Neurosyphilis presenting with papillitis

Syphilis is one of the oldest described infectious diseases in the world and is caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum[1]. Although now a rare disease, incidence is increasing with the number of diagnoses of the disease rising in England from 1688 to 2713 between 2003 and 2012 (a 61% increase)[2]. Major outbreaks of syphilis have been documented in London, Manchester, Dublin, and Brighton particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM)[3]. Diagnosis remains difficult on account of multi-system symptoms, duration of the condition, and social stigma

Optimization of leaf morphology in relation to leaf water status: A theory.

The leaf economic traits such as leaf area, maximum carbon assimilation rate, and venation are all correlated and related to water availability. Furthermore, leaves are often broad and large in humid areas and narrower in arid/semiarid and hot and cold areas. We use optimization theory to explain these patterns. We have created a constrained optimization leaf model linking leaf shape to vein structure that is integrated into coupled transpiration and carbon assimilation processes. The model maximizes net leaf carbon gain (NPPleaf) over the loss of xylem water potential. Modeled relations between leaf traits are consistent with empirically observed patterns. As the results of the leaf shape-venation relation, our model further predicts that a broadleaf has overall higher NPPleaf compared to a narrowleaf. In addition, a broadleaf has a lower stomatal resistance compared to a narrowleaf under the same level of constraint. With the same leaf area, a broadleaf will have, on average, larger conduits and lower total leaf xylem resistance and thus be more efficient in water transportation but less resistant to cavitation. By linking venation structure to leaf shape and using water potential as the constraint, our model provides a physical explanation for the general pattern of the covariance of leaf traits through the safety-efficiency trade-off of leaf hydraulic design

unWISE tomography of Planck CMB lensing

MB lensing tomography, or the cross-correlation between CMB lensing maps and large-scale structure tracers over a well-defined redshift range, has the potential to map the amplitude and growth of structure over cosmic time, provide some of the most stringent tests of gravity, and break important degeneracies between cosmological parameters. In this work, we use the unWISE galaxy catalog to provide three samples at median redshifts $z \sim 0.6, 1.1$ and 1.5, fully spanning the Dark Energy dominated era, together with the most recent Planck CMB lensing maps. We obtain a combined cross-correlation significance $S/N = 79.3$ over the range of scales $100 < \ell < 1000$. We measure the redshift distribution of unWISE sources by a combination of cross-matching with the COSMOS photometric catalog and cross-correlation with BOSS galaxies and quasars and eBOSS quasars. We also show that magnification bias must be included in our analysis and perform a number of null tests. In a companion paper, we explore the derived cosmological parameters by modeling the non-linearities and propagating the redshift distribution uncertainties.Comment: 51 pages, 22 figures. Comments welcome! Revisions reflect version accepted by JCA

Utilizing Ground-Based LIDAR Measurements to Aid Autonomous Airdrop Systems

Uncertainty in atmospheric winds represents one of the primary sources of landing error in airdrop systems. In this work, a ground-based LIDAR system samples the wind field at discrete points above the target and transmits real-time data to approaching autonomous airdrop systems. In simulation and experimentation, the inclusion of a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system showed a maximum of 40% improvement over unaided autonomous airdrop systems. Wind information nearest ground level has the largest impact on improving accuracy

Proper Function, Natural Reason, and Evils as Extrinsic Goods

This is a paper about God, evil, and the soul-making theodicy. Too often we pair together this theodicy with various liberal philosophical theologians (e.g. John Hick), and miss the importance of the rich resources that we find in the theodicy itself. I would like to propose that we not overlook the continuing importance of this theodical method, for this method or approach to theodicy seems squarely in line, in its essential parts, with the New Testament conception of the development of Christian character and the theological virtue of hope. Consider Paul\u27s sentiment in the Book of Romans

Dissolved deconfinement: Phase Structure of large N gauge theories with fundamental matter

A class of large N SU(N) gauge theories on a compact manifold S^3 X R (with possible inclusion of adjoint matter) is known to show first order deconfinement transition at the deconfinement temperature. This includes the familiar example of pure YM theory and N=4 SYM theory. Here we study the effect of introduction of N_f fundamental matter fields in the phase diagram of the above mentioned gauge theories at small coupling and in the limit of large N and finite N_f/N. We find some interesting features like the termination of the line of first order deconfinement phase transition at a critical point as the ratio N_f/N is increased and absence of deconfinement transition thereafter (there is only a smooth crossover). This result may have some implication for QCD, which unlike a pure gauge theory does not show a first order deconfinement transition and only displays a smooth crossover at the transition temperature.Comment: 22 pages, 19 figures, revtex4. Updated formattin

Welfare Reform in Agricultural California

When welfare reforms were enacted in 1996, a higher than average percentage of residents in the agricultural heartland of California, the San Joaquin Valley, received cash assistance. Average annual unemployment rates during the 1990s ranged from 12% to 20%, and 15% to 20% of residents in major farming counties received cash benefits. This analysis develops and estimates a two-equation cross-sectionally correlated and timewise autoregressive model to test the hypothesis that in agricultural areas, seasonal work, low earnings, and high unemployment, as well as few entry-level jobs that offer wages and benefits equivalent to welfare benefits, promote welfare use and limit the potential of local labor markets to absorb ex-welfare recipients.cross-sectionally correlated and timewise autoregressive model, farm workers, immigration, welfare reform, Public Economics,

How does the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) affect Central America?

Most Central American economies experienced slower growth in the 1980s than in the 1960s and 1970s, trailing far behind the Asian Tigers. Contributing to slow growth were severe external shocks, sizable macroeconomic disturbances, and widespread political instability. The challenges Central America faces now may be even greater, conclude the authors, because of Mexican liberalization, continuing instability of the real exchange rate, low savings rates, and, finally, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Improvements in per capita income are closely linked with exports to North America of labor-intensive manufactures. Earnings from the export of tropical agricultural products are important, but the Central American labor force is unlikely to earn higher wagers unless countries diversify more into manufacturing. The Asian Tigers began their economic miracles by shifting into such labor-intensive manufactures as apparel and footwear, which they could export to a vast high-wage market. But the US market for such exports is now more crowded and threatens to become more so, with exports from China and other very low-wage countries. With Asian competition hurting Central America's chances, it could be said that wages in Central America are set in Beijing, not in San Jose. The authors examine the critical drivers of Central America's future competitiveness: economic liberalization, uncertainty about the real exchange rate, distance from key markets, savings rates and NAFTA. Central American economies have low wage rates, and considerable advantage of location over Asia in selling in North American markets, especially Mexico. But real exchange rates in Central America are more unpredictable than those in Asian countries. Central America faces a chicken-and-egg problem. To stabilize its terms of trade, it must expand exports of manufactures. But instability in the terms of trade deters the investments that would lead to expanded exports of manufactures. By greatly increasong Mexico's attractiveness to foreign investors, NAFTA could be the straw that breaks the camel's back, as far as Central America is concerned. For this reason, the governments of Central America need to do all in their power to increase domestic savings and reduce investment risks. Exchange rate stabilization should be carried out obviously with appropriate macroeconomic policies -- but also by encouraging exports of labor-intensive manufactures with appropriate incentives, supporting infrastructure and educational investments. The key conclusion is that the future of Central America rests importantly on exports to Mexico, a market today which is pretty much untapped. Investments in transportation infrastructure that can facilitate this emerging trade are likely to have very large payoffs for the Central American economies.Trade Policy,Economic Theory&Research,Environmental Economics&Policies,Labor Policies,Banks&Banking Reform,Environmental Economics&Policies,TF054105-DONOR FUNDED OPERATION ADMINISTRATION FEE INCOME AND EXPENSE ACCOUNT,Economic Growth,Banks&Banking Reform,Economic Theory&Research

A Multiwavelength View at the Heart of the Superwind in NGC 253

Here we present new optical data from the Hubble Space Telescope of the NGC 253 central region, which reveal numerous discrete sources in a ring--like structure. This is combined with data at infrared, millimeter, radio and X-ray wavelengths to examine the nature of these discrete sources and the nucleus itself. We find that the majority of optical/IR/mm sources are young star clusters which trace out a ~50 pc ring, that defines the inner edge of a cold gas torus. This reservoir of cold gas has probably been created by gas inflow from a larger scale bar and deposited at the inner Lindblad resonance. The family of compact radio sources lie interior to the starburst ring, and in general do not have optical or IR counterparts. They are mostly SNRs. The radio nucleus, which is probably an AGN, lies near the centre of the ring. The X-ray emission from the nuclear source is extended in the ROSAT HRI detector indicating that not all of the X-ray emission can be associated with the AGN. The lack of X-ray variability and the flat radio spectrum of the nucleus, argues against an ultraluminous SN as the dominant energetic source at the galaxy core. The diffuse emission associated with the outflowing superwind is present in the central region on a size scale consistent with the idea of collimation by the gas torus.Comment: 26 pages, Latex, 6 figures, 4 tables, submitted to MNRA