Commercialization of agriculture under population pressure: effects on production, and nutrition in Rwanda

Agricultural policy Rwanda., Produce trade Government policy Rwanda., Exports Rwanda., Nutrition policy Rwanda., Food supply Rwanda., Rwanda Population.,

Improved Polyakov-loop potential for effective models from functional calculations

We investigate the quark backreaction on the Polyakov loop and its impact on the thermodynamics of quantum chromodynamics. The dynamics of the gluons generating the Polyakov-loop potential is altered by the presence of dynamical quarks. However, this backreaction of the quarks has not yet been taken into account in Polyakov-loop extended model studies. In the present work, we show within a 2+1 flavour Polyakov-quark-meson model that a quark-improved Polyakov-loop potential leads to a smoother transition between the low-temperature hadronic phase and the high-temperature quark-gluon plasma phase. In particular, we discuss the dependence of our results on the remaining uncertainties that are the critical temperature and the parametrisation of the Polyakov-loop potential as well as the mass of the sigma-meson.Comment: 19 pages, 25 figures; version published in Phys. Rev.

Detection of dynamical regime transitions with lacunarity as a multiscale recurrence quantification measure

We propose lacunarity as a novel recurrence quantification measure and illustrate its efficacy to detect dynamical regime transitions which are exhibited by many complex real-world systems. We carry out a recurrence plot-based analysis for different paradigmatic systems and nonlinear empirical data in order to demonstrate the ability of our method to detect dynamical transitions ranging across different temporal scales. It succeeds to distinguish states of varying dynamical complexity in the presence of noise and non-stationarity, even when the time series is of short length. In contrast to traditional recurrence quantifiers, no specification of minimal line lengths is required and geometric features beyond linear structures in the recurrence plot can be accounted for. This makes lacunarity more broadly applicable as a recurrence quantification measure. Lacunarity is usually interpreted as a measure of heterogeneity or translational invariance of an arbitrary spatial pattern. In application to recurrence plots, it quantifies the degree of heterogeneity in the temporal recurrence patterns at all relevant time scales. We demonstrate the potential of the proposed method when applied to empirical data, namely time series of acoustic pressure fluctuations from a turbulent combustor. Recurrence lacunarity captures both the rich variability in dynamical complexity of acoustic pressure fluctuations and shifting time scales encoded in the recurrence plots. Furthermore, it contributes to a better distinction between stable operation and near blowout states of combustors

Diagnostic accuracy of inflammatory back pain for axial spondyloarthritis in rheumatological care

Objective: Inflammatory back pain (IBP), the key symptom of axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), including ankylosing spondylitis, has been proposed as a screening test for patients presenting with chronic back pain in primary care. The diagnostic accuracy of IBP in the rheumatology setting is unknown. Methods: Six rheumatology centres, representing secondary and tertiary rheumatology care, included routinely referred patients with consecutive chronic back pain with suspicion of axSpA. IBP (diagnostic test) was assessed in each centre by an independent (blinded) rheumatologist; a second (unblinded) rheumatologist made the diagnosis (axSpA or no-axSpA), which served as reference standard. Results: Of 461 routinely referred patients, 403 received a final diagnosis. IBP was present in 67.3%, and 44.6% (180/403) were diagnosed as axSpA. The sensitivity of IBP according to various definitions (global judgement, Calin, Berlin, Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society criteria for IBP) was 74.4%-81.1 % and comparable to published figures, whereas the specificity was unexpectedly low (25.1%-43.9%). The resulting positive likelihood ratios (LR+) were 1.1-1.4 and without major differences between sets of IBP criteria. The presence of IBP according to various definitions increased the probability of axSpA by 2.5%-8.4% only (from 44.6% to 47.1%-53.0%). Conclusions: The diagnostic utility of IBP in the rheumatology setting was smaller than expected. However, this was counterbalanced by a high prevalence of IBP among referred patients, demonstrating the effective usage of IBP in primary care as selection parameter for referral to rheumatology. Notably, this study illustrates potential shifts in specificity and LR+ of diagnostic tests if these tests are used to select patients for referral

Building a Standard Measurement Platform

Network management is achieved through a large number of disparate solutions for different technologies and parts of the end-to-end network. Gaining an overall view, and especially predicting the impact on a service user, is difficult. Recently, a number of proprietary platforms have emerged to conduct end-to-end testing from user premises; however, these are limited in scale, interoperability, and the ability to compare like-for-like results. In this article we show that these platforms share similar architectures and can benefit from the standardization of key interfaces, test definitions, information model, and protocols. We take the SamKnows platform as a use case and propose an evolution from its current proprietary protocols to standardized protocols and tests. In particular, we propose to use extensions of the IETF's IPFIX and NETCONF/YANG in the platform. Standardization will allow measurement capabilities to be included on many more network elements and user devices, providing a much more comprehensive view of user experience and enabling problems and performance bottlenecks to be identified and addressed.Publicad

Developing and validating an index for measuring health in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

Objectives. The impact of disease on functioning is the essential information for clinicians when reporting on health problems of individuals. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a comprehensive and universally accepted model to classify and describe functioning, disability and health in a systematic way. The objective of this article is to outline the development and validation of a health index for patients with AS based on the ICF as a use case. Methods. The project is a combined effort of the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society, the ICF Research Branch of the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaboration Centre of the Family of International Classifications and the WHO. There are five steps in the development and validation of the health index for patients with AS: (i) development of an item pool; (ii) identification of candidate items; (iii) item selection; (iv) item reduction; and (v) creation of a final version. Consensus about items that have to be part will be reached in a final consensus conference. Results. During a meeting in February 2009, we coordinated the development process of the health index for patients with AS. The results of this investigation will be the health index for patients with AS. Conclusion. The goal of developing a health index for patients with AS based on the ICF is very much in line with the broader goal of the WHO to define health indices to ensure the comparability of them within the framework of the IC

results of the randomized, placebo-controlled GO-RAISE study

Background In the present study, we evaluated relationships between serum biomarkers and clinical/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in golimumab-treated patients with ankylosing spondylitis. Methods In the GO- RAISE study, 356 patients with ankylosing spondylitis randomly received either placebo (n = 78) or golimumab 50 mg or 100 mg (n = 278) injections every 4 weeks through week 24 (placebo-controlled); patients continuing GO-RAISE received golimumab through week 252. Up to 139/125 patients had sera collected for biomarkers/serial spine MRI scans (sagittal plane, 1.5-T scanner). Two blinded readers employed modified ankylosing spondylitis spine magnetic resonance imaging score for activity (ASspiMRI-a) and ankylosing spondylitis spine magnetic resonance imaging score for chronicity. Spearman correlations (r s) were assessed between serum biomarkers (n = 73) and Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), C-reactive-protein (CRP)-based Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS), modified Stokes Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS), and ASspiMRI scores. Serum biomarkers predicting postbaseline spinal fatty lesion development and inflammation were analyzed by logistic regression. Results Significant, moderately strong correlations were observed between baseline inflammatory markers interleukin (IL)-6, intracellular adhesion molecule-1, complement component 3 (C3), CRP, haptoglobin, and serum amyloid-P and baseline ASDAS (r s = 0.39–0.66, p ≤ 0.01). Only baseline leptin significantly correlated with ASDAS improvement at week 104 (r s = 0.55, p = 0.040), and only baseline IL-6 significantly predicted mSASSS week 104 change (β = 0.236, SE = 0.073, p = 0.002, model R 2 = 0.093). By logistic regression, baseline leptin, C3, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1 correlated with new fatty lesions per spinal MRI at week 14 and week 104 (both p < 0.01). Changes in serum C3 levels at week 4 (r s = 0.55, p = 0.001) and week 14 (r s = 0.49, p = 0.040) significantly correlated with BASDAI improvement at week 14. Baseline IL-6 and TIMP-1 (r s = −0.63, −0.67; p < 0.05) and reductions at week 4 in IL-6 (r s = 0.61, p < 0.05) and C3 (r s = 0.72; p < 0.05) significantly correlated with week 14 ASspiMRI-a improvement. Conclusions Extensive serum biomarker multiparametric analyses in golimumab-treated patients with ankylosing spondylitis demonstrated few correlations with disease activity or MRI changes; IL-6 weakly correlated with radiographic progression

Biologic Therapy for HLA-B27-associated Ocular Disorders

The treatment of articular and extra-articular manifestations associated with HLA-B27 has undergone dramatic changes over the past two decades, mainly as a consequence of the introduction of biologic agents and in particular anti-tumor necrosis factor α (anti-TNFα) agents. Uveitis is known to be the most frequent extra-articular feature in HLA-B27-associated spondyloarthritides. Topical corticosteroids and cycloplegic agents remain the cornerstones of treatment. However, biologic therapy may be effective in the management of refractory or recurrent forms of uveitis. This review gives an update on the management of HLA-B27-associated ocular disorders with biologics, including anti-TNFα agents and non-anti-TNFα biologic modifier drugs. There is an emerging role for newer biologics targeting interleukin-12/23 and interleukin-17 for the treatment of spondyloarthritides but data on their efficacy on anterior uveitis are sparse