Telecommunications,cities and technological opportunism

The advent of telecommunications and the emergence of the information age have given rise to great expectations regarding urban change. The paper examines the assumptions underlying the claims for change and distinguishes between processes which may alter the structure of the city and those which change the functions of cities. In the former, it examines the assumptions underlying the decentralization-concentration hypotheses, suggesting that there is no deterministic effect of telecommunications, and that the structure of cities is largely affected by the persistent need for physical transport. Telecommunications can be used by agents to exercise greater flexibility in location decisions. At the global scale, the emergence of the world cities is facilitated by telecommunications, but only few cities are likely to gain this status. The effects of telecommunications on urban form and function are mostly the result of opportunities seized by individual agents and not by deterministic or naive policy approaches.     

On the Mechanisms of MoS2-Film Failure in Sliding Friction

The effect of oxygen on the life expectancy of a run-in molybdenum disulfide film under heavy load has been studied. Tested in argon, with only small quantities of oxygen present, the smooth running period is increased by at least two decades as compared to a test in oxygen.

Blister formation is an important phase in the gradual destruction of the lubricant film. Blisters of submicroscopic size can be traced with the electron microscope, and in the presence of oxygen macroscopic blisters are rapidly formed; their further history has been followed by cine-film. Oxygen promotes sintering of the individual particles 10 a continuous, smooth, and therefore highly reflective lubricant layer. This process is an essential condition for blistering.

No wear occurs during the smooth running period of MoS₂ lubrication. Graphite differs from MoS₂ in this respect and in its much lower load-carrying capacity. The cine-film of graphite-lubricated surfaces indicated a rougher surface and the formation of smaller blisters. On addition of graphite to MoS₂, a sudden change in surface features occurs within narrow limits of graphite concentration. It seems that the addition of 15% by weight of graphite increases the total life expectancy of the MoS₂ film, but reduces the length Of the smooth running period.     

Anti‐urban ideologies and planning in France and Switzerland: Jean‐François Gravier and Armin Meili

Jean‐François Gravier and Armin Meili were two leading pioneers of planning in France and Switzerland. Gravier was the famous author of Paris et le désert français, first published in 1947; Meili was the author of the first national conception of planning in Switzerland and was very active in planning policy in the 1940s. Each has deeply influenced the implementation of planning policy in his country and both have constructed their theories around a criticism of the city: Paris for Gravier; big cities, in general, for Meili.

This paper first describes the recurrent critiques of the city in the thoughts of these authors. From sterility to unhealthiness, they combine moral and physical criticisms. Although they belong to different countries and different political cultures, their thoughts take root in surprisingly common backgrounds based on the strength of ruralism and the political context of fascism. Finally, an analysis of their similar propositions concerning town and country planning policies is offered. The lessons of Gravier and Meili are based on different myths which the article will attempt to analyse.     

Spurious consensus and opinion revision: Why might people be more confident in their less accurate judgments?

In the interest of improving their decision making, individuals revise their opinions on the basis of samples of opinions obtained from others. However, such a revision process may lead decision makers to experience greater confidence in their less accurate judgments. The authors theorize that people tend to underestimate the informative value of independently drawn opinions, if these appear to conflict with one another, yet place some confidence even in the spurious consensus, which may arise when opinions are sampled interdependently. The experimental task involved people's revision of their opinions (caloric estimates of foods) on the basis of advice. The method of sampling the advisory opinions (independent or interdependent) was the main factor. The results reveal a dissociation between confidence and accuracy. A theoretical underlying mechanism is suggested whereby people attend to consensus (consistency) cues at the expense of information on interdependence. Implications for belief updating and for individual and group decisions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Salivary Outer Membrane Vesicles and DNA Methylation of Small Extracellular Vesicles as Biomarkers for Periodontal Status: A Pilot Study

Periodontitis is an inflammatory disease, associated with a microbial dysbiosis. Early detection using salivary small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) biomarkers may facilitate timely prevention. sEVs derived from different species (i.e., humans, bacteria) are expected to circulate in saliva. This pilot study recruited 22 participants (seven periodontal healthy, seven gingivitis and eight periodontitis) and salivary sEVs were isolated using the size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) method. The healthy, gingivitis and periodontitis groups were compared in terms of salivary sEVs in the CD9+ sEV subpopulation, Gram-negative bacteria-enriched lipopolysaccharide (LPS+) outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) and global DNA methylation pattern of 5-methylcytosine (5mC), 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC) and N6-Methyladenosine (m6dA). It was found that LPS+ OMVs, global 5mC methylation and four periodontal pathogens (T. denticola, E. corrodens, P. gingivalis and F. nucleatum) that secreted OMVs were significantly increased in periodontitis sEVs compared to those from healthy groups. These differences were more pronounced in sEVs than the whole saliva and were more superior in distinguishing periodontitis than gingivitis, in comparison to healthy patients. Of note, global 5mC hypermethylation in salivary sEVs can distinguish periodontitis patients from both healthy controls and gingivitis patients with high sensitivity and specificity (AUC = 1). The research findings suggest that assessing global sEV methylation may be a useful biomarker for periodontitis.     

航行之谷

为了完善鹿特丹港大型ECT器械的运作,多德莱赫特市在其内陆设中转站,作为未来高速火车(HSL)、高速路和河道的节点。这个节点会刺激短途航运和内陆货运的发展。除此之外,平行于HSL的运输通道可以加入多德莱赫特市的路网,取代铁轨。     

Assessment of insulin resistance by a <Superscript>13</Superscript>C glucose breath test: a new tool for early diagnosis and follow-up of high-risk patients

Background/Aims

Insulin resistance (IR) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Current methods for insulin resistance detection are cumbersome, or not sensitive enough for early detection and follow-up. The BreathID^® system can continuously analyse breath samples in real-time at the point-of-care. Here we determined the efficacy of the BreathID^® using the ¹³C-Glucose breath test (GBT) for evaluation of insulin resistance.

Methods

Twenty healthy volunteers were orally administered 75 mg of ¹³C-glucose 1-¹³C. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed immediately; followed by serum glucose and insulin level determinations using GBT. GBT and OGTT were repeated following exercise, which alters insulin resistance levels.

Results

Within-subject correlations of GBT parameters with serum glucose and serum insulin levels were high. Before and after exercise, between-subjects correlations were high between the relative insulin levels and the % dose recoveries at 90 min (PDR 90), and the cumulative PDRs at 60 min (CPDR 60). Pairwise correlations were identified between pre-exercise Homeostasis Model Assessment (HOMA) IR at 90 min and PDR 90; HOMA B (for beta cell function) 120 and CPDR 30; HOMA IR 60 and peak time post-exercise; and HOMA B 150 with PDR 150.

Conclusions

The non-invasive real-time BreathID^® GBT reliably assesses changes in liver glucose metabolism, and the degree of insulin resistance. It may serve as a non-invasive tool for early diagnosis and follow up of patients in high-risk groups.

     

How important is the interfacial chemical bond for electron transport through alkyl chain monolayers?

We show that the electrode/molecule chemical bond does not change the tunneling barrier for charge transport through alkyl chain monolayers sandwiched between Si and Hg electrodes. This observation can be understood if the interfacial bond mainly governs the monolayer's structure, while the electronic states due to molecule-electrode bonding do not contribute significantly to tunneling. Yet, the nature of the bond affects the Schottky barrier inside the semiconductor due to changes in the interface dipole.