Candidate quality in a Downsian Model with a continuous policy space

This paper characterizes a mixed strategy Nash equilibrium in a one-dimensional Downsian model of two-candidate elections with a continuous policy space, where candidates are office motivated and one candidate enjoys a non-policy advantage over the other candidate. We assume that voters have quadratic preferences over policies and that their ideal points are drawn from a uniform distribution over the unit interval. In our equilibrium the advantaged candidate chooses the expected median voter with probability one and the disadvantaged candidate uses a mixed strategy that is symmetric around it. We show that this equilibrium exists if the number of voters is large enough relative to the size of the advantage.

Industrial Location and Space: New Insights

This paper tries to resolve some of the main shortcomings in the empirical literature of location decisions for new plants, i.e. spatial effects and overdispersion. Spatial effects are omnipresent, being a source of overdispersion in the data as well as a factor shaping the functional relationship between the variables that explain a firm’s location decisions. Using Count Data models, empirical researchers have dealt with overdispersion and excess zeros by developments of the Poisson regression model. This study aims to take this a step further, by adopting Bayesian methods and models in order to tackle the excess of zeros, spatial and non-spatial overdispersion and spatial dependence simultaneously. Data for Catalonia is used and location determinants are analysed to that end. The results show that spatial effects are determinant. Additionally, overdispersion is descomposed into an unstructured iid effect and a spatially structured effect. Keywords: Bayesian Analysis, Spatial Models, Firm Location. JEL Classification: C11, C21, R30.

On Borel equivalence relations in generalized Baire space

"Vegeu el resum a l'inici del document del fitxer adjunt."

Extracellular serine-proteinases isolated from Streptomyces alboniger: Partial characterization and effect of aprotinin on cellular structure

Streptomyces alboniger ATCC 12461 grown in brain heart infusion (BHI) medium produced two extracellular serine-proteinases, denoted SP I and SP II, which were purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and aprotinin-agarose affinity chromatography. SP I was purified 88,9-fold and SP II 66,7- fold, with 33.4% and 10.4% yield, respectively. The optimum pH for the proteinases activity, using a-N-p-tosyl-L-arginine-methyl ester (TAME) as substrate, was 9-10 and the optimum temperature was 37ºC. The proteolytic activity of SP I and SP II was inhibited by aprotinin and SP I was partially inhibited by leupeptin, both serine-proteinase inhibitors. S. alboniger growth in BHI-liquid medium decreased when 5 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml of aprotinin was used, being completely inhibited with 20 mg/ml and 40 mg/ml. At the ultrastructural level, aprotinin-treated S. alboniger cells showed swelling of the bacterial body and condensation of the genetic material, probably related to the inhibition of its growth.

Pathology of the spleen in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis. Morphometric evaluation and extracellular matrix changes

Histological, ultrastructural, morphometric and immunohistochemical data obtained from the study of spleens removed by splenectomy from 34 patients with advanced hepatosplenic schistosomiasis revealed that the main alterations were congestive dilatation of the venous sinuses and diffuse thickening of the splenic cords. Splenic cord thickening was due to an increase of its matrix components, especially type IV collagen and laminin, with the conspicuous absence of interstitial collagens, either of type I or type III. Deposition of interstitial collagens (types I and III) occurred in scattered, small focal areas of the red pulp, but in the outside of the walls of the venous sinuses, in lymph follicles, marginal zone, in the vicinity of fibrous trabeculae and in sidero-sclerotic nodules. However, fibrosis was not a prominent change in schistosomal splenomegaly and thus the designation "fibro-congestive splenomegaly" seems inadequate. Lymph follicles exhibited variable degrees of atrophy, hyperplasia and fibrous replacement, sometimes all of them seen in different follicles of the same spleen and even in the same examined section. Changes in white pulp did not seem to greatly contribute to increasing spleen size and weight, when compared to the much more significant red pulp enlargement.

A role for extracellular amastigotes in the immunopathology of Chagas disease

In spite of the growing knowledge obtained about immune control of Trypanosoma cruzi infection, the mechanisms responsible for the variable clinico-pathological expression of Chagas disease remain unknown. In a twist from previous concepts, recent studies indicated that tissue parasitism is a pre-requisite for the development of chronic myocarditis. This fundamental concept, together with the realization that T. cruzi organisms consist of genetically heterogeneous clones, offers a new framework for studies of molecular pathogenesis. In the present article, we will discuss in general terms the possible implications of genetic variability of T. cruzi antigens and proteases to immunopathology. Peptide epitopes from a highly polymorphic subfamily of trans-sialidase (TS) antigens were recently identified as targets of killer T cell (CTL) responses, both in mice and humans. While some class I MHC restricted CTL recognize epitopes derived from amastigote-specific TS-related antigens (TSRA), others are targeted to peptide epitopes originating from trypomastigote-specific TSRA. A mechanistic hypothesis is proposed to explain how the functional activity and specificity of class I MHC restricted killer T cells may control the extent to which tissue are exposed to prematurely released amastigotes. Chronic immunopathology may be exacerbated due the progressive accumulation of amastigote-derived antigens and pro-inflammatory molecules (eg. GPI-mucins and kinin-releasing proteases) in dead macrophage bodies.

Spin-labeling coronary MR angiography with steady-state free precession and radial k-space sampling: initial results in healthy volunteers.

The purpose of this study was to prospectively compare free-breathing navigator-gated cardiac-triggered three-dimensional steady-state free precession (SSFP) spin-labeling coronary magnetic resonance (MR) angiography performed by using Cartesian k-space sampling with that performed by using radial k-space sampling. A new dedicated placement of the two-dimensional selective labeling pulse and an individually adjusted labeling delay time approved by the institutional review board were used. In 14 volunteers (eight men, six women; mean age, 28.8 years) who gave informed consent, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), vessel sharpness, vessel length, and subjective image quality were investigated. Differences between groups were analyzed with nonparametric tests (Wilcoxon, Pearson chi2). Radial imaging, as compared with Cartesian imaging, resulted in a significant reduction in the severity of motion artifacts, as well as an increase in SNR (26.9 vs 12.0, P < .05) in the coronary arteries and CNR (23.1 vs 8.8, P < .05) between the coronary arteries and the myocardium. A tendency toward improved vessel sharpness and vessel length was also found with radial imaging. Radial SSFP imaging is a promising technique for spin-labeling coronary MR angiography.

Medicinal products: regulation of biosynthesis in space and time

We live in a "Demon-Haunted World". Human health care requires the ever increasing resistance of pathogens to be confronted by a correspondingly fast rate of discovery of novel antibiotics. One of the possible strategies towards this objective involves the rational localization of bioactive phytochemicals. The conceptual basis of the method consists in the surprisingly little known gearings of natural products with morphology, ecology and evolution of their plant source, i. e. an introspection into the general mechanisms of nature.

Closure of Space for health - PEL(13)05 (PDF 38KB)

This Professional Estates Letter informs HSC bodies of the closure of the Space for Health information service and the availability of DHSPPS estates and facilities management policy on the DHSSPS website.

Determinació de la regió del genoma o gens implicats en la síntesi del polièster extracel•lular present en la variant llisa de Mycobacterium vaccae mitjançant transformació

Estudi realitzat a partir d’una estada a la Universidad de Zaragoza, Espanya, entre novembre del 2007 i abril del 2008. Mycobacterium vaccae és un micobacteri ambiental de creixement ràpid molt estudiat pel seu interès com a possible ús immunoterapéutic en el tractament de la tuberculosis i altres malalties. M.vaccae a l’igual que altres micobacteris presenta dues morfologies colonials: llisa i rugosa. M.vaccae ATCC15483T té originàriament una morfologia llisa. Quant aquest es cultiva en medi sòlid a 30ºC apareixen espontàniament variants rugoses estables que no reverteixen a llises. El motiu pel qual aquest procés té lloc no es coneix, encara que s’ha descrit en Mycobacterium smegmatis i en Mycobacterium avium que els lípids de la paret cel•lular es troben involucrats en aquest canvi de morfologia colonial. L’anàlisi dels contingut en lípids i glicolípids de la paret cel•lular de les dos variants morfològiques de M.vaccae, ens ha indicat que les soques llises presenten un compost extracel•lular que no es troba en les rugoses i que mitjançant l’anàlisi estructural d’aquest compost ha sigut identificat com un polièster extracel•lular de cadena llarga. El present estudi s’ha centrat en determinar els gens implicats en la síntesis d’aquest compost. Per a realitzar aquest anàlisi genètic s’ha construit una llibreria de mutants per transposició de la soca llisa de M. vaccae mitjançant un plàsmid ts/sac i un transposó. S’han obtingut colònies de morfologia rugosa on el plàsmid s’ha insertat en la zona del genoma que codifica per aquest compost extracel•lular. Aquests nous mutants s’han analitzat mitjançant tècniques moleculars (PCR, Southern y seqüenciació). A mès, s’ha construit una llibreria genòmica amb DNA de la soca llisa en plàsmids replicatius de micobacteris derivats de pAL5000 i s’ha transformat la soca rugosa seleccionant per a un fenotip llis estudiant els gens que complementen.

Aerotropolis: an aviation-linked space

This paper examines the conditions allowing the formation of aeropolitan areas as large industrial areas with a high concentration of commercial activities in the proximity of selected airports. We assume that firms deliver their production by plane and land competition takes place among service operators, firms and farmers. Service operators supply facilities that firms can absorb. Our framework identifies a unique land equilibrium characterized by the spatial sequence Airport - Industrial park - Rural area (A-I-R). Aerotropolis-type configurations are associated with the level of transport costs and the degree of intensity of facilities. Keywords: aerotropolis; facilities; bid-rent function. JEL Classification Numbers: L29; L90; R14.

New pre-dual space of Morrey space

In this paper we give new characterization of the classical Morrey space. Complementary global Morrey-type spaces are introduced. It is proved that for particular values of parameters these spaces give new pre-dual space of the classical Morrey space. We also show that our new pre-dual space of the Morrey space coincides with known pre-dual spaces.

Extracellular matrix and platelet function in patients with musculocontractural Ehlers-Danlos syndrome caused by mutations in the CHST14 gene.

We report on a consanguineous, Afghani family with two sisters affected with characteristic facial features, multiple contractures, progressive joint and skin laxity, hemorrhagic diathesis following minor trauma and multisystem fragility-related manifestations suggestive of a diagnosis of musculocontractural Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). This novel form of connective tissue disorder was recently reported in patients of Japanese, Turkish, and Indian descent who were formerly classified as having EDS type VIB and has now been recognized to be a part of spectrum including patients previously classified as having adducted thumb-clubfoot syndrome. We identified a previously unreported mutation in the CHST14 gene, which codes for the enzyme dermatan 4-O-sulfotransferase. We discuss the prenatal presentation, detailed clinical manifestations, and neurological findings in two sisters with this newly described musculocontractural EDS-CHST14 type. We demonstrate that fibroblasts from one of our patients produce more chondroitin sulfate than normal and show lower than normal deposition of collagens I and II and fibrillin 1-containing microfibrills. These findings suggest that the imbalance in the glycosaminoglycan content in developing tissues might interfere with normal deposition of other extracellular matrix components and ultimately contribute to the development of the phenotype observed in these patients. Furthermore, we ruled out the contribution of intrinsic platelet factors to the bleeding diathesis observed in some affected individuals. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.