A perspective on SIDS pathogenesis. The hypotheses: plausibility and evidence

Several theories of the underlying mechanisms of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) have been proposed. These theories have born relatively narrow beach-head research programs attracting generous research funding sustained for many years at expense to the public purse. This perspective endeavors to critically examine the evidence and bases of these theories and determine their plausibility; and questions whether or not a safe and reasoned hypothesis lies at their foundation. The Opinion sets specific criteria by asking the following questions: 1. Does the hypothesis take into account the key pathological findings in SIDS? 2. Is the hypothesis congruent with the key epidemiological risk factors? 3. Does it link 1 and 2? Falling short of any one of these answers, by inference, would imply insufficient grounds for a sustainable hypothesis. Some of the hypotheses overlap, for instance, notional respiratory failure may encompass apnea, prone sleep position, and asphyxia which may be seen to be linked to co-sleeping. For the purposes of this paper, each element will be assessed on the above criteria

The price of mobility

This paper addresses the question concerning the price of geographic mobility in various labour market and migration scenarios. Pivotal points are expected mobility premiums which are sufficient to tip the scales in favour of moving to a geographically distinct location. These premiums are first derived within a theoretical model, accounting not only for location-specific amenity levels or labour market conditions, but also for heterogeneous personality traits and preferences. Derived hypotheses demonstrate that—in presence of heterogeneous psychic costs or adjustment capabilities—expected mobility premiums can remain distinctly positive even in an unemployment scenario. Furthermore, adjustment capabilities are to a large extent related to earlier mobility experiences, implying that labour mobility is partially learnable

Applying electrical resistivity tomography in ornamental stone mining: Challenges and solutions

In this study, the use of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) as a tool to guide ornamental stone extraction is investigated. ERT is not conventionally used in highly resistive environments, such as on rock faces, due to the high contact resistances that can impede current injection. Here, the challenges of conducting ERT in such environments are discussed and possible solutions suggested. For this, an example of the application of ERT in a deep and narrow marble quarry is used. The marble deposit is affected by fracturing and karstification. Due to the nature of these features, they present a significant resistivity contrast to the background resistivity of the marble and thus excellent targets to test the application of ERT. Their location was mapped using field observations and complementary ground penetrating radar data. By using an appropriate sensor deployment, a suitable resistivity meter, and advanced data processing routines, the derived 3D resistivity model is in good agreement with the independent observations. This shows that despite the challenges, ERT can be used as a non-invasive tool to obtain information on the stone properties prior to extraction. This will help in guiding quarry operations and will allow for a targeted, safe and efficient extraction of high quality stone, thereby increasing sustainability and economical competitiveness