Impact of low-input meadows on arthropod diversity at habitat and landscape level

In Switzerland, in order to preserve and enhance arthopod diversity in grassland ecosystems (among others), farmers had to convert at least 7 % of their land to ecological compensation areas – ECA. Major ECA are low input grassland, traditional orchards, hedges and wild flower strips. In this paper the difference in species assemblages of 3 arthropod groups, namely spiders, carabid beetles and butterflies between intensively managed and low input meadows is stressed by means of multivariate statistics. On one hand, the consequences of these differences are analysed at the habitat level to promote good practices for the arthropod diversity in grassland ecosystems. On the other hand, the contribution of each meadow type to the regional diversity is investigated to widen the analysis at the landscape level

Clifford algebras from quotient ring spectra

We give natural descriptions of the homology and cohomology algebras of regular quotient ring spectra of even E ∞-ring spectra. We show that the homology is a Clifford algebra with respect to a certain bilinear form naturally associated to the quotient ring spectrum F. To identify the cohomology algebra, we first determine the derivations of F and then prove that the cohomology is isomorphic to the exterior algebra on the module of derivations. We treat the example of the Morava K-theories in detai

ON THE COHOMOLOGY OF CERTAIN QUOTIENTS OF THE SPECTRUM BP

The aim of this note is to present a new, elementary proof of a result of Baas and Madsen on the mod p cohomology of certain quotients of the spectrum B

Spontaneous spinal epidural haematoma during Factor Xa inhibitor treatment (Rivaroxaban)

We report on a 61-year-old female patient who developed a spontaneous spinal epidural haematoma (SSEH) after being treated by rivaroxaban, a new agent for the prevention of venous thromboembolic events in orthopaedic surgery. Although the pathogenesis of SSEH is unclear, anticoagulant therapy is a known risk factor. The patient sustained a sudden onset of severe back pain in the thoracic spine, followed by paraplegia below T8, 2days after proximal tibial osteotomy and rivaroxaban therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the whole spine demonstrated a ventral SSEH from C2 to T8. Whilst preparing for the emergency evacuation of the SSEH, the neurological symptoms recovered spontaneously 4h after onset without surgery. After monitored bed rest for 48h the MRI was repeated and the SSEH was no longer present. This rare condition of spinal cord compression and unusually rapid spontaneous recovery has not previously been reported following rivaroxaban therap

Strategy for allocating the MSI magnets and vacuum chambers

The known aperture limits in the MSI septa, together with the magnet and vacuum chamber geometry measurement, allows an optimisation of the installation regarding magnet and chamber allocation. The improvements are small but significant, of the order of 0.4 mm from allocation of the magnets and 0.7 mm from sorting and orienting the chambers; however, these gains are essentially for free, and should be implemented, since the apertures in these magnets are tight

Radiation Heating of Primary Collimators at Ramping

A time-dependent temperature map is derived for the primary jaw of the momentum collimation system during the high transient loss period which is to occur at the beginning of the ramp of acceleration. An adequate margin factor is obtained for a loss of 5% of the nominal stored beam and for the nominal parabolic ramping curve

Proton Losses Upstream of IP8 in LHC

In this report we analyse possible distant sources of proton losses in the long straight section around IP8. These sources can be collisions of the beam protons with nuclei of residual gas in the arcs, betatron cleaning inefficiency and proton-proton collisions in IR1

Strategy for allocating the MSD magnets and vacuum chambers

An analogous strategy as applied for the MSI septum magnets allows an optimisation of the installation of the MSD septa regarding magnet and chamber allocation. Even if the gain in aperture is small, of the order of half a millimetre, it is not negligible and- being essentially for free - should nevertheless be implemented

High Inflation: Low Default Risk and Low Equity Valuations

We develop an asset pricing model with endogenous corporate policies that explains how inflation jointly affects real asset prices and corporate default risk. Our model includes two empirically founded nominal rigidities: fixed nominal debt coupons (sticky leverage) and sticky cash flows. These two frictions result in lower real equity prices and credit spreads when expected inflation rises. A decrease in expected inflation has opposite effects, with even larger magnitudes. In the cross-section, the model predicts that the negative impact of higher expected inflation on real equity values is stronger for low leverage firms. We find empirical support for the model’s predictions

The contractile properties of vaginal myofibroblasts: Is the myofibroblasts contraction force test a valuable indication of future prolapse development?

Using a specific myofibroblast contraction test, we try to predict future utero-vaginal prolapse development in young primiparae women. We compare myofibroblast cultures of the vaginal wall in primiparae women (group 1), young multiparae women (group 2) and older multiparae women (group 3) who were operated on for severe utero-vaginal prolapse. A myofibroblast-mediated collagen gel contraction assay determined a contraction factor that was compared in the three groups of women. The myofibroblasts contraction factor after 24 and 48 hours was significantly higher in group 1 women (2.4 ± 0.6/4.4 ± 1.9) compared to group 2 (1.6 ± 0.3/ 1.8 ± 0.1) andgroup 3 (1.6 ± 0.3/1.8 ± 0.3), but showed no differences in group 1 women without (2.1 ± 0.5/3.5 ± 1.9) and with (2.7 ± 0.6/5.1 ± 1.7) cystocoele. Vaginal myofibroblasts of young women show better contraction forces than young women with severe utero-vaginal prolapse. The latter have a myofibroblast contraction factor similar to those of older post-menopausal women operated for the same conditio