Efficient Allocations under Ambiguity

Important implications of the expected utility hypothesis and risk aversion are that if agents have the same probability belief, then consumption plans in every efficient allocation of resources under uncertainty are comonotone with the aggregate endowment, and if their beliefs are concordant, then the consumption plans are measurable with respect to the aggregate endowment. We study these two properties of efficient allocations for models of preferences that exhibit ambiguity aversion using the concept of conditional beliefs, which we introduce in this paper. We provide characterizations of such conditional beliefs for the standard models of preferences used in applications.Economic

Core and periphery of information society: Significance of geospatial technologies

The paper attempts to identify important factors significant for global information society development and to determine the significance of geospatial (geo-information) technologies. The starting point is international measures of the development level of information & communication technologies (ICT) and information society (IS). The relevance of the particular factors was defined using the general segmentation of the milieu, taking into account social, technological, economic, environmental, political, legal and ethical factors and also estimating the global spatial dimension of ICT and IS development. The diagnosis serves as the context of considerations concerning the contribution of geographers and cartographers to IS

Paleomagnetism, structure and magnetic fabrics in a traverse of the Quetico subprovince between Atikokan and Kashabowie, NW Ontario

The metasedimentary rocks along the traverse reveal low to high grade metamorphism from chlorite schist near Atikokan, through biotite schist to migmatites in the west within the centre of the Quetico Belt. Continuing towards the ESE, near Huronian Lake, the metamorphic grade decreases symmetrically but with somewhat less steep gradients to Kashabowie. The metamorphism was syn- to late- tectonic. Only one pervasive tectonic fabric was observed in the interior of the belt, with NE-SW striking S1 foliations (mean direction: 256/85° NW, n=121) and extension lineations L1 plunging shallowly to the NE (mean direction: 70-20°, n=52). In migmatite and pegmatite zones foliation was often less steep. It was probably deflected due to the intrusion of pegmatite or granitoid bodies. Minerals contributing to ferromagnetic properties are mostly monoclinic ferrimagnetic pyrrhotite within the belt with some magnetite in medium grade amphibolite - rich outcrops in metavolcanics of Shebandowan Belt. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility fabric (AMS} is mainly controlled by paramagnetic biotite or chlorite and subordinate ferromagnetic pyrrhotite in metasediments of the Quetico Belt. In some outcrops of mafic metavolcanics near Kashabowie, the high magnetite content controls bulk susceptibility more than its anisotropy. Variations in AMS fabric are largely due to variations in relative composition of magnetite, pyrrhotite and paramagnetic sheet silicates, not due to changes in strain along the traverse

On the palaeomagnetic age of the Zalas laccolith (southern Poland)

An age estimation for the Zalas laccolith (Kraków area, South Poland) using the palaeomagnetic method is presented. 29 hand samples were taken from the rhyodacites and neighbouring Visean sediments cropping out in three localities. Two components of magnetization were isolated in the volcanic rocks and Visean sediments. The "A" component, common to the greenish rhyodacites and Visean sediments from Orlej, is carried by magnetite and is regarded as primary. Comparison of the mean inclination of this component with the expected (reference) stable European inclinations leads to the conclusion that the Zalas laccolith was emplaced about 280 Ma ago. The second component, "B", characteristic of the reddish rhyodacites, is carried by hematite and was recorded during the Late Permian (c. 260 Ma) metasomatic alterations of these rocks. The palaeomagnetic poles calculated for the "A" component show a distinct departure from the Permian segment of the Baltic apparent polar wander path (APWP) due to anticlockwise block rotations of the rocks studied that were most probably connected with the Early Permian sinistral transtensional tectonic regime in Central Europe

Single-gene Effects on Body Weight in Selected and Unselected Mouse Lines Detected by Bayesian Marker-free Segregation Analysis

Segregation analysis of body weight at 21, 42, and 63 days in eleven generations of unselected (2813 individuals  of C line) and selected (1410 individuals of HGC line, derived from C line) mice was performed.  The Gibbs sampling algorithm was applied to obtain posterior density distributions of model parameters.  Moderate heritability via polygenic model was estimated. The results suggest a mixed inheritance model  (major gene + polygenic) for the body weight. The proportion of single gene variance to phenotypic variance  ranged from 9.7 to 41 percent. The estimated additive heritabilities for these traits varied between 0.25  and 0.47 for the C line and 0.37 and 0.41 for the HGC line. Considerable differences in estimated major  gene frequencies were found between unselected and selected lines.

Magnetic anisotropy of epitaxial (Ga,Mn)As on (113)A GaAs

The temperature dependence of magnetic anisotropy in (113)A (Ga,Mn)As layers grown by molecular beam epitaxy is studied by means of superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometry as well as by ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and magnetooptical effects. Experimental results are described considering cubic and two kinds of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. The magnitude of cubic and uniaxial anisotropy constants is found to be proportional to the fourth and second power of saturation magnetization, respectively. Similarly to the case of (001) samples, the spin reorientation transition from uniaxial anisotropy with the easy along the [-1, 1, 0] direction at high temperatures to the biaxial anisotropy at low temperatures is observed around 25 K. The determined values of the anisotropy constants have been confirmed by FMR studies. As evidenced by investigations of the polar magnetooptical Kerr effect, the particular combination of magnetic anisotropies allows the out-of-plane component of magnetization to be reversed by an in-plane magnetic field. Theoretical calculations within the p-d Zener model explain the magnitude of the out-of-plane uniaxial anisotropy constant caused by epitaxial strain, but do not explain satisfactorily the cubic anisotropy constant. At the same time the findings point to the presence of an additional uniaxial anisotropy of unknown origin. Similarly to the case of (001) films, this additional anisotropy can be explained by assuming the existence of a shear strain. However, in contrast to the (001) samples, this additional strain has an out-of-the-(001)-plane character.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figure

Evaluation of left ventricular function in overweight children and teenagers with arterial hypertension and white coat hypertension

Background: Obesity in childhood is strongly associated with elevated arterial blood pressure and risk of hypertension. The aim of the study was the evaluation of left ventricular (LV) function in hypertensive and white coat hypertensive overweight children and teenagers. Methods: The study group consisted of 74 overweight patients aged 10.3 ± 3.1 years (range: 6–16 years) diagnosed as hypertensive in standard blood pressure measurement. The control group consisted of 31 normotensive and normoweight children. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) and echocardiographic assessment of the LV mass and function were performed in all participants. Results: Using ABPM hypertension was confirmed in 20 (27%) children. In the 54 (73%) remaining children white coat hypertension was diagnosed. The analysis of echocardiographic parameters revealed higher LV mass index (LVMI) in hypertensive overweight than in normotensive normoweight children (47.5 ± 9.2 g/m2.7 vs. 39.8 ± 12.1 g/m2.7; p < 0.05) and no difference between overweight hypertensive and white coat hypertension-hypertensive groups. The deceleration time of mitral early filling (DCT) was longer in hypertensive normoweight children than in normotensive overweight patients (219.5 ± 110.3 ms vs. 197.8 ± 65.8 ms; p < 0.05). A significant correlation between systolic blood pressure load (SBPL) and DCT (r = 0.57) and moderate correlation between SBPL and LVMI (r: 0.48) as well as between LVMI and isovolumetric relaxation time (r = 0.37) were found. Conclusions: In overweight children the diagnosis of hypertension should be confirmed in ABPM because of the high prevalence of white coat hypertension. Periodic echocardiographic examinations should be recommended in overweight children with increased SBPL and decreased systolic nocturnal deep because of the possibility of LV function impairment

Early loading of plalatal implants (ortho-type II) a prospective multicenter randomized controlled clinical trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In orthodontic treatment, anchorage control is a fundamental aspect. Usually conventional mechanism for orthodontic anchorage control can be either extraoral or intraoral that is headgear or intermaxillary elastics. Their use are combined with various side effects such as tipping of occlusal plane or undesirable movements of teeth. Especially in cases, where key-teeth are missing, conventional anchorage defined as tooth-borne anchorage will meet limitations. Therefore, the use of endosseous implants for anchorage purposes are increasingly used to achieve positional stability and maximum anchorage.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The intended study is designed as a prospective, multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT), comparing and contrasting the effect of early loading of palatal implant therapy versus implant loading after 12 weeks post implantation using the new ortho-implant type II anchor system device (Orthosystem Straumann, Basel, Switzerland).</p> <p>124 participants, mainly adult males or females, whose diagnoses require temporary stationary implant-based anchorage treatment will be randomized 1:1 to one of two treatment groups: group 1 will receive a loading of implant standard therapy after a healing period of 12 week (gold standard), whereas group 2 will receive an early loading of orthodontic implants within 1 week after implant insertion. Participants will be at least followed for 12 months after implant placement.</p> <p>The primary endpoint is to investigate the behavior of early loaded palatal implants in order to find out if shorter healing periods might be justified to accelerate active orthodontic treatment. Secondary outcomes will focus e.g. on achievement of orthodontic treatment goals and quantity of direct implant-bone interface of removed bone specimens. As tertiary objective, a histologic and microtomography evaluation of all retrieved implants will be performed to obtain data on the performance of the SLA surface in human bone evaluation of all retrieved implants. Additionally, resonance frequency analysis (RFA, Osstell™ mentor) will be used at different times for clinically monitoring the implant stability and for histological comparison in order to measure the reliability of the resonance frequency measuring device.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN97142521.</p

Problemy terapeutyczne u 3-letniego chłopca z chorobą Kawasaki

A case of a three year-old by with delayed diagnosis of disease is presented. Treatment with immunoglobulins and methylpreduisolone was affective, however, no regression in coronary artery lesions was observed. The diagnosis and treatment of Kawasaki disease are discussed. Kardiol Pol 2011; 69, 12: 1273&#8211;127