82 research outputs found
Agricultural pricing and environmental degradation
The link between agricultural pricing and land degradation is often difficult to analyze empirically. The authors'understanding of how agricultural supply responds to changing prices in developing countries is incomplete. Even more incomplete is the author's analysis of subsequent impacts on the resource base sustaining agricultural production. Yet available evidence suggests that some important effects do exist, and much further analysis of them is warranted. The social, economic, and environmental relationships that determine the often countervailing effects of price changes on land use and management are extremely complex. Not enough is known about: (1) farming systems in developing countries; (2) open-access use and common property resource rights; (3) land tenure regimes and security; (4) access to technology and other farming systems information; (5) the distribution of wealth and income; and (6) coping strategies for variable climatic, economic, and social conditions. All these factors influence how rural households respond to price changes in terms of managing land and natural resources, and often they may override the incentive effects of price changes. Changes in pricing policies will then be less effective in correcting resource degradation than other approaches to dealing with its underlying causes. Such approaches include providing better research and extension advice, improving property rights and management, and establishing more secure tenure or access rights. At the same time, it is wrong to assume that poor farmers - even those in resource-poor regions far from major markets - are totally isolated from agricultural markets. Virtually all subsistence households require some regular market income for cash purchases of agricultural inputs and basic necessities; many small farmers provide important cash and export crops. So changes in market prices often significantly affect the livelihoods of rural groups. Clearly, the economic incentives emerging from these impacts will affect farmers'decisions to invest in land management and improvements. Just because we do not always understand the economic and social factors determining these incentive effects does not mean they do not exist. Nor should the complexity of the links between price changes and resource management - which sometimes appear counterintuitive - deter further analysis of the role of agricultural pricing in land degradation.Environmental Economics&Policies,Crops&Crop Management Systems,Agricultural Knowledge&Information Systems,Economic Theory&Research,Agricultural Research
Top-Charm Associated Production in High Energy Collisions
The possibility of exploring the flavor changing neutral current
couplings in the production vertex for the reaction \epem\to
t\bar c + \bar tc is examined. Using a model independent parameterization for
the effective Lagrangian to describe the most general three-point interactions,
production cross sections are found to be relatively small at LEP II, but
potentially sizeable at higher energy \epem colliders. The kinematic
characteristics of the signal are studied and a set of cuts are devised for
clean separation of the signal from background. The resulting sensitivity to
anomalous flavor changing couplings at LEP II with an integrated luminosity of
pb is found to be comparable to their present indirect
constraints from loop processes, while at higher energy colliders with
TeV center-of-mass energy and 50-200 fb luminosity, one expects to reach
a sensitivity at or below the percentage level.Comment: Latex, 22 page
Don't Stop Thinking About Leptoquarks: Constructing New Models
We discuss the general framework for the construction of new models
containing a single, fermion number zero scalar leptoquark of mass GeV which can both satisfy the D0/CDF search constraints as well as
low energy data, and can lead to both neutral and charged current-like final
states at HERA. The class of models of this kind necessarily contain new
vector-like fermions with masses at the TeV scale which mix with those of the
Standard Model after symmetry breaking. In this paper we classify all models of
this type and examine their phenomenological implications as well as their
potential embedding into SUSY and non-SUSY GUT scenarios. The general coupling
parameter space allowed by low energy as well as collider data for these models
is described and requires no fine-tuning of the parameters.Comment: Modified text, added table, and updated reference
Much Ado About Leptoquarks: A Comprehensive Analysis
We examine the phenomenological implications of a 200 GeV leptoquark in light
of the recent excess of events at HERA. Given the relative predictions of
events rates in e^+p versus e^-p, we demonstrate that classes of leptoquarks
may be excluded, including those contained in E_6 GUT models. It is shown that
future studies with polarized beams at HERA could reveal the chirality of the
leptoquark fermionic coupling and that given sufficient luminosity in each
e^\pm_{L,R} channel the leptoquark quantum numbers could be determined. The
implications of 200-220 GeV leptoquarks at the Tevatron are examined. While
present Tevatron data most likely excludes vector leptoquarks and leptogluons
in this mass region, it does allow for scalar leptoquarks. We find that while
leptoquarks have little influence on Drell-Yan production, further studies at
the Main Injector are possible in the single production channel. We investigate
precision electroweak measurements as well as the process e^+e^-\to q\bar q at
LEP II and find they provide no further restrictions on these leptoquark
models. We then ascertain that cross section and polarization asymmetry
measurements at the NLC provide the only direct mechanism to determine the
leptoquark's electroweak quantum numbers. The single production of leptoquarks
in \gamma e collisions by both the backscattered laser and Weisacker-Williams
techniques at the NLC is also discussed. Finally, we demonstrate that we can
obtain successful coupling constant unification in models with leptoquarks,
both with or without supersymmetry. The supersymmetric case requires the GUT
group to be larger than SU(5) such as flipped SU(5)\times U(1)_X.Comment: Corrected single production cross section at Tevatron, updated atomic
parity violation constraints, 55 page
Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial
Background
Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy
Nanotopography reveals metabolites that maintain the immunomodulatory phenotype of mesenchymal stromal cells
Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are multipotent progenitor cells that are of considerable clinical potential in transplantation and anti-inflammatory therapies due to their capacity for tissue repair and immunomodulation. However, MSCs rapidly differentiate once in culture, making their large-scale expansion for use in immunomodulatory therapies challenging. Although the differentiation mechanisms of MSCs have been extensively investigated using materials, little is known about how materials can influence paracrine activities of MSCs. Here, we show that nanotopography can control the immunomodulatory capacity of MSCs through decreased intracellular tension and increasing oxidative glycolysis. We use nanotopography to identify bioactive metabolites that modulate intracellular tension, growth and immunomodulatory phenotype of MSCs in standard culture and during larger scale cell manufacture. Our findings demonstrate an effective route to support large-scale expansion of functional MSCs for therapeutic purposes
Hiding a Heavy Higgs Boson at the 7 TeV LHC
A heavy Standard Model Higgs boson is not only disfavored by electroweak
precision observables but is also excluded by direct searches at the 7 TeV LHC
for a wide range of masses. Here, we examine scenarios where a heavy Higgs
boson can be made consistent with both the indirect constraints and the direct
null searches by adding only one new particle beyond the Standard Model. This
new particle should be a weak multiplet in order to have additional
contributions to the oblique parameters. If it is a color singlet, we find that
a heavy Higgs with an intermediate mass of 200 - 300 GeV can decay into the new
states, suppressing the branching ratios for the standard model modes, and thus
hiding a heavy Higgs at the LHC. If the new particle is also charged under QCD,
the Higgs production cross section from gluon fusion can be reduced
significantly due to the new colored particle one-loop contribution. Current
collider constraints on the new particles allow for viable parameter space to
exist in order to hide a heavy Higgs boson. We categorize the general
signatures of these new particles, identify favored regions of their parameter
space and point out that discovering or excluding them at the LHC can provide
important indirect information for a heavy Higgs. Finally, for a very heavy
Higgs boson, beyond the search limit at the 7 TeV LHC, we discuss three
additional scenarios where models would be consistent with electroweak
precision tests: including an additional vector-like fermion mixing with the
top quark, adding another U(1) gauge boson and modifying triple-gauge boson
couplings.Comment: 42 pages, 12 figure
Standard versus prosocial online support groups for distressed breast cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Internet can increase access to psychosocial care for breast cancer survivors through online support groups. This study will test a novel prosocial online group that emphasizes both opportunities for getting and giving help. Based on the helper therapy principle, it is hypothesized that the addition of structured helping opportunities and coaching on how to help others online will increase the psychological benefits of a standard online group.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>A two-armed randomized controlled trial with pretest and posttest. Non-metastatic breast cancer survivors with elevated psychological distress will be randomized to either a standard facilitated online group or to a prosocial facilitated online group, which combines online exchanges of support with structured helping opportunities (blogging, breast cancer outreach) and coaching on how best to give support to others. Validated and reliable measures will be administered to women approximately one month before and after the interventions. Self-esteem, positive affect, and sense of belonging will be tested as potential mediators of the primary outcomes of depressive/anxious symptoms and sense of purpose in life.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This study will test an innovative approach to maximizing the psychological benefits of cancer online support groups. The theory-based prosocial online support group intervention model is sustainable, because it can be implemented by private non-profit or other organizations, such as cancer centers, which mostly offer face-to-face support groups with limited patient reach.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01396174">NCT01396174</a></p
Level of agreement between frequently used cardiovascular risk calculators in people living with HIV
Objectives
The aim of the study was to describe agreement between the QRISK2, Framingham and Data Collection on Adverse Events of Anti‐HIV Drugs (D:A:D) cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk calculators in a large UK study of people living with HIV (PLWH).
Methods
PLWH enrolled in the Pharmacokinetic and Clinical Observations in People over Fifty (POPPY) study without a prior CVD event were included in this study. QRISK2, Framingham CVD and the full and reduced D:A:D CVD scores were calculated; participants were stratified into ‘low’ ( 20%) categories for each. Agreement between scores was assessed using weighted kappas and Bland–Altman plots.
Results
The 730 included participants were predominantly male (636; 87.1%) and of white ethnicity (645; 88.5%), with a median age of 53 [interquartile range (IQR) 49–59] years. The median calculated 10‐year CVD risk was 11.9% (IQR 6.8–18.4%), 8.9% (IQR 4.6–15.0%), 8.5% (IQR 4.8–14.6%) and 6.9% (IQR 4.1–11.1%) when using the Framingham, QRISK2, and full and reduced D:A:D scores, respectively. Agreement between the different scores was generally moderate, with the highest level of agreement being between the Framingham and QRISK2 scores (weighted kappa = 0.65) but with most other kappa coefficients in the 0.50–0.60 range.
Conclusions
Estimates of predicted 10‐year CVD risk obtained with commonly used CVD risk prediction tools demonstrate, in general, only moderate agreement among PLWH in the UK. While further validation with clinical endpoints is required, our findings suggest that care should be taken when interpreting any score alone
Development and validation of a targeted gene sequencing panel for application to disparate cancers
Next generation sequencing has revolutionised genomic studies of cancer, having facilitated the development of precision oncology treatments based on a tumour’s molecular profile. We aimed to develop a targeted gene sequencing panel for application to disparate cancer types with particular focus on tumours of the head and neck, plus test for utility in liquid biopsy. The final panel designed through Roche/Nimblegen combined 451 cancer-associated genes (2.01 Mb target region). 136 patient DNA samples were collected for performance and application testing. Panel sensitivity and precision were measured using well-characterised DNA controls (n = 47), and specificity by Sanger sequencing of the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Interacting Protein (AIP) gene in 89 patients. Assessment of liquid biopsy application employed a pool of synthetic circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA). Library preparation and sequencing were conducted on Illumina-based platforms prior to analysis with our accredited (ISO15189) bioinformatics pipeline. We achieved a mean coverage of 395x, with sensitivity and specificity of >99% and precision of >97%. Liquid biopsy revealed detection to 1.25% variant allele frequency. Application to head and neck tumours/cancers resulted in detection of mutations aligned to published databases. In conclusion, we have developed an analytically-validated panel for application to cancers of disparate types with utility in liquid biopsy
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