The end of the line for hookworm? An update on vaccine development

Human hookworms are parasitic nematodes infecting about 700 million individuals, largely in tropical regions of the world [1]. In endemic areas, most infected people carry a mixed worm burden, including Ascaris lumbricoides (roundworms), Trichuris trichuria (whipworms), and Ancylostoma duodenale and/or Necator americanus (both hookworms). Of these soil-transmitted helminths, hookworms are the most pathogenic because of their propensity to feed on blood, resulting in anaemia, particularly in those with low iron reserves such as children and women of reproductive age

When does a linear map belong to at least one orthogonal or symplectic group?

Given an endomorphism u of a finite-dimensional vector space over an arbitrary field K, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a regular quadratic form (resp. a symplectic form) for which u is orthogonal (resp. symplectic). A solution to this problem being already known in the case char(K)2, our main contribution lies in the case char(K)=2. When char(K)=2, we also give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a regular symmetric bilinear form for which u is orthogonal. In the case K is finite with characteristic 2, we give necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of an hyperbolic quadratic form (resp. a regular non-hyperbolic quadratic form, resp. a regular non-alternate symmetric bilinear form) for which u is orthogonal.Comment: 32 pages (v4

Analyzing the sensitivity of a flood risk assessment model towards its input data

The Small Island Developing States are characterized by an unstable economy and low-lying, densely populated cities, resulting in a high vulnerability to natural hazards. Flooding affects more people than any other hazard. To limit the consequences of these hazards, adequate risk assessments are indispensable. Satisfactory input data for these assessments are hard to acquire, especially in developing countries. Therefore, in this study, a methodology was developed and evaluated to test the sensitivity of a flood model towards its input data in order to determine a minimum set of indispensable data. In a first step, a flood damage assessment model was created for the case study of Annotto Bay, Jamaica. This model generates a damage map for the region based on the flood extent map of the 2001 inundations caused by Tropical Storm Michelle. Three damages were taken into account: building, road and crop damage. Twelve scenarios were generated, each with a different combination of input data, testing one of the three damage calculations for its sensitivity. One main conclusion was that population density, in combination with an average number of people per household, is a good parameter in determining the building damage when exact building locations are unknown. Furthermore, the importance of roads for an accurate visual result was demonstrated

Root system architecture determines fitness in an Arabidopsis mutant in competition for immobile phosphate ions but not for nitrate ions

Plant root systems often have complex branching patterns. Models indicate that a complex architecture is only required for the acquisition of immobile resources, such as phosphate; mobile ions, notably nitrate, can be effectively taken up by very restricted root systems. We have tested this prediction using the axr4 mutation of Arabidopsis thaliana, the principal phenotypic effect of which is to reduce the number of lateral roots. Arabidopsis thaliana is not a host for mycorrhizal fungi and so acquires all its nutrients through the root system. In both a pot experiment and a field experiment conducted under natural conditions for A. thaliana, we found that only phosphate, and not nitrate, affected the fitness of the mutant relative to the isogenic wild-type line, Columbia. These results confirm model predictions and have implications both for the evolution of complex root systems and for the design of efficient root systems for crops

Effective tensor forces and neutron rich nuclei

We study the effects of the tensor term of the effective nucleon-nucleon interaction on nuclear excited states. Our investigation has been conducted by using a self-consistent Random Phase Approximation approach. We investigate various nuclei in different regions of the isotopes chart. Results for a set of calcium isotopes are shown.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, 1 table Proc. 10th International Spring Seminar on Nuclear Physics New Quests in Nuclear Structure, Vietri Sul Mare, May 21-25, 201

Bulls, Bears and Excess Volatility: can currency intervention help?

Asset mis-pricing may reflect investor psychology, with excess volatility arising from switches of sentiment. For a floating exchange rate where fundamentals follow a random walk, we show that excess volatility can be generated by the repeated entry and exit of currency 'bulls' and 'bears' with switches driven by 'draw-down' trading rules. We argue that non-sterilised intervention - in support of 'monitoring band' - can reduce excess volatility by coordinating beliefs in line with policy. Strategic complementarity in the foreign exchange market suggests that sterilised intervention may also play a coordinating role