Molecular characterization of local isolates of infectious bursal disease virus from broiler chickens in Iraq

The present study was conducted to characterize a new field isolates of infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and partial sequencing of VP2 gene. The virus could be detected in five of seven field samples from broiler chickens in Iraq. Nucleotide sequences of field isolates were compared with 33 reported IBDV strains from different parts of the world. Nucleotide substitutions at I242, Q249, Q252, I256, D279, A284, I294, S326 and S330 specific for very virulent (vv) strains, were maintained in all the field isolates. Deduced amino acid substitutions A222, I242, Q249, Q252, I256, D279, A284, I294, S326 and S330 specific for vvIBDV strains were also present in all the isolates. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all the field isolates in the present study were closely related to reported UK (XZh) and Japan (OKYM) field isolates. Further comprehensive investigations will provide more information on the distribution, variability, phylogenetic relationships of different vvIBDV isolate in Iraq and other parts of the worlds

The impact of the congestion charge on retail: the London experience

The effect of London's congestion charge on the retail sector has aroused considerable interest since the introduction of the scheme in February 2003. We investigate the impact of the congestion charge using a variety of econometric models applied to a total retail sales index for central London (monthly) and weekly retail sales data for the John Lewis Oxford Street store within the congestion charging zone. The analysis suggests that the charge had a significant impact on sales at the John Lewis Oxford Street store over the period studied. However, it also suggests the charge did not affect overall retail sales in central London, an area larger than but encompassing the congestion charging zone

Changes in the frequency of shopping trips in response to a congestion charge

This paper presents an analysis of shopping trips into London’s central shopping district (Oxford Street area) before and after the introduction of the congestion charging scheme in February 2003. In collaboration with a major department store, three surveys have been conducted in order to understand the changes in shopping frequency and the reasons for so doing. The analysis is based on tabulations of the raw data, binary logit models to analyse which customer groups have reduced their shopping frequency and ordered logit models to analyse which groups have reduced their shopping more than others. The outcome shows that within the sample surveyed the congestion charging scheme has caused a significant number to shop less often in central London and only a few to shop more often in the Oxford Street area. Negative experiences with the congestion charging scheme or a generally bad perception of the scheme are the main reasons for this. Other events, such as the Central Line closure or terrorist threats occurring at the same time also have a temporary influence on the shopping frequency in central London. Evidence from other travel demand measures on city centre shopping activities suggest that the long-term effects of the congestion charge could be more positive

Estimating trip generation of the elderly and disabled: an analysis of London data

The aging of populations has implications for trip-making behaviour and the demand for special transport services. The London Area Travel Survey 2001 is analysed to establish the trip-making characteristics of elderly and disabled people. Ordinal probit models are fitted for all trips and trips by four purposes (work, shopping, personal business and recreational), taking daily trip frequency as the latent variable. A loglinear model is used to analyse trip length. A distinction must be made between the young disabled, the younger elderly and the older elderly. Retired people initially tend to make more trips, but as they get older and disabilities intervene, trip-making tails off. Household structure, income, car ownership, possession of a drivers license, difficulty walking and other disabilities are found to affect trip frequency and length to a greater or lesser extent

Mode choice of older and disabled people: a case study of shopping trips in London

This paper attempts to understand mode choice decisions among older and disabled people in London, with the objective of determining what policies can best meet their mobility and activity needs. A literature review is followed by a description of the data sets and modelling methods used in this analysis. Two assumptions are made on the marginal costs of car usage and it is shown that large investments (car, travelcards) are not amortized in the mode choice decisions made, but that marginal costs need to be appropriately specified. Age and disability interactions are shown to influence public transport use with those with disabilities preferring not to use public transport, although if healthy, older people will use buses and trams. The preference for taxis also increases with age when there is a disability. Public transport accessibility measures were also found to be associated with increased public transport use

Phenomenological MSSM interpretation of CMS searches in pp collisions at √s=7 and 8 TeV

Searches for new physics by the CMS collaboration are interpreted in the framework of the phenomenological minimal supersymmetric standard model (pMSSM). The data samples used in this study were collected at root s = 7 and 8 TeV and have integrated luminosities of 5.0 fb(-1) and 19.5 fb(-1), respectively. A global Bayesian analysis is performed, incorporating results from a broad range of CMS supersymmetry searches, as well as constraints from other experiments. Because the pMSSM incorporates several well-motivated assumptions that reduce the 120 parameters of the MSSM to just 19 parameters defined at the electroweak scale, it is possible to assess the results of the study in a relatively straightforward way. Approximately half of the model points in a potentially accessible subspace of the pMSSM are excluded, including all pMSSM model points with a gluino mass below 500 GeV, as well as models with a squark mass less than 300 GeV. Models with chargino and neutralino masses below 200 GeV are disfavored, but no mass range of model points can be ruled out based on the analyses considered. The nonexcluded regions in the pMSSM parameter space are characterized in terms of physical processes and key observables, and implications for future searches are discussed

Forward-backward asymmetry of Drell-Yan lepton pairs in pp collisions at root s=8 TeV

Peer reviewe

Pseudorapidity distribution of charged hadrons in proton-proton collisions at root s=13TeV

Peer reviewe