SOCIOECONOMIC INFLUENCES ON LAND USE CHOICE AT WATERSHED LEVEL: A MULTINOMIAL LOGIT ANALYSIS OF LAND USE DISTRIBUTION IN WEST GEORGIA

Allocation of fixed proportion of land to developed, forest, agricultural and other land uses in a watershed was modeled as an optimization problem faced by a single user. A multinomial logit model was used to estimate the effects of urbanization, demographic structure, personal income and spatial distribution of watersheds.Land Economics/Use,

Jets and Jet Multiplicities in High Energy Photon-Nucleon Inetraction:

We discuss the theory of jet events in high-energy photon-proton interactions using a model which gives a good description of the data available on total inelastic $\gamma p$ cross sections up to $\sqrt{s}$=210 GeV. We show how to calculate the jet cross sections and jet multiplicities and give predictions for these quantities for energies appropriate for experiments at the HERA $ep$ collider and for very high energy cosmic ray observations.Comment: 12 pages + 4 figs, MAD/TH/92-8, submitted to Phys. Rev. D(Rapid Communications), figs. available on request from [email protected]

ENDOGENOUS GROWTH MODELS AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL KUZNETS CURVE: AN ANALYSIS OF GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Fertilizer consumption per cubic meter of freshwater is taken as a proxy for global water quality indicator. A global model of environmental quality for 121 countries confirms the Kuznet's hypothesis. Global turning point is reached at nearly five times the average income of all countries. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) was significant to increase the national income. Increased aid and larger farm size per capita favored higher environmental quality, albeit insignificant. A flow of better technology and possible non-agricultural employment might help improve water quality in developing countries when their net income increases.Environmental Economics and Policy,

BIOECONOMIC MODELING TO ASSESS ECONOMIC AND WATER QUALITY IMPACTS OF LAND USE CHANGE

Changes in water quality and agricultural and forest revenues due to land use changes are compared. A biophysical model estimates the effect in nitrogen and phosphorus runoff and sediment deposition. The results are combined with farm enterprise budgets to estimate the economic returns resulting from land use changes.Land Economics/Use,

Child violence experiences in institutionalised/orphanage care

Institutions are not necessarily good environments for children. In the face of challenges such as HIV, Ebola, poverty, conflict and disaster the numbers have grown rather than reduced. Some countries have closed institutions down –driven by findings that cognitive developmental delay is associated with institutional care. Yet insight into abuse and violence within institutionalised settings is neglected. Maltreatment -violence and abuse -may be an issue. This systematic review series addresses violence and abuse experiences in institutionalised care, exploring firstly the frequency of abuse/violence in institutions, secondly any interventions to reduce such violence or abuse and thirdly the perpetrators of such violence or abuse. The final systematic review updates the findings on cognitive delay associated with institutionalised care. With a violence lens, cognitive delay may well be considered under the umbrella of neglect. Maltreatment and abuse may be a driver of cognitive delay. The keyword search covered several electronic databases and studies were included for data abstraction if they met adequacy criteria. Eight studies were identified on the prevalence of abuse in institutions and a further three studies reported on interventions. Only one study was identified documenting peer on peer violence in institutions. Sixty-six studies were identified examining cognitive development for institutionalised children. All but two of these record cognitive deficits associated with institutionalisation. Only two asked about violence or abuse which was found to be higher in institutionalised children. Overall the abuse experiences of children in institutions are poorly recorded, and in one study violence was associated with high suicidal attempts. The major intervention pathway for ameliorating cognitive challenge seems to be placement out of the institutions which shows benefits and redresses some cognitive outcomes – yet not a total panacea. The single study providing training and monitoring of harsh punishment and maltreatment showed immediate and decided reductions. This data suggest, despite the paucity of studies, violence and abuse, by commission or omission is prevalent in institutions, has an effect on child well-being and is amenable to intervention. Simple training or more complex structures to place children within conducive alternative environments (or to avoid institutionalised placements in the first place) seem to be the main pathway of intervention

analysis of bistable composite laminate with embedded sma actuators

Abstract The present work is aimed at the development of a finite element model of a composite laminate, to evaluate the possibility to snap between equilibrium configurations by means of shape memory alloy (SMA) wires. The underlying idea is to potentially take advantage of structures which possess multiple equilibrium configurations that can be achieved with a small energy input. Therefore, unsymmetric composite laminates that exhibit bistable response to actuation force are considered. Embedded SMA wires will provide the actuation force by virtue of Shape-Memory Effect i.e. restoring the original shape of a plastically deformed SMA wire by heating it. The Shape-Memory Effect is modelled in a simplified way using the Effective Coefficient of Thermal Expansion concept

Pengaruh Kepemimpinan Transformasional dan Lingkungan Kerja terhadap Semangat Kerja Tenaga Kependidikan

. The purpose of this research is to determine the effect of transformational leadership on the work spirit of educational staf, the effect of work environment on the works spirit of educational staf, the effect of transformational leadership and work environment on the work spirit of educational staf of Riau Kepulauan University, with population of 76 educational staf. This research method using questionnaire, Mutile Linear Regression with SPSS statistic tool. The sampling technique used the census, the entire population was studied. The result of this research are: Transformational Leadership has no significant effect on work spirit with the value of Sig. 0,217. Work environment has significant effect on work spirit with the value of Sig. 0,004, Transformational Leadership and Work Environment have no significant effect on work spirit with the value of Sig. 0,429

Pembrolizumab plus Chemotherapy in Metastatic Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

BACKGROUND First-line therapy for advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that lacks targetable mutations is platinum-based chemotherapy. Among patients with a tumor proportion score for programmed death ligand 1 (PD-L1) of 50% or greater, pembrolizumab has replaced cytotoxic chemotherapy as the first-line treatment of choice. The addition of pembrolizumab to chemotherapy resulted in significantly higher rates of response and longer progression-free survival than chemotherapy alone in a phase 2 trial. METHODS In this double-blind, phase 3 trial, we randomly assigned (in a 2: 1 ratio) 616 patients with metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC without sensitizing EGFR or ALK mutations who had received no previous treatment for metastatic disease to receive pemetrexed and a platinum-based drug plus either 200 mg of pembrolizumab or placebo every 3 weeks for 4 cycles, followed by pembrolizumab or placebo for up to a total of 35 cycles plus pemetrexed maintenance therapy. Crossover to pembrolizumab monotherapy was permitted among the patients in the placebo-combination group who had verified disease progression. The primary end points were overall survival and progression-free survival, as assessed by blinded, independent central radiologic review. RESULTS After a median follow-up of 10.5 months, the estimated rate of overall survival at 12 months was 69.2% (95% confidence interval [CI], 64.1 to 73.8) in the pembrolizumab-combination group versus 49.4% (95% CI, 42.1 to 56.2) in the placebocombination group (hazard ratio for death, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.38 to 0.64; P<0.001). Improvement in overall survival was seen across all PD-L1 categories that were evaluated. Median progression-free survival was 8.8 months (95% CI, 7.6 to 9.2) in the pembrolizumab-combination group and 4.9 months (95% CI, 4.7 to 5.5) in the placebo-combination group (hazard ratio for disease progression or death, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.43 to 0.64; P<0.001). Adverse events of grade 3 or higher occurred in 67.2% of the patients in the pembrolizumab-combination group and in 65.8% of those in the placebo-combination group. CONCLUSIONS In patients with previously untreated metastatic nonsquamous NSCLC without EGFR or ALK mutations, the addition of pembrolizumab to standard chemotherapy of pemetrexed and a platinum-based drug resulted in significantly longer overall survival and progression-free survival than chemotherapy alone.Peer reviewe