Visual information and body sway coupling in infants during sitting acquisition

The purpose of this study was to examine if there is any developmental change in the coupling between visual information and trunk sway in infants as they acquire the sitting position. Twenty-four infants distributed in four groups (6-, 7-, 8-, and 9-month-old) were sat inside a moving room that oscillated back and forward at frequencies of 0.2 and 0.5 Hz. The results revealed that trunk sway matched to the moving room at both frequencies but did not differ among the four age groups. Coherence and gain revealed that the coupling was weaker at 0.2 than at 0.5 Hz. Relative phase showed that at 0.2 Hz, infants were swaying with no lag but at 0.5 Hz they were lagging the room. These results showed that the coupling between visual information and trunk sway in infants varies with the visual stimulus but does not change as infants acquire the sitting position. © 2001 Elsevier B.V.

Electromyographic validation of the trapezius and serratus anterior muscles in military press exercises with open grip.

It was studied the trapezius muscle and serratus anterior muscle in 24 male volunteers using a 2-channel TECA TE 4 electromyograph and Hewlett Packard surface electrodes, during the execution of four different modalities of military press exercises with open grip. The results showed that TS acted significantly in the modalities standing and sitting press behind neck, while SI acted in all the modalities, i.e., standing and sitting press behind neck and forward, justifying their inclusion as basic exercises for physical conditioning programmes.

Performance of the CMS hadron calorimeter with cosmic ray muons and LHC beam data

The CMS Hadron Calorimeter in the barrel, endcap and forward regions is fully commissioned. Cosmic ray data were taken with and without magnetic field at the surface hall and after installation in the experimental hall, hundred meters underground. Various measurements were also performed during the few days of beam in the LHC in September 2008. Calibration parameters were extracted, and the energy response of the HCAL determined from test beam data has been checked. © 2010 IOP Publishing Ltd and SISSA.

Structural change and productivity growth 20 years later: old problems, new opportunities. Summary

Includes bibliography

Caribbean tourism, trends, policies and impact, 1985-2002

Includes bibliography

Maxillo-mandibular counter-clockwise rotation and mandibular advancement with TMJ Concepts (R) total joint prostheses Part I - Skeletal and dental stability

The purpose of this study was to evaluate skeletal and dental stability in patients who had temporomandibular joint (TMJ) reconstruction and mandibular counterclockwise advancement using TMJ Concepts total join, prostheses (TMJ Concepts Inc. Ventura, CA) with maxillary osteotomies being performed at the same operation. All patients were operated at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas TX, USA, by one surgeon (Wolford). Forty-seven females were studied; the average post-surgical follow-up was 40.6 months. Lateral cephalograms were analyzed to estimate surgical and post-surgical changes. During surgery, the occlusal plane angle decreased 14.9 +/- 8.0 degrees. The maxilla moved forward and upward. The posterior nasal spine moved downward and forward. The mandible advanced 7.9 +/- 3.5 mm at the lower incisor tips, 12.4 +/- 5.4 mm at Point B, 17.3 +/- 7.0 mm at menton, 18.4 +/- 8.5 mm at pogonion, and 11.0 +/- 5.3 mm at gonion. Vertically, the lower incisors moved upward -2.9 +/- 4.0 mm. At the longest follow-up post surgery, the maxilla showed minor horizontal changes while all mandibular measurements remained stable. TMJ reconstruction and mandibular advancement with TMJ Concepts total joint prosthesis in conjunction with maxillary osteotomies for counter-clockwise rotation of the rnaxillo-mandibular complex was a stable procedure for these patients at the longest follow-up.

Electromyographic validation of the trapezius and serratus anterior muscles in military press exercises with open grip

It was studied the trapezius muscle and serratus anterior muscle in 24 male volunteers using a 2-channel TECA TE 4 electromyograph and Hewlett Packard surface electrodes, during the execution of four different modalities of military press exercises with open grip. The results showed that TS acted significantly in the modalities standing and sitting press behind neck, while SI acted in all the modalities, i.e., standing and sitting press behind neck and forward, justifying their inclusion as basic exercises for physical conditioning programmes.

Assessing the effects of multiple infections and long latency in the dynamics of tuberculosis

In order to achieve a better understanding of multiple infections and long latency in the dynamics of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection, we analyze a simple model. Since backward bifurcation is well documented in the literature with respect to the model we are considering, our aim is to illustrate this behavior in terms of the range of variations of the model's parameters. We show that backward bifurcation disappears (and forward bifurcation occurs) if: (a) the latent period is shortened below a critical value; and (b) the rates of super-infection and re-infection are decreased. This result shows that among immunosuppressed individuals, super-infection and/or changes in the latent period could act to facilitate the onset of tuberculosis. When we decrease the incubation period below the critical value, we obtain the curve of the incidence of tuberculosis following forward bifurcation; however, this curve envelops that obtained from the backward bifurcation diagram.

Jarrow-Yildirim model for inflation: theory and applications

This thesis deals with inflation theory, focussing on the model of Jarrow & Yildirim, which is nowadays used when pricing inflation derivatives. After recalling main results about short and forward interest rate models, the dynamics of the main components of the market are derived. Then the most important inflation-indexed derivatives are explained (zero coupon swap, year-on-year, cap and floor), and their pricing proceeding is shown step by step. Calibration is explained and performed with a common method and an heuristic and non standard one. The model is enriched with credit risk, too, which allows to take into account the possibility of bankrupt of the counterparty of a contract. In this context, the general method of pricing is derived, with the introduction of defaultable zero-coupon bonds, and the Monte Carlo method is treated in detailed and used to price a concrete example of contract. Appendixes: A: martingale measures, Girsanov's theorem and the change of numeraire. B: some aspects of the theory of Stochastic Differential Equations; in particular, the solution for linear EDSs, and the Feynman-Kac Theorem, which shows the connection between EDSs and Partial Differential Equations. C: some useful results about normal distribution.

Food Insecurity and the Behavioral and Intellectual Development of Children: A Review of the Evidence

Background: Given that an alarming 1 in 5 children in the USA are at risk of hunger (1 in 3 among black and Latino children), and that 3.9 million households with children are food insecure, it is crucial to understand how household food insecurity (HFI) affects the present and future well-being of our children. Purpose: The objectives of this review article are to: (i) examine the association between HFI and child intellectual, behavioral and psycho-emotional development, controlling for socio-economic indicators; (ii) review the hypothesis that HFI is indeed a mediator of the relationship between poverty and poor child development outcomes; (iii) examine if the potential impact of HFI on caregivers’ mental health well-being mediates the relationship between HFI and child development outcomes. Methods: Pubmed search using the key words “food insecurity children.” For articles to be included they had to: (i) be based on studies measuring HFI using an experience-based scale, (ii) be peer reviewed, and (iii) include child intellectual, behavioral and/or socio-emotional development outcomes. Studies were also selected based on backward and forward Pubmed searches, and from the authors’ files. After reviewing the abstracts based on inclusion criteria a total of 26 studies were selected. Results: HFI represents not only a biological but also a psycho-emotional and developmental challenge to children exposed to it. Children exposed to HFI are more likely to internalize or externalize problems, as compared to children not exposed to HFI. This in turn is likely to translate into poor academic/cognitive performance and intellectual achievement later on in life. A pathway through which HFI may affect child development is possibly mediated by caregivers’ mental health status, especially parental stress and depression. Thus, HFI is likely to foster dysfunctional family environments. Conclusion: Findings indicate that food insecure households may require continued food assistance and psycho-emotional support until they transition to a “stable” food secure situation. This approach will require a much better integration of social policies and access to programs offering food assistance and mental health services to those in need. Findings also fully justify increased access of vulnerable children to programs that promote early in life improved nutrition as well as early psycho-social and cognitive stimulation opportunities.

Paleoclimate data-model comparison and the role of climate forcings over the past 1500 years

The past 1500 years provide a valuable opportunity to study the response of the climate system to external forcings. However, the integration of paleoclimate proxies with climate modeling is critical to improving the understanding of climate dynamics. In this paper, a climate system model and proxy records are therefore used to study the role of natural and anthropogenic forcings in driving the global climate. The inverse and forward approaches to paleoclimate data–model comparison are applied, and sources of uncertainty are identified and discussed. In the first of two case studies, the climate model simulations are compared with multiproxy temperature reconstructions. Robust solar and volcanic signals are detected in Southern Hemisphere temperatures, with a possible volcanic signal detected in the Northern Hemisphere. The anthropogenic signal dominates during the industrial period. It is also found that seasonal and geographical biases may cause multiproxy reconstructions to overestimate the magnitude of the long-term preindustrial cooling trend. In the second case study, the model simulations are compared with a coral δ18O record from the central Pacific Ocean. It is found that greenhouse gases, solar irradiance, and volcanic eruptions all influence the mean state of the central Pacific, but there is no evidence that natural or anthropogenic forcings have any systematic impact on El Niño–Southern Oscillation. The proxy climate relationship is found to change over time, challenging the assumption of stationarity that underlies the interpretation of paleoclimate proxies. These case studies demonstrate the value of paleoclimate data–model comparison but also highlight the limitations of current techniques and demonstrate the need to develop alternative approaches.

Landfast sea-ice and platelet-layer thickness and conductivity of Atka Bay, Antarctica, December 2012

Ice shelves strongly impact coastal Antarctic sea-ice and the associated ecosystem through the formation of a sub-sea-ice platelet layer. Although progress has been made in determining and understanding its spatio-temporal variability based on point measurements, an investigation of this phenomenon on a larger scale remains a challenge due to logistical constraints and a lack of suitable methodology. In this study, we applied a laterally-constrained Marquardt-Levenberg inversion to a unique multi-frequency electromagnetic (EM) induction sounding dataset obtained on the landfast sea ice of Atka Bay, eastern Weddell Sea, in 2012. In addition to consistent fast-ice thickness and -conductivities along > 100 km transects; we present the first comprehensive, high resolution platelet-layer thickness and -conductivity dataset recorded on Antarctic sea ice. The reliability of the algorithm was confirmed by using synthetic data, and the inverted platelet-layer thicknesses agreed within the data uncertainty to drill-hole measurements. Ice-volume fractions were calculated from platelet-layer conductivities, revealing that an older and thicker platelet layer is denser and more compacted than a loosely attached, young platelet layer. The overall platelet-layer volume below Atka Bay fast ice suggests that the contribution of ocean/ice-shelf interaction to sea-ice volume in this region is even higher than previously thought. This study also implies that multi-frequency EM induction sounding is an effective approach in determining platelet layer volume on a larger scale than previously feasible. When applied to airborne multi-frequency EM, this method could provide a step towards an Antarctic-wide quantification of ocean/ice-shelf interaction.

Effect of integrated reservoir tillage for in-situ rainwater harvesting and other tillage practices on soil physical properties

There is a need for in-situ soil moisture conservation in arid and semi-arid regions due to insufficient rainfall for agriculture. For this purpose, a combination implement [integrated reservoir tillage system (RT)] comprised of a single-row chisel plow, single-row spike tooth harrow, modified seeder, and spiked roller was developed and compared to the popular tillage practices, viz., minimum tillage (MT) and conventional tillage (CT) in an arid Mediterranean environment in Egypt. The different tillage practices were conducted at tillage depths of 15, 20, and 25 cm and forward speeds of 0.69, 1, 1.25, and 1.53 m s-1. Some soil physical properties, runoff, soil loss, water harvesting efficiency and yield of wheat were evaluated. The different tillage practices caused significant differences in soil physical properties as the RT increased soil infiltration, producing a rate of 48% and 65% higher than that obtained in MT and CT, respectively. The lowest values of runoff and soil loss were recorded under RT as 4.91 mm and 0.65 t ha-1, whereas the highest values were recorded under CT as 11.36 mm and 1.66 t ha-1, respectively. In conclusion, the RT enhanced the infiltration rate, increased water harvesting efficiency, reduced runoff and achieved the highest yield of wheat. The best tillage operating parameters appeared to be at a tillage depth of 20 cm and speed between 1.00 and 1.25 m s-1.

A partial study of vertical distribution of conventional no-till seeders and spatial variability of seed depth placement of maize in the Alentejo region, Portugal

The requirements for a good stand in a no-till field are the same as those for conventional planting as well as added field and machinery management. Among the various factors that contribute towards producing a successful maize crop, seed depth placement is a key determinant. Although most no-till planters on the market work well under good soil and residue conditions, adjustments and even modifications are frequently needed when working with compacted or wet soils or with heavy residues. The main objective of this study, carried out in 2010, 2011 and 2012, was to evaluate the vertical distribution and spatial variability of seed depth placement in a maize crop under no-till conditions, using precision farming technologies and conventional no-till seeders. The results obtained indicate that the seed depth placement was affected by soil moisture content and forward speed. The seed depth placement was negatively correlated with soil resistance and seeding depth had a significant impact on mean emergence time and the percentage of emerged plants. Shallow average depth values and high coefficients of variation suggest a need for improvements in controlling the seeders’ sowing depth mechanism or more accurate calibration by operators in the field.

From Survival to Revival: The Riga Summit 2015 and the revised ENP. Egmont Security policy Brief No. 65, July 2015

With the European Parliament’s July report on the revision of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) calling on the Commission to ‘go back to basics’, this article argues that such a move would be counter-productive and that instead, the ENP needs to move towards the future and break away with the historical elusiveness of this overarching policy. The Riga Summit serves as an illustration of what will not suffice if the EU is to strengthen or even maintain its role in its neighbourhoods. The revision of the ENP is described as 3Dimensional process which needs to yield a concrete and forward-looking new ENP. The recommendations put forth herein map out what a truly revised ENP would entail.