Local Finance: A Brief Constitutional History

This Comment traces the constitutional history of local finance from the seventeeth century through the present. The authors conclude that the New York City Bar Association Committee on Municipal Affairs\u27 report places the New York State Legislature at a crossroad in its history of dealing with local finances, and the well travelled path of patchwork amendment and politically expedient compromise is unacceptable for the future in light of New York City\u27s recent fiscal problems. However, the authors recognize that the alternative may be politically dangerous to members of the legislature hiding from the challenge and may jeopardize the fiscal stability of New York City and its sister municipalities across New York State

Effect of junction quality on the performance of a silicon solar cell

In this work, a modeling study of the effect of the junction quality on the performance of a silicon solar cell is presented. Based on a one dimensional modeling of the solar cell, the continuity equation of excess minority carriers is solved with boundary conditions taking into account the intrinsic junction recombination velocity and led to analytical expressions of photocurrent density, photovoltage and electric power. The effect of the intrinsic junction recombination velocity or the solar cell junction quality on photocurrent, photovoltage and electric power, is exhibited and we determine the maximum electric power, the junction dynamic velocity at the maximum power point and the conversion efficiency according to the junction quality of the solar cell. From the electric power lost at the junction, we calculated the shunt resistance of the solar cell according to the junction quality.Keywords: Efficiency; Intrinsic junction recombination velocity; Joule effect; Solar cell; Shunt resistanc

Autism with intellectual disability is associated with increased levels of maternal cytokines and chemokines during gestation.

Immune abnormalities have been described in some individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) as well as their family members. However, few studies have directly investigated the role of prenatal cytokine and chemokine profiles on neurodevelopmental outcomes in humans. In the current study, we characterized mid-gestational serum profiles of 22 cytokines and chemokines in mothers of children with ASD (N=415), developmental delay (DD) without ASD (N=188), and general population (GP) controls (N=428) using a bead-based multiplex technology. The ASD group was further divided into those with intellectual disabilities (developmental/cognitive and adaptive composite score<70) (ASD+ID, N=184) and those without (composite score⩾70) (ASD-noID, N=201). Levels of cytokines and chemokines were compared between groups using multivariate logistic regression analyses, adjusting for maternal age, ethnicity, birth country and weight, as well as infant gender, birth year and birth month. Mothers of children with ASD+ID had significantly elevated mid-gestational levels of numerous cytokines and chemokines, such as granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor, interferon-γ, interleukin-1α (IL-1α) and IL-6, compared with mothers of children with either ASD-noID, those with DD, or GP controls. Conversely, mothers of children with either ASD-noID or with DD had significantly lower levels of the chemokines IL-8 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 compared with mothers of GP controls. This observed immunologic distinction between mothers of children with ASD+ID from mothers of children with ASD-noID or DD suggests that the intellectual disability associated with ASD might be etiologically distinct from DD without ASD. These findings contribute to the ongoing efforts toward identification of early biological markers specific to subphenotypes of ASD

The role of vitamin deficiency in liver disease: To supplement or not supplement?

Over the past few years, growing interest has been shown for the impact of dietary requirements and nutritional factors on chronic diseases. As a result, nutritional programs have been reinforced by public health policies. The precise role of micronutrients in chronic liver disease is currently receiving particular attention since abnormalities in vitamin levels are often detected. At present, treatment programs are focused on correcting vitamin deficiencies, which are frequently correlated to higher rates of comorbidities with poor outcomes. The literature reviewed here indicates that liver diseases are often related to vitamin disorders, due to both liver impairment and abnormal intake. More specific knowledge about the role of vitamins in liver disease is currently emerging from various results and recent evidence. The most significant benefits in this area may be observed when improved vitamin intake is combined with a pharmacological treatment that may also affect the progression of the liver disease, especially in the case of liver tumors. However, further studies are needed

Management of Parkia biglobosa in the field of farmers in selected sites in Burkina Faso

Parkia biglobosa is ranked as one of the most important agroforestry multipurpose tree species in Sahelo-Sudanian zone. The National Tree Seed Center (CNSF) of Burkina Faso has been involved in a breeding programme of this species for many years and has already conducted several research activities (eg. germplasm collection, provenance trials establishment, selection of the best promising trees for propagation). To better conserve and guide the breeding program, it is important to understand how farmers perceive and manage the species in their fields. A survey was conducted in two villages in southern Burkina Faso to describe the farmers' practices with regard to encouraging regeneration of tree species in their fields, with a special emphasis on Parkia biglobosa. The survey targeted 150 people categorised by gender, ethnic group and status of residence. The results show that Parkia biglobosa is the most appreciated indigenous species across ethnic and gender groups. Its maintenance in the landscape is favoured by both the protection of spontaneous regeneration by farmers when they clear the land for agriculture, and by active planting. The species is valued both for its commercial use and human consumption in the household. The survey indicated a significant difference in the practices undertaken by women and men to safeguard regeneration. With regard to the preferred traits of Parkia biglobosa individuals, also some differences between genders emerge. The level of appreciation shown by farmers for Parkia biglobosa and the indications about what traits are most preferred are useful guidance in the identification of optimal sources of reproductive material to be made available to farmers through different channels. The results also indicated the need to couple the analyses of farmers' perception of trait variation among individuals with a systematic morphological characterisation of the various morphological types identified

Palatal Rugae as a Discriminating Factor in Determining Sex: A New Method Applicable in Forensic Odontology?

The purpose of this study is a new method that can help to identify the sex through the study of palatal rugae, comparing sagittal sections of the hard palate using Cartesian coordinates and evaluating the assistance given by digital technology and its applicability in this method. In this study, 57 digital impressions were examined and divided in two groups based on sex. Results: 2223 impression sections were studied and 145 coordinates that were present with a frequency greater than 50% in one or both groups were obtained: 52 discriminating traits (DT) in the male group, 29 discriminating traits in the female group, and 64 common traits (CT). The DTs in the female group showed no statistically significant difference from the same coordinates in the male one (p = 0.832). Statistically significant differences were observed in the DTs in the male group compared to the same coordinates in the female group (p = 0.018). No statistically significant differences were observed in the frequency of DTs in both sexes (p = 0.056). Further research in forensic odontology is needed to determine its scientific certainty. It is certain that digital technology may one day be a valuable support for the forensic odontologist but to date the lack of dedicated and certified programs limits its reliability