Rethinking Streets: a study of streetspace allocation metrics and street networks in London

This research investigates streetspace allocation metrics for all streets in London providing quantitative evidence about a key parameter of street design citywide. A new methodology to quantify streetspace allocation is introduced using a geocomputational approach that allows both the processing of high-resolution topographic data over a large geographic extent and enables replicability for other cities. The correlation between streetspace allocation metrics and street network centrality at distinct scales is investigated across different geographic areas. These variables are then examined using cluster analysis to identify a typology of streets based on streetspace allocation and centrality. The results provide the framework for a design scenario study of inner London applying shortest-path analysis under an active travel prioritisation perspective. Streetspace statistics for London confirm the predominance of space allocated for vehicular transport over pedestrian uses. Most streets display standard "residential" street metrics, coinciding with traditional street classification schemes. Also, this serves to demonstrate quantitatively the spatially efficient organisation of the London street system with few wider distributors and many narrower local streets. In addition, through the combined examination of the streets' allocation and configurational metrics, it is possible to identify a new sub-type of local streets. The spatial arrangement of the streets segments types follows a centre-periphery pattern: wider and higher centrality streets are clustered at the city centre and show relative larger streetspace designated to pedestrians, corresponding with higher levels of estimated activity. On a prescriptive streetspace model of Inner London, the streetspace allocation of critical pathways is modified to illustrate how strategic scale street properties affect and are affected by design scale street parameters. The fine-grain physical metrics analysed here, not only can be useful to tackle a wide range of contemporary street related questions from urban environmental quality to the adoption of new technologies but also offer alternative analytical methods for street research, planning and design

Is Wikipedia Inefficient? Modelling Effort and Participation in Wikipedia

International audienceConcerns have been raisedabout the decreased ability of Wikipedia to recruit editors and in to harness the effort of contributors to create new articles and improve existing articles. But, as Marwell & Oliver explained,in collective projects, in the initial stage of the project, people are few and efforts costly; in the diffusion phase, the number of participants grows as their efforts are rewarding; and in the mature phase, some inefficiency may appear as the number of contributors is more than the work requires. In this paper, thanks to original data we extract from 36 of the main language projects, we compare the efficiency of Wikipedia projects in different languages and at different states of development to examine this effect

The Impacts of the Low-FODMAP Diet on the Management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome Symptoms: Possibilities, Feasibility, and Alternatives

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal (GI) condition characterized by a myriad of GI symptoms (e.g., diarrhea, nutrient malabsorption) that vary in severity. Due to its complex and individual nature, there is no known cure for IBS, but many diets have been assessed for their viability in managing symptoms. The low-FODMAP diet has recently been investigated for its potential benefits for IBS patients. FODMAPs, or Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols are short- and medium-chain carbohydrates that are poorly absorbed in the small intestine and are prone to absorb water and ferment in the colon. Consumption of these FODMAPs correlates with increasing severity of IBS symptoms. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial systematic review was to compile various evidence-based dietary recommendations for the low-FODMAP diet for adult patients suffering from IBS from randomized controlled and clinical trials. The possibilities, feasibilities, and potential alternatives are proposed to determine if there is sufficient evidence to recommend the low-FODMAP diet for this patient population. Over 1,000 studies were screened and 6 were reviewed to determine the benefits of this diet. It was found that the low-FODMAP diet has demonstrated efficacy in delivering IBS symptom relief by changing patients’ metabolomes, microbiomes, and physiology. Specifically, this diet showed a greater overall decrease in abdominal pain, bloating, stool consistency, frequency, and urgency. Greater diversity of actinobacteria was found in the stool samples of these patients. Nociceptive neurons were also shown to be less sensitive and GI gas production was also markedly decreased. Despite these benefits, the low-FODMAP diet is more recommended for acute flare-ups due to its difficult adherence and attrition. Instead, we conclude that the balanced Mediterranean diet contains aspects of the traditional Mediterranean and low-FODMAP diet that can relieve IBS symptoms for daily life, while the low-FODMAP diet can be an effective treatment to ameliorate conditions when severe symptoms are experienced

A new method for the identification of phytoplasmas in strawberries (Fragaria fragaria)

Motivation:Phytoplasmas are plant pathogens that generally inhabit the phloem and are transmitted from plant to plant by vector insects that feed on phloem. Their genome is small, with a high content of genes (1). The presence of extrachromosomal DNA has also been detected (2). Serological and molecular studies have shown that phytoplasmas contain a gene encoding a membrane protein and this is unique for each specie and helps to identify what type of phytoplasma is, according to its taxonomic classification (3). Different phytoplasmas had been detected and identified in strawberries plants (Fragaria fragaria). Symptoms observed on strawberries were yellow coloration of leaves, plant stunting, and reduced leaf size and the virescence were observed in the inflorescence. PCR analyses as well as sequencing of 16S ribosomal gene enabled the identification of phytoplasmas belonging to two ribosomal groups, namely stolbur and aster yellows, but the eficiency for this detection is not reliable. Here we are working to develop a new method to easily detect and identify this pathogen in plant samples before symptoms appear.Methods: 70 samples of strawberries infected with phytoplasma were tested, by,analysing leaves, crown and root in the strawberry plant to determine the most optimal zone to be sampled. The identification of phytoplasmas required a double PCRs  using phytoplasma universal primer pair P1/P7, followed by nested PCR with Fu5/Ru3 primers. Further nested PCR reactions on R16mF2/R1 amplicons were also performed with R16F2N/R2 primer pair, specific for phytoplasma belonging to aster yellow to determine their class. Asymptomatic samples were also analysed as negative controls in each PCR reaction. The amplified DNA was sequenced and the sequence analysed by Blast.Results:With this PCR method, the presence of phytoplasma was mainly detected in strawberries roots but not in leaves and crowns. This technique allowed us to detect presence of high amount of phytoplasma because a positive result in the first PCR, low amount with a positive result only in the second one, or no presence because negative result in both. Finally,, the sequencing of the amplified DNA, allowed us to determine if they belong to aster yellow or stolbur because they DNA identity.Conclusions: This new phytoplasma identification method is effective. It would be interesting to obtain a specific primer for each specie of phytoplasma and thus have a more precise method

Solubility of three natural compounds with insecticidal activity in supercritical carbon dioxide: Experimental measurements and predictive modeling with the GC-EoS

In this work, the solubility of thymoquinone, R-(+)-pulegone and 1-octen-3-ol in supercritical CO 2 is determined in a range of conditions typical of supercritical fluid processes such as extraction, fractionation and impregnation. These compounds were selected based in their insecticidal activity which may enable to apply them as biopesticides. Solubility was measured using a semicontinuos method in the temperature range of 45?65 °C and pressure of 8?12 MPa, at a CO 2 flowrate of 0.05?0.10 g/min, which was verified to be low enough to ensure saturation. Solubilities were predicted using the Group Contribution Equation of State (GC-EoS) and compared to the experimental results, with a good agreement. Consistency of the data was tested using the density-based Chrastil equation.Fil: Mazzei, Hernán. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Bahía Blanca. Planta Piloto de Ingeniería Química (I). Grupo Vinculado al Plapiqui - Investigación y Desarrollo en Tecnología Química; ArgentinaFil: Ortega, Leonardo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias y Tecnología de los Alimentos; ArgentinaFil: Andreatta, Alfonsina Ester. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Gañan, Nicolas Alberto. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Ingeniería de Procesos y Química Aplicada; Argentin

La producción de becerros en Chihuahua: un análisis económico marginal

El uso de los recursos con productividad (eficiencia, eficacia, calidad y economía) deben ser el objeto de uso en el sector agropecuario. Se realizó un análisis para cuantificar la situación económica marginal de costos, ingresos y utilidad en productores con 40, 100, 200 y 500 vacas del sistema vaca-becerro, en las cuatro principales zonas productoras del estado de Chihuahua. Los datos se analizaron con el programa de simulación MEXSIM, utilizado por la SAGARPA para analizar los principales sistemas de producción agropecuaria de México y desarrollado por Agricultural and Food Policy Center (AFPC), de la Universidad de Texas A&M (TAMU). La situación económica fue precautoria para todas las escalas de producción, debido a bajas precipitaciones que provocaron la disminución del forraje producido y de los becerros destetados. Sin embargo, el 100% de las unidades de producción analizadas son rentables; asimismo, es variable entre escalas de producción y se incrementa a mayor escala de producción. La utilidad marginal promedio fue de 1,656.82 $/vaca, 115.18$/ha, 2,563.41 $/ becerro y 16.34$/kg de becerro. El sistema de producción muestra una ineficiencia de 32%, provocada por los productores de menor escala

Purification of a 47-kDa calmodulin-binding polypeptide as an actin-binding protein from Neurospora crassa

We have enriched a 47-kDa polypeptide (p47) from Neurospora crassa on the basis of its affinity to calmodulin. The p47 was purified to homogeneity by chromatography on a Mono S cation exchange column and evidence is presented that the polypeptide co-sediments specifically with F-actin. The intracellular distribution of p47 and actin was also examined using indirect double immunofluorescence staining of cells at different stages of development. Our results suggest that by altering the conformation binding site of actin to p47, calmodulin could play a regulatory role in the polarized hyphal growth of N. crass