Genetic dissection of a behavioral quantitative trait locus shows that Rgs2 modulates anxiety in mice

Here we present a strategy to determine the genetic basis of variance in complex phenotypes that arise from natural, as opposed to induced, genetic variation in mice. We show that a commercially available strain of outbred mice, MF1, can be treated as an ultrafine mosaic of standard inbred strains and accordingly used to dissect a known quantitative trait locus influencing anxiety. We also show that this locus can be subdivided into three regions, one of which contains Rgs2, which encodes a regulator of G protein signaling. We then use quantitative complementation to show that Rgs2 is a quantitative trait gene. This combined genetic and functional approach should be applicable to the analysis of any quantitative trait.     

Gorenstein平坦预包络和预解式

我们在［７］中引进了Ｇｏｒｅｎｓｔｅｉｎ平坦模。本文将这类模的刻画推广到任意ｎ－Ｇｏｒｅｎｓｔｅｉｎ环上，并利用这类模刻画了ｎ－Ｇｏｒｅｓｔｅｉｎ环。而且，我们证明了任意ｎ－Ｇｏｒｅｎｓｔｅｉｎ环上Ｇｏｒｅｎｓｔｅｉｎ平坦预包络的存在性，并证得得这种环关于Ｇｏｒｅｎｓｔｅｉｎ平坦模的内射类的整体维数至多为ｎ－２，当ｎ≤１时，该整体维数为零。     

Regional econometric income forecast accuracy

Econometric prediction accuracy for personal income forecasts is examined for a region of the United States. Previously published regional structural equation model (RSEM) forecasts exist ex ante for the state of New Mexico and its three largest metropolitan statistical areas: Albuquerque, Las Cruces and Santa Fe. Quarterly data between 1983 and 2000 are utilized at the state level. For Albuquerque, annual data from 1983 through 1999 are used. For Las Cruces and Santa Fe, annual data from 1990 through 1999 are employed. Univariate time series, vector autoregressions and random walks are used as the comparison criteria against structural equation simulations. Results indicate that ex ante RSEM forecasts achieved higher accuracy than those simulations associated with univariate ARIMA and random walk benchmarks for the state of New Mexico. The track records of the structural econometric models for Albuquerque, Las Cruces and Santa Fe are less impressive. In some cases, VAR benchmarks prove more reliable than RSEM income forecasts. In other cases, the RSEM forecasts are less accurate than random walk alternatives. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A demographic statistics service for the 21st century

This article provides a summary of a review of the uses made of population and household statistics across government in England and Wales, setting out the policy and statistical impacts of demographic change. It looks at the broad span of government uses of population and household statistics--and what these uses imply for the qualities inherent in these statistics. The article considers alternative population definitions and refers to several ongoing projects that are aiming to enhance demographic statistics in England and Wales. Following an analysis of the key issues relating to the implementation of an improved statistical service, a series of action points for ONS emerging from the review is set out.     

Direct observation of the alignment of ferromagnetic spins by antiferromagnetic spins

The arrangement of spins at interfaces in a layered magnetic material often has an important effect on the properties of the material. One example of this is the directional coupling between the spins in an antiferromagnet and those in an adjacent ferromagnet, an effect first discovered in 1956 and referred to as exchange bias. Because of its technological importance for the development of advanced devices such as magnetic read heads and magnetic memory cells, this phenomenon has received much attention. Despite extensive studies, however, exchange bias is still poorly understood, largely due to the lack of techniques capable of providing detailed information about the arrangement of magnetic moments near interfaces. Here we present polarization-dependent X-ray magnetic dichroism spectro-microscopy that reveals the micromagnetic structure on both sides of a ferromagnetic-antiferromagnetic interface. Images of thin ferromagnetic Co films grown on antiferromagnetic LaFeO3 show a direct link between the arrangement of spins in each material. Remanent hysteresis loops, recorded for individual ferromagnetic domains, show a local exchange bias. Our results imply that the alignment of the ferromagnetic spins is determined, domain by domain, by the spin directions in the underlying antiferromagnetic layer.     

Assessing the historical accuracy of regional economic forecasts

This study addresses for the first time systematic evaluation of a widely used class of forecasts, regional economic forecasts. Ex ante regional structural equation model forecasts are analysed for 19 metropolitan areas. One- to ten-quarter-ahead forecasts are considered and the seven-year sample spans a complete business cycle. Counter to previous speculation in the literature, (1) dependency on macroeconomic forecasting model inputs does not substantially erode accuracy relative to univariate extrapolative methodologies and (2) stochastic time series models do not on average, yield more accurate regional economic predictions than structural models. Similar to findings in other studies, clear preferences among extrapolative methodologies do not emerge. Most general conclusions, however, are subject to caveats based on step-length effects and region-specific effects.