An analysis of domestic water consumption in Jaipur, India

Aim: To explore the relation between water consumption and water use behaviour and attitudes, and devices applied in households in urban areas in India. Methodology and study site: This paper presents the results of a domestic water consumption survey carried out in Jaipur, India. A questionnaire containing over 60 questions was developed to collect information on households’ characteristics (e.g. family size, household type, and number of children), indoor and outdoor water use activities and their respective frequencies and durations. Information was also gathered on the volume of water used in each of these activities. Over 90 households of different types (standalone houses and apartments in a university campus and Jaipur city) participated in the survey. The survey results were analysed using cluster analysis and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The results show that the per capita consumption varies considerably with household type and size. The average water consumption was 183 and 215 litres/person/day for standalone households and apartments, respectively. Water used in bathing and WC's represent the highest proportion of water consumption in both stand-alone houses and apartments. Over 40% of the households reported no use of showers. The per capita water consumption is inversely related to family size especially in stand-alone houses. Conclusion: The information pertaining to water use habits and the qualitative and quantitative analysis can be used as an input to a proposed domestic water efficiency tool (DoWET) which can generate optimal water efficient composite strategies keeping in view a range of sustainability indicators including water saving potential, cost and associated energy consumption of the water saving devices and fixtures available in India.The work presented here was undertaken to inform the research being carried out in Water4India project supported by EC as FP7 project bearing grant agreement no: 308496

The role of endogenous and exogenous mechanisms in the formation of R&D networks

We develop an agent-based model of strategic link formation in Research and Development (R&D)networks. Empirical evidence has shown that the growth of these networks is driven by mechanisms whichare both endogenous to the system (that is, depending on existing alliances patterns) and exogenous (that is, driven by an exploratory search for newcomer firms). Extant research to date has not investigated both mechanisms simultaneously in a comparative manner. To overcome this limitation, we develop a general modeling framework to shed light on the relative importance of these two mechanisms. We test our model against a comprehensive dataset, listing cross-country and cross-sectoral R&D alliances from 1984 to 2009. Our results show that by fitting only three macroscopic properties of the network topology, this framework is able to reproduce a number of micro-level measures, including the distributions of degree, local clustering, path length and component size, and the emergence of network clusters. Furthermore, by estimating the link probabilities towards newcomers and established firms from the data, we find that endogenous mechanisms are predominant over the exogenous ones in the network formation, thus quantifying the importance of existing structures in selecting partner firms

THE ROLE OF INTERDEPENDENCE IN THE MICRO-FOUNDATIONS OF ORGANIZATION DESIGN: TASK, GOAL, AND KNOWLEDGE INTERDEPENDENCE

Interdependence is a core concept in organization design, yet one that has remained consistently understudied. Current notions of interdependence remain rooted in seminal works, produced at a time when managers’ near-perfect understanding of the task at hand drove the organization design process. In this context, task interdependence was rightly assumed to be exogenously determined by characteristics of the work and the technology. We no longer live in that world, yet our view of interdependence has remained exceedingly task-centric and our treatment of interdependence overly deterministic. As organizations face increasingly unpredictable workstreams and workers co-design the organization alongside managers, our field requires a more comprehensive toolbox that incorporates aspects of agent-based interdependence. In this paper, we synthesize research in organization design, organizational behavior, and other related literatures to examine three types of interdependence that characterize organizations’ workflows: task, goal, and knowledge interdependence. We offer clear definitions for each construct, analyze how each arises endogenously in the design process, explore their interrelations, and pose questions to guide future research

Quantifying measures to limit wind driven resuspension of sediments for improvement of the ecological quality in some shallow Dutch lakes

Although phosphorus loadings are considered the main pressure for most shallow lakes, wind-driven resuspension can cause additional problems for these aquatic ecosystems. We quantified the potential effectiveness of measures to reduce the contribution of resuspended sediments, resulting from wind action, to the overall light attenuation for three comparable shallow peat lakes with poor ecological status in the Netherlands: Loosdrecht, Nieuwkoop, and Reeuwijk (1.8–2.7 m depth, 1.6–2.5 km fetch). These measures are: 1. wave reducing barriers, 2. water level fluctuations, 3. capping of the sediment with sand, and 4. combinations of above. Critical shear stress of the sediments for resuspension (Vcrit), size distribution, and optical properties of the suspended material were quantified in the field (June 2009) and laboratory. Water quality monitoring data (2002–2009) showed that light attenuation by organic suspended matter in all lakes is high. Spatial modeling of the impact of these measures showed that in Lake Loosdrecht limiting wave action can have significant effects (reductions from 6% exceedance to 2% exceedance of Vcrit), whereas in Lake Nieuwkoop and Lake Reeuwijk this is less effective. The depth distribution and shape of Lake Nieuwkoop and Lake Reeuwijk limit the role of wind-driven resuspension in the total suspended matter concentration. Although the lakes are similar in general appearance (origin, size, and depth range) measures suitable to improve their ecological status differ. This calls for care when defining the programme of measures to improve the ecological status of a specific lake based on experience from other lakes.

Randomised trial of combination cytokine and adult autologous bone marrow progenitor cell administration in patients with non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy - the regenerate-dcm randomized phase II

The REGENERATE-DCM trial is the first phase II randomized, placebo-controlled trial aiming to assess if granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) administration with or without adjunctive intracoronary (IC) delivery of autologous bone marrow-derived cells (BMCs) improves global left ventricular (LV) function in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and significant cardiac dysfunction. Methods and results Sixty patients with DCM and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at referral of ≤45%, New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification ≥2 and no secondary cause for the cardiomyopathy were randomized equally into four groups: peripheral placebo (saline), peripheral G-CSF, peripheral G-CSF and IC serum, and peripheral G-CSF and IC BMC. All patients, except the peripheral placebo group, received 5 days of G-CSF. In the IC groups, this was followed by bone marrow harvest and IC infusion of cells or serum on Day 6. The primary endpoint was LVEF change from baseline to 3 months, determined by advanced cardiac imaging. At 3 months, peripheral G-CSF combined with IC BMC therapy was associated with a 5.37% point increase in LVEF (38.30%+12.97 from 32.93%+16.46 P ¼ 0.0138), which was maintained to 1 year. This was associated with a decrease in NYHA classification, reduced NT-pro BNP, and improved exercise capacity and quality of life. No significant change in LVEF was seen in the remaining treatment groups. Conclusion This is the first randomized, placebo-controlled trial with a novel combination of G-CSF and IC cell therapy that demonstrates an improvement in cardiac function, symptoms, and biochemical parameters in patients with DCM.The trial was supported by unrestricted grants from the Heart Cells Foundation and Barts and the London Charity. Chugai Pharmaceutical donated supplies of G-CSF and pharmaceutical costs. Funding to pay the Open Access publication charges for this article was provided by the Barts Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit (CVBRU)

Intestinal Interleukin-17 Receptor Signaling Mediates Reciprocal Control of the Gut Microbiota and Autoimmune Inflammation

Interleukin-17 (IL-17) and IL-17 receptor (IL-17R) signaling are essential for regulating mucosal host defense against many invading pathogens. Commensal bacteria, especially segmented filamentous bacteria (SFB), are a crucial factor that drives T helper 17 (Th17) cell development in the gastrointestinal tract. In this study, we demonstrate that Th17 cells controlled SFB burden. Disruption of IL-17R signaling in the enteric epithelium resulted in SFB dysbiosis due to reduced expression of α-defensins, Pigr and Nox1. When subjected to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, IL-17R signaling deficient mice demonstrated earlier disease onset and worsened severity that was associated with increased intestinal Csf2 expression and elevated systemic GM-CSF cytokine concentrations. Conditional deletion of IL-17R in the enteric epithelium demonstrated that there was a reciprocal relationship between the gut microbiota and enteric IL-17R signaling that controlled dysbiosis, constrained Th17 development, and regulated the susceptibility to autoimmune inflammation

Contacts and contracts: Cross-level network dynamics in the development of an aircraft material

In this paper, we investigate how interorganizational networks and interpersonal networks interact over time. We present a retrospective longitudinal case study of the network system that developed a novel aircraft material and analyze changeepisodes from a structurationist perspective. We identify five types of episodes in which interpersonal and interorganizational networks interact (persistence, prospecting, consolidation, reconfiguration, and dissolution) and analyze conditionsfor these episodes and sequences among them. Our findings advance a cross-level perspective on embeddedness and show how individuals may draw on relational and structural embeddedness as distributed resources. The multiple levels of embeddedness impact network dynamics by introducing converging and diverging dialectics, thereby limiting path dependence and proactive network orchestration

A novel sialylation site on Neisseria gonorrhoeae lipooligosaccharide links heptose II lactose expression with pathogenicity [preprint]

Sialylation of lacto-N-neotetraose (LNnT) extending from heptose I (HepI) of gonococcal lipooligosaccharide (LOS) contributes to pathogenesis. Previously, gonococcal LOS sialyltransterase (Lst) was shown to sialylate LOS in Triton X-100 extracts of strain 15253, which expresses lactose from both HepI and HepII, the minimal structure required for mAb 2C7 binding. Ongoing work has shown that growth of 15253 in cytidine monophospho-N-acetylneuraminic acid (CMP-Neu5Ac)-containing media enables binding to CD33/Siglec-3, a cell surface receptor that binds sialic acid, suggesting that lactose termini on LOS of intact gonococci can be sialylated. Neu5Ac was detected on LOSs of strains 15253 and a MS11 mutant with only lactose from HepI and HepII by mass spectrometry; deleting HepII lactose rendered Neu5Ac undetectable. Resistance of HepII lactose Neu5Ac to desialylation by α2-3-specific neuraminidase suggested an α2-6-linkage. Although not associated with increased factor H binding, HepII lactose sialylation inhibited complement C3 deposition on gonococci. 15253 mutants that lacked Lst or HepII lactose were significantly attenuated in mice, confirming the importance of HepII Neu5Ac in virulence. All 75 minimally passaged clinical isolates from Nanjing, China, expressed HepII lactose, evidenced by reactivity with mAb 2C7; mAb 2C7 was bactericidal against the first 62 (of 75) isolates that had been collected sequentially and were sialylated before testing. mAb 2C7 effectively attenuated 15253 vaginal colonization in mice. In conclusion, this novel sialylation site could explain the ubiquity of gonococcal HepII lactose in vivo. Our findings reiterate the candidacy of the 2C7 epitope as a vaccine antigen and mAb 2C7 as an immunotherapeutic antibody

Water-related environmental factors and malaria transmission in Mahi Kadana, Gujarat, India

Irrigation water / Waterborne diseases / Malaria / GIS / Environment / Rain / Rice / Groundwater management / Case studies / Health / Statistical analysis / India / Gujarat