Renormings of Lp(Lq)L^p(L^q)

We investigate the best order of smoothness of $L^p(L^q)$. We prove in particular that there exists a $C^\infty$-smooth bump function on $L^p(L^q)$ if and only if $p$ and $q$ are both even integers and $p$ is a multiple of $q$.Comment: 18 pages; AMS-Te

Non-meanfield deterministic limits in chemical reaction kinetics far from equilibrium

A general mechanism is proposed by which small intrinsic fluctuations in a system far from equilibrium can result in nearly deterministic dynamical behaviors which are markedly distinct from those realized in the meanfield limit. The mechanism is demonstrated for the kinetic Monte-Carlo version of the Schnakenberg reaction where we identified a scaling limit in which the global deterministic bifurcation picture is fundamentally altered by fluctuations. Numerical simulations of the model are found to be in quantitative agreement with theoretical predictions.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures (submitted to Phys. Rev. Lett.

A simple variance estimator of change for rotating repeated surveys: an application to the EU-SILC household surveys

A common problem is to compare two cross-sectional estimates for the same study variable taken on two different waves or occasions, and to judge whether the change observed is statistically significant. This involves the estimation of the sampling variance of the estimator of change. The estimation of this variance would be relatively straightforward if cross-sectional estimates were based on the same sample. Unfortunately, samples are not completely overlapping, because of rotations used in repeated surveys. We propose a simple approach based on a multivariate (general) linear regression model. The variance estimator proposed is not a model-based estimator. We show that the estimator proposed is design consistent when the sampling fractions are negligible. It can accommodate stratified and two-stage sampling designs. The main advantage of the approach proposed is its simplicity and flexibility. It can be applied to a wide class of sampling designs and can be implemented with standard statistical regression techniques. Because of its flexibility, the approach proposed is well suited for the estimation of variance for the European Union Statistics on Income and Living Conditions surveys. It allows us to use a common approach for variance estimation for the different types of design. The approach proposed is a useful tool, because it involves only modelling skills and requires limited knowledge of survey sampling theory

Adjuvant formulation for veterinary vaccines: Montanide™ Gel safety profile

AbstractSelecting the adjuvant is one of the key for the success of the vaccine in the field. Selecting a flexible adjuvant that will fit with several vaccines dedicated to one or more animal species is a source of economical efficiency. Frequently the safety or efficacy obtained with one model is different from another: there are few adjuvants fitting with the expectation of more than one animal species. Montanide™ Gel an innovative polymeric adjuvant have been tested in several animals. Our studies demonstrated the ability to use this adjuvant in dogs, cattle and pig vaccines. Three trials were performed to validate Montanide™ Gel ability to be used in cattle, pigs and dogs. Respectively, vaccines were formulated with ovalbumin in cattle, Pasteurella Multocida anatoxin and Bordetella bronchiseptica cell walls for pig and finally with parvovirus associated to two leptospira valence for dog model. All antigenic media used in the three trials were inactivated. In all trial, safety was followed through behaviour and temperature measurement as well as histology studies.Montanide™ Gel adjuvant can be used associated with a wide range of antigenic media. Nevertheless, the uses of such adjuvant need validation in avian and fish vaccines

Villa Sint Gertrudis te Landen (Landen, provincie Vlaams-Brabant). Studieopdracht naar een archeologische evaluatie en waardering

In opdracht van het agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed evalueerde Condor Archaeological Research bvba van januari 2012 tot oktober 2012 de erfgoedwaarde van de site die bekend staat als Villa Sint-Gertrudis te Landen, provincie Vlaams-Brabant. Ten oosten hiervan werd in 2010 een soortgelijke studie uitgevoerd naar twee mottes, een bron en de Sint-Gertrudiskerk, waaruit bleek dat in het in dit rapport beschreven gebied van circa 23 ha mogelijk de restanten van een Romeinse villa en bijhorende off site fenomenen aanwezig waren. In dit rapport worden de resultaten van de studieopdracht beschreven en wordt het gebied gewaardeerd volgens de beschermingscriteria opgesteld door het agentschap Onroerend Erfgoed. Behalve enkele losse vondsten waarvan het onduidelijk is of deze door bemesting van op grote afstand, dan wel lokaal vanuit de onmiddellijke omgeving van het plangebied afkomstig zijn, zijn er tijdens dit onderzoek geen archeologische vindplaatsen vastgesteld. De verwachtte villa blijkt, met een vrij grote zekerheid, niet aanwezig te zijn binnen de grenzen van het plangebied. Er werd dus ook niet aanbevolen dit gebied in aanmerking te nemen voor archeologische bescherming

African American men with low-grade prostate cancer have increased disease recurrence after prostatectomy compared with Caucasian men.

PURPOSE: To explore whether disparities in outcomes exist between African American (AA) and Caucasian (CS) men with low-grade prostate cancer and similar cancer of the prostate risk assessment-postsurgery (CAPRA-S) features following prostatectomy (RP). METHODS: The overall cohort consisted of 1,265 men (234 AA and 1,031 CS) who met the National comprehensive cancer network criteria for low- to intermediate-risk prostate cancer and underwent RP between 1990 and 2012. We first evaluated whether clinical factors were associated with adverse pathologic outcomes and freedom from biochemical failure (FFbF) using the entire cohort. Next, we studied a subset of 705 men (112 AA and 593 CS) who had pathologic Gleason score≤6 (low-grade disease). Using this cohort, we determined whether race affected FFbF in men with RP-proven low-grade disease and similar CAPRA-S scores. RESULTS: With a median follow-up time of 27 months, the overall 7-year FFbF rate was 86% vs. 79% in CS and AA men, respectively (P = 0.035). There was no significant difference in one or more adverse pathologic features between CS vs. AA men (27% vs. 31%; P = 0.35) or CAPRA-S score (P = 0.28). In the subset analysis of patients with low-grade disease, AA race was associated with worse FFbF outcomes (P = 0.002). Furthermore, AA race was a significant predictor of FFbF in men with low-grade disease (hazard ratio = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.08-3.72; P = 0.029). CONCLUSIONS: AA race is a predictor of worse FFbF outcomes in men with low-grade disease after RP. These results suggest that a subset of AA men with low-grade disease may benefit from more aggressive treatment

Resistance noise scaling in a 2D system in GaAs

The 1/f resistance noise of a two-dimensional (2D) hole system in a high mobility GaAs quantum well has been measured on both sides of the 2D metal-insulator transition (MIT) at zero magnetic field (B=0), and deep in the insulating regime. The two measurement methods used are described: I or V fixed, and measurement of resp. V or I fluctuations. The normalized noise magnitude SR/R^2 increases strongly when the hole density is decreased, and its temperature (T) dependence goes from a slight increase with T at the largest densities, to a strong decrease at low density. We find that the noise magnitude scales with the resistance, SR /R^2 ~ R^2.4. Such a scaling is expected for a second order phase transition or a percolation transition. The possible presence of such a transition is investigated by studying the dependence of the conductivity as a function of the density. This dependence is consistent with a critical behavior close to a critical density p* lower than the usual MIT critical density pc.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures, Proceedings of SPIE: Fluctuations and noise in materials, D. Popovic, M.B. Weissman, Z.A. Racz Eds., Vol. 5469, pp. 101-113, Mspalomas, Spain, 200