Armed violence, governance, security sector reform, and safety security and access to justice

This briefing aims to highlight and clarify the importance of the availability and misuse of small arms and light weapons (SALW), and associated armed violence, for development programming in the areas of governance, security sector reform (SSR), and safety, security and access to justice (SSAJ). By doing so the effectiveness of governance, SSR and SSAJ programmes can be enhanced. Moreover, governance, SSR and SSAJ programmes can be developed to contribute more to the reduction of armed violence perpetrated with SALW and facilitated by their availabilit

Armed violence and conflict assessments

This briefing aims to clarify and highlight ways in which the spread, possession and (mis)use of SALW and related armed violence issues can be relevant in conflict assessments, and how they can be integrated better within such assessments. It employs the conflict assessment framework set out in DFID¿s conflict assessment guidelines, and thus aims particularly to assist people who may be: commissioning and developing terms of reference for a specific assessment; undertaking a desk-based and/or field assessment; and those taking forward the analysis to the development of programming responses. There already exists the potential for SALW issues to be addressed within DFID¿s existing conflict assessment guidelines, and thus this paper does not suggest that DFID¿s methodology has to change but rather `opened-up¿ to include SALW more fully within their analyses and the strategies they generate

Radial evolution of sunward strahl electrons in the inner heliosphere

The heliospheric magnetic field (HMF) exhibits local inversions, in which the field apparently “bends back” upon itself. Candidate mechanisms to produce these inversions include various configurations of upstream interchange reconnection; either in the heliosphere, or in the corona where the solar wind is formed. Explaining the source of these inversions, and how they evolve in time and space, is thus an important step towards explaining the origins of the solar wind. Inverted heliospheric magnetic field lines can be identified by the anomalous sunward (i.e. inward) streaming of the typically anti-sunward propagating, field aligned (or anti-aligned), beam of electrons known as the “strahl”. We test if the pitch angle distribution (PAD) properties of sunward-propagating strahl are different from those of outward strahl.We perform a statistical study of strahl observed by the Helios spacecraft, over heliocentric distances spanning ≈ 0.3 – 1 AU. We find that sunward strahl PADs are broader and less intense than their outward directed counterparts; particularly at distances 0.3 – 0.75 AU. This is consistent with sunward strahl being subject to additional, path-length dependent, scattering in comparison to outward strahl.We conclude that the longer and more variable path from the Sun to the spacecraft, along inverted magnetic field, leads to this additional scattering. The results also suggest that the relative importance of scattering along this additional path length drops off with heliocentric distance. These results can be explained by a relatively simple, constant-rate, scattering process

Considering armed violence in the post-conflict transition: DDR and small arms and light weapons reduction initiatives

This briefing paper seeks to increase awareness of and review the linkages between disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) and small arms and light weapons (SALW) reduction in the context of post-conflict reconstruction (PCR). It is targeted at those working on poverty reduction at both the policy and programme level, particularly those with comparatively modest engagement in these areas. Its objective is to outline the types of activities that have been undertaken under these rubrics, the difficulties and constraints encountered at the level of implementation, and, in particular, to identify opportunities in linking SALW programmes and DDR. It also seeks to highlight the problems created by widespread arms availability and usage in PCR. This briefing paper is not intended as a comprehensive review of the state of DDR/SALW/PCR programming and policy, but rather an introduction to some of the core issues

Hot new directions for quasi-Monte Carlo research in step with applications

This article provides an overview of some interfaces between the theory of quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) methods and applications. We summarize three QMC theoretical settings: first order QMC methods in the unit cube $[0,1]^s$ and in $\mathbb{R}^s$, and higher order QMC methods in the unit cube. One important feature is that their error bounds can be independent of the dimension $s$ under appropriate conditions on the function spaces. Another important feature is that good parameters for these QMC methods can be obtained by fast efficient algorithms even when $s$ is large. We outline three different applications and explain how they can tap into the different QMC theory. We also discuss three cost saving strategies that can be combined with QMC in these applications. Many of these recent QMC theory and methods are developed not in isolation, but in close connection with applications

Platelet actin nodules are podosome-like structures dependent on Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein and ARP2/3 complex

The actin nodule is a novel F-actin structure present in platelets during early spreading. However, only limited detail is known regarding nodule organization and function. Here we use electron microscopy, SIM and dSTORM super-resolution, and live-cell TIRF microscopy to characterize the structural organization and signalling pathways associated with nodule formation. Nodules are composed of up to four actin-rich structures linked together by actin bundles. They are enriched in the adhesion-related proteins talin and vinculin, have a central core of tyrosine phosphorylated proteins and are depleted of integrins at the plasma membrane. Nodule formation is dependent on Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein (WASp) and the ARP2/3 complex. WASp(-/-) mouse blood displays impaired platelet aggregate formation at arteriolar shear rates. We propose actin nodules are platelet podosome-related structures required for platelet-platelet interaction and their absence contributes to the bleeding diathesis of Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome

Differential responses of myoblasts and myotubes to photobiomodulation are associated with mitochondrial number

Objective Photobiomodulation (PBM) is the application of light to promote tissue healing. Current indications suggest PBM induces its beneficial effects in vivo through upregulation of mitochondrial activity. However, how mitochondrial content influences such PBM responses have yet to be evaluated. Hence, the current study assessed the biological response of cells to PBM with varying mitochondrial contents. Methods DNA was isolated from myoblasts and myotubes (differentiated myoblasts), and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) was amplified and quantified using a microplate assay. Cells were seeded in 96‐wellplates, incubated overnight and subsequently irradiated using a light‐emitting diode array (400, 450, 525, 660, 740, 810, 830 and white light, 24 mW/cm2, 30‐240 seconds, 0.72‐5.76J/cm2). The effects of PBM on markers of mitochondrial activity including reactive‐oxygen‐species and real‐time mitochondrial respiration (Seahorse XFe96) assays were assessed 8 hours post‐irradiation. Datasets were analysed using general linear model followed by one‐way analysis of variance (and post hoc‐Tukey tests); P = 0.05). Results Myotubes exhibited mtDNA levels 86% greater than myoblasts (P < 0.001). Irradiation of myotubes at 400, 450 or 810 nm induced 53%, 29% and 47% increases (relative to non‐irradiated control) in maximal respiratory rates, respectively (P < 0.001). Conversely, irradiation of myoblasts at 400 or 450 nm had no significant effect on maximal respiratory rates. Conclusion This study suggests that mitochondrial content may influence cellular responses to PBM and as such explain the variability of PBM responses seen in the literature

Dovetailing biology and chemistry: integrating the Gene Ontology with the ChEBI chemical ontology.

BACKGROUND: The Gene Ontology (GO) facilitates the description of the action of gene products in a biological context. Many GO terms refer to chemical entities that participate in biological processes. To facilitate accurate and consistent systems-wide biological representation, it is necessary to integrate the chemical view of these entities with the biological view of GO functions and processes. We describe a collaborative effort between the GO and the Chemical Entities of Biological Interest (ChEBI) ontology developers to ensure that the representation of chemicals in the GO is both internally consistent and in alignment with the chemical expertise captured in ChEBI. RESULTS: We have examined and integrated the ChEBI structural hierarchy into the GO resource through computationally-assisted manual curation of both GO and ChEBI. Our work has resulted in the creation of computable definitions of GO terms that contain fully defined semantic relationships to corresponding chemical terms in ChEBI. CONCLUSIONS: The set of logical definitions using both the GO and ChEBI has already been used to automate aspects of GO development and has the potential to allow the integration of data across the domains of biology and chemistry. These logical definitions are available as an extended version of the ontology from http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/go/extensions/go-plus.owl

Whole genome linkage scan of recurrent depressive disorder from the depression network study

Genome-wide linkage analysis was carried out in a sample of 497 sib pairs concordant for recurrent major depressive disorder (MDD). There was suggestive evidence for linkage on chromosome 1p36 where the LOD score for female-female pairs exceeded 3 (but reduced to 2.73 when corrected for multiple testing). The region includes a gene, MTHFR, that in previous studies has been associated with depressive symptoms. Two other regions, on chromosomes 12q23.3-q24.11 and 13q31.1-q31.3, showed evidence for linkage with a nominal P<0.01. The 12q peak overlaps with a region previously implicated by linkage studies of unipolar and bipolar disorders and contains a gene, DAO, that has been associated with both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The 13q peak lies within a region previously linked strongly to panic disorder. A fourth modest peak with an LOD of greater than 1 on chromosome 15q lies within a region that showed genome-wide significant evidence of a recurrent depression locus in a previous sib-pair study. Both the 12q and the 15q findings remained significant at genome-wide level when the data from the present study and the previous reports were combine