Moving Forward on the Atlantic Gateway: Context and Further Key Questions

This paper begins by exploring the meaning of the word gateway, and the role of ‘gateways and corridors’ in the current global trading environment. It examines the integrated nature of today’s economic environment, to provide context for the discussion about the players and their interests—what they seek to gain from gateway development. It then steps back to look at the lessons identified in various research activities undertaken in the Atlantic Gateway Research Initiative, developing four questions for those seeking to participate in gateway development. In answering these four questions, the remainder of the paper proposes strategies for the various players to consider. The paper closes with reflections on the vision for the Gateway and the future research agenda that the current research has identified. The concept of Gateway support discussed here takes a much larger view of the Atlantic Gateway in the world trading environment, and sees roles for all players, including universities, in developing the economic opportunities presented by the Atlantic Gateway

Annual Survey of Virginia Law: Environmental Law

Recent developments in environmental law in Virginia continue to reflect several trends. These trends may be grouped into six general categories: (1) the growing tension between federal environmental mandates and their practical implementation through delegated state programs; (2) the continuing debate over the exact definition of interstate commerce and the scope of state authority to regulate in the gray area; (3) the impending deregulation of the electrical energy market; (4) the promotion of sustainable development; (5) the developing schism between state and local land use control; and (6) the evolving nature of administrative law in the environmental context. The following survey discusses changes to the body of environmental law affecting Virginians during 2000-2001 in the context of each of these trends

CARMA: A platform for analyzing microarray datasets that incorporate replicate measures

BACKGROUND: The incorporation of statistical models that account for experimental variability provides a necessary framework for the interpretation of microarray data. A robust experimental design coupled with an analysis of variance (ANOVA) incorporating a model that accounts for known sources of experimental variability can significantly improve the determination of differences in gene expression and estimations of their significance. RESULTS: To realize the full benefits of performing analysis of variance on microarray data we have developed CARMA, a microarray analysis platform that reads data files generated by most microarray image processing software packages, performs ANOVA using a user-defined linear model, and produces easily interpretable graphical and numeric results. No pre-processing of the data is required and user-specified parameters control most aspects of the analysis including statistical significance criterion. The software also performs location and intensity dependent lowess normalization, automatic outlier detection and removal, and accommodates missing data. CONCLUSION: CARMA provides a clear quantitative and statistical characterization of each measured gene that can be used to assess marginally acceptable measures and improve confidence in the interpretation of microarray results. Overall, applying CARMA to microarray datasets incorporating repeated measures effectively reduces the number of gene incorrectly identified as differentially expressed and results in a more robust and reliable analysis

The UV, Optical, and IR Properties of SDSS Sources Detected by GALEX

We discuss the UV, optical, and IR properties of the SDSS sources detected by GALEX as part of its All-sky Imaging Survey Early Release Observations. Virtually all of the GALEX sources in the overlap region are detected by SDSS. GALEX sources represent ~2.5% of all SDSS sources within these fields and about half are optically unresolved. Most unresolved GALEX/SDSS sources are bright blue turn-off thick disk stars and are typically detected only in the GALEX near-UV band. The remaining unresolved sources include low-redshift quasars, white dwarfs, and white dwarf/M dwarf pairs, and these dominate the optically unresolved sources detected in both GALEX bands. Almost all the resolved SDSS sources detected by GALEX are fainter than the SDSS 'main' spectroscopic limit. These sources have colors consistent with those of blue (spiral) galaxies (u-r<2.2), and most are detected in both GALEX bands. Measurements of their UV colors allow much more accurate and robust estimates of star-formation history than are possible using only SDSS data. Indeed, galaxies with the most recent (<20 Myr) star formation can be robustly selected from the GALEX data by requiring that they be brighter in the far-UV than in the near-UV band. However, older starburst galaxies have UV colors similar to AGN, and thus cannot be selected unambiguously on the basis of GALEX fluxes alone. With the aid of 2MASS data, we construct and discuss median 10 band UV-optical-IR spectral energy distributions for turn-off stars, hot white dwarfs, low-redshift quasars, and spiral and elliptical galaxies. We point out the high degree of correlation between the UV color and the contribution of the UV flux to the UV-optical-IR flux of galaxies detected by GALEX.Comment: 35 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables; to appear in the AJ. PS with better figures available from http://www.astro.washington.edu/agueros/pub

Defining childhood severe falciparum malaria for intervention studies.

Background Clinical trials of interventions designed to prevent severe falciparum malaria in children require a clear endpoint. The internationally accepted definition of severe malaria is sensitive, and appropriate for clinical purposes. However, this definition includes individuals with severe nonmalarial disease and coincident parasitaemia, so may lack specificity in vaccine trials. Although there is no “gold standard” individual test for severe malaria, malaria-attributable fractions (MAFs) can be estimated among groups of children using a logistic model, which we use to test the suitability of various case definitions as trial endpoints. Methods and Findings A total of 4,583 blood samples were taken from well children in cross-sectional surveys and from 1,361 children admitted to a Kenyan District hospital with severe disease. Among children under 2 y old with severe disease and over 2,500 parasites per microliter of blood, the MAFs were above 85% in moderate- and low-transmission areas, but only 61% in a high-transmission area. HIV and malnutrition were not associated with reduced MAFs, but gastroenteritis with severe dehydration (defined by reduced skin turgor), lower respiratory tract infection (clinician's final diagnosis), meningitis (on cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] examination), and bacteraemia were associated with reduced MAFs. The overall MAF was 85% (95% confidence interval [CI] 83.8%–86.1%) without excluding these conditions, 89% (95% CI 88.4%–90.2%) after exclusions, and 95% (95% CI 94.0%–95.5%) when a threshold of 2,500 parasites/μl was also applied. Applying a threshold and exclusion criteria reduced sensitivity to 80% (95% CI 77%–83%). Conclusions The specificity of a case definition for severe malaria is improved by applying a parasite density threshold and by excluding children with meningitis, lower respiratory tract infection (clinician's diagnosis), bacteraemia, and gastroenteritis with severe dehydration, but not by excluding children with HIV or malnutrition

Economic Pressure and Intention to Complete Colorectal Cancer Screening: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Among U.S. Men

Although men’s lives can be saved by colorectal cancer (CRC) screening, its utilization remains below national averages among men from low-income households. However, income has not been consistently linked to men’s CRC screening intent. This study tested the hypothesis that men who perceive more economic pressure would have lower CRC screening intent. Cross-sectional data were collected via an online survey in February 2022. Men (aged 45–75 years) living in the U.S. (N = 499) reported their CRC screening intent (outcome) and their perception of their economic circumstances (predictors). Adjusted binary and ordinal logistic analyses were conducted. All analyses were conducted in March 2022. Men who perceived greater difficulty paying bills or affording the type of clothing or medical care they needed (i.e., economic strain) were less likely to have CRC screening intent (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.49, 0.93). This association was no longer significant when prior screening behavior was accounted for (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.52, 1.10). Contrary to our hypothesis, men who reported more financial cutbacks were more likely to report wanting to be screened for CRC within the next year (OR = 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.11). This is one of the first studies to demonstrate that men’s perceptions of their economic circumstances play a role in their intent to complete early-detection screening for CRC. Future research should consider men’s perceptions of their economic situation in addition to their annual income when aiming to close the gap between intent and CRC screening uptake

Real time data analytics as applied to web-to-roller traction in manufacturing

Avoidance of web handling-related imperfections is often a challenge. As an example, the limit of web-to-roller traction is typically not detected until it is exceeded, resulting in product damage. Detection is often made through product inspection. This delay can result in a large volume of unacceptable material being produced. Inclusion of roller speed monitoring can greatly improve response time, but detection still takes place after failure has occurred.Avoidance of traction problems is normally approached by providing robust equipment design, although this ability is often limited by other machine layout limitations. Variables that can influence web-to-roller traction include: roller wrap angle, roller surface roughness, web surface roughness, bearing frictional drag, roller venting, boundary layer air volume, track-off of foreign materials onto roller surfaces, and wear of roller surfaces.Measurement of web-to-roller traction, often described as excess traction, requires a pre-determined amount of torque to be applied to the roller until the onset of slip. This paper describes an approach which incorporates one or more remote-actuated, machine-mounted prony brakes and a process monitoring (PM) system, which would permit rapid measurement of excess traction on a routinely-scheduled basis while running non-saleable material, enabling traction performance to be trended, and anticipating failures before they occur on saleable product.Incorporating targeted measurement data into a PM system will permit calculations and comparative controls to alarm when there is evidence of traction deterioration. This system provides machine learning algorithms to predict process deterioration and provide input to preventative maintenance scheduling

O impacto dos programas de prevenção veiculados na mídia: a gravidez na adolescência

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenharia de Produção.A presente pesquisa aborda questões referentes à gravidez na adolescência a partir da leitura do impacto dos programas de prevenção veiculados na mídia, de acordo com relatos de adolescentes grávidas inscritas no programa de pré-natal da Secretaria Municipal de Saúde, do município de Itaúna (MG). Foi traçado o perfil da adolescente grávida e descrita a sua relação com as diversas mídias no que diz respeito à baixa eficiência dos programas de prevenção veiculados nestas mídias. A partir de estudos já realizados, a atenção recaiu sobre algumas questões: 1) O que é educação para a saúde? 2) Por que a gravidez precoce é um problema de saúde pública? 3) Em que pontos falham os programas de prevenção da gravidez na adolescência, veiculados nas mídias? Os resultados demonstram que o modelo informacional não contribui para a aprendizagem que o processo educativo supõe. A informação sobre como prevenir a gravidez não impede as manifestações psicológicas comuns no período adolescente. Os resultados apontam, também, que os conflitos adolescentes são vivenciados com maior processo de readaptação, quando acompanhado de uma gravidez; que as adolescentes não planejavam as gravidezes, não usavam qualquer método anticoncepcional, apesar de conhecê-los; têm seu comportamento influenciável pelas mídias apesar de não legitimarem os programas de prevenção veiculados nela. Espera-se que os resultados possam contribuir no processo de construção de programas de prevenção, uma vez que retrata a possibilidade do uso da mídia como instrumento da educação. O conhecimento do perfil da adolescente que engravida, assim como a imagem criada pelas campanhas de prevenção da gravidez precoce deve facilitar a criação de sistemas mais eficientes, facilitando a elaboração de programas de saúde coerentes com a demanda real. Research that approaches referring questions to the pregnancy in the adolescence from the reading of the impact of the propagated programs of prevention in the medias, in accordance with stories of enrolled pregnant adolescents in the program of prenatal of the City department of Health, of the city of Itaúna(MG). The profile of the pregnant and described adolescent was traced its relation with the diverse medias in that it says respect to low the efficiency of the propagated programs of prevention in the medias. From carried through studies already, the attention fell again on some questions: 1) What it is education for the health? 2) Why the precocious pregnancy is a problem of public health? 3) Where points fail the programs of prevention of the pregnancy in the adolescence, propagated in the medias? The results demonstrate that the informacional model does not contribute for the learning that the educative process assumes. The information on as to prevent the pregnancy does not hinder the common psychological manifestations in the adolescent period. The results point, also, that the adolescent conflicts are lived deeply with bigger process of readjustment, when folloied of a pregnancy; that the adolescents did not plan the pregnancies, they did not use any contraceptive method, although to know them; they have its influenciável behavior for the medias although not to legitimize the propagated programs of prevention in. It focuses the proposal of the education for the health, the adolescent development and the recocious pregnancy, points with respect to the diverse medias as tool of the education. It presents one to seem on the profile of the pregnant adolescent and the impact of the pregnancy and the campaigns of propagated prevention of the regnancy in the medias

Costameric integrin and sarcoglycan protein levels are altered in a Drosophila model for Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2H

Mutations in two different domains of the ubiquitously expressed TRIM32 protein give rise to two clinically separate diseases, one of which is Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2H (LGMD2H). Uncovering the muscle-specific role of TRIM32 in LGMD2H pathogenesis has proven difficult, as neurogenic phenotypes, independent of LGMD2H pathology, are present in TRIM32 KO mice. We previously established a platform to study LGMD2H pathogenesis using Drosophila melanogaster as a model. Here we show that LGMD2H disease-causing mutations in the NHL domain are molecularly and structurally conserved between fly and human TRIM32. Furthermore, transgenic expression of a subset of myopathic alleles (R394H, D487N, and 520fs) induce myofibril abnormalities, altered nuclear morphology, and reduced TRIM32 protein levels, mimicking phenotypes in patients afflicted with LGMD2H. Intriguingly, we also report for the first time that the protein levels of βPS integrin and sarcoglycan δ, both core components of costameres, are elevated in TRIM32 disease-causing alleles. Similarly, murine myoblasts overexpressing a catalytically inactive TRIM32 mutant aberrantly accumulate α- and β-dystroglycan and α-sarcoglycan. We speculate that the stoichiometric loss of costamere components disrupts costamere complexes to promote muscle degeneration