860 research outputs found
The impact of origin region and internal migration on Italian fertility
We examine the impact of population distribution on fertility in a nationally representative sample. We exploit detailed life-history data to conduct an event-history analysis of transition to first birth, examining mechanisms that might link migration and fertility: socialization, adaptation, selection, and disruption. Our multivariate analysis examines various socio-demographic traits, the place of birth, and interregional migration. Differences by region and migration stream are partly explained by compositional factors, such as female employment, union type, and education. The analysis presents much evidence for demographic selection and socialization and less for adaptation or disruption. The persistence of the region of origin differentials points to the continuing importance of the context.adaptations, event history analysis, fertility, international migration, selection
Audits and inspections are never enough: a critique to enhance food safety
Internal and external food safety audits are conducted to assess the safety and quality of food including on-farm production, manufacturing practices, sanitation, and hygiene. Some auditors are direct stakeholders that are employed by food establishments to conduct internal audits, while other auditors may represent the interests of a second party purchaser or a third-party auditing agency. Some buyers conduct their own audits or additional testing, while some buyers trust the results of third-party audits or inspections. Third-party auditors, however, use various food safety audit standards and most do not have a vested interest in the products being sold. Audits are conducted under a proprietary standard, while food safety inspections are generally conducted within a legal framework. There have been many foodborne illness outbreaks linked to food processors that have passed third-party audits and inspections, raising questions about the utility of both. Supporters argue third-party audits are a way to ensure food safety in an era of dwindling economic resources. Critics contend that while external audits and inspections can be a valuable tool to help ensure safe food, such activities represent only a snapshot in time. This paper identifies limitations of food safety inspections and audits and provides recommendations for strengthening the system, based on developing a strong food safety culture, including risk-based verification steps, throughout the food safety system
The Magellan Evolution of Galaxies Spectroscopic and Ultraviolet Reference Atlas (MEGaSaURA) I: The Sample and the Spectra
We introduce Project MEGaSaURA: The Magellan Evolution of Galaxies
Spectroscopic and Ultraviolet Reference Atlas. MEGaSaURA comprises
medium-resolution, rest-frame ultraviolet spectroscopy of N=15 bright
gravitationally lensed galaxies at redshifts of 1.68z3.6, obtained with
the MagE spectrograph on the Magellan telescopes. The spectra cover the
observed-frame wavelength range \AA ; the average
spectral resolving power is R=3300. The median spectrum has a signal-to-noise
ratio of per resolution element at 5000 \AA . As such, the MEGaSaURA
spectra have superior signal-to-noise-ratio and wavelength coverage compared to
what COS/HST provides for starburst galaxies in the local universe. This paper
describes the sample, the observations, and the data reduction. We compare the
measured redshifts for the stars, the ionized gas as traced by nebular lines,
and the neutral gas as traced by absorption lines; we find the expected bulk
outflow of the neutral gas, and no systemic offset between the redshifts
measured from nebular lines and the redshifts measured from the stellar
continuum. We provide the MEGaSaURA spectra to the astronomical community
through a data release.Comment: Resubmitted to AAS Journals. Data release will accompany journal
publication. v2 addresses minor comments from refere
Micro-focused X-ray diffraction characterization of high-quality [6,6]-phenyl-C-61-butyric acid methyl ester single crystals without solvent impurities
We report the preparation of high-quality, solvent-free [6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) large single crystals (size up to 0.5 mm) by slow drying of a chlorobenzene solution at room temperature. The monoclinic structure containing four PCBM molecules per unit cell was successfully solved (R-factor = 0.0512) via micro-focused X-ray diffraction and employed as a reliable experimental model for further molecular dynamics simulations. We find that the first peak of the simulated fullerene–fullerene radial distribution function is centred at 10.05 Å, giving a nearest neighbour coordination number of 7.0. The work reported herein provides the structural basis for a fundamental understanding of charge transport in this important functional material that is particularly relevant to organic solar cells
Determination of the level of defective beans in coffee samples by using array of nanostructured sensors.
TOPSIS Fuzzy Application Program Fase II
While there are many models of multi-criteria decision making based on fuzzy logic, the software available for solving problems of this kind is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to present the continuation of the software proposed in the paper “Topsis Fuzzy Aplication Program”, presented at the XXIV ENDIO – XXII EPIO in 2011 [1] which allows to solve decision problems with TOPSIS fuzzy method using linguistic labels, proposed by Chen (2000), including critical enhancements to the system arising as a result of its extensive use.Si bien existen muchos modelos de toma de decisión multicriterio basados en lógica difusa, el software disponible para resolver problemas de este tipo es escaso. Por ello, el objetivo del presente trabajo es presentar la continuación del software propuesto en el paper “Topsis Fuzzy Aplication Program”, presentado en el XXIV ENDIO – XXII EPIO en el 2011 y que permite resolver problemas de decisión con el método TOPSIS difuso con etiquetas lingüísticas propuesto por Chen (2000), incorporando mejoras críticas al sistema surgidas como resultado de su extenso uso.Sociedad Argentina de Informática e Investigación Operativ
2b-RAD genotyping for population genomic studies of Chagas disease vectors: Rhodnius ecuadoriensis in Ecuador
Background:
Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is the main triatomine vector of Chagas disease, American trypanosomiasis, in Southern Ecuador and Northern Peru. Genomic approaches and next generation sequencing technologies have become powerful tools for investigating population diversity and structure which is a key consideration for vector control. Here we assess the effectiveness of three different 2b restriction site-associated DNA (2b-RAD) genotyping strategies in R. ecuadoriensis to provide sufficient genomic resolution to tease apart microevolutionary processes and undertake some pilot population genomic analyses.
Methodology/Principal findings:
The 2b-RAD protocol was carried out in-house at a non-specialized laboratory using 20 R. ecuadoriensis adults collected from the central coast and southern Andean region of Ecuador, from June 2006 to July 2013. 2b-RAD sequencing data was performed on an Illumina MiSeq instrument and analyzed with the STACKS de novo pipeline for loci assembly and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) discovery. Preliminary population genomic analyses (global AMOVA and Bayesian clustering) were implemented. Our results showed that the 2b-RAD genotyping protocol is effective for R. ecuadoriensis and likely for other triatomine species. However, only BcgI and CspCI restriction enzymes provided a number of markers suitable for population genomic analysis at the read depth we generated. Our preliminary genomic analyses detected a signal of genetic structuring across the study area.
Conclusions/Significance:
Our findings suggest that 2b-RAD genotyping is both a cost effective and methodologically simple approach for generating high resolution genomic data for Chagas disease vectors with the power to distinguish between different vector populations at epidemiologically relevant scales. As such, 2b-RAD represents a powerful tool in the hands of medical entomologists with limited access to specialized molecular biological equipment.
Author summary:
Understanding Chagas disease vector (triatomine) population dispersal is key for the design of control measures tailored for the epidemiological situation of a particular region. In Ecuador, Rhodnius ecuadoriensis is a cause of concern for Chagas disease transmission, since it is widely distributed from the central coast to southern Ecuador. Here, a genome-wide sequencing (2b-RAD) approach was performed in 20 specimens from four communities from Manabí (central coast) and Loja (southern) provinces of Ecuador, and the effectiveness of three type IIB restriction enzymes was assessed. The findings of this study show that this genotyping methodology is cost effective in R. ecuadoriensis and likely in other triatomine species. In addition, preliminary population genomic analysis results detected a signal of population structure among geographically distinct communities and genetic variability within communities. As such, 2b-RAD shows significant promise as a relatively low-tech solution for determination of vector population genomics, dynamics, and spread
Adapting SAM for CDF
The CDF and D0 experiments probe the high-energy frontier and as they do so
have accumulated hundreds of Terabytes of data on the way to petabytes of data
over the next two years. The experiments have made a commitment to use the
developing Grid based on the SAM system to handle these data. The D0 SAM has
been extended for use in CDF as common patterns of design emerged to meet the
similar requirements of these experiments. The process by which the merger was
achieved is explained with particular emphasis on lessons learned concerning
the database design patterns plus realization of the use cases.Comment: Talk from the 2003 Computing in High Energy and Nuclear Physics
(CHEP03), La Jolla, Ca, USA, March 2003, 4 pages, pdf format, TUAT00
Internal rotation of the red-giant star KIC 4448777 by means of asteroseismic inversion
In this paper we study the dynamics of the stellar interior of the early
red-giant star KIC 4448777 by asteroseismic inversion of 14 splittings of the
dipole mixed modes obtained from {\it Kepler} observations. In order to
overcome the complexity of the oscillation pattern typical of red-giant stars,
we present a procedure which involves a combination of different methods to
extract the rotational splittings from the power spectrum. We find not only
that the core rotates faster than the surface, confirming previous inversion
results generated for other red giants (Deheuvels et al. 2012,2014), but we
also estimate the variation of the angular velocity within the helium core with
a spatial resolution of and verify the hypothesis of a sharp
discontinuity in the inner stellar rotation (Deheuvels et al. 2014). The
results show that the entire core rotates rigidly with an angular velocity of
about ~nHz and provide evidence for an
angular velocity decrease through a region between the helium core and part of
the hydrogen burning shell; however we do not succeed to characterize the
rotational slope, due to the intrinsic limits of the applied techniques. The
angular velocity, from the edge of the core and through the hydrogen burning
shell, appears to decrease with increasing distance from the center, reaching
an average value in the convective envelope of
~nHz. Hence, the core in KIC~4448777 is
rotating from a minimum of 8 to a maximum of 17 times faster than the envelope.
We conclude that a set of data which includes only dipolar modes is sufficient
to infer quite accurately the rotation of a red giant not only in the dense
core but also, with a lower level of confidence, in part of the radiative
region and in the convective envelope.Comment: accepted for publication on Ap
ISML: an interface specification meta-language
In this paper we present an abstract metaphor model situated within a model-based user interface framework. The inclusion of metaphors in graphical user interfaces is a well established, but mostly craft-based strategy to design. A substantial body of notations and tools can be found within the model-based user interface design literature, however an explicit treatment of metaphor and its mappings to other design views has yet to be addressed. We introduce the Interface Specification Meta-Language (ISML) framework and demonstrate its use in comparing the semantic and syntactic features of an interactive system. Challenges facing this research are outlined and further work proposed
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