Reduction of manifolds with semi-negative holomorphic sectional curvature

In this note, we continue the investigation of a projective K\"ahler manifold $M$ of semi-negative holomorphic sectional curvature $H$. We introduce a new differential geometric numerical rank invariant which measures the number of linearly independent {\it truly flat} directions of $H$ in the tangent spaces. We prove that this invariant is bounded above by the nef dimension and bounded below by the numerical Kodaira dimension of $M$. We also prove a splitting theorem for $M$ in terms of the nef dimension and, under some additional hypotheses, in terms of the new rank invariant

Field-Level Land-Use Adaptation to Local Weather Trends

The intersection of agriculture and climate has been well researched for at least the last couple of decades. Largely, the motivation for previous research has been the potential impact on food security for the world's (growing) population. Many studies have predicted unfavorable yield scenarios for some geographic regions. As a result, another common research theme is farmer adaptation to a changing climate. Typically, these studies are concerned with what farmers could or should do to adapt to adverse outcomes. However, research examining whether farmers respond to weather patterns has largely been ignored. Answering this question can help provide more accurate food security analyses: if farmers do respond to changing patterns through cropping decisions, for instance, the global food supply outcome will be different than a world in which they do not respond. This article aims to provide insights into what and how farmers' cropping decisions respond to weather patterns. The study region is a set of eleven Kansas counties. The article provides an important step toward more credible estimates of global food supplies under changing climates and the methods themselves translate to other areas. Results suggest that land-use responses to changing weather patterns will vary across time and space

Identification of Pathway-Specific Serum Biomarkers of Response to Glucocorticoid and Infliximab Treatment in Children with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Objective: Serum biomarkers may serve to predict early response to therapy, identify relapse, and facilitate drug development in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Biomarkers are particularly important in children, in whom achieving early remission and minimizing procedures are especially beneficial. Methods: We profiled protein and micro RNA (miRNA) in serum from patients pre- and post-therapy, to identify molecular markers of pharmacodynamic effect. Serum was obtained from children with IBD before and after treatment with either corticosteroids (prednisone; n=12) or anti-tumor necrosis factor-α biologic (infliximab; n=7). Over 1,100 serum proteins were assayed using aptamer-based SOMAscan proteomics, and 22 miRNAs analyzed by quantitative real time PCR. Concordance of longitudinal changes between the groups was used to identify markers responsive to treatment. Bioinformatic analysis was used to build insight into mechanisms of changes in response to treatment. Results: We identified 18 proteins and three miRNAs responsive to both prednisone and infliximab. Eight markers that decreased are associated with inflammation and have gene promoters regulated by nuclear factor (NF)-κB. Several that increased are associated with resolving inflammation and tissue damage. We also identified six markers that appear to be steroid-specific, three of which have glucocorticoid receptor binding elements in their promoter region. Conclusions: Serum markers regulated by the inflammatory transcription factor NF-κB are potential candidates for pharmacodynamic biomarkers that, if correlated with later outcomes like endoscopic or histologic healing, could be used to monitor treatment, optimize dosing, and enhance drug development. The pharmacodynamic biomarkers identified here hold potential to improve both clinical care and drug development. Further studies are warranted to investigate these markers as early predictors of response, or possibly surrogate outcomes

Dynamic model of wind energy conversion systems with variable speed synchronous generator and full-size power converter for large-scale power system stability studies

Se inscribe dentro de la línea de investigación de Integración en red de sistemas eólicos. Se presenta un modelo informático en plataforma PSS/E para sistemas de generación eólica de velocidad variable del tipo Síncrono con Convertidor de plena potencia, capaz de simular el comportamuiento dinámico de estos sistemas en estudios de estabilidad del sistema eléctric