003-01-01

We have experimentally demonstrated the interferometric complementarity, which relates the distinguishability D quantifying the amount of which-way (WW) information to the fringe visibility V characterizing the wave feature of a quantum entity, in a bulk ensemble by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. We are primarily concerned about the intermediate cases: partial fringe visibility and incomplete WW information. We propose a quantitative measure of D by an alternative geometric strategy and investigate the relation between D and entanglement. By measuring D and V independently, it turns out that the duality relation D 2 + V 2 = 1 holds for pure quantum states of the markers

Getting the full picture: Assessing the complementarity of citizen science and agency monitoring data

OpenAIRE

Hadj-Hammou, Jeneen; Loiselle, Steven; Ophof, Daniel; Thornhill, Ian

2017-01-01

While the role of citizen science in engaging the public and providing large-scale datasets has been demonstrated, the nature of and potential for this science to supplement environmental monitoring efforts by government agencies has not yet been fully explored. To this end, the present study investigates the complementarity of a citizen science programme to agency monitoring of water quality. The Environment Agency (EA) is the governmental public body responsible for, among other duties, man...

NÁLISE NÃO-LINEAR DA CONTRIBUIÇÃO DE ARMADURAS COMPLEMENTARES NA RESISTÊNCIA AO ARRANCAMENTO DE PINOS EMBUTIDOS EM CONCRETO

OpenAIRE

F. Queiroz, Tássio; P. Maués, Frederico; Costa, Hamilton; A. B. V. Silva, Patrick; P. Ferreira, Maurício; H. Oliveira, Marcos

2017-01-01

  Resumo. Conectores de aço com cabeça são empregados na ligação entre estruturas mistas de aço e concreto e em estruturas pré-moldadas. Quando solicitados à tração, a resistência ao arrancamento é fator determinante no projeto e o modo de ruptura pela formação do cone de concreto pode ser frágil. Uma das formas de aumentar a resistência dessa ligação é utilizar armaduras complementares. Para avaliar a influência da armadura complementar na resistência ao arrancamento, foram elaborados 6 mode...

Repetition of the quark-lepton states in a supersymmetric composite model with complementarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Hirofumi; Yasue, Masaki.

1986-04-01

In a supersymmetric composite model based on an SU(4) sc loc confining theory, complementarity is used to support the symmetry-breaking pattern and spectrum of massless particles in a confining phase. The model is found to accommodate two generations of quarks and leptons as quasi Nambu-Goldstone fermions and another two generations as chiral fermions. Masses of composite particles are examined and the quark-lepton generations are classified according to possible mass splittings. The suppression of dangerous flavor-changing interactions is also considered. (author)

Specker's parable of the overprotective seer: A road to contextuality, nonlocality and complementarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Yeong-Cherng; Spekkens, Robert W.; Wiseman, Howard M.

2011-01-01

In 1960, the mathematician Ernst Specker described a simple example of nonclassical correlations, the counter-intuitive features of which he dramatized using a parable about a seer, who sets an impossible prediction task to his daughter's suitors. We revisit this example here, using it as an entree to three central concepts in quantum foundations: contextuality, Bell-nonlocality, and complementarity. Specifically, we show that Specker's parable offers a narrative thread that weaves together a large number of results, including the following: the impossibility of measurement-noncontextual and outcome-deterministic ontological models of quantum theory (the 1967 Kochen-Specker theorem), in particular, the recent state-specific pentagram proof of Klyachko; the impossibility of Bell-local models of quantum theory (Bell's theorem), especially the proofs by Mermin and Hardy and extensions thereof; the impossibility of a preparation-noncontextual ontological model of quantum theory; the existence of triples of positive operator valued measures (POVMs) that can be measured jointly pairwise but not triplewise. Along the way, several novel results are presented: a generalization of a theorem by Fine connecting the existence of a joint distribution over outcomes of counterfactual measurements to the existence of a measurement-noncontextual and outcome-deterministic ontological model; a generalization of Klyachko's proof of the Kochen-Specker theorem from pentagrams to a family of star polygons; a proof of the Kochen-Specker theorem in the style of Hardy's proof of Bell's theorem (i.e., one that makes use of the failure of the transitivity of implication for counterfactual statements); a categorization of contextual and Bell-nonlocal correlations in terms of frustrated networks; a derivation of a new inequality testing preparation noncontextuality; some novel results on the joint measurability of POVMs and the question of whether these can be modeled noncontextually. Finally

Has Complementarity between Employer-Sponsored Training and Education in the U.S. Changed during the 2000s?

Science.gov (United States)

Waddoups, C. Jeffrey

2018-01-01

The study reveals that the positive correlation between formal education and job training (complementarity) has weakened during the 2000s. Using U.S. Census Bureau data from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, the study finds that although workers in all categories of educational attainment felt the decline, the effects were strongest…

Co-evolution of affinity and stability of grafted amyloid-motif domain antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Julian, Mark C; Lee, Christine C; Tiller, Kathryn E; Rabia, Lilia A; Day, Evan K; Schick, Arthur J; Tessier, Peter M

2015-10-01

An attractive approach for designing lead antibody candidates is to mimic natural protein interactions by grafting peptide recognition motifs into the complementarity-determining regions (CDRs). We are using this approach to generate single-domain (VH) antibodies specific for amyloid-forming proteins such as the Alzheimer's Aβ peptide. Here, we use random mutagenesis and yeast surface display to improve the binding affinity of a lead VH domain grafted with Aβ residues 33-42 in CDR3. Interestingly, co-selection for improved Aβ binding and VH display on the surface of yeast yields antibody domains with improved affinity and reduced stability. The highest affinity VH domains were strongly destabilized on the surface of yeast as well as unfolded when isolated as autonomous domains. In contrast, stable VH domains with improved affinity were reliably identified using yeast surface display by replacing the display antibody that recognizes a linear epitope tag at the terminus of both folded and unfolded VH domains with a conformational ligand (Protein A) that recognizes a discontinuous epitope on the framework of folded VH domains. Importantly, we find that selection for improved stability using Protein A without simultaneous co-selection for improved Aβ binding leads to strong enrichment for stabilizing mutations that reduce antigen binding. Our findings highlight the importance of simultaneously optimizing affinity and stability to improve the rapid isolation of well-folded and specific antibody fragments. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Characterization of a Novel Humanized Anti-CD20 Antibody with Potent Anti-Tumor Activity against Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma

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Haifeng Zhang

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Rituximab, a mouse Fab and human Fc chimeric antibody, has been widely used to treat Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL. However, only 48% of patients respond to the treatment and complete response rate is below 10%. Also, immunogenicity was reported in 17-20% patients receiving the treatment, making it unsuitable for long term diseases such as autoimmune disorders. It has been a hot research field to “humanize” rituximab toward improved efficacy and reduced immunogenicity. Methods: In this study, an advanced antibody humanization technology was applied to the sequence of the anti-CD20 antibody 2B8, its sequence of which was based on the original murine monoclonal antibody of rituximab in Roche. The complementarity-determining regions (CDRs of the humanized antibodies were further optimized through computer-aided molecular dock. Results: Five novel humanized anti-CD20 antibodies 1-5(1635, 1534, 3637, 1634 and 1536 were generated and their immunogenicity was significantly decreased when compared to rituximab. The novel humanized anti-CD20 antibodies 1-5 retained the binding activity of their murine counterpart, as demonstrated by the fluorescence-activated cell-sorting analysis (FACS. When compared to rituximab, the humanized antibodies still have the similar properties on both complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC. Furthermore, its anti-tumor efficacy in xenograft model is comparable to that of rituximab. Conclusion: The humanized anti-CD20 antibodies 1-5 have lower immunogenicity than rituximab. And at the same time, they still retain the anti-tumor effect both in vitro and vivo.

Ligand Binding Site Detection by Local Structure Alignment and Its Performance Complementarity

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hui Sun; Im, Wonpil

2013-01-01

Accurate determination of potential ligand binding sites (BS) is a key step for protein function characterization and structure-based drug design. Despite promising results of template-based BS prediction methods using global structure alignment (GSA), there is a room to improve the performance by properly incorporating local structure alignment (LSA) because BS are local structures and often similar for proteins with dissimilar global folds. We present a template-based ligand BS prediction method using G-LoSA, our LSA tool. A large benchmark set validation shows that G-LoSA predicts drug-like ligands’ positions in single-chain protein targets more precisely than TM-align, a GSA-based method, while the overall success rate of TM-align is better. G-LoSA is particularly efficient for accurate detection of local structures conserved across proteins with diverse global topologies. Recognizing the performance complementarity of G-LoSA to TM-align and a non-template geometry-based method, fpocket, a robust consensus scoring method, CMCS-BSP (Complementary Methods and Consensus Scoring for ligand Binding Site Prediction), is developed and shows improvement on prediction accuracy. The G-LoSA source code is freely available at http://im.bioinformatics.ku.edu/GLoSA. PMID:23957286

A complementarity-based approach to phase in finite-dimensional quantum systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klimov, A B; Sanchez-Soto, L L; Guise, H de

2005-01-01

We develop a comprehensive theory of phase for finite-dimensional quantum systems. The only physical requirement we impose is that phase is complementary to amplitude. To implement this complementarity we use the notion of mutually unbiased bases, which exist for dimensions that are powers of a prime. For a d-dimensional system (qudit) we explicitly construct d+1 classes of maximally commuting operators, each one consisting of d-1 operators. One of these classes consists of diagonal operators that represent amplitudes (or inversions). By finite Fourier transformation, it is mapped onto ladder operators that can be appropriately interpreted as phase variables. We discuss examples of qubits and qutrits, and show how these results generalize previous approaches

A complementarity model for solving stochastic natural gas market equilibria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jifang Zhuang; Gabriel, S.A.

2008-01-01

This paper presents a stochastic equilibrium model for deregulated natural gas markets. Each market participant (pipeline operators, producers, etc.) solves a stochastic optimization problem whose optimality conditions, when combined with market-clearing conditions give rise to a certain mixed complementarity problem (MiCP). The stochastic aspects are depicted by a recourse problem for each player in which the first-stage decisions relate to long-term contracts and the second-stage decisions relate to spot market activities for three seasons. Besides showing that such a market model is an instance of a MiCP, we provide theoretical results concerning long-term and spot market prices and solve the resulting MiCP for a small yet representative market. We also note an interesting observation for the value of the stochastic solution for non-optimization problems. (author)

A complementarity model for solving stochastic natural gas market equilibria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhuang Jifang; Gabriel, Steven A.

2008-01-01

This paper presents a stochastic equilibrium model for deregulated natural gas markets. Each market participant (pipeline operators, producers, etc.) solves a stochastic optimization problem whose optimality conditions, when combined with market-clearing conditions give rise to a certain mixed complementarity problem (MiCP). The stochastic aspects are depicted by a recourse problem for each player in which the first-stage decisions relate to long-term contracts and the second-stage decisions relate to spot market activities for three seasons. Besides showing that such a market model is an instance of a MiCP, we provide theoretical results concerning long-term and spot market prices and solve the resulting MiCP for a small yet representative market. We also note an interesting observation for the value of the stochastic solution for non-optimization problems

Commonalities and complementarities among approaches to conservation monitoring and evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mascia, Michael B.; Pailler, Sharon; Thieme, Michele L.

2014-01-01

Commonalities and complementarities among approaches to conservation monitoring and evaluation (M&E) are not well articulated, creating the potential for confusion, misuse, and missed opportunities to inform conservation policy and practice. We examine the relationships among five approaches...... to conservation M&E, characterizing each approach in eight domains: the focal question driving each approach, when in the project cycle each approach is employed, scale of data collection, the methods of data collection and analysis, the implementers of data collection and analysis, the users of M&E outputs......, and the decisions informed by these outputs. Ambient monitoring measures status and change in ambient social and ecological conditions, independent of any conservation intervention. Management assessment measures management inputs, activities, and outputs, as the basis for investments to build management capacity...

The Impact of Electronic Commerce on the Publishing Industry: Towards a Business Value Complementarity Framework of Electronic Publishing.

Science.gov (United States)

Scupola, Ada

1999-01-01

Discussion of the publishing industry and its use of information and communication technologies focuses on the way in which electronic-commerce technologies are changing and could change the publishing processes, and develops a business complementarity model of electronic publishing to maximize profitability and improve the competitive position.…

Créditos do ICMS: inconstitucionalidade da legislação complementar

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Demilson Dagostim

2005-11-01

Full Text Available A não-cumulatividade do ICMS - Imposto sobre Circulação de Mercadorias e Serviços de transporte e comunicação é um princípio assegurado pela Constituição do Brasil de 1988 que faz nascer para o contribuinte um crédito fiscal financeiro toda vez que este adquire uma mercadoria ou um serviço com incidência do imposto. A Lei Complementar n° 87 de 1996 veio confirmar que o crédito no ICMS é financeiro, ou seja, não apenas produtos intermediários e matérias-primas dão direito a este crédito, como também bens do ativo fixo, de uso ou consumo, serviços, energia elétrica e comunicações. A legislação complementar vem adiando desde 1996 o direito dos contribuintes de utilizarem esse crédito financeiro, o que é inconstitucional. The no-cumulative of ICMS Tax on Circulation of Goods and trans port Services andcommunication is an insured rule for the Constitution of Brazi! 1988 that generatesfor the taxpayer financial fiscal credit when he acquires merchandise or servicewith incidence of the taxo The Law ComplementaI n' 87 of 1996 came to confirm thatthe credit in /CMS is financial, in other words, products notjust consumed in theproductive process they give right to the credit, also goods of the fixed assets, of useor consumption, services, electric power and communications. The ComplementaIlegislation is postponing since 1996 the taxpayers' right they to use that financialcredit, what is unconstitutional.

Complementarity of Sex Differences in Brain and Behavior: From Laterality to Multi-Modal Neuroimaging

Science.gov (United States)

Gur, Ruben C.; Gur, Raquel E.

2016-01-01

While overwhelmingly behavior is similar in males and females, and correspondingly the brains are similar, sex differences permeate both brain and behavioral measures and these differences have been the focus of increasing scrutiny by neuroscientists. Here we describe milestones of over three decades of research in brain and behavior. This research was necessarily bound by available methodology, and we began by indirect behavioral indicators of brain function such as handedness. We proceeded to using neuropsychological batteries and then to structural and functional neuroimaging that provided the foundations of a cognitive neuroscience based computerized neurocognitive battery. Sex differences were apparent and consistent in neurocognitive measures, with females performing better on memory and social cognition tasks and males on spatial processing and motor speed. Sex differences were also prominent on all major brain parameters, including higher rates of cerebral blood flow, higher percent of gray matter tissue and higher inter-hemispheric connectivity in females compared to higher percent of white matter and greater intra-hemispheric connectivity, as well as higher glucose metabolism in limbic regions in males. Many of these differences are present in childhood but they become more prominent with adolescence, perhaps linked to puberty. Together they indicate complementarity between the sexes that would result in higher adaptive diversity. PMID:27870413

An interior-point method for the Cartesian P*(k-linear complementarity problem over symmetric cones

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B Kheirfam

2014-06-01

Full Text Available A novel primal-dual path-following interior-point algorithm for the Cartesian P*(k-linear complementarity problem over symmetric cones is presented. The algorithm is based on a reformulation of the central path for finding the search directions. For a full Nesterov-Todd step feasible interior-point algorithm based on the new search directions, the complexity bound of the algorithm with small-update approach is the best-available bound.

The Impact of R&D Offshoring on the Home Knowledge Production of OECD Investing Regions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

D’Agostino, Lorena M.; Laursen, Keld; Santangelo, Grazia

countries, we explicitly focus on Brazil, Russia, India, China, Singapore and Taiwan. We suggest that complementarity should obtain, when home region and offshore R&D activities are dissimilar as well as when offshore R&D activities is about modular and less complex technologies. We ground our predictions...

Regional trade agreements & procurement rules : facilitators or hindrances?

OpenAIRE

ANDERSON, Robert D.; MÜLLER, Anna Caroline; PELLETIER, Philippe

2015-01-01

This Working Paper considers the significance of government procurement chapters in regional trade agreements (RTAs), both in their own right and vis-à-vis the WTO Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA). The paper finds, inter alia, that: (i) a strong complementarity exists between government procurement trade commitments and general goods and services trade commitments, making integration of procurement commitments in a more general system such as the WTO Agreements desirable; (ii) govern...

Complementarity of sex differences in brain and behavior: From laterality to multimodal neuroimaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Gur, Ruben C; Gur, Raquel E

2017-01-02

Although, overwhelmingly, behavior is similar in males and females, and, correspondingly, the brains are similar, sex differences permeate both brain and behavioral measures, and these differences have been the focus of increasing scrutiny by neuroscientists. This Review describes milestones from more than 3 decades of research in brain and behavior. This research was necessarily bound by available methodology, and we began with indirect behavioral indicators of brain function such as handedness. We proceeded to the use of neuropsychological batteries and then to structural and functional neuroimaging that provided the foundations of a cognitive neuroscience-based computerized neurocognitive battery. Sex differences were apparent and consistent in neurocognitive measures, with females performing better on memory and social cognition tasks and males on spatial processing and motor speed. Sex differences were also prominent in all major brain parameters, including higher rates of cerebral blood flow, higher percentage of gray matter tissue, and higher interhemispheric connectivity in females, compared with higher percentage of white matter and greater intrahemispheric connectivity as well as higher glucose metabolism in limbic regions in males. Many of these differences are present in childhood, but they become more prominent with adolescence, perhaps linked to puberty. Overall, they indicate complementarity between the sexes that would result in greater adaptive diversity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Satellite Climate Data Records: Development, Applications, and Societal Benefits

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Wenze Yang

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This review paper discusses how to develop, produce, sustain, and serve satellite climate data records (CDRs in the context of transitioning research to operation (R2O. Requirements and critical procedures of producing various CDRs, including Fundamental CDRs (FCDRs, Thematic CDRs (TCDRs, Interim CDRs (ICDRs, and climate information records (CIRs are discussed in detail, including radiance/reflectance and the essential climate variables (ECVs of land, ocean, and atmosphere. Major international CDR initiatives, programs, and projects are summarized. Societal benefits of CDRs in various user sectors, including Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, Energy, Heath, Water, Transportation, and Tourism are also briefly discussed. The challenges and opportunities for CDR development, production and service are also addressed. It is essential to maintain credible CDR products by allowing free access to products and keeping the production process transparent by making source code and documentation available with the dataset.

Abundance determinations in HII regions and planetary nebulae

OpenAIRE

Stasinska, Grazyna

2002-01-01

The methods of abundance determinations in HII regions and planetary nebulae are described, with emphasis on the underlying assumptions and inherent problems. Recent results on abundances in Galactic HII regions and in Galactic and extragalactic Planetary Nebulae are reviewed.

Efetividade da Estratégia Nacional para Alimentação Complementar Saudável na melhoria da alimentação complementar de lactentes em um município do Sul do Brasil

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Rosane Baldissera

Full Text Available Resumo: O objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar a efetividade da Estratégia Nacional para Alimentação Complementar Saudável (ENPACS na melhoria da alimentação complementar no primeiro ano de vida em um município brasileiro. Trata-se de um estudo avaliativo de impacto, envolvendo 340 crianças com idades entre 6 e 12 meses, acompanhadas nas unidades básicas de saúde. Os desfechos avaliados foram prevalência do consumo de verduras, legumes, frutas e alimentos não saudáveis, e prevalência de alimentos com consistência adequada para a idade. A regressão de Poisson revelou que a ENPACS esteve associada a uma redução de 32% no consumo de refrigerante e/ou suco industrializado, 35% no de comidas industrializadas e 5% no consumo de alimentos não saudáveis. Não houve aumento no consumo de frutas, legumes, verduras e alimentos com consistência adequada para a idade. Conclui-se que o efeito positivo da estratégia foi parcial, mas que ela tem potencial de contribuir para a melhoria da alimentação infantil, haja vista sua efetividade na redução do consumo de alimentos não saudáveis.

Terapias alternativas/complementares no ensino público e privado: análise do conhecimento dos acadêmicos de enfermagem

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Trovo Monica Martins

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Este estudo visou a análise sobre o conhecimento que alunos de graduação em Enfermagem de duas instituições de ensino, uma pública e uma privada, têm em relação às terapias alternativas/complementares, uma vez que ambas as instituições oferecem disciplina específica nessa área, de forma optativa e obrigatória, respectivamente. Os dados encontrados sugerem que o conhecimento sobre o tema decorre do senso comum, além do ensino acadêmico. Os alunos recomendam mais a utilização de terapias alternativas/complementares do que fazem uso das mesmas, sendo as mais conhecidas por eles: a terapia floral, acupuntura, homeopatia, cromoterapia, fitoterapia, musicoterapia e massagem. E o aspecto mais negligenciado no processo ensino-aprendizagem dessa disciplina relaciona-se com os aspectos legais da especialização nesse campo para o enfermeiro.

Melostelis gen. nov., espécies novas e notas complementares sobre Anthidiini (Hymenoptera, Apidae

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Danúncia Urban

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Melostelis gen. nov., espécies novas e notas complementares sobre Anthidiini (Hymenoptera, Apidae. Melostelis gen. nov. é proposto para um novo Anthidiini cleptoparasita. São descritas e ilustradas duas espécies novas: Melostelis amazonensis sp. nov. de Manaus, Amazonas e Larocanthidium chacoense sp. nov. de Porto Murtinho, Mato Grosso do Sul. São dados a conhecer os machos de Epanthidium bolivianum Urban, 1995 e Epanthidium araranguense Urban, 2006 e, registrados pela primeira vez no Brasil, na sub-região do chaco, Ketianthidium zanolae Urban, 2000 e Epanthidium bolivianum.

Determinants of health disparities between Italian regions

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Giannoni Margherita

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Among European countries, Italy is one of the countries where regional health disparities contribute substantially to socioeconomic health disparities. In this paper, we report on regional differences in self-reported poor health and explore possible determinants at the individual and regional levels in Italy. Methods We use data from the "Indagine Multiscopo sulle Famiglie", a survey of aspects of everyday life in the Italian population, to estimate multilevel logistic regressions that model poor self-reported health as a function of individual and regional socioeconomic factors. Next we use the causal step approach to test if living conditions, healthcare characteristics, social isolation, and health behaviors at the regional level mediate the relationship between regional socioeconomic factors and self-rated health. Results We find that residents living in regions with more poverty, more unemployment, and more income inequality are more likely to report poor health and that poor living conditions and private share of healthcare expenditures at the regional level mediate socioeconomic disparities in self-rated health among Italian regions. Conclusion The implications are that regional contexts matter and that regional policies in Italy have the potential to reduce health disparities by implementing interventions aimed at improving living conditions and access to quality healthcare.

Polimerização complementar em autoclave, microondas e estufa de um compósito restaurador direto = The effect of post-cure heating in autoclave, microwave oven and conventional oven on direct composite resin

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Arossi, Guilherme Anziliero

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Com o objetivo de tornar o processo de confecção de restaurações indiretas mais acessível, reduzindo seus custos com a resina utilizada e os métodos de polimerização complementar, este estudo testou a possibilidade de se utilizar resinas diretas com métodos de polimerização complementar alternativos. Corpos de prova foram confeccionados com a resina Charisma e fotopolimerizados por 20 segundos. Em seguida as amostras foram submetidas à polimerização complementar em autoclave, microondas e estufa. Foram estabelecidos dois grupos controles: um controle negativo, que consistiu na utilização da resina Charisma fotopolimerizada convencionalmente (20s; e um grupo controle positivo, formado por amostras do compósito restaurador indireto Targis. O ensaio de microdureza Knoop foi realizado após uma semana de armazenagem e os resultados submetidos à análise estatística. Os três métodos de polimerização complementar propostos determinaram um aumento na microdureza do compósito restaurador direto quando comparado ao controle negativo (p 0,05. Conclui-se que, considerando o desenho experimental deste estudo, a polimerização complementar em autoclave, microondas ou estufa aumenta a microdureza da resina Charisma previamente fotopolimerizada

Improved scFv Anti-HIV-1 p17 Binding Affinity Guided from the Theoretical Calculation of Pairwise Decomposition Energies and Computational Alanine Scanning

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Panthip Tue-ngeun

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Computational approaches have been used to evaluate and define important residues for protein-protein interactions, especially antigen-antibody complexes. In our previous study, pairwise decomposition of residue interaction energies of single chain Fv with HIV-1 p17 epitope variants has indicated the key specific residues in the complementary determining regions (CDRs of scFv anti-p17. In this present investigation in order to determine whether a specific side chain group of residue in CDRs plays an important role in bioactivity, computational alanine scanning has been applied. Molecular dynamics simulations were done with several complexes of original scFv anti-p17 and scFv anti-p17mutants with HIV-1 p17 epitope variants with a production run up to 10 ns. With the combination of pairwise decomposition residue interaction and alanine scanning calculations, the point mutation has been initially selected at the position MET100 to improve the residue binding affinity. The calculated docking interaction energy between a single mutation from methionine to either arginine or glycine has shown the improved binding affinity, contributed from the electrostatic interaction with the negative favorably interaction energy, compared to the wild type. Theoretical calculations agreed well with the results from the peptide ELISA results.

Accounting for complementarity to maximize monitoring power for species management.

Science.gov (United States)

Tulloch, Ayesha I T; Chadès, Iadine; Possingham, Hugh P

2013-10-01

To choose among conservation actions that may benefit many species, managers need to monitor the consequences of those actions. Decisions about which species to monitor from a suite of different species being managed are hindered by natural variability in populations and uncertainty in several factors: the ability of the monitoring to detect a change, the likelihood of the management action being successful for a species, and how representative species are of one another. However, the literature provides little guidance about how to account for these uncertainties when deciding which species to monitor to determine whether the management actions are delivering outcomes. We devised an approach that applies decision science and selects the best complementary suite of species to monitor to meet specific conservation objectives. We created an index for indicator selection that accounts for the likelihood of successfully detecting a real trend due to a management action and whether that signal provides information about other species. We illustrated the benefit of our approach by analyzing a monitoring program for invasive predator management aimed at recovering 14 native Australian mammals of conservation concern. Our method selected the species that provided more monitoring power at lower cost relative to the current strategy and traditional approaches that consider only a subset of the important considerations. Our benefit function accounted for natural variability in species growth rates, uncertainty in the responses of species to the prescribed action, and how well species represent others. Monitoring programs that ignore uncertainty, likelihood of detecting change, and complementarity between species will be more costly and less efficient and may waste funding that could otherwise be used for management. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

Systematic Quantum Mechanical Region Determination in QM/MM Simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Karelina, Maria; Kulik, Heather J

2017-02-14

Hybrid quantum mechanical-molecular mechanical (QM/MM) simulations are widely used in enzyme simulation. Over ten convergence studies of QM/MM methods have revealed over the past several years that key energetic and structural properties approach asymptotic limits with only very large (ca. 500-1000 atom) QM regions. This slow convergence has been observed to be due in part to significant charge transfer between the core active site and the surrounding protein environment, which cannot be addressed by improvement of MM force fields or the embedding method employed within QM/MM. Given this slow convergence, it becomes essential to identify strategies for the most atom-economical determination of optimal QM regions and to gain insight into the crucial interactions captured only in large QM regions. Here, we extend and develop two methods for quantitative determination of QM regions. First, in the charge shift analysis (CSA) method, we probe the reorganization of electron density when core active site residues are removed completely, as determined by large-QM region QM/MM calculations. Second, we introduce the highly parallelizable Fukui shift analysis (FSA), which identifies how core/substrate frontier states are altered by the presence of an additional QM residue in smaller initial QM regions. We demonstrate that the FSA and CSA approaches are complementary and consistent on three test case enzymes: catechol O-methyltransferase, cytochrome P450cam, and hen eggwhite lysozyme. We also introduce validation strategies and test the sensitivities of the two methods to geometric structure, basis set size, and electronic structure methodology. Both methods represent promising approaches for the systematic, unbiased determination of quantum mechanical effects in enzymes and large systems that necessitate multiscale modeling.

A Catalyst-Enabled Diastereodivergent Aza-Diels-Alder Reaction: Complementarity of N-Heterocyclic Carbenes and Chiral Amines.

Science.gov (United States)

Rong, Zi-Qiang; Wang, Min; Chow, Chi Hao Eugene; Zhao, Yu

2016-07-04

Highly efficient and diastereodivergent aza-Diels-Alder reactions have been developed to access either diastereomeric series of benzofuran-fused δ-lactams and dihydropyridines in nearly perfect stereoselectivity (d.r. >20:1, >99 % ee for all examples). The complementarity of N-heterocyclic carbene and chiral amine as the catalyst was demonstrated for the first time, together with an excellent level of catalytic efficiency (1 mol % loading). © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A nonlinear complementarity approach for the national energy modeling system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gabriel, S.A.; Kydes, A.S.

1995-01-01

The National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) is a large-scale mathematical model that computes equilibrium fuel prices and quantities in the U.S. energy sector. At present, to generate these equilibrium values, NEMS sequentially solves a collection of linear programs and nonlinear equations. The NEMS solution procedure then incorporates the solutions of these linear programs and nonlinear equations in a nonlinear Gauss-Seidel approach. The authors describe how the current version of NEMS can be formulated as a particular nonlinear complementarity problem (NCP), thereby possibly avoiding current convergence problems. In addition, they show that the NCP format is equally valid for a more general form of NEMS. They also describe several promising approaches for solving the NCP form of NEMS based on recent Newton type methods for general NCPs. These approaches share the feature of needing to solve their direction-finding subproblems only approximately. Hence, they can effectively exploit the sparsity inherent in the NEMS NCP

Nonlocality versus complementarity: a conservative approach to the information problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giddings, Steven B

2011-01-01

A proposal for resolution of the information paradox is that 'nice slice' states, which have been viewed as providing a sharp argument for information loss, do not in fact do so as they do not give a fully accurate description of the quantum state of a black hole. This however leaves an information problem, which is to provide a consistent description of how information escapes when a black hole evaporates. While a rather extreme form of nonlocality has been advocated in the form of complementarity, this paper argues that is not necessary, and more modest nonlocality could solve the information problem. One possible distinguishing characteristic of scenarios is the information retention time. The question of whether such nonlocality implies acausality, and particularly inconsistency, is briefly addressed. The need for such nonlocality, and its apparent tension with our empirical observations of local quantum field theory, may be a critical missing piece in understanding the principles of quantum gravity.

DETERMINANTS OF FDI INFLOWS: THE CASE OF RUSSIAN REGIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Oleg Svyatoslavovich Mariev

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper empirically analyses the determinants of foreign direct investment inflows into the Russian regions. This problem has become highly relevant for the necessary modernization of the Russian economy after the recent economic slowdown and sharp decrease in budget revenues. The authors model foreign direct investment flows with the use of the gravity approach according to which investment flows are positively correlated with the size of the investor’s country as well as the size of the recipient region and are negatively correlated with the distance between investor and recipient. The empirical analysis is based on a constructed database consisting of the foreign direct investment flows from 179 investor countries into 78 Russian regions for the period 2006–2013. The authors apply the Poisson Pseudo Maximum Likelihood method and identify the following factors determining foreign direct investment inflows into the Russian economy: the gross domestic product of the investor’s country, the gross domestic product per capita in the recipient region, the distance from the investor to Moscow, the openness of the region, the economic situation in the region, the innovative capacity of the region and the foreign direct investment of the previous period. Interestingly, the distance from the recipient region to Moscow matters for the regions in the western part of Russia (relatively close to Moscow but is not significant for the regions in the eastern part (remote regions.

Climate conditions of the “El Niño” phenomenon for a hydro-eolic complementarity project in peru

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo N, Leonardo; Ortega M, Arturo; Luyo, Jaime E.

2018-05-01

Northern Peru is threatened by the consequences of a natural phenomenon called “El Niño”, mainly during the months of December to April. In the summer of 2017, this event reported strong climatic variations with intense rains, increasing the water levels of the Chira and Piura rivers, filling the Poechos reservoir, together with flooding and mudding. However, from an energetic perspective, these climatic alterations have a strong potential to increase the availability of the wind and hydro renewable energies in northern Peru. This work performs an evaluation of the hydro-eolic complementarity as part of the sustainability of energy systems. The study includes evaluation of historical records of wind velocity and water flow rates. It then evaluates correlation, analysis, and estimates the hydro and wind energy potentials generated by this phenomenon. The implications of the "El Niño" phenomenon are mostly negative. Nonetheless, it is possible to take advantage of higher wind and water flow rates with a hybrid energy system. The results obtained show a high degree of complementarity both normal and "El Niño" phenomenon condition in northern Peru.

A double-slit 'which-way' experiment on the complementarity-uncertainty debate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mir, R; Lundeen, J S; Mitchell, M W; Steinberg, A M; Garretson, J L; Wiseman, H M

2007-01-01

A which-way measurement in Young's double-slit will destroy the interference pattern. Bohr claimed this complementarity between wave- and particle-behaviour is enforced by Heisenberg's uncertainty principle: distinguishing two positions at a distance s apart transfers a random momentum q ∼ ℎ/s to the particle. This claim has been subject to debate: Scully et al (1991 Nature 351 111) asserted that in some situations interference can be destroyed with no momentum transfer, while Storey et al (1994 Nature 367 626) asserted that Bohr's stance is always valid. We address this issue using the experimental technique of weak measurement. We measure a distribution for q that spreads well beyond [-ℎ/s, ℎ/s], but nevertheless has a variance consistent with zero. This weak-valued momentum-transfer distribution P wv (q) thus reflects both sides of the debate

The Impact of R&D Offshoring on the Home Knowledge Production of OECD Investing Regions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

M. D'Agostino, Lorena; Laursen, Keld; D. Santangelo, Grazia

2013-01-01

production. Using a theoretical framework based on economic geography and the literature on international knowledge sourcing, we conjecture that high-income regions would have a comparative advantage in high-tech R&D, while emerging economies would have an advantage in medium/low R&D. Complementarity should......We investigate the effect of research and development (R&D) offshoring from high-income regions to prominent emerging economies. Specifically, we examine whether there is a complementary relationship between a region’s home and foreign investments in R&D that affects home’s regional knowledge...

Medicina complementar e alternativa: utilização pela comunidade de Montes Claros, Minas Gerais

OpenAIRE

Rodrigues Neto,Joao Felício; Faria,Anderson Antônio de; Figueiredo,Maria Fernanda Santos

2009-01-01

OBJETIVO: Verificar a prevalência de utilização e o perfil socioeconômico do usuário de medicina complementar e alternativa pela população de Montes Claros (MG). MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, analítico. A amostra foi probabilística, por conglomerados, sendo a unidade amostral o domicílio e os entrevistados de ambos os sexos e maiores de 18 anos. Os dados foram coletados em uma cidade de porte médio de Minas Gerais utilizando formulários semi-estruturados. RESULTADOS: Foram entrevistadas 3.090 ...

Tuning the specificity of a Two-in-One Fab against three angiogenic antigens by fully utilizing the information of deep mutational scanning.

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, Patrick; Sanowar, Sarah; Lee, Chingwei V; Fuh, Germaine

Monoclonal antibodies developed for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes need to demonstrate highly defined binding specificity profiles. Engineering of an antibody to enhance or reduce binding to related antigens is often needed to achieve the desired biologic activity without safety concern. Here, we describe a deep sequencing-aided engineering strategy to fine-tune the specificity of an angiopoietin-2 (Ang2)/vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) dual action Fab, 5A12.1 for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration. This antibody utilizes overlapping complementarity-determining region (CDR) sites for dual Ang2/VEGF interaction with K D in the sub-nanomolar range. However, it also exhibits significant (K D of 4 nM) binding to angiopoietin-1, which has high sequence identity with Ang2. We generated a large phage-displayed library of 5A12.1 Fab variants with all possible single mutations in the 6 CDRs. By tracking the change of prevalence of each mutation during various selection conditions, we identified 35 mutations predicted to decrease the affinity for Ang1 while maintaining the affinity for Ang2 and VEGF. We confirmed the specificity profiles for 25 of these single mutations as Fab protein. Structural analysis showed that some of the Fab mutations cluster near a potential Ang1/2 epitope residue that differs in the 2 proteins, while others are up to 15 Å away from the antigen-binding site and likely influence the binding interaction remotely. The approach presented here provides a robust and efficient method for specificity engineering that does not require prior knowledge of the antigen antibody interaction and can be broadly applied to antibody specificity engineering projects.

Identification and characterization of a thermally cleaved fragment of monoclonal antibody-A detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-capillary gel electrophoresis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubota, Kei; Kobayashi, Naoki; Yabuta, Masayuki; Ohara, Motomu; Naito, Toyohiro; Kubo, Takuya; Otsuka, Koji

2017-06-05

This report describes a novel, comprehensive approach to identifying a fragment peak of monoclonal antibody-A (mAb-A), detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate-capillary gel electrophoresis (SDS-cGE). The fragment migrated close to the internal standard (10kDa marker) of SDS-cGE and increased about 0.5% under a 25°C condition for 6 months. Generally, identification of fragments observed in SDS-cGE is challenging to carry out due to the difficulty of collecting analytical amounts of fractionations from the capillary. In this study, in-gel digestion peptide mapping and reversed phase liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (RPLC-MS) were employed to elucidate the structure of the fragment. In addition, a Gelfree 8100 fractionation system was newly introduced to collect the fragment and the fraction was applied to the structural analysis of a mAb for the first time. These three analytical methods showed comparable results, proving that the fragment was a fraction of heavy chain HC1-104. The fragment contained complementarity determining regions (CDRs), which are significant to antigen binding, and thus would affect the efficacy of mAb-A. In addition, SDS-cGE without the 10kDa marker was demonstrated to clarify the increased amount of the fragment, and the experiment revealed that the fragment increases 0.2% per year in storage at 5°C. The combination of the three analytical methodologies successfully identified the impurity peak detected by SDS-cGE, providing information critical to assuring the quality and stability of the biotherapeutics. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Industrial complementarities between interim storage and reversible geological repository - 59237

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoorelbeke, Jean-Michel

2012-01-01

The French Act voted in 2006 made the choice of deep geological disposal as the reference option for the long term management of high level (HLW) and intermediate level long-lived waste. The CIGEO repository project aims at avoiding or limiting burden to future generations, which could not be achieved by the extension in time of interim storage. The reversibility as provided by the Act will maintain a liberty of choice for waste management on a duration which is comparable to new storage facility. Interim storage is required to accommodate waste as long as the repository is not available. The commissioning of the repository in 2025 will not suppress needs for interim storage. The paper describes the complementarities between existing and future interim storage facilities and the repository project: repository operational issues and planning, HLW thermal decay, support for the reversibility, etc. It shows opportunities to prepare a global optimization of waste management including the utilization at best of storage capacities and the planning of waste emplacement in the repository in such a way to facilitate operational conditions and to limit cost. Preliminary simulations of storage-disposal scenarios are presented. Thanks to an optimal use of the waste management system, provision can be made for a progressive increase of waste emplacement flow during the first operation phase of the repository. It is then possible to stabilize the industrial activity level of the repository site. An optimal utilization of interim storage can also limit the diversity of waste packages emplaced simultaneously, which facilitates the operation of the repository. 60 years minimum interim storage duration is generally required with respect to HLW thermal output. Extending this interim storage period may reduce the underground footprint of the repository. Regarding reversibility, the capability to manage waste packages potentially retrieved from the repository should be analyzed. The

Sustained Satellite Missions for Climate Data Records

Science.gov (United States)

Halpern, David

2012-01-01

Satellite CDRs possess the accuracy, longevity, and stability for sustained moni toring of critical variables to enhance understanding of the global integrated Earth system and predict future conditions. center dot Satellite CDRs are a critical element of a global climate observing system. center dot Satellite CDRs are a difficult challenge and require high - level managerial commitment, extensive intellectual capital, and adequate funding.

Exploring forest infrastructures equipment through multivariate analysis: complementarities, gaps and overlaps in the Mediterranean basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sofia Bajocco

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The countries of the Mediterranean basin face several challenges regarding the sustainability of forest ecosystems and the delivery of crucial goods and services that they provide in a context of rapid global changes. Advancing scientific knowledge and foresting innovation is essential to ensure the sustainable management of Mediterranean forests and maximize the potential role of their unique goods and services in building a knowledge-based bioeconomy in the region. In this context, the European project FORESTERRA ("Enhancing FOrest RESearch in the MediTERRAnean through improved coordination and integration” aims at reinforcing the scientific cooperation on Mediterranean forests through an ambitious transnational framework in order to reduce the existing research fragmentation and maximize the effectiveness of forest research activities. Within the FORESTERRA project framework, this work analyzed the infrastructures equipment of the Mediterranean countries belonging to the project Consortium. According to the European Commission, research infrastructures are facilities, resources and services that are used by the scientific communities to conduct research and foster innovation. To the best of our knowledge, the equipment and availability of infrastructures, in terms of experimental sites, research facilities and databases, have only rarely been explored. The aim of this paper was hence to identify complementarities, gaps and overlaps among the different forest research institutes in order to create a scientific network, optimize the resources and trigger collaborations.

Determinants of Economic Growth: Empirical Evidence from Russian Regions

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Svetlana Ledyaeva

2008-06-01

Full Text Available A modification of Barro and Sala-i-Martin empirical framework of growth model is specified to examine determinants of per capita growth in 74 Russian regions during period of 1996-2005. We utilize both panel and cross-sectional data. Results imply that in general regional growth in 1996-2005 is explained by the initial level of region's economic development, the 1998 financial crisis, domestic investments, and exports. Growth convergence between poor and rich regions in Russia was not found for the period studied.

Complementarity-Determining Region 3 Size Spectratypes of T Cell Receptor β Chains in CD8+ T Cells following Antiviral Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B▿

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Shi-Wu; Li, Yong-Yin; Zhang, Guang-Wen; Huang, Xuan; Sun, Jian; Li, Chris; Abbott, William G. H.; Hou, Jin-Lin

2011-01-01

An increased CD8+ T cell response to hepatitis B virus (HBV) peptides occurs between 12 and 24 weeks after starting antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B. It is not known whether these cells have antiviral function. The aim of this study was to determine whether clonal expansions of CD8+ T cells at these time points predict the virological response to therapy. Peripheral blood CD8+ T cells were obtained from 20 patients treated with lamivudine or telbivudine for chronic hepatitis B at baseline, 12 weeks, and 24 weeks. The CDR3 spectratype of each T cell receptor (TCR) β chain variable region (Vβ) gene family was analyzed, and the changes in the numbers of Vβ families with clonal expansions were compared in subjects with (n = 12) and without (n = 8) a virological response (52 week HBV DNA < 300 copies/ml). The number of CD8+ TCR Vβ families with clonal expansions at 12 weeks relative to baseline (median [10th to 90th percentile], +2.5 [0 to +7] versus +1 [0 to +2], P = 0.03) and at 24 weeks relative to 12 weeks (+1 [0 to +2] versus −1 [−3 to +4], P = 0.006) was higher in subjects with a virological response versus subjects without a virological response, as were interleukin-2 (IL-2) but not IL-21 mRNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The duration of new expansions at 12 weeks was higher (P < 0.0001) in responders. Increased numbers of CD8+ T cell expansions after antiviral therapy are associated with a virological response to treatment. These CD8+ T cells are a potential target for a therapeutic vaccine for chronic hepatitis B. PMID:21098256

Dose determination on buildup region using photodiodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khoury, H.J.; Lopes, F.J.; Melo, F. de A.

1989-01-01

A clinical dosemeter using photodiode BPW-34 was developed, allowing the determination of dose on buildup region. The measures were made with X-rays beam of linear accelerator and with gamma radiation of cobalt 60. The results were compared with others made in a ionization chamber. (C.G.C.) [pt

Energy intensity and its determinants in China's regional economies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Yanrui

2012-01-01

This paper contributes to the existing literature as well as policy debates by examining energy intensity and its determinants in China's regional economies. The analysis is based on a comprehensive database of China's regional energy balance constructed for this project. Through its focus on regional China, this study extends the existing literature, which mainly covers nationwide studies. It is found in this paper that energy intensity declined substantially in China. The main contributing factor is the improvement in energy efficiency. Changes in the economic structure have so far affected energy intensity modestly. Thus there is considerable scope to reduce energy intensity through the structural transformation of the Chinese economy in the future. - Highlights: ► First study examining energy intensity and its determinants using sectoral data in Chinese regions. ► Major findings. ► Decline in energy intensity is due to the rise in energy efficiency. ► Economic structural change has played little role. ► Growth in capital intensity alone would not lead to the decline in energy consumption.

Getting the full picture: Assessing the complementarity of citizen science and agency monitoring data.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadj-Hammou, Jeneen; Loiselle, Steven; Ophof, Daniel; Thornhill, Ian

2017-01-01

While the role of citizen science in engaging the public and providing large-scale datasets has been demonstrated, the nature of and potential for this science to supplement environmental monitoring efforts by government agencies has not yet been fully explored. To this end, the present study investigates the complementarity of a citizen science programme to agency monitoring of water quality. The Environment Agency (EA) is the governmental public body responsible for, among other duties, managing and monitoring water quality and water resources in England. FreshWater Watch (FWW) is a global citizen science project that supports community monitoring of freshwater quality. FWW and EA data were assessed for their spatio-temporal complementarity by comparing the geographical and seasonal coverage of nitrate (N-NO3) sampling across the River Thames catchment by the respective campaigns between spring 2013 and winter 2015. The analysis reveals that FWW citizen science-collected data complements EA data by filling in both gaps in the spatial and temporal coverage as well as gaps in waterbody type and size. In addition, partial spatio-temporal overlap in sampling efforts by the two actors is discovered, but EA sampling is found to be more consistent than FWW sampling. Statistical analyses indicate that regardless of broader geographical overlap in sampling effort, FWW sampling sites are associated with a lower stream order and water bodies of smaller surface areas than EA sampling sites. FWW also samples more still-water body sites than the EA. As a possible result of such differences in sampling tendencies, nitrate concentrations, a measure of water quality, are lower for FWW sites than EA sites. These findings strongly indicate that citizen science has clear potential to complement agency monitoring efforts by generating information on freshwater ecosystems that would otherwise be under reported.

Getting the full picture: Assessing the complementarity of citizen science and agency monitoring data

Science.gov (United States)

Loiselle, Steven; Ophof, Daniel; Thornhill, Ian

2017-01-01

While the role of citizen science in engaging the public and providing large-scale datasets has been demonstrated, the nature of and potential for this science to supplement environmental monitoring efforts by government agencies has not yet been fully explored. To this end, the present study investigates the complementarity of a citizen science programme to agency monitoring of water quality. The Environment Agency (EA) is the governmental public body responsible for, among other duties, managing and monitoring water quality and water resources in England. FreshWater Watch (FWW) is a global citizen science project that supports community monitoring of freshwater quality. FWW and EA data were assessed for their spatio-temporal complementarity by comparing the geographical and seasonal coverage of nitrate (N-NO3) sampling across the River Thames catchment by the respective campaigns between spring 2013 and winter 2015. The analysis reveals that FWW citizen science-collected data complements EA data by filling in both gaps in the spatial and temporal coverage as well as gaps in waterbody type and size. In addition, partial spatio-temporal overlap in sampling efforts by the two actors is discovered, but EA sampling is found to be more consistent than FWW sampling. Statistical analyses indicate that regardless of broader geographical overlap in sampling effort, FWW sampling sites are associated with a lower stream order and water bodies of smaller surface areas than EA sampling sites. FWW also samples more still-water body sites than the EA. As a possible result of such differences in sampling tendencies, nitrate concentrations, a measure of water quality, are lower for FWW sites than EA sites. These findings strongly indicate that citizen science has clear potential to complement agency monitoring efforts by generating information on freshwater ecosystems that would otherwise be under reported. PMID:29211752

Getting the full picture: Assessing the complementarity of citizen science and agency monitoring data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeneen Hadj-Hammou

Full Text Available While the role of citizen science in engaging the public and providing large-scale datasets has been demonstrated, the nature of and potential for this science to supplement environmental monitoring efforts by government agencies has not yet been fully explored. To this end, the present study investigates the complementarity of a citizen science programme to agency monitoring of water quality. The Environment Agency (EA is the governmental public body responsible for, among other duties, managing and monitoring water quality and water resources in England. FreshWater Watch (FWW is a global citizen science project that supports community monitoring of freshwater quality. FWW and EA data were assessed for their spatio-temporal complementarity by comparing the geographical and seasonal coverage of nitrate (N-NO3 sampling across the River Thames catchment by the respective campaigns between spring 2013 and winter 2015. The analysis reveals that FWW citizen science-collected data complements EA data by filling in both gaps in the spatial and temporal coverage as well as gaps in waterbody type and size. In addition, partial spatio-temporal overlap in sampling efforts by the two actors is discovered, but EA sampling is found to be more consistent than FWW sampling. Statistical analyses indicate that regardless of broader geographical overlap in sampling effort, FWW sampling sites are associated with a lower stream order and water bodies of smaller surface areas than EA sampling sites. FWW also samples more still-water body sites than the EA. As a possible result of such differences in sampling tendencies, nitrate concentrations, a measure of water quality, are lower for FWW sites than EA sites. These findings strongly indicate that citizen science has clear potential to complement agency monitoring efforts by generating information on freshwater ecosystems that would otherwise be under reported.

Impossibilidade de alteração de lei complementar por lei ordinária em matéria tributária

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo de Lima Castro Diniz

2000-03-01

Full Text Available Usually the legislator controls a specific subject through a complementary law, although it can be done through a ordinary law, which is different concerning the legislative process, mainly on the quorum matter. A law with these characteristics must be considered complementary law, so that its modification is only possible by a norm on the same level. According to the principles of “more value legitimatory” and liberty of conformation of the legislator in his legislative activity.É comum que o legislador regule um determinado assunto por meio de lei complementar, embora pudesse fazê-lo através de lei ordinária, cujo processo legislativo é diferente, sobretudo pela questão do quorum. Uma lei com essas características deve ser considerada lei complementar, decorrendo daí que sua modificação apenas é possível por norma do mesmo escalão, em face dos princípios da mais valia legitimatória e da liberdade de conformação do legislador na atividade legislativa.

Solution of a General Linear Complementarity Problem Using Smooth Optimization and Its Application to Bilinear Programming and LCP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandes, L.; Friedlander, A.; Guedes, M.; Judice, J.

2001-01-01

This paper addresses a General Linear Complementarity Problem (GLCP) that has found applications in global optimization. It is shown that a solution of the GLCP can be computed by finding a stationary point of a differentiable function over a set defined by simple bounds on the variables. The application of this result to the solution of bilinear programs and LCPs is discussed. Some computational evidence of its usefulness is included in the last part of the paper

Determinants of Foreign Technological Activity in German Regions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dettmann, Eva; Lacasa, Iciar Dominguez; Günther, Jutta

This paper analyses the determinants of spatial distribution of foreign technological activity across 96 German regions (1996-2009). We identify foreign inventive activity by applying the ‘cross-border-ownership concept’ to transnational patent applications. The descriptive analysis shows...

Omics Data Complementarity Underlines Functional Cross-Communication in Yeast

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Malod-Dognin Noël

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Mapping the complete functional layout of a cell and understanding the cross-talk between different processes are fundamental challenges. They elude us because of the incompleteness and noisiness of molecular data and because of the computational intractability of finding the exact answer. We perform a simple integration of three types of baker’s yeast omics data to elucidate the functional organization and lines of cross-functional communication. We examine protein–protein interaction (PPI, co-expression (COEX and genetic interaction (GI data, and explore their relationship with the gold standard of functional organization, the Gene Ontology (GO. We utilize a simple framework that identifies functional cross-communication lines in each of the three data types, in GO, and collectively in the integrated model of the three omics data types; we present each of them in our new Functional Organization Map (FOM model. We compare the FOMs of the three omics datasets with the FOM of GO and find that GI is in best agreement with GO, followed COEX and PPI. We integrate the three FOMs into a unified FOM and find that it is in better agreement with the FOM of GO than those of any omics dataset alone, demonstrating functional complementarity of different omics data.

Omics Data Complementarity Underlines Functional Cross-Communication in Yeast.

Science.gov (United States)

Malod-Dognin, Noël; Pržulj, Nataša

2017-06-10

Mapping the complete functional layout of a cell and understanding the cross-talk between different processes are fundamental challenges. They elude us because of the incompleteness and noisiness of molecular data and because of the computational intractability of finding the exact answer. We perform a simple integration of three types of baker's yeast omics data to elucidate the functional organization and lines of cross-functional communication. We examine protein-protein interaction (PPI), co-expression (COEX) and genetic interaction (GI) data, and explore their relationship with the gold standard of functional organization, the Gene Ontology (GO). We utilize a simple framework that identifies functional cross-communication lines in each of the three data types, in GO, and collectively in the integrated model of the three omics data types; we present each of them in our new Functional Organization Map (FOM) model. We compare the FOMs of the three omics datasets with the FOM of GO and find that GI is in best agreement with GO, followed COEX and PPI. We integrate the three FOMs into a unified FOM and find that it is in better agreement with the FOM of GO than those of any omics dataset alone, demonstrating functional complementarity of different omics data.

Economic Diplomacy in Africa: The Impact of Regional Integration versus Bilateral Diplomacy on Bilateral Trade

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Afesorgbor, Sylvanus Kwaku

The paper examines the impact of two main instruments of economic diplomacy — regional integration and commercial diplomacy on export flows among African states. We test whether there is any evidence of a trade-off or complementary interaction between these two instruments in trade facilitation. We...... compared to regional integration. We also find a nuanced interaction between these two instruments of economic diplomacy: the trade–stimulating effect of diplomatic exchange is less pronounced among African countries that shared membership of the same regional bloc. Generally, this could mean...... that there exists a trade-off between regional integration and commercial diplomacy in facilitating exports or a lack of complementarity between these two instruments of economic diplomacy....

Pequenas e médias empresas como patrocinadoras de planos previdenciais em entidades fechadas de previdência complementar

OpenAIRE

Cardoso, Sérgio; Capelo Júnior, Emílio; Chagas, Dimitri Mendonça Spinelli; Rocha, Alane S.; Batista, Paulo César de Souza

2006-01-01

Este artigo tem como objetivo quantificar o carregamento de contingência sobre as Provisões Matemáticas de Entidades Fechadas de Previdência Complementar - EFPCs, para entidades de diferentes portes, demonstrando, assim, a influência da variável "número de participantes" no nível de carregamento de contingência estipulado. Através de estudo exploratório, com pesquisas bibliográfica e experimental, foram determinadas as taxas de carregamento de contingência para diferentes arranjos previdenciá...

The Determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in the Greek Regions

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Marialena PETRAKOU

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This study investigates the determinants of FDI in the Greek regions. The aim of the study is to understand whether and to what extent the presence of localization economies in the Greek regions, has an impact on FDI locational decisions. We use a pooled cross-section dataset of FDI stock and we study the effect of localization economies and of other basic determinants, on the attraction of FDI. We find the most significant influences to be market size, human capital, geographic position and the presence of localization economies.

The Regional Heterogeneity of Productivity Determinants: Evidence from Ukrainian Firms

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Cieślik Andrzej

2017-03-01

Full Text Available This paper studies the determinants of the total factor productivity (TFP for Ukrainian firms in the manufacturing sector across macro-regions using recent micro-level datasets for 2013. Our empirical results show some degree of heterogeneity across Ukrainian macro-regions; in particular, the link between the total factor productivity, firm size, imports and the level of competition seems to be valid for all macro regions. However, the effects of private ownership status, capital intensity and exports seems to be region specific. In addition, we found no relationship between firm productivity and foreign ownership for any of the regions.

The New Coordinates of Globalization and Regional Integration: Resizing the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership

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Marcel Moldoveanu

2017-04-01

Full Text Available The increasingly strong process of interdependence between globalization and regionalization - in the context of the end of the bipolar power at world level - has engendered a new philosophy regarding the evolution of the world, a reconsideration of the strategy of political and diplomatic, economic and also cultural and human relationships. In my opinion, in a multipolar world, that will bring into the first line of international relations new big actors of regional and universal vocation (China, Rusia, Brasil, India, the European Union will play an extensive role in participating at the geostrategic, regional and global equilibrium, through promotion of an „open diplomacy” that will allow – by dialogue and cooperation – the resolving more rapidly and efficiently the great challenges of the beginning of the century and millenium: the reduction of the great development gaps, the regional and global security, in a very solid economic background. A new dimension of the EU enlargement policy at regional scale is represented by the cooperation relations and the attraction into the European circuit of material and spiritual values of the countries in the Central and Eastern Europe. In the context of deepening the interdependence and complementarities at regional and global level, more focus should be put on the viable ways and modalities to intensify the cooperation in the Danube-Black Sea and Euro-Mediterranean geo-economic and strategic areas. The two big geo-strategic regions of the world belong to the same civilization and are subject to similar changes as the other regions of the world, despite some specific features of history and culture. The intensification and diversification of the cooperation at the Central and South-Eastern European level, as well as the Euro-Mediterranean and Danube-Black Sea region, does not represent an alternative to the general objective process of integration into the Euro-Atlantic structures, but a

Internal Migration Determinants: Evidence from Northern Region of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2016-05-01

May 1, 2016 ... University for Development Studies, Department of Mathematics, Navrongo, UER ... Keywords: Internal Migration, Determinants, Migrant, Northern Region, Network. Introduction ... origin's income on rural-urban migration (Beals et al., 1976), but a positive effect of a ..... 3 In the case of economic migrants.

Adubação complementar para a mexeriqueira 'Rio' em sistema de cultivo orgânico Complementary fertilization to willowleaf mandarim in organic cultivation system

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Fillipe S. Marini

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar os efeitos da adubação complementar com o biofertilizante Supermagro, a urina de vaca e a manipueira na produção e nos teores de nutrientes nas folhas da mexeriqueira (Citrus deliciosa Tenore cv. Rio em sistema de cultivo orgânico. O delineamento experimental adotado foi o de blocos casualizados, com cinco repetições. Todas as plantas foram adubadas com esterco bovino e os tratamentos aplicados foram complementares a essa adubação. Foram constituídos dez tratamentos obtidos pelos tipos de adubo e por seu modo de aplicação (via solo, via pulverizações foliares ou ambos e uma testemunha. A produção foi avaliada nas safras de 2006 e 2007 e os teores de nutrientes nas folhas, em 2005, 2006 e 2007. A adubação complementar não influenciou a produção de frutos. As aplicações de urina de vaca via solo, com ou sem aplicação foliar, e da manipueira, independentemente do modo de aplicação, contribuíram para elevar os teores de S nas folhas. O Supermagro aplicado via solo aumentou os teores de B nas folhas e, quando aplicado via foliar, aumentou os teores de Zn.The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of complementary fertilization with the biofertilizer Supermagro, cow urine and cassava wastewater in the production and levels of nutrients in the leaves of willowleaf mandarim 'Rio' (Citrus deliciosa Tenore in organic cultivation system. The experimental design used was the randomized blocks, with five replications. All plants were fertilized with cow manure and the applied treatments were complementary to this fertilization. Ten treatments were constituted, by fertilizer types and by modes of application (soil, foliar spray or both plus a control. The fruits were harvested in 2006 and 2007. The nutrient content in leaves was determined in 2005, 2006 and 2007. The complementary fertilization did not affect the fruit production. However, the cow urine applied on soil, with or without

Development of an affinity-matured humanized anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody for cancer immunotherapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakanishi, Takeshi; Maru, Takamitsu; Tahara, Kazuhiro; Sanada, Hideaki; Umetsu, Mitsuo; Asano, Ryutaro; Kumagai, Izumi

2013-02-01

We showed previously that humanization of 528, a murine anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) antibody, causes reduced affinity for its target. Here, to improve the affinity of the humanized antibody for use in cancer immunotherapy, we constructed phage display libraries focused on the complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) of the antibody and carried out affinity selection. Two-step selections using libraries constructed in a stepwise manner enabled a 32-fold affinity enhancement of humanized 528 (h528). Thermodynamic analysis of the interactions between the variable domain fragment of h528 (h528Fv) mutants and the soluble extracellular domain of EGFR indicated that the h528Fv mutants obtained from the first selection showed a large increase in negative enthalpy change due to binding, resulting in affinity enhancement. Furthermore, mutants from the second selection showed a decrease in entropy loss, which led to further affinity maturation. These results suggest that a single mutation in the heavy chain variable domain (i.e. Tyr(52) to Trp) enthalpically contributed for overcoming the energetic barrier to the antigen-antibody interaction, which was a major hurdle for the in vitro affinity maturation of h528. We reported previously that the humanized bispecific diabody hEx3 Db, which targets EGFR and CD3, shows strong anti-tumor activity. hEx3 Db mutants, in which the variable domains of h528 were replaced with those of the affinity-enhanced mutants, were prepared and characterized. In a growth inhibition assay of tumor cells, the hEx3 Db mutants showed stronger anti-tumor activity than that of hEx3 Db, suggesting that affinity enhancement of h528Fv enhances the anti-tumor activity of the bispecific diabody.

HIV/AIDS in Russia: determinants of regional prevalence

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Jordaan Jacob A

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The motivation for this paper is to inform the selection of future policy directions for tackling HIV/AIDS in Russia. The Russian Federation has more people living with HIV/AIDS than any other country in Europe, and nearly 70% of the known infections in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The epidemic is particularly young, with 80% of those infected aged less than thirty, and no Russian region has escaped the detection of infections. However, measures to address the epidemic in Russia have been hampered by late recognition of the scale of the problem, poor data on HIV prevalence, potentially counterproductive narcotics legislation, and competing health priorities. An additional complication has been the relative lack of research into the spatial heterogeneity of the Russian HIV/AIDS epidemic, investigating the variety of prevalence rates in the constituent regions and questioning assumptions about the links between the epidemic and the circumstances of post-Soviet transformation. In the light of these recent developments, this paper presents research into the determinants of regional HIV prevalence levels in Russia. Results Statistical empirical research on HIV and other infectious diseases has identified a variety of factors that influence the spread and development of these diseases. In our empirical analysis of determinants of HIV prevalence in Russia at the regional level, we identify factors that are statistically related to the level of HIV prevalence in Russian regions, and obtain some indication of the relative importance of these factors. We estimate an empirical model that includes factors which describe economic and socio-cultural characteristics. Conclusion Our analysis statistically identifies four main factors that influence HIV prevalence in Russian regions. Given the different nature of the factors that we identify to be of importance, we conclude that successful HIV intervention policies will need to be

A Damped Gauss-Newton Method for the Second-Order Cone Complementarity Problem

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan Shaohua; Chen, J.-S.

2009-01-01

We investigate some properties related to the generalized Newton method for the Fischer-Burmeister (FB) function over second-order cones, which allows us to reformulate the second-order cone complementarity problem (SOCCP) as a semismooth system of equations. Specifically, we characterize the B-subdifferential of the FB function at a general point and study the condition for every element of the B-subdifferential at a solution being nonsingular. In addition, for the induced FB merit function, we establish its coerciveness and provide a weaker condition than Chen and Tseng (Math. Program. 104:293-327, 2005) for each stationary point to be a solution, under suitable Cartesian P-properties of the involved mapping. By this, a damped Gauss-Newton method is proposed, and the global and superlinear convergence results are obtained. Numerical results are reported for the second-order cone programs from the DIMACS library, which verify the good theoretical properties of the method

Right unitarity triangles, stable CP-violating phases and approximate quark-lepton complementarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xing Zhizhong

2009-01-01

Current experimental data indicate that two unitarity triangles of the CKM quark mixing matrix V are almost the right triangles with α∼90 deg. We highlight a very suggestive parametrization of V and show that its CP-violating phase φ is nearly equal to α (i.e., φ-α∼1.1 deg.). Both φ and α are stable against the renormalizaton-group evolution from the electroweak scale M Z to a superhigh energy scale M X or vice versa, and thus it is impossible to obtain α=90 deg. at M Z from φ=90 deg. at M X . We conjecture that there might also exist a maximal CP-violating phase φ∼90 deg. in the MNS lepton mixing matrix U. The approximate quark-lepton complementarity relations, which hold in the standard parametrizations of V and U, can also hold in our particular parametrizations of V and U simply due to the smallness of |V ub | and |V e3 |.

CULTURA ORGANIZACIONAL COMO FATOR COMPLEMENTAR ÀS DIMENSÕES CULTURAIS DE HOFSTEDE

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Rodrigo Moreira Casagrande

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Partindo do pressuposto de que a cultura organizacional gera expectativas quanto a comportamentos nas organizações, a temática deste trabalho enquadra-se no campo de estudo de gestão de pessoas e apresenta uma abordagem teórico-empírica que tem o objetivo de analisar eventuais fragilidades teóricas causadas pela negligência do impacto da cultura organizacional na composição das dimensões culturais de Hofstede. Utilizou-se como metodologia uma análise descritiva com base nos resultados obtidos em estudos realizados em três organizações: uma cooperativa de crédito, um banco e um hospital. Os resultados sugerem que, na medida em que cultura organizacional de um determinado setor gera entendimentos partilhados e um senso comum que influencia os comportamentos no ambiente organizacional, deve ser considerada de forma complementar à abordagem das dimensões culturais de Hofstede, a qual concede protagonismo à cultura nacional na sua análise.

Práticas de alimentação complementar no primeiro ano de vida e fatores associados Complementary feeding practices in the first year of life and associated factors

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Ligia Mara Parreira Silva

2010-12-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Investigar a prevalência de consumo de alimentos complementares e os fatores associados à alimentação complementar oportuna em menores de um ano. MÉTODOS: Participaram do estudo 1 176 crianças, durante a Campanha Nacional de Vacinação de 2003, em São Bernardo do Campo (SP, cujos acompanhantes responderam questionário que incluiu questões sobre a alimentação da criança nas 24 horas precedentes. A estimativa da prevalência de consumo dos alimentos complementares foi realizada por um modelo de regressão logística ajustado por idade; as medianas de introdução de alimentos por análise de sobrevida e os fatores associados à alimentação complementar oportuna por regressão de Poisson com ajuste robusto de variância e seleção hierarquizada de variáveis. RESULTADOS: Observou-se introdução precoce de alimentos complementares: no quarto mês, cerca de um terço das crianças recebiam suco de fruta e um quarto das crianças recebiam mingau, fruta ou sopa, ao passo que a probabilidade de consumir a comida da família aos oito meses foi baixa (48%. A mediana de idade para o consumo de frutas foi de 266 dias (IC95% 256-275, de papa de legumes foi 258 dias (IC95% 250-264 e comida da família, 292 dias (IC 95% 287-303. Os fatores associados ao consumo de alimentos sólidos antes dos seis meses de idade foram: sistema de assistência à saúde; idade materna; trabalho materno e uso de chupeta. CONCLUSÃO: O consumo precoce de alimentos sólidos, um risco potencial para a saúde infantil e para o desenvolvimento de doenças crônicas na idade adulta, evidenciam a necessidade de ações programáticas para reversão deste quadro.OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the complementary feeding practices and the factors associated with the appropriate timing of complementary feeding in children under one year of age. METHODS: The parents or caregivers of 1,176 children who attended the National Immunization Campaign in São Bernardo

Medicina complementar e alternativa: utilização pela comunidade de Montes Claros, Minas Gerais Complementary and alternative medicine: use in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais

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Joao Felício Rodrigues Neto

2009-01-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Verificar a prevalência de utilização e o perfil socioeconômico do usuário de medicina complementar e alternativa pela população de Montes Claros (MG. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal, analítico. A amostra foi probabilística, por conglomerados, sendo a unidade amostral o domicílio e os entrevistados de ambos os sexos e maiores de 18 anos. Os dados foram coletados em uma cidade de porte médio de Minas Gerais utilizando formulários semi-estruturados. RESULTADOS: Foram entrevistadas 3.090 pessoas. A prevalência de uso de medicina complementar e alternativas foi, quando consideradas somente as que envolvem custos, como homeopatia, acupuntura, quiropraxia, medicina ortomolecular, técnicas de relaxamento/meditação e massagem, de 8,93% e 70%, quando incluímos todas as terapias arguidas. As prevalências foram: oração a Deus (52%, remédios populares (30,9%, exercícios físicos (25,5%, benzedeiras (15%, dietas populares (7,1%, massagem (4,9%, relaxamento/meditação (2,8%, homeopatia (2,4%, grupos de autoajuda (1,9%, quiropraxia (1,7%, acupuntura (1,5% e medicina ortomolecular (0,2%. Mulheres, católicos, casados, melhor renda e escolaridade estiveram associados de forma positiva com a utilização das terapias que envolvem custos. CONCLUSÃO: Medicina complementar e alternativa é utilizada por número significativo da população. Gênero, religião, estado civil, renda e escolaridade estiveram associados positivamente com utilização de terapias alternativas. O acesso das pessoas de menor renda e escolaridade à medicina complementar e alternativa poderia aumentar a prevalência de utilização daquelas formas que envolvem custos.OBJECTIVE: To determine prevalence of utilization and social and economic profile of those using complementary and alternative medicine in the medium sized Brazilian city of Montes Claros, MG. METHODS: A transversal descriptive study was conducted. The sample of 3090 people was probabilistic, by

Evidence on the determinants of foreign direct investment: the case of EU regions

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Laura RESMINI

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This study analyses the determinants of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI at regional level. While the determinants of FDI in Europe have been extensively analysed at the country level, the literature on location patterns and on the determinants of FDI at the regional level is only at its beginning. This study follows this line of empirical research by using original data on the number of foreign investments over the 2005-07 period disaggregated by regions of the EU27 and by sectors. We perform a detailed analysis of the location determinants of foreign investments using different econometric specifications in order to consider a large set of variables potentially explaining FDI location. We attempt, on the one hand, to demonstrate whether variables usually employed to explain the determinants of FDI at the country level also influence the location of FDI at the regional level, and on the other hand to identify which locational advantages are able to attract FDI into EU regions. In so doing, we control for firm, sector and spatial heterogeneity in order to capture potential differences in the patterns of location of different kinds of foreign firms.

Regional Business Cycles in East Asia: Synchronization and its Determinants

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Young-Joon Park

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper analyzes the dynamics and nature of regional business cycle synchronization for East Asian countries in the period of 2000:Q1-2011:Q4. Estimating a dynamic two-factor model extracts the common factor and the nation- specific factor from both the macroeconomic aggregates and plausible driving forces of regional business cycles. Evidence for regional business cycle synchronization is particularly strong for Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines, while Japan shows weak evidence of regional synchronization. On the other hand, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and China are decoupling from regional business cycles. The driver of monetary aggregate is the most significant determinant of regional fluctuations of macroeconomic aggregates, whereas oil price and productivity are on average important driving forces of nation-specific fluctuations of real economic activities.

Conhecimento, crença e uso de medicina alternativa e complementar por fonoaudiólogas Knowledge, beliefs and practices toward alternative and complementary therapies among speech-language pathologists

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Thaise Manzini

2008-06-01

Full Text Available O objetivo do presente estudo é entender o conhecimento, as crenças e o uso das medicinas alternativas e complementares entre fonoaudiólogas que atuam no setor público de saúde. O estudo foi realizado em um hospital terciário de Ribeirão Preto, SP. Um questionário desenvolvido para os propósitos do estudo foi administrado em uma casuística de 40 fonoaudiólogas. Os itens do questionário foram criados conforme uma revisão da literatura. A aceitação de medicinas alternativas e complementares, como acupuntura e homeopatia, é expressiva entre as profissionais entrevistadas. Os resultados do presente estudo sugerem que o uso e a prática destas medicinas são feitos de forma racional, com certa prudência. As entrevistadas admitem que um tratamento complementar deve ser submetido a testes científicos antes de sua aceitação, e que é desaconselhável a um paciente buscar um tratamento alternativo ou complementar sem antes consultar o médico.The purpose of this study is to understand the knowledge, beliefs, concerns and practices toward alternative and complementary therapies among speech-language pathologists in a Brazilian public hospital. The current study was conducted in a large tertiary hospital in Ribeirão Preto, Southeastern Brazil. A questionnaire developed to measure knowledge, beliefs and practices on alternative and complementary therapies was answered by forty speech-language pathologists. The questionnaire items were created via literature review. Alternative and complementary therapies as acupuncture and homeopathy have high acceptance among the interviewed professionals. The results of the present study suggest that the use and practice of these techniques are made in a rational manner, with some prudence. The interviewed professionals admit that complementary treatment must be submitted to scientific tests before its acceptance, and that it is inadvisable for the patient to try treatment with alternative and

A systematic computational analysis of the rRNA-3 ' UTR sequence complementarity suggests a regulatory mechanism influencing post-termination events in metazoan translation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pánek, Josef; Kolář, Michal; Herrmannová, Anna; Valášek, Leoš Shivaya

2016-01-01

Roč. 22, č. 7 (2016), 957-967-957-967 ISSN 1355-8382 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP305/12/G034 Institutional support: RVO:61388971 ; RVO:68378050 Keywords : metazoan 18S rRNA-mRNA 3 ' UTRs complementarity * large-scale data set * statistics Subject RIV: EE - Microbiology, Virology Impact factor: 4.605, year: 2016

Evaluation of cutaneous drug reactions in patients visiting out patient departments of Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (IGGMC and H, Nagpur

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Sachin Hiware

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To detect cutaneous drug reactions through spontaneous reporting system in IGGMCand H, Nagpur and analyze them using standard assessment scales. Materials and Methods: An observational, prospective study was performed in patients attending dermatology OPD of IGGMC and H, Nagpur from 1 st June 05 to 31 st May 09. Patients were examined for cutaneous drug reactions (CDRs by spontaneous Adverse Drug Reaction reporting system. Results: Among 2693 total ADRs reported, 872 (33.04% were CDRs. Antimicrobials (55.5% were the main drugs involved followed by NSAIDs (18.56% and steroids (12.61%. Maculopapular rash (37.73% followed by fixed drug eruption (17.2% and urticaria (14.56% were the most frequently observed CDRs. The common drugs causing CDRs were cotrimoxazole (20.41%, topical steroids (betamethasone, ibuprofen (7.91%, ampicillin (6.54%, diclofenac (4.7% and iron dextran (3.44%. Conclusion : It was observed that commonly used drugs like antibiotics and NSAIDs lead to maximum number of CDRs. Hence strict vigilance is required while using them. This study provides a database of ADRs due to common drugs, which will help clinicians in safe use of these drugs.

A Smoothing-Type Algorithm for Solving Linear Complementarity Problems with Strong Convergence Properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Zhenghai; Gu Weizhe

2008-01-01

In this paper, we construct an augmented system of the standard monotone linear complementarity problem (LCP), and establish the relations between the augmented system and the LCP. We present a smoothing-type algorithm for solving the augmented system. The algorithm is shown to be globally convergent without assuming any prior knowledge of feasibility/infeasibility of the problem. In particular, if the LCP has a solution, then the algorithm either generates a maximal complementary solution of the LCP or detects correctly solvability of the LCP, and in the latter case, an existing smoothing-type algorithm can be directly applied to solve the LCP without any additional assumption and it generates a maximal complementary solution of the LCP; and that if the LCP is infeasible, then the algorithm detect correctly infeasibility of the LCP. To the best of our knowledge, such properties have not appeared in the existing literature for smoothing-type algorithms

Regional Determinants of Small Business Survival during the Crisis in Romania

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Anca Dachin

2013-08-01

Full Text Available The economic crisis in Romania has increased the business vulnerability since 2009. The recessionary gap and the high uncertainty of the economic environment have determined many companies to leave the market. The regional differences in the entrepreneurial performance suggest that the regional dimension should be included in the firm demography analysis. Most studies refer to the favorable conditions which stimulate the entry of new firms. However, during the crisis, for many small businesses the main problem has been the survival. The paper focuses on the analysis of adjustment processes within the SME´s sector in terms of changes in number of enterprises and turnover. The regional differences in the three-year survival rate (2008-2011 show the structural particularities of the economic activity. The paper aims at identifying the empirical relationship between economic determinants and entrepreneurial performance at regional NUTS2 level in Romania.

A tomografia de córnea e segmento anterior na propedêutica do exame complementar na avaliação de ectasia

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Bruno de Freitas Valbon

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Descrevemos a importância da tomografia de córnea e segmento anterior na propedêutica do exame complementar na avaliação de ectasia. Esta descrição da interpretação clínica dos índices da tomografia de córnea e segmento anterior (Pentacam - Oculus, Wetzlar, Germany neste relato de caso, demonstra a relevância de uma nova tecnologia na avaliação da córnea e segmento anterior na suspeita de ceratocone. O diagnóstico de ceratocone foi excluído pela análise dos índices tomográficos de ectasia. Detectou-se assimetria entre os lados nasal e temporal por meio da avaliação do mapa de profundidade de câmara anterior. No exame biomicroscópico sob midríase foi constatado subluxação do cristalino, sendo assim devemos estar atentos não somente aos índices tomográficos corneanos na avaliação do exame complementar e sim analisarmos outros dados importantes oferecidos pela tomografia de córnea e segmento anterior.

Rapid Online Analysis of Local Feature Detectors and Their Complementarity

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Shoaib Ehsan

2013-08-01

Full Text Available A vision system that can assess its own performance and take appropriate actions online to maximize its effectiveness would be a step towards achieving the long-cherished goal of imitating humans. This paper proposes a method for performing an online performance analysis of local feature detectors, the primary stage of many practical vision systems. It advocates the spatial distribution of local image features as a good performance indicator and presents a metric that can be calculated rapidly, concurs with human visual assessments and is complementary to existing offline measures such as repeatability. The metric is shown to provide a measure of complementarity for combinations of detectors, correctly reflecting the underlying principles of individual detectors. Qualitative results on well-established datasets for several state-of-the-art detectors are presented based on the proposed measure. Using a hypothesis testing approach and a newly-acquired, larger image database, statistically-significant performance differences are identified. Different detector pairs and triplets are examined quantitatively and the results provide a useful guideline for combining detectors in applications that require a reasonable spatial distribution of image features. A principled framework for combining feature detectors in these applications is also presented. Timing results reveal the potential of the metric for online applications.

Complementarity of WIMP Sensitivity with direct SUSY, Monojet and Dark Matter Searches in the MSSM

CERN Document Server

Arbey, Alexandre; Mahmoudi, Farvah

2014-01-01

This letter presents new results on the combined sensitivity of the LHC and underground dark matter search experiments to the lightest neutralino as WIMP candidate in the minimal Supersymmetric extension of the Standard Model. We show that monojet searches significantly extend the sensitivity to the neutralino mass in scenarios where scalar quarks are nearly degenerate in mass with it. The inclusion of the latest bound by the LUX experiment on the neutralino-nucleon spin-independent scattering cross section expands this sensitivity further, highlighting the remarkable complementarity of jets/$\\ell$s+MET and monojet at LHC and dark matter searches in probing models of new physics with a dark matter candidate. The qualitative results of our study remain valid after accounting for theoretical uncertainties.

A Physicist's Quest in Biology: Max Delbrück and "Complementarity".

Science.gov (United States)

Strauss, Bernard S

2017-06-01

Max Delbrück was trained as a physicist but made his major contribution in biology and ultimately shared a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He was the acknowledged leader of the founders of molecular biology, yet he failed to achieve his key scientific goals. His ultimate scientific aim was to find evidence for physical laws unique to biology: so-called "complementarity." He never did. The specific problem he initially wanted to solve was the nature of biological replication but the discovery of the mechanism of replication was made by others, in large part because of his disdain for the details of biochemistry. His later career was spent investigating the effect of light on the fungus Phycomyces , a topic that turned out to be of limited general interest. He was known both for his informality but also for his legendary displays of devastating criticism. His life and that of some of his closest colleagues was acted out against a background of a world in conflict. This essay describes the man and his career and searches for an explanation of his profound influence. Copyright © 2017 by the Genetics Society of America.

A Nonmonotone Trust Region Method for Nonlinear Programming with Simple Bound Constraints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Z.-W.; Han, J.-Y.; Xu, D.-C.

2001-01-01

In this paper we propose a nonmonotone trust region algorithm for optimization with simple bound constraints. Under mild conditions, we prove the global convergence of the algorithm. For the monotone case it is also proved that the correct active set can be identified in a finite number of iterations if the strict complementarity slackness condition holds, and so the proposed algorithm reduces finally to an unconstrained minimization method in a finite number of iterations, allowing a fast asymptotic rate of convergence. Numerical experiments show that the method is efficient

Uncertainty information in climate data records from Earth observation

Science.gov (United States)

Merchant, C. J.

2017-12-01

How to derive and present uncertainty in climate data records (CDRs) has been debated within the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative, in search of common principles applicable across a range of essential climate variables. Various points of consensus have been reached, including the importance of improving provision of uncertainty information and the benefit of adopting international norms of metrology for language around the distinct concepts of uncertainty and error. Providing an estimate of standard uncertainty per datum (or the means to readily calculate it) emerged as baseline good practice, and should be highly relevant to users of CDRs when the uncertainty in data is variable (the usual case). Given this baseline, the role of quality flags is clarified as being complementary to and not repetitive of uncertainty information. Data with high uncertainty are not poor quality if a valid estimate of the uncertainty is available. For CDRs and their applications, the error correlation properties across spatio-temporal scales present important challenges that are not fully solved. Error effects that are negligible in the uncertainty of a single pixel may dominate uncertainty in the large-scale and long-term. A further principle is that uncertainty estimates should themselves be validated. The concepts of estimating and propagating uncertainty are generally acknowledged in geophysical sciences, but less widely practised in Earth observation and development of CDRs. Uncertainty in a CDR depends in part (and usually significantly) on the error covariance of the radiances and auxiliary data used in the retrieval. Typically, error covariance information is not available in the fundamental CDR (FCDR) (i.e., with the level-1 radiances), since provision of adequate level-1 uncertainty information is not yet standard practice. Those deriving CDRs thus cannot propagate the radiance uncertainty to their geophysical products. The FIDUCEO project (www.fiduceo.eu) is

Complementarity of deuterium and tritium measurements to study hailstone formation. An example

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jouzel, Jean.

1975-12-01

The complementarity of deuterium and tritium measurement to study hailstone formation is presented and this method is applied to measurements made on three hailstones produced during a storm on August 7th 1971 in the province of Alberta (Canada). Firstly, the isotopic variations of condensed water in a hail cloud are studied on the basis of a cloud model as proposed by Chisholm. The importance of tritium analysis is demonstrated and conditions of validity of the isotopic model proposed by Merlivat, Nief and Roth in the case of deuterium are defined. The tritium measurement method used for analysis of small water samples and carrier out with an Oeschgger gas counter is described. The results connected with three Alberta hailstones are discussed. It is demonstrated particularly that these hailstones were formed during a succession of upward and downward movements, at least two of the latter occuring in the updraft core, and that the distribution of the updraft velocity with altitude was not stable during the storm which is in agreement with its multicellular nature [fr

Expressing complementarity and the x-p commutation relation through further quantum inequalities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez-Estrada, Ramon F

2010-01-01

Complementarity and the commutation relation of position (x) and momentum (p) imply much more than the fundamental x-p uncertainty inequality. Here, we display some further consequences of the former that could have certain pedagogical interest and, so, contribute to the teaching of quantum mechanics. Inspired by an elementary derivation of the x-p uncertainty inequality, based upon a positive quadratic polynomial, we explore one possible extension, via quartic polynomials and simple algebra and integrations. Our analysis, aimed at providing some further pedagogic expression of genuine quantum behaviours, yields other quantum inequalities for expectation values, expressed through suitable discriminants associated with quartic algebraic equations, which differ from (and are not a strict consequence of) the x-p uncertainty inequality. Those quantum inequalities are confirmed, and genuine non-classical behaviours are exhibited, for simple cases: a harmonic oscillator, a hydrogenic atom and free Gaussian wave packets. The physical interest of the expectation values involved in the quantum inequalities and of the latter is discussed, in the framework of quantum optics and squeezing phenomena.

Complementarity of DM Searches in a Consistent Simplified Model: the Case of Z'

CERN Document Server

Jacques, Thomas; Morgante, Enrico; Racco, Davide; Rameez, Mohamed; Riotto, Antonio

2016-01-01

We analyze the constraints from direct and indirect detection on fermionic Majorana Dark Matter (DM). Because the interaction with the Standard Model (SM) particles is spin-dependent, a priori the constraints that one gets from neutrino telescopes, the LHC and direct detection experiments are comparable. We study the complementarity of these searches in a particular example, in which a heavy $Z'$ mediates the interactions between the SM and the DM. We find that in most cases IceCube provides the strongest bounds on this scenario, while the LHC constraints are only meaningful for smaller dark matter masses. These light masses are less motivated by thermal relic abundance considerations. We show that the dominant annihilation channels of the light DM in the Sun are either $b \\bar b$ or $t \\bar t$, while the heavy DM annihilation is completely dominated by $Zh$ channel. The latter produces a hard neutrino spectrum which has not been previously analyzed. We study the neutrino spectrum yielded by DM and recast Ice...

Stability of neutrino parameters and self-complementarity relation with varying SUSY breaking scale

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, K. Sashikanta; Roy, Subhankar; Singh, N. Nimai

2018-03-01

The scale at which supersymmetry (SUSY) breaks (ms) is still unknown. The present article, following a top-down approach, endeavors to study the effect of varying ms on the radiative stability of the observational parameters associated with the neutrino mixing. These parameters get additional contributions in the minimal supersymmetric model (MSSM). A variation in ms will influence the bounds for which the Standard Model (SM) and MSSM work and hence, will account for the different radiative contributions received from both sectors, respectively, while running the renormalization group equations (RGE). The present work establishes the invariance of the self complementarity relation among the three mixing angles, θ13+θ12≈θ23 against the radiative evolution. A similar result concerning the mass ratio, m2:m1 is also found to be valid. In addition to varying ms, the work incorporates a range of different seesaw (SS) scales and tries to see how the latter affects the parameters.

Nonconvergence of the plain Newton-min algorithm for linear complementarity problems with a P-matrix --- The full report.

OpenAIRE

Ben Gharbia , Ibtihel; Gilbert , Jean Charles

2012-01-01

The plain Newton-min algorithm to solve the linear complementarity problem (LCP for short) 0 ≤ x ⊥ (Mx+q) ≥ 0 can be viewed as a nonsmooth Newton algorithm without globalization technique to solve the system of piecewise linear equations min(x,Mx+q)=0, which is equivalent to the LCP. When M is an M-matrix of order n, the algorithm is known to converge in at most n iterations. We show in this paper that this result no longer holds when M is a P-matrix of order ≥ 3, since then the algorithm may...

Determination of GMPE functional form for an active region with limited strong motion data: application to the Himalayan region

Science.gov (United States)

Bajaj, Ketan; Anbazhagan, P.

2018-01-01

Advancement in the seismic networks results in formulation of different functional forms for developing any new ground motion prediction equation (GMPE) for a region. Till date, various guidelines and tools are available for selecting a suitable GMPE for any seismic study area. However, these methods are efficient in quantifying the GMPE but not for determining a proper functional form and capturing the epistemic uncertainty associated with selection of GMPE. In this study, the compatibility of the recent available functional forms for the active region is tested for distance and magnitude scaling. Analysis is carried out by determining the residuals using the recorded and the predicted spectral acceleration values at different periods. Mixed effect regressions are performed on the calculated residuals for determining the intra- and interevent residuals. Additionally, spatial correlation is used in mixed effect regression by changing its likelihood function. Distance scaling and magnitude scaling are respectively examined by studying the trends of intraevent residuals with distance and the trend of the event term with magnitude. Further, these trends are statistically studied for a respective functional form of a ground motion. Additionally, genetic algorithm and Monte Carlo method are used respectively for calculating the hinge point and standard error for magnitude and distance scaling for a newly determined functional form. The whole procedure is applied and tested for the available strong motion data for the Himalayan region. The functional form used for testing are five Himalayan GMPEs, five GMPEs developed under NGA-West 2 project, two from Pan-European, and one from Japan region. It is observed that bilinear functional form with magnitude and distance hinged at 6.5 M w and 300 km respectively is suitable for the Himalayan region. Finally, a new regression coefficient for peak ground acceleration for a suitable functional form that governs the attenuation

40 CFR 93.122 - Procedures for determining regional transportation-related emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... of transit currently is anticipated to be a significant factor in satisfying transportation demand... in the latest conforming TIP) with design concept and scope adequate to determine its contribution to... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Procedures for determining regional...

Beyond CDR-grafting: Structure-guided humanization of framework and CDR regions of an anti-myostatin antibody.

Science.gov (United States)

Apgar, James R; Mader, Michelle; Agostinelli, Rita; Benard, Susan; Bialek, Peter; Johnson, Mark; Gao, Yijie; Krebs, Mark; Owens, Jane; Parris, Kevin; St Andre, Michael; Svenson, Kris; Morris, Carl; Tchistiakova, Lioudmila

2016-10-01

Antibodies are an important class of biotherapeutics that offer specificity to their antigen, long half-life, effector function interaction and good manufacturability. The immunogenicity of non-human-derived antibodies, which can be a major limitation to development, has been partially overcome by humanization through complementarity-determining region (CDR) grafting onto human acceptor frameworks. The retention of foreign content in the CDR regions, however, is still a potential immunogenic liability. Here, we describe the humanization of an anti-myostatin antibody utilizing a 2-step process of traditional CDR-grafting onto a human acceptor framework, followed by a structure-guided approach to further reduce the murine content of CDR-grafted antibodies. To accomplish this, we solved the co-crystal structures of myostatin with the chimeric (Protein Databank (PDB) id 5F3B) and CDR-grafted anti-myostatin antibody (PDB id 5F3H), allowing us to computationally predict the structurally important CDR residues as well as those making significant contacts with the antigen. Structure-based rational design enabled further germlining of the CDR-grafted antibody, reducing the murine content of the antibody without affecting antigen binding. The overall "humanness" was increased for both the light and heavy chain variable regions.

Regional Disparities in Online Map User Access Volume and Determining Factors

Science.gov (United States)

Li, R.; Yang, N.; Li, R.; Huang, W.; Wu, H.

2017-09-01

The regional disparities of online map user access volume (use `user access volume' in this paper to indicate briefly) is a topic of growing interest with the increment of popularity in public users, which helps to target the construction of geographic information services for different areas. At first place we statistically analysed the online map user access logs and quantified these regional access disparities on different scales. The results show that the volume of user access is decreasing from east to the west in China as a whole, while East China produces the most access volume; these cities are also the crucial economic and transport centres. Then Principal Component Regression (PCR) is applied to explore the regional disparities of user access volume. A determining model for Online Map access volume is proposed afterwards, which indicates that area scale is the primary determining factor for regional disparities, followed by public transport development level and public service development level. Other factors like user quality index and financial index have very limited influence on the user access volume. According to the study of regional disparities in user access volume, map providers can reasonably dispatch and allocate the data resources and service resources in each area and improve the operational efficiency of the Online Map server cluster.

DETERMININGS OF FARM WORK ALLOCATION IN BRAZILIAN REGIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filipe de Morais Cangussu Pessoa

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper was to analyze the determinings of farm work allocation in Brazilian regions, based on micro data of National Household Sample Survey 2009. For that, the empirical procedure consisted in the use of two models: Confirmatory Factor Analysis and the Logit Model. The model Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed good fit and defined two latent variables: qualification and income. As to the Logit Model, the results showed that the fact of a man living in rural areas increases the likelihood of being allocated in farm work, however if he is white this probability decrease. Besides, the variables qualification and income have a negative relation with farm work allocation, being the Midwest region that contributed most for people being allocated in farm work.

Determinants of the Shadow Economy in the Czech Regions: A Region-Level Study

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Buček Jakub

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates the size and development of the shadow economy in the Czech Republic on the state-level base over the 2005-2014 period. The multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC model is used to assess the estimation of the shadow economy size. I investigate how labour market, number of people with at least one distraint, and the burden of taxation might contribute to the existence of the shadow economy. While the former two are important determinants of the shadow economy, I find no evidence to prove any significant impact of distraints on the shadow economy size. As for the country’s particular regions, I find that those surrounding big cities, especially Prague, have, on average, a smaller shadow economy size, whereas regions in the borderlands (former Sudetenland suffer from a larger shadow economy.

Comparative In silico Study of Sex-Determining Region Y (SRY) Protein Sequences Involved in Sex-Determining.

Science.gov (United States)

Vakili Azghandi, Masoume; Nasiri, Mohammadreza; Shamsa, Ali; Jalali, Mohsen; Shariati, Mohammad Mahdi

2016-04-01

The SRY gene (SRY) provides instructions for making a transcription factor called the sex-determining region Y protein. The sex-determining region Y protein causes a fetus to develop as a male. In this study, SRY of 15 spices included of human, chimpanzee, dog, pig, rat, cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep, horse, zebra, frog, urial, dolphin and killer whale were used for determine of bioinformatic differences. Nucleotide sequences of SRY were retrieved from the NCBI databank. Bioinformatic analysis of SRY is done by CLC Main Workbench version 5.5 and ClustalW (http:/www.ebi.ac.uk/clustalw/) and MEGA6 softwares. The multiple sequence alignment results indicated that SRY protein sequences from Orcinus orca (killer whale) and Tursiopsaduncus (dolphin) have least genetic distance of 0.33 in these 15 species and are 99.67% identical at the amino acid level. Homosapiens and Pantroglodytes (chimpanzee) have the next lowest genetic distance of 1.35 and are 98.65% identical at the amino acid level. These findings indicate that the SRY proteins are conserved in the 15 species, and their evolutionary relationships are similar.

Evaluating multiple determinants of the structure of plant-animal mutualistic networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Vázquez, Diego P; Chacoff, Natacha P; Cagnolo, Luciano

2009-08-01

The structure of mutualistic networks is likely to result from the simultaneous influence of neutrality and the constraints imposed by complementarity in species phenotypes, phenologies, spatial distributions, phylogenetic relationships, and sampling artifacts. We develop a conceptual and methodological framework to evaluate the relative contributions of these potential determinants. Applying this approach to the analysis of a plant-pollinator network, we show that information on relative abundance and phenology suffices to predict several aggregate network properties (connectance, nestedness, interaction evenness, and interaction asymmetry). However, such information falls short of predicting the detailed network structure (the frequency of pairwise interactions), leaving a large amount of variation unexplained. Taken together, our results suggest that both relative species abundance and complementarity in spatiotemporal distribution contribute substantially to generate observed network patters, but that this information is by no means sufficient to predict the occurrence and frequency of pairwise interactions. Future studies could use our methodological framework to evaluate the generality of our findings in a representative sample of study systems with contrasting ecological conditions.

An Empirical Analysis of Economic and Socio-Demographic Determinants of Entrepreneurship Across German Regions

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Mrożewski Matthias

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Entrepreneurship is fundamental for a country's economic development through its positive effect on innovation, productivity growth, and job creation. In entrepreneurial research, one of the most important problems is to define the factors that actually determine entrepreneurial action. This study analyzes that question in the case of Germany by taking an aggregated approach that focuses on socio-demographic and economic determinants of regional entrepreneurship. Based on a literature review of German and international regional-level research, six hypotheses are developed and empirically tested using the most recent available data on 385 German regions as units of analysis. The results are surprising. In the case of household income, unemployment, education and marital status the relationship is significant but contrary to earlier research. Only regional age structure seems to be a stable predictor of regional entrepreneurship. The results indicate that in recent years there was a major shift in the determinants and characteristics of entrepreneurship in Germany.

Moment Magnitude Determination for Marmara Region-Turkey Using Displacement Spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Köseoǧlu Küsmezer, Ayşegül; Meral Özel, Nurcan; Barış, Å.žErif; Üçer, S. Balamir; Ottemöller, Lars

2010-05-01

The main purpose of the study is to determine moment magnitude Mω using displacement source spectra of earthquakes occurred in Marmara Region. The region is the most densely populated and fast-developing part of Turkey, bounded by 39.0°N to 42.0°N and 26.0°E to 32.0°E, and have experienced major earthquake disasters during the last four centuries with destructive earthquakes and probabilistic seismic hazard studies shows that the region have significant probability of producing M>7 earthquake within the next years. Seismic moment is a direct measurement of earthquake size (rupture area and static displacement) and does not saturate, spectral analysis at local distances is a very useful method which allows the reliable determination of seismic moment and moment magnitude. We have used converging grid search method developed by L. Ottemöller, and J. Havskov, 2008 for the automatic determination of moment magnitude for local distances. For data preperation; the time domain signal of S waves were extracted from the vertical component seismograms.Data was transformed from time to frequency domain by applying the standart fast fourier transform (fft). Source parameters and moment magnitudes of earthquakes are determined by applying spectral fitting procedure to classical Brune's model. The method is first manually and then automatically performed on the source spectrum of S waves within 20 sec. Mo and fc (Aki;1967, and Brune;1970) were determined by using the method which the model space is divided into a grid and the error function detected for all grid points. A smaller grid with denser spacing around the best solution is generated with an iterative procedure. The moment magnitudes of the earthquakes have been calculated according to the scale of Kanamori (1977) and Hanks and Kanamori (1979). A data set of 279 events recorded on broadband velocity seismograms extracted from KOERI (Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute) seismic network were

Working Group Report: Dark Matter Complementarity (Dark Matter in the Coming Decade: Complementary Paths to Discovery and Beyond)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arrenberg, Sebastian; et al.,

2013-10-31

In this Report we discuss the four complementary searches for the identity of dark matter: direct detection experiments that look for dark matter interacting in the lab, indirect detection experiments that connect lab signals to dark matter in our own and other galaxies, collider experiments that elucidate the particle properties of dark matter, and astrophysical probes sensitive to non-gravitational interactions of dark matter. The complementarity among the different dark matter searches is discussed qualitatively and illustrated quantitatively in several theoretical scenarios. Our primary conclusion is that the diversity of possible dark matter candidates requires a balanced program based on all four of those approaches.

Comparison of household consumption and regional production approaches to assess urban energy use and implications for policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baynes, Timothy; Lenzen, Manfred; Steinberger, Julia K.; Bai Xuemei

2011-01-01

Assessment of urban energy use may proceed by a number of methods. Here we derive an energy account from local statistics, and compare them with an input output (IO) analysis as applied to Melbourne, Australia. These approaches highlight different aspects of urban energy use and comparable outputs are presented together to assess consistency, to identify complementarities and discuss the insight each approach brings to understanding urban energy. The IO method captures the direct and embodied primary energy requirements of local household expenditure (235.8 GJ/capita/year) while the regional assessment more directly accounts for local production activity (258.1 GJ/capita/year). The parity of these results is unexpected for a developed city with a strong tertiary sector. Sectoral detail reveals differences between the primary energy required by Melbourne's economic structure and that ultimately required through the full supply chain relating to household expenditure. This is accompanied by an IO analysis of the geography of Melbourne's 'energy catchment'. It is suggested that the IO consumption and regional production approaches have particular relevance to policies aimed at consumption behaviour and economic (re)structuring, respectively. Their complementarity further suggests that a combined analysis would be valuable in understanding urban energy futures and economic transitions elsewhere. - Highlights: → We compare an IO approach and a regional assessment of an urban energy use case. → Unusually, regional assessment of the primary energy use exceeds that from IO. → Sectoral and geographical detail reveals the urban consumption/production character. → We discuss the relative merits and policy utility of the different methods. → A combined approach is recommended for urban energy and economic transitions.

Spontaneous Activity Associated with Delusions of Schizophrenia in the Left Medial Superior Frontal Gyrus: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bin Gao

Full Text Available Delusions of schizophrenia have been found to be associated with alterations of some brain regions in structure and task-induced activation. However, the relationship between spontaneously occurring symptoms and spontaneous brain activity remains unclear. In the current study, 14 schizophrenic patients with delusions and 14 healthy controls underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI scan. Patients with delusions of schizophrenia patients were rated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS and Characteristics of Delusional Rating Scale (CDRS. Regional homogeneity (ReHo was calculated to measure the local synchronization of the spontaneous activity in a voxel-wise way. A two-sample t-test showed that ReHo of the right anterior cingulate gyrus and left medial superior frontal gyrus were higher in patients, and ReHo of the left superior occipital gyrus was lower, compared to healthy controls. Further, among patients, correlation analysis showed a significant difference between delusion scores of CRDS and ReHo of brain regions. ReHo of the left medial superior frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with patients' CDRS scores but not with delusional PANSS scores. These results suggested that altered local synchronization of spontaneous brain activity may be related to the pathophysiology of delusion in schizophrenia.

Spontaneous Activity Associated with Delusions of Schizophrenia in the Left Medial Superior Frontal Gyrus: A Resting-State fMRI Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Bin; Wang, Yiquan; Liu, Weibo; Chen, Zhiyu; Zhou, Heshan; Yang, Jinyu; Cohen, Zachary; Zhu, Yihong; Zang, Yufeng

2015-01-01

Delusions of schizophrenia have been found to be associated with alterations of some brain regions in structure and task-induced activation. However, the relationship between spontaneously occurring symptoms and spontaneous brain activity remains unclear. In the current study, 14 schizophrenic patients with delusions and 14 healthy controls underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) scan. Patients with delusions of schizophrenia patients were rated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Characteristics of Delusional Rating Scale (CDRS). Regional homogeneity (ReHo) was calculated to measure the local synchronization of the spontaneous activity in a voxel-wise way. A two-sample t-test showed that ReHo of the right anterior cingulate gyrus and left medial superior frontal gyrus were higher in patients, and ReHo of the left superior occipital gyrus was lower, compared to healthy controls. Further, among patients, correlation analysis showed a significant difference between delusion scores of CRDS and ReHo of brain regions. ReHo of the left medial superior frontal gyrus was negatively correlated with patients' CDRS scores but not with delusional PANSS scores. These results suggested that altered local synchronization of spontaneous brain activity may be related to the pathophysiology of delusion in schizophrenia.

Comparative Results of AIRS/AMSU and CrIS/ATMS Retrievals Using a Scientifically Equivalent Retrieval Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Susskind, Joel; Kouvaris, Louis; Iredell, Lena

2016-01-01

The AIRS Science Team Version-6 retrieval algorithm is currently producing high quality level-3 Climate Data Records (CDRs) from AIRS/AMSU which are critical for understanding climate processes. The AIRS Science Team is finalizing an improved Version-7 retrieval algorithm to reprocess all old and future AIRS data. AIRS CDRs should eventually cover the period September 2002 through at least 2020. CrIS/ATMS is the only scheduled follow on to AIRS/AMSU. The objective of this research is to prepare for generation of long term CrIS/ATMS CDRs using a retrieval algorithm that is scientifically equivalent to AIRS/AMSU Version-7.

Avaliação da Introdução Precoce da Alimentação Complementar em Crianças de 0 a 24 meses Atendidas em uma Unidade Básica de Saúde

OpenAIRE

Adriana Morellato; Jussara Carnevale Almeida; Nêmora Cabistani

2009-01-01

Objetivo: Verificar a frequência, os principais alimentos e motivos da introdução precoce da alimentação complementar, além do uso de mamadeira e chupeta em crianças de 0 a 24 meses. Métodos: Estudo transversal com crianças de 0 a 24 meses de idade atendidas numa Unidade Básica de Saúde. No período de junho a agosto de 2006, aplicou-se um questionário às mães ou acompanhantes sobre a alimentação complementar das crianças. Foi considerada precoce a introdução de alimentos sólidos e/ou líqui...

Convergent evolution of chromosomal sex-determining regions in the animal and fungal kingdoms.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James A Fraser

2004-12-01

Full Text Available Sexual identity is governed by sex chromosomes in plants and animals, and by mating type (MAT loci in fungi. Comparative analysis of the MAT locus from a species cluster of the human fungal pathogen Cryptococcus revealed sequential evolutionary events that fashioned this large, highly unusual region. We hypothesize that MAT evolved via four main steps, beginning with acquisition of genes into two unlinked sex-determining regions, forming independent gene clusters that then fused via chromosomal translocation. A transitional tripolar intermediate state then converted to a bipolar system via gene conversion or recombination between the linked and unlinked sex-determining regions. MAT was subsequently subjected to intra- and interallelic gene conversion and inversions that suppress recombination. These events resemble those that shaped mammalian sex chromosomes, illustrating convergent evolution in sex-determining structures in the animal and fungal kingdoms.

Electricity and the Technology–Skill Complementarity: Evidence from the Swedish Industrial Census of 1931

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svante Prado

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Notwithstanding the popularity among economists of attributing the surging inequality of recent decades to technology–skill complementarity, researchers with a keen eye on history have been reluctant to pick up this thread. This paper joins Claudia Goldin and Lawrence Katz’s attempt to examine the role of electrification as an example of a technology that is complementary to workers’ rising skill levels. Sweden electrified manufacturing processes rapidly in the first quarter of the twentieth century, while the supply of skills through secondary education only increased significantly in the 1950s. We use industry-specific information from the Swedish Industrial Census of 1931 to establish whether electricity and the use of white-collar workers correlated positively. The results indicate that the correlation was positive, but the estimated effect was rather small. Moreover, the available evidence for skill ratios does not suggest that inequality, thus measured, increased. We conclude that labor market institutions prevented—and also overturned—the inequality push emanating from technology.

Regional determinants of FDI in China: a factor-based approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Martijn A. Boermans; Zhang Yi; Hein Roelfsema

2011-01-01

We empirically investigate the factors that drive the uneven regional distribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) across Chinese provinces from 1995 to 2006. We first perform a factor analysis to summarize information embodied in around 40 variables and derive four FDI determinants:

Significant Differences in Physicochemical Properties of Human Immunoglobulin Kappa and Lambda CDR3 Regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Townsend, Catherine L; Laffy, Julie M J; Wu, Yu-Chang Bryan; Silva O'Hare, Joselli; Martin, Victoria; Kipling, David; Fraternali, Franca; Dunn-Walters, Deborah K

2016-01-01

Antibody variable regions are composed of a heavy and a light chain, and in humans, there are two light chain isotypes: kappa and lambda. Despite their importance in receptor editing, the light chain is often overlooked in the antibody literature, with the focus being on the heavy chain complementarity-determining region (CDR)-H3 region. In this paper, we set out to investigate the physicochemical and structural differences between human kappa and lambda light chain CDR regions. We constructed a dataset containing over 29,000 light chain variable region sequences from IgM-transcribing, newly formed B cells isolated from human bone marrow and peripheral blood. We also used a published human naïve dataset to investigate the CDR-H3 properties of heavy chains paired with kappa and lambda light chains and probed the Protein Data Bank to investigate the structural differences between kappa and lambda antibody CDR regions. We found that kappa and lambda light chains have very different CDR physicochemical and structural properties, whereas the heavy chains with which they are paired do not differ significantly. We also observed that the mean CDR3 N nucleotide addition in the kappa, lambda, and heavy chain gene rearrangements are correlated within donors but can differ between donors. This indicates that terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase may work with differing efficiencies between different people but the same efficiency in the different classes of immunoglobulin chain within one person. We have observed large differences in the physicochemical and structural properties of kappa and lambda light chain CDR regions. This may reflect different roles in the humoral immune response.

Comparative In silico Study of Sex-Determining Region Y (SRY Protein Sequences Involved in Sex-Determining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masoume Vakili Azghandi

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background: The SRY gene (SRY provides instructions for making a transcription factor called the sex-determining region Y protein. The sex-determining region Y protein causes a fetus to develop as a male. In this study, SRY of 15 spices included of human, chimpanzee, dog, pig, rat, cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep, horse, zebra, frog, urial, dolphin and killer whale were used for determine of bioinformatic differences. Methods: Nucleotide sequences of SRY were retrieved from the NCBI databank. Bioinformatic analysis of SRY is done by CLC Main Workbench version 5.5 and ClustalW (http:/www.ebi.ac.uk/clustalw/ and MEGA6 softwares. Results: The multiple sequence alignment results indicated that SRY protein sequences from Orcinus orca (killer whale and Tursiopsaduncus (dolphin have least genetic distance of 0.33 in these 15 species and are 99.67% identical at the amino acid level. Homosapiens and Pantroglodytes (chimpanzee have the next lowest genetic distance of 1.35 and are 98.65% identical at the amino acid level. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the SRY proteins are conserved in the 15 species, and their evolutionary relationships are similar.

Fungicidal activity of peptides encoded by immunoglobulin genes

OpenAIRE

Polonelli, Luciano; Ciociola, Tecla; Sperind?, Martina; Giovati, Laura; D?Adda, Tiziana; Galati, Serena; Travassos, Luiz R.; Magliani, Walter; Conti, Stefania

2017-01-01

Evidence from previous works disclosed the antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-tumour and/or immunomodulatory activity exerted, through different mechanisms of action, by peptides expressed in the complementarity-determining regions or even in the constant region of antibodies, independently from their specificity and isotype. Presently, we report the selection, from available databases, of peptide sequences encoded by immunoglobulin genes for the evaluation of their potential biological activitie...

Identification of the UBP1 locus as a critical blood pressure determinant using a combination of mouse and human genetics

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Koutnikova, Hana; Laakso, Markku; Lu, Lu

2009-01-01

complementarities of mouse and human genetic approaches, identifies the UBP1 locus as a critical blood pressure determinant. UBP1 plays a role in cholesterol and steroid metabolism via the transcriptional activation of CYP11A, the rate-limiting enzyme in pregnenolone and aldosterone biosynthesis. We suggest......Hypertension is a major health problem of largely unknown genetic origins. To identify new genes responsible for hypertension, genetic analysis of recombinant inbred strains of mice followed by human association studies might prove powerful and was exploited in our current study. Using a set of 27...... recombinant BXD strains of mice we identified a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for blood pressure (BP) on distal chromosome 9. The association analysis of markers encompassing the syntenic region on human chromosome 3 gave in an additive genetic model the strongest association for rs17030583 C/T and rs2291897...

Avaliação da introdução precoce da alimentação complementar em crianças de 0 a 24 meses atendidas em uma unidade básica de saúde

OpenAIRE

Morellato, Adriana; Cabistani, Nêmora Moraes; Almeida, Jussara Carnevale de

2009-01-01

Objetivo: Verificar a frequência, os principais alimentos e motivos da introdução precoce da alimentação complementar, além do uso de mamadeira e chupeta em crianças de 0 a 24 meses. Métodos: Estudo transversal com crianças de 0 a 24 meses de idade atendidas numa Unidade Básica de Saúde. No período de junho a agosto de 2006, aplicou-se um questionário às mães ou acompanhantes sobre a alimentação complementar das crianças. Foi considerada precoce a introdução de alimentos sólidos e/ou líquidos...

DETERMINANTS OF MILK PRODUCTION IN EURO-REGIONS WITH VERY BIG MILK FARMS AFTER 2004

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Śmigla

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The main objective of the paper was to determine the diversity and factors deciding about the variation in milk production in selected EU macro-regions. Differentiation was determined using cluster analysis, which allowed for the creation of five homogeneous groups of regions. Based on the results of factor analysis factors having a decisive influence on the processes of economic adjustment of very large dairy farms were identified. Additionally, the European macro-regions that developed most after 2004 were mentioned, alongside with those that worsened their competitive position.

Consumer Preferences Determine Resilience of Ecological-Economic Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stefan Baumgärtner

2011-12-01

Full Text Available We perform a model analysis to study the origins of limited resilience in coupled ecological-economic systems. We demonstrate that under open access to ecosystems for profit-maximizing harvesting forms, the resilience properties of the system are essentially determined by consumer preferences for ecosystem services. In particular, we show that complementarity and relative importance of ecosystem services in consumption may significantly decrease the resilience of (almost any given state of the system. We conclude that the role of consumer preferences and management institutions is not just to facilitate adaptation to, or transformation of, some natural dynamics of ecosystems. Rather, consumer preferences and management institutions are themselves important determinants of the fundamental dynamic characteristics of coupled ecological-economic systems, such as limited resilience.

Measuring the globalization of cities from the new regionalism perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Ergüzel, Oylum Şehvez; Tunahan, Hakan; Esen, Sinan

2016-01-01

The study aims to analyze the export performance of countries and of cities within them to identify synchronized or unsynchronized movement between them. In the empirical part of the study, the measurements used to analyze the export performance of the countries included in the literature are applied to establish the export performance of a single city-Sakarya, Turkey. These measurements include the Herfindahl-Hirchman product and market concentration indices, the Lawrence index, the trade complementarity index, and the Grubel-Lloyd intra-industry index, as well as additional indicators with local or regional contexts. The limited number of studies analyzing the export competitiveness of a single city with relevant formats in the literature reveal the significance of the study.

Determining the regional potential for a grass biomethane industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smyth, Beatrice M.; Smyth, Henry; Murphy, Jerry D.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → We identified assessment criteria for determining the regional potential for grass biomethane. → Grass biomethane is distributed via the natural gas grid. → The criteria include: land use; grass yields; gas grid coverage; availability of co-substrates. → The county with the highest potential can fuel 50% of cars or supply 130% of domestic gas consumption. - Abstract: Grass biogas/biomethane has been put forward as a renewable energy solution and it has been shown to perform well in terms of energy balance, greenhouse gas emissions and policy constraints. Biofuel and energy crop solutions are country-specific and grass biomethane has strong potential in countries with temperate climates and a high proportion of grassland, such as Ireland. For a grass biomethane industry to develop in a country, suitable regions (i.e. those with the highest potential) must be identified. In this paper, factors specifically related to the assessment of the potential of a grass biogas/biomethane industry are identified and analysed. The potential for grass biogas and grass biomethane is determined on a county-by-county basis using multi-criteria decision analysis. Values are assigned to each county and ratings and weightings applied to determine the overall county potential. The potential for grass biomethane with co-digestion of slaughter waste (belly grass) is also determined. The county with the highest potential (Limerick) is analysed in detail and is shown to have ready potential for production of gaseous biofuel to meet either 50% of the vehicle fleet or 130% of the domestic natural gas demand, through 25 facilities at a scale of ca. 30 kt yr -1 of feedstock. The assessment factors developed in this paper can be used in other resource studies into grass biomethane or other energy crops.

The determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in the Middle East North Africa region

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rogmans, T.J.; Ebbers, H.A.

2006-01-01

Although, there has been increasing interest in the determinants of Foreign Direct Investment in emerging markets, FDI into the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region has so far received little attention among academics. The MENA region provides a useful ground for the testing of traditional

Determination of the Regional Economy Leading Sectors in Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fitri Amalia

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Economic growth and its process are the main condition for the sustainability of the regional economic development. Because of the continuing population growth means economic needs also increase so that additional revenue required each year. This can be obtained by the increase in aggregate output (goods and services or the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP each year. To carry out development with limited resources as a consequence should be focused to develop the sectors that provide great multiplier effect on other sectors or the whole economy. This research is focused to determine the regional leading sector of Bone Bolango as the information and considerations in planning economic development. Location Quotient (LQ and Shift Share are tools of analysis. Location Quotient analysis indicates agriculture, manufacture, finance, leasing and corporate services are base sectors in the Bone Bolango district. Shift Share analysis indicates that the competitive sectors are finance, leasing and corporate services. The results of the analysis based on three analysis tools indicate that the leading sector with the criteria developed, base, and competitive is finance and services sector.

Response-based selection of barley cultivars and legume species for complementarity: Root morphology and exudation in relation to nutrient source.

Science.gov (United States)

Giles, Courtney D; Brown, Lawrie K; Adu, Michael O; Mezeli, Malika M; Sandral, Graeme A; Simpson, Richard J; Wendler, Renate; Shand, Charles A; Menezes-Blackburn, Daniel; Darch, Tegan; Stutter, Marc I; Lumsdon, David G; Zhang, Hao; Blackwell, Martin S A; Wearing, Catherine; Cooper, Patricia; Haygarth, Philip M; George, Timothy S

2017-02-01

Phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) use efficiency may be improved through increased biodiversity in agroecosystems. Phenotypic variation in plants' response to nutrient deficiency may influence positive complementarity in intercropping systems. A multicomponent screening approach was used to assess the influence of P supply and N source on the phenotypic plasticity of nutrient foraging traits in barley (H. vulgare L.) and legume species. Root morphology and exudation were determined in six plant nutrient treatments. A clear divergence in the response of barley and legumes to the nutrient treatments was observed. Root morphology varied most among legumes, whereas exudate citrate and phytase activity were most variable in barley. Changes in root morphology were minimized in plants provided with ammonium in comparison to nitrate but increased under P deficiency. Exudate phytase activity and pH varied with legume species, whereas citrate efflux, specific root length, and root diameter lengths were more variable among barley cultivars. Three legume species and four barley cultivars were identified as the most responsive to P deficiency and the most contrasting of the cultivars and species tested. Phenotypic response to nutrient availability may be a promising approach for the selection of plant combinations for minimal input cropping systems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Application of cyanuric chloride-based six new chiral derivatizing reagents having amino acids and amino acid amides as chiral auxiliaries for enantioresolution of proteinogenic amino acids by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhushan, Ravi; Dixit, Shuchi

2012-04-01

Six dichloro-s-triazine (DCT) reagents having L-Leu, D-Phg, L-Val, L-Met, L-Ala and L-Met-NH(2) as chiral auxiliaries in cyanuric chloride were introduced for enantioseparation of 13 proteinogenic amino acids. Four other DCTs and six monochloro-s-triazine (MCT) reagents having amino acid amides as chiral auxiliaries were also synthesized. These 16 chiral derivatizing reagents (CDRs) were used for synthesis of diastereomers of all the 13 analytes using microwave irradiation, which were resolved by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) using C18 column and gradient eluting mixture of aqueous TFA and acetonitrile with UV detection at 230 nm. It required only 60-90 s for derivatization using microwave irradiation. Better resolution and lower retention times were observed for the diastereomers prepared with CDRs having amino acids as chiral auxiliaries as compared to counterparts prepared with reagents having amino acid amides as chiral auxiliaries. As the best resolution of all the 13 analytes was observed for their diastereomers prepared using the DCT reagent having L-Leu as chiral auxiliary, this CDR was further employed for derivatization of Lys, Tyr, His and Arg followed by RP-HPLC analysis of resulting diastereomers. The results are discussed in light of acid and amide groups of chiral auxiliaries constituting CDRs, electronegativities of the atoms of achiral moieties constituting CDRs and hydrophobicities of side chains of amino acids constituting CDRs and analytes.

Supporting Sensemaking of Complex Objects with Visualizations: Visibility and Complementarity of Interactions

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Kamran Sedig

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Making sense of complex objects is difficult, and typically requires the use of external representations to support cognitive demands while reasoning about the objects. Visualizations are one type of external representation that can be used to support sensemaking activities. In this paper, we investigate the role of two design strategies in making the interactive features of visualizations more supportive of users’ exploratory needs when trying to make sense of complex objects. These two strategies are visibility and complementarity of interactions. We employ a theoretical framework concerned with human–information interaction and complex cognitive activities to inform, contextualize, and interpret the effects of the design strategies. The two strategies are incorporated in the design of Polyvise, a visualization tool that supports making sense of complex four-dimensional geometric objects. A mixed-methods study was conducted to evaluate the design strategies and the overall usability of Polyvise. We report the findings of the study, discuss some implications for the design of visualization tools that support sensemaking of complex objects, and propose five design guidelines. We anticipate that our results are transferrable to other contexts, and that these two design strategies can be used broadly in visualization tools intended to support activities with complex objects and information spaces.

Selective amplification of T-cell receptor variable region species is demonstrable but not essential in early lesions of psoriasis vulgaris: analysis by anchored polymerase chain reaction and hypervariable region size spectratyping.

Science.gov (United States)

Vekony, M A; Holder, J E; Lee, A J; Horrocks, C; Eperon, I C; Camp, R D

1997-07-01

Several groups have investigated the role of T cells in the pathogenesis of psoriasis by determination of T-cell receptor (TCR) B-chain variable (V) region usage, both in chronic plaque (psoriasis vulgaris) and guttate forms, with various results. Because there are no data on TCR expression in early psoriasis vulgaris, when specific cellular immune events may be expected to be most pronounced, we have analyzed early lesions (less than 3 wk old) of ten patients, with highly reproducible results. We have developed a highly controlled anchored polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method in which TCR beta chain species are all amplified with the same primer pair and products are quantified by dot blot hybridization with BV family-specific oligonucleotide probes. Overexpression of certain TCR BV genes was observed in the majority of lesional biopsies, but in samples in which the expanded BV family formed more than 10% of total lesional BV (half of the samples analyzed), BV2 and BV6 predominated. The consistency of overexpression of these BV species between patients was much less than in previous studies of TCRBV usage in established chronic plaque psoriasis lesions. Complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) size spectratyping demonstrated evidence for selective clonal T cell accumulation in less than half of the lesional samples showing BV expansion. These results indicate that selective amplification of TCRBV species occurs in early psoriasis vulgaris but is not essential to the pathogenic process and may be more important in the maintenance or expansion of chronic lesions.

ON REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN DETERMINANTS OF SICK LEAVE FREQUENCY FOR CLEANING WORKERS IN TWO REGIONS OF THE NETHERLANDS : A COMPARATIVE STUDY

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Beemsterboer, Willibrord; Stewart, Roy; Groothoff, Johan; Nijhuis, Frans

2009-01-01

Objectives: To explore regional differences in the effects of the sick leave frequency determinants between two homogeneous groups of workers from two comparable socio-economic regions in the Netherlands, namely Utrecht and South Limburg. Materials and Methods: Data on sick leave frequency for 137

Complementarity of hydro and wind power: Improving the risk profile of energy inflows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Denault, Michel; Dupuis, Debbie; Couture-Cardinal, Sebastien

2009-01-01

The complementarity of two renewable energy sources, namely hydro and wind, is investigated. We consider the diversification effect of wind power to reduce the risk of water inflow shortages, an important energy security concern for hydropower-based economic zones (e.g. Quebec and Norway). Our risk measure is based on the probability of a production deficit, in a manner akin to the value-at-risk, simulation analysis of financial portfolios. We examine whether the risk level of a mixed hydro-and-wind portfolio of generating assets improves on the risk of an all-hydro portfolio, by relaxing the dependence on water inflows and attenuating the impact of droughts. Copulas are used to model the dependence between the two sources of energy. The data considered, over the period 1958-2003, are for the province of Quebec, which possesses large hydro and wind resources. Our results indicate that for all scenarios considered, any proportion of wind up to 30% improves the production deficit risk profile of an all-hydro system. We can also estimate the value, in TW h, of any additional one percent of wind in the portfolio. (author)

Complementarity of DM searches in a consistent simplified model: the case of Z′

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacques, Thomas; Katz, Andrey; Morgante, Enrico; Racco, Davide; Rameez, Mohamed; Riotto, Antonio

2016-01-01

We analyze the constraints from direct and indirect detection on fermionic Majorana Dark Matter (DM). Because the interaction with the Standard Model (SM) particles is spin-dependent, a priori the constraints that one gets from neutrino telescopes, the LHC, direct and indirect detection experiments are comparable. We study the complementarity of these searches in a particular example, in which a heavy Z ′ mediates the interactions between the SM and the DM. We find that for heavy dark matter indirect detection provides the strongest bounds on this scenario, while IceCube bounds are typically stronger than those from direct detection. The LHC constraints are dominant for smaller dark matter masses. These light masses are less motivated by thermal relic abundance considerations. We show that the dominant annihilation channels of the light DM in the Sun and the Galactic Center are either bb̄ or tt̄, while the heavy DM annihilation is completely dominated by Zh channel. The latter produces a hard neutrino spectrum which has not been previously analyzed. We study the neutrino spectrum yielded by DM and recast IceCube constraints to allow proper comparison with constraints from direct and indirect detection experiments and LHC exclusions.

Molecular evidence for ongoing complementarity and horizontal gene transfer in endosymbiotic systems of mealybugs

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Sergio eLópez-Madrigal

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Intracellular bacterial supply of essential amino acids is common among sap-feeding insects, thus complementing the scarcity of nitrogenous compounds in plant phloem. This is also the role of the two mealybug endosymbiotic systems whose genomes have been sequenced. In the nested endosymbiotic system from Planococcus citri (Pseudococcinae, Candidatus Tremblaya princeps and Candidatus Moranella endobia cooperate to synthesize essential amino acids, while in Phenacoccus avenae (Phenacoccinae this function is performed by its single endosymbiont Candidatus Tremblaya phenacola. However, little is known regarding the evolution of essential amino acid supplementation strategies in other mealybug systems. To address this knowledge gap, we screened for the presence of six selected loci involved in essential amino acid biosynthesis in five additional mealybug species. We found evidence of ongoing complementarity among endosymbionts from insects of subfamily Pseudococcinae, as well as horizontal gene transfer affecting endosymbionts from insects of family Phenacoccinae, providing a more comprehensive picture of the evolutionary history of these endosymbiotic systems. Additionally, we report two diagnostic motifs to help identify invasive mealybug species.

Black hole formation and space-time fluctuations in two dimensional dilaton gravity and complementarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, S.R.; Mukherji, S.

1994-01-01

We study black hole formation in a model of two dimensional dilaton gravity and 24 massless scalar fields with a boundary. We find the most general boundary condition consistent with perfect reflection of matter and the constraints. We show that in the semiclassical approximation and for the generic value of a parameter which characterizes the boundary conditions, the boundary starts receding to infinity at the speed of light whenever the total energy of the incoming matter flux exceeds a certain critical value. This is also the critical energy which marks the onset of black hole formation. We then compute the quantum fluctuations of the boundary and of the rescaled scalar curvature and show that as soon as the incoming energy exceeds this critical value, and asymptotic observer using normal time resolutions will always measure large quantum fluctuations of space-time near the horizon, even though the freely falling observer does not. This is an aspect of black hole complementarity relating directly to quantum gravity effects. (author). 30 refs, 4 figs

On the connection between complementarity and uncertainty principles in the Mach–Zehnder interferometric setting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bosyk, G M; Portesi, M; Holik, F; Plastino, A

2013-01-01

We revisit the connection between the complementarity and uncertainty principles of quantum mechanics within the framework of Mach–Zehnder interferometry. We focus our attention on the trade-off relation between complementary path information and fringe visibility. This relation is equivalent to the uncertainty relation of Schrödinger and Robertson for a suitably chosen pair of observables. We show that it is equivalent as well to the uncertainty inequality provided by Landau and Pollak. We also study the relationship of this trade-off relation with a family of entropic uncertainty relations based on Rényi entropies. There is no equivalence in this case, but the different values of the entropic parameter do define regimes that provides us with a tool to discriminate between non-trivial states of minimum uncertainty. The existence of such regimes agrees with previous results of Luis (2011 Phys. Rev. A 84 034101), although their meaning was not sufficiently clear. We discuss the origin of these regimes with the intention of gaining a deeper understanding of entropic measures. (paper)

Use of the azimuthal resistivity technique for determination of regional azimuth of transmissivity

Science.gov (United States)

Carlson, D.

2010-01-01

Many bedrock units contain joint sets that commonly act as preferred paths for the movement of water, electrical charge, and possible contaminants associated with production or transit of crude oil or refined products. To facilitate the development of remediation programs, a need exists to reliably determine regional-scale properties of these joint sets: azimuth of transmissivity ellipse, dominant set, and trend(s). The surface azimuthal electrical resistivity survey method used for local in situ studies can be a noninvasive, reliable, efficient, and relatively cost-effective method for regional studies. The azimuthal resistivity survey method combines the use of standard resistivity equipment with a Wenner array rotated about a fixed center point, at selected degree intervals, which yields an apparent resistivity ellipse from which joint-set orientation can be determined. Regional application of the azimuthal survey method was tested at 17 sites in an approximately 500 km2 (193 mi2) area around Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with less than 15m (50 ft) overburden above the dolomite. Results of 26 azimuthal surveys were compared and determined to be consistent with the results of two other methods: direct observation of joint-set orientation and transmissivity ellipses from multiple-well-aquifer tests. The average of joint-set trend determined by azimuthal surveys is within 2.5?? of the average of joint-set trend determined by direct observation of major joint sets at 24 sites. The average of maximum of transmissivity trend determined by azimuthal surveys is within 5.7?? of the average of maximum of transmissivity trend determined for 14 multiple-well-aquifer tests. Copyright ?? 2010 The American Association of Petroleum Geologists/Division of Environmental Geosciences. All rights reserved.

[Santiago Ramón y Cajal and Ivan Petrovich Pavlov: does complementarity exist between their theories?].

Science.gov (United States)

Rozo, Jairo A; Rodríguez-Moreno, Antonio

2015-08-01

Few authors have compared the life and work of Cajal and Pavlov and they refer normally to their coincidence at the XIV Medicine International Congress of Madrid in 1903. To describe the theoretical models of both authors and to explain the possible complementarities between the works of Cajal and Pavlov. We describe the principal bases of the 'neuron theory' of Cajal, compared to the 'reticulated theory', the principal results of Cajal's investigations and the contributions he made to the concept of plasticity. We describe the 'Pavlov's conditional reflections theory', its principal postulates, pavlovians laws and the typology of the nervous system according to Pavlov. The works of Cajal and Pavlov can be understood as complementary under Wallon's proposal and in the frame of the 'strategic epistemology', where the advance of the science is achieved from different but complementary strategies that help each other to construct stronger theoretical models.

As práticas integrativas e complementares grupais e sua inserção nos serviços de saúde da atenção básica

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Maria Valquíria Nogueira do Nascimento

Full Text Available Resumo O presente estudo teve como objetivo discutir a inserção das Práticas Integrativas e Complementares Grupais nos serviços de saúde da atenção básica. Para tanto, foram realizadas seis entrevistas e duas rodas de conversa, totalizando a participação de 57 profissionais nas referidas práticas. Dos 66 equipamentos contactados, 37 realizavam alguma ação integrativa ou complementar de natureza coletiva, com 15 modalidades de PIC's grupais diferentes, a saber: relaxamento, meditação e yoga, tai chi chuan, grupos de suporte mútuo, cuidadores de Alzheimer, tenda do conto, grupo de prosa com mulheres, grupo de bordadeiras, grupo de idosos, grupo de caminhadas, grupo de terapia e arte, grupos de contação de histórias, terapia comunitária e teatro do oprimido. As PIC's grupais favorecem abordagens mais complexas sobre o processo saúde-doença e abrem o campo explicativo para os outros paradigmas distintos da biomedicina.

Recomendações para alimentação complementar de crianças menores de dois anos Recommendations for the complementary feeding of children under age two years

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mara Cláudia Azevedo Pinto Dias

2010-06-01

Full Text Available O presente estudo teve por objetivo revisar as recomendações atuais sobre a alimentação complementar de crianças menores de dois anos a partir da pesquisa em banco de dados - SciELO, MedLine e Lilacs - e de publicações da Organização Mundial da Saúde e do Ministério da Saúde. Utilizou-se o descritor desmame ou weaning e definiram-se os limites de crianças de 0 a 23 meses, período de publicação de 2002 a 2006 e idioma de redação em português, inglês e espanhol. Nos últimos anos acumularam-se evidências científicas sobre a importância da amamentação exclusiva nos primeiros seis meses, da alimentação complementar oportuna e da manutenção do aleitamento materno até os dois anos ou mais. A alimentação complementar adequada deve compreender alimentos ricos em energia, proteína e micronutrientes, sem contaminação, sem excesso de sal ou condimentos, em quantidade apropriada, fáceis de preparar, assegurando-se a consistência e a densidade energética adequadas. A família tem papel decisivo na formação de novos hábitos, no autocontrole da ingestão alimentar e na formação de um padrão de comportamento alimentar que pode ser adequado ou não. A introdução da alimentação complementar é uma etapa crítica e vários são os prejuízos do aleitamento artificial e da introdução precoce e/ou inadequada dos alimentos. Aos profissionais da saúde cabe orientar os pais quanto às práticas da alimentação complementar apropriada e orientar as ações governamentais, tendo como objetivo máximo o crescimento e o desenvolvimento pleno das crianças menores de dois anos.The objective of the present study was to review the current recommendations on the complementary feeding of children younger than two years of age. The keyword weaning was used to search the databases SciELO, MedLine and Lilacs for articles on the subject. Publications from the World Health Organization and the Brazilian Ministry of Health were also

Density of bunched threading dislocations in epitaxial GaN layers as determined using X-ray diffraction

Science.gov (United States)

Barchuk, M.; Holý, V.; Rafaja, D.

2018-04-01

X-ray diffraction is one of the most popular experimental methods employed for determination of dislocation densities, as it can recognize both the strain fields and the local lattice rotations produced by dislocations. The main challenge of the quantitative analysis of the dislocation density is the formulation of a suitable microstructure model, which describes the dislocation arrangement and the effect of the interactions between the strain fields from neighboring dislocations reliably in order to be able to determine the dislocation densities precisely. The aim of this study is to prove the capability of X-ray diffraction and two computational methods, which are frequently used for quantification of the threading dislocation densities from X-ray diffraction measurements, in the special case of partially bunched threading dislocations. The first method is based on the analysis of the dislocation-controlled crystal mosaicity, and the other one on the analysis of diffuse X-ray scattering from threading dislocations. The complementarity of both methods is discussed. Furthermore, it is shown how the complementarity of these methods can be used to improve the results of the quantitative analysis of bunched and thus inhomogeneously distributed threading dislocations and to get a better insight into the dislocation arrangement.

Role of Russia in development of intra-regional integration process between countries of Central Asia

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Nureddin Kayumovich Kayumov

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The character of partnership of Central Asia countries is described. Prosperity of each of these countries for natural resources is analyzed. Is highlighted that the countries of region complete each other in the context of resources. In order to resist a negative influence of globalization, countries of a region should become integrated using complementarity of their economic potentials. The countries of region derived from the USSR productions united into the single technological and transport net. Meanwhile, there were more disintegration processes in the last years. China placed into the region very big investments. Chinese capital is being placed in Tajikistan, for example, into energetic, road building, agriculture. Position of Russia in the region is feeble. Critically is evaluated economic cooperation of the region with non-CIS states. Leader of integration in the region can become Russia. It is reasonable to use Russia for the organization of links. The positiveinfluence of policy of tsarist Russia on theregion in theforetimeis underlined. External and internal factors of disintegration in the region are analyzed. It is supposed to create within the SCO a research fund for solving scientific problems of an international character

An algorithm for determination of peak regions and baseline elimination in spectroscopic data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morhac, Miroslav

2009-01-01

In the paper we propose a new algorithm for the determination of peaks containing regions and their separation from peak-free regions. Further based on this algorithm we propose a new background elimination algorithm which allows more accurate estimate of the background beneath the peaks than the algorithms known so far. The algorithm is based on a clipping operation with the window adjustable automatically to the widths of identified peak regions. The illustrative examples presented in the paper prove in favor of the proposed algorithms.

Increased frontal sleep slow wave activity in adolescents with major depression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Noemi Tesler

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Sleep slow wave activity (SWA, the major electrophysiological characteristic of deep sleep, mirrors both cortical restructuring and functioning. The incidence of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD substantially rises during the vulnerable developmental phase of adolescence, where essential cortical restructuring is taking place. The goal of this study was to assess characteristics of SWA topography in adolescents with MDD, in order to assess abnormalities in both cortical restructuring and functioning on a local level. All night high-density EEG was recorded in 15 patients meeting DSM-5 criteria for MDD and 15 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. The actual symptom severity was assessed using the Children's Depression Rating Scale—Revised (CDRS-R. Topographical power maps were calculated based on the average SWA of the first non-rapid eye movement (NREM sleep episode. Depressed adolescents exhibited significantly more SWA in a cluster of frontal electrodes compared to controls. SWA over frontal brain regions correlated positively with the CDRS-R subscore “morbid thoughts”. Self-reported sleep latency was significantly higher in depressed adolescents compared to controls whereas sleep architecture did not differ between the groups. Higher frontal SWA in depressed adolescents may represent a promising biomarker tracing cortical regions of intense use and/or restructuring.

[Determination of wine original regions using information fusion of NIR and MIR spectroscopy].

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Ling-Li; Li, Meng-Hua; Li, Jing-Mingz; Li, Jun-Hui; Zhang, Lu-Da; Zhao, Long-Lian

2014-10-01

Geographical origins of wine grapes are significant factors affecting wine quality and wine prices. Tasters' evaluation is a good method but has some limitations. It is important to discriminate different wine original regions quickly and accurately. The present paper proposed a method to determine wine original regions based on Bayesian information fusion that fused near-infrared (NIR) transmission spectra information and mid-infrared (MIR) ATR spectra information of wines. This method improved the determination results by expanding the sources of analysis information. NIR spectra and MIR spectra of 153 wine samples from four different regions of grape growing were collected by near-infrared and mid-infrared Fourier transform spe trometer separately. These four different regions are Huailai, Yantai, Gansu and Changli, which areall typical geographical originals for Chinese wines. NIR and MIR discriminant models for wine regions were established using partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) based on NIR spectra and MIR spectra separately. In PLS-DA, the regions of wine samples are presented in group of binary code. There are four wine regions in this paper, thereby using four nodes standing for categorical variables. The output nodes values for each sample in NIR and MIR models were normalized first. These values stand for the probabilities of each sample belonging to each category. They seemed as the input to the Bayesian discriminant formula as a priori probability value. The probabilities were substituteed into the Bayesian formula to get posterior probabilities, by which we can judge the new class characteristics of these samples. Considering the stability of PLS-DA models, all the wine samples were divided into calibration sets and validation sets randomly for ten times. The results of NIR and MIR discriminant models of four wine regions were as follows: the average accuracy rates of calibration sets were 78.21% (NIR) and 82.57% (MIR), and the

Regional economic integration in Great East Asia: determinants and barriers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Volodymyr Korol

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The article studies both general trends and peculiar characteristics of processes of economic integration in the Great East Asia, which plays the role of one of the major centers of contemporary global development. The basic determinants and barriers for implementation of regional strategies by China, Japan, ASEAN that will influence the geo-economic policy of Ukraine not only in East Asian, but also European and Eurasian areas. Attention is focused on the basic principles of realized and potential future integration models in the "ASEAN+" format with variable composition of member states that correspond to different extents to strategic objectives of both specified key actors in the region and extra-regional states that have global and transnational interests. Extrapolation of dominant trends in the nature and dynamics of transformation processes of East Asian economic regionalization allowed forming a forecast for the longterm conservation of importance of free trade agreements in the absence of preconditions to create customs unions. At the same time it was stressed out that proper assurance of national interests of international economic relations will be based on contractual instruments at the international level, without creating institutional and legal superstructure similar to the European Union or the Eurasian Economic Union as supranational law and supranational bodies.

Protein-protein docking using region-based 3D Zernike descriptors.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkatraman, Vishwesh; Yang, Yifeng D; Sael, Lee; Kihara, Daisuke

2009-12-09

Protein-protein interactions are a pivotal component of many biological processes and mediate a variety of functions. Knowing the tertiary structure of a protein complex is therefore essential for understanding the interaction mechanism. However, experimental techniques to solve the structure of the complex are often found to be difficult. To this end, computational protein-protein docking approaches can provide a useful alternative to address this issue. Prediction of docking conformations relies on methods that effectively capture shape features of the participating proteins while giving due consideration to conformational changes that may occur. We present a novel protein docking algorithm based on the use of 3D Zernike descriptors as regional features of molecular shape. The key motivation of using these descriptors is their invariance to transformation, in addition to a compact representation of local surface shape characteristics. Docking decoys are generated using geometric hashing, which are then ranked by a scoring function that incorporates a buried surface area and a novel geometric complementarity term based on normals associated with the 3D Zernike shape description. Our docking algorithm was tested on both bound and unbound cases in the ZDOCK benchmark 2.0 dataset. In 74% of the bound docking predictions, our method was able to find a near-native solution (interface C-alphaRMSD 3D Zernike descriptors are adept in capturing shape complementarity at the protein-protein interface and useful for protein docking prediction. Rigorous benchmark studies show that our docking approach has a superior performance compared to existing methods.

Fertility determinants in the oil region of Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Pick, J B; Tellis, G L; Butler, E W

1989-01-01

This study analyzes fertility determinants in the oil region of Mexico, consisting of the states of Veracruz, Tabasco, and Campeche. Data are from the 1980 Mexican census and the unit of analysis is the municipio. The regression models, in which the dependent variables of children ever born and child-woman ratio are examined, reveal religious variables to be most significant, with greater fertility for non-Catholics and persons with no religion than for Catholics. Also of great importance are economic variables. Literacy and urbanization, both "classical" Mexican fertility variables, reduce fertility. There are major differences among three urban/rural and three indigenous language subsamples. Results are discussed vis-a-vis demographic theories and prior research.

Sovereignty, Protection and the Limits to Regional Refugee Status Determination Arrangements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Dehm

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This case note explores the recent Australian High Court decision of Plaintiff M70/2011 v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, which declared a proposed regional refugee status determination arrangement between Australia and Malaysia to be unlawful under Australian law. While the decision was determined by the specific statutory construction of Australian's migration legislation, it nonetheless draws attention to the legal character of what constitutes 'protection' under international refugee law and suggests the necessary legal and factual conditions that must exist in a 'third country' in order for any transfer of refugee processing and recognition procedures to be seen to satisfy Convention obligations. It thus represents a significant judicial challenge to the contemporary trend pursued by wealthy industrialised nations in the Global North towards erecting barriers for accessing domestic asylum regimes and adopting policies that in effect outsource and extraterritorialise asylum processing under the guise of 'burden sharing' or regional 'harmonisation'. This case note reads the decision as a particular re-articulation of sovereign authority, borders, belonging and place-making.

Label-free detection of sex determining region Y (SRY) via capacitive biosensor

KAUST Repository

Sivashankar, Shilpa; Sapsanis, Christos; Agambayev, Sumeyra; Buttner, Ulrich; Salama, Khaled N.

2016-01-01

In this work, we present for the first time, the use of a simple fractal capacitive biosensor for the quantification and detection of sex-determining region Y (SRY) genes. This section of genetic code, which is found on the Y chromosome, finds

Prehospital factors determining regional variation in thrombolytic therapy in acute ischemic stroke

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lahr, Maarten M.H.; Vroomen, P.C.A.J.; Luijckx, Gert-Jan; van der Zee, Durk-Jouke; de Vos, Ronald; Buskens, Erik

2014-01-01

Background Treatment rates with intravenous tissue plasminogen activator vary by region, which can be partially explained by organizational models of stroke care. A recent study demonstrated that prehospital factors determine a higher thrombolysis rate in a centralized vs. decentralized model in the

Evaluating and Extending the Ocean Wind Climate Data Record

Science.gov (United States)

Ricciardulli, Lucrezia; Rodriguez, Ernesto; Stiles, Bryan W.; Bourassa, Mark A.; Long, David G.; Hoffman, Ross N.; Stoffelen, Ad; Verhoef, Anton; O'Neill, Larry W.; Farrar, J. Tomas; Vandemark, Douglas; Fore, Alexander G.; Hristova-Veleva, Svetla M.; Turk, F. Joseph; Gaston, Robert; Tyler, Douglas

2017-01-01

Satellite microwave sensors, both active scatterometers and passive radiometers, have been systematically measuring near-surface ocean winds for nearly 40 years, establishing an important legacy in studying and monitoring weather and climate variability. As an aid to such activities, the various wind datasets are being intercalibrated and merged into consistent climate data records (CDRs). The ocean wind CDRs (OW-CDRs) are evaluated by comparisons with ocean buoys and intercomparisons among the different satellite sensors and among the different data providers. Extending the OW-CDR into the future requires exploiting all available datasets, such as OSCAT-2 scheduled to launch in July 2016. Three planned methods of calibrating the OSCAT-2 σo measurements include 1) direct Ku-band σo intercalibration to QuikSCAT and RapidScat; 2) multisensor wind speed intercalibration; and 3) calibration to stable rainforest targets. Unfortunately, RapidScat failed in August 2016 and cannot be used to directly calibrate OSCAT-2. A particular future continuity concern is the absence of scheduled new or continuation radiometer missions capable of measuring wind speed. Specialized model assimilations provide 30-year long high temporal/spatial resolution wind vector grids that composite the satellite wind information from OW-CDRs of multiple satellites viewing the Earth at different local times. PMID:28824741

Transcription Restores DNA Repair to Heterochromatin, Determining Regional Mutation Rates in Cancer Genomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christina L. Zheng

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Somatic mutations in cancer are more frequent in heterochromatic and late-replicating regions of the genome. We report that regional disparities in mutation density are virtually abolished within transcriptionally silent genomic regions of cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs arising in an XPC−/− background. XPC−/− cells lack global genome nucleotide excision repair (GG-NER, thus establishing differential access of DNA repair machinery within chromatin-rich regions of the genome as the primary cause for the regional disparity. Strikingly, we find that increasing levels of transcription reduce mutation prevalence on both strands of gene bodies embedded within H3K9me3-dense regions, and only to those levels observed in H3K9me3-sparse regions, also in an XPC-dependent manner. Therefore, transcription appears to reduce mutation prevalence specifically by relieving the constraints imposed by chromatin structure on DNA repair. We model this relationship among transcription, chromatin state, and DNA repair, revealing a new, personalized determinant of cancer risk.

Regional respiratory inflation and deflation pressure-volume curves determined by electrical impedance tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Frerichs, I; Dargaville, P A; Rimensberger, P C

2013-06-01

Measurement of regional lung volume changes during a quasi-static pressure-volume (PV) manoeuvre using electrical impedance tomography (EIT) could be used to assess regional respiratory system mechanics and to determine optimal ventilator settings in individual patients. Using this approach, we studied regional respiratory system mechanics in healthy and lung-injured animals, before and after surfactant administration during inflation and deflation PV manoeuvres. The comparison of the EIT-derived regional PV curves in ventral, middle and dorsal regions of the right and left lungs showed not only different amounts of hysteresis in these regions but also marked differences among different landmark pressures calculated on the inflation and deflation limbs of the curves. Regional pressures at maximum compliance as well as the lower and upper pressures of maximum compliance change differed between the inflation and deflation and increased from ventral to dorsal regions in all lung conditions. All these pressure values increased in the injured and decreased in the surfactant treated lungs. Examination of regional respiratory system mechanics using EIT enables the assessment of spatial and temporal heterogeneities in the ventilation distribution. Characteristic landmarks on the inflation and especially on the deflation limb of regional PV curves may become useful measures for guiding mechanical ventilation.

Regional respiratory inflation and deflation pressure–volume curves determined by electrical impedance tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frerichs, I; Dargaville, P A; Rimensberger, P C

2013-01-01

Measurement of regional lung volume changes during a quasi-static pressure–volume (PV) manoeuvre using electrical impedance tomography (EIT) could be used to assess regional respiratory system mechanics and to determine optimal ventilator settings in individual patients. Using this approach, we studied regional respiratory system mechanics in healthy and lung-injured animals, before and after surfactant administration during inflation and deflation PV manoeuvres. The comparison of the EIT-derived regional PV curves in ventral, middle and dorsal regions of the right and left lungs showed not only different amounts of hysteresis in these regions but also marked differences among different landmark pressures calculated on the inflation and deflation limbs of the curves. Regional pressures at maximum compliance as well as the lower and upper pressures of maximum compliance change differed between the inflation and deflation and increased from ventral to dorsal regions in all lung conditions. All these pressure values increased in the injured and decreased in the surfactant treated lungs. Examination of regional respiratory system mechanics using EIT enables the assessment of spatial and temporal heterogeneities in the ventilation distribution. Characteristic landmarks on the inflation and especially on the deflation limb of regional PV curves may become useful measures for guiding mechanical ventilation. (paper)

Molecular characterization of monoclonal antibodies that inhibit acetylcholinesterase by targeting the peripheral site and backdoor region.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yves Bourne

Full Text Available The inhibition properties and target sites of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs Elec403, Elec408 and Elec410, generated against Electrophorus electricus acetylcholinesterase (AChE, have been defined previously using biochemical and mutagenesis approaches. Elec403 and Elec410, which bind competitively with each other and with the peptidic toxin inhibitor fasciculin, are directed toward distinctive albeit overlapping epitopes located at the AChE peripheral anionic site, which surrounds the entrance of the active site gorge. Elec408, which is not competitive with the other two mAbs nor fasciculin, targets a second epitope located in the backdoor region, distant from the gorge entrance. To characterize the molecular determinants dictating their binding site specificity, we cloned and sequenced the mAbs; generated antigen-binding fragments (Fab retaining the parental inhibition properties; and explored their structure-function relationships using complementary x-ray crystallography, homology modeling and flexible docking approaches. Hypermutation of one Elec403 complementarity-determining region suggests occurrence of antigen-driven selection towards recognition of the AChE peripheral site. Comparative analysis of the 1.9Å-resolution structure of Fab408 and of theoretical models of its Fab403 and Fab410 congeners evidences distinctive surface topographies and anisotropic repartitions of charges, consistent with their respective target sites and inhibition properties. Finally, a validated, data-driven docking model of the Fab403-AChE complex suggests a mode of binding at the PAS that fully correlates with the functional data. This comprehensive study documents the molecular peculiarities of Fab403 and Fab410, as the largest peptidic inhibitors directed towards the peripheral site, and those of Fab408, as the first inhibitor directed toward the backdoor region of an AChE and a unique template for the design of new, specific modulators of AChE catalysis.

Determinants of immigrants’ entry to homeownership in three Nordic capital city regions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kauppinen, Timo; Andersen, Hans Skifter; Hedman, Lina

2015-01-01

is not only a function of differences in economic resources. These studies have largely focused on Anglo-American contexts, using mostly cross-sectional data. We apply survival analysis methods to analyse the determinants of entry to homeownership in the capital regions of three Nordic countries – Denmark...

The determinants of the location of foreign direct investment in UK regions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Dimitropoulou, Dimitra; McCann, Philip; Burke, Simon P.

2013-01-01

This article employs a database of over 2000 observations of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects in UK regions. We analyse this data by means of various multinomial and conditional logit models in order to identify the major determinants of the location choices of these inward investments.

The role of complementarity and partner brand price level in new product introduction strategy using bundle offers: A study on the quality perception of bundle components.

OpenAIRE

Khandeparkar, Kapil

2014-01-01

New products are often bundled with strong brands as an introduction strategy. This study helps to understand the scenarios which will be most beneficial to both the products in the bundle. The enhancement effect and categorisation theory is used to explain that the new product's quality perception is higher when it is bundled with a strong brand of a higher price and this effect is moderated by the complementarity of the bundled components. Also, the quality perception of the strong brand is...

Single-photon tomographic determination of regional cerebral blood flow in epilepsy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonte, F.J.; Devous, M.D. Sr.; Stokely, E.M.; Homan, R.W.

1983-01-01

Using a single-photon emission computed tomographic scanner (SPECT) the authors determined regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with inhaled xenon-133, a noninvasive procedure. Studies were performed in 40 normal individuals, and these were compared with rCBF determinations in 51 patients with seizure disorders. Although positive results were obtained in 15 of 16 patients with mass lesions, the group of principal interest comprised 25 patients suffering from ''temporal lobe'' epilepsy. Only one of these had a positive x-ray computed tomogram, but 16 had positive findings on rCBF study. These findings included increased local blood flow in the ictal state and reduced flow interictally

The Role of mDia1 in the Aberrant Innate Immune Signaling in del(5q) Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

chromosome 5q (del(5q)). There are two common deleted regions (CDRs) identified on 5q: a distal locus that is often deleted in 5q- syndrome with good ...chromosome 5q being the most common . Our recently published work demonstrated that loss of mDia1, a protein with its encoding genes located at chromosome 5...is the most common cytogenetic abnormality in patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). We discovered in 2014 that CD14 was aberrantly

Contribuições para a construção da Nutrição Complementar Integrada

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thaisa Santos Navolar

Full Text Available Toma-se por objeto a existência pouco estudada de outras racionalidades nutricionais distintas da biomédica, comumente inseridas nas chamadas práticas e medicinas tradicionais e/ou complementares. A hipótese é a de que essas outras lógicas alimentares são relevantes em si, merecem estudo, e sua tematização pode contribuir para a promoção da segurança alimentar e nutricional, a educação em saúde e o enriquecimento das práticas dos profissionais no Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS. O objetivo é contextualizar a aproximação dessas ideias e práticas e apresentar um primeiro desenvolvimento de tal hipótese. Revisita-se o modelo biomédico, dominante na nutrição, defendendo a necessidade de se ampliar essa perspectiva. Combinam-se a categoria "racionalidade médica" e as noções de modelos e correntes alimentares para um mapeamento preliminar das racionalidades e correntes alimentares em foco.

Determining long-term regional erosion rates using impact craters

Science.gov (United States)

Hergarten, Stefan; Kenkmann, Thomas

2015-04-01

More than 300,000 impact craters have been found on Mars, while the surface of Moon's highlands is even saturated with craters. In contrast, only 184 impact craters have been confirmed on Earth so far with only 125 of them exposed at the surface. The spatial distribution of these impact craters is highly inhomogeneous. Beside the large variation in the age of the crust, consumption of craters by erosion and burial by sediments are the main actors being responsible for the quite small and inhomogeneous crater record. In this study we present a novel approach to infer long-term average erosion rates at regional scales from the terrestrial crater inventory. The basic idea behind this approach is a dynamic equilibrium between the production of new craters and their consumption by erosion. It is assumed that each crater remains detectable until the total erosion after the impact exceeds a characteristic depth depending on the crater's diameter. Combining this model with the terrestrial crater production rate, i.e., the number of craters per unit area and time as a function of their diameter, allows for a prediction of the expected number of craters in a given region as a function of the erosion rate. Using the real crater inventory, this relationship can be inverted to determine the regional long-term erosion rate and its statistical uncertainty. A limitation by the finite age of the crust can also be taken into account. Applying the method to the Colorado Plateau and the Deccan Traps, both being regions with a distinct geological history, yields erosion rates in excellent agreement with those obtained by other, more laborious methods. However, these rates are formally exposed to large statistical uncertainties due to the small number of impact craters. As higher crater densities are related to lower erosion rates, smaller statistical errors can be expected when large regions in old parts of the crust are considered. Very low long-term erosion rates of less than 4

Regional analysis of potential polychlorinated biphenyl degrading bacterial strains from China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jianjun Shuai

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs, the chlorinated derivatives of biphenyl, are one of the most prevalent, highly toxic and persistent groups of contaminants in the environment. The objective of this study was to investigate the biodegradation of PCBs in northeastern (Heilongjiang Province, northern (Shanxi Province and eastern China (Shanghai municipality. From these areas, nine soil samples were screened for PCB-degrading bacteria using a functional complementarity method. The genomic 16S rDNA locus was amplified and the products were sequenced to identify the bacterial genera. Seven Pseudomonas strains were selected to compare the capacity of bacteria from different regions to degrade biphenyl by HPLC. Compared to the biphenyl content in controls of 100%, the biphenyl content went down to 3.7% for strain P9-324, 36.3% for P2-11, and 20.0% for the other five strains. These results indicate that a longer processing time led to more degradation of biphenyl. PCB-degrading bacterial strains are distributed differently in different regions of China.

ECOLOGICAL STABILITY AS A DETERMINANT OF NITRA REGION DEVELOPMENT IN SLOVAKIA

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Marián KOTRLA

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Nitra region is evaluated based on the analysis of land use ecological stability in the present article, which is significant for its development, particularly in terms of increasing potential for tourism. The coefficient of ecological stability (CES was used to evaluate the ecological stability of the region as a relatively simple ecological indicator for quality of life determination in the region. Three basic methods were used of calculating CES according to the methodology Míchal (1982, Löw et al. (1984 and Miklós (1986. The districts of Nitra region differs by natural conditions from each other. There are represented three types of natural areas: foothill (Zlaté Moravce, upland (Nitra, Levice, Topoľčany and lowland area (Šaľa, Nové Zámky, Komárom. The highest value of CES was in the district of Zlaté Moravce. A higher value of CES was in the district of Topoľčany. The lowest value of CES was evaluated in the district of Šaľa, where do absent ecologically stable elements. Nitra region is classifies as an area of low to median ecological stability, which is critical to the improvement and development of the region need to make eco-stabilizing elements and eco-stabilizing management measures. On the basis of country originality can be expressed the impact of human activity on the landscape and its features. Originality coefficient of the cultural landscape for individual districts of Nitra region is following: Komárno and Levice - 0.16; Nitra - 0.17; Nové Zámky - 0.15; Šaľa - 0.07; Topoľčany - 0.56; Zlaté Moravce - 1.49. Slovakia is in terms of the authenticity of cultural landscapes evaluated coefficient of 2.01. Based on the analysis it can be concluded heterogeneity in the origin of cultural landscapes in the Nitra region.

Determinants of Banking System Fragility : A Regional Perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Degryse, H.A.; Elahi, M.A.; Penas, M.F.

2012-01-01

Abstract: Banking systems are fragile not only within one country but also within and across regions. We study the role of regional banking system characteristics for regional banking system fragility. We find that regional banking system fragility reduces when banks in the region jointly hold more

Numerical code to determine the particle trapping region in the LISA machine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azevedo, M.T. de; Raposo, C.C. de; Tomimura, A.

1984-01-01

A numerical code is constructed to determine the trapping region in machine like LISA. The variable magnetic field is two deimensional and is coupled to the Runge-Kutta through the Tchebichev polynomial. Various particle orbits including particle interactions were analysed. Beside this, a strong electric field is introduced to see the possible effects happening inside the plasma. (Author) [pt

A method of acoustic wave registration and determination their generation region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozin, I.D.; Marchenko, M.V.

1998-01-01

Here is presented a method of acoustic wave registration with using of a synchronous LF broadcasting system. This method of detection and determination of underground nuclear explosion location is based on a registration of ionospheric disturbances induced by acoustic waves at the region of LF sign al reflection. The measuring complex created in the institute of the Ionosphere /1/ allows to register amplitude-frequency characteristics of composite signal from synchronous broadcasting net

Regional differences in brain glucose metabolism determined by imaging mass spectrometry

OpenAIRE

André Kleinridders; Heather A. Ferris; Michelle L. Reyzer; Michaela Rath; Marion Soto; M. Lisa Manier; Jeffrey Spraggins; Zhihong Yang; Robert C. Stanton; Richard M. Caprioli; C. Ronald Kahn

2018-01-01

Objective: Glucose is the major energy substrate of the brain and crucial for normal brain function. In diabetes, the brain is subject to episodes of hypo- and hyperglycemia resulting in acute outcomes ranging from confusion to seizures, while chronic metabolic dysregulation puts patients at increased risk for depression and Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, we aimed to determine how glucose is metabolized in different regions of the brain using imaging mass spectrometry (IMS). Metho...

Genome-Wide Spectra of Transcription Insertions and Deletions Reveal That Slippage Depends on RNA:DNA Hybrid Complementarity.

Science.gov (United States)

Traverse, Charles C; Ochman, Howard

2017-08-29

Advances in sequencing technologies have enabled direct quantification of genome-wide errors that occur during RNA transcription. These errors occur at rates that are orders of magnitude higher than rates during DNA replication, but due to technical difficulties such measurements have been limited to single-base substitutions and have not yet quantified the scope of transcription insertions and deletions. Previous reporter gene assay findings suggested that transcription indels are produced exclusively by elongation complex slippage at homopolymeric runs, so we enumerated indels across the protein-coding transcriptomes of Escherichia coli and Buchnera aphidicola , which differ widely in their genomic base compositions and incidence of repeat regions. As anticipated from prior assays, transcription insertions prevailed in homopolymeric runs of A and T; however, transcription deletions arose in much more complex sequences and were rarely associated with homopolymeric runs. By reconstructing the relocated positions of the elongation complex as inferred from the sequences inserted or deleted during transcription, we show that continuation of transcription after slippage hinges on the degree of nucleotide complementarity within the RNA:DNA hybrid at the new DNA template location. IMPORTANCE The high level of mistakes generated during transcription can result in the accumulation of malfunctioning and misfolded proteins which can alter global gene regulation and in the expenditure of energy to degrade these nonfunctional proteins. The transcriptome-wide occurrence of base substitutions has been elucidated in bacteria, but information on transcription insertions and deletions-errors that potentially have more dire effects on protein function-is limited to reporter gene constructs. Here, we capture the transcriptome-wide spectrum of insertions and deletions in Escherichia coli and Buchnera aphidicola and show that they occur at rates approaching those of base substitutions

Nucleotide sequence determination of the region in adenovirus 5 DNA involved in cell transformation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maat, J.

1978-01-01

A description is given of investigations into the primary structure of the transforming region of adenovirus type 5 DNA. The phenomenon of cell transformation is discussed in general terms and the principles of a number of fairly recent techniques, which have been in use for DNA sequence determination since 1975 are dealt with. A few of the author's own techniques are described which deal both with nucleotide sequence analysis and with the determination of DNA cleavage sites of restriction endonucleases. The results are given of the mapping of cleavage sites in the HpaI-E fragment of adenovirus DNA of HpaII, HaeIII, AluI, HinfI and TaqI and of the determination of the nucleotide sequence in the transforming region of adenovirus type 5 DNA. The results of the sequence determination of the Ad5 HindIII-G fragment are discussed in relation with the investigation on the transforming proteins isolated from in vitro and in vivo synthesizing systems. Labelling procedures of DNA are described including the exonuclease III/DNA polymerase 1 method and TA polynucleotide kinase labelling of DNA fragments. (Auth.)

Determination of haplotypes at structurally complex regions using emulsion haplotype fusion PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Tyson, Jess; Armour, John A L

2012-12-11

Genotyping and massively-parallel sequencing projects result in a vast amount of diploid data that is only rarely resolved into its constituent haplotypes. It is nevertheless this phased information that is transmitted from one generation to the next and is most directly associated with biological function and the genetic causes of biological effects. Despite progress made in genome-wide sequencing and phasing algorithms and methods, problems assembling (and reconstructing linear haplotypes in) regions of repetitive DNA and structural variation remain. These dynamic and structurally complex regions are often poorly understood from a sequence point of view. Regions such as these that are highly similar in their sequence tend to be collapsed onto the genome assembly. This is turn means downstream determination of the true sequence haplotype in these regions poses a particular challenge. For structurally complex regions, a more focussed approach to assembling haplotypes may be required. In order to investigate reconstruction of spatial information at structurally complex regions, we have used an emulsion haplotype fusion PCR approach to reproducibly link sequences of up to 1kb in length to allow phasing of multiple variants from neighbouring loci, using allele-specific PCR and sequencing to detect the phase. By using emulsion systems linking flanking regions to amplicons within the CNV, this led to the reconstruction of a 59kb haplotype across the DEFA1A3 CNV in HapMap individuals. This study has demonstrated a novel use for emulsion haplotype fusion PCR in addressing the issue of reconstructing structural haplotypes at multiallelic copy variable regions, using the DEFA1A3 locus as an example.

Determination of haplotypes at structurally complex regions using emulsion haplotype fusion PCR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tyson Jess

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Genotyping and massively-parallel sequencing projects result in a vast amount of diploid data that is only rarely resolved into its constituent haplotypes. It is nevertheless this phased information that is transmitted from one generation to the next and is most directly associated with biological function and the genetic causes of biological effects. Despite progress made in genome-wide sequencing and phasing algorithms and methods, problems assembling (and reconstructing linear haplotypes in regions of repetitive DNA and structural variation remain. These dynamic and structurally complex regions are often poorly understood from a sequence point of view. Regions such as these that are highly similar in their sequence tend to be collapsed onto the genome assembly. This is turn means downstream determination of the true sequence haplotype in these regions poses a particular challenge. For structurally complex regions, a more focussed approach to assembling haplotypes may be required. Results In order to investigate reconstruction of spatial information at structurally complex regions, we have used an emulsion haplotype fusion PCR approach to reproducibly link sequences of up to 1kb in length to allow phasing of multiple variants from neighbouring loci, using allele-specific PCR and sequencing to detect the phase. By using emulsion systems linking flanking regions to amplicons within the CNV, this led to the reconstruction of a 59kb haplotype across the DEFA1A3 CNV in HapMap individuals. Conclusion This study has demonstrated a novel use for emulsion haplotype fusion PCR in addressing the issue of reconstructing structural haplotypes at multiallelic copy variable regions, using the DEFA1A3 locus as an example.

Multiple determinants of whole and regional brain volume among terrestrial carnivorans.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eli M Swanson

Full Text Available Mammalian brain volumes vary considerably, even after controlling for body size. Although several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this variation, most research in mammals on the evolution of encephalization has focused on primates, leaving the generality of these explanations uncertain. Furthermore, much research still addresses only one hypothesis at a time, despite the demonstrated importance of considering multiple factors simultaneously. We used phylogenetic comparative methods to investigate simultaneously the importance of several factors previously hypothesized to be important in neural evolution among mammalian carnivores, including social complexity, forelimb use, home range size, diet, life history, phylogeny, and recent evolutionary changes in body size. We also tested hypotheses suggesting roles for these variables in determining the relative volume of four brain regions measured using computed tomography. Our data suggest that, in contrast to brain size in primates, carnivoran brain size may lag behind body size over evolutionary time. Moreover, carnivore species that primarily consume vertebrates have the largest brains. Although we found no support for a role of social complexity in overall encephalization, relative cerebrum volume correlated positively with sociality. Finally, our results support negative relationships among different brain regions after accounting for overall endocranial volume, suggesting that increased size of one brain regions is often accompanied by reduced size in other regions rather than overall brain expansion.

Impact of MicroRNA Levels, Target-Site Complementarity, and Cooperativity on Competing Endogenous RNA-Regulated Gene Expression.

Science.gov (United States)

Denzler, Rémy; McGeary, Sean E; Title, Alexandra C; Agarwal, Vikram; Bartel, David P; Stoffel, Markus

2016-11-03

Expression changes of competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) have been proposed to influence microRNA (miRNA) activity and thereby regulate other transcripts containing miRNA-binding sites. Here, we find that although miRNA levels define the extent of repression, they have little effect on the magnitude of the ceRNA expression change required to observe derepression. Canonical 6-nt sites, which typically mediate modest repression, can nonetheless compete for miRNA binding, with potency ∼20% of that observed for canonical 8-nt sites. In aggregate, low-affinity/background sites also contribute to competition. Sites with extensive additional complementarity can appear as more potent, but only because they induce miRNA degradation. Cooperative binding of proximal sites for the same or different miRNAs does increase potency. These results provide quantitative insights into the stoichiometric relationship between miRNAs and target abundance, target-site spacing, and affinity requirements for ceRNA-mediated gene regulation, and the unusual circumstances in which ceRNA-mediated gene regulation might be observed. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electricity generation cost in isolated system: The complementarities of natural gas and renewables in the Canary Islands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marrero, Gustavo A. [Facultad de Ciencias Economicas, Campus de Guajara, Universidad de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands) (Spain); Fundacion de Estudios de Economia Aplicada (FEDEA), C/Jorge Juan 46, 28001 Madrid (Spain); Ramos-Real, Francisco Javier [Facultad de Ciencias Economicas, Campus de Guajara, Universidad de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands) (Spain); Instituto Universitario de Desarrollo Regional, Facultad de Ciencias Economicas, Campus de Guajara, Universidad de La Laguna, 38071 Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands) (Spain)

2010-12-15

The Canary Islands offer an example of an isolated electric grid of relative important size within the EU. Due to its peculiarities, the role of renewable energies and their complementarity with fossil fuels offers a solid path to achieving the main energy policy goals of the Islands. The purpose of this paper is to assess the current situation and the energy objectives proposed in the Energy Plan of the Canaries (PECAN, 2006) for the electricity industry, taking into account the average cost and the risk associated with the different alternatives for generating electricity by means of the Mean-Variance Portfolio Theory. Our analysis highlights the inefficiency of the current electricity generating mix in terms of cost, risk and lack of diversification. Shifting toward an efficient system would involve optimizing the use of endogenous energy sources and introducing natural gas to generate electricity. This scenario would mean reducing both cost and risk by almost 30% each, as well as atmospheric CO{sub 2} emissions. Our results agree with the PECAN philosophy. (author)

O enoturismo em Portugal : da "cultura" do vinho ao vinho como cultura : a oferta enoturística nacional e as suas implicações no desenvolvimento local e regional

OpenAIRE

Vaz, Ana Isabel Inácio Gomes da Silva Lopes, 1974-

2008-01-01

Tese de doutoramento, Geografia (Planeamento Regional e Urbano), 2009, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Letras O Enoturismo é um fenómeno característico de Modernidade, com uma dupla valência e significado: constitui-se como uma actividade turística complementar à oferta turística nacional, predominantemente balnear. Encerra produtos turísticos onde o interesse pelo conhecimento do vinho e da vinha nas suas dimensões material, cultural e gastronómica, ou seja, simbólica, se materializa...

Determination of thicknesses and temperatures of crystalline silicon wafers from optical measurements in the far infrared region

Science.gov (United States)

Franta, Daniel; Franta, Pavel; Vohánka, Jiří; Čermák, Martin; Ohlídal, Ivan

2018-05-01

Optical measurements of transmittance in the far infrared region performed on crystalline silicon wafers exhibit partially coherent interference effects appropriate for the determination of thicknesses of the wafers. The knowledge of accurate spectral and temperature dependencies of the optical constants of crystalline silicon in this spectral region is crucial for the determination of its thickness and vice versa. The recently published temperature dependent dispersion model of crystalline silicon is suitable for this purpose. Because the linear thermal expansion of crystalline silicon is known, the temperatures of the wafers can be determined with high precision from the evolution of the interference patterns at elevated temperatures.

Situação da alimentação complementar de crianças entre 6 e 24 meses assistidas na Rede de Atenção Básica de Saúde de Macaé, RJ, Brasil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leticia Maia Forte Marinho

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Resumo O estudo objetivou analisar a situação da alimentação complementar de crianças entre 6-24 meses assistidas na Atenção Básica de Saúde de Macaé/RJ. Realizou-se um estudo seccional e os dados foram obtidos do SisvanWEB, sendo incluídos e analisados todos os registros (n = 218 de crianças entre 6-24 meses, no ano de 2013. Em lactentes entre 6-12 meses detectou-se o consumo de 72,3% de verduras/legumes, 75,3% de frutas e 63,4% de carnes, sendo considerados indicadores de alimentação complementar saudável. Em contrapartida, 23,8% já consumiam alimentos fontes de açúcar (mel, melado, açúcar simples e rapadura, 34,7% suco industrializado e 17,8% refrigerantes. O consumo de suco industrializado foi significativamente maior em meninos (p valor < 0,001. Em crianças entre 12-18 meses detectou-se que 77,6% consumiam verduras/legumes, 77,4% frutas e 86,3% carnes. O consumo de alimentos fontes de açúcar era de 31%, 58,6% de suco industrializado e 50% de refrigerantes. Entre 18-24 meses, observou-se 89,9% das crianças consumindo verduras/legumes, 83,1% frutas e 96,7% carnes. O consumo de alimentos fontes de açúcar foi de 33,9%, 69,5% de suco industrializado e 55,5% de refrigerantes. Conclui-se que os indicadores de alimentação complementar saudável se aproximam da meta do Ministério da Saúde (80%.

Fundamental characteristics of the immunoglobulin VH repertoire of chickens in comparison with those of humans, mice, and camelids.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Leeying; Oficjalska, Katarzyna; Lambert, Matthew; Fennell, Brian J; Darmanin-Sheehan, Alfredo; Ní Shúilleabháin, Deirdre; Autin, Bénédicte; Cummins, Emma; Tchistiakova, Lioudmila; Bloom, Laird; Paulsen, Janet; Gill, Davinder; Cunningham, Orla; Finlay, William J J

2012-01-01

Examination of 1269 unique naive chicken V(H) sequences showed that the majority of positions in the framework (FW) regions were maintained as germline, with high mutation rates observed in the CDRs. Many FW mutations could be clearly related to the modulation of CDR structure or the V(H)-V(L) interface. CDRs 1 and 2 of the V(H) exhibited frequent mutation in solvent-exposed positions, but conservation of common structural residues also found in human CDRs at the same positions. In comparison with humans and mice, the chicken CDR3 repertoire was skewed toward longer sequences, was dominated by small amino acids (G/S/A/C/T), and had higher cysteine (chicken, 9.4%; human, 1.6%; and mouse, 0.25%) but lower tyrosine content (chicken, 9.2%; human, 16.8%; and mouse 26.4%). A strong correlation (R(2) = 0.97) was observed between increasing CDR3 length and higher cysteine content. This suggests that noncanonical disulfides are strongly favored in chickens, potentially increasing CDR stability and complexity in the topology of the combining site. The probable formation of disulfide bonds between CDR3 and CDR1, FW2, or CDR2 was also observed, as described in camelids. All features of the naive repertoire were fully replicated in the target-selected, phage-displayed repertoire. The isolation of a chicken Fab with four noncanonical cysteines in the V(H) that exhibits 64 nM (K(D)) binding affinity for its target proved these constituents to be part of the humoral response, not artifacts. This study supports the hypothesis that disulfide bond-constrained CDR3s are a structural diversification strategy in the restricted germline v-gene repertoire of chickens.

Uso de terapias complementares por mães em seus filhos: estudo em um hospital universitário Use of complementary therapies by mothers in their children: study at an university hospital

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luiza Borges Gentil

2010-06-01

Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo é avaliar a utilização de terapias complementares (TC por mães em seus filhos. Trata-se de um estudo transversal, descritivo. Foram entrevistadas 202 mães de crianças assistidas em um hospital universitário. As variáveis analisadas foram: uso de terapias complementares/motivos para tal, tipos de terapias utilizadas, sua finalidade, seus efeitos, revelação ao médico/motivos para tal e reação do médico. A prevalência de uso de terapias complementares foi 87,6%. De 177 mães que utilizavam TC, muitas mencionaram mais de um tipo, sendo: chás (72,8%, benzimento (41%, simpatias (12,9%, remédios/xaropes caseiros (8,4%, oração/promessa (7,4%, homeopatia (4,0%, tratamento espiritual/parapsicológico (4,0%, mistura de substâncias desconhecidas/garrafada (3%, massagem (2% e reiki/florais (1,5%. As ervas mais utilizadas foram erva-doce (16,7%, camomila (14,8% e hortelã (10,9%; 57,6% das mães não informaram o uso ao médico. Dos 499 tratamentos empregados, houve percepção de melhora em 429 (86% e relato de dois casos de efeitos adversos. A prevalência do uso de terapias complementares foi alta, sendo os chás a terapia mais utilizada e erva-doce, camomila e hortelã as ervas mais usadas. Houve percepção de melhora na maioria das terapias usadas.The objective of this article is to evaluate the use of complementary therapies by mothers in their children. A cross-sectional and descriptive study with 202 mothers of children that attended an University Hospital were interviewed. The variables analyzed were: use of complementary therapies/reasons, therapies used its purpose, effects, doctor's revelation/reasons and doctor's reaction. The prevalence of complementary therapies use was of 87.6%. Among the 177 mothers that used complementary therapies, many mentioned more than one kind, as follow: teas (72.8%, blessings (41%, sympathies (12.9%, homemade remedies/syrups (8.4%, prayer/promises (7.4%, homeopathy (4

Potential savings from redetermining disability among children receiving supplemental security income benefits.

Science.gov (United States)

Pulcini, Christian D; Kotelchuck, Milton; Kuhlthau, Karen A; Nozzolillo, Alixandra A; Perrin, James M

2012-01-01

To compare the costs of redetermining disability to potential savings in Supplemental Security Income payments associated with different strategies for implementing Continuing Disability Reviews (CDRs) among children potentially enrolled in SSI from 2012 to 2021. We reviewed publicly available reports from the Social Security Administration and Government Accountability Office to estimate costs and savings. We considered CDRs for children ages 1-17 years, excluding mandated low-birth weight and age 18 redeterminations that SSA routinely has performed. If in 2012 the Social Security Administration performs the same number of CDRs for children as in 2010 (16,677, 1% of eligibles) at a cessation rate of 15%, the agency would experience net savings of approximately $145 million in benefit payments. If CDR numbers increased to the greatest level ever (183,211, 22% of eligibles, in 1999) at the same cessation rate, the agency would save approximately $1.6 billion in benefit payments. Increasing the numbers of CDRs for children represents a considerable opportunity for savings. Recognizing the dynamic nature of disability, the agency could reassess the persistence of disability systematically; doing so could free up resources from children who are no longer eligible and help the agency better direct its benefits to recipients with ongoing disability and whose families need support to meet the extra costs associated with raising a child with a major disability. Copyright © 2012 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trans-European transport networks influence on the regional development and urban systems: Serbian experience

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Maksin-Mićić Marija

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The trans-European transport network has different effects at macro-regional, mezzo-regional and micro-regional level, and on urban systems development, and its effectiveness rises at the lower regional levels. Possible approaches to the trans-European transport network impact and effect survey and policy options have been pointed out. The importance of increased accessibility and mobility for regional expansion and for more balanced and polycentric system of city networks has been underlined. The question is how the new major transport infrastructure affects the development of functional complementarity between cities and regions. Changes of the spatial organization, utilization and structure of cities, as well as of social benefits and losses subsequent to impacts of trans-European transport corridor "X" on urban system Ćuprija-Jagodina-Paraćin at section Belgrade-Nis have been analysed. The new trans-European or major transport infrastructure does not per se create regional and urban system network development, although it can affect the conditions for the processes that create growth and development. The effects can be increased by co-ordination of measures of regional and urban policy, land use, transport and other policies. The guidances and options of urban systems and urban centres development policies in trans-European transport corridor, as well as possibilities to improve our planning system have been given. The necessary measure is the introduction of spatial impact assessment as sectorial policy instrument for the large transport infrastructure projects.

Historical Determinants of Regional Divisions of Georgia and their Implications for Territorial Governance

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Mądry Cezary

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Georgia can be characterised by its turbulent history, centuries-old traditions, and a great ethnic diversity. This makes it necessary to include historical determinants, in addition to geopolitical and economic factors, when making a regional analysis of its territory and contemporary governance issues. Five stages of the development of the present territorial division of Georgia are distinguished. They have been identified by means of an analysis of key events (critical junctures of significance in the formation of its historical regions. Additionally, their influence at each of the three levels of the current territorial division of independent Georgia is discussed, in particular in the context of territorial governance.

Black holes: complementarity or firewalls?

Science.gov (United States)

Almheiri, Ahmed; Marolf, Donald; Polchinski, Joseph; Sully, James

2013-02-01

We argue that the following three statements cannot all be true: (i) Hawking radiation is in a pure state, (ii) the information carried by the radiation is emitted from the region near the horizon, with low energy effective field theory valid beyond some microscopic distance from the horizon, and (iii) the infalling observer encounters nothing unusual at the horizon. Perhaps the most conservative resolution is that the infalling observer burns up at the horizon. Alternatives would seem to require novel dynamics that nevertheless cause notable violations of semiclassical physics at macroscopic distances from the horizon.

Avaliação da celulase e pectinase como enzimas complementares, no processo de hidrólise-sacarificação do farelo de mandioca para produção de etanol Evaluation of the cellulase and pectinase by complementary enzymes in the process of hydrolysis-saccharification of cassava fibrous waste for alcohol production

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Magali LEONEL

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Neste trabalho objetivou-se avaliar o uso de enzimas complementares no processo enzimático de hidrólise e sacarificação para a produção de etanol a partir do resíduo fibroso das fecularias. Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que 63,42% do amido foram hidrolisados no tratamento em que não se utilizaram enzimas complementares. No tratamento com as duas enzimas complementares foram hidrolisados 89,55%, no tratamento com celulase 65,42% e no tratamento com pectinase 88,73%. A prensagem do resíduo após o processo de hidrólise e sacarificação mostrou-se eficiente, ficando 10,43% do total de açúcares obtidos retidos no resíduo fibroso final. Portanto, o tratamento em que se utilizou a pectinase como enzima complementar na hidrólise foi o melhor. A celulase não apresentou efeito significativo no rendimento do processo.This work it was proposed to evaluate the use of complementary enzymes (cellulase and pectinase in the enzymatic process of hydrolysis-saccharification of the cassava fibrous waste for alcohol production. The results indicated that 63,42% of starch was hydrolyzed in the treatment without complementary enzymes, 89,55% in the treatment with the enzymes, 65,42% with the cellulase by complementary and 88,73% in the pectinase treatment. The pressing was efficacious for sugar recuperation and 10% of total sugar was retaining in the final fibrous residue. The pectinase was the better complementary enzyme enhance the yield.

Determinants of life expectancy in eastern mediterranean region: a health production function.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayati, Mohsen; Akbarian, Reza; Kavosi, Zahra

2013-06-01

Determinants of health or health production function in health economics literature constitute noticeable issues in health promotion. This study aimed at estimating a health production function for East Mediterranean Region (EMR) based on the Grossman theoretical model. This ecological study was performed using the econometric methods. The panel data model was used in order to determine the relationship between life expectancy and socioeconomic factors. The data for 21 EMR countries between 1995 and 2007 were used. Fixed-effect-model was employed to estimate the parameters based on Hausman test. In estimating the health production function, factors such as income per capita (β=0.05, Pdeterminants of health status, proxied by life expectancy at birth. A notable result was the elasticity of life expectancy with respect to the employment rate and its significance level was different between males (β=0.13, P0.001). In order to improve the health status in EMR countries, health policymakers should focus on the factors which lie outside the healthcare system. These factors are mainly associated with economic growth and development level. Thus, the economic stabilisation policies with the aim of increasing the productivity, economic growth, and reducing unemployment play significant roles in the health status of the people of the region.

Oligopolistic competition in wholesale electricity markets: Large-scale simulation and policy analysis using complementarity models

Science.gov (United States)

Helman, E. Udi

This dissertation conducts research into the large-scale simulation of oligopolistic competition in wholesale electricity markets. The dissertation has two parts. Part I is an examination of the structure and properties of several spatial, or network, equilibrium models of oligopolistic electricity markets formulated as mixed linear complementarity problems (LCP). Part II is a large-scale application of such models to the electricity system that encompasses most of the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, the Eastern Interconnection. Part I consists of Chapters 1 to 6. The models developed in this part continue research into mixed LCP models of oligopolistic electricity markets initiated by Hobbs [67] and subsequently developed by Metzler [87] and Metzler, Hobbs and Pang [88]. Hobbs' central contribution is a network market model with Cournot competition in generation and a price-taking spatial arbitrage firm that eliminates spatial price discrimination by the Cournot firms. In one variant, the solution to this model is shown to be equivalent to the "no arbitrage" condition in a "pool" market, in which a Regional Transmission Operator optimizes spot sales such that the congestion price between two locations is exactly equivalent to the difference in the energy prices at those locations (commonly known as locational marginal pricing). Extensions to this model are presented in Chapters 5 and 6. One of these is a market model with a profit-maximizing arbitrage firm. This model is structured as a mathematical program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC), but due to the linearity of its constraints, can be solved as a mixed LCP. Part II consists of Chapters 7 to 12. The core of these chapters is a large-scale simulation of the U.S. Eastern Interconnection applying one of the Cournot competition with arbitrage models. This is the first oligopolistic equilibrium market model to encompass the full Eastern Interconnection with a realistic network representation (using

Mapping and validation of the major sex-determining region in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L. Using RAD sequencing.

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Christos Palaiokostas

Full Text Available Sex in Oreochromis niloticus (Nile tilapia is principally determined by an XX/XY locus but other genetic and environmental factors also influence sex ratio. Restriction Associated DNA (RAD sequencing was used in two families derived from crossing XY males with females from an isogenic clonal line, in order to identify Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs and map the sex-determining region(s. We constructed a linkage map with 3,802 SNPs, which corresponded to 3,280 informative markers, and identified a major sex-determining region on linkage group 1, explaining nearly 96% of the phenotypic variance. This sex-determining region was mapped in a 2 cM interval, corresponding to approximately 1.2 Mb in the O. niloticus draft genome. In order to validate this, a diverse family (4 families; 96 individuals in total and population (40 broodstock individuals test panel were genotyped for five of the SNPs showing the highest association with phenotypic sex. From the expanded data set, SNPs Oni23063 and Oni28137 showed the highest association, which persisted both in the case of family and population data. Across the entire dataset all females were found to be homozygous for these two SNPs. Males were heterozygous, with the exception of five individuals in the population and two in the family dataset. These fish possessed the homozygous genotype expected of females. Progeny sex ratios (over 95% females from two of the males with the "female" genotype indicated that they were neomales (XX males. Sex reversal induced by elevated temperature during sexual differentiation also resulted in phenotypic males with the "female" genotype. This study narrows down the region containing the main sex-determining locus, and provides genetic markers tightly linked to this locus, with an association that persisted across the population. These markers will be of use in refining the production of genetically male O. niloticus for aquaculture.

Metabolic complementarity and genomics of the dual bacterial symbiosis of sharpshooters.

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Dongying Wu

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Mutualistic intracellular symbiosis between bacteria and insects is a widespread phenomenon that has contributed to the global success of insects. The symbionts, by provisioning nutrients lacking from diets, allow various insects to occupy or dominate ecological niches that might otherwise be unavailable. One such insect is the glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca coagulata, which feeds on xylem fluid, a diet exceptionally poor in organic nutrients. Phylogenetic studies based on rRNA have shown two types of bacterial symbionts to be coevolving with sharpshooters: the gamma-proteobacterium Baumannia cicadellinicola and the Bacteroidetes species Sulcia muelleri. We report here the sequencing and analysis of the 686,192-base pair genome of B. cicadellinicola and approximately 150 kilobase pairs of the small genome of S. muelleri, both isolated from H. coagulata. Our study, which to our knowledge is the first genomic analysis of an obligate symbiosis involving multiple partners, suggests striking complementarity in the biosynthetic capabilities of the two symbionts: B. cicadellinicola devotes a substantial portion of its genome to the biosynthesis of vitamins and cofactors required by animals and lacks most amino acid biosynthetic pathways, whereas S. muelleri apparently produces most or all of the essential amino acids needed by its host. This finding, along with other results of our genome analysis, suggests the existence of metabolic codependency among the two unrelated endosymbionts and their insect host. This dual symbiosis provides a model case for studying correlated genome evolution and genome reduction involving multiple organisms in an intimate, obligate mutualistic relationship. In addition, our analysis provides insight for the first time into the differences in symbionts between insects (e.g., aphids that feed on phloem versus those like H. coagulata that feed on xylem. Finally, the genomes of these two symbionts provide potential

Regional Determinants of Foreign Direct Investments in Croatia

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Ines KERSAN-ŠKABIĆ

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to identify the factors that infuence the unequal distribution of FDI infows and that foreign investors identify as signifcant in making investment decisions regarding Croatian regions. Panel data analysis was applied: static (random effects and dynam-ic analysis. The results show that positive and signifcant infuences on FDI have: education, infrastructure, the manufacturing industry, dum-my variables for areas of special state concern and capital city region, while negative statistically signifcant infuences are: unemployment and dummy variable for border regions with the EU. The basic conclusion is that FDI infows follow the development path of the Croatian regions (with the highlighted agglomeration effect and that efforts in creating preconditions for econom-ic growth will, at the same time, have an impact on attractiveness of a particular region for foreign investments.

Background estimation in short-wave region during determination of total sample composition by x-ray fluorescence method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simakov, V.A.; Kordyukov, S.V.; Petrov, E.N.

1988-01-01

Method of background estimation in short-wave spectral region during determination of total sample composition by X-ray fluorescence method is described. 13 types of different rocks with considerable variations of base composition and Zr, Nb, Th, U content below 7x10 -3 % are investigated. The suggested method of background accounting provides for a less statistical error of the background estimation than direct isolated measurement and reliability of its determination in a short-wave region independent on the sample base. Possibilities of suggested method for artificial mixtures conforming by the content of main component to technological concemtrates - niobium, zirconium, tantalum are estimated

DETERMINATION OF CHLORPYRIFOS IN APPLE FROM THE RESEN REGION

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Vezirka JANKULOSKA

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is to determine the presence of chlorpyrifos in two varieties of apples: Golden Delicious and Idared in two different locations (Evla and Krveni from the Resen region in the country. Chlorpyrifos is organophosphate pesticide (insecticide used to protect apples from insects which can cause significant damage in apple production. The apples are analyzed in four development phases and in each phase the presence of chlorpyrifos is determined. Chlorpiryfos analysis of the apples is performed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS followed by an extraction/separation cleansing with acetonitrile and the dispersive SPE - QuEChERS - method. The results are compared with the maximum residue levels (MRL prescribed by the legislation of the Republic of Macedonia. The conclusion is that chlorpyrifos is variously represented in most phases, regardless of the phase and location where the apple is grown. At certain phase the concentration exceedes MRL, however during the harvest, apples are safe to be consumed. Higher presence of chlorpyrifos is found in Idared apples at Kriveni location as compared to Evla. Тhe presence of chlorpyrifos in Golden Delicious is almost equal in both locations. From the statistical analysis of the data it is noticeable that the use of chlorpyrifos does not depend on the (type variety of apple but rather on the location where the apple is grown.

Orbit Determination with Very Short Arcs: Admissible Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Gronchi, G. F.; Milani, A.; de'Michieli Vitturi, M.; Knezevic, Z.

2004-05-01

Contemporary observational surveys provide a huge number of detections of small solar system bodies, in particular of asteroids. These have to be reduced in real time in order to optimize the observational strategy and to select the targets for the follow-up and for the subsequent determination of an orbit. Typically, reported astrometry consists of few positions over a short time span, and this information is often not enough to compute a preliminary orbit and perform an identification. Classical methods for preliminary orbit determination based on three observations fail in such cases, and a new approach is necessary to cope with the problem. We introduce the concept of attributable, which is a vector composed by two angles and two angular velocities at a given time. It is then shown that the missing values (geocentric range and range rate), necessary for the computation of an orbit, can be constrained to a compact set that we call admissible region (AR). The latter is defined on the basis of requirements that the body belongs to the solar system, that it is not a satellite of the Earth, and that it is not a "shooting star" (very close and very small). A mathematical description of the AR is given, together with the proof of its topological properties: it turns out that the AR cannot have more than two connected components. A sampling of the AR can be performed by means of a Delaunay triangulation. A finite number of six-parameter sets of initial conditions are thus defined, with each node of triangulation representing a Virtual Asteroid for which it is possible to propagate the corresponding orbit and to predict ephemerides.

Práticas integrativas e complementares na gestação e parto : o desvelar da literatura e o espço de atuação da doula

OpenAIRE

Jorge, Herla Maria Furtado

2012-01-01

O estudo propôs identificar as evidências qualitativas sobre o uso de PIC na gestação e parto por meio de uma metassíntese e analisar as Práticas Integrativas e Complementares utilizadas por doulas, junto às gestantes no trabalho de parto e parto. Trata-se de um estudo de natureza qualitativa. Para elaboração da metassíntese realizamos um levantamento nas bases de dados Scielo; Lilacs; Bireme; Medline; Ebsco; Cinahl utilizando os descritores labor, complementary therapies e pregnancy no perío...

An exploratory study on the determinants of performance in regional industry technology development programs

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Choo-Hui Park

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyze the determinants of the performance of regional industrial technology development programs among the regional strategic industrial development program that the central government and Daegu metropolitan city jointly promoted between 2004 and 2012. Specifically, in this research, the authors are trying to identify the effects of R&D capabilities and technical development tasks on technological and managerial performance. Design/methodology/approach - The dependent variables of this study are technical and economic performance. Technical performance, product and process innovation, economic performance, sales and export increases were measured using five-point Likert scales. The authors added the contribution of sales through technology development to economic performance. The independent variable is the company’s R&D capability, measured by the number of R&D staff compared to the average total number of employees from 2004 to 2012. The characteristics of the technology development tasks were measured by technical characteristics, market characteristics and collaborative research types. The technological characteristics were measured by seven factors, including technological change, technical difficulty, potential in commercialization, competition between domestic and foreign competitors, difficulty in introducing overseas technology and the technological gap. Market characteristics were largely divided into complexity, dynamics and competitiveness. The types of collaborative research were divided into whether or not there were collaborative research with the participation of large corporations. The control variables are firm size (number of employees and firm age. Regression analysis was used to analyze the determinants of performance, and a difference analysis was conducted to determine the effect of collaborative research on performance. Findings - The main determinants of the regional

Comparative Results of AIRS AMSU and CrIS/ATMS Retrievals Using a Scientifically Equivalent Retrieval Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Susskind, Joel; Kouvaris, Louis; Iredell, Lena

2016-01-01

The AIRS Science Team Version 6 retrieval algorithm is currently producing high quality level-3 Climate Data Records (CDRs) from AIRSAMSU which are critical for understanding climate processes. The AIRS Science Team is finalizing an improved Version-7 retrieval algorithm to reprocess all old and future AIRS data. AIRS CDRs should eventually cover the period September 2002 through at least 2020. CrISATMS is the only scheduled follow on to AIRSAMSU. The objective of this research is to prepare for generation of a long term CrISATMS level-3 data using a finalized retrieval algorithm that is scientifically equivalent to AIRSAMSU Version-7.

In Silico Prediction Analysis of Idiotope-Driven T–B Cell Collaboration in Multiple Sclerosis

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Rune A. Høglund

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Memory B cells acting as antigen-presenting cells are believed to be important in multiple sclerosis (MS, but the antigen they present remains unknown. We hypothesized that B cells may activate CD4+ T cells in the central nervous system of MS patients by presenting idiotopes from their own immunoglobulin variable regions on human leukocyte antigen (HLA class II molecules. Here, we use bioinformatics prediction analysis of B cell immunoglobulin variable regions from 11 MS patients and 6 controls with other inflammatory neurological disorders (OINDs, to assess whether the prerequisites for such idiotope-driven T–B cell collaboration are present. Our findings indicate that idiotopes from the complementarity determining region (CDR 3 of MS patients on average have high predicted affinities for disease associated HLA-DRB1*15:01 molecules and are predicted to be endosomally processed by cathepsin S and L in positions that allows such HLA binding to occur. Additionally, complementarity determining region 3 sequences from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF B cells from MS patients contain on average more rare T cell-exposed motifs that could potentially escape tolerance and stimulate CD4+ T cells than CSF B cells from OIND patients. Many of these features were associated with preferential use of the IGHV4 gene family by CSF B cells from MS patients. This is the first study to combine high-throughput sequencing of patient immune repertoires with large-scale prediction analysis and provides key indicators for future in vitro and in vivo analyses.

Percepções de coordenadores de unidades de saúde sobre a fitoterapia e outras práticas integrativas e complementares

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Dayane Cordeiro Machado

Full Text Available As práticas integrativas e complementares estão em fase de expansão. O estudo objetivou conhecer o ambiente entre gestores para a inclusão de fitoterápicos na assistência. Nesta série de casos, descrevemos as percepções de coordenadores de unidades de saúde sobre as práticas integrativas. Os dados foram coletados em um questionário estruturado. O interesse pela inserção das terapias foi demonstrado por 13 dos 15 entrevistados, e o mesmo número relatou uso de fitoterapia. A fitoterapia também é indicada aos usuários por 13 dos coordenadores. O grupo percebe haver maior prescrição de plantas medicinais do que de fitoterápicos. Conclui-se que há boa perspectiva de aceitação da fitoterapia na rede.

Uncertainty information in climate data records from Earth observation

Science.gov (United States)

Merchant, Christopher J.; Paul, Frank; Popp, Thomas; Ablain, Michael; Bontemps, Sophie; Defourny, Pierre; Hollmann, Rainer; Lavergne, Thomas; Laeng, Alexandra; de Leeuw, Gerrit; Mittaz, Jonathan; Poulsen, Caroline; Povey, Adam C.; Reuter, Max; Sathyendranath, Shubha; Sandven, Stein; Sofieva, Viktoria F.; Wagner, Wolfgang

2017-07-01

The question of how to derive and present uncertainty information in climate data records (CDRs) has received sustained attention within the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative (CCI), a programme to generate CDRs addressing a range of essential climate variables (ECVs) from satellite data. Here, we review the nature, mathematics, practicalities, and communication of uncertainty information in CDRs from Earth observations. This review paper argues that CDRs derived from satellite-based Earth observation (EO) should include rigorous uncertainty information to support the application of the data in contexts such as policy, climate modelling, and numerical weather prediction reanalysis. Uncertainty, error, and quality are distinct concepts, and the case is made that CDR products should follow international metrological norms for presenting quantified uncertainty. As a baseline for good practice, total standard uncertainty should be quantified per datum in a CDR, meaning that uncertainty estimates should clearly discriminate more and less certain data. In this case, flags for data quality should not duplicate uncertainty information, but instead describe complementary information (such as the confidence in the uncertainty estimate provided or indicators of conditions violating the retrieval assumptions). The paper discusses the many sources of error in CDRs, noting that different errors may be correlated across a wide range of timescales and space scales. Error effects that contribute negligibly to the total uncertainty in a single-satellite measurement can be the dominant sources of uncertainty in a CDR on the large space scales and long timescales that are highly relevant for some climate applications. For this reason, identifying and characterizing the relevant sources of uncertainty for CDRs is particularly challenging. The characterization of uncertainty caused by a given error effect involves assessing the magnitude of the effect, the shape of the

Perception and Motivation Study as a Determinants of Ecotourism Development in Tanah Datar Region

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Adam Rachmatullah

2018-03-01

Full Text Available During the last decade, many countries are paying special concern to develop of tourism and ecotourism industry cause able to accelerate development in a region. This research aims to analyze stakeholder perceptions and motivation determinants, a long with to formulate ecotourism development strategy. The research method used in closed ended questionnaire instrument and then data were analyzed by using one score one criteria scoring system. The result of the study showed that a local community and government perceptions have as a conclusion is a good or stil the positive sphere so that it is feasible to be develop as all forms of ecotourism. Afterwards, the result of motivations data showed that stakeholders have a high interest (score 6-7 to be actively involved in any form of ecotourism development. In order to realize the integrated ecotourism development in Tanah Datar Region, then some important things that need to be optimized, among others: 1 regional development perspective; 2 social-culture perspective; 3 capacity building perspective; 4 marketing perspective.  Keywords: ecotourism, motivation, perception, Tanah Datar Region 

Determination of 137Cs activities in soil samples from east and south Marmara region, Turkey

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilic, Oe.; Belivermis, M.; Cotuk, Y.; Coskun, M.; Cayir, A.; Kuecer, R.

2006-01-01

Activity concentrations of 1 37Cs, 4 0K and physico-chemical parameters of soil samples collected from 99 sampling stations in the east and south of Marmara Region of Turkey were determined. The study region was divided into 20 x 20 km grids and soil samples collected randomly in each square from 0-5 cm surface layer. Activities were measured by means of multichannel gamma analyser provided with high purity germanium detector. Relations among 1 37Cs concentrations and physico-chemical parameters of soils and climatic factors of the region were evaluated. Arc View GIS version 3.1 was used mapping of study area. Distribution of radionuclide concentrations in the region illustrated with contour maps using Surfer 8.0 for Windows. The range of activity concentrations of 1 37Cs and 4 0K were measured to be 0.92-153.72 and 69.24-1085.57 Bq/kg respectively

Determining the source region of auroral emissions in the prenoon oval using coordinated Polar BEAR UV-imaging and DMSP particle measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Newell, Patrick T.; Meng, CHING-I.; Huffman, Robert E.

1992-01-01

The Polar Beacon Experiment and Auroral Research (Polar BEAR) satellite included the capability for imaging the dayside auroral oval in full sunlight at several wavelengths. Particle observations from the DMSP F7 satellite during dayside auroral oval crossings are compared with approximately simultaneous Polar BEAR 1356-A images to determine the magnetospheric source region of the dayside auroral oval. The source region is determined from the DMSP particle data, according to recent work concerning the classification and identification of precipitation source regions. The close DMSP/Polar BEAR coincidences all occur when the former satellite is located between 0945 and 1000 MLT. Instances of auroral arcs mapping to each of several different regions, including the boundary plasma sheet, the low-latitude boundary layer, and the plasma mantle were found. It was determined that about half the time the most prominent auroral arcs are located at the interfaces between distinct plasma regions, at least at the local time studied here.

A efetividade dos testes complementares no acompanhamento da intervenção terapêutica no transtorno fonológico Effectiveness of complementary tests in monitoring therapeutic intervention in speech sound disorders

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Haydée Fiszbein Wertzner

2012-12-01

Full Text Available O planejamento e a evolução terapêutica de crianças com transtorno fonológico estão diretamente relacionados à avaliação inicial e aos testes complementares aplicados. Acompanhar a evolução do caso por meio de verificações regulares acrescenta informações importantes à avaliação diagnóstica, o que permite fortalecer achados iniciais a respeito da dificuldade subjacente identificada na avaliação inicial. Assim, no presente estudo de caso verificou-se a efetividade e a eficiência da aplicação do índice de porcentagem de consoantes corretas revisado (PCC-R bem como dos testes complementares de inconsistência de fala, de estimulabilidade e de habilidades metafonológicas no acompanhamento da intervenção terapêutica em crianças com transtorno fonológico. Participaram deste estudo três crianças do gênero masculino. Na data da avaliação inicial o Caso 1 tinha 6 anos e 9 meses de idade, o Caso 2, 8 anos e 10 meses, e o Caso 3, 9 anos e 7 meses. Além da avaliação específica da fonologia, foram aplicados testes complementares que auxiliaram na verificação da dificuldade subjacente específica em cada um dos casos. Desta forma, os sujeitos foram submetidos à avaliação de habilidades metafonológicas, à prova de inconsistência de fala e de estimulabilidade. A análise conjunta dos dados permitiu constatar que os testes selecionados foram efetivos e eficientes tanto para complementar o diagnóstico como para indicar mudanças nos três casos de crianças com transtorno fonológico.Therapeutic planning and evolution of children with speech sound disorders are related to both the initial assessment and to the complementary tests selected to be applied. Monitoring the case by regular evaluations adds important information to the diagnosis, which allows strengthening the initial findings with regards to the underlying deficits identified in the initial evaluation. The aim of this case report was to verify the

Determinants of stillbirth among women deliveries at Amhara region, Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakew, Demeke; Tesfaye, Dereje; Mekonnen, Haile

2017-11-13

Stillbirth is one of general medical issues that could contribute significantly to creating nations like Ethiopia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and related factors of stillbirth among deliveries at Amhara region, Ethiopia. The study used the Ethiopian Mini Demographic and Health Survey (EMDHS) data collected from 2555 eligible Amhara region women in 2014. Bi-variable and multi-variable binary logistic regression analysis was used. The prevalence of stillbirth outcomes became 85 per 1000 (total live birth). Besides, majority of women did not attend any formal education and had no antenatal care follow up. Women whose age at first birth below 18 years were 1859(72.8%) and the mean preceding birth interval were 33.6 months. Even women who attended primary and above education were about 50% and they were less likely to have had stillbirth outcomes than those who had no education (AOR: 0.505, 95% CI 0.311-0.820) and women having higher household wealth index were less likely to have had stillbirth outcomes as it is compared to the reference category. Moreover, women having preceding birth interval above 36 months were about 89% of less likely to end up stillbirth outcomes as compared to women having preceding birth interval below 24 months (AOR: 0.109, 95% CI 0.071-8.0.168). It could be inferred that a stillbirth result is one of the general medical issues in Amhara Region. Among different factors considered in this study, age, age at first birth, wealth index, birth order number and preceding birth interval in months were found to be significantly associated factors for stillbirth. Therefore, more awareness of early birth, widening birth interval, enhancing maternal care (for aged women) and early birth order number could be recommended.

Laser fluorimetric determination of uranium in environmental samples from Nile Delta and adjacent regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shawky, S.; Ibrahiem, N.; Farouk, A.; Ghods, A.

1994-01-01

Total uranium content was determined in soil and plant samples obtained from various areas in the Nile Delta. Samples taken from east and west of the delta, Suez canal cities and from the Alexandria region were analysed using laser fluorimetry (LF). Uranium was extracted from digested samples with methyl-isobutyl ketone and measured using a laser fluorimeter. The radium content of the same soil samples was determined using gamma spectroscopy. The uranium content of plant samples was determined using LF, since this technique has a detection limit lower than that of GS. Uranium content in the samples varied between 0.6-4.4 μg/g for soil and 0.032-0.17 μg/g for plant tissue. (author)

Sequential treatment with fluoxetine and relapse--prevention CBT to improve outcomes in pediatric depression.

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Kennard, Betsy D; Emslie, Graham J; Mayes, Taryn L; Nakonezny, Paul A; Jones, Jessica M; Foxwell, Aleksandra A; King, Jessica

2014-10-01

The authors evaluated a sequential treatment strategy of fluoxetine and relapse-prevention cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to determine effects on remission and relapse in youths with major depressive disorder. Youths 8-17 years of age with major depression were treated openly with fluoxetine for 6 weeks. Those with an adequate response (defined as a reduction of 50% or more on the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised [CDRS-R]) were randomly assigned to receive continued medication management alone or continued medication management plus CBT for an additional 6 months. The CBT was modified to address residual symptoms and was supplemented by well-being therapy. Primary outcome measures were time to remission (with remission defined as a CDRS-R score of 28 or less) and rate of relapse (with relapse defined as either a CDRS-R score of 40 or more with a history of 2 weeks of symptom worsening, or clinical deterioration). Of the 200 participants enrolled in acute-phase treatment, 144 were assigned to continuation treatment with medication management alone (N=69) or medication management plus CBT (N=75). During the 30-week continuation treatment period, time to remission did not differ significantly between treatment groups (hazard ratio=1.26, 95% CI=0.87, 1.82). However, the medication management plus CBT group had a significantly lower risk of relapse than the medication management only group (hazard ratio=0.31, 95% CI=0.13, 0.75). The estimated probability of relapse by week 30 was lower with medication management plus CBT than with medication management only (9% compared with 26.5%). Continuation-phase relapse-prevention CBT was effective in reducing the risk of relapse but not in accelerating time to remission in children and adolescents with major depressive disorder.

Computational identification of antigen-binding antibody fragments.

Science.gov (United States)

Burkovitz, Anat; Leiderman, Olga; Sela-Culang, Inbal; Byk, Gerardo; Ofran, Yanay

2013-03-01

Determining which parts of the Ab are essential for Ag recognition and binding is crucial for understanding B cell-mediated immunity. Identification of fragments of Abs that maintain specificity to the Ag will also allow for the development of improved Ab-based therapy and diagnostics. In this article, we show that structural analysis of Ab-Ag complexes reveals which fragments of the Ab may bind the Ag on their own. In particular, it is possible to predict whether a given CDR is likely to bind the Ag as a peptide by analyzing the energetic contribution of each CDR to Ag binding and by assessing to what extent the interaction between that CDR and the Ag depends on other CDRs. To demonstrate this, we analyzed five Ab-Ag complexes and predicted for each of them which of the CDRs may bind the Ag on its own as a peptide. We then show that these predictions are in agreement with our experimental analysis and with previously published experimental results. These findings promote our understanding of the modular nature of Ab-Ag interactions and lay the foundation for the rational design of active CDR-derived peptides.

Remarkably similar antigen receptors among a subset of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Science.gov (United States)

Ghiotto, Fabio; Fais, Franco; Valetto, Angelo; Albesiano, Emilia; Hashimoto, Shiori; Dono, Mariella; Ikematsu, Hideyuki; Allen, Steven L.; Kolitz, Jonathan; Rai, Kanti R.; Nardini, Marco; Tramontano, Anna; Ferrarini, Manlio; Chiorazzi, Nicholas

2004-01-01

Studies of B cell antigen receptors (BCRs) expressed by leukemic lymphocytes from patients with B cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) suggest that B lymphocytes with some level of BCR structural restriction become transformed. While analyzing rearranged VHDJH and VLJL genes of 25 non–IgM-producing B-CLL cases, we found five IgG+ cases that display strikingly similar BCRs (use of the same H- and L-chain V gene segments with unique, shared heavy chain third complementarity-determining region [HCDR3] and light chain third complementarity-determining region [LCDR3] motifs). These H- and L-chain characteristics were not identified in other B-CLL cases or in normal B lymphocytes whose sequences are available in the public databases. Three-dimensional modeling studies suggest that these BCRs could bind the same antigenic epitope. The structural features of the B-CLL BCRs resemble those of mAb’s reactive with carbohydrate determinants of bacterial capsules or viral coats and with certain autoantigens. These findings suggest that the B lymphocytes that gave rise to these IgG+ B-CLL cells were selected for this unique BCR structure. This selection could have occurred because the precursors of the B-CLL cells were chosen for their antigen-binding capabilities by antigen(s) of restricted nature and structure, or because the precursors derived from a B cell subpopulation with limited BCR heterogeneity, or both. PMID:15057307

Results of the regional intercomparison exercise for the determination of operational quantity Hp(10) in Latin America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saravi, M.; Zaretzky, A.; Lindner, C.; Diaz, J.; Walwyn, G.; Amorim, R.; De Souza, D.; Gregori, B.; Papadopulos, S.; Meghzifene, A.; Ferruz, P.; Suarez, R. C.

2007-01-01

Several intercomparison exercises were organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the determination of operational quantities at the regional or inter-regional basis. In the Latin American region an intercomparison for the determination of the operational quantity H p (10) was completed mid-2004, as a follow-up to previous exercises carried out during the 1990's. Eighteen individual external monitoring services from nineteen Member States participated in the first phase. The second phase grouped 15 services that had participated in the first phase. Dosemeter irradiations in photon beams were done by four Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratories (SSDLs) of the region. The preparation of this exercises involved an audit by the IAEA SSDL, where reference irradiations were provided to all participants for verification of their systems. During the first phase (2002-2003) only 9 out of 18 services met the performance requirements for such monitoring services. Necessary corrective actions and procedure verification were implemented. During the second phase (2004) 11 out of 15 services fulfilled the performance criteria. This intercomparison shows that there has been improvement in the second phase and most participants demonstrated a satisfactory performance of the quantity tested. (authors)

Determination of regional heat fluxes from the growth of the mixed layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gryning, S.E. [Risoe National Lab., Roskilde (Denmark); Batchvarova, E. [National Inst. of Meteorology and Hydrology, Sofia (Bulgaria)

1997-10-01

The distribution of surface sensible heat flux is a critical factor in producing and modifying the mesoscale atmospheric flows, turbulence and evaporation. Parameterizations that assume homogeneous land characteristics are inappropriate to represent the spatial variability often found in nature. One possibility to overcome this problem is to increase the resolution of the model grid which demands unrealistic computing resources and data for model initialization. Area averaged fluxes can be obtained from aircraft measurements. It is essential that the flights are performed at a height where the individual surface features are not felt. A large number of flights and appropriate pattern to meet the task are needed in order to achieve a fair statistics. The mixed layer grows in response to the regional turbulent fluxes including the aggregation and small scale processes. The region of influence in upwind direction is typically 20 times the height of the mixed layer for convective and 100 times the height of the mixed layer for atmospheric near neutral conditions. In this study we determine the regional integrated sensible heat flux from information on the evolution of the mixed layer over the area. The required information to use the method can be derived from wind speed and temperature profiles obtained by radio-soundings when performed frequently enough to provide a reasonably detailed structure of the development of the mixed-layer. The method is applied to estimate the regional heat flux over the NOPEX experimental area for three days during the campaign in 1994. (au)

REDES COMUNITARIAS DE BANDA ANCHA: UNA CONTRIBUCIÓN PARA EL DESARROLLO REGIONAL EN PORTUGAL COMMUNITY NETWORKS: A CONTRIBUTE FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN PORTUGAL Redes comunitárias de banda larga: um contributo para o desenvolvimento regional em Portugal

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Flávio Paulo Jorge Nunes

2010-12-01

Full Text Available El acceso a Internet por banda ancha constituye una potencialidad cada vez más relevante en el dominio del desarrollo regional, con todo la privatización y la liberalización del sector de las telecomunicaciones y la mera aplicación de las reglas del mercado no han conseguido asegurar una repartición geográfica equitativa del acceso a la banda ancha. Ante la constatación de esta tendencia se ha requerido financiación pública para la creación de las infraestructuras necesarias para generalizar el acceso a esta red, sobre todo en las áreas rurales menos pobladas. Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar la respuesta dada en Portugal para complementar la acción de las operadoras privadas de telecomunicaciones, con la creación de redes comunitarias de banda ancha. Actualmente está en curso la implementación de cuatro proyectos de redes comunitarias en Portugal, que pretenden viabilizar el acceso a aplicaciones telemáticas más innovadoras, las cuales constituyen hoy en día una condición necesaria para el éxito de muchos de los proyectos más innovadores de desarrollo regional y local.Broadband Internet access offers several potential benefits as a regional and local development tool, however it is nowadays commonly accepted that privatisation and pro-competitive policies are not enough to ensure a reasonable geographical equality as regards broadband access. Therefore public policies are more and more required in order to achieve a greater infrastructural equity and a widespread use of advanced telecommunications services in less-populated markets (rural areas. In several countries Governments are investing public funds in community-based broadband solutions, as an alternative method for the provision of local broadband services. This study will evaluate how the Portuguese government is trying to complement the action of Internet Service Providers (private operators with public policies for under-served areas (“notspots”, in

[Financing Regional Dementia Networks in Germany: Determinants of Sustainable Healthcare Networks].

Science.gov (United States)

Michalowsky, B; Wübbeler, M; Thyrian, J R; Holle, B; Gräske, J; Schäfer-Walkmann, S; Fleßa, S; Hoffmann, W

2017-12-01

Analysis of practice-based financing concepts in German dementia networks (DN); Provision of sustainable financing structures and their determinants in DN. Qualitative expert interviews with leaders of 13 DN were conducted. A semi-structured interview guide was used to analyse four main topics: Finance-related organization, cost, sources of funding and financial sustainability. DN were primarily financed by membership fees, earnings of services provided, public funds and payments by municipalities or health care providers. 63% of the DN reported a financial sustainability. Funds to support the interpersonal expanding, a mix of internal and external financing sources and investments of the municipality were determinants of a sustainable financing. Overall, DN in rural areas seemed to be disadvantaged due to a lack of potential linkable service providers. DN in urban regions are more likely able to gather sustainable funding resources. A minimum funding of 50.000 €/year for human resources coordinating the DN, seems to be a threshold for a sustainable DN. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Determinants of regional labour productivity growth: A study for the hospitality sector in Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bienvenido Ortega Aguaza

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to analyze the determinants of labour productivity growth in the hospitality industry in Spain using regional data over the period 1996-2004. The results obtained suggest that the increase in the number of 3-star hotels and the reduction process in the stock of physical capital per worker are factors which may have contributed to the fall in productivity growth. However, increased regional tourism intensity has a positive impact on the growth of labour productivity. Nonetheless, changes in demand-related factors, such as average length of stay and the seasonality of demand, have not had a significant aggregate impact on labour productivity growth during this period.

Protein-protein docking using region-based 3D Zernike descriptors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sael Lee

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein-protein interactions are a pivotal component of many biological processes and mediate a variety of functions. Knowing the tertiary structure of a protein complex is therefore essential for understanding the interaction mechanism. However, experimental techniques to solve the structure of the complex are often found to be difficult. To this end, computational protein-protein docking approaches can provide a useful alternative to address this issue. Prediction of docking conformations relies on methods that effectively capture shape features of the participating proteins while giving due consideration to conformational changes that may occur. Results We present a novel protein docking algorithm based on the use of 3D Zernike descriptors as regional features of molecular shape. The key motivation of using these descriptors is their invariance to transformation, in addition to a compact representation of local surface shape characteristics. Docking decoys are generated using geometric hashing, which are then ranked by a scoring function that incorporates a buried surface area and a novel geometric complementarity term based on normals associated with the 3D Zernike shape description. Our docking algorithm was tested on both bound and unbound cases in the ZDOCK benchmark 2.0 dataset. In 74% of the bound docking predictions, our method was able to find a near-native solution (interface C-αRMSD ≤ 2.5 Å within the top 1000 ranks. For unbound docking, among the 60 complexes for which our algorithm returned at least one hit, 60% of the cases were ranked within the top 2000. Comparison with existing shape-based docking algorithms shows that our method has a better performance than the others in unbound docking while remaining competitive for bound docking cases. Conclusion We show for the first time that the 3D Zernike descriptors are adept in capturing shape complementarity at the protein-protein interface and useful for

Spatial Complementarity and the Coexistence of Species

Science.gov (United States)

Velázquez, Jorge; Garrahan, Juan P.; Eichhorn, Markus P.

2014-01-01

Coexistence of apparently similar species remains an enduring paradox in ecology. Spatial structure has been predicted to enable coexistence even when population-level models predict competitive exclusion if it causes each species to limit its own population more than that of its competitor. Nevertheless, existing hypotheses conflict with regard to whether clustering favours or precludes coexistence. The spatial segregation hypothesis predicts that in clustered populations the frequency of intra-specific interactions will be increased, causing each species to be self-limiting. Alternatively, individuals of the same species might compete over greater distances, known as heteromyopia, breaking down clusters and opening space for a second species to invade. In this study we create an individual-based model in homogeneous two-dimensional space for two putative sessile species differing only in their demographic rates and the range and strength of their competitive interactions. We fully characterise the parameter space within which coexistence occurs beyond population-level predictions, thereby revealing a region of coexistence generated by a previously-unrecognised process which we term the triadic mechanism. Here coexistence occurs due to the ability of a second generation of offspring of the rarer species to escape competition from their ancestors. We diagnose the conditions under which each of three spatial coexistence mechanisms operates and their characteristic spatial signatures. Deriving insights from a novel metric — ecological pressure — we demonstrate that coexistence is not solely determined by features of the numerically-dominant species. This results in a common framework for predicting, given any pair of species and knowledge of the relevant parameters, whether they will coexist, the mechanism by which they will do so, and the resultant spatial pattern of the community. Spatial coexistence arises from complementary combinations of traits in each

Determination of regional cerebral blood flow curves and parameters by computed γ camera

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Guohong

1988-01-01

Regional CBF curves and parameters were determined in 236 subjects by Sigma 438/MCS 560 computed γ camera. Each subject was given 99m TcO 4 -370 MBq intravenously. Four CBF curves and three parameters were derived by the computer.The results from 39 normal subjects, 22 patients with cerebral embolism, 53 patients with cerebrovascular sclerosis, 56 patients with diseases of cervical vertebrae, 10 patients with concussion and 5 patients with cerebral arteritis were analyzed

SPECT determination of regional cerebral blood flow in hypertensive patients before and after clonidine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Devous, M.D.; Reed, W.G.; Chehabi, H.H.; Bonte, F.J.

1985-01-01

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was determined by SPECT of 133-Xe inert gas washout in 18 hypertensive patients (PTS) upon admission and after treatment with oral clonidine (CL, 0.2 mg, then 0.1 mg/hr until diastolic pressure reached 105 mm Hg or fell by 30 mm Hg). CL reduced mean arterial pressure (MAP) from 160 (200/140) to 133 (150/100) mm Hg over 4-6 hr. RCBF was quantitated in 14 gray matter regions from cross-sectional images and analyzed for differences from normal controls and changes with CL. Initial rCBF was lower in HI PTS than in either normal controls of LO PTS in all brain regions. CL lowered MAP in HI PTS by 52 +- 15 mm Hg and caused reduction in all gray matter regions except right frontal and right temporal (mean reduction 5 +- 2 ml/min/100 g, rho<.05). RCBF images were also evaluated by two trained observers for initial regional defects and for changes with CL. LO PTS were more likely to have defects in rCBF images at rest which would resolve with CL. HI PTS frequently had normal images at rest and developed defects with CL. In summary, the study suggests that SPECT may be useful in detecting rCBF abnormalities in hypertensive PTS at rest and following reductions in MAP

Grasping the nettle: A bacterial invasin that targets immunoglobulin variable domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Barlow, Paul

2018-06-01

In a new paper, the protein InvD from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis , a zoonotic pathogen, is shown to assist late-stage invasion of intestinal epithelia. Remarkably, InvD acts by binding the Fab region of IgG or IgA. It straddles adjacent light-chain and heavy-chain variable domains, but its binding is different from that of antigens in that complementarity-determining regions do not participate. Structure determination revealed that its Fab-interacting domain adopts an immunoglobulin-like fold, fused to the preceding immunoglobulin-like domain and carried on a long stalk anchored to the bacterial outer membrane. Possible roles of this unusual host-pathogen interaction include avoidance of clearance from the intestine by secretory IgA. © 2018 Barlow.

FACTORS DETERMINING THE INVESTMENT ATTRACTIVENESS OF THE REGION

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O. I. Avtsinov

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Summary.In the article we can see relevance of the research aimed at creating a favorable investment climate in the country and its regions, as a necessary condition for solving the problems of modernization of industrial production, the introduction of scientific and technological progress in all spheres of public life, the implementation of large-scale social and productive programs. In the study we justify the theoretical principles and reveal the essence of the relationship concepts: investment climate, investment attractiveness and investment activity. It is proved that the investment attractiveness should be considered as a sign of factorial and important component of the investment climate in the region, and investment activity as a sign score. In the study we can see a wide range of factors shaping favorable conditions for investment activities. The author focuses on the importance of non-traditional factors shaping the investment attractiveness of such as reducing the time to connect to power grid, information communication, improvement of tax reporting procedures, clarity of customs work, the introduction of regulations for obtaining permits for construction of facilities and reducing the number of required documents. This article analyzes of the indices and the key factors of investment attractiveness of the Voronezh region, which attract investment, exceeding the national average. The main ones are the development of new industrial parks with good transport, engineering, business infrastructure. Investors in the region have favorable conditions to carry on business on the prepared sites with painted communications, junctions, allowing them to reduce production costs, while correspondingly increasing the investment attractiveness of the area. Success of the attracting investment in the Voronezh region is largely due to the introduction standard of the executive bodies of state power, including 15 documents designed to make the

Time-resolved determination of the potential of zero charge at polycrystalline Au/ionic liquid interfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Vargas-Barbosa, Nella M.; Roling, Bernhard

2018-05-01

The potential of zero charge (PZC) is a fundamental property that describes the electrode/electrolyte interface. The determination of the PZC at electrode/ionic liquid interfaces has been challenging due to the lack of models that fully describe these complex interfaces as well as the non-standardized approaches used to characterize them. In this work, we present a method that combines electrode immersion transient and impedance measurements for the determination of the PZC. This combined approach allows the distinction of the potential of zero free charge (pzfc), related to fast double layer charging on a millisecond timescale, from a potential of zero charge on a timescale of tens of seconds related to slower ion transport processes at the interface. Our method highlights the complementarity of these electrochemical techniques and the importance of selecting the correct timescale to execute experiments and interpret the results.

Quantitative methodology to extract regional magnetotelluric impedances and determine the dimension of the conductivity structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Groom, R [PetRos EiKon Incorporated, Ontario (Canada); Kurtz, R; Jones, A; Boerner, D [Geological Survey of Canada, Ontario (Canada)

1996-05-01

This paper describes a systematic method for determining the appropriate dimensionality of magnetotelluric (MT) data from a site, and illustrates the application of this method to analyze both synthetic data and real data. Additionally, it describes the extraction of regional impedance responses from multiple sites. This method was examined extensively with synthetic data, and proven to be successful. It was demonstrated for two neighboring sites that the analysis methodology can be extremely useful in unraveling the bulk regional response when hidden by strong three-dimensional effects. Although there may still be some uncertainties remaining in the true levels for the regional responses for stations LIT000 and LITW02, the analysis has provided models which not only fit the data but are consistent for neighboring sites. It was suggested from these data that the stations are seeing significantly different structures. 12 refs.

Determinants of milk production in FADN dairy farms in the regions of the European Union with predominance of intensive production in 2011

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Guth Marta

2016-12-01

Full Text Available The main aim of the considerations was to determine the factors determining the variability of milk production in selected macroregions of the European Union. The regions were selected on the basis of the analysis of the diversity of dairy farms FADN in the regions of the European Union, which was determined by the agglomeration cluster analysis using Ward method. In order to highlight the determinants of production there was factor analysis made. On the basis of the results of factor analysis there were factors that have a decisive impact on milk production in dairy farms from areas with a predominance of intensive production identified, and there was a possibility to find out which macro-regions of the European Union reached a relatively best and worst performance in terms of the distinguished factors.

Sectorial and regional determinants of firm dynamics in developing countries: evidence for low, medium and high tech manufacturing in Argentina

OpenAIRE

Calá, Carla Daniela

2018-01-01

We analyse the determinants of firm dynamics in developing countries using Argentina as an illustrative case. We explain firm entry and exit at the regional level, distinguishing three groups of manufacturing activities: low, medium and high tech. We find that both region -and sector- specific determinants explain firm dynamics, but the impact is not homogeneous across sectors. In particular, for low tech industries, there is a need for explanatory variables that proxy for the specificities o...

Molecular features of the complementarity determining region 3 motif of the T cell population and subsets in the blood of patients with chronic severe hepatitis B

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Yang Jiezuan

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background T cell receptor (TCR reflects the status and function of T cells. We previously developed a gene melting spectral pattern (GMSP assay, which rapidly detects clonal expansion of the T cell receptor β variable gene (TCRBV in patients with HBV by using quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR with DNA melting curve analysis. However, the molecular profiles of TCRBV in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs and CD8+, CD8- cell subsets from chronic severe hepatitis B (CSHB patients have not been well described. Methods Human PBMCs were separated and sorted into CD8+ and CD8- cell subsets using density gradient centrifugation and magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS. The molecular features of the TCRBV CDR3 motif were determined using GMSP analysis; the TCRBV families were cloned and sequenced when the GMSP profile showed a single-peak, indicative of a monoclonal population. Results The number of skewed TCRBV in the CD8+ cell subset was significantly higher than that of the CD8- cell subset as assessed by GMSP analysis. The TCRBV11 and BV7 were expressed more frequently than other members of TCRBV family in PBMCs and CD8+, CD8- subsets. Also the relatively conserved amino acid motifs were detected in the TCRBV22, BV18 and BV11 CDR3 in PBMCs among patients with CSHB. Conclusions The molecular features of the TCRBV CDR3 were markedly different among PBMCs and CD8+, CD8- cell subsets derived from CSHB patients. Analysis of the TCRBV expression in the CD8+ subset was more accurate in assessing the status and function of circulating T cells. The expression of TCRBV11, BV7 and the relatively conserved CDR3 amino acid motifs could also help to predict and treat patients with CSHB.

Socioeconomic determinants of fertility: selected Mexican regions, 1976-1977.

Science.gov (United States)

Pick, J B; Butler, E W; Pavgi, S

1988-01-01

Cumulative fertility is analyzed for 4 regions of Mexico, based on World Fertility Survey data of 1976-77; the state of Baja California, the Northwest region, the State of Jalisco, and the Northeast region. Based on stepwise regression methodology, the study compares results for 12 subsamples of married respondents, 3 age categories by 4 regions. The dependent variables are children ever born and children ever born in the last 5 years. Migration, urban, educational, and occupational variables are included as independent variables. Regression results reveal level of education is the major, and negative, influence on fertility. Other results include specific negative effects for prior occupation, size of place of residence, and childhood place of residence. Fertility effects appear different for migration origin and destination regions, but more similar for younger ages. Effects of migration on fertility are small. Mean fertility as measured by children ever born was 4.34 for the 1976-77 World Fertility Survey samples versus 3.69 for the Mexican census of 1980. Fertility varied somewhat by region with the highest and lowest values in Jalisco and the Northeast, respectively. Expected age-related changes in fertility were noted.

Determination of optimum insulation thicknesses of the external walls and roof (ceiling) for Turkey's different degree-day regions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sisman, Nuri; Kahya, Emin; Aras, Nil; Aras, Haydar

2007-01-01

The external walls and roof of a building are the interface between its interior and the outdoor environment. Insulation of the external walls and roof is the most cost-effective way of controlling the outside elements to make homes more comfortable. Although insulation is generally accepted as a factor increasing the building costs, with the calculations we have shown that this is not the case. Fuel consumption and operational costs are reduced by increasing the thickness of the external walls and roof (ceiling), despite an increase in the investment costs. According to Turkish Standard Number 825 (TS 825), there are four different degree-day (DD) regions, and the required heat loads for the buildings in these regions exhibit large differences. Therefore, a method based on costs is needed for the determination of optimum insulation thicknesses of different DD regions. In this study, optimum insulation thicknesses for different DD regions of Turkey, namely, Izmir (DD: 1450), Bursa (DD: 2203), Eskisehir (DD: 3215) and Erzurum (DD: 4856), have been determined for a lifetime of N years, maximizing the present worth value of annual energy savings for insulated external walls

Complementarity of the CERN LEP collider, the Fermilab Tevatron, and the CERN LHC in the search for a light MSSM Higgs boson

CERN Document Server

Carena, M S; Wagner, C E M

2000-01-01

We study the discovery potential of the CERN LHC, Fermilab Tevatron and CERN LEP colliders in the search for the neutral CP-even Higgs boson of the MSSM which couples to the weak gauge bosons with a strength close to the standard model one and, hence, plays a relevant role in the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking. We place special emphasis on the radiative effects which influence the discovery reach of these colliders. We concentrate on the Vbb channel, with V=Z or W, and on the channels with diphoton final states, which are the dominant ones for the search for a light standard model Higgs boson at LEP or Tevatron and LHC, respectively. By analyzing the parameters of the MSSM for which the searches become difficult at one or more of these three colliders, we demonstrate their complementarity in the search for a light Higgs boson which plays a relevant role in the mechanism of electroweak symmetry breaking. (32 refs).

Climate change, livelihoods and the multiple determinants of water adequacy: two approaches at regional to global scale

Science.gov (United States)

Lissner, Tabea; Reusser, Dominik

2015-04-01

Inadequate access to water is already a problem in many regions of the world and processes of global change are expected to further exacerbate the situation. Many aspects determine the adequacy of water resources: beside actual physical water stress, where the resource itself is limited, economic and social water stress can be experienced if access to resource is limited by inadequate infrastructure, political or financial constraints. To assess the adequacy of water availability for human use, integrated approaches are needed that allow to view the multiple determinants in conjunction and provide sound results as a basis for informed decisions. This contribution proposes two parts of an integrated approach to look at the multiple dimensions of water scarcity at regional to global scale. These were developed in a joint project with the German Development Agency (GIZ). It first outlines the AHEAD approach to measure Adequate Human livelihood conditions for wEll-being And Development, implemented at global scale and at national resolution. This first approach allows viewing impacts of climate change, e.g. changes in water availability, within the wider context of AHEAD conditions. A specific focus lies on the uncertainties in projections of climate change and future water availability. As adequate water access is not determined by water availability alone, in a second step we develop an approach to assess the water requirements for different sectors in more detail, including aspects of quantity, quality as well as access, in an integrated way. This more detailed approach is exemplified at region-scale in Indonesia and South Africa. Our results show that in many regions of the world, water scarcity is a limitation to AHEAD conditions in many countries, regardless of differing modelling output. The more detailed assessments highlight the relevance of additional aspects to assess the adequacy of water for human use, showing that in many regions, quality and

Systematic optimization of exterior measurement locations for the determination of interior magnetic field vector components in inaccessible regions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nouri, N.; Plaster, B.

2014-12-11

An experiment may face the challenge of real-time determination of the magnetic field vector components present within some interior region of the experimental apparatus over which it is impossible to directly measure the field components during the operation of the experiment. As a solution to this problem, we propose a general concept which provides for a unique determination of the field components within such an interior region solely from exterior measurements at fixed discrete locations. The method is general and does not require the field to possess any type of symmetry. We describe our systematic approach for optimizing the locations of these exterior measurements which maximizes their sensitivity to successive terms in a multipole expansion of the field.

Elementary analysis of interferometers for wave—particle duality test and the prospect of going beyond the complementarity principle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Zhi-Yuan

2014-01-01

A distinct method to show a quantum object behaving both as wave and as particle is proposed and described in some detail. We make a systematic analysis using the elementary methodology of quantum mechanics upon Young's two-slit interferometer and the Mach—Zehnder two-arm interferometer with the focus placed on how to measure the interference pattern (wave nature) and the which-way information (particle nature) of quantum objects. We design several schemes to simultaneously acquire the which-way information for an individual quantum object and the high-contrast interference pattern for an ensemble of these quantum objects by placing two sets of measurement instruments that are well separated in space and whose perturbation of each other is negligibly small within the interferometer at the same time. Yet, improper arrangement and cooperation of these two sets of measurement instruments in the interferometer would lead to failure of simultaneous observation of wave and particle behaviors. The internal freedoms of quantum objects could be harnessed to probe both the which-way information and the interference pattern for the center-of-mass motion. That quantum objects can behave beyond the wave—particle duality and the complementarity principle would stimulate new conceptual examination and exploration of quantum theory at a deeper level. (general)

Perception and Motivation Study as a Determinants of Ecotourism Development in Tanah Datar Region

OpenAIRE

Adam Rachmatullah; Ricky Avenzora; Tutut Sunarminto

2018-01-01

During the last decade, many countries are paying special concern to develop of tourism and ecotourism industry cause able to accelerate development in a region. This research aims to analyze stakeholder perceptions and motivation determinants, a long with to formulate ecotourism development strategy. The research method used in closed ended questionnaire instrument and then data were analyzed by using one score one criteria scoring system. The result of the study showed that a local communit...

Determination of 238Pu and 239+240Pu in soils of different agricultural regions of Guatemala

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutierrez Martinez, Edwin Ariel

1999-01-01

This study allowed to determine the concentration of radioactivity alpha, due to contamination for plutonium in cultivated soils of different regions of Guatemala. They were carried out samplings for convenience in cultivated soils of 15 departments of the republic, determined in each soils sample, the activity concentration for plutonium 2 38 Plutonium and 239+240 Plutonium expressed in mili-becquerel by kilogram (mBq/Kg), which has been caused from all over the world by the different provoked liberations or accidents of radioactive particles to the atmosphere

Determining the source region of auroral emissions in the prenoon oval using coordinated Polar BEAR UV-imaging and DMSP particle measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newell, P.T.; Meng, C.I.; Huffman, R.E.

1992-01-01

The Polar Beacon Experiment and Auroral Research (Polar BEAR) satellite included the capability for imaging the dayside auroral oval in full sunlight at several wavelengths. The authors compare particle observations from the DMSP F7 satellite during dayside auroral oval crossings with approximately simultaneous Polar BEAR 1,356-angstrom images to determine the magnetospheric source region of the dayside auroral oval. The source region is determined from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) particle data, according to recent work concerning the classification and identification of precipitation source regions. The close DMSP/Polar BEAR coincidences all occur when the former satellite is located between 0945 and 1,000 MLT. The authors found instances of auroral arcs mapping to each of several different regions, including the boundary plasma sheet, the low-latitude boundary layer, and the plasma mantle. However, the results indicate that about half the time the most prominent auroral arcs are located at the interfaces between distinct plasma regions, at least at the local time studied here

Regional ejection fraction: a quantitative radionuclide index of regional left ventricular performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maddox, D.E.; Wynne, J.; Uren, R.; Parker, J.A.; Idoine, J.; Siegel, L.C.; Neill, J.M.; Cohn, P.F.; Holman, B.L.

1979-01-01

Left ventricular regional ejection fractions were derived from background-corrected, time-activity curves in 43 patients assessed by both gated equilibrium radionuclide angiocardiography and left ventricular contrast angiography. From a single, modified left anterior oblique projection, the regional change in background corrected counts was determined in each of three anatomic regions. The normal range for regional radionuclide ejection fraction was determined in 10 patients with normal contrast ventriculograms and without obstructive coronary artery disease at coronary arteriography. Regional ejection fraction was compared with percent segmental axis shortening and extent of akinetic segments in corresponding regions of the contrast ventriculogram. Radionuclide and roentgenographic methods were in agreement as to the presence or absence of abnormal wall motion in 83 of 99 left ventricular regions (84%) in 33 patients evaluated prospectively. Comparison of regional ejection fraction demonstrated significant differences between regions with roentgenographically determined normokinesis hypokinesis, and akinesis. We conclude that the left ventricular regional ejection fraction provides a reliable quantitative assessment of regional left ventricular performance

Periodic Continuing Disability Review Case Backlog

Data.gov (United States)

Social Security Administration — The Social Security Administration (SSA) conducts periodic CDRs to ensure that only those beneficiaries who remain disabled continue to receive monthly benefits. The...

Regional gray matter abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia determined with optimized voxel-based morphometry

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, XiaoJuan; Yao, Li; Jin, Zhen; Chen, Kewei

2006-03-01

This study examined regional gray matter abnormalities across the whole brain in 19 patients with schizophrenia (12 males and 7 females), comparing with 11 normal volunteers (7 males and 4 females). The customized brain templates were created in order to improve spatial normalization and segmentation. Then automated preprocessing of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data was conducted using optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM). The statistical voxel based analysis was implemented in terms of two-sample t-test model. Compared with normal controls, regional gray matter concentration in patients with schizophrenia was significantly reduced in the bilateral superior temporal gyrus, bilateral middle frontal and inferior frontal gyrus, right insula, precentral and parahippocampal areas, left thalamus and hypothalamus as well as, however, significant increases in gray matter concentration were not observed across the whole brain in the patients. This study confirms and extends some earlier findings on gray matter abnormalities in schizophrenic patients. Previous behavior and fMRI researches on schizophrenia have suggested that cognitive capacity decreased and self-conscious weakened in schizophrenic patients. These regional gray matter abnormalities determined through structural MRI with optimized VBM may be potential anatomic underpinnings of schizophrenia.

PREDOMINANCE AND SOCIAL DETERMINANTS IN OCCURRENCE OF PARASITOSIS IN CENTEREASTERN REGION OF PARANÁ: A SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYZES OF THE PROBLEM.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Regina Cenci Queiroz, Angela Patricia Motin, Cristiane Aparecida Verbaneck, Franciely Damaris de Cristo, Marcia de Souza Oliveira, Marcia Maria Veronese e Shirley Rak Mantovani

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Considering the high incidence of parasitic diseases in centereastern region of Paraná, an inquiry about its probable determinants was carried out. Particularly, the occurrence of Ascaris Lumbricoides was analyzed. Bibliographical research referring to this theme and data-collecting from centereastern region have been carried out, attempting to contextualize the epidemiological condition of this region. We can conclude that the high occurrence of ascariasis in analyzed region is linked to life conditions of general population, the deficiency in urban and sanitary planning, socioeconomic conditions and, essentially, the absence of investments in basic infrastructure. Thus, this study demonstrates the need of an urgent prophylactic action.

CD81 Receptor Regions outside the Large Extracellular Loop Determine Hepatitis C Virus Entry into Hepatoma Cells

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Pia Banse

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Hepatitis C virus (HCV enters human hepatocytes using four essential entry factors, one of which is human CD81 (hCD81. The tetraspanin hCD81 contains a large extracellular loop (LEL, which interacts with the E2 glycoprotein of HCV. The role of the non-LEL regions of hCD81 (intracellular tails, four transmembrane domains, small extracellular loop and intracellular loop is poorly understood. Here, we studied the contribution of these domains to HCV susceptibility of hepatoma cells by generating chimeras of related tetraspanins with the hCD81 LEL. Our results show that non-LEL regions in addition to the LEL determine susceptibility of cells to HCV. While closely related tetraspanins (X. tropicalis CD81 and D. rerio CD81 functionally complement hCD81 non-LEL regions, distantly related tetraspanins (C. elegans TSP9 amd D. melanogaster TSP96F do not and tetraspanins with intermediate homology (hCD9 show an intermediate phenotype. Tetraspanin homology and susceptibility to HCV correlate positively. For some chimeras, infectivity correlates with surface expression. In contrast, the hCD9 chimera is fully surface expressed, binds HCV E2 glycoprotein but is impaired in HCV receptor function. We demonstrate that a cholesterol-coordinating glutamate residue in CD81, which hCD9 lacks, promotes HCV infection. This work highlights the hCD81 non-LEL regions as additional HCV susceptibility-determining factors.

O uso de Elisa como ferramenta complementar para o controle da tuberculose bovina no Brasil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walter Lilenbaum

2006-04-01

Full Text Available A detecção de animais infectados é um dos mais importantes fatores envolvidos no controle da tuberculose e, com algumas variações, é realizado através de testes intradérmicos de tuberculinização. No entanto, animais negativos aos testes intradérmicos podem estar infectados e representam uma importante ameaça aos programas de erradicação da tuberculose. Apesar deste conhecido fenômeno, o uso de ELISA não é rotina nestes programas. Nosso objetivo foi o de descrever experiências do uso a campo de ELISA na detecção de animais anérgicos no Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Dentre 18 rebanhos envolvidos em um programa de controle da tuberculose, dois apresentaram animais infectados negativos aos testes intradérmicos, o que atrasou e comprometeu o sucesso do programa, com severas perdas econômicas. A infecção nestes animais foi identificada através de ELISA e confirmada pelo isolamento de M.bovis nas lesões pulmonares. Desta forma foram considerados como a mais provável fonte de infecção e responsáveis pela manutenção da enfermidade nos rebanhos. Sem o uso de testes sorológicos como ELISA estes animais provavelmente permaneceriam nos rebanhos perpetuando a infecção e a erradicação da enfermidade seria impossível. Em conclusão, sugere-se o uso de ELISA como uma valiosa ferramenta complementar para identificar animais anérgicos que possam atuar como reservatórios do agente nos rebanhos.

MESSENGER E/V/H GRNS 3 NEUTRON SPECTROMETER CDR V1.0

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Abstract ======== This data set consists of the MESSENGER Neutron Spectrometer (NS) calibrated data records (CDRs). The NS experiment is a neutron spectrometer...

Preliminary Considerations on Cultural Tourism in Abruzzo as a Strategic Tool for the Renewal of the Regional Tourist Offerings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Fuschi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Although the number of initiatives of place promotion, the Abruzzo tourism offer remains essentially polarized around two basic segments (the seaside/summer segment and the mountain/snow-based one and it strongly depends on the proximate tourist demand. Actually the Abruzzo region holds a wider and varied heritage, composed by cultural attractions, historical and architectural resources, wine and food potential and, more generally speaking, a lot heterogeneous environments and landscapes. These resources could respond to the new philosophies of tourism demand, characterised by the experiential motivations of peacefulness, tranquility and soul regeneration in a very close contact with nature. The goal of this study is to evaluate the potential tourism usability of the Abruzzo cultural heritage assessing the levels of the distribution of accommodation facilities and attractiveness. A more aware and integrated tourism offer may produce complementarities both at product and territory levels and may also absorb some critical issues of the regional tourism industry (no awareness of cultural tourism potential, the fragmentation of public policies, the inability to cooperate with a networking mentality.

Use of X-ray CT-defined regions of interest for the determination of SPECT recovery coefficients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, H.R.; Brown, J.K.; Hasegawa, B.H.

1996-01-01

For accurate activity per unit volume measurements in SPECT, recovery coefficients are usually applied based on the size and shape of objects being imaged to properly account for the resolution limitations of the gamma camera. Because of noise and limited spatial resolution, determination of object sizes and boundaries can be difficult using the SPECT images alone. We therefore have developed a technique which determines activity concentrations for SPECT using regions of interest (ROI's) obtained from coregistered X-ray CT images. In this study, experimental phantoms containing cylindrical and spherical objects were imaged on a combined X-ray CT/SPECT system and reconstructed data volumes were registered using the known geometry of the system. ROI's were defined on the registered CT images and used to help quantify activity concentration in localized regions and to measure object volumes. We have derived the recovery curves for these objects and scan technique. We have also tested a technique that demonstrates activity quantitation without the need for object and size dependent recovery coefficients in the case of low background

China’s Statist Energy Relations with Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Amineh, M.P.; van Driel, M.

2018-01-01

During the last decade, China’s diplomatic, economic, security and multilateral relations with Resource-Rich Countries (RRCs) in general, and with Central Asia and the Caspian Region (CACR) in particular, created a regional web of complementarity connecting states and societies. This trend reflects

A Política das Práticas Integrativas e Complementares do SUS: o relato da implementação em uma unidade de ensino e serviço de saúde

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aline Fernanda Fischborn

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Percebendo que a Política das Práticas Integrativas e Complementares do SUS ainda é desconhecida por muitos profissionais de saúde, realizamos o relato de experiência da aplicação das práticas integrativas e complementares em uma Unidade de Ensino e Serviço de Saúde. Objetivo: avaliar os desafios da aplicação dessas práticas na unidade e analisar a percepção dos usuários e da equipe de saúde, frente a essas práticas. Método: se trata de um estudo descritivo do tipo relato de experiência, de caráter qualitativo, realizado em uma Unidade de Ensino e Serviço de Saúde em uma Universidade do interior do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, no período de abril a junho do ano de 2016, totalizando 28 pessoas envolvidas na implementação das práticas. Resultados: na prática da aromaterapia, utilizando óleos florais, três usuários negaram-se a participar, e os demais usuários, parabenizaram o trabalho, relatando sentir uma melhora no bem-estar físico. A técnica musicoterapia foi aplicada a 3 usuários, que relataram que o ambiente proporcionou calma e alívio da tensão nervosa que sentiam. Na aplicação da musicoterapia e aromaterapia aos membros da equipe, estes relataram a respiração leve, eliminação de tensão nervosa e sensação de bem-estar físico e mental. Já na capacitação sobre chás, houveram diversas perguntas sobre os benefícios e efeitos adversos do seu uso. Dos 28 indivíduos envolvidos nas práticas, 25 demonstraram interesse em conhecer as terapias integrativas e complementares. Considerações finais: constatamos resultados positivos aos indivíduos que se propuseram a participar das técnicas, como bem-estar físico, mental e alívio de tensão. Por ser uma área nova de atuação para os profissionais de saúde, ainda há uma certa resistência, porém, trata-se de uma importante ferramenta na busca pela prevenção, promoção e tratamento dos usuários de saúde de forma integral, tal como prevê o

The relation of CT-determined tumor parameters and local and regional outcome of tonsillar cancer after definitive radiation treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hermans, Robert; Op de beeck, Katya; Bogaert, Walter van den; Rijnders, Alexis; Staelens, Lorenzo; Feron, Michel; Bellon, Erwin

2001-01-01

Purpose: To investigate the value of CT-derived tumor parameters as predictor of local and regional outcome of tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma treated by definitive radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: The pretreatment CT studies of 112 patients with tonsillar squamous cell carcinoma were reviewed. After redigitizing the films, primary and nodal tumor volume was calculated with the summation-of-areas technique. The nodal CT aspect was graded using a 3-point scale (homogenous, inhomogeneous, and necrotic). Mean follow-up time was 33 months. Actuarial statistical analysis of local and regional outcome was done for each of the covariates; multivariate analysis was performed using Cox's proportional hazards model. Results: In the actuarial analysis, CT-determined primary tumor volume was significantly correlated with local recurrence rate (p<0.05) when all patients were considered, but primary tumor volume did not predict local control within the T2, T3, and T4 category. CT-determined nodal volume was significantly related to regional outcome (p<0.01), but nodal density was not. Total tumor volume was not significantly related to locoregional outcome (p=0.1). In the multivariate analysis, the T and N categories were the independent predictors of local and regional outcomes, respectively. Conclusion: Compared to other head-and-neck sites, primary and nodal tumor volume have only marginal predictive value regarding local and regional outcome after radiation therapy in tonsillar cancer

Individual- and regional-level determinants of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine refusal: the Ontario Grade 8 HPV vaccine cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Remes, Olivia; Smith, Leah M; Alvarado-Llano, Beatriz E; Colley, Lindsey; Lévesque, Linda E

2014-10-08

Studies on the determinants of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine use have generally focused on individual-level characteristics, despite the potentially important influence of regional-level characteristics. Therefore, we undertook a population-based, retrospective cohort study to identify individual- and regional-level determinants of HPV vaccine refusal (non-receipt) in Ontario's (Canada) Grade 8 HPV Immunization Program. Ontario's administrative health and immunization databases were used to identify girls eligible for free HPV vaccination in 2007-2011 and to ascertain individual-level characteristics of cohort members (socio-demographics, vaccination history, health care utilization, medical history). The social and material characteristics of the girl's region (health unit) were derived from the 2006 Canadian Census. Generalized estimating equations (binomial distribution, logit link) were used to estimate the population-average effects of individual- and regional-level characteristics on HPV vaccine refusal. Our cohort consisted of 144,047 girls, 49.3% of whom refused HPV vaccination. Factors associated with refusal included a previous diagnosis of Down's syndrome (OR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.16-1.63) or autism (OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.34-1.90), few physician visits (OR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.35-1.55), and previous refusal of mandatory (OR = 2.23, 95% CI 2.07-2.40) and optional (OR = 3.96, 95% CI 3.87-4.05) vaccines. Refusal was highest among the lowest and highest income levels. Finally, a previous diagnosis of obesity and living in an area of high deprivation were associated with lower refusal (OR = 0.87, 95% CI 0.83-0.92 and OR = 0.82 95%, CI 0.79-0.86, respectively). Studies on HPV vaccine determinants should consider regional-level factors. Efforts to increase HPV vaccine acceptance should include vulnerable populations (such as girls of low income) and girls with limited contact with the healthcare system.

Complementarity in nutrient foraging strategies of absorptive fine roots and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi across 14 coexisting subtropical tree species.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bitao; Li, Hongbo; Zhu, Biao; Koide, Roger T; Eissenstat, David M; Guo, Dali

2015-10-01

In most cases, both roots and mycorrhizal fungi are needed for plant nutrient foraging. Frequently, the colonization of roots by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi seems to be greater in species with thick and sparsely branched roots than in species with thin and densely branched roots. Yet, whether a complementarity exists between roots and mycorrhizal fungi across these two types of root system remains unclear. We measured traits related to nutrient foraging (root morphology, architecture and proliferation, AM colonization and extramatrical hyphal length) across 14 coexisting AM subtropical tree species following root pruning and nutrient addition treatments. After root pruning, species with thinner roots showed more root growth, but lower mycorrhizal colonization, than species with thicker roots. Under multi-nutrient (NPK) addition, root growth increased, but mycorrhizal colonization decreased significantly, whereas no significant changes were found under nitrogen or phosphate additions. Moreover, root length proliferation was mainly achieved by altering root architecture, but not root morphology. Thin-root species seem to forage nutrients mainly via roots, whereas thick-root species rely more on mycorrhizal fungi. In addition, the reliance on mycorrhizal fungi was reduced by nutrient additions across all species. These findings highlight complementary strategies for nutrient foraging across coexisting species with contrasting root traits. © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.

Determinants of geographic inequalities in HPV vaccination in the most populated region of France.

Science.gov (United States)

Héquet, Delphine; Rouzier, Roman

2017-01-01

In France, there are recommendations and reimbursements for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination but no HPV vaccination programs. Therefore, vaccination is largely determined by parents' initiative, which can lead to inequalities. The objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with poorer vaccination coverage rates in the most populated region of France. The data of this study were obtained from the National Health Insurance between 2011 and 2013. Correlations between vaccination initiation rate (at least 1 dose reimbursed) and socio-demographic/cultural factors were assessed using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. Multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression. In total, 121,636 girls received at least one HPV vaccine dose. The vaccination rate for girls born from 1996 to 1999 was 18.7%. Disparities in vaccination coverage rates were observed between the 8 departments of the region, ranging from 12.9% to 22.6%. At the department level, unemployment, proportion of immigrants and foreigners, and coverage by CMU health insurance ("Couverture Maladie Universelle", a health insurance plan for those who are not otherwise covered through business or employment and who have a low income) were significantly inversely correlated with vaccination rates, whereas urban residence, medical density, income and use of medical services were not related to coverage. In the multivariate model, only the percentage of foreigners remained independently associated with lower vaccination coverage. At the individual level, the use of medical services was a strong driver of HPV vaccination initiation. We observed geographic disparities in HPV vaccination initiation coverage. Even if no clear factor was identified as a vaccination determinant, we observed a failure of vaccination only based on parents' initiative. Therefore, an organized policy on HPV vaccination, such as school-based programs, can help improve coverage rates.

Determinants of geographic inequalities in HPV vaccination in the most populated region of France.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Delphine Héquet

Full Text Available In France, there are recommendations and reimbursements for human papillomavirus (HPV vaccination but no HPV vaccination programs. Therefore, vaccination is largely determined by parents' initiative, which can lead to inequalities. The objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with poorer vaccination coverage rates in the most populated region of France.The data of this study were obtained from the National Health Insurance between 2011 and 2013. Correlations between vaccination initiation rate (at least 1 dose reimbursed and socio-demographic/cultural factors were assessed using Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. Multivariate analyses were performed using logistic regression.In total, 121,636 girls received at least one HPV vaccine dose. The vaccination rate for girls born from 1996 to 1999 was 18.7%. Disparities in vaccination coverage rates were observed between the 8 departments of the region, ranging from 12.9% to 22.6%. At the department level, unemployment, proportion of immigrants and foreigners, and coverage by CMU health insurance ("Couverture Maladie Universelle", a health insurance plan for those who are not otherwise covered through business or employment and who have a low income were significantly inversely correlated with vaccination rates, whereas urban residence, medical density, income and use of medical services were not related to coverage. In the multivariate model, only the percentage of foreigners remained independently associated with lower vaccination coverage. At the individual level, the use of medical services was a strong driver of HPV vaccination initiation.We observed geographic disparities in HPV vaccination initiation coverage. Even if no clear factor was identified as a vaccination determinant, we observed a failure of vaccination only based on parents' initiative. Therefore, an organized policy on HPV vaccination, such as school-based programs, can help improve coverage

Determination of the fracture thoughness curve within the ductile brittle transition region in ferritic steel AISI4140

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernandez, R.; Orozco, E.

1996-01-01

The aim of this work is to show the validity in the employment of small test tubes (1/2 T) in order to determine the fracture thoughness in ferritic steels that experience the beginning of cracking by cleavage, to elastic instability, and/or elasto-plastic. It was calculated the change of fracture thoughness in the ductile brittle transition region like function of the temperature employing statistic methods for steel to the annealed carbon of the type AISI4140. The testings were carried out within an interval of temperatures, where the cracking by cleavage and/or pop-in occurs. The thoughness curve of the cracking in the transition region was determined, in small test tubes 1/2 T, and in standard test tubes, 1T. It was calculated the beginning of instability of the integral J, J IC , and was converted to its equivalent in K JC units based in the ASTM Standard rev. 6-12-95 (ref. 6). (Author)

Structural insights into a high affinity nanobody:antigen complex by homology modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skottrup, Peter Durand

2017-01-01

Porphyromonas gingivalis is a major periodontitis-causing pathogens. P. gingivalis secrete a cysteine protease termed RgpB, which is specific for Arg-Xaa bonds in substrates. Recently, a nanobody-based assay was used to demonstrate that RgpB could represent a novel diagnostic target, thereby...... simplifying. P. gingivalis detection. The nanobody, VHH7, had a high binding affinity and was specific for RgpB, when tested towards the highly identical RgpA. In this study a homology model of VHH7 was build. The complementarity determining regions (CDR) comprising the paratope residues responsible for Rgp...

Development of a localized probabilistic sensitivity method to determine random variable regional importance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millwater, Harry; Singh, Gulshan; Cortina, Miguel

2012-01-01

There are many methods to identify the important variable out of a set of random variables, i.e., “inter-variable” importance; however, to date there are no comparable methods to identify the “region” of importance within a random variable, i.e., “intra-variable” importance. Knowledge of the critical region of an input random variable (tail, near-tail, and central region) can provide valuable information towards characterizing, understanding, and improving a model through additional modeling or testing. As a result, an intra-variable probabilistic sensitivity method was developed and demonstrated for independent random variables that computes the partial derivative of a probabilistic response with respect to a localized perturbation in the CDF values of each random variable. These sensitivities are then normalized in absolute value with respect to the largest sensitivity within a distribution to indicate the region of importance. The methodology is implemented using the Score Function kernel-based method such that existing samples can be used to compute sensitivities for negligible cost. Numerical examples demonstrate the accuracy of the method through comparisons with finite difference and numerical integration quadrature estimates. - Highlights: ► Probabilistic sensitivity methodology. ► Determines the “region” of importance within random variables such as left tail, near tail, center, right tail, etc. ► Uses the Score Function approach to reuse the samples, hence, negligible cost. ► No restrictions on the random variable types or limit states.

Quantitative determination of the regional cerebral blood flow with 133Xe

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Otto, H.J.; Abraham, K.; Freitag, J.; Koch, R.D.; Freitag, G.; Hoefs, R.

1982-01-01

After injection of 133 Xe into the A. carotis interna, the regional blood flow in the brain was determined with a 10-channel measuring unit. From the first clinical evaluation of the findings in 35 patients, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1. In epileptics, a localized hyperemia indicates very probably a latent increased convulsive activity. 2. The measurement of the cerebral blood flow does not yield a contribution to the diagnosis of the type of cerebral tumors. 3. As consequence of mass shifting of space occupying processes particularly endangered brain sections, also remote from the focus proper, show a localized pathological hyeperemia (morbid 'luxus perfusion'). 4. Of greatest importance is the method with regard to the elucidation of pathophysiological relations, as well as of questions in connection with the blood/brain barrier function, and concerning the indication for and the estimation of the results of vascular interventions. (author)

Application of the Constrained Admissible Region Multiple Hypothesis Filter to Initial Orbit Determination of a Break-up

Science.gov (United States)

Kelecy, Tom; Shoemaker, Michael; Jah, Moriba

2013-08-01

A break-up in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) is simulated for 10 objects having area-to-mass ratios (AMR's) ranging from 0.1-10.0 m2/kg. The Constrained Admissible Region Multiple Hypothesis Filter (CAR-MHF) is applied to determining and characterizing the orbit and atmospheric drag parameters (CdA/m) simultaneously for each of the 10 objects with no a priori orbit or drag information. The results indicate that CAR-MHF shows promise for accurate, unambiguous and autonomous determination of the orbit and drag states.

REDES COMUNITARIAS DE BANDA ANCHA: UNA CONTRIBUCIÓN PARA EL DESARROLLO REGIONAL EN PORTUGAL

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flávio Paulo Jorge Nunes

2010-12-01

Full Text Available El acceso a Internet por banda ancha constituye una potencialidad cada vez más relevante en el dominio del desarrollo regional, con todo la privatización y la liberalización del sector de las telecomunicaciones y la mera aplicación de las reglas del mercado no han conseguido asegurar una repartición geográfica equitativa del acceso a la banda ancha. Ante la constatación de esta tendencia se ha requerido financiación pública para la creación de las infraestructuras necesarias para generalizar el acceso a esta red, sobre todo en las áreas rurales menos pobladas. Este estudio tiene como objetivo evaluar la respuesta dada en Portugal para complementar la acción de las operadoras privadas de telecomunicaciones, con la creación de redes comunitarias de banda ancha. Actualmente está en curso la implementación de cuatro proyectos de redes comunitarias en Portugal, que pretenden viabilizar el acceso a aplicaciones telemáticas más innovadoras, las cuales constituyen hoy en día una condición necesaria para el éxito de muchos de los proyectos más innovadores de desarrollo regional y local.

Determination of trace elements concentrations in Grewia tenax plants collected from Darfur Region-Sudan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alzain, H. A; Ebrahim, A. M; Salih, A. M; Ali Altom, M. S.

2016-01-01

This study is aimed to determine trace elements concentrations (Ca, Cu, Cr, K,Fe, Mn, Ni, Sr and Zn) in Grewia tenax collected from Darfur state western of Sudan. X- ray fluorescence (X RF) technique was used to determine elements concentration. A series of plant standard reference materials(ISE 2012-1) were used to check the reliability of employed technique by comparing the obtained results with the certified values, to estimate possible factors for correcting the concentration of some elements. The results showed that, X RF is a suitable method for measuring Ca, Cu, K, Fe, Mn, Sr and Zn elements. On the other hand, X RF for Cr and Ni determination in plant samples, these elements have showed a deviation from their certified values. Concentration of Fe was about 35 mg/kg in Grewia tenax samples where as K and Ca showed maximum levels about 16000 and 8500 mg/kg respectively, Cu showed minimum concentration about 10 mg/kg. The effect of geographical location on trace elements concentration in plants has been examined through determination of element in different species of Grewia tenax that collected from different locations in Darfur region. Most of the measured elements showed that there is no significant impact of locations on the difference of element contents.(Author)

Automatic determination of the regional ejection fraction of the left ventricle (gated bloodpool)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feser, J.A.

1982-01-01

The left ventricular volume curve and the ejection fraction are calculated according to the ''sliding region of interest'' method in which the ventricle contour is redetermined for every single picture of the various phases of the heart beat. The original set of data, consisting of 32 pictures in 64 x 64 matrix resolution, is processed by a three-dimensional filtering process in space (x,y) and time (t). The ventricle contour is determined by convolution of the filtered images with a 7-point Laplacian operator in 4 independent directions. The atrial and ventricular phase histograms are then calculated on the basis of this contour. (WU) [de

MESSENGER E/V/H GRNS 3 GAMMA RAY SPECTROMETER CALIBDATA V1.0

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Abstract ======== This data set consists of the MESSENGER GRS calibrated observations (CDRs) and the reduced data product (RDR). The GRS experiment is a gamma ray...

Solutions for Determining the Significance Region Using the Johnson-Neyman Type Procedure in Generalized Linear (Mixed) Models

Science.gov (United States)

Lazar, Ann A.; Zerbe, Gary O.

2011-01-01

Researchers often compare the relationship between an outcome and covariate for two or more groups by evaluating whether the fitted regression curves differ significantly. When they do, researchers need to determine the "significance region," or the values of the covariate where the curves significantly differ. In analysis of covariance (ANCOVA),…

Determining coding CpG islands by identifying regions significant for pattern statistics on Markov chains.

Science.gov (United States)

Singer, Meromit; Engström, Alexander; Schönhuth, Alexander; Pachter, Lior

2011-09-23

Recent experimental and computational work confirms that CpGs can be unmethylated inside coding exons, thereby showing that codons may be subjected to both genomic and epigenomic constraint. It is therefore of interest to identify coding CpG islands (CCGIs) that are regions inside exons enriched for CpGs. The difficulty in identifying such islands is that coding exons exhibit sequence biases determined by codon usage and constraints that must be taken into account. We present a method for finding CCGIs that showcases a novel approach we have developed for identifying regions of interest that are significant (with respect to a Markov chain) for the counts of any pattern. Our method begins with the exact computation of tail probabilities for the number of CpGs in all regions contained in coding exons, and then applies a greedy algorithm for selecting islands from among the regions. We show that the greedy algorithm provably optimizes a biologically motivated criterion for selecting islands while controlling the false discovery rate. We applied this approach to the human genome (hg18) and annotated CpG islands in coding exons. The statistical criterion we apply to evaluating islands reduces the number of false positives in existing annotations, while our approach to defining islands reveals significant numbers of undiscovered CCGIs in coding exons. Many of these appear to be examples of functional epigenetic specialization in coding exons.

Complementarity of flux- and biometric-based data to constrain parameters in a terrestrial carbon model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhenggang Du

2015-03-01

Full Text Available To improve models for accurate projections, data assimilation, an emerging statistical approach to combine models with data, have recently been developed to probe initial conditions, parameters, data content, response functions and model uncertainties. Quantifying how many information contents are contained in different data streams is essential to predict future states of ecosystems and the climate. This study uses a data assimilation approach to examine the information contents contained in flux- and biometric-based data to constrain parameters in a terrestrial carbon (C model, which includes canopy photosynthesis and vegetation–soil C transfer submodels. Three assimilation experiments were constructed with either net ecosystem exchange (NEE data only or biometric data only [including foliage and woody biomass, litterfall, soil organic C (SOC and soil respiration], or both NEE and biometric data to constrain model parameters by a probabilistic inversion application. The results showed that NEE data mainly constrained parameters associated with gross primary production (GPP and ecosystem respiration (RE but were almost invalid for C transfer coefficients, while biometric data were more effective in constraining C transfer coefficients than other parameters. NEE and biometric data constrained about 26% (6 and 30% (7 of a total of 23 parameters, respectively, but their combined application constrained about 61% (14 of all parameters. The complementarity of NEE and biometric data was obvious in constraining most of parameters. The poor constraint by only NEE or biometric data was probably attributable to either the lack of long-term C dynamic data or errors from measurements. Overall, our results suggest that flux- and biometric-based data, containing different processes in ecosystem C dynamics, have different capacities to constrain parameters related to photosynthesis and C transfer coefficients, respectively. Multiple data sources could also

Selected Factors Determining Inward of Foreign Direct Investment in the Czech Regions in Years 2002 to 2012

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Ondřej Babuněk

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This study aims at the research of the influence of unemployment rate (Un, exchange rate of CZK/USD (Ex, inflation rate (Inf, expenditures on research and development (RaD, size of wages and environmental pollution on inward foreign direct investment (FDI into regions in the Czech Republic in the period 2002–2012. The study dealt with the whole period, then the pre-crisis and crisis period, altogether with the inclusion or elimination of Prague in or out of the group of Czech regions. Models without and with dynamic parameter were checked. For estimation of influence of the above mentioned parameters the fixed effects model, random effects model and pooled ordinary least squares (POLS were used. For dynamic model the generalized method of moments and POLS were applied. The results showed that Wage, appreciation of Ex and RaD positively determined the inflow of FDI to Czech regions and no negative determinant of inward FDI has been found. On the other hand, results of dynamic model imply that inward FDI in preceding year, appreciation of Ex, RaD have positive impact on inward FDI in current year. However, negative impact of Un and Inf on inward FDI were detected. Results of this research enable the policy makers or decision makers try to focus their attention on specific factors and eliminate to consume scarce funding.

Levels of reconstruction as complementarity in mixed methods research: a social theory-based conceptual framework for integrating qualitative and quantitative research.

Science.gov (United States)

Carroll, Linda J; Rothe, J Peter

2010-09-01

Like other areas of health research, there has been increasing use of qualitative methods to study public health problems such as injuries and injury prevention. Likewise, the integration of qualitative and quantitative research (mixed-methods) is beginning to assume a more prominent role in public health studies. Likewise, using mixed-methods has great potential for gaining a broad and comprehensive understanding of injuries and their prevention. However, qualitative and quantitative research methods are based on two inherently different paradigms, and their integration requires a conceptual framework that permits the unity of these two methods. We present a theory-driven framework for viewing qualitative and quantitative research, which enables us to integrate them in a conceptually sound and useful manner. This framework has its foundation within the philosophical concept of complementarity, as espoused in the physical and social sciences, and draws on Bergson's metaphysical work on the 'ways of knowing'. Through understanding how data are constructed and reconstructed, and the different levels of meaning that can be ascribed to qualitative and quantitative findings, we can use a mixed-methods approach to gain a conceptually sound, holistic knowledge about injury phenomena that will enhance our development of relevant and successful interventions.

Leader-team complementarity: Exploring the interactive effects of leader personality traits and team power distance values on team processes and performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jia; Judge, Timothy A

2017-06-01

Integrating the leader trait perspective with dominance complementarity theory, we propose team power distance as an important boundary condition for the indirect impact of leader extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness on team performance through a team's potency beliefs and through relational identification with the leader. Using time-lagged, 3-source data from 71 teams, we found that leader extraversion had a positive indirect impact on team in-role and extrarole performance through relational identification, but only for high power distance teams; leader conscientiousness had a positive influence on team in-role performance through team potency, but only for high power distance teams; and leader agreeableness had a positive effect on team in-role and extrarole performance via relational identification and on team in-role performance via team potency, but only for low power distance teams. The findings address prior inconsistencies regarding the relationships between leader traits and team effectiveness, identify an important boundary condition and key team processes that bridge the links, and provide a deeper understanding of the role of leader traits in teams. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Regional Business Cycles in East Asia: Synchronization and its Determinants

OpenAIRE

Young-Joon Park

2013-01-01

This paper analyzes the dynamics and nature of regional business cycle synchronization for East Asian countries in the period of 2000:Q1-2011:Q4. Estimating a dynamic two-factor model extracts the common factor and the nation- specific factor from both the macroeconomic aggregates and plausible driving forces of regional business cycles. Evidence for regional business cycle synchronization is particularly strong for Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines, while Japan shows weak evidence of regio...

Physical activity and determinants of sedentary behavior in Brazilian adolescents from an underdeveloped region.

Science.gov (United States)

Guedes, Dartagnan P; Souza, Monica V; Ferreirinha, Jose E; Silva, Antonio Jose R M

2012-04-01

The purpose of the study was to analyze the physical activity and the determinants of sedentary behavior in 1,268 Brazilian adolescents (638 girls, 630 boys) between the ages of 15 and 18 years, randomly selected from a relatively underdeveloped region. Data were collected from a community-based survey in the city of João Pessoa, Paraiba, Brazil. Information related to physical activity was derived on the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The prevalence of sedentary behavior was 28.2% for girls and 19.1% for boys, whilst 28.9% of the girls and 36.7% of the boys showed high physical activity. The sedentary behavior varied by sociodemographic and environmental determinants studied. Parents' education, socioeconomic status, school's characteristics, transport to school, paid work, smoking, alcohol use, and BMI scores were significantly related to sedentary behavior for boys and girls.

Factor value determination and applicability evaluation of universal soil loss equation in granite gneiss region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wen-hai Zhang

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Six types of runoff plots were set up and an experimental study was carried out to examine natural rate of soil and water loss in the granite gneiss region of northern Jiangsu Province in China. Through correlation analysis of runoff and soil loss during 364 rainfall events, a simplified and convenient mathematical formula suitable for calculating the rainfall erosivity factor (R for the local region was established. Other factors of the universal soil loss equation (USLE model were also determined. Relative error analysis of the soil loss of various plots calculated by the USLE model on the basis of the observed values showed that the relative error ranged from -3.5% to 9.9% and the confidence level was more than 90%. In addition, the relative error was 5.64% for the terraced field and 12.36% for the sloping field in the practical application. Thus, the confidence level was above 87.64%. These results provide a scientific basis for forecasting and monitoring soil and water loss, for comprehensive management of small watersheds, and for soil and water conservation planning in the region.

Protein-protein interaction site predictions with three-dimensional probability distributions of interacting atoms on protein surfaces.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ching-Tai Chen

Full Text Available Protein-protein interactions are key to many biological processes. Computational methodologies devised to predict protein-protein interaction (PPI sites on protein surfaces are important tools in providing insights into the biological functions of proteins and in developing therapeutics targeting the protein-protein interaction sites. One of the general features of PPI sites is that the core regions from the two interacting protein surfaces are complementary to each other, similar to the interior of proteins in packing density and in the physicochemical nature of the amino acid composition. In this work, we simulated the physicochemical complementarities by constructing three-dimensional probability density maps of non-covalent interacting atoms on the protein surfaces. The interacting probabilities were derived from the interior of known structures. Machine learning algorithms were applied to learn the characteristic patterns of the probability density maps specific to the PPI sites. The trained predictors for PPI sites were cross-validated with the training cases (consisting of 432 proteins and were tested on an independent dataset (consisting of 142 proteins. The residue-based Matthews correlation coefficient for the independent test set was 0.423; the accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity were 0.753, 0.519, 0.677, and 0.779 respectively. The benchmark results indicate that the optimized machine learning models are among the best predictors in identifying PPI sites on protein surfaces. In particular, the PPI site prediction accuracy increases with increasing size of the PPI site and with increasing hydrophobicity in amino acid composition of the PPI interface; the core interface regions are more likely to be recognized with high prediction confidence. The results indicate that the physicochemical complementarity patterns on protein surfaces are important determinants in PPIs, and a substantial portion of the PPI sites can be predicted

Protein-Protein Interaction Site Predictions with Three-Dimensional Probability Distributions of Interacting Atoms on Protein Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ching-Tai; Peng, Hung-Pin; Jian, Jhih-Wei; Tsai, Keng-Chang; Chang, Jeng-Yih; Yang, Ei-Wen; Chen, Jun-Bo; Ho, Shinn-Ying; Hsu, Wen-Lian; Yang, An-Suei

2012-01-01

Protein-protein interactions are key to many biological processes. Computational methodologies devised to predict protein-protein interaction (PPI) sites on protein surfaces are important tools in providing insights into the biological functions of proteins and in developing therapeutics targeting the protein-protein interaction sites. One of the general features of PPI sites is that the core regions from the two interacting protein surfaces are complementary to each other, similar to the interior of proteins in packing density and in the physicochemical nature of the amino acid composition. In this work, we simulated the physicochemical complementarities by constructing three-dimensional probability density maps of non-covalent interacting atoms on the protein surfaces. The interacting probabilities were derived from the interior of known structures. Machine learning algorithms were applied to learn the characteristic patterns of the probability density maps specific to the PPI sites. The trained predictors for PPI sites were cross-validated with the training cases (consisting of 432 proteins) and were tested on an independent dataset (consisting of 142 proteins). The residue-based Matthews correlation coefficient for the independent test set was 0.423; the accuracy, precision, sensitivity, specificity were 0.753, 0.519, 0.677, and 0.779 respectively. The benchmark results indicate that the optimized machine learning models are among the best predictors in identifying PPI sites on protein surfaces. In particular, the PPI site prediction accuracy increases with increasing size of the PPI site and with increasing hydrophobicity in amino acid composition of the PPI interface; the core interface regions are more likely to be recognized with high prediction confidence. The results indicate that the physicochemical complementarity patterns on protein surfaces are important determinants in PPIs, and a substantial portion of the PPI sites can be predicted correctly with

Quality control of the paracetamol drug by chemometrics and imaging spectroscopy in the near infrared region

Science.gov (United States)

Baptistao, Mariana; Rocha, Werickson Fortunato de Carvalho; Poppi, Ronei Jesus

2011-09-01

In this work, it was used imaging spectroscopy and chemometric tools for the development and analysis of paracetamol and excipients in pharmaceutical formulations. It was also built concentration maps to study the distribution of the drug in the tablets surface. Multivariate models based on PLS regression were developed for paracetamol and excipients concentrations prediction. For the construction of the models it was used 31 samples in the tablet form containing the active principle in a concentration range of 30.0-90.0% (w/w) and errors below to 5% were obtained for validation samples. Finally, the study of the distribution in the drug was performed through the distribution maps of concentration of active principle and excipients. The analysis of maps showed the complementarity between the active principle and excipients in the tablets. The region with a high concentration of a constituent must have, necessarily, absence or low concentration of the other one. Thus, an alternative method for the paracetamol drug quality monitoring is presented.

Accounting for thermodynamic non-ideality in the Guinier region of small-angle scattering data of proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Scott, David J

2016-12-01

Hydrodynamic studies of the solution properties of proteins and other biological macromolecules are often hard to interpret when the sample is present at a reasonably concentrated solution. The reason for this is that solutions exhibit deviations from ideal behaviour which is manifested as thermodynamic non-ideality. The range of concentrations at which this behaviour typically is exhibited is as low as 1-2 mg/ml, well within the range of concentrations used for their analysis by techniques such as small-angle scattering. Here we discuss thermodynamic non-ideality used previously used in the context of light scattering and sedimentation equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation and apply it to the Guinier region of small-angle scattering data. The results show that there is a complementarity between the radially averaged structure factor derived from small-angle X-ray scattering/small-angle neutron scattering studies and the second virial coefficient derived from sedimentation equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation experiments.

Determinants of land take at the regional scale: a study concerning Sardinia (Italy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zoppi, Corrado, E-mail: zoppi@unica.it; Lai, Sabrina, E-mail: sabrinalai@unica.it

2015-11-15

In its “Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe” (Communication COM(2011) 571 of 20 September 2011), the European Commission (EC) established an ambitious goal for the European Union (EU), that of achieving no land take by 2050; towards this aim, a key milestone for the year 2020 was set, by stating that European policies in the programming period 2014–2020 ought to consider both their direct and their indirect impacts on land use in the EU. Within this framework, this paper builds upon the findings of a previous paper (Zoppi and Lai, 2014), in which we estimated the magnitude of land take over a short period of time (2003–2008) in Sardinia, an Italian NUTS2 region, and we assessed whether and how land take is related to a set of variables that are regarded as important determinants in the literature, such as parcel size, accessibility, and proximity to main cities and towns, to the coastline, or to protected areas. In this paper we study the land-taking process taking Sardinia as a case study, in two larger time periods, 1960–1990 and 1990–2008. We assess if, and to what extent, these factors reveal similar, or different, effects in the two periods, and try to identify consistencies concerning the determinants of land take. - Highlights: • Population density and parcel size significantly affect the magnitude of land take. • The presence of nature conservation areas hinders land taking processes. • Extensive urbanization might effectively preserve non-artificial land. • Balanced accessibility of settlements and nature conservation regional policies can effectively contrast land take. • Size of non-artificial land parcels that become artificial is negatively and significantly connected to land take.

Determinants of land take at the regional scale: a study concerning Sardinia (Italy)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zoppi, Corrado; Lai, Sabrina

2015-01-01

In its “Roadmap to a Resource Efficient Europe” (Communication COM(2011) 571 of 20 September 2011), the European Commission (EC) established an ambitious goal for the European Union (EU), that of achieving no land take by 2050; towards this aim, a key milestone for the year 2020 was set, by stating that European policies in the programming period 2014–2020 ought to consider both their direct and their indirect impacts on land use in the EU. Within this framework, this paper builds upon the findings of a previous paper (Zoppi and Lai, 2014), in which we estimated the magnitude of land take over a short period of time (2003–2008) in Sardinia, an Italian NUTS2 region, and we assessed whether and how land take is related to a set of variables that are regarded as important determinants in the literature, such as parcel size, accessibility, and proximity to main cities and towns, to the coastline, or to protected areas. In this paper we study the land-taking process taking Sardinia as a case study, in two larger time periods, 1960–1990 and 1990–2008. We assess if, and to what extent, these factors reveal similar, or different, effects in the two periods, and try to identify consistencies concerning the determinants of land take. - Highlights: • Population density and parcel size significantly affect the magnitude of land take. • The presence of nature conservation areas hinders land taking processes. • Extensive urbanization might effectively preserve non-artificial land. • Balanced accessibility of settlements and nature conservation regional policies can effectively contrast land take. • Size of non-artificial land parcels that become artificial is negatively and significantly connected to land take

Quantitative computed tomography determined regional lung mechanics in normal nonsmokers, normal smokers and metastatic sarcoma subjects.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiwoong Choi

Full Text Available Extra-thoracic tumors send out pilot cells that attach to the pulmonary endothelium. We hypothesized that this could alter regional lung mechanics (tissue stiffening or accumulation of fluid and inflammatory cells through interactions with host cells. We explored this with serial inspiratory computed tomography (CT and image matching to assess regional changes in lung expansion.We retrospectively assessed 44 pairs of two serial CT scans on 21 sarcoma patients: 12 without lung metastases and 9 with lung metastases. For each subject, two or more serial inspiratory clinically-derived CT scans were retrospectively collected. Two research-derived control groups were included: 7 normal nonsmokers and 12 asymptomatic smokers with two inspiratory scans taken the same day or one year apart respectively. We performed image registration for local-to-local matching scans to baseline, and derived local expansion and density changes at an acinar scale. Welch two sample t test was used for comparison between groups. Statistical significance was determined with a p value < 0.05.Lung regions of metastatic sarcoma patients (but not the normal control group demonstrated an increased proportion of normalized lung expansion between the first and second CT. These hyper-expanded regions were associated with, but not limited to, visible metastatic lung lesions. Compared with the normal control group, the percent of increased normalized hyper-expanded lung in sarcoma subjects was significantly increased (p < 0.05. There was also evidence of increased lung "tissue" volume (non-air components in the hyper-expanded regions of the cancer subjects relative to non-hyper-expanded regions. "Tissue" volume increase was present in the hyper-expanded regions of metastatic and non-metastatic sarcoma subjects. This putatively could represent regional inflammation related to the presence of tumor pilot cell-host related interactions.This new quantitative CT (QCT method for linking

Thermal characterization of European ant communities along thermal gradients and its implications for community resilience to temperature variability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xavier eArnan

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Ecologists are increasingly concerned about how climate change will affect biodiversity yet have mostly addressed the issue at the species level. Here, we present a novel framework that accounts for the full range and complementarity of thermal responses present in a community; it may help reveal how biological communities will respond to climatic (i.e., thermal variability. First, we characterized the thermal niches of 147 ant species from 342 communities found along broad temperature gradients in western Europe. Within each community, species’ mean thermal breadth and the difference among species’ thermal optima (thermal complementarity were considered to define community thermal niche breadth—our proxy for community thermal resilience. The greater the range of thermal responses and their complementarity within a community, the greater the likelihood that the community could cope with novel conditions. Second, we used simulations to calculate how robust community thermal resilience was to random species extinctions. Community resilience was considered to be robust when random species extinctions largely failed to constrict initial community thermal breadth. Our results indicate that community thermal resilience was negatively and positively correlated with mean temperature and temperature seasonality, respectively. The pattern was reversed for robustness. While species richness did not directly affect community resilience to thermal variability, it did have a strong indirect effect because it determined community resilience robustness. Consequently, communities in warm, aseasonal regions are the most vulnerable to temperature variability, despite their greater number of species and resultant greater resilience robustness.

Quality management: the challenges of regional governance in West Africa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Osseni Loukoumanou

2015-01-01

Full Text Available With a total area of 3 509 600 km2 and a population of over 80 340 000 people, the eight WAEMU countries (the West Africa Economic and Monetary Union have many products to offer the international market. These products can be classified into three categories: fishery products, agricultural products, and agro-industrial products resulting from the processing in the first two categories. Despite the real independence of these categories, they share a common thread: efficient quality management. The crux of the matter is efficient quality management which denotes both effective and efficient management of the products. While all the theories of efficiency acknowledge a border between effectiveness and efficiency and highlight the complementarity of the two concepts, it is nonetheless interesting to note that the Russian language combines the two concepts into a single word: “effectivnost”. The efficiency of a quality infrastructure is determined by both its effectiveness and its efficiency since a quality product is one that meets the standards in place, has a number of inherent characteristics that fulfil stated requirements, and can be sold within budget limits set by the consumer. In other words, quality must be managed at a restricted cost so that it is not a source of increased production costs. The formal ratification of the SOAMET (West African Secretariat of Metrology, the NORMCERQ (Regional Body of Standardization, Certification and Quality Promotion and the SOAC (Regional Body of Accreditation by the eight WAEMU countries through the signing of Regulation No. 01/2005/CM/UEMOA (Scheme for the Harmonization of the Activities of Accreditation, Certification, Standardization and Metrology in the WAEMU is a very positive step. Nevertheless, both the successful implementation of this regulation and the quality of work that will derive from these organizations depend on the quality of the human factor, i.e. the competence of the

Landsat surface reflectance quality assurance extraction (version 1.7)

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, J.W.; Starbuck, M.J.; Jenkerson, Calli B.

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Land Remote Sensing Program is developing an operational capability to produce Climate Data Records (CDRs) and Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) from the Landsat Archive to support a wide variety of science and resource management activities from regional to global scale. The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center is charged with prototyping systems and software to generate these high-level data products. Various USGS Geographic Science Centers are charged with particular ECV algorithm development and (or) selection as well as the evaluation and application demonstration of various USGS CDRs and ECVs. Because it is a foundation for many other ECVs, the first CDR in development is the Landsat Surface Reflectance Product (LSRP). The LSRP incorporates data quality information in a bit-packed structure that is not readily accessible without postprocessing services performed by the user. This document describes two general methods of LSRP quality-data extraction for use in image processing systems. Helpful hints for the installation and use of software originally developed for manipulation of Hierarchical Data Format (HDF) produced through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Earth Observing System are first provided for users who wish to extract quality data into separate HDF files. Next, steps follow to incorporate these extracted data into an image processing system. Finally, an alternative example is illustrated in which the data are extracted within a particular image processing system.

Determinants of regional differences in lung cancer mortality in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.E. Kunst (Anton); C.W.N. Looman (Caspar); J.P. Mackenbach (Johan)

1993-01-01

textabstractAlthough regional differences in lung cancer mortality are likely to be attributable to regional differences in tobacco smoking, studies in various countries found only weak relationships. This paper aimed at explaining regional differences in lung cancer mortality in the

Mutations of the interferon sensitivity-determining region (ISDR) correlate with the complexity of hypervariable region (HVR)-1 in the Japanese variant of hepatitis C virus (HCV) type 1b.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakano, Isao; Fukuda, Yoshihide; Katano, Yoshiaki; Toyoda, Hidenori; Hayashi, Kazuhiko; Kumada, Takashi; Nakano, Satoshi

2004-09-01

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1b comprises mainly two subtypes in Japan, each named for its geographic prevalence (Japan-specific, J type; worldwide, W type). Because the newly identified subtypes have not been fully characterized, the present study directed this issue from virological viewpoints such as hypervariable region (HVR)-1 as well as interferon (IFN) sensitivity-determining region (ISDR). Fifty chronic hepatitis patients with HCV 1b (31 men and 19 women; mean age 50.5 years) were enrolled, and J/W type was determined according to envelope 1 (E1) sequence as described previously (23 J type and 27 W type). Correlations between age, number of HVR-1 clones, HVR-1 diversity, and ISDR mutations were analyzed in J and W type patients independently. In addition, the sequences of the three HCV regions obtained for the determination of the above genetic factors were studied phylogenetically. The number of HVR-1 clones was significantly higher for J type in comparison with W type (P = 0.044). In the J type-infected patients, the ISDR mutation number was correlated inversely with HVR-1 clone number (P = 0.0001, r = -0.734) and HVR-1 diversity (P = 0.0001, r = -0.722). However, this correlation was not observed in the W type patients. W type patients showed a significant correlation between age and HVR-1 clone number (P = 0.015, r = 0.462). Phylogenetic study revealed that the nonstructural (NS) 5A sequence, which is obtained for ISDR type determination, can distinguish between J and W types. The inverse correlation in J type patients between ISDR mutations and HVR-1 complexity may explain the usefulness of the ISDR for prediction of IFN response only in Japanese patients. This suggests that the ISDR is not directly related to IFN responsiveness, but the degree of HVR-1 complexity may be more important.

Determinants of regional differences in lung cancer mortality in The Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kunst, A. E.; Looman, C. W.; Mackenbach, J. P.

1993-01-01

Although regional differences in lung cancer mortality are likely to be attributable to regional differences in tobacco smoking, studies in various countries found only weak relationships. This paper aimed at explaining regional differences in lung cancer mortality in the Netherlands. In a first

Constancy despite variability: Local and regional macrofaunal diversity in intertidal seagrass beds

Science.gov (United States)

Boyé, Aurélien; Legendre, Pierre; Grall, Jacques; Gauthier, Olivier

2017-12-01

The importance of seagrass habitat for the diversity of benthic fauna has been extensively studied worldwide. Most of the information available is, however, about α diversity while little consideration has been given to β diversity. To fill the knowledge gaps regarding the variability of epifaunal and infaunal seagrass assemblages at large spatial and temporal scales, we scrutinized an extensive dataset covering five years of monitoring of eight intertidal Zostera marina meadows around Brittany (France). High species richness arose at the regional scale from the combination of high local diversity of the meadows and substantial among-meadows β diversity. Epifauna and infauna appeared as distinct self-communities as they displayed different spatial and temporal patterns and varied in their responses to local hydrological conditions. Infauna had higher total β diversity than epifauna due to a tighter link to the great variability of local environmental conditions in the region. Both exhibited substantial variations in species composition and community structure with variations of dominant species that were accompanied by extensive change in numerous rare species. The dominant epifaunal species were all grazers. Changes in species composition were induced mostly by species replacement and rarely by richness differences between meadows. Indeed, species richness remained within a narrow range for all seagrass beds, suggesting a potential carrying capacity for species richness of the meadows. Overall, all meadows contributed equally to the regional turnover of seagrass macrofauna, emphasizing high variability and complementarity among beds at the regional scale. The implications of this substantial within-seagrass variability for the functioning of benthic ecosystems at broad scale and for conservation purposes in habitat mosaics warrant further investigations but our results clearly advocate taking into account within-habitat variation when evaluating the diversity

Complementarity of magnetic resonance spectroscopy, positron emission tomography and single photon emission tomography for the in vivo investigation of human cardiac metabolism and neurotransmission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Syrota, A.; Jehenson, P.

1991-01-01

PET is quantitative and very sensitive, and therefore only tracer amounts of molecules need to be injected. It allows neurotransmitters and receptors to be studied and a global view of metabolism to oxygen consumption, glucose and fatty acid utilization to be obtained. SPET also has good sensitivity, but uses gamma-emitting isotopes of heteroatoms. Their longer half-lives allow follow-up for hours or days. MRS is based on stable elements with high or low natural abundance. It has very low sensitivity and only millimolar concentrations of substrates can be detected, but various parts of metabolism can be studied. The in vivo measurement of myocardial concentration of substances has many problems that are common to all three techniques. The complementarity of the techniques is illustrated by their applications to the study of cardiac metabolism. For instance, the energy metabolism can be studied by 31 P-MRS, which detects the high-energy compounds ATP and phosphocreatine, and 13 C-MRS yields information on the tricarboxylic acid cycle activity. PET and SPET allow the utilization of fatty acids, the normal fuels of the heart, to be studied. During ischaemia, PET with 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose can determine the glucose consumption and 1 H-MRS shows the increase in lactic acid, reflecting anaerobic glycolysis. Comparison of the use of acetate labelled with 11 C for PET or 13 C for MRS shows the potentials and limitations of each technique. Myocardial perfusion can be evaluated directly with various PET tracers or indirectly with thallium 201 or various technetium-99m-labelled tracers by SPET. No MRS marker of perfusion is so far clinically available. Mainly SPET and PET are used clinically for the investigation of ischaemic heart disease as well as cardiomyophathies, but some initial results using 31 P-MRS are being obtained. (orig./MG)

Near Real-Time Call Detail Record ETL Flows

Science.gov (United States)

Cochinwala, Munir; Panagos, Euthimios

Telecommunication companies face significant business challenges as they strive to reduce subscriber churn and increase average revenue per user (ARPU) by offering new services and incorporating new functionality into existing services. The increased number of service offerings and available functionality result in an ever growing volume of call detail records (CDRs). For many services (e.g., pre-paid), CDRs need to be processed and analyzed in near real-time for several reasons, including charging, on-line subscriber access to their accounts, and analytics for predicting subscriber usage and preventing fraudulent activity. In this paper, we describe the challenges associated with near real-time extract, transform, and load (ETL) of CDR data warehouse flows for supporting both the operational and business intelligence needs of telecommunication services, and we present our approach to addressing these challenges.

Social capital determinants of preferential resource allocation in regional clusters

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pulles, Niels Jaring; Schiele, Holger

2013-01-01

Regional clusters are known to facilitate firms in achieving higher levels of competitive advantage. This observation suggests that cluster firms manage to obtain better com- petitive resources than firms outside the cluster. The strong social ties in regional clus- ters are considered to be a

Alimentação complementar nos primeiros dois anos de vida Complementary feeding in the first two years of life

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lucivalda Pereira Magalhães de Oliveira

2005-08-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Analisar a alimentação complementar de crianças nos primeiros dois anos de vida. MÉTODOS: Este é um estudo transversal, com amostra constituída de 724 crianças residentes na cidade de Salvador, BA, Brasil, elegíveis por meio de amostragem por conglomerados em três estágios. As informações referentes ao consumo alimentar foram coletadas por meio do inquérito recordatório de 24 horas e processadas pelo programa Virtual Nutri. O pacote estatístico STATA, que incorpora o efeito da ponderação, foi utilizado para realizar as análises estatísticas. RESULTADOS: Observou-se que o desmame é praticado precocemente. O consumo de leite materno declina expressivamente a partir dos seis meses de idade, e é substituído pelas fórmulas à base de leite em pó integral, espessante e açúcar. A participação dos hidratos de carbono no valor calórico total da dieta aumenta com a idade, enquanto que o lipídeo diminui expressivamente. A distribuição média da energia e da proteína da dieta está acima do recomendado segundo a idade para todos os grupos etários, mas é grande a variabilidade do consumo intragrupo. A realização do desjejum, do almoço e do jantar foi registrada para aproximadamente 90% das crianças investigadas. CONCLUSÃO: A iniciação do consumo de alimentos complementares acontece em período bem precoce da vida, e são oferecidos em quantidade insuficiente para suprir as recomendações nutricionais, particularmente de micronutrientes.OBJECTIVE: To analyze complementary feeding in the first two years of life. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study with seven hundred and twenty-four children, residents of the city of Salvador (Bahia, Brazil and chosen by randomized sampling using a three stage-design. Information concerning dietary intake was collected by 24-hour dietary recalls and processed by means of the Virtual Nutri Program. The STATA software, which includes the effect of statistical weighting

Uso de medicinas alternativas e complementares por pacientes com câncer: revisão sistemática Use of complementary and alternative medicine by cancer patients: systematic review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiane Spadacio

2008-02-01

Full Text Available O interesse no tema das medicinas alternativas e complementares tem aumentado, principalmente entre pacientes oncológicos. Realizou-se uma revisão sistemática da literatura na base de dados PubMed sobre o perfil dos pacientes que optam pelo uso dessas medicinas e suas motivações. As palavras-chaves utilizadas na busca foram "cancer and complementary alternative medicine" e "oncology and complementary alternative medicine", no período 1995-2005. Os critérios de seleção foram: presença dos descritores no título dos artigos, idiomas português, inglês ou espanhol e terem sido realizados em população adulta. A partir de 43 artigos analisados, concluiu-se que a utilização de medicinas alternativas e complementares é parte do escopo social desses pacientes. Seu uso é importante na construção da identidade de pacientes com câncer, ajudando-os nas decisões em relação ao tratamento convencional.Interest in complementary and alternative medicine has increased, especially among oncology patients. A systematic literature review of the profile of patients who choose to use this type of medicine, as well as their motivations, was carried out on the PubMed database. For this search, the key words used were ?cancer and complementary alternative medicine? and ?oncology and complementary alternative medicine?, covering the period between 1995 and 2005. The selection criteria were the following: key words were present in the article title; article was written in either English, Portuguese, or Spanish; and study was performed with an adult population. From the 43 articles analyzed, it could be concluded that the use of complementary and alternative medicine is part of these patients? social scope. Moreover, its use plays an important role in the identity construction of cancer patients, helping them to make decisions related to conventional treatment.

Indicators of Simulated Driving Skills in Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sherrilene Classen PhD, MPH, OTR/L, FAOTA

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD have an increased risk for committing traffic violations, and they are four times more likely than neurotypical peers to be crash involved, making them a potentially high risk group for driving. We used a two-group design to measure differences in demographics, clinical off-road tests, and fitness to drive abilities in a driving simulator with nine adolescents with ADHD (mean age = 15.00, SD ± 1.00 compared to 22 healthy controls (HC (mean age = 14.32, SD ±..716, as evaluated by an Occupational Therapist Certified Driving Rehabilitation Specialist (OT-CDRS. Despite few demographic differences, the adolescents with ADHD performed worse than the HC on tests of right visual acuity (F = 5.92, p = .036, right peripheral field (F = 6.85, p = .019, selective attention (U = 53.00, p = .046, and motor coordination (U = 53.00, p = .046. The ADHD group made more visual scanning (U = 52.50, p = .041, speed regulation (U = 28.00, p = .001, and total driving errors (U = 32.50, p = .003 on the simulator. Adolescents with ADHD performed worse on tests measuring visual, cognitive, motor, and pre-driving skills, and on a driving simulator. They may require the services of an OT-CDRS to determine their fitness to drive abilities prior to referring them for driver’s education.

Anticipating and Managing Future Trade-offs and Complementarities between Ecosystem Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark S. Reed

2013-03-01

Full Text Available This paper shows how, with the aid of computer models developed in close collaboration with decision makers and other stakeholders, it is possible to quantify and map how policy decisions are likely to affect multiple ecosystem services in future. In this way, potential trade-offs and complementarities between different ecosystem services can be identified, so that policies can be designed to avoid the worst trade-offs, and where possible, enhance multiple services. The paper brings together evidence from across the Rural Economy and Land Use Programme's Sustainable Uplands project for the first time, with previously unpublished model outputs relating to runoff, agricultural suitability, biomass, heather cover, age, and utility for Red Grouse (Lagopus scotica, grass cover, and accompanying scenario narratives and video. Two contrasting scenarios, based on policies to extensify or intensify land management up to 2030, were developed through a combination of interviews and discussions during site visits with stakeholders, literature review, conceptual modeling, and process-based computer models, using the Dark Peak of the Peak District National Park in the UK as a case study. Where extensification leads to a significant reduction in managed burning and grazing or land abandonment, changes in vegetation type and structure could compromise a range of species that are important for conservation, while compromising provisioning services, amenity value, and increasing wildfire risk. However, where extensification leads to the restoration of peatlands damaged by former intensive management, there would be an increase in carbon sequestration and storage, with a number of cobenefits, which could counter the loss of habitats and species elsewhere in the landscape. In the second scenario, land use and management was significantly intensified to boost UK self-sufficiency in food. This would benefit certain provisioning services but would have negative

Determinants of the accessibility of regional-product information

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ittersum, van K.; Meulenberg, M.T.G.; Trijp, van J.C.M.

2003-01-01

In an era being characterized by globalization, the importance of product differentiation grows. Marketing products based on the region-of-origin (within-country area) is one of the strategies applied (i.e., Washington apples). Most place-of-origin research focuses on the effect of the

The Determinants of Organic Vegetable Purchasing in Jabodetabek Region, Indonesia

Science.gov (United States)

Slamet, Alim Setiawan; Nakayasu, Akira; Bai, Hu

2016-01-01

Over the last few years, the global market of organic vegetables has grown. This is due to increased consumer concern regarding environmental and health issues, especially for food products. This study aims to examine factors that influence consumer behavior in purchasing organic vegetables. In this study, data were obtained from household surveys conducted in the Jabodetabek region (Greater Jakarta) from February to March 2015. Descriptive analysis, factor analysis, and a binary logit model were used to analyze the data. Subsequently, the results show that consumers with fewer family members and have a higher income, and are price tolerant, are more likely to purchase organic vegetables. Meanwhile, female consumers are less likely to buy organic vegetables. Another important finding is that positive attitude towards organic products, safety and health, environmental concerns, as well as degree of trust in organic attributes, are the determinants of organic vegetable purchasing among consumers. Therefore, based on the study results, the following recommendations are needed for organic vegetable development in Indonesia: (a) implementing an appropriate pricing strategy; (b) encouraging organic labeling and certification for vegetables; and (c) intensively promoting organic food with respect to consumers’ motives and concerns on health, safety, as well as environmental sustainability. PMID:28231181

The Determinants of Organic Vegetable Purchasing in Jabodetabek Region, Indonesia.

Science.gov (United States)

Slamet, Alim Setiawan; Nakayasu, Akira; Bai, Hu

2016-12-07

Over the last few years, the global market of organic vegetables has grown. This is due to increased consumer concern regarding environmental and health issues, especially for food products. This study aims to examine factors that influence consumer behavior in purchasing organic vegetables. In this study, data were obtained from household surveys conducted in the Jabodetabek region (Greater Jakarta) from February to March 2015. Descriptive analysis, factor analysis, and a binary logit model were used to analyze the data. Subsequently, the results show that consumers with fewer family members and have a higher income, and are price tolerant, are more likely to purchase organic vegetables. Meanwhile, female consumers are less likely to buy organic vegetables. Another important finding is that positive attitude towards organic products, safety and health, environmental concerns, as well as degree of trust in organic attributes, are the determinants of organic vegetable purchasing among consumers. Therefore, based on the study results, the following recommendations are needed for organic vegetable development in Indonesia: (a) implementing an appropriate pricing strategy; (b) encouraging organic labeling and certification for vegetables; and (c) intensively promoting organic food with respect to consumers' motives and concerns on health, safety, as well as environmental sustainability.

The Determinants of Organic Vegetable Purchasing in Jabodetabek Region, Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alim Setiawan Slamet

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Over the last few years, the global market of organic vegetables has grown. This is due to increased consumer concern regarding environmental and health issues, especially for food products. This study aims to examine factors that influence consumer behavior in purchasing organic vegetables. In this study, data were obtained from household surveys conducted in the Jabodetabek region (Greater Jakarta from February to March 2015. Descriptive analysis, factor analysis, and a binary logit model were used to analyze the data. Subsequently, the results show that consumers with fewer family members and have a higher income, and are price tolerant, are more likely to purchase organic vegetables. Meanwhile, female consumers are less likely to buy organic vegetables. Another important finding is that positive attitude towards organic products, safety and health, environmental concerns, as well as degree of trust in organic attributes, are the determinants of organic vegetable purchasing among consumers. Therefore, based on the study results, the following recommendations are needed for organic vegetable development in Indonesia: (a implementing an appropriate pricing strategy; (b encouraging organic labeling and certification for vegetables; and (c intensively promoting organic food with respect to consumers’ motives and concerns on health, safety, as well as environmental sustainability.

The determinants of intra-regional trade in the Western Balkans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jelena Trivić

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that have an influence on bilateral trade among the Western Balkan countries for the period from 1995 to 2012. Unlike a majority of works that have dealt with the subject of trade in the Balkans or the SEEs, not only geographical, economic or political factors are taken into account, but also factors constituting cultural, communicational and historical types of the so-called “distance” between countries. In order to assess their influence on trade values, an augmented version of the gravity model is employed. It was estimated threefold: as pooled data by OLS, as a random effects model and as a fixed effects model with an additional estimation of time-invariant variables following the method of Cheng and Wall (2005. The results of the research are surprising, as the strongest influence on trade values were exhibited by variables representing ease of a direct communication and similarity of religious structures. In addition, war and one-year-post-war effect showed a strong and statistically important influence. Thus, the main conclusion is that non-economic factors in the region of the Western Balkans play the most important role in determining trade values between countries.

Determinations of adaptation level of wine grape varieties in terms of climatic data in wine growing regions of turkey

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ateş Fadime

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Wine grapes are adapted to a wide range of climate; the best production occurs in regions that meet certain specific climatic conditions. Temperatures during the growing season can affect grape quality and viability. Beneficial climatic conditions will improve the wine's quality. In this study it is aimed that to determine suitable wine grape varieties for the cultivation in some areas of Southeastern Anatolia Region, Eastern Anatolia, Central Anatolia Region, Central Black Sea Region, Aegean Region and Marmara Region in Turkey with related to climate requirements. For this reason, long-term climatic data were collected by meteorological stations including, Diyarbakır (Çermik, Çüngüş, Central-Elazığ, Nevşehir (Central and Ürgüp, Ankara (Kalecik Tokat (Central, Erbaa, Niksar, İzmir (Seferihisar, Menderes, Urla ve Denizli (Çal ve Güney, Çanakkale (Bozcaada, Bayramiç, Tekirdağ. In this study heliotermic and hdyrothermic indices were calculated and evaluated for appropriate viticultural practice in this region. It was found that Boğazkere and Öküzgözü in Southeastern Anatolia Region and Eastern Anatolia Region; Kalecik Karası, Dimrit and Narince in Central Anatolia Region and Emir in Central Black Sea Region; Bornova Misketi, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Carignane, Kalecik Karası, Merlot, Öküzgözü, Çal Karası, Boğazkere, Sultani Çekirdeksiz in Aegean Region; Karasakız,Karalahana, Vasilaki, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah, Alicante Bouschet, Semillion, Cinsaut, Yapıncak, Gamay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon can be adapted and grown well in terms of climatic conditions in Marmara Region respectively.

Determination of Botanical Origin of Propolis from Monte Region of Argentina by Histological and Chemical Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Salasa, Ana; Mercadoc, María I; Zampini, Iris C; Ponessa, Graciela I; Isla, María I

2016-05-01

Propolis production by honey bees is the result of a selective harvest of exudates from plants in the neighborhood of the hive. This product is used in Argentina as a food supplement and alternative medicine. The aim of this study was to determine the botanical origin of propolis from the arid regions of Monte of Argentina using rapid histochemical techniques and by comparison of TLC and HPLC-DAD chromatographic profiles with extract profiles obtained from Zuccagnia punctata, Larrea divaricata and Larrea cuneifolia, plant species that grow in the study area as a natural community named "jarillal". Microscopical analysis revealed the presence of several Z. punctata structures, such as multicellular trichomes, leaflets, stems and young leaves. Remarkable was the richness of the propolis in two bioactive chalcones, also present in Z. punctata resin; these compounds can be regarded as possible markers for propolis identification and justify its use as a dietary supplement, functional food and medicinal product. This study indicates that the source of resin used by honey bees to produce propolis in the Monte region of Argentina is only Z. punctata, a native shrub widespread in this phytogeographical region, while other more abundant species (L. divaricata and L. cuneifolia) in the region were not found, indicating that this propolis could be defined as a mono-resin, type-Zuccagnia.

Determination of As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Sb and Se concentrations by radiochemical neutron activation analysis in different Brazilian regional diets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Favaro, D.I.T.; Maihara, V.A.; Armelin, M.J.A.; Vasconcellos, M.B.A.; Cozzolino, S.M.

1994-01-01

Radiochemical separation procedures developed for the determination of seven elements: As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Sb and Se in different Brazilian regional diets are described. In the case of the elements As, Hg, Sb and Se, the procedure was based on retention in inorganic exchanger TFO (tin dioxide) and determination of Hg by extraction with Ni(DDC) 2 . For determination of Cd, Cr, Cu and Se the procedure chosen was based on retention in inorganic exchanger HMD (hydrated manganese dioxide) and extraction of Cu and Cd as diethyldithiocarbamate compounds. The accuracy and precision of the methods studied were tested by means of analyses of different reference materials-Due to the lack of data on trace element levels in Brazilian foodstuffs and diets, these methods were applied to determination of these elements in different Brazilian regional diets. These s were supplied by the Food and Experimental Nutrition Department of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, University of Sao Paulo. The daily intake values for these diets are presented for As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Sb and Se. (author) 21 refs.; 6 tabs

Distribution of irregularities in the northern polar region determined from Hilat observations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macdougall, J.W.

1990-01-01

Three years' observations of the Hilat satellite from stations Sondre, Churchill, and Tromso have been used to study the distributions of scintillations over the northern polar region. Two regions showed enhancement. Region (1) was an enhancement of phase scintillations when the line of sight to the satellite lay along an L shell and the observing station was under the auroral oval. Region (2) is revealed most clearly by amplitude scintillations and maximizes in an annular region several degrees poleward of the auroral oval. Region (1) is most likely associated with large-scale 'blobs' of ionization in the auroral zone; region (2) appears to be due to km-scale irregularities generated in the polar cap. 17 refs

Abort Region Determinator (ARD) module feasibility report. Mission planning, mission analysis and software formulation

Science.gov (United States)

Draeger, B. G.; Joyner, J. A.

1976-01-01

A detailed performance evaluation of the Abort Region Determinator (ARD) module design was provided in support of OFT-1 ascent and OFT-1 intact launch aborts. The evaluation method used compared ARD results against results obtained using the full-up Space Vehicle Dynamic Simulations program under the same conditions. Results were presented for each of the three major ARD math models: (1) the ascent numerical integrator; (2) the mass model, and (3) the second stage predictor as well as the total ARD module. These results demonstrate that the baselined ARD module meets all design objectives for mission control center orbital flight test launch/abort support.

Resistencia antibiótica de streptococcus pneumoniae en portadores nasofaríngeos sanos de siete regiones del Perú

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nancy Torres

Full Text Available Objetivos. Determinar el patrón de susceptibilidad antibiótica de cepas de Streptococcus pneumoniae aisladas de portadores nasofaríngeos sanos menores de 2 años de siete regiones del Perú. Materiales y métodos. Entre el 2007 y 2009 se tomaron muestras de hisopado nasofaríngeo a 2123 niños sanos entre 2 y 24 meses de edad en los consultorios de crecimiento y desarrollo (CRED y vacunación de hospitales y centros de salud de Lima, Piura, Cusco, Abancay, Arequipa, Huancayo, e Iquitos. Se determinó la resistencia a diez antibióticos mediante la prueba de disco-difusión de las cepas de neumococo aisladas. Resultados. Se aislaron 572 cepas. Se encontró altas tasas de resistencia a cotrimoxazol (58%; penicilina (52,2% no-sensibles; tetraciclina (29,1%; azitromicina (28,9%, y eritromicina (26,3%. La resistencia a cloranfenicol fue baja (8,8%. Se encontró 29,5% de multirresistencia. La resistencia a la azitromicina y a la penicilina fue diferente en las siete regiones (p<0,05, hallándose el mayor porcentaje de cepas no-sensibles a penicilina en Arequipa (63,6%, mientras que el menor fue en Cusco (23,4%. Conclusiones. Los elevados niveles de resistencia encontrados para penicilina, cotrimoxazol y macrólidos en cepas de neumococo aisladas de portadores sanos en todas las regiones estudiadas, y su asociación con uso previo de antibióticos, representan un importante problema de salud pública en nuestro país. Esto resalta la necesidad de implementar, a nivel nacional, estrategias para disminuir el uso irracional de antibióticos, sobre todo en la población pediátrica. Es necesario complementar los datos de resistencia a penicilina con la determinación de la concentración mínima inhibitoria para hacer las recomendaciones terapéuticas respectivas

Socioeconomic determinants of regional mortality differences in Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spijker, Jeroen Johannes Anthonius

2004-01-01

This thesis has attempted to assess the importance of various socioeconomic and other factors in mortality at the population level in three different settings: in Europe at the country level, and in the Czech Republic and the Netherlands at the regional level. Each analysis was conducted from a

Round table: moderated by Marco Bersanelli and François Bouchet - What next? science objectives and required observations: Objective: Open discussion of what are the strengths and weaknesses of possible future experiments, complementarity, what is our target science for the M5 proposal and what is the best strategy to get it

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2016-01-01

Round table: moderated by Marco Bersanelli and François Bouchet - What next? science objectives and required observations: Objective: Open discussion of what are the strengths and weaknesses of possible future experiments, complementarity, what is our target science for the M5 proposal and what is the best strategy to get it

From Complementarity to Conflict: A Historical Analysis of Farmer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

generation and intensification, including international development projects, demographic changes ... Network and Assistant Professor of Conflict Resolution and Cultural Anthropology at ..... Freundenberger's (1995) case study of the Ferlo region of northern Senegal, ... They serve both wealthy city dwellers and Europe's.

Auroral-Region Dynamics Determined with the Chatanika Radar.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-11-01

low-latitudes originate in the auroral region [Davis and Da Rosa, 1969; Testud , 1970; Chandra et al., 1979). They may be generated by particle...Ion Composition and Nitric Oxide," Planet. Sp. Sci., 25, 103-116 (1977). Testud , J., "Gravity Waves Generated During Magnetic Substorms," J. Atmos. and

Multi-head Watson-Crick automata

OpenAIRE

Chatterjee, Kingshuk; Ray, Kumar Sankar

2015-01-01

Inspired by multi-head finite automata and Watson-Crick automata in this paper, we introduce new structure namely multi-head Watson-Crick automata where we replace the single tape of multi-head finite automaton by a DNA double strand. The content of the second tape is determined using a complementarity relation similar to Watson-Crick complementarity relation. We establish the superiority of our model over multi-head finite automata and also show that both the deterministic and non-determinis...

What are the determinants of food security among regional and remote Western Australian children?

Science.gov (United States)

Godrich, Stephanie L; Davies, Christina R; Darby, Jill; Devine, Amanda

2017-01-22

To explore how determinants of food security affect children in regional and remote Western Australia (WA), across food availability, access and utilisation dimensions. The Determinants of Food Security framework guided the thematic analysis (using NVivo 10) of semi-structured interviews with 20 key informants. Food availability factors included availability, price, promotion, quality, location of outlets and variety. Food access factors included social support, financial resources, transport to food outlets, distance to food outlets and mobility. Food utilisation factors included nutrition knowledge and skills, children's food preferences, storage facilities, preparation and cooking facilities and time to purchase food. Key food availability recommendations include increasing local food supply options. Food access recommendations include ensuring equitable formal social support and empowering informal support options. Food utilisation recommendations include prioritising food literacy programs focusing on quick, healthy food preparation and budgeting skills. Implications for public health: Policymakers should invest in local food supply options, equitable social support services and experiential food literacy programs. Practitioners should focus child/parent programs on improving attitude, knowledge and skills. © 2017 Public Health Association of Australia.

Determination of Vertical Datum Offset between the Regional and the Global Height Datum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LI Jiancheng

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The unification of the global height datum is a key problem to be solved for geodesy after the unification of global geodetic coordination system and three-dimension spatial datum, and the basis of global spatial information sharing and exchange. In this paper, the theoretical and practical problems of vertical datum offset between the regional height datum and the global height datum are studied. Based on the classical theory of the height system in physical geodesy, the definition of the height datum vertical offset is given, and the rigorous formulas for calculating the vertical offset are derived. The formulas can be used to deduce the three methods of the height datum vertical offset determination. On that basis, the influences of different reference system and reference ellipsoid parameters on the calculation of the vertical offset are analyzed. The results show that the reference system and the ellipsoid parameter conversion are very necessary. At the same time, the height anomaly differences method needs to consider the degree zero correction caused by the inconsistency between gravity potential of the global height datum and the one computed by the model. Based on potential difference approach and the height anomaly difference method, the vertical offset between the China 1985 national height datum and the global height datum corresponding to the normal gravity potential U0 of GRS80, WGS-84 and CGCS2000 reference ellipsoidal from the 152 GPS/leveling points near the origin of Qingdao height origin and the EGM2008, EIGEN-6C4 and SGG-UGM-1 model. The regional datum is 23.1 cm lower than the global datum based on EIGEN-6C4 and WGS-84. When the Gauss-Listing geoid (mean sea surface is selected as the global height datum, the China 1985 national height datum is 21.0 cm higher than the global height datum. The results also show that there are still large differences among the accuracies of the current gravity field models on these GPS

Televisão digital interativa na educação: desenvolvimento de um conteúdo complementar ao ensino

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maicon Ferreira de Souza

2012-10-01

Full Text Available O presente trabalho teve por finalidade desenvolver um protótipo de conteúdo educativo utilizando os recursos da TV Digital Interativa. No texto, são apresentadas as características da televisão digital interativa aberta como meio complementar para a educação. A metodologia utilizada é composta de quatro fases: dedução, análise, indução e síntese. Sua concepção toma como problema a necessidade expressa pela Unesco sobre o uso das Tecnologias de Informação e Comunicação (TICs para a educação, bem como a possibilidade de aplicação da televisão digital em um processo educativo. O conteúdo é estruturado em formato de quiz, um tipo de jogo de perguntas e respostas utilizado como meio de educação não formal a alunos de ensino médio. O protótipo desenvolvido nesse trabalho é apresentando como roteiro e mapa estrutural, levando em conta as atividades e rotinas necessárias para seu funcionamento nos ambientes testados, eclipse, virtual set-topbox e Developer Box. As práticas de prototipação foram realizadas em NCLua, tendo como base o middleware Ginga. Como resultado, avalia-se que, de fato, o Ginga ofereceu suporte suficiente para realizar a tarefa, proporcionando características de interação para veiculação do conteúdo proposto, no momento da prática real.

Determination of 228Th, 232Th, and228Ra in wild mushroom from a naturally high radioactive region in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosa, Mychelle M.L.; Taddei, Maria Helena T.; Silva, Marco A.; Ferreira, Marcelo T.

2011-01-01

Mushrooms are fungi which efficiently accumulate radionuclides, as verified by radiochemistry analyses of specimens collected in contaminated areas, specifically after the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Many studies have demonstrated that mushrooms can be used in monitoring of ecosystem contamination and quality. The present paper is part of a broader study conducted in the Pocos de Caldas plateau region in Minas Gerais, Brazil, investigating assimilation of natural Uranium and Thorium radionuclide series by mushrooms. This region has elevated natural radioactivity due to the presence of radiological anomalies of volcanic origin. These anomalies are ore bodies containing Uranium and Thorium, the later being highly predominant. Many researchers have been conducted concerning radionuclide incorporation by agricultural products on the plateau. The present paper aims to determine 232 Th, 228 Th, and 228 Ra radionuclides in wild mushrooms collected at different locations in the plateau region. 228 Ra was determined by radiochemical separation using sulphate coprecipitation followed by beta radiometry. 232 Th and 228 Th were determined using anion exchange resin purification followed by alpha spectrometry. Higher values were obtained to 228 Th than to 232 Th. This is due to higher 228 Ra mobility, which decays to 228 Th. The accuracy of the analytical methods employed was evaluated using the reference sample IAEA Soil 327. These methods had high chemical recovery and high sensitivity. It was possible to confirm that mushrooms accumulate radionuclide and so can be used in environmental contamination and quality assessment. (author)

Nonequilibrium phenomena and determination of plasma parameters in the hot core of the cathode region in free-burning arc discharges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuehn, Gerrit; Kock, Manfred

2007-01-01

We present spectroscopic measurements of plasma parameters (electron density n e , electron temperature T e , gas temperature T g , underpopulation factor b) in the hot-core region in front of the cathode of a low-current, free-burning arc discharge in argon under atmospheric pressure. The discharge is operated in the hot-core mode, creating a hot cathode region with plasma parameters similar to high-current arcs in spite of the fact that we use comparatively low currents (less than 20 A). We use continuum emission and (optically thin) line emission to determine n e and T e . We apply relaxation measurements based on a power-interruption technique to investigate deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). These measurements let us determine the gas temperature T g . All measurements are performed side-on with charge-coupled-device cameras as detectors, so that all measured plasma parameters are spatially resolved after an Abel inversion. This yields the first ever spatially resolved observation of the non-LTE phenomena of the hot core in the near-cathode region of free-burning arcs. The results only partly coincide with previously published predictions and measurements in the literature

From continental priorities to local conservation: a multi-level analysis for African tortoises.

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Pierluigi Bombi

Full Text Available Terrestrial tortoises are the most endangered group of vertebrates but they are still largely ignored for defining global conservation priorities. In this paper, we explored within a hierarchical framework the potential contribution of prioritization studies at the continental scale to the planning of local initiatives for the conservation of African tortoises at the regional level. First, we modeled the distribution of all the African tortoise species, we calculated three indicators of conservation priority (i.e., species richness, conservation value, and complementarity, and we carried out a gap analysis at continental scale. Second, we focused on the most important region for tortoise conservation and performed the same analyses at higher resolution. Finally, we compared the results from the two scales for understanding the degree to which they are complementary. Southern Africa emerged from the continental analysis as the most important region for tortoises. Within this area, the high-resolution analysis pointed out specific core sites for conservation. The relative degree of species protection was assessed similarly at the two different resolutions. Two species appeared particularly vulnerable at both scales. Priority indices calculated at high resolution were correlated to the values calculated for the corresponding cells at low resolution but the congruence was stronger for species richness. Our results suggest to integrate the calculation of conservation value and complementarity into a hierarchical framework driven by species richness. The advantages of large scale planning include its broad perspective on complementarity and the capability to identify regions with greatest conservation potential. In this light, continental analyses allow targeting fine scale studies toward regions with maximum priority. The regional analyses at fine scale allow planning conservation measure at a resolution similar to that required for the practical

Label-free detection of sex determining region Y (SRY) via capacitive biosensor

KAUST Repository

Sivashankar, Shilpa

2016-10-20

In this work, we present for the first time, the use of a simple fractal capacitive biosensor for the quantification and detection of sex-determining region Y (SRY) genes. This section of genetic code, which is found on the Y chromosome, finds importance for study as it causes fetuses to develop characteristics of male sex-like gonads when a mutation occurs. It is also an important genetic code in men, and disorders involving the SRY gene can cause infertility and sexual malfunction that lead to a variety of gene mutational disorders. We have therefore designed silicon-based, label-free fractal capacitive biosensors to quantify various proteins and genes. We take advantage of a good dielectric material, Parylene C for enhancing the performance of the sensors. We have integrated these sensors with a simple microchannel for easy handling of fluids on the detection area. The read-out value of an Agilent LCR meter used to measure capacitance of the sensor at a frequency of 1 MHz determined gene specificity and gene quantification. These data revealed that the capacitance measurement of the capacitive biosensor for the SRY gene depended on both the target and the concentration of DNA. The experimental outcomes in the present study can be used to detect DNA and its variations in crucial fields that have a great impact on our daily lives, such as clinical and veterinary diagnostics, industrial and environmental testing and forensic sciences.

Preliminary concentration and determination of Sr-90 in natural and waste water of Kursk region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basargin, N.N.; Rozovskij, Yu.G.; Grebennikova, R.V.; Salikhov, V.D.

2001-01-01

Synthesis and study of cheating sorbents containing functional analytical ortho-oxy-aza-ortho'-sulfonyl group are presented. Physicochemical properties of sorbents and chemisorption of Sr and Sr 90 are studied. A rapid method of preliminary concentration with subsequent atomic absorption and radiometric determination of Sr in natural and waste water is proposed. Samples of aqua-objects of Kursk region were analyzed using developed method. The results of radiometric investigations into control of strontium-90 content in cooling systems of Kursk NPP, waste waters, waters of Sejm river testifies higher values of concentration in the april - september period [ru

A new method for determining uranium and thorium contents in mineral mining materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khalil, A.; Membry, A.; Chambaudet, A.; Fromm, M.

1994-01-01

The method is based on the quantitative analysis of solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD). A mathematical model taking into account the variability of the critical angle of registration for the etching of the tracks generated by the incoming alpha projectiles is described. Complementarity of laboratory experiments and theoretical track etching model enables the relationship between critical angle and alpha particles energy to be determined. The formalism of the dosimetric method is based on the calculation of the probability P sub i for an alpha particle emitted in the phosphate to generate an observable etched track in the CR39 SSNTD. The determination of these probabilities cannot be achieved without a good knowledge of the relation expressing the critical angle as a function of particle energy. Supposing a secular equilibrium, we first propose a bulk relation giving the number of parent nuclides of a given family per unit volume of material. By taking the probabilities as P sub i into account, the content of uranium and thorium in the material (phosphates) can be estimated. The results obtained are compared to those cited in the literature. 1 tab., 6 refs. (author)

Structural Characterisation Reveals Mechanism of IL-13-Neutralising Monoclonal Antibody Tralokinumab as Inhibition of Binding to IL-13Rα1 and IL-13Rα2.

Science.gov (United States)

Popovic, B; Breed, J; Rees, D G; Gardener, M J; Vinall, L M K; Kemp, B; Spooner, J; Keen, J; Minter, R; Uddin, F; Colice, G; Wilkinson, T; Vaughan, T; May, R D

2017-01-20

Interleukin (IL)-13 is a pleiotropic T helper type 2 cytokine frequently associated with asthma and atopic dermatitis. IL-13-mediated signalling is initiated by binding to IL-13Rα1, which then recruits IL-4Rα to form a heterodimeric receptor complex. IL-13 also binds to IL-13Rα2, considered as either a decoy or a key mediator of fibrosis. IL-13-neutralising antibodies act by preventing IL-13 binding to IL-13Rα1, IL-4Rα and/or IL-13Rα2. Tralokinumab (CAT-354) is an IL-13-neutralising human IgG4 monoclonal antibody that has shown clinical benefit in patients with asthma. To decipher how tralokinumab inhibits the effects of IL-13, we determined the structure of tralokinumab Fab in complex with human IL-13 to 2 Å resolution. The structure analysis reveals that tralokinumab prevents IL-13 from binding to both IL-13Rα1 and IL-13Rα2. This is supported by biochemical ligand-receptor interaction assay data. The tralokinumab epitope is mainly composed of residues in helices D and A of IL-13. It is mostly light chain complementarity-determining regions that are driving paratope interactions; the variable light complementarity-determining region 2 plays a key role by providing residue contacts for a network of hydrogen bonds and a salt bridge in the core of binding. The key residues within the paratope contributing to binding were identified as Asp50, Asp51, Ser30 and Lys31. This study demonstrates that tralokinumab prevents the IL-13 pharmacodynamic effect by binding to IL-13 helices A and D, thus preventing IL-13 from interacting with IL-13Rα1 and IL-13Rα2. Copyright © 2016 AstraZeneca. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Regional scale prioritisation for key ecosystem services, renewable energy production and urban development.

Science.gov (United States)

Casalegno, Stefano; Bennie, Jonathan J; Inger, Richard; Gaston, Kevin J

2014-01-01

Although the importance of addressing ecosystem service benefits in regional land use planning and decision-making is evident, substantial practical challenges remain. In particular, methods to identify priority areas for the provision of key ecosystem services and other environmental services (benefits from the environment not directly linked to the function of ecosystems) need to be developed. Priority areas are locations which provide disproportionally high benefits from one or more service. Here we map a set of ecosystem and environmental services and delineate priority areas according to different scenarios. Each scenario is produced by a set of weightings allocated to different services and corresponds to different landscape management strategies which decision makers could undertake. Using the county of Cornwall, U.K., as a case study, we processed gridded maps of key ecosystem services and environmental services, including renewable energy production and urban development. We explored their spatial distribution patterns and their spatial covariance and spatial stationarity within the region. Finally we applied a complementarity-based priority ranking algorithm (zonation) using different weighting schemes. Our conclusions are that (i) there are two main patterns of service distribution in this region, clustered services (including agriculture, carbon stocks, urban development and plant production) and dispersed services (including cultural services, energy production and floods mitigation); (ii) more than half of the services are spatially correlated and there is high non-stationarity in the spatial covariance between services; and (iii) it is important to consider both ecosystem services and other environmental services in identifying priority areas. Different weighting schemes provoke drastic changes in the delineation of priority areas and therefore decision making processes need to carefully consider the relative values attributed to different services.

Prospective and participatory integrated assessment of agricultural systems from farm to regional scales: Comparison of three modeling approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Delmotte, Sylvestre; Lopez-Ridaura, Santiago; Barbier, Jean-Marc; Wery, Jacques

2013-11-15

Evaluating the impacts of the development of alternative agricultural systems, such as organic or low-input cropping systems, in the context of an agricultural region requires the use of specific tools and methodologies. They should allow a prospective (using scenarios), multi-scale (taking into account the field, farm and regional level), integrated (notably multicriteria) and participatory assessment, abbreviated PIAAS (for Participatory Integrated Assessment of Agricultural System). In this paper, we compare the possible contribution to PIAAS of three modeling approaches i.e. Bio-Economic Modeling (BEM), Agent-Based Modeling (ABM) and statistical Land-Use/Land Cover Change (LUCC) models. After a presentation of each approach, we analyze their advantages and drawbacks, and identify their possible complementarities for PIAAS. Statistical LUCC modeling is a suitable approach for multi-scale analysis of past changes and can be used to start discussion about the futures with stakeholders. BEM and ABM approaches have complementary features for scenarios assessment at different scales. While ABM has been widely used for participatory assessment, BEM has been rarely used satisfactorily in a participatory manner. On the basis of these results, we propose to combine these three approaches in a framework targeted to PIAAS. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An overview of European efforts in generating climate data records

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Su, Z.; Timmermans, W.J.; Zeng, Y.; Schulz, J.; John, V.O.; Roebeling, R.A.; Poli, P.; Tan, D.; Kaspar, F.; Kaiser-Weiss, A.; Swinnen, E.; Tote, C.; Gregow, H.; Manninen, T.; Riihela, A.; Calvet, J.C.; Ma, Yaoming; Wen, Jun

2018-01-01

The Coordinating Earth Observation Data Validation for Reanalysis for Climate Services project (CORE-CLIMAX) aimed to substantiate how Copernicus observations and products can contribute to climate change analyses. CORE-CLIMAX assessed the European capability to provide climate data records (CDRs)

USSD technology a low cost asset in complementing public health workers’ work processes

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Zhou, M

2015-04-01

Full Text Available transactions through Ecocash, Telecash and Onewallet services but there is little use of the technology for clinical data repositories (CDRs). USSD codes facility is a cross-platform mobile handset support solution which allows the health services providers...

Distribuição de combustível no estado de São Paulo: estruturas de governança e mecanismos complementares de coordenação

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Selene de Souza Siqueira Soares

2015-06-01

Full Text Available RESUMO Neste trabalho, o foco é o estudo das governanças das transações adotadas pelas distribuidoras de combustíveis com os postos varejistas, segundo abordagem teórica da nova economia institucional (NEI. Foi realizada pesquisa de campo, por meio de entrevistas presenciais com 25 empresas distribuidoras, as quais respondem por aproximadamente 80% das vendas nacionais de gasolina e etanol. Os resultados sugerem que as estruturas de governança diferenciam-se pela especificidade de ativos e que as governanças híbridas são as mais recorrentes. Nas conclusões, indica-se ainda que o porte dos distribuidores tem sido determinante na escolha dos mecanismos de coordenação utilizados e que a demora em fazer valer os contratos tem sido a principal causa da emergência dos mecanismos complementares, sendo sua utilização direcionada basicamente à proteção dos ativos específicos nas transações.

Differences in regional emissions in China's transport sector: Determinants and reduction strategies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Bin; Lin, Boqiang

2016-01-01

With recent surge in the number of vehicles, particularly private vehicles, the transport sector has significantly contributed to the increase in energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions in China. Most of the existing researches utilized time series data to investigate the factors influencing transport sector's carbon dioxide emission at the national level while neglecting the level of regional differences. This paper adopts provincial panel data from 2000 to 2012 and panel data models to examine the key driving forces of carbon dioxide emissions in the transport sector at the regional level in China. The estimation results show that the impacts of urbanization on carbon dioxide emissions in the transport sector vary across regions and decline continuously from the western region to the eastern and central regions. Private vehicles are more important than cargo turnover in emission reduction because of its relatively inefficient and excessive growth. The role of energy efficiency improvement in mitigating carbon dioxide emissions in the three regions varies due to significant differences in research and development investment and management efficiency. Hence, in order to effectively achieve emission reduction, local governments should consider all these factors as well as regional heterogeneity in developing appropriate mitigation policies. - Highlights: • The factors of carbon dioxide emissions in China's transport sector were explored. • The impact of urbanization on carbon dioxide emissions varies across regions. • Private vehicles are more critical than cargo turnover in emission reduction. • The role of energy efficiency in the three regions is exactly the opposite.

The Effect of Ignoring Earth Curvature on Near-Regional Traveltime Tomography and Earthquake Hypocentral Determination

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Chao-ying; Li, Xing-wang; Wang, Di; Greenhalgh, Stewart

2017-12-01

Earthquake hypocenter determination and traveltime tomography with local earthquake data are normally conducted using a Cartesian coordinate system and assuming a flat Earth model, but for regional and teleseismic data Earth curvature is incorporated and a spherical coordinate system employed. However, when the study region is from the local to near-regional scale (1°-4°), it is unclear what coordinate system to use and what kind of incorrect anomalies or location errors might arise when using the Cartesian coordinate frame. In this paper we investigate in a quantitative sense through two near-regional crustal models and five different inversion methods, the hypocenter errors, reflector perturbation and incorrect velocity anomalies that can arise due to the selection of the wrong coordinate system and inversion method. The simulated inversion results show that the computed traveltime errors are larger than 0.1 s when the epicentral distance exceeds 150 km, and increases linearly with increasing epicentral distance. Such predicted traveltime errors will result in different patterns of incorrect velocity anomalous structures, a perturbed Moho interface for traveltime tomography and source position which deviate for earthquake locations. The maximum magnitude of a velocity image artifact is larger than 1.0% for an epicentral distance of less than 500 km and is up to 0.9% for epicentral distances of less than 300 km. The earthquake source location error is more than 2.0 km for epicentral distances less than 500 km and is up to 1.5 km for epicentral distances less than 300 km. The Moho depth can be in error by up 1.0 km for epicentral distances of less than 500 km but is less than 0.5 km at distances below 300 km. We suggest that spherical coordinate geometry (or time correction) be used whenever there are ray paths at epicentral distances in excess of 150 km.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy adherence and its determinants in selected regions in Indonesia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Felix F. Widjaja

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART can reduce morbidity and mortality of HIV-infected patients. However, it depends upon adherence to medication. The objective of this study was to examine the adherence to HAART and to evaluate individual patient characteristics i.e. self-efficacy, depression level, and social support and to finally determine HAART adherence in selected regions in Indonesia.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Jakarta, Malang, Bandung, Makasar and Banda Aceh. The subject of the study was HIV-infected patients who were older than 13 years old and had taken HAART for at least a month. They were recruited consecutively then asked how many pills they had missed during the previous month. Poor adherence can be stated if the percentage of adherence rate is below 95%. HIV treatment adherence self-efficacy scale  (HIVASES, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II and Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL was adapted to assess self-efficacy, depression level and social support, respectively.Results: We found that 96% (n=53 of the subjects adhered to HAART. There were no associations between adherence with self-efficacy, depression level, and social support. The main cause of non-adherence in this study was ‘simply  forget’.Conclusion: Adherence to HAART was found to be high and not associated with self-efficacy, depression level and social support in some central regions in Indonesia. (Med J Indones 2011; 20:50-5Keywords: adherence, depression, HAART, HIV, self-efficacy, social support

RosettaAntibodyDesign (RAbD): A general framework for computational antibody design

Science.gov (United States)

Adolf-Bryfogle, Jared; Kalyuzhniy, Oleks; Kubitz, Michael; Hu, Xiaozhen; Adachi, Yumiko; Schief, William R.

2018-01-01

A structural-bioinformatics-based computational methodology and framework have been developed for the design of antibodies to targets of interest. RosettaAntibodyDesign (RAbD) samples the diverse sequence, structure, and binding space of an antibody to an antigen in highly customizable protocols for the design of antibodies in a broad range of applications. The program samples antibody sequences and structures by grafting structures from a widely accepted set of the canonical clusters of CDRs (North et al., J. Mol. Biol., 406:228–256, 2011). It then performs sequence design according to amino acid sequence profiles of each cluster, and samples CDR backbones using a flexible-backbone design protocol incorporating cluster-based CDR constraints. Starting from an existing experimental or computationally modeled antigen-antibody structure, RAbD can be used to redesign a single CDR or multiple CDRs with loops of different length, conformation, and sequence. We rigorously benchmarked RAbD on a set of 60 diverse antibody–antigen complexes, using two design strategies—optimizing total Rosetta energy and optimizing interface energy alone. We utilized two novel metrics for measuring success in computational protein design. The design risk ratio (DRR) is equal to the frequency of recovery of native CDR lengths and clusters divided by the frequency of sampling of those features during the Monte Carlo design procedure. Ratios greater than 1.0 indicate that the design process is picking out the native more frequently than expected from their sampled rate. We achieved DRRs for the non-H3 CDRs of between 2.4 and 4.0. The antigen risk ratio (ARR) is the ratio of frequencies of the native amino acid types, CDR lengths, and clusters in the output decoys for simulations performed in the presence and absence of the antigen. For CDRs, we achieved cluster ARRs as high as 2.5 for L1 and 1.5 for H2. For sequence design simulations without CDR grafting, the overall recovery for the

RosettaAntibodyDesign (RAbD): A general framework for computational antibody design.

Science.gov (United States)

Adolf-Bryfogle, Jared; Kalyuzhniy, Oleks; Kubitz, Michael; Weitzner, Brian D; Hu, Xiaozhen; Adachi, Yumiko; Schief, William R; Dunbrack, Roland L

2018-04-01

A structural-bioinformatics-based computational methodology and framework have been developed for the design of antibodies to targets of interest. RosettaAntibodyDesign (RAbD) samples the diverse sequence, structure, and binding space of an antibody to an antigen in highly customizable protocols for the design of antibodies in a broad range of applications. The program samples antibody sequences and structures by grafting structures from a widely accepted set of the canonical clusters of CDRs (North et al., J. Mol. Biol., 406:228-256, 2011). It then performs sequence design according to amino acid sequence profiles of each cluster, and samples CDR backbones using a flexible-backbone design protocol incorporating cluster-based CDR constraints. Starting from an existing experimental or computationally modeled antigen-antibody structure, RAbD can be used to redesign a single CDR or multiple CDRs with loops of different length, conformation, and sequence. We rigorously benchmarked RAbD on a set of 60 diverse antibody-antigen complexes, using two design strategies-optimizing total Rosetta energy and optimizing interface energy alone. We utilized two novel metrics for measuring success in computational protein design. The design risk ratio (DRR) is equal to the frequency of recovery of native CDR lengths and clusters divided by the frequency of sampling of those features during the Monte Carlo design procedure. Ratios greater than 1.0 indicate that the design process is picking out the native more frequently than expected from their sampled rate. We achieved DRRs for the non-H3 CDRs of between 2.4 and 4.0. The antigen risk ratio (ARR) is the ratio of frequencies of the native amino acid types, CDR lengths, and clusters in the output decoys for simulations performed in the presence and absence of the antigen. For CDRs, we achieved cluster ARRs as high as 2.5 for L1 and 1.5 for H2. For sequence design simulations without CDR grafting, the overall recovery for the native

Determination of 226 Ra and 228 Ra in mineral spring waters of the Aguas da Prata region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, J. de.

1993-01-01

Concentration levels of 226 Ra and 228 Ra have been analysed in most of the mineral spring waters available in the Aguas da Prata region. The 226 Ra and 228 Ra were determined by coprecipitation with barium sulphate. The 226 Ra was determined by gross alpha counting of the Ba(Ra)SO 4 precipitate. The determination of 228 Ra was done by measuring the gross beta activity of the same precipitate. Both measurements were carried out in a low background gas flow proportional counter. Dose calculations were performed in order to evaluate the relative importance of such radionuclides to the radiation exposure due to the ingestion of these waters. Based upon measured concentrations, committed effective doses up to 5.5 x 10 -1 mSv/y and 1.0 x 10 -2 mSv/y were observed for 226 Ra and 228 Ra, respectively. These results show that 226 Ra is the main contributor to radiation exposure. (author)

Prevalence and determinants of child undernutrition and stunting in semiarid region of Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luciano Lima Correia

2014-02-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE : To analyze the evolution in the prevalence and determinants of malnutrition in children in the semiarid region of Brazil. METHODS : Data were collected from two cross-sectional population-based household surveys that used the same methodology. Clustering sampling was used to collect data from 8,000 families in Ceará, Northeastern Brazil, for the years 1987 and 2007. Acute undernutrition was calculated as weight/age < -2 standard deviation (SD; stunting as height/age < -2 SD; wasting as weight/height < -2 SD. Data on biological and sociodemographic determinants were analyzed using hierarchical multivariate analyses based on a theoretical model. RESULTS : A sample of 4,513 and 1,533 children under three years of age, in 1987 and 2007, respectively, were included in the analyses. The prevalence of acute malnutrition was reduced by 60.0%, from 12.6% in 1987 to 4.7% in 2007, while prevalence of stunting was reduced by 50.0%, from 27.0% in 1987 to 13.0% in 2007. Prevalence of wasting changed little in the period. In 1987, socioeconomic and biological characteristics (family income, mother’s education, toilet and tap water availability, children’s medical consultation and hospitalization, age, sex and birth weight were significantly associated with undernutrition, stunting and wasting. In 2007, the determinants of malnutrition were restricted to biological characteristics (age, sex and birth weight. Only one socioeconomic characteristic, toilet availability, remained associated with stunting. CONCLUSIONS : Socioeconomic development, along with health interventions, may have contributed to improvements in children’s nutritional status. Birth weight, especially extremely low weight (< 1,500 g, appears as the most important risk factor for early childhood malnutrition.

Determination of mercury and selenium in hair samples of Brazilian Indian populations living in the Amazonic region by NAA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vasconcellos, M.B.A.; Paletti, G.; Catharino, M.G.M.; Saiki, M.; Favaro, D.I.T.; Bode, P.; Ammerlaan, A.K.; Byrne, A.R.; Baruzzi, R.; Rodrigues, D.A.

2000-01-01

Biomonitoring of mercury contamination of Brazilian Indian population groups living in the Xingu Park, a reservation situated in the Amazonic region, has revealed very high levels of mercury in hair samples as compared to controls. Total mercury was determined by INAA in most of the tribes living in the Park and methylmercury was determined by CVAAS in samples with total mercury above 10 mg/kg. Due to the fact that selenium seems to protect animals against the toxic effects of methylmercury, it was considered also of interest to determine its concentrations in the hair samples with very high mercury levels. Selenium was determined by INAA via the short-lived radionuclide 77m Se (T 1/2 = 17.45 s). The correlations between selenium and mercury concentrations in Brazilian controls and in the Indian population groups are discussed. (author)

A see-saw of pre-Columbian boom regions in southern Peru, determined by large-scale circulation changes

Science.gov (United States)

Mächtle, B.; Schittek, K.; Forbriger, M.; Schäbitz, F.; Eitel, B.

2012-04-01

Environmental changes and cultural transitions during several periods of Peruvian history show a strong coincidence between humid and dry climatic oscillations and the rise and decline of cultures. It is noteworthy, that alternating periods of geo-ecological fragility and stability occurred in time and space between the coastal Nasca region (14.5° S) and the high Andean northern Titicaca basin, just a few hundred kilometers to the east. Based on a multi-proxy palynological and sedimentological approach to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental changes, we found that the Nasca region received a maximum of precipitation during the archaeological boom times of the Early Horizon and the Early Intermediate Period (800 BC - 650 AD, Paracas and Nasca cultures) as well as during the late intermediate period (1150-1450 AD), whereas, in contrast, the Titicaca region further to the south-east experienced drought and cultural depression during that times. During the Middle Horizon (650 - 1150 AD), the Tiwanaku agronomy and culture boomed in the Titicaca region and expanded to the west, contemporaneous with a raised lake level and more humid conditions. In the Nasca region, runoff for irrigation purposes was reduced and less reliable due to drought. Considering a coincidence between environmental and cultural changes, we state that success and decline of civilizations were controlled by hydrological oscillations, triggering fertility as well as a critical loss of natural resources. In response to spatial changing resources, cultural foci were shifted. Therefore, the success of pre-Columbian civilizations was closely coupled to areas of geo-ecological favorability, which were directly controlled by distinct regional impacts of large-scale circulation mechanisms, including El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Changes in the position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) and the Bolivian anticyclone determined meridional shifts in moisture transport across the Andes, which

Current status of Complementary Therapies in Spain in nursing degree Situación actual de las Terapias Complementarias en España en el Grado de Enfermería Estado atual do ensino de Terapias Complementares na formação superior de Enfermagem na Espanha

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Belén Fernández-Cervilla

2013-06-01

interrogantes tales cómo el valor de éstas en la formación, conceptualización que tienen los docentes, la repercusión en la calidad de los cuidados, la formación de los docentes encargados de impartir la asignatura, así como el número de créditos y el curso a impartir en la titulación del Grado. OBJETIVO: descrever a situação atual de terapias complementares no ensino de enfermagem nas escolas de enfermagem na Espanha. MÉTODO: estudo descritivo. População de estudo: todas as faculdades, escolas e anexados à Espanha. A coleta de dados foi feita através de ficha de observação, análise de unidades curriculares, variáveis (créditos, tipo de curso, localização, tipo de terapia, análise descritiva dos dados relativos e absolutos, usando-se planilha Excel. RESULTADOS: na maioria das faculdades e escolas de enfermagem examinadas, referentes ao assunto Terapias Complementares, esse tema desapareceu e naquelas em que aparece é uma disciplina opcional. CONCLUSÃO: o treinamento Terapias Complementares na Espanha é deficiente porque não é coletado como matéria essencial e/ou obrigatória. A ausência de Terapias Complementares no currículo levanta questões como o seu valor em ações de formação, o conceito que tem os professores sobre o assunto, a repercussão na qualidade do atendimento, formação de professores responsáveis pela disciplina Terapias Complementares, assim como número de créditos e matéria a serem seguidos para a graduação.

Semi-analytic modeling of tokamak particle transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Bingren; Long Yongxing; Li Jiquan

2000-01-01

The linear particle transport equation of tokamak plasma is analyzed. Particle flow consists of an outward diffusion and an inward convection. General solution is expressed in terms of a Green function constituted by eigen-functions of corresponding Sturm-Liouville problem. For a particle source near the plasma edge (shadow fueling), a well-behaved solution in terms of Fourier series can be constituted by using the complementarity relation. It can be seen from the lowest eigen-function that the particle density becomes peaked when the wall recycling reduced. For a transient point source in the inner region, a well-behaved solution can be obtained by the complementarity as well

Determination of uranium in environmental samples from the Nile delta and the adjacent regions of Egypt using laser fluorimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shawky, S; Ibrahim, N; Farouk, A [National research Center for Nuclear safety and radiation Control, Atomic Energy Authority, cairo (Egypt); Ghods, A [IAEA Laboratories, Chemistry Unit., A 244 Seibersdorf, (Austria)

1995-10-01

Total uranium content was determined in soil and plant samples taken from various areas in the Nile delta. Samples from east and west of the delta, the suez canal` cities and from alexandria region were analyzed using laser fluorimetry (LF). Uranium was extracted from digested ashed samples with methyl-isobutyl ketone (MIBK) and measured using laser fluorimeter. The radium content of the same soil samples was determined using gamma spectrometry (GS). The uranium content of plant samples was determined using (LF), since it has a detection limit lower than of (GS). The uranium content varied between 0.6-4.4{mu}g/g and 0.032-0.17 {mu}g/g for soil and plant samples respectively. 1 fig., 3 tabs.

Determination of uranium in environmental samples from the Nile delta and the adjacent regions of Egypt using laser fluorimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shawky, S.; Ibrahim, N.; Farouk, A.; Ghods, A.

1995-01-01

Total uranium content was determined in soil and plant samples taken from various areas in the Nile delta. Samples from east and west of the delta, the suez canal' cities and from alexandria region were analyzed using laser fluorimetry (LF). Uranium was extracted from digested ashed samples with methyl-isobutyl ketone (MIBK) and measured using laser fluorimeter. The radium content of the same soil samples was determined using gamma spectrometry (GS). The uranium content of plant samples was determined using (LF), since it has a detection limit lower than of (GS). The uranium content varied between 0.6-4.4μg/g and 0.032-0.17 μg/g for soil and plant samples respectively. 1 fig., 3 tabs

Intronic microRNAs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ying, S.-Y.; Lin, S.-L.

2005-01-01

MicroRNAs (miRNAs), small single-stranded regulatory RNAs capable of interfering with intracellular mRNAs that contain partial complementarity, are useful for the design of new therapies against cancer polymorphism and viral mutation. MiRNA was originally discovered in the intergenic regions of the Caenorhabditis elegans genome as native RNA fragments that modulate a wide range of genetic regulatory pathways during animal development. However, neither RNA promoter nor polymerase responsible for miRNA biogenesis was determined. Recent findings of intron-derived miRNA in C. elegans, mouse, and human have inevitably led to an alternative pathway for miRNA biogenesis, which relies on the coupled interaction of Pol-II-mediated pre-mRNA transcription and intron excision, occurring in certain nuclear regions proximal to genomic perichromatin fibrils

Failure to Obtain Computed Tomography Imaging in Head Trauma: A Review of Relevant Case Law.

Science.gov (United States)

Lindor, Rachel A; Boie, Eric T; Campbell, Ronna L; Hess, Erik P; Sadosty, Annie T

2015-12-01

The objectives were to describe lawsuits against providers for failing to order head computed tomography (CT) in cases of head trauma and to determine the potential effects of available clinical decision rules (CDRs) on each lawsuit. The authors collected jury verdicts, settlements, and court opinions regarding alleged malpractice for failure to order head CT in the setting of head trauma from 1972 through February 2014 from an online legal research tool (WestlawNext). Data were abstracted onto a standardized data form. The performance of five CDRs was evaluated. Sixty relevant cases were identified (52 adult, eight children). Of 48 cases with known outcomes, providers were found negligent in 10 cases (six adult, four pediatric), settled in 11 cases (nine adult, two pediatric), and were found not liable in 27 cases. In all 10 cases in which providers were found negligent, every applicable CDR studied would have indicated the need for head CT. In all eight cases involving children, the applicable CDR would have suggested the need for head CT or observation. A review of legal cases reported in a major online legal research system revealed 60 lawsuits in which providers were sued for failing to order head CTs in cases of head trauma. In all cases in which providers were found negligent, CT imaging or observation would have been indicated by every applicable CDR. © 2015 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Determinants for refusal of HIV testing among women attending for antenatal care in Gambella Region, Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Fanta, Wondimagegn; Worku, Alemayehu

2012-07-26

In Gambella region, inhabitants owe socio-cultural factors that might favor refusal for HIV testing service utilization among Antenatal Care attendees. To assess determinants for refusal of HIV testing service utilization among ANC attendees in Gambella Region. A comparative cross sectional study was conducted among ANC attendees from March 2008 to May 2008 in four selected health facilities of Gambella region. Sample size of 332 participants (83 who refused HIV testing and 249 who accepted HIV testing) were taken for the study. The study was supplemented with four focus group discussions. Multivariate binary logistic regression was employed to control for confounding factors. When adjusted with other factors pregnant women with 2-3 live births in the past; who claimed divorce as a perceived response of their husband following HIV positive test result; who had not sought agreement from their husband for testing; disclosure of test for husband and being from certain ethnic group (E.g. Mejenger) were independent predictors for refusal of HIV testing among ANC attendees. Based on the findings, the following recommendations were forwarded: Provision of innovative information and education on the pre-test session for those pregnant women having two or more children; community involvement to tackle stigma; women empowerment; designing couple friendly counseling service; and fighting harmful traditional practices related with decision of HIV testing.