До проблеми вивчення весілля Шевченкового краю (за матеріалами передвесільної обрядовості)

While businesses may attract potential offenders and thus be conducive to disorder, the number of employees could offset this by exercising social control on offenders. This study uses data from different sources to test this expectation across 278 Dutch neighborhoods in the four largest cities of the Netherlands, using multivariate multilevel analysis to disentangle individual perception differences of disorder and neighborhood effects. Attention is paid to traditional explanations of disorder (i.e., poverty, residential mobility, and ethnic heterogeneity). Results show a positive relationship between business presence and neighborhood disorder. We do not find consistent results of the number of employees (i.e., bigger businesses are not always better or worse). Our research demonstrates that the presence of neighborhood businesses could rival the effects of social disorganization theory

Evaluating the semantic web: a task-based approach

The increased availability of online knowledge has led to the design of several algorithms that solve a variety of tasks by harvesting the Semantic Web, i.e. by dynamically selecting and exploring a multitude of online ontologies. Our hypothesis is that the performance of such novel algorithms implicity provides an insight into the quality of the used ontologies and thus opens the way to a task-based evaluation of the Semantic Web. We have investigated this hypothesis by studying the lessons learnt about online ontologies when used to solve three tasks: ontology matching, folksonomy enrichment, and word sense disambiguation. Our analysis leads to a suit of conclusions about the status of the Semantic Web, which highlight a number of strengths and weaknesses of the semantic information available online and complement the findings of other analysis of the Semantic Web landscape

How mathematical modelling elucidates signalling in Bacillus subtilis

P>Appropriate stimulus perception, signal processing and transduction ensure optimal adaptation of bacteria to environmental challenges. In the Gram-positive model bacterium Bacillus subtilis signalling networks and molecular interactions therein are well-studied, making this species a suitable candidate for the application of mathematical modelling. Here, we review systems biology approaches, focusing on chemotaxis, sporulation, sigma B-dependent general stress response and competence. Processes like chemotaxis and Z-ring assembly depend critically on the subcellular localization of proteins. Environmental response strategies, including sporulation and competence, are characterized by phenotypic heterogeneity in isogenic cultures. The examples of mathematical modelling also include investigations that have demonstrated how operon structure and signalling dynamics are intricately interwoven to establish optimal responses. Our review illustrates that these interdisciplinary approaches offer new insights into the response of B. subtilis to environmental challenges. These case studies reveal modelling as a tool to increase the understanding of complex systems, to help formulating hypotheses and to guide the design of more directed experiments that test predictions

USTOPIA REQUIREMENTS THOUGHTS ON A USER-FRIENDLY SYSTEM FOR TRANSFORMATION OF PROGRAMS IN ABSTRACTO

Transformational programming is a program development method which is usually applied using 'pen and paper'. Since this requires a lot of clerical work (copying expressions, con- sistent substitution) which is tiresome and prone to error, some form of machine support is desirable. In this paper a number of systems are described that have already been built to this aim. Some of their shortcomings and limitations are identified. Based on experience with program transformation and transformation systems, a long list of features is given that would be useful in an 'utopian' transformation system. This list is presented using an orthogonal division of the problem area. A number of problems with the realisation of some aspects of our 'utopian' system are identified, and some areas for further research are indicated

Report and preliminary results of R/V POSEIDON cruise POS500, LISA, Ligurian Slope AUV mapping, gravity coring and seismic reflection, Catania (Italy) – Malaga (Spain), 25.05.2016 – 09.06.2016

Cruise POS500 “LISA” with R/V Poseidon studied the western Ligurian Margin off Southern France, an area in the northeastern part of the western Mediterranean Sea characterized by its active tectonism and frequent mass wasting. The region near the Var estuary close to the city of Nice is particularly suited for landslide research because it represents a natural laboratority where it is possible to study a series of trigger processes of geological and anthropogenic origin. The aim of this MARUM expedition was to: i. Study fresh water seepage in the marine Nice airport landslide and adjacent stable plateau in 15-50 m water depth using water sampling, CTD and geochemistry; ii. Recover and deploy a number of observatories that monitor, pressure, temperature, tilt and seismicity; iii. Run an AUV micro-bathymetric survey with MARUM AUV SEAL5000 to complement existing multibeam maps; and iv. Acquire additional high-resolution seismic reflection profiles to unravel the complex architecture of the Nice slope and Var delta. In a period of approximately two weeks, we acquired valuable geophysical information that helps to understand the evolution of this portion of the Ligurian Margin and further to support an active Amphibious Drilling proposal submitted to ICDP and IODP. We could also show that heavy spring rainfall plus melt water from the French Maritime Alps supplied sufficient hydraulic forcing to push Var aquifer groundwaters to seep into the marine deposits and water column. Freshening was strongest in the 1979 Nice landslide scar, but was also found at the outer edge of the shelf. Recovery and redeployment of various observatory prototypes worked well, both for the MARUM MeBo seafloor drillstring tolos and independent piezometers. Observatory data have yet to be evaluated. In addition, geochemical analyses of bottom waters and pore waters was deferred to shore-based laboratorios except for salinity estimates using a refractometer. Seismic processing was started onboard, but is largely taking place post-cruise at University Bremen

Dephasing in Disordered Conductors due to Fluctuating Electric Fields

We develop a novel eikonal expansion for the Cooperon to study the effect of space- and time-dependent electric fields on the dephasing rate of disordered conductors. For randomly fluctuating fields with arbitrary covariance we derive a general expression for the dephasing rate which is free of infrared divergencies in reduced dimensions. For time-dependent external fields with finite wavelength and sufficiently small amplitude we show that the dephasing rate is proportional to the square root of the electromagnetic power coupled into the system, in agreement with data by Wang and Lindelof [Phys. Rev. Lett. {\bf{59}}, 1156 (1987)].Comment: 17 Latex-pages, one figure; we now give more technical details and discuss the screening problem more carefully; to appear in Phys. Rev.

Proteomic and transcriptomic changes in hibernating grizzly bears reveal metabolic and signaling pathways that protect against muscle atrophy

Muscle atrophy is a physiological response to disuse and malnutrition, but hibernating bears are largely resistant to this phenomenon. Unlike other mammals, they efficiently reabsorb amino acids from urine, periodically activate muscle contraction, and their adipocytes differentially responds to insulin. The contribution of myocytes to the reduced atrophy remains largely unknown. Here we show how metabolism and atrophy signaling are regulated in skeletal muscle of hibernating grizzly bear. Metabolic modeling of proteomic changes suggests an autonomous increase of non-essential amino acids (NEAA) in muscle and treatment of differentiated myoblasts with NEAA is sufficient to induce hypertrophy. Our comparison of gene expression in hibernation versus muscle atrophy identified several genes differentially regulated during hibernation, including Pdk4 and Serpinf1. Their trophic effects extend to myoblasts from non-hibernating species (including C. elegans), as documented by a knockdown approach. Together, these changes reflect evolutionary favored adaptations that, once translated to the clinics, could help improve atrophy treatment

Genome-Wide Association Study with Targeted and Non-targeted NMR Metabolomics Identifies 15 Novel Loci of Urinary Human Metabolic Individuality

Genome-wide association studies with metabolic traits (mGWAS) uncovered many genetic variants that influence human metabolism. These genetically influenced metabotypes (GIMs) contribute to our metabolic individuality, our capacity to respond to environmental challenges, and our susceptibility to specific diseases. While metabolic homeostasis in blood is a well investigated topic in large mGWAS with over 150 known loci, metabolic detoxification through urinary excretion has only been addressed by few small mGWAS with only 11 associated loci so far. Here we report the largest mGWAS to date, combining targeted and non-targeted 1H NMR analysis of urine samples from 3,861 participants of the SHIP-0 cohort and 1,691 subjects of the KORA F4 cohort. We identified and replicated 22 loci with significant associations with urinary traits, 15 of which are new (HIBCH, CPS1, AGXT, XYLB, TKT, ETNPPL, SLC6A19, DMGDH, SLC36A2, GLDC, SLC6A13, ACSM3, SLC5A11, PNMT, SLC13A3). Two-thirds of the urinary loci also have a metabolite association in blood. For all but one of the 6 loci where significant associations target the same metabolite in blood and urine, the genetic effects have the same direction in both fluids. In contrast, for the SLC5A11 locus, we found increased levels of myo-inositol in urine whereas mGWAS in blood reported decreased levels for the same genetic variant. This might indicate less effective re-absorption of myo-inositol in the kidneys of carriers. In summary, our study more than doubles the number of known loci that influence urinary phenotypes. It thus allows novel insights into the relationship between blood homeostasis and its regulation through excretion. The newly discovered loci also include variants previously linked to chronic kidney disease (CPS1, SLC6A13), pulmonary hypertension (CPS1), and ischemic stroke (XYLB). By establishing connections from gene to disease via metabolic traits our results provide novel hypotheses about molecular mechanisms involved in the etiology of diseases