Improved discrimination in photographic density contouring

Density discrimination can be accomplished through use of special photographic contouring material which has two sensitive layers (one negative, one positive) on single support. Process will be of interest to investigators who require finer discrimination of densities of original photograph for purposes such as identification of crops and analysis of energy levels of radiating objects

In vivo co-localization of enzymes on RNA scaffolds increases metabolic production in a geometrically dependent manner

Co-localization of biochemical processes plays a key role in the directional control of metabolic fluxes toward specific products in cells. Here, we employ in vivo scaffolds made of RNA that can bind engineered proteins fused to specific RNA binding domains. This allows proteins to be co-localized on RNA scaffolds inside living Escherichia coli. We assembled a library of eight aptamers and corresponding RNA binding domains fused to partial fragments of fluorescent proteins. New scaffold designs could co-localize split green fluorescent protein fragments to produce activity as measured by cell-based fluorescence. The scaffolds consisted of either single bivalent RNAs or RNAs designed to polymerize in one or two dimensions. The new scaffolds were used to increase metabolic output from a two-enzyme pentadecane production pathway that contains a fatty aldehyde intermediate, as well as three and four enzymes in the succinate production pathway. Pentadecane synthesis depended on the geometry of enzymes on the scaffold, as determined through systematic reorientation of the acyl-ACP reductase fusion by rotation via addition of base pairs to its cognate RNA aptamer. Together, these data suggest that intra-cellular scaffolding of enzymatic reactions may enhance the direct channeling of a variety of substrates

Norges Bank Watch 2013: An Independent Evaluation of Monetary Policy in Norway

This report, Norges Bank Watch 2013, is an evaluation of the conduct of monetary policy in Norway in 2012. In addition, the report follows up on some themes introduced in previous Norges Bank Watch reports. In section 2 we review and comment on Norges Bank’s monetary policy in 2012. Most comments concern monetary policy in the first part of 2012, i.e. including the March Monetary Policy Report. NBW 2013 has three main comments to make. First, the rate cut of 25bp at the March MPC meeting is questioned both in light of the economic development at the time and effects of unintended signals given in Governor Olsen’s Annual Address. Second, the interest rate forecast in the March report looks somewhat unbalanced. And finally, we suggest that Norges Bank should publish forecasts for banks’ lending rates. In section 3 we follow up on previous Norges Bank Watch reports. We focus on three topics. First, in light of the new instrument for macro prudential policy, we discuss both the interaction between monetary policy and financial stability and issues related to central bank independence. Second, we comment on the new criteria for the interest rate path, which were published by Norges Bank in the Monetary Policy Report 1/2012. The aim of the new criteria was to clarify the interaction between monetary policy and financial stability. Third, and lastly, we shed new light on the use of CPIXE inflation as the main measure of core inflation. The committee met with the Ministry of Finance on 28 November 2012, and with Norges Bank on 7 December 2012. We wish to thank Norges Bank for supplying us with useful data and Hilde Christine Bjørnland, Eric Bruce, Steinar Juel, Arne Jon Isachsen and Erling Steigum for constructive comments

Predicting the Spread and Management of the Cassava Brown Streak Disease Epidemic

Cassava Brown Streak disease (CBSD) is a viral disease of cassava that causes necrosis of the edible root tissue, which reduces both consumable and marketable yield. In 2004, CBSD emerged in Uganda and has since been spreading rapidly through previously unaffected regions of East Africa and into Central Africa. Preventing spread to West Africa is a major food security and development priority, along with mitigating the impact of CBSD in endemic regions. This thesis focuses on the development of a landscape-scale spatial model of the CBSD epidemic to inform management. Currently, there is disparate information on the epidemiology of CBSD and significant associated uncertainty. We begin with a review of CBSD from an epidemiological perspective. The review focuses on: mechanisms and rates of pathogen dispersal, surveillance, disease impact and management efficacy to inform the structure of the CBSD model. Prior to model development, it was necessary to aggregate all available data on the historic spread of the epidemic. Minimal surveillance data were available in the literature. Therefore, it was necessary to work extensively with East African collaborators to acquire and digitise over 10 years of previously unavailable surveillance records from Uganda and surrounding countries. Extensive post-processing was performed to minimise errors in the data. In parallel with digitisation of the surveillance data, we describe work to enable digital data collection via the creation of a cassava disease surveillance app, along with extensive training. The goal was to minimise errors in data collection and reduce the time lag between disease surveillance and reporting in surveillance programmes. The second section of the thesis describes the development, parameterisation, and validation of a stochastic, spatio-temporal epidemic model for CBSD. Using digitised Ugandan surveillance data from 2005-2010, and estimates of cassava density throughout Uganda and immediately surrounding regions, we apply Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) to estimate dispersal parameters, providing methodological details on the development and validation of summary statistics. The model fitting also takes account of empirical data for vector density across Uganda and surrounding regions. The model fits the data well for the training set for 2005-2010. Survey data from Uganda and the surrounding region from 2011-2017 are then used as a rigorous independent test to validate model predictions. The third section of the thesis describes the application of the model to address questions concerning historic, current and future epidemic spread. We use the model to identify reasons why, although there were historically high levels of CBSD infection in Malawi, negligible epidemic spread occurred into Zambia from Malawi showing that low density of cassava cultivation in south east Zambia could account for the inhibition of spread. The model does successfully predict the incursion of the epidemic into north east Zambia from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We run cross-continent simulations to predict the spatiotemporal spread of the epidemic through central Africa, including DRC and the Central African Republic, where there is very little disease surveillance and reporting for CBSD. The simulations allow us to compute the likely distributions of arrival times of the epidemic in West African countries. We also simulate rates of spread of the disease in West African countries following direct introduction for example by importation and by natural spread from adjoint countries. Finally, we simulate management interventions in Nigeria, to identify the scale and speed at which management programmes would need to be deployed to contain the epidemic. The thesis concludes with a review of the principal results and critical assumptions underlying the results. Some proposals are presented for future work in epidemiological modelling to address practical problems of the management of CBSD.BBSR

Ringtails (Bassariscus astutus)

One of the more elusive animals in the desert, ringtails are small unique mammals, native to the American west and southwest, Central and South America (Poglayen-Neuwall & Toweill, 1988). Although seldom seen ringtails populations are not considered threatened in Utah or elsewhere in the United States

Oxidative passivation of metal halide perovskites

Metal halide perovskites have demonstrated extraordinary potential as materials for next-generation optoelectronics including photovoltaics and light-emitting diodes. Nevertheless, our understanding of this material is still far from complete. One remaining puzzle is the phenomenon of perovskite “photo-brightening”: the increase in photoluminescence during exposure to light in an ambient atmosphere. Here, we propose a comprehensive mechanism for the reactivity of the archetypal perovskite, MAPbI3, in ambient conditions. We establish the formation of lead-oxygen bonds by hydrogen peroxide as the key factor leading to perovskite photo-brightening. We demonstrate that hydrogen peroxide can be applied directly as an effective “post-treatment” to emulate the process and substantially improve photoluminescence quantum efficiencies. Finally, we show that the treatment can be incorporated into photovoltaic devices to give a 50 mV increase in open-circuit voltage, delivering high 19.2% steady-state power conversion efficiencies for inverted perovskite solar cells of the mixed halide, mixed cation perovskite FA0.83Cs0.17Pb(I0.9Br0.1)3

Changing patterns of health risk in adolescence: implications for health policy

Adolescence is a time of physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development. This period is a very sensitive developmental window; environmental exposures, the development of health behaviours (eg, smoking and physical activity), and illness during adolescence can have implications for lifelong health. In the UK and other high-income countries, the experience of adolescence has changed profoundly over the past 20 years. Smoking, drug use, and alcohol consumption have all been in long-term decline. At the same time, obesity and mental ill health have increased and are now common among adolescents, with new risks (ie, vaping, psychoactive substances, and online harms) emerging. In this Viewpoint, we describe these and related trends in England and the UK. Although previous work has explored these changes in isolation, in this Viewpoint we consider them collectively. We explore what might be driving the changes and consider the implications for practice, policy, and research

House of Delegates, American Pharmaceutical Association. Minutes of the First Session

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