Integration of local-scale hydrological and regional-scale geophysical based on a nonlinear Bayesian sequential simulation approach

Significant progress has been made with regard to the quantitative integration of geophysical and hydrological data at the local scale. However, extending the corresponding approaches to the regional scale represents a major, and as-of-yet largely unresolved, challenge. To address this problem, we have developed a downscaling procedure based on a non-linear Bayesian sequential simulation approach. The basic objective of this algorithm is to estimate the value of the sparsely sampled hydraulic conductivity at non-sampled locations based on its relation to the electrical conductivity, which is available throughout the model space. The in situ relationship between the hydraulic and electrical conductivities is described through a non-parametric multivariate kernel density function. This method is then applied to the stochastic integration of low-resolution, re- gional-scale electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data in combination with high-resolution, local-scale downhole measurements of the hydraulic and electrical conductivities. Finally, the overall viability of this downscaling approach is tested and verified by performing and comparing flow and transport simulation through the original and the downscaled hydraulic conductivity fields. Our results indicate that the proposed procedure does indeed allow for obtaining remarkably faithful estimates of the regional-scale hydraulic conductivity structure and correspondingly reliable predictions of the transport characteristics over relatively long distances.

Human capital spillovers, productivity and regional convergence in Spain

This paper analyses the differential impact of human capital, in terms of different levels of schooling, on regional productivity and convergence. The potential existence of geographical spillovers of human capital is also considered by applying spatial panel data techniques. The empirical analysis of Spanish provinces between 1980 and 2007 confirms the positive impact of human capital on regional productivity and convergence, but reveals no evidence of any positive geographical spillovers of human capital. In fact, in some specifications the spatial lag presented by tertiary studies has a negative effect on the variables under consideration.

Social reciprocity measures based on dyadic discrepancies: Methodological review and software development

This paper examines statistical analysis of social reciprocity at group, dyadic, and individual levels. Given that testing statistical hypotheses regarding social reciprocity can be also of interest, a statistical procedure based on Monte Carlo sampling has been developed and implemented in R in order to allow social researchers to describe groups and make statistical decisions.

Aberrant repair and fibrosis development in skeletal muscle

The repair process of damaged tissue involves the coordinated activities of several cell types in response to local and systemic signals. Following acute tissue injury, infiltrating inflammatory cells and resident stem cells orchestrate their activities to restore tissue homeostasis. However, during chronic tissue damage, such as in muscular dystrophies, the inflammatory-cell infiltration and fibroblast activation persists, while the reparative capacity of stem cells (satellite cells) is attenuated. Abnormal dystrophic muscle repair and its end stage, fibrosis, represent the final common pathway of virtually all chronic neurodegenerative muscular diseases. As our understanding of the pathogenesis of muscle fibrosis has progressed, it has become evident that the muscle provides a useful model for the regulation of tissue repair by the local microenvironment, showing interplay among muscle-specific stem cells, inflammatory cells, fibroblasts and extracellular matrix components of the mammalian wound-healing response. This article reviews the emerging findings of the mechanisms that underlie normal versus aberrant muscle-tissue repair.

Alpha1beta1 integrin is crucial for accumulation of epidermal T cells and the development of psoriasis.

Psoriasis is a common T cell-mediated autoimmune inflammatory disease. We show that blocking the interaction of alpha1beta1 integrin (VLA-1) with collagen prevented accumulation of epidermal T cells and immunopathology of psoriasis. Alpha1beta1 integrin, a major collagen-binding surface receptor, was exclusively expressed by epidermal but not dermal T cells. Alpha1beta1-positive T cells showed characteristic surface markers of effector memory cells and contained high levels of interferon-gamma but not interleukin-4. Blockade of alpha1beta1 inhibited migration of T cells into the epidermis in a clinically relevant xenotransplantation model. This was paralleled by a complete inhibition of psoriasis development, comparable to that caused by tumor necrosis factor-alpha blockers. These results define a crucial role for alpha1beta1 in controlling the accumulation of epidermal type 1 polarized effector memory T cells in a common human immunopathology and provide the basis for new strategies in psoriasis treatment focusing on T cell-extracellular matrix interactions.

Investigation of Field Corrosion Performance and Bond/Development Length of Galvanized Reinforcing Steel, TR-666, 2014

In reinforced concrete systems, ensuring that a good bond between the concrete and the embedded reinforcing steel is critical to long-term structural performance. Without good bond between the two, the system simply cannot behave as intended. The bond strength of reinforcing bars is a complex interaction between localized deformations, chemical adhesion, and other factors. Coating of reinforcing bars, although sometimes debated, has been commonly found to be an effective way to delay the initiation of corrosion in reinforced concrete systems. For many years, the standard practice has been to coat reinforcing steel with an epoxy coating, which provides a barrier between the steel and the corrosive elements of water, air, and chloride ions. Recently, there has been an industry-led effort to use galvanizing to provide the protective barrier commonly provided by traditional epoxy coatings. However, as with any new structural product, questions exist regarding both the structural performance and corrosion resistance of the system. In the fall of 2013, Buchanan County, Iowa constructed a demonstration bridge in which the steel girders and all internal reinforcing steel were galvanized. The work completed in this project sought to understand the structural performance of galvanized reinforcing steel as compared to epoxy-coated steel and to initiate a long-term corrosion monitoring program. This work consisted of a series of controlled laboratory tests and the installation of a corrosion monitoring system that can be observed for years in the future. The results of this work indicate there is no appreciable difference between the bond strength of epoxy-coated reinforcing steel and galvanized reinforcing steel. Although some differences were observed, no notable difference in either peak load, slip, or failure mode could be identified. Additionally, a long-term monitoring system was installed in this Buchanan County bridge and, to date, no corrosion activity has been identified.

The adjective petit 'small, little' in French acquisition data: an example of the relationship between pragmatics and morphosyntactic development

In French the adjective petit 'small, little' has a special status: it fulfills various pragmatic functions in addition to semantic meanings and it is thus highly frequent in discourse. Résumé: This study, based on the data of two children, aged 1;6 to 2;11, argues that petit and its pragmatic meanings play a specific role in the acquisition of French adjectives. In contrast to what is expected in child language, petit favours the early development of a pattern of noun phrase with prenominal attributive adjective. The emergence and distribution of petit in the children's production is examined and related to its distribution in the input, and the detailed pragmatic meanings and functions of petit are analysed. Prenominal petit emerges early as the preferred and most productive adjective. Pragmatic meanings of petit appear to be predominant in this early age and are of two main types: expressions of endearment (in noun phrases) and mitigating devices whose scope is the entire utterance. These results, as well as instances of children's pragmatic overgeneralizations, provide new evidence that at least some pragmatic meanings are prior to semantic meanings in early acquisition.

Cities, skills, and regional change

One approach to urban areas emphasizes the existence of certain immutable relationships, such as Zipf's or Gibrat's Law. An alternative view is that urban changereflects individual responses to changing tastes or technologies. This paper examinesalmost 200 years of regional change in the U.S. and finds that few, if any, growth relationships remain constant, including Gibrat's Law. Education does a reasonable jobof explaining urban resilience in recent decades, but does not seem to predict countygrowth a century ago. After reviewing this evidence, we present and estimate a simple model of regional change, where education increases the level of entrepreneurship.Human capital spillovers occur at the city level because skilled workers produce moreproduct varieties and thereby increase labor demand. We find that skills are associatedwith growth in productivity or entrepreneurship, not with growth in quality of life, atleast outside of the West. We also find that skills seem to have depressed housing supplygrowth in the West, but not in other regions, which supports the view that educatedresidents in that region have fought for tougher land-use controls. We also present evidence that skills have had a disproportionately large impact on unemployment duringthe current recession.

A non-linear Bayesian approach for upscaling local-scale hydraulic conductivity measurements based on local- and regional-scale geophysical data

Significant progress has been made with regard to the quantitative integration of geophysical and hydrological data at the local scale. However, extending the corresponding approaches to the regional scale represents a major, and as-of-yet largely unresolved, challenge. To address this problem, we have developed an upscaling procedure based on a Bayesian sequential simulation approach. This method is then applied to the stochastic integration of low-resolution, regional-scale electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) data in combination with high-resolution, local-scale downhole measurements of the hydraulic and electrical conductivities. Finally, the overall viability of this upscaling approach is tested and verified by performing and comparing flow and transport simulation through the original and the upscaled hydraulic conductivity fields. Our results indicate that the proposed procedure does indeed allow for obtaining remarkably faithful estimates of the regional-scale hydraulic conductivity structure and correspondingly reliable predictions of the transport characteristics over relatively long distances.

Re-Engineering CTE in Iowa: Aligning Career and Technical Education Reform, Workforce Development and Economic Development, August 2007

Iowa is a relatively small state and is on the rebound economically. It has an overall population that is stable, but which is shifting within the state from more rural areas to suburban and urban centers. There is a very tight labor market with high levels of employment. Iowa now has a time-sensitive opportunity to exert global leadership in renewable energy, while maintaining its leadership in other key industries like finance and agriculture.

Workforce Training and Economic Development Fund Annual Progress Report, 2014 December 9, 2014

The Department of Education, Division of Community Colleges, will annually provide the State Board of Education with the Workforce Training and Economic Development Fund Annual Progress Report. Administration and oversight responsibility for the fund was transferred from the Iowa Economic Development Authority to the Iowa Department of Education effective July 1, 2013 (FY 2014). This report is the first annual progress report produced and distributed by the Iowa Department of Education. The full report outlines the programs, projects, and initiatives that the community colleges have implemented during the past fiscal year.

Single nucleotide polymorphisms, apoptosis, and the development of severe late adverse effects after radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: Evidence has accumulated in recent years suggestive of a genetic basis for a susceptibility to the development of radiation injury after cancer radiotherapy. The purpose of this study was to assess whether patients with severe radiation-induced sequelae (RIS; i.e., National Cancer Institute/CTCv3.0 grade, > or =3) display both a low capacity of radiation-induced CD8 lymphocyte apoptosis (RILA) in vitro and possess certain single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) located in candidate genes associated with the response of cells to radiation. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: DNA was isolated from blood samples obtained from patients (n = 399) included in the Swiss prospective study evaluating the predictive effect of in vitro RILA and RIS. SNPs in the ATM, SOD2, XRCC1, XRCC3, TGFB1, and RAD21 genes were screened in patients who experienced severe RIS (group A, n = 16) and control subjects who did not manifest any evidence of RIS (group B, n = 18). RESULTS: Overall, 13 and 21 patients were found to possess a total of <4 and > or =4 SNPs in the candidate genes. The median (range) RILA in group A was 9.4% (5.3-16.5) and 94% (95% confidence interval, 70-100) of the patients (15 of 16) had > or =4 SNPs. In group B, median (range) RILA was 25.7% (20.2-43.2) and 33% (95% confidence interval, 13-59) of patients (6 of 18) had > or =4 SNPs (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that patients with severe RIS possess 4 or more SNPs in candidate genes and low radiation-induced CD8 lymphocyte apoptosis in vitro.

The State of Iowa Consolidated Plan for Housing and Community Development: Annual Action Plan, 2016

The state of Iowa must submit to HUD a Consolidated Plan and an Annual Action Plan. The Consolidated Plan is a 5-year plan to address housing and community development needs. The 2015-2019 Consolidated Plan was submitted to HUD in 2015 and outlines the state of Iowa’s goals for the 5-year period. The state’s Consolidated Plan includes goals and proposed activities under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG), and Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA) programs.