Abnormal P300 in people with high risk of developing psychosis

Background Individuals with an “at-risk mental state” (or “prodromal” symptoms) have a 20–40% chance of developing psychosis; however it is difficult to predict which of them will become ill on the basis of their clinical symptoms alone. We examined whether neurophysiological markers could help to identify those who are particularly vulnerable. Method 35 cases meeting PACE criteria for the at-risk mental state (ARMS) and 57 controls performed an auditory oddball task whilst their electroencephalogram was recorded. The latency and amplitude of the P300 and N100 waves were compared between groups using linear regression. Results The P300 amplitude was significantly reduced in the ARMS group [8.6 ± 6.4 microvolt] compared to controls [12.7 ± 5.8 microvolt] (p < 0.01). There were no group differences in P300 latency or in the amplitude and latency of the N100. Of the at-risk subjects that were followed up, seven (21%) developed psychosis. Conclusion Reduction in the amplitude of the P300 is associated with an increased vulnerability to psychosis. Neurophysiological and other biological markers may be of use to predict clinical outcomes in populations at high risk

IOF2020: Fostering business and software ecosystems for large-scale uptake of IoT in food and farming

The Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to be a real game changer that will drastically improve productivity and sustainability in food and farming. However, current IoT applications in this domain are still fragmentary and mainly used by a small group of early adopters. The Internet of Food and Farm 2020 Large-Scale Pilot (IoF2020) addresses the organizational and technological challenges to overcome this situation by fostering a large-scale uptake of IoT in the European food and farming domain. The heart of the project is formed by a balanced set of multi-actor trials that reflect the diversity of the food and farming domain. Each trial is composed of well-delineated use cases developing IoT solutions for the most relevant challenges of the concerned subsector. The project conducts 5 trials with a total of 19 use cases in arable, dairy, fruits, vegetables and meat production. IoF2020 embraces a lean multi-actor approach that combines the development of Minimal Viable Products (MVPs) in short iterations with the active involvement of various stakeholders. The architectural approach supports interoperability of multiple use case systems and reuse of IoT components across them. Use cases are also supported in developing business and solving governance issues. The IoF2020 ecosystem and collaboration space is established to boost the uptake of IoT in Food and Farming and pave the way for new innovations

On-orbit servicing commercial opportunities with security implications

The On-Orbit Servicing (OOS) working group discussed legal and political implications of developing a commercial OOS industry. The group considered the benefits that OOS and Active Debris Removal (ADR) can offer the satellite industry, as well as potential disadvantages for international relations between space faring nations. To gain an accurate perspective of stakeholders involved in such a process, the OOS working group held a mock hearing for OOS licensing, with members of the working group assigned to represent stakeholders. Working group members presented their cases at a simulated domestic regulatory panel, constructed of members representing various government ministers, to fully explore stakeholder views. The mock hearings explored the challenges faced by OOS and ADR entrepreneurs as well as the benefit of regulation. The groups highlighted recommendations to ensure the practicality of OOS and determine how best to encourage licensing and regulation of such activities, as summarised below. 1. The United Nations (UN) should provide regulatory guidelines for OOS and ADR. 2. Government agencies should license OOS. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has taken responsibility for licensing commercial space transportation in the United States and this should be extended to OOS/ADR missions to enable short-term advancement prior to further UN regulation. 3. Government should support OOS and ADR development to ensure continued demand. This includes leading by example on government satellites and potential launch levies to enable on-going ADR funding. 4. All stakeholders should prevent weaponisation of space through transparency of operations. 5. Nations should initiate international cooperation on ADR. OOS and ADR will ensure sustainable use of satellites, particularly in LEO and GEO, for the coming decades. It is through transparency, economic stimulation and close monitoring that such endeavours will be successful

What can be done to restore Pacific turtle populations?: The Bellagio blueprint for action on Pacific sea turtles

The Bellagio Blueprint for Action on Pacific Sea Turtles is an outcome of the Bellagio Conference on the Conversation and Sustainable Management of Sea Turtles organized jointly by the WorldFish Center and U.S. NOAA Fisheries. During 17-21 November, 2003, a multi-disciplinary group of 25 experts met in Bellagio, Italy to draft an Action Plan on Pacific Sea Turtles. The group recognized the serious state of sea turtle populations in the Pacific and the escalating nature of human threats to the turtles. However, after examining cases of successful sea turtle conservation programs from around the world and reviewing a broad suite of promising policy and management actions in the Pacific, they concluded that actions to save the threatened and endangered species were possible. The Blueprint urges protecting all nesting beaches, reducing turtle take in at-sea and coastal fisheries, stimulating Pan-Pacific policy actions and encouraging the sustainability of the traditional use of sea turtles. In addition to this description of the Blueprint, the experts are developing a full policy brief and other products for wide dissemination.Turtle fisheries, Nature conservation, Resource management, Nesting, Staff Contrib. No. 1726, Pacific Ocean,

An evaluation of the performance of regression discontinuity design on PROGRESA

While providing the most reliable method of evaluating social programs, randomized experiments in developing and developed countries alike are accompanied by political risks and ethical issues that jeopardize the chances of adopting them. In this paper the authors use a unique data set from rural Mexico collected for the purposes of evaluating the impact of the PROGRESA poverty alleviation program to examine the performance of a quasi-experimental estimator, the Regression Discontinuity Design (RDD). Using as a benchmark the impact estimates based on the experimental nature of the sample, we examine how estimates differ when we use the RDD as the estimator for evaluating program impact on two key indicators: child school attendance and child work. Overall the performance of the RDD was remarkably good. The RDD estimates of program impact agreed with the experimental estimates in 10 out of the 12 possible cases. The two cases in which the RDD method failed to reveal any significant program impact on the school attendance of boys and girls were in the first year of the program (round 3). RDD estimates comparable to the experimental estimates were obtained when we used as a comparison group children from non-eligible households in the control localities.Scientific Research&Science Parks,Public Health Promotion,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Housing&Human Habitats,Anthropology,Scientific Research&Science Parks,Science Education,VN-Acb Mis -- IFC-00535908,Health Monitoring&Evaluation,Housing&Human Habitats

Global Magnitude of Reported and Unreported Mesothelioma

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the global magnitude of mesothelioma. In particular, many developing countries, including some with extensive historical use of asbestos, do not report mesothelioma. OBJECTIVES: We estimated the global magnitude of mesothelioma accounting for reported and unreported cases. METHODS: For all countries with available data on mesothelioma frequency and asbestos use (n = 56), we calculated the 15- year cumulative number of mesotheliomas during 1994-2008 from data available for fewer years and assessed its relationship with levels of cumulative asbestos use during 1920-1970. We used this relationship to predict the number of unreported mesotheliomas in countries for which no information on mesothelioma is available but which have recorded asbestos use (n = 33). RESULTS: Within the group of 56 countries with data on mesothelioma occurrence and asbestos use, the 15-year cumulative number of mesothelioma was approximately 174,300. There was a statistically significant positive linear relation between the log-transformed national cumulative mesothelioma numbers and the log-transformed cumulative asbestos use (adjusted R -2 = 0.83, p < 0.0001). Extrapolated to the group of 33 countries without reported mesothelioma, a total of approximately 38,900 (95% confidence interval, 36,700-41,100 ) mesothelioma cases were estimated to have occurred in the 15-year period (1994-2008). CONCLUSIONS: We estimate conservatively that, globally, one mesothelioma case has been overlooked for every four to five reported cases. Because our estimation is based on asbestos use until 1970, the many countries that increased asbestos use since then should anticipate a higher disease burden in the immediate decades ahead

Comparison of International Risk-Based Screening Levels

In response to a growing public concern over the potential environmental and human health-related effects associated with impacted sites, many countries have launched national frameworks for remediation of high priority sites. Some countries have developed Risk-Based Screening Levels (RBSLs) as part of a national framework. RBSLs are numerical media concentrations used to inform decision making about land contamination. Many countries have yet to develop their own RBSLs. Those countries often require that the regulated community to use RBSLs developed for other countries and, in some cases, to select and defend the most appropriate RBSLs for use. Understanding the underlying assumptions used in developing internationally available RBSLs and their intended purpose is essential to making informed decisions regarding their use to manage contamination and mitigate risk. This paper evaluates some of the underlying assumptions used by a representative group of countries in developing RBSLs. This analysis was, by necessity, done at the level of primary assumptions, methods and technical elements. Despite this fact, some general conclusions regarding use of internationally available RBSLs have been drawn in the paper