Social Fractionalization, Political Instability, and the Size of Government

This paper explores the relationship between the degree of division or fractionalization of a country's population (along ethnolinguistic and religious dimensions) and both political instability and government consumption, using a neoclassical growth model. The principal idea is that greater fractionalization, proxying for the degree of conflict in society, leads to political instability, which in turn leads to higher government consumption aimed at placating the opposition. There is also a feedback mechanism whereby the higher consumption leads to less instability as government consumption reduces the risk of losing office. Empirical evidence based on panel estimation supports this hypothesis. Copyright 2002, International Monetary Fund

Experimental Constraints on the Pairing State of the Cuprate Superconductors: an Emerging Consensus

We present a critical discussion of recent experimental probes of the pairing state of the high temperature superconductors, focusing primarily, but not exclusively, on \Yba, where the best data currently exist. Penetration depth measurements near \Tc\ give no indication of an extra transition, indicating that the pairing state is a one-dimensional representation of the crystal symmetry. Penetration depth measurements at low temperatures provide strong evidence for a change in sign of the gap function over the Fermi surface. Quantum mechanical phase interference experiments generally confirm this and in addition show that the nodal positions are consistent with a \dx2y2\ pairing state. This pairing state is consistent with photoemission measurements of the gap function, Raman scattering, the effect on \Tc\ of impurities, and many other data (reviewed by two of us previously) which indicate the presence of low lying excitations in the superconducting state. We also discuss evidence that apparently does not fit in with a \dx2y2\ pairing state, and we describe possible alternative scenarios.Comment: 81 pages, macro package (modified version of uiucmac.tex) included in submission, figures NOT available (but not essential

JRC QSAR Model Database: EURL ECVAM DataBase service on ALternative Methods to animal experimentation: Guideline for Authors and Editors

EURL ECVAM DataBase service on ALternative Methods to animal experimentation In the regulatory assessment of chemicals, Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship (QSAR) models are playing an increasingly important role in predicting properties needed for hazard and risk assessment. The JRC QSAR Model Database provides information on the validity of QSAR models that have been submitted to the JRC. The database is intended to help to identify valid QSARs, e.g. for the registration and authorisation purposes of chemical substances within the context of REACH Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (EC 1907/2006), a European Union regulation dated 18 December 2006. The QSAR Model Reporting Format (QMRF) is a harmonised template for summarising and reporting key information on QSAR models, including the results of any validation studies. The information is structured according to the OECD principles for the validation of QSAR models.JRC.F.3-Chemicals Safety and Alternative Method

JRC QSAR Model Database: EURL ECVAM DataBase service on ALternative Methods to animal experimentation: To promote the development and uptake of alternative and advanced methods in toxicology and biomedical sciences: SDF - STRUCTURE DATA FORMAT: How to create from SMILES

EURL ECVAM DataBase service on ALternative Methods to animal experimentation To promote the development and uptake of alternative and advanced methods in toxicology and biomedical sciences. This publication is a Tutorial by the Joint Research Centre (JRC), the European Commission’s science and knowledge service. It aims to provide user support. The scientific output expressed does not imply a policy position of the European Commission. Neither the European Commission nor any person acting on behalf of the Commission is responsible for the use that might be made of this publication.JRC.F.3-Chemicals Safety and Alternative Method

Recruitment, employability and career development for international students undertaking the UWE MSc Public Health: Final report

Executive SummaryBackgroundOver the last decade, the MSc Public Health at UWE has successfully recruited many international students. An issue for the university in promoting the benefits of the programme internationally is that there is a good career structure in UK public health for those from backgrounds other than medicine, but this is not necessarily the case for international students.Aims and objectivesThe aims were (1) to inform the career guidance we give our international MSc PH students to better enable them to pursue their individual careers and (2) to contribute to developing the Public Health and Wellbeing Research Group’s research on international public health workforce capacity development. To achieve these aims we had two more specific objectives: (1) to map the public health career development of UWE international MSc PH alumni and (2) to map the public health career structures, professional bodies and registration requirements of countries from which students are recruited.MethodsThis was a mixed methods research project based on an online survey, telephone and face-to-face semi-structured interviews and web-searching. Element 1 focused on the public health career experiences of our MSc international students over the last ten years. A purposive sample of 97 international alumni was emailed with a request to participate in the online survey. The survey included an option to consent for a further follow up interview. Element 2 involved mapping public health career structures, professional bodies and registration in countries from which international students attended over the last ten years. For each country, an internal search was conducted for national public health bodies, associations and registers, and key informants were contacted.4ResultsForty-seven alumni responded and answered at least one question in the online survey. The majority of participants were employed by international organisations, academic institutions, and state agencies or were at different stages of PhD studies. Participants reported increased public health career experiences in public health research roles, public health leadership, and policy analysis and in planning, implementing and evaluating public health programmes. Participants had confidence in applying public health skills, especially research, critical thinking, academic writing as well as demonstrating public health leadership skills and the application of multidisciplinary approaches to address public health issues. Recommendations included provision of longer public health placements, optional courses on project management and advanced statistics, and continued internationalisation of the curriculum. Overall, alumni satisfaction was high in relation to the relevance and impact of the skills and knowledge they acquired during their MSc Public Health at UWE.Discussion and conclusionsThe results of this study were consistent with other studies of alumni of MSc Public Health programmes. The study has provided useful feedback on the UWE MSc Public Health programme and a number of helpful recommendations were made by alumni which will be addressed by the programme team. Implications for further research include studies of international employers’ perspectives on the value and limitations of the MSc Public Health and on public health registratio

Virtuality in human supervisory control: Assessing the effects of psychological and social remoteness

Virtuality would seem to offer certain advantages for human supervisory control. First, it could provide a physical analogue of the 'real world' environment. Second, it does not require control room engineers to be in the same place as each other. In order to investigate these issues, a low-fidelity simulation of an energy distribution network was developed. The main aims of the research were to assess some of the psychological concerns associated with virtual environments. First, it may result in the social isolation of the people, and it may have dramatic effects upon the nature of the work. Second, a direct physical correspondence with the 'real world' may not best support human supervisory control activities. Experimental teams were asked to control an energy distribution network. Measures of team performance, group identity and core job characteristics were taken. In general terms, the results showed that teams working in the same location performed better than team who were remote from one another

Nonlocal Effects on the Magnetic Penetration Depth in d-wave Superconductors

We show that, under certain conditions, the low temperature behavior of the magnetic penetration depth $\lambda(T)$ of a pure d-wave superconductor is determined by nonlocal electrodynamics and, contrary to the general belief, the deviation $\Delta\lambda(T) = \lambda(T)-\lambda(0)$ is proportional to T^2 and not T. We predict that the $\Delta\lambda(T)\propto T^2$ dependence, due to nonlocality, should be observable experimentally in nominally clean high-T_c superconductors below a crossover temperature $T^* = (\xi_o/\lambda_o)\Delta_o \sim 1 K$. Possible complications due to impurities, surface quality and crystal axes orientation are discussed.Comment: REVTeX3.0; 4 pages, 1 EPS figure (included); Submitted to Phys. Rev. Let

Is Sr2RuO4 a Chiral P-Wave Superconductor?

Much excitement surrounds the possibility that strontium ruthenate exhibits chiral p-wave superconducting order. Such order would be a solid state analogue of the A phase of He-3, with the potential for exotic physics relevant to quantum computing. We take a critical look at the evidence for such time-reversal symmetry breaking order. The possible superconducting order parameter symmetries and the evidence for and against chiral p-wave order are reviewed, with an emphasis on the most recent theoretical predictions and experimental observations. In particular, attempts to reconcile experimental observations and theoretical predictions for the spontaneous supercurrents expected at sample edges and domain walls of a chiral p-wave superconductor and for the polar Kerr effect, a key signature of broken time-reversal symmetry, are discussed.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of LT25 (Amsterdam, August 2008

Interferon-γ signaling in human iPSC-derived neurons recapitulates neurodevelopmental disorder phenotypes.

Maternal immune activation increases the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders. Elevated cytokines, such as interferon-γ (IFN-γ), in offspring's brains play a central role. IFN-γ activates an antiviral cellular state, limiting viral entry and replication. Moreover, IFN-γ is implicated in brain development. We tested the hypothesis that IFN-γ signaling contributes to molecular and cellular phenotypes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Transient IFN-γ treatment of neural progenitors derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells increased neurite outgrowth. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that major histocompatibility complex class I (MHCI) genes were persistently up-regulated through neuronal differentiation-an effect that was mediated by IFN-γ-induced promyelocytic leukemia protein (PML) nuclear bodies. Critically, IFN-γ-induced neurite outgrowth required both PML and MHCI. We also found evidence that IFN-γ disproportionately altered the expression of genes associated with schizophrenia and autism, suggesting convergence between genetic and environmental risk factors. Together, these data implicate IFN-γ signaling in neurodevelopmental disorder etiology