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Kinds of Box Terms modified by Box Selected AbstractsPANDORA'S BOX: RISK/NEED AND GENDER-RESPONSIVE CORRECTIONSCRIMINOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 1 2006KELLY HANNAH-MOFFAT First page of article [source] THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX: A NECESSARY COURSE FOR THE FUTURE OF ALCOHOL RESEARCHADDICTION, Issue 5 2010ROGER E. MEYER No abstract is available for this article. [source] CITIZEN EMPOWERMENT: BY BALLOT BOX OR MARKET?ECONOMIC AFFAIRS, Issue 4 2004John Meadowcroft No abstract is available for this article. [source] Genetic diversity and biogeography of haloalkaliphilic sulphur-oxidizing bacteria belonging to the genus ThioalkalivibrioFEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY, Issue 1 2006Mirjam Foti Abstract A group of 85 isolates of haloalkaliphilic obligately chemolithoautotrophic sulphur-oxidizing bacteria belonging to the genus Thioalkalivibrio were recently obtained from soda lakes in Mongolia, Kenya, California, Egypt and Siberia. They have been analyzed by repetitive extragenic palindromic (rep)-PCR genomic fingerprinting technique with BOX- and (GTG)5-primer set. Cluster analysis was performed using combined fingerprint profiles and a dendrogram similarity value (r) of 0.8 was used to define the same genotype. Fifty-six genotypes were found among the isolates, revealing a high genetic diversity. The strains can be divided into two major clusters, including isolates from the Asiatic (Siberia and Mongolia) and the African (Kenya and Egypt) continents, respectively. The majority (85.9%) of the genotypes were found in only one area, suggesting an endemic character of the Thioalkalivibrio strains. Furthermore, a correlation between fingerprint clustering, geographic origin and the characteristics of the lake of origin was found. [source] Occurrence of Pseudomonas avellanae (Psallidas) Janse et al. and related pseudomonads on wild Corylus avellana trees and genetic relationships with strains isolated from cultivated hazelnutsJOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 9-10 2000M. Scortichini Surveys in submediterranean forests of central Italy were carried out during 1996,98 to verify the possible presence of bacterial canker caused by Pseudomonas avellanae in wild hazelnut trees (Corylus avellana L.). Wilted twigs were noticed several times especially in summer. In other cases, wild C. avellana trees growing near to hazelnut orchards appeared completely wilted. Isolates that were pathogenic to C. avellana, showing a different degree of virulence, were obtained in both situations. Biochemical, physiological and nutritional tests as well as the comparison of whole-cell protein profiles, revealed the presence of 16 isolates identical to P. avellanae reference strains that had previously been isolated in the same area and five deviating isolates. Repetitive-PCR genomic fingerprinting performed by using BOX (Box elements), ERIC (Enterobacterial Repetitive Interkingdom Consensus) and REP (Repetitive Extragenic Palindromic) primer sets and analysed by means of upgma, revealed the existence of two main groups of pseudomonads pathogenic to C. avellana. Group A includes P. avellanae strains isolated in northern Greece and central Italy as well as the isolates obtained from the wild C. avellana trees grown near the cultivated hazelnut orchards. Group B includes strains previously isolated in northern, southern and other areas of central Italy as well as the isolates obtained from C. avellana wild trees showing twig dieback. Control measures should be taken to avoid the spread of bacterial canker of hazelnut in the forests of central Italy. [source] Rapid identification of pseudomonas avellanae field isolates, causing hazelnut decline in central italy, by repetitive PCR genomic fingerprintingJOURNAL OF PHYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 3 2000M. Scortichini Pseudomonas avellanae is the main cause of hazelnut (Corylus avellana L.) decline, the so called ,moria', in central Italy where it has already killed more than 30 000 trees. Its current identification is very long requiring biochemical, physiological and nutritional tests as well as pathogenicity tests and takes not less than 6 months for its completion. In the present study the reliability of the repetitive polymerase chain reaction (rep-PCR) technique for a rapid and accurate identification of such a pathogen was compared with the traditional identification method. In order to assess the variability of the pathogen, REP, BOX and ERIC primer sets were used in preliminary work to generate genomic fingerprints of 60 P. avellanae reference strains previously isolated from different areas of hazelnut cultivation. ERIC primers yielded the most discriminative clustering of strains that were grouped according to their geographic origin. Sixty field isolates collected from hazelnut orchards of central Italy, planted with different cultivars, during the years 1996,98 were submitted to either the traditional identification methods or to rep-PCR by using ERIC primers. The latter technique accurately identified all the isolates that were also identified by the traditional methods. Whole-cell protein analysis by means of sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis confirmed this achievement. Rep-PCR can be successfully adopted for the rapid and accurate identification of P. avellanae in central Italy and it constitutes a very useful tool for the sanitation of the area. Zusammenfassung Eine schnelle Bestimmung von Pseudomonas avellanae -Feldisolaten, dem Erreger einer HaselnuIapoplexie in Zentralitalien, durch rep-PCR genomisches Fingerprinting [source] LOCAL GROWTH CONTROL AT THE BALLOT BOX: REAL EFFECTS OR SYMBOLIC POLITICS?JOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 2 2007MAI THI NGUYEN ABSTRACT:,Growth control regulations are pervasive in local jurisdictions throughout the United States; yet there is still much uncertainty about their effectiveness in slowing down or halting growth. Moreover, there is considerable debate over whether there are unintended (or sometimes intended) exclusionary consequences that disproportionately affect minority and low-income populations. Employing multiple regression analyses, this study examines the effects of growth control ballot measures, adopted by voters, on housing growth and sociodemographic change in local jurisdictions. The findings from the multiple regression analyses reveal that cities in which growth controls were adopted at the ballot box do have slower rates of housing growth. There is also evidence that ballot box growth controls reduce growth in Hispanic and lower-income populations. Overall, the results from this study suggest that the adoption of ballot box growth controls is not merely "symbolic politics," but has real measurable consequences on housing growth. Unfortunately, growth controls adopted by the ballot box may also contribute to the sociospatial segregation of cities by race/ethnicity and income. [source] Beyond the Black Box of Demography: board processes and task effectiveness within Italian firmsCORPORATE GOVERNANCE, Issue 5 2007Fabio Zona In this paper we analyse boards of directors as workgroups, i.e. groups of people that perform one or more tasks within an organisational context. Building on previous studies, we developed a model that relates group's social-psychological processes to three different board tasks: service, monitoring and networking. We tested our model through a survey on 301 large manufacturing firms in Italy. Our findings support the idea that (a) process variables and, to a limited extent, demographic variables significantly influence board task performance; (b) board processes have a different impact on each specific board task; (c) board task performance varies depending upon firm and industry characteristics. [source] Stakeholders in Comprehensive Validation of Standards-Based Assessments: A CommentaryEDUCATIONAL MEASUREMENT: ISSUES AND PRACTICE, Issue 1 2002Linda Crocker Linda Cracker is a Professor of Educational Psychology, University ofFlorida, P.O. Box 11 7047 Gainesville, FL 32611-7043. Her areas of specialization are assessment development, validation, and test-taking behavior. [source] Use of chemometric methodology in optimizing conditions for competitive binding partial filling affinity capillary electrophoresisELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 16 2008Ruth E. Montes Abstract This work expands the knowledge of the use of chemometric response surface methodology (RSM) in optimizing conditions for competitive binding partial filling ACE (PFACE). Specifically, RSM in the form of a Box,Behnken design was implemented in flow-through PFACE (FTPFACE) to effectively predict the significance of injection time, voltage, and neutral ligand (neutral arylsulfonamide) concentration, [Lo], on protein,neutral ligand binding. Statistical analysis results were used to create a model for response surface prediction via contour and surface plots at a given maximum response (,RMTR) to reach a targeted Kb,=,2.50×106,M,1. The adequacy of the model was then validated by experimental runs at the optimal predicted solution (injection time,=,2.3,min, voltage,=,11.6,kV, [Lo],=,1.4,,M). The achieved results greatly extend the usefulness of chemometrics in ACE and provide a valuable statistical tool for the study of other receptor,ligand combinations. [source] Implementation of chemometric methodology in ACE: Predictive investigation of protein,ligand bindingELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 16 2007Grady Hanrahan Abstract An ACE predictive investigation of protein,ligand binding using a highly effective chemometric response surface design technique is presented. Here, Kd was estimated using one noninteracting standard which relates to changes in the electrophoretic mobility of carbonic anhydrase B (CAB, EC 4.2.1.1) on complexation with the ligand 4-carboxybenzenesulfonamide (CBSA) present in the electrophoresis buffer. Experimental factors including injection time, capillary length, and applied voltage were selected and tested at three levels in a Box,Behnken design. Statistical analysis results were used to create a mathematical model for response surface prediction via contour and surface plots at a given target response (Kd,=,1.19×10,6,M). As expected, there were a number of predicted solutions that reached our target response based on the significance of each factor at appropriate levels. The adequacy of the model was validated by experimental runs with the predicted model solution (capillary length,=,47,cm, voltage,=,11,kV, injection time,=,0.01,min) presented in detail as an example. [source] Alcohol consumption and liver cirrhosis mortality with and without mention of alcohol,the case of CanadaADDICTION, Issue 9 2003Mats Ramstedt ABSTRACT Aims, To analyse post-war variations in per capita alcohol consumption in relation to gender-specific liver cirrhosis mortality in Canadian provinces and to assess the extent to which alcohol bears a different relation to cirrhosis deaths with mention of alcohol (alcoholic cirrhosis) compared to cirrhosis deaths without mention of alcohol (non-alcoholic cirrhosis). Data and method, Annual liver cirrhosis mortality rates by 5-year age groups were converted into gender-specific and age-adjusted mortality rates. Outcome measures included total cirrhosis,the conventional measure of liver cirrhosis,alcoholic cirrhosis and non-alcoholic cirrhosis. Per capita alcohol consumption was measured by alcohol sales and weighted with a 10-year distributed lag model. A graphical analysis was used to examine the regional relationship and the Box,Jenkins technique for time-series analysis was used to estimate the temporal relationship. Findings, Geographical variations in alcohol consumption corresponded to variations in total liver cirrhosis and particularly alcoholic cirrhosis, whereas non-alcoholic cirrhosis rates were not associated geographically with alcohol consumption. In general, for all provinces, time-series analyses revealed positive and statistically significant effects of changes in alcohol consumption on cirrhosis mortality. In Canada at large, a 1-litre increase in per capita consumption was associated with a 17% increase in male total cirrhosis rates and a 13% increase in female total cirrhosis rates. Alcohol consumption had a stronger impact on alcoholic cirrhosis, which increased by fully 30% per litre increase in alcohol per capita for men and women. Although the effect on the non-alcoholic cirrhosis rate was weaker (12% for men and 7% for women) it was nevertheless statistically significant and suggests that a large proportion of these deaths may actually be alcohol-related. Conclusions, Some well-established findings in alcohol research were confirmed by the Canadian experience: per capita alcohol consumption is related closely to death rates from liver cirrhosis and alcohol-related deaths tend to be under-reported in mortality statistics. [source] Do Developing Countries Need a Development Box?EUROCHOICES, Issue 2 2003Jonathan Brooks Summary Do Developing Countries Need a Development Box? Developing country proposals for a Development Box focus on changes to WTO rules on agricultural trade that would enable them to address more effectively their objectives related to food security, poverty alleviation and economic development. Yet, there are few instances where developing countries have been constrained in the policies they can adopt. This does not mean that demands for a Development Box are pointless, for if the next WTO agreement is to have a real impact on rates of protection, there will be a need for tighter commitments in both developed and developing countries. Hence proposals for a Development Box can be seen as an insurance policy, given the prospect of deeper multilateral reforms. There is a strong case for easier access to safeguards, under which developing countries could temporarily apply higher tariffs on food security crops when world prices are depressed below threshold levels. There may be an economic justification for expanding the types of domestic support measures that developing countries can employ, in those rare cases where policies would otherwise be constrained. However, these demands should not constrain progress on the most important issue; namely, how OECD countries can do more for developing countries through improvements in market access, the elimination of explicit and implicit export subsidies, and reductions in trade-distorting domestic support. Faut-il une boite spéciale pour le développement ? Les propositions des pays en développement en vue ?établir une ,boîte pour le développement'à,OMC sont centrées sur ,idée qu'il convient de modifier les règies du commerce international agricole, afin de leur permettre ?aborder de façon plus efflcace leurs problèmes spécifiques de sécurité alimentaire, de réduction de la pauvreté et de développement économique. Pourtant, il existe peu ?exemples de situations dans lesquelles un pays en développement ait pu être gêné dans ,adoption ?une politique particulière. Cela ne veut pas dire qu'une boîte pour le développement soit inutile: si le prochain accord à,OMC doit avoir un effet réel sur les taux de protection, des engagements encore plus stricts seront nécessaires de la part, aussi bien des pays en développement que des pays développés. II en résulte que les propositions en vue ?une ,boîte pour le développement' peuvent être considérées comme une politique ?assurance, dans ,optique de réformes multilatérales plus approfondies. II y a des raisons sérieuses pour faciliter le recours aux clauses de sauvegarde, grâce auxquelles les pays en développement pourraient imposer temporairement des droits plus élevés sur les denrées importantes pour leur sécurité alimentaire lorsque les cours mondiaux descendent en deçà?un certain seuil. Il peut exister une justification économique à,extension des catégories de soutien que les pays en développement peuvent employer, dans les cas peu fréquents où les engagements pris seraient contraignants à cet égard. Mais surtout, il faut que les pays en développement prennent garde à ne pas entraver les progrès dans les domaines vraiment importants, à savoir ce que les pays de ,OCDE peuvent faire pour eux en améliorant ,accès aux marchés, en eliminant les subventions implicites et explicites aux exportations, et en réduisant les mesures de soutien intérieures qui affectent les échanges. Benötigen Entwicklungsländer eine Development Box? Die Vorschläge der Entwicklungsländer für eine Development Box zielen auf Änderungen in den Agrarhandelsvorschriften der WTO ab; es soil ihnen ermöglicht werden, ihre Zdele hinsichtlich der Nahrungsmt-telsicherheit, Armutsbekämpfung und Wirtschaftsentwicklung wirkungsvoller zu verfolgen. Bis heute jedoch wurden die Entwicklungsländer nur in wenigen Fällen bei der Ausgestaltung bestimmter Politikmaßnahmen eingeschränkt. Damit ist nicht gesagt, dass Forderungen nach einer Development Box zwecklos sind, denn wenn sich das kommende WTO-Abkommen tatsächlich auf die Protektionsraten auswirken soil, werden sowohl den entwickelten Ländern als auch den Entwicklungsländern mehr Verpflichtungen abverlangt werden. Daher können Vorschläge für eine Development Box als eine Versicherungspolirik vor dem Hintergrund der Aussicht auf tiefergreifende multilaterale Reformen angesehen werden. Es spricht vieles für einen einfacheren Zugang zu Schutzmaßnahmen, unter denen Entwicklungsländer vorübergehend höhere Zölle auf pflanzliche Erzeugnisse mit Bedeutung für die Nahrungsmittelsicherheit erheben könnten, wenn die Weltpreise unterhalb von Schwellenwerten liegen. Es mag aus ökonomischer Sicht eine Rechtfertigung für die Ausdehnung der inlandischen marktstützenden Maßnahmen geben, welche Entwicklungsländer anwenden dürfen; dies kann sinnvoll sein, wenn andernfalls, allerdings in seltenen Fällen, Politikmaßnahmen eingeschränkt werden müssten. Diese Forderungen sollten den Fortschritt bei den allerwichtigsten Themen jedoch nicht behindern; OECD-Länder können mehr für Entwicklungsländer tun, und zwar durch Verbesserung des Marktzugangs, durch die Abschaffung von expliziten und impliziten Exportsubventionen und durch Kürzungen bei den handelsverzerrenden Inlandssubventionen. [source] Unexpected roles for DEAD-box protein 3 in viral RNA sensing pathwaysEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 4 2010Orla Mulhern Abstract Detection of viral nucleic acid within infected cells is essential to an effective anti-viral response. The retinoic acid-inducible gene-I-like receptors (RLR) form part of the virus detection repertoire and are critically important in sensing viral RNA in the cytoplasm. Efforts continue to define the signalling components downstream of RLR that are required to induce type I IFN (IFN-, and promoter stimulator-1) after viral infection. One surprising finding was that the Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp box helicase DEAD/H Box 3 (DDX3), known for some time to have a number of roles in cellular RNA regulation in the nucleus, has a role in the RLR cytoplasmic signalling pathway involved in promoter stimulator-1 induction. In this issue of the European Journal of Immunology, an article reports an additional distinct positive role for DDX3 in the RLR RNA sensing pathway. This further emphasises the importance of DDX3 in anti-viral immunity, and is consistent with the idea that viruses target DDX3 for immune evasion. [source] Evolutionary transformation of the hominin shoulderEVOLUTIONARY ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 5 2007Susan G. Larson Despite the fact that the shoulder is one of the most extensively studied regions in comparative primate and human anatomy, two recent fossil hominin discoveries have revealed quite unexpected morphology. The first is a humerus of the diminutive fossil hominin from the island of Flores, Homo floresiensis (LB1/50), which displays a very low degree of humeral torsion1, 2 (Fig. 1; see Box 1). Modern humans have a high degree of torsion and, since this is commonly viewed as a derived feature shared with hominoids,3,6 one would expect all fossil hominins to display high humeral torsion. The second is the recently discovered Australopithecus afarensis juvenile scapula DIK-1-1 from Dikika, Ethiopia, which seems to most closely resemble those of gorillas.7 This specimen is the first nearly complete scapula known for an early hominin and, given the close phylogenetic relationship between humans and chimpanzees suggested by molecular studies,8,13 one would have expected more similarity to chimpanzees among extant hominoids. [source] Evolution of the nose and nasal skeleton in primatesEVOLUTIONARY ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 4 2007Timothy D. Smith Abstract One traditional diagnostic feature of the Order Primates is a decreased emphasis on olfaction.1, 2 Some authors attribute this feature only to tarsiers and anthropoids, either through convergence or as a common feature of haplorhines.2,4 Other authors de-emphasize olfaction relative to vision,5,7 which does not necessarily denote olfactory reduction per se. There are lengthy roots to this discussion. The importance of the sense of smell to at least some primates, humans in particular, has long been viewed as secondary to the importance of visual, auditory, and tactile senses. Smell, or olfaction, is viewed as the primitive special sense, the stimuli perceived in an unconscious manner, submerged relative to higher neural functions,1 and a sense that has been increasingly reduced during the course of primate evolution.1,8 Anatomical structures related to olfaction differ profoundly in proportions and complexity between higher taxonomic groups of primates (Haplorhini, Strepsirrhini). These anatomical differences are beyond dispute (Box 1). However, the relationship between the anatomical differences and primate sensory abilities, and hence the validity of using them to group primates into "microsmatic" or "macrosmatic" categories,9, 10 is less clear when we examine the physiological and genetic data on primate olfaction. [source] Why we're still arguing about the Pleistocene occupation of the AmericasEVOLUTIONARY ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 2 2007Nicole M. Waguespack Abstract Although empirical issues surround the when, how, and who questions of New World colonization, much of current debate hinges on theoretical problems because it has become clear that our understanding of New World colonization is not resolute.1 In fact, the central issues of debate have remained essentially unchanged for the last eighty years. The now classic and probably incorrect story of New World colonization begins in Late Pleistocene Siberia, with small a population of foragers migrating across Beringia (,13,500 calendar years before present (CYBP) (Box 1) through an ice-free corridor and traveling through the interior of North America. High mobility and rapid population growth spurred southward expansion into increasingly distant unoccupied regions, culminating in the settlement of the Southern Cone of South America. Armed with the skills and weapons needed to maintain a megafauna-based subsistence strategy, early colonists necessarily had the adaptive flexibility to colonize a diverse array of Pleistocene landscapes. For a time, this scenario seemed well substantiated. The earliest sites in South America were younger than their northern counterparts, fluted artifacts were found across the Americas within a brief temporal window, and projectile points capable of wounding elephant-sized prey were commonly found in association with proboscidean remains. The Bering Land Bridge connecting Asia to Alaska and an ice-free corridor providing passage between the Pleistocene ice masses of Canada seemed to provide a clear route of entry for Clovis colonists. However, recent archeological, paleoenvironmental, biological, and theoretical work largely questions the plausibility of these events. [source] Impact of freshwater input and wind on landings of anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and sardine (Sardina pilchardus) in shelf waters surrounding the Ebre (Ebro) River delta (north-western Mediterranean)FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY, Issue 2 2004J. Lloret Abstract Time series analyses (Box,Jenkins models) were used to study the influence of river runoff and wind mixing index on the productivity of the two most abundant species of small pelagic fish exploited in waters surrounding the Ebre (Ebro) River continental shelf (north-western Mediterranean): anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) and sardine (Sardina pilchardus). River flow and wind were selected because they are known to enhance fertilization and local planktonic production, thus being crucial for the survival of fish larvae. Time series of the two environmental variables and landings of the two species were analysed to extract the trend and seasonality. All series displayed important seasonal and interannual fluctuations. In the long term, landings of anchovy declined while those of sardine increased. At the seasonal scale, landings of anchovy peaked during spring/summer while those of sardine peaked during spring and autumn. Seasonality in landings of anchovy was stronger than in sardine. Concerning the environmental series, monthly average Ebre runoff showed a progressive decline from 1960 until the late 1980s, and the wind mixing index was highest during 1994,96. Within the annual cycle, the minimum river flow occurs from July to October and the wind mixing peaks in winter (December,April, excluding January). The results of the analyses showed a significant correlation between monthly landings of anchovy and freshwater input of the Ebre River during the spawning season of this species (April,August), with a time lag of 12 months. In contrast, monthly landings of sardine were significantly positively correlated with the wind mixing index during the spawning season of this species (November,March), with a lag of 18 months. The results provide evidence of the influence of riverine inputs and wind mixing on the productivity of small pelagic fish in the north-western Mediterranean. The time lags obtained in the relationships stress the importance of river runoff and wind mixing for the early stages of anchovy and sardine, respectively, and their impact on recruitment. [source] Design approach for the hybrid underground station at Union Suare/Market Street in San Francisco.GEOMECHANICS AND TUNNELLING, Issue 4 2009Entwurfskonzept für eine hybride U-Bahnstation Union Square/Market Street in San Francisco Abstract The new Central Subway extension through downtown San Francisco consists of three underground stations and 2.7 km TBMdriven twin tunnel. This paper provides a description of the preliminary analyses and design of the ground support and final lining for the Union Square\Market Street Station (UMS) along Stockton Street. This station will serve the Union Square Shopping District and connect to the BART Powell Street Station. Due to shortage of space above ground and to minimize surface disruption, the UMS station design requires a complex hybrid method consisting of a 20 m deep braced cut-and-cover box with a mined enlargement bulb below it with a height of 9.3 m and a width of 17.8 m. The majority of the UMS station will be excavated in saturated alluvial deposits. Undifferentiated old bay deposits will be encountered in the invert, underlain by dense marine sands. The groundwater varies from 5 to 10 m below ground level, so uplift of the combined bulb/box structure has to be taken into account. The Finite Element (FE) analysis of the UMS station cavern reflects the separate construction phases of the station platform box and the bulb to account for soil-structure interaction and load-sharing effects. FE analyses are used to estimate support requirements including ground improvement and to predict surface settlements. Die Erweiterung der Central Subway durch die Innenstadt von San Francisco beinhaltet drei Stationsbauwerke und 2,7 km maschinell vorgetriebene Doppelröhrentunnel. In diesem Artikel erfolgt eine Beschreibung der Voruntersuchungen und Vorbemessung der Stützmaßnahmen sowie der Innenschale der Union Square\Market Street Station (UMS) im Verlauf der Stockton Street. Diese Station soll dem Union Square Shopping Distrikt dienen und zur BART Powell Street Station verbinden. Aufgrund der beengten Platzverhältnisse und zur Minimierung der Beeinträchtigung der Oberfläche ist ein "hybrides" Konzept der UMS-Station erforderlich. Dieses besteht aus einer 20 m tiefen ausgesteiften Baugrube (Box) und einer darunterliegenden bergmännisch hergestellten Kaverne (Bulb) mit 9,3 m Höhe und 17,8 m Breite. Der Großteil der UMS-Station befindet sich in gesättigten alluvialen Ablagerungen. Undifferenziert werden alte Bucht-Ablagerungen und dichte marine Sande in der Sohle vorgefunden. Der Grundwasserspiegel variiert in einer Teufe zwischen 5 bis 10 m unter der Oberfläche, aus diesem Grund ist der Auftrieb des kombinierten Bauwerks bestehend aus Bulb und Box zu berücksichtigen. In Finite Element (FE) Berechnungen der UMS-Station werden die einzelnen Bauphasen des Stationsbauwerks, sowohl von Box als auch Bulb, modelliert, um die Wechselwirkungen von Baugrund-Bauwerk und die jeweiligen Lastumlagerungen zu berücksichtigen. Mittels FE-Berechnungen werden schließlich die notwendigen Stützmaßnahmen , diese beinhalten auch Bodenverbesserungsmaßnahmen , und die Oberflächensetzungen festgelegt. [source] Tool Box,Headache Web SitesHEADACHE, Issue 2 2009Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Dartmouth Headache Center, Dartmouth Medical School Co-director, Morris Levin MDAssociate Professor of Neurology No abstract is available for this article. [source] Assessing household health expenditure with Box,Cox censoring modelsHEALTH ECONOMICS, Issue 9 2005Jean-Paul Chaze Abstract In order to assess the combined presence of zero expenditures and a heavily skewed distribution of positive expenditures, the Box,Cox transformation with location parameter is used to define a set of models generalising the standard Tobit, Heckman selection and double-hurdle models. Extended flexibility with respect to previous specifications is introduced, notably regarding negative transformation parameters, which may prove necessary for medical expenditures, and corner-solution outcomes. An illustration is provided by the analysis of household health expenditure in Switzerland. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Foxf1 +/, mice exhibit defective stellate cell activation and abnormal liver regeneration following CCl4 injuryHEPATOLOGY, Issue 1 2003Vladimir V. Kalinichenko Previous studies have shown that haploinsufficiency of the splanchnic and septum transversum mesoderm Forkhead Box (Fox) f1 transcriptional factor caused defects in lung and gallbladder development and that Foxf1 heterozygous (+/,) mice exhibited defective lung repair in response to injury. In this study, we show that Foxf1 is expressed in hepatic stellate cells in developing and adult liver, suggesting that a subset of stellate cells originates from septum transversum mesenchyme during mouse embryonic development. Because liver regeneration requires a transient differentiation of stellate cells into myofibroblasts, which secrete type I collagen into the extracellular matrix, we examined Foxf1 +/, liver repair following carbon tetrachloride injury, a known model for stellate cell activation. We found that regenerating Foxf1 +/, liver exhibited defective stellate cell activation following CCl4 liver injury, which was associated with diminished induction of type I collagen, ,,smooth muscle actin, and Notch-2 protein and resulted in severe hepatic apoptosis despite normal cellular proliferation rates. Furthermore, regenerating Foxf1 +/, livers exhibited decreased levels of interferon-inducible protein 10 (IP-10), delayed induction of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) levels, and aberrantly elevated expression of transforming growth factor ,1. In conclusion, Foxf1 +/, mice exhibited abnormal liver repair, diminished activation of hepatic stellate cells, and increased pericentral hepatic apoptosis following CCl4 injury. [source] Predicting river water temperatures using stochastic models: case study of the Moisie River (Québec, Canada)HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES, Issue 1 2007Behrouz Ahmadi-Nedushan Abstract Successful applications of stochastic models for simulating and predicting daily stream temperature have been reported in the literature. These stochastic models have been generally tested on small rivers and have used only air temperature as an exogenous variable. This study investigates the stochastic modelling of daily mean stream water temperatures on the Moisie River, a relatively large unregulated river located in Québec, Canada. The objective of the study is to compare different stochastic approaches previously used on small streams to relate mean daily water temperatures to air temperatures and streamflow indices. Various stochastic approaches are used to model the water temperature residuals, representing short-term variations, which were obtained by subtracting the seasonal components from water temperature time-series. The first three models, a multiple regression, a second-order autoregressive model, and a Box and Jenkins model, used only lagged air temperature residuals as exogenous variables. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) for these models varied between 0·53 and 1·70 °C and the second-order autoregressive model provided the best results. A statistical methodology using best subsets regression is proposed to model the combined effect of discharge and air temperature on stream temperatures. Various streamflow indices were considered as additional independent variables, and models with different number of variables were tested. The results indicated that the best model included relative change in flow as the most important streamflow index. The RMSE for this model was of the order of 0·51 °C, which shows a small improvement over the first three models that did not include streamflow indices. The ridge regression was applied to this model to alleviate the potential statistical inadequacies associated with multicollinearity. The amplitude and sign of the ridge regression coefficients seem to be more in agreement with prior expectations (e.g. positive correlation between water temperature residuals of different lags) and make more physical sense. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Optimisation of the medium composition for production of protease and soybean peptides by Bacillus subtilis SHZ using response surface methodologyINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 7 2008Bo Yu Summary Responses surface methodology was employed to enhance the production of protease and soybean peptides by Bacillus subtilis SHZ. For screening of medium composition significantly influencing protease and soybean peptides yield, the two-level Plackett,Burman design was used. Among thirteen variables tested; KH2PO4, glucose and defatted soybean flour (DSF) were selected based on their high significant effect on both protease activity and soybean peptides yield. Then, a three-level Box,Behnken design was employed to optimise the medium composition for the production of the protease and soybean peptides in submerged fermentation. Mathematical models were then developed to show the effect of each medium composition and their interactions on the production of protease and soybean peptides. The model estimated that, the maximal protease activity (320 ± 1 U mL,1) could be obtained when the concentrations of glucose, KH2PO4, DSF were set at 8,9 g L,1, 2,3 g L,1, 55,65 g L,1, respectively; while a maximal yield of soybean peptides (8.5 ± 0.1 g L,1) could be achieved when the concentrations of glucose, KH2PO4, DSF were set at 7,9 g L,1, 3,4 g L,1 and 55,58 g L,1, respectively. These predicted values were also verified by validation experiments. [source] The effect of drying conditions on the development of the hard-to-cook defect in steam-treated cowpeasINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, Issue 8 2006Nicole S. Affrifah Summary A three-factor,three-level Box,Behnken design was used to evaluate the effect of drying time, temperature and humidity on textural and physicochemical characteristics during storage of steamed cowpeas. The treatment significantly improved cooked texture and prevented hardening during storage under severe conditions (42 °C/80% relative humidity, RH). Before storage, the cooked texture of treated samples was between 535,628 and 602 N for the untreated control, and between 516,649 and 1394 N after storage at 42 °C/80% RH. The peak force of stored cowpeas significantly decreased as the drying temperature increased. Steaming and drying reduced phytase activity to 59,64% of the original activity and decreased phytate content from 0.133% to 0.074,0.105%. Drying time had a significant effect on phytase activity whereas all drying parameters significantly affected phytate concentration and water absorption. The drying conditions applied after steaming significantly influences seed characteristics; therefore, selection of optimum drying conditions may be used to control seed quality, especially texture. [source] The effects of temperature, water activity and pH on the growth of Aeromonas hydrophila and on its subsequent survival in microcosm waterJOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 4 2003M. Sautour Abstract Aims: The influence of temperature, water activity and pH on the growth of Aeromonas hydrophila, and on its survival after transfer in nutrient-poor water were assessed. Methods and Results: Experiments were carried out according to a Box,Behnken matrix at 10,30°C, 0·95,0·99 water activity (aw) and pH 5,9. The effect of each factor on the kinetic parameters of growth (i.e. the maximal specific growth rate, ,max, and the lag time, ,) and on the decline of the bacteria in microcosm water (time to obtain a reduction of 5 log, T5 log) were studied by applying central composite design. Conclusions: The major effect of temperature and water activity on the growth of A. hydrophila was highlighted, whereas the effect of pH in these experimental conditions was not significant. Models describing the effect of environmental parameters on the growth of A. hydrophila were proposed. The effect of the growth environment, and particularly the incubation temperature, have an influence on the survival ability of the bacteria in nutrient-poor water. Significance and Impact of the Study: The Box,Behnken design was well suited to determine the influence of environmental factors on the growth of A. hydrophila and to investigate the effect of previous growth conditions on its survival in microcosm water. [source] Vascular Disease in an Expanding World: Seeking Answers Inside and Outside of the BoxJOURNAL OF CLINICAL HYPERTENSION, Issue 4 2007James A. Sloand MD No abstract is available for this article. [source] Antifungal Activity Stability of Flaxseed Protein Extract Using Response Surface MethodologyJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 1 2008Y. Xu ABSTRACT:, The stability of the antifungal activity of flaxseed (Linum usitatissimum) protein extract was evaluated in this study. Response surface methodology (RSM) using Box,Behnken factorial design was used to evaluate the effects of treatment variables, that is, temperature (50 to 90 °C), time (1 to 29 min), and pH (2 to 8), on the residual antifungal activity (RAA) against Penicillium chrysogenum, Fusarium graminearum, Aspergillus flavus, and a Penicillium sp. isolated from moldy noodles. Regression analyses suggested that the linear terms of the temperature and time had significant (P < 0.05) negative effects on the RAA against all test fungi, whereas that of pH had a significant (P < 0.1) positive role on the RAA of all 3 fungi. In addition, the RAA was significantly (P < 0.05) affected by the quadratic terms of time for all fungi, and the quadratic term of temperature played a significant (P < 0.1) role on RAA against F. graminearum. One interaction term (temperature-pH) was found to significantly (P < 0.1) affect the RAA against both Penicillium strains tested. The results indicated that , 90% antifungal activity was lost after the protein extracts were heated at 90 °C for 8 min except for F. graminearum. At pasteurization condition, , 50% activity was retained except for P. chrysogenum. The results also suggested that neutral and alkaline pH favored the antifungal activity stability of the protein extracts. Thus, flaxseed protein might be promising if used as a preservative in foods with neutral or alkaline pH requiring mild heat treatments. [source] Traditional versus unobserved components methods to forecast quarterly national account aggregatesJOURNAL OF FORECASTING, Issue 2 2007Gustavo A. Marrero Abstract We aim to assess the ability of two alternative forecasting procedures to predict quarterly national account (QNA) aggregates. The application of Box,Jenkins techniques to observed data constitutes the basis of traditional ARIMA and transfer function methods (BJ methods). The alternative procedure exploits the information of unobserved high- and low-frequency components of time series (UC methods). An informal examination of empirical evidence suggests that the relationships between QNA aggregates and coincident indicators are often clearly different for diverse frequencies. Under these circumstances, a Monte Carlo experiment shows that UC methods significantly improve the forecasting accuracy of BJ procedures if coincident indicators play an important role in such predictions. Otherwise (i.e., under univariate procedures), BJ methods tend to be more accurate than the UC alternative, although the differences are small. We illustrate these findings with several applications from the Spanish economy with regard to industrial production, private consumption, business investment and exports.,,Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A non-Gaussian generalization of the Airline model for robust seasonal adjustmentJOURNAL OF FORECASTING, Issue 5 2006JOHN A. D. ASTON Abstract In their seminal book Time Series Analysis: Forecasting and Control, Box and Jenkins (1976) introduce the Airline model, which is still routinely used for the modelling of economic seasonal time series. The Airline model is for a differenced time series (in levels and seasons) and constitutes a linear moving average of lagged Gaussian disturbances which depends on two coefficients and a fixed variance. In this paper a novel approach to seasonal adjustment is developed that is based on the Airline model and that accounts for outliers and breaks in time series. For this purpose we consider the canonical representation of the Airline model. It takes the model as a sum of trend, seasonal and irregular (unobserved) components which are uniquely identified as a result of the canonical decomposition. The resulting unobserved components time series model is extended by components that allow for outliers and breaks. When all components depend on Gaussian disturbances, the model can be cast in state space form and the Kalman filter can compute the exact log-likelihood function. Related filtering and smoothing algorithms can be used to compute minimum mean squared error estimates of the unobserved components. However, the outlier and break components typically rely on heavy-tailed densities such as the t or the mixture of normals. For this class of non-Gaussian models, Monte Carlo simulation techniques will be used for estimation, signal extraction and seasonal adjustment. This robust approach to seasonal adjustment allows outliers to be accounted for, while keeping the underlying structures that are currently used to aid reporting of economic time series data.,,Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||