bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fermented goat milk consumption improves cardiovascular health during anemia recovery
Authors: Muñoz Alférez Mª José , Muñoz‐García Alberto , Moreno‐Fernández Jorge , López‐Aliaga Inmaculada , Díaz‐Castro Javier
Published: July 2018

BACKGROUND

Iron (Fe) plays a crucial role in several fundamental processes, including erythropoiesis, cellular metabolism, and in cardiovascular disease. The aim of this work was to contribute to a better understanding of the physiology of and recovery from Fe deficiency by studying how fermented milk consumption affects vascular biomarkers during Fe repletion.

RESULTS

The deleterious cardiovascular biomarkers cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemoattractant 1, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), interleukin‐6, monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), inhibitor of tissue plasminogen activator 1 total, metallopeptidase inhibitor 1 (TIMP‐1), tumor necrosis factor alpha, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), sE‐selectin, and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM‐1) decreased after fermented goat milk consumption in groups of fed animals either with normal Fe or Fe overload with respect to rats fed with fermented cow milk. The beneficial cardiovascular biomarkers caveolin‐1 and adiponectin were higher in both control and anemic rats fed fermented goat milk either with normal Fe or Fe overload with respect to fermented cow milk. Anemia decreased TIMP‐1 in rats fed fermented goat milk with Fe overload, whereas there was increased CTGF and MCP‐1 in animals fed fermented cow milk with either normal or Fe overload. In addition, Fe overload increased VEGF.

CONCLUSION

Fermented goat milk consumption improves hematological status and promotes beneficial metabolic responses, which may attenuate cardiovascular risk factors during anemia recovery and iron overload to lessen the inflammatory response, macrophages activation and atherosclerosis development. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry
Evaluating the effect of diffuse and point source nutrient transfers on water quality in the Kombolcha River Basin, an industrializing Ethiopian catchment
Authors: Zinabu Eskinder , Kelderman Peter , van der Kwast Johannes , Irvine Kenneth
Published: July 2018

Many catchments in sub‐Saharan Africa are subject to multiple pressures, and addressing only point sources from industry does not resolve more widespread diffuse pollution from sediment and nutrient loads. This paper reports on a preliminary study of nutrient transfers into rivers in two catchments in the industrializing city of Kombolcha, North Central Ethiopia. Sampling of rivers and industrial effluents was done over two sampling periods in the wet season of 2013 and 2014. Catchments boundaries and land use map were generated from remote sensing and ground data. Higher total nitrogen (TN) concentrations were found from sub‐catchments with largest agricultural land use, whereas highest total phosphorus (TP) was associated with sub‐catchments with hilly landscapes and forest lands. Emissions from brewery and meat processing were rich in nutrients (median TN: 21–44 mg L−1; TP: 20–58 mg L−1) but contributed on average only 10% (range 4–80%) of the TN and 13% (range 3–25%) of the TP loads. Nutrient concentrations in the rivers exceeded environmental quality standards for aquatic life protection, irrigation, and livestock water supply. In Ethiopia, more than 85% of farmers operate on less than 2 ha of land, with concomitant pressure for more intensive farming. Land is exclusively owned by the State, reducing a sense of land stewardship. As the City of Kombolcha moves to agricultural intensification and increased industrialization, attention is needed to fill gaps in monitoring of nutrient pollution in rivers and use information to reconcile development with land use and its degradation.
Bounded Namba forcing axiom may fail
Authors: Zapletal Jindrich
Published: July 2018

We show that in a σ‐closed forcing extension, the bounded forcing axiom for Namba forcing fails. This answers a question of J. T. Moore.
Single blowup point for a semilinear reaction‐diffusion system
Authors: Zhang Zhengce , Huang Yaodan
Published: July 2018

Throughout this paper, we investigate the blowup set for the semilinear reaction‐diffusion system
urn:x-wiley:0025584X:media:mana201400335:mana201400335-math-0001where and . The initial data and are positive, radially symmetric and decreasing. Under certain assumptions on f and g, we prove that the solution of this system blows up only at the origin. The proof is based on the Friedman–McLeod method, comparison principle and semigroup method.
Complex interpolation with Dirichlet boundary conditions on the half line
Authors: Lindemulder Nick , Meyries Martin , Veraar Mark
Published: July 2018

We prove results on complex interpolation of vector‐valued Sobolev spaces over the half‐line with Dirichlet boundary condition. Motivated by applications in evolution equations, the results are presented for Banach space‐valued Sobolev spaces with a power weight. The proof is based on recent results on pointwise multipliers in Bessel potential spaces, for which we present a new and simpler proof as well. We apply the results to characterize the fractional domain spaces of the first derivative operator on the half line.
There are eight‐element orthogonal exponentials on the spatial Sierpinski gasket
Authors: Wang Qi , Li Jian‐Lin
Published: July 2018

The self‐affine measure corresponding to an expanding matrix and the digit set in the space is supported on the spatial Sierpinski gasket, where are the standard basis of unit column vectors in and . In the case and , it is conjectured that the cardinality of orthogonal exponentials in the Hilbert space is at most “4”, where the number 4 is the best upper bound. That is, all the four‐element sets of orthogonal exponentials are maximal. This conjecture has been proved to be false by giving a class of the five‐element orthogonal exponentials in . In the present paper, we construct a class of the eight‐element orthogonal exponentials in the corresponding Hilbert space to disprove the conjecture. We also illustrate that the constructed sets of orthogonal exponentials are maximal.
New Einstein–Randers metrics on some homogeneous manifolds
Authors: Tan Ju , Xu Na
Published: July 2018

In this article, we find several new non‐Riemannian Einstein–Randers metrics on some homogeneous manifolds arising from the exceptional Lie groups. Based on the discussions about generalized flag manifolds with second Betti number , we firstly prove that there exists Riemannian Einstein metrics on these homogeneous manifolds. Then, we prove that there exists non‐Riemannian Einstein–Randers metrics on these homogeneous manifolds.
Frequency of HLA‐DQ, susceptibility genotypes for celiac disease, in Brazilian newborns
Authors: Almeida Fernanda C. , Gandolfi Lenora , Costa Karina N. , Picanço Marilucia R. A. , Almeida Lucas M. , Nóbrega Yanna K. M. , Pratesi Riccardo , Pratesi Claudia B. , Selleski Nicole
Published: July 2018

Background

The frequency of HLA‐DQ2 and DQ8 predisposing genotypes for celiac disease (CD) has shown significant variation among different world regions and has not been previously determined among the highly interbred Brazilian population. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of these genotypes among Brazilian newborns (NB).

Methods

We typed DQA1*05 ‐ DQB1*02 (DQ2.5) and DQA1*03 ‐ DQB1*03:02 (DQ8) alleles in 329 NB using qPCR technique. Subsequently we confirmed our results by PCR‐SSP using a reference kit which further identified DQ2.2 (DQA1*02:01 ‐ DQB1*02).

Results

Among the 329 NB, using qPCR technique: 5 (1.52%) carried both DQ2.5 and DQ8 variants; 58 (17.63%) carried only DQ2.5 (DQA1*05 and DQB1*02) and 47 (14.29%) carried only the DQ8 (DQA1*03 and DQB1*03:02) variant. The use of the PCR‐SSP method yielded further information; among the 329 samples: 34 (10.34%) tested positive for DQ2.2 and among the 47 previously DQ8 positives samples, we found 10 (3.04%) that also tested positives for DQ2.2.

Conclusion

43.7% of the analyzed individual tested positive for at least one of the CD predisposing HLA‐DQ genotypes in our group of Brazilian NB. The highest frequency was found for DQ2.5 positive subjects (17.6%) followed by DQ8 (11.3%); DQ2.2 (10.3%); DQ8 and DQ2.2 (3.0%); DQ2.5 and DQ8 (1.5%). We found no positive sample for DQ2.5 associated with DQ2.2.
Relationships between healthcare staff characteristics and the conduct of vital signs observations at night: Results of a survey and factor analysis
Authors: Recio‐Saucedo Alejandra , Maruotti Antonello , Griffiths Peter , Smith Gary B , Meredith Paul , Westwood Greta , Fogg Carole , Schmidt Paul
Published: July 2018

Aim

To explore the association of healthcare staff with factors relevant to completing observations at night.

Design

Online survey conducted with registered nurses, midwives, healthcare support staff and student nurses who had worked at least one night shift in a National Health Service hospital in England.

Methods

Exploratory factor analysis and mixed effects regression model adjusting for role, number of night shifts worked, experience and shift patterns.

Results

Survey items were summarized into four factors: (a) workload and resources; (b) prioritization; (c) safety culture; (d) responsibility and control. Staff experience and role were associated with conducting surveillance tasks. Nurses with greater experience associated workload and resources with capacity to complete work at night. Responses of student nurses and midwives showed higher propensity to follow the protocol for conducting observations. Respondents working night shifts either exclusively or occasionally perceived that professional knowledge rather than protocol guided care tasks during night shifts.
Immune profiles of desmoplastic small round cell tumor and synovial sarcoma suggest different immunotherapeutic susceptibility upfront compared to relapse specimens
Authors: Wedekind Mary Frances , Haworth Kellie B. , Arnold Michael , Stanek Joseph R. , Lee Dean , Cripe Timothy P.
Published: July 2018

Background

Desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) and synovial sarcoma are rare tumors with dismal outcomes requiring new therapeutic strategies. Immunotherapies have shown promise in several cancer types, but have not been evaluated in DSRCT and synovial sarcoma. Because the immune microenvironment can provide indications of the inflammatory nature of tumors, immunohistochemical staining is able to assess the tumor immune infiltrates in both tumor types.

Procedure

Using tissue microarrays of DSRCT and synovial sarcoma tumor samples, we detected tumoral HLA‐A/B/C, beta‐2‐microglobulin(B2M), and PD‐L1 expression, and quantified tumor‐infiltrating lymphocytes expressing CD4, CD8, CD56, CD45RO, or FOXP3 by immunohistochemistry. We used staining intensity on a scale of 0–3 and percentage of tumor stained to determine HLA, B2M, and PD‐L1 scores. We calculated the cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) target score as HLA score × B2M score/100.

Results

In diagnostic samples, we found high HLA and CTL target scores and low PD‐L1 expression with decreased scores in recurrence for both tumor types. We found an increase in CD56+ natural killer cells in DSRCT samples from diagnosis to recurrence.

Conclusions

We found similar immunostimulatory profiles in DSRCT and synovial sarcoma. Our findings suggest that DSRCT and synovial sarcoma may be amenable to immunotherapies, albeit there was significant heterogeneity. Interestingly, HLA and CTL target scores decreased at recurrence, possibly reflecting immunoevasion. Our findings suggest both tumor types may be amendable to CTL‐based therapies at diagnosis but less so at relapse. Our results support further investigation into the prognostic and predictive value of these findings in a larger dataset.
Carboplatin and vincristine neurotoxicity in the treatment of pediatric low‐grade gliomas
Authors: Rosca Lorena , Robert‐Boire Viviane , Delisle Jean‐François , Samson Yvan , Perreault Sébastien
Published: July 2018

Background

Pediatric low‐grade gliomas (LGG) represent 30‐50% of central nervous system pediatric tumors. Over the last decades, the combination of carboplatin and vincristine (CV) has become the first line of treatment in most centers. In a large clinical trial where the efficacy of CV was compared to another regimen, 19% presented grade III neurotoxicity. Despite the fact that CV therapy is widely used for pediatric patients with LGG, no study has reported detailed neurological adverse events and outcome with this treatment regimen. The purpose of this retrospective study is to better understand neurotoxicity associated with CV.

Procedure

We conducted a retrospective study to better evaluate the incidence and evolution of neurotoxicity associated with CV in patients with LGG.

Results

Twenty‐one pediatric patients were treated with CV at our single institution over 16 years. Most patients had optic glioma. Peripheral neuropathy was present in most patients (86%). Eight patients (38%) had a dose reduction of vincristine due to grade III toxicity (three motor neuropathies, three sensory neuropathies, one constipation, and one dysphagia). Most neurotoxicity occurred during induction or the first maintenance cycle. No ototoxicity was observed during treatment or follow‐up.

Conclusions

In our study, neurotoxicity with vincristine occurred two times more frequently than in previously published literature. Careful neurological assessment is important to detect neurotoxicity, especially during induction. The high incidence of neurotoxicity should be considered when selecting a chemotherapy regimen for pediatric LGG.
Powers of Hamilton cycles in random graphs and tight Hamilton cycles in random hypergraphs
Authors: Nenadov Rajko , Škorić Nemanja
Published: July 2018

We show that for every there exists C > 0 such that if then asymptotically almost surely the random graph contains the kth power of a Hamilton cycle. This determines the threshold for appearance of the square of a Hamilton cycle up to the logarithmic factor, improving a result of Kühn and Osthus. Moreover, our proof provides a randomized quasi‐polynomial algorithm for finding such powers of cycles. Using similar ideas, we also give a randomized quasi‐polynomial algorithm for finding a tight Hamilton cycle in the random k‐uniform hypergraph for . The proofs are based on the absorbing method and follow the strategy of Kühn and Osthus, and Allen et al. The new ingredient is a general Connecting Lemma which allows us to connect tuples of vertices using arbitrary structures at a nearly optimal value of p. Both the Connecting Lemma and its proof, which is based on Janson's inequality and a greedy embedding strategy, might be of independent interest.
27‐4: Material and Design Optimization to Improve Color Performance of Automobile Displays
Authors: Shi Bo , Zuo Xiongcan , Xue Rui , Yen Kuochang , Qi Xiaojing , Zhang Junrui , Jiang Ni , Feng Yuanming
Published: July 2018

Automobile displays require special color performance, such as dominant wavelengths (λdom) of red, green, and blue (RGB), saturation levels (Sat) of RGB, and white (W) coordinates. In this paper, the authors optimize color filter (CF) resin, backlight unit (BLU), and design parameters for a liquid‐crystal display (LCD) in order to improve color performance without white calibration.
Chemical discrimination of multilayered paint cross sections for potential forensic applications using time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry
Authors: Muramoto Shin , Gillen Greg , Windsor Eric S.
Published: July 2018

Time‐of‐flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS) equipped with a bismuth imaging source and an argon gas cluster ion beam (GCIB) was used to image polished cross‐sections of four automotive multilayer paint samples. Secondary ion mass spectrometry chemical imaging of the individual layers was possible after a GCIB sputter ion dose of (7 × 1015) ions/cm2 was applied for the removal of polishing residue, at which point the chemical composition of the individual clear coats could be distinguished using principal components analysis. For the differentiation of the four clear coat chemistries, only four secondary ion peaks were necessary; C2H5O+ (m/z 45.04), C9H9NO2+ (m/z 163.09), and C10H11NO2+ (m/z 177.10) that appeared to be fragments of the carbamate‐based clear coat, and C7H11+ (m/z 95.09) that was strongly associated with the polyurethane‐based clear coat. Clear identification of the four paint samples based on this short peak list highlights the strength of the SIMS technique as a potential forensic approach to discriminate automotive paints and suggests that many more variables could be included in the multivariate and statistical analysis to differentiate a wider range of clear coat chemistries.
Conductivity Maximum in 3D Graphene Foams
Authors: Liu Feng , Wang Chao , Tang Qiheng
Published: July 2018

In conventional foams, electrical properties often play a secondary role. However, this scenario becomes different for 3D graphene foams (GrFs). In fact, one of the motivations for synthesizing 3D GrFs is to inherit the remarkable electrical properties of individual graphene sheets. Despite immense experimental efforts to study and improve the electrical properties of 3D GrFs, lack of theoretical studies and understanding limits further progress. The causes to this embarrassing situation are identified as the multiple freedoms introduced by graphene sheets and multiscale nature of this problem. In this article, combined with transport modeling and coarse‐grained molecular dynamic (MD) simulations, a theoretical framework is established to systematically study the electrical conducting properties of 3D GrFs with or without deformation. In particular, through large‐scale and massive calculations, a general relation between contact area and conductance for two van der Waals bonded graphene sheets is demonstrated, in terms of which the conductivity maximum phenomenon in GrFs is first theoretically proposed and its competition mechanism is explained. Moreover, the theoretical prediction is consistent with previous experimental observations.
Overhead transmission line outage rate estimation under wind storms
Authors: Liu Yang , Lei Shunbo , Hou Yunhe
Published: July 2018

Wind storms such as hurricanes increase the outage rate of overhead transmission lines and hence can seriously affect the security of power systems. Therefore, it is very important to estimate the overhead transmission line outage rate for a power system that might be jeopardized by wind storms. In this paper, we propose a new method for estimating the outage rate of overhead transmission lines, with two primary advantages. First, the proposed method describes the relationship between the outage rate and the weather factors by a fragility curve customized for overhead transmission lines to ensure that the relationship is precisely represented. Second, the proposed method takes the conductor strength reduction and different physical properties of overhead transmission lines into consideration to increase outage rate estimation accuracy. We test the proposed method by estimating the outage rate of overhead transmission lines in a regional power system based on both historical and simulated wind storms. The test results show that the proposed method generates a more accurate estimation than the conventional approaches. © 2018 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Understanding weather and climate of the last 300 years from ships' logbooks
Authors: García‐Herrera Ricardo , Barriopedro David , Gallego David , Mellado‐Cano Javier , Wheeler Dennis , Wilkinson Clive
Published: July 2018

Ships' logbooks have been preserved in archives of different European countries. This paper reviews how their records provide reliable information relevant to meteorology and climatology, extending the observational record back to at least the early 18th century. This allows describing weather during historical events, improving the knowledge on hurricanes or unveiling multidecadal variability previously unsuspected, such as the steady enhancement of the Australian monsoon, the high variability of the atmospheric circulation over the Euro‐Atlantic region during the Late Maunder Minimum or the relationship between the Western North Pacific Summer Monsoon and the El Niño—Southern Oscillation. Observations from ships can feed long‐term reanalysis projects and contribute to reduce their uncertainties over the oceans. The extended record of observations also aids the search of analogues before the human fingerprint, thus improving the detection and attribution of climate change. The integration with paleoclimate proxies is a complex task that requires merging heterogeneous records with a wide range of time resolutions, spatial density, and responses to the climate system. However, recent international efforts open the field to new opportunities. Summing up, logbooks are a consistent, but underexploited, source of relevant climatic data that will widen our knowledge of the past climate. This in turn provides a way to better understand present climatic variations and predict future changes.

This article is categorized under:

Paleoclimates and Current Trends > Modern Climate Change
On the long‐term prospects of power‐to‐gas technologies
Authors: Ajanovic Amela , Haas Reinhard
Published: July 2018

Electricity generation from variable renewable energy sources such as wind and solar has grown in some countries at such a high rate that long‐term storage becomes relevant. The main rationale of power‐to‐gas (P2G) conversion of excess power is that the capacity of the gas pipelines and gas storage is much higher than that of the electricity transmission lines. This paper investigates the market prospects of hydrogen and methane from P2G conversion as a long‐term electricity storage option. Of specific interest is the future development of investment costs, economies‐of‐scale, the impact of the electricity price, and its distribution as well as possible locations. We conclude that from an economic point‐of‐view, the future prospects of all P2G technologies are much less promising than currently indicated in several papers and discussions. It will become very hard for P2G to compete in the electricity markets despite a high technological learning potential. However, for both hydrogen and methane, there are prospects for use in the transport sector. Already today compressed gas vehicles are by and large competitive.

This article is categorized under:

Concentrating Solar Power > Economics and Policy

Energy Systems Economics > Economics and Policy

Energy Systems Analysis > Systems and Infrastructure

Energy and Transport > Economics and Policy
When civil engagement is part of the problem: Flawed anti-corruptionism in Russia and Ukraine
Authors: Zaloznaya Marina , Reisinger William M. , Claypool Vicki Hesli
Published: July 2018

In developing countries, the fight against corruption entails purges of political and business elites and the restructuring of electoral, financial, and social provision systems, all of which are costly for the incumbents and, therefore, unlikely without sustained pressure from civil society. In the absence of empirical analyses, scholars and practitioners have, therefore, assumes that civil society plays an unequivocally positive role in anticorruptionism. In this article, we challenge this dominant assumption. Instead, we show that, under certain conditions, an engaged non-governmental community may, in fact, undermine the fight against corruption. Using the data from forty interviews with anticorruption practitioners in Ukraine and Russia, as well as primary documentary sources, we present two models of anti-corruptionism whereby active civil engagement produces suboptimal outcomes. One is faux collaboration, defined as a façade of cooperation between the state and civil society, which hides the reality of one-sided reforms. The other model is that of non-collaborative co-presence, whereby the governance role is shared by the government and non-governmental activists without compromise-based solutions. In both cases, civil engagement helps perpetuate abuses of power and subvert such long-term goals of anti-corruption reforms as democratization and effective governance.
Law and Economic Growth in China: A Case-Study of the Stock Market
Authors: ZHANG Zhong
Published: July 2018

It is widely accepted that law is essential for economic growth. Prominent economists in China have repeatedly called for strengthening the legal system so that the economy can continue to grow. Nevertheless, the fact that China has been able to achieve rapid economic growth while the law is weak seems to cast doubt on the significance of law. It is even suggested that China is a counter-example to the importance of law and, more provocatively, it is argued that China’s economy grew rapidly not “in spite of,” but “because of,” weak law. To gain a richer and deeper understanding of law in China’s economic growth, this paper conducts a case-study of China’s stock market by examining its growth history and legal development. It is found that China has built from scratch a complex legal and regulatory system governing the stock market, which actually played a critical role in supporting the growth of the market. However, the trajectory of development was law following market growth, which was in turn caused by ideological and political liberalization. On the other hand, the market did not grow to its full potential and currently it faces serious challenges to fulfil the task of supporting the development of the economy, and the fundamental reason is political and ideological restrictions; likewise, the improvement of law for investor protection has not been sustained, for which similarly politics and ideologies offer an explanation. The experience of the stock market suggests that, while law is indispensable for sustaining China’s economic growth, political and ideological liberalization is fundamental in that it is not only necessary to free up the economy so that it can continue to grow in the first place, but also crucial to further strengthening the whole legal system.
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning in Miami-Dade County Following Hurricane Irma in 2017
Authors: Falise Alyssa M , Griffin Isabel , Fernandez Danielle , Rodriguez Xeniamaria , Moore Emily , Barrera Anne , Suarez Juan , Cutie Lidice , Zhang Guoyan
Published: July 2018

Objective

The Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County (DOH-Miami-Dade) investigated 106 reported carbon monoxide (CO) exposures over a 9-day timeframe after Hurricane Irma. This report evaluates risk factors for CO poisoning and the importance of heightened surveillance following natural disasters.

Methods

Data on CO poisoning cases from September 9 to 18, 2017 were extracted from Merlin, the Florida Department of Health Surveillance System. Medical records were obtained and follow-up interviews were conducted to collect data on the confirmed CO poisoning cases. Data were analyzed using SAS v9.4.

Results

Ninety-one of the 106 people exposed to CO met the case definition for CO poisoning: 64 confirmed, 7 probable, and 20 suspect cases. Eighty-eight percent of the affected individuals were evaluated in emergency departments and 11.7% received hyperbaric oxygen treatment. The most frequently reported symptoms included headache (53.3%), dizziness (50.7%), and nausea (46.7%). Three patients expired due to their exposure to CO.

Conclusions

Post Hurricane Irma, the DOH-Miami-Dade investigated numerous cases for CO exposure. By understanding who is most likely to be impacted by CO and the impact of generators’ location on people’s health, education efforts can be tailored to the population most at risk and further CO exposures and related mortalities following natural disasters can be reduced. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2019;13:94–96)
Repeated compositions of Möbius transformations
Authors: JACQUES MATTHEW , SHORT IAN
Published: July 2018

We consider a class of dynamical systems generated by finite sets of Möbius transformations acting on the unit disc. Compositions of such Möbius transformations give rise to sequences of transformations that are used in the theory of continued fractions. In that theory, the distinction between sequences of limit-point type and sequences of limit-disc type is of central importance. We prove that sequences of limit-disc type only arise in exceptional circumstances, and we give necessary and sufficient conditions for a sequence to be of limit-disc type. We also calculate the Hausdorff dimension of the set of sequences of limit-disc type in some significant cases. Finally, we obtain strong and complete results on the convergence of these dynamical systems.
PLAZAS AND PROCESSIONAL PATHS IN TIWANAKU TEMPLES: DIVERGENCE, CONVERGENCE, AND ENCOUNTER AT OMO M10, MOQUEGUA, PERU
Authors: Goldstein Paul S. , Sitek Matthew J.
Published: July 2018

Reconstructing access patterns, in particular processional and liturgical movement in ceremonial architecture, can illuminate social processes within expansive states. Extensive excavations from 2010–2012 in the uniquely preserved Tiwanaku temple at the Omo M10 site in Moquegua, Peru (ca. AD 500–1100), shed new light on connectedness and access patterns of the temple. Extensive areal excavations confirm past interpretations of a central axial series of doorways and staircases presided over by stelae and U-shaped, altar-like structures leading from public plazas to the sunken court and a central shrine. However, new findings revealed separate lateral pathways through the structure, which suggest liturgical processions to walled patio groups that were isolated from the central axis. We posit that these small patios and their roofed chambers may have functioned as chapels for distinct groups or pluralistic cultic activities that were separate from those of the central axis. Implications for Tiwanaku social structure are studied in light of other examples of triple entryways in Tiwanaku monumental architecture, and Kolata's suggestion of “Taypi” as a structural amalgam of a center and complementary halves, with implications of mediation and bilateral complementarity between ethnicities, genders, moieties, or other pluralistic entities within Tiwanaku state and society.
African colonial soldiers, memories and imagining migration in Senegal in the twenty-first century
Authors: Mourre Martin
Published: July 2018

This article is an attempt to reconsider the representations that, in Senegal in the 2000s, linked the social history of thetirailleurs(African colonial soldiers) with the practical and symbolic processes at the heart of a number of migratory projects, especially among young people. The history of this social military body was rooted in almost a century of colonial domination, from 1857 to 1962. Thetirailleursplayed a part in all the battles of the French army and generated different kinds of social imaginaries that were woven between France and Africa. In the late 1950s, another figure, another ideal type, became established in the Senegalese public space: the migrant. After tracing the history of the way in which these two figures were constructed, I trace how, more recently, the younger generation has been able to mobilize the dominant memory of thetirailleurin its own aspirations of exile. Some preliminary methodological proposals will be needed to account for these migratory imaginaries.
Shifting memories and forced migrations: the Somali Zigula migration to Tanzania
Authors: Declich Francesca
Published: July 2018

Forced migrations, both now and in the past, imply a process of constructing and modifying accounts of past events, which become codified in memories. Memories are constructed to negotiate and reshape identity in the country of arrival. A number of factors interact in this process, some aspects are silenced and others emphasized, and new events may be invented. One of the arguments I make elsewhere is that, along the way, memories of the past, especially if gathered and codified through writing, may lose meanings that are unknown to the people who codify them. Yet, in times of forced migration, certain aspects of the memories re-emerge from the background and gain new relevance. This was the case, for instance, with matriliny and matrilineal names, which were not recognized or emphasized by those who codified certain oral traditions of migrations at specific historical times in written form in Somalia. Yet, in the process of seeking integration in Tanzania after the forced migration caused by the 1992 war in Somalia, these aspects regained their importance in Somali Zigula memories and helped to achieve inclusion in the country of migration. Zigula memories of the past have undergone some changes. The way in which these changes have occurred is not unique: the process of modelling memories of the past that are based on idioms of kinship follows specific patterns that are part of a specific culture of mobility. Based on fieldwork carried out with refugees forced to migrate from southern Somalia to Tanzania in the early 1990s, I show how their collective memories of past events took on newly gendered features when circumstances changed and the main spoken language progressively shifted from Kizigula to Kiswahili.
Animating ‘refugeeness’ through vulnerabilities: worthiness of long-term exile in resettlement claims among Somali refugees in Kenya
Authors: Ikanda Fred Nyongesa
Published: July 2018

Refugees are generally viewed as a transitory problem. In many African countries, however, protracted refugee situations have turned the temporary refugee state into a more or less permanent phenomenon. In this article, I draw on the concept of uncertainty, and on claims that suspicion structures humanitarianism, to examine how long-term residents in Dagahaley refugee camp in Kenya attempted to make themselves worthy of being considered for resettlement. I demonstrate how the incompatibility between the UNHCR's resettlement criteria and Somali refugees’ lived realities provided both sets of actors with a resource: they used understandings of vulnerability as a means for making or denying resettlement claims. Refugeeness is a process of becoming, premised on how earlier arrivals deployed long-term suffering as a justification for being prioritized for resettlement. These dynamics resulted in the emergence of ‘new’ and ‘old’ refugee distinctions through which the meanings of vulnerability were redefined.
Comparison of nutrient profiling models for assessing the nutritional quality of foods: a validation study
Authors: Poon Theresa , Labonté Marie-Ève , Mulligan Christine , Ahmed Mavra , Dickinson Kacie M. , L’Abbé Mary R.
Published: July 2018

Nutrient profiling (NP) is a method for evaluating the healthfulness of foods. Although many NP models exist, most have not been validated. This study aimed to examine the content and construct/convergent validity of five models from different regions: Australia/New Zealand (FSANZ), France (Nutri-Score), Canada (HCST), Europe (EURO) and Americas (PAHO). Using data from the 2013 UofT Food Label Information Program (n15342 foods/beverages), construct/convergent validity was assessed by comparing the classifications of foods determined by each model to a previously validated model, which served as the reference (Ofcom). The parameters assessed included associations (Cochran–Armitage trend test), agreement (κstatistic) and discordant classifications (McNemar’s test). Analyses were conducted across all foods and by food category. On the basis of the nutrients/components considered by each model, all models exhibited moderate content validity. Although positive associations were observed between each model and Ofcom (allPtrend<0·001), agreement with Ofcom was ‘near perfect’ for FSANZ (κ=0·89) and Nutri-Score (κ=0·83), ‘moderate’ for EURO (κ=0·54) and ‘fair’ for PAHO (κ=0·28) and HCST (κ=0·26). There were discordant classifications with Ofcom for 5·3 % (FSANZ), 8·3 % (Nutri-Score), 22·0 % (EURO), 33·4 % (PAHO) and 37·0 % (HCST) of foods (allP<0·001). Construct/convergent validity was confirmed between FSANZ and Nutri-Scorev.Ofcom, and to a lesser extent between EUROv.Ofcom. Numerous incongruencies with Ofcom were identified for HCST and PAHO, which highlights the importance of examining classifications across food categories, the level at which differences between models become apparent. These results may be informative for regulators seeking to adapt and validate existing models for use in country-specific applications.
Existence and Concentration of Positive Solutions for Nonlinear Kirchhoff-Type Problems with a General Critical Nonlinearity
Authors: Zhang Jianjun , Costa David G. , do Ó João Marcos
Published: July 2018

We are concerned with the following Kirchhoff-type equation$$ - \varepsilon ^2M\left( {\varepsilon ^{2 - N}\int_{{\open R}^N} {\vert \nabla u \vert^2{\rm d}x} } \right)\Delta u + V(x)u = f(u),\quad x \in {{\open R}^N},\quad N{\rm \ges }2,$$whereM ∈ C(ℝ+, ℝ+),V ∈ C(ℝN, ℝ+) andf(s) is of critical growth. In this paper, we construct a localized bound state solution concentrating at a local minimum ofVasε → 0 under certain conditions onf(s),MandV. In particular, the monotonicity off(s)/sand the Ambrosetti–Rabinowitz condition are not required.
Stage-specific differential DNA methylation data analysis during human erythropoiesis in chromosome 16
Authors: Garoot Najyah A. , Kim Byung Guk
Published: July 2018

Previous studies have generated controversial findings regarding the correlation between DNA methylation in the human genome and gene expression. Some reports have indicated that promoter methylation is negatively correlated with gene expression levels; however, in some cases, a poor or positive correlation was reported. Most previous findings were based on general trends observed with whole-genome data analysis. Here, we present a novel chromosome-specific statistical analysis design of empirical Bayes differential tests for five phases of erythroid development. To better understand the common methylation patterns of differentially methylated regions (DMRs) during specific stages, we defined differential phases for each CpG locus, based on a maximum log2 fold change. Analyzing hypermethylated and hypomethylated CpG loci separately showed variations in methylation patterns during erythropoiesis in the gene body, promoter and enhancer regions. Hypomethylated DMRs showed stronger associations with erythroid-specific enhancers at the differentiation start phase and with exons in the intermediate phase. To investigate the hypomethylated DMRs further, transcription factor binding site-enrichment analysis was conducted. This analysis highlighted novel transcription factors during each differentiation stage that were not detected by previous differential methylation data analysis. In contrast, hypermethylated DMRs showed a consistent methylation pattern over the different genomic regions. Thus, a closer examination of DNA methylation patterns in a single chromosome during each developmental stage can contribute to verify the association nature between gene expression and DNA methylation.
Common Sense and the Euro
Authors: Lord Hurd of Westwell
Published: July 2018

Paul Seymour (Chairman, SIAS): Can I start this evening by welcoming everybody to this Jubilee Lecture. As I think most of you will know, it is the first in a series that we have laid on at the Staple Inn Actuarial Society for the 150th Anniversary of the profession and we are delighted, as you might imagine, to have Lord Hurd–Douglas Hurd–to start us off in this March lecture. We've got as a guest here Tim Congdon who is going to be speaking in Bristol. I am hoping to get Patrick Minford to speak in Liverpool and we are still trying to get a speaker for Edinburgh. So we have this series going as part of the Staple Inn Actuarial Society's contribution to our 150th Anniversary celebrations. Another part of it, by the way–and I will use this opportunity to plug it–is that we are having a May Ball on 9 May, and I am sure people should mark that date in their diaries because that is another important thing we are doing for the 150th.
Sense and Nonsense About the Single European Currency
Authors: Congdon Tim
Published: July 2018

The project to introduce a single currency is the most daring step so far in European integration. Indeed, it can be correctly described as revolutionary. It is much more far-reaching than previous moves in this direction over the last 15 years, such as the harmonisation of regulations or the ending of exchange controls; it is intended not as an incremental advance, but as a complete transformation of Europe's financial arrangements.

The audacity of the single currency project is the more striking, in that it is a “revolution from above” rather than a “revolution from below”. The driving force has not been popular dissatisfaction with the existing currency arrangements, but the integrationist ambition of certain members of the European élite, particularly the German Chancellor, the French President and the President of the European Commission. (The integrationist ambition appears to attach to the positions ex officio and to be quite unaffected by the particular individuals who currently fill them.) These members of the élite emphasize the political nature of the single currency project, not the economic benefits. For example, Chancellor Kohl has said that European economic and monetary union (EMU) should prevent future wars in Europe.
Europe: A Partnership or a Problem?
Authors: Rifkind Malcolm
Published: July 2018

Dr D C Bowie (President, FASS): Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the Faculty of Actuaries Students' Society, I am delighted to welcome you all here this evening. As you are probably aware, this lecture forms part of the celebrations of the 150th anniversary of the actuarial profession in the United Kingdom, and that is something of which we are all very proud.

The Students' Society itself is of course much younger than that, having been established only in 1920, but I suspect that there are a lot of students who cannot envisage a profession without students, without examinations, and it just seems too idyllic a world really to imagine a profession that did not have students doing battle with those examinations. So I am sure that the Students' Society has been around at least as long–certainly in spirit.
ANALYSING GROUP DIFFERENCES IN INTELLIGENCE USING THE PSYCHOMETRIC META-ANALYTIC METHOD OF CORRELATED VECTORS HYBRID MODEL: A REPLY TO WICHERTS (2018) ATTACKING A STRAWMAN
Authors: te Nijenhuis Jan , van den Hoek Michael
Published: July 2018

Wicherts (2018) criticizes the use of the method of correlated vectors when testing Spearman’s hypothesis. It is argued that Wicherts ignores the psychometric meta-analytic method of correlated vectors hybrid model and so is attacking a strawman.
At War with Water: The Maoist state and the 1954 Yangzi floods
Authors: COURTNEY CHRIS
Published: July 2018

This article offers a critical reappraisal of the Maoist state's response to the 1954 Yangzi floods. It uses a variety of sources, including previously classified government reports and oral history testimony, to challenge the official narrative. It argues that, far from being a remarkable victory for the new government, the flood was a humanitarian catastrophe that caused almost 150,000 deaths. Government hydraulic policies were partly to blame, as the vast majority of disaster victims were located in rural areas that were flooded deliberately in order to protect cities. In addition to revealing the true scale of the flood, this article uses the disaster as a prism to examine the early Maoist state. The government's combative environmental policies turned disaster governance into a war on water. This approach had certain benefits, particularly in terms of organizing an effective urban relief campaign. Unfortunately, campaign politics fostered an atmosphere of distrust, which encouraged many citizens to resist disaster-prevention policies. The example of the 1954 flood reveals the profound impact that a political context can have upon the outcome of a supposedly natural disaster.
Policy Practitioners’ Accounts of Evidence-Based Policy Making: The Case of Universal Credit
Authors: MONAGHAN MARK , INGOLD JO
Published: July 2018

This paper draws on insider accounts from UK Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) officials to analyse the relationship between evidence and policy making at a time of rapid policy development relating to Universal Credit (UC). The paper argues, firstly, that evidence selection within the DWP was constrained by the overarching austerity paradigm, which constituted a Zeitgeist and had a significant bearing on the evidence selection and translation process, sharpening the focus of policy officials and analysts on the primacy of quantitative evidence when advising Ministers. Secondly, while methodological preferences (or an ‘evidence hierarchy’) impacted on evidence selection, this was not as significant as practitioners’ perceived capabilities to handle and develop evidence for policy. These capabilities were linked to departmental structures and constrained by political feasibility. Together, these dimensions constituted a significant filtration mechanism determining the kinds of evidence that were selected for policy development and those omitted, particularly in relation to UC. The paper contributes to debates about the contemporary role of evidence in policymaking and the potential of the relationship between future evidence production and use.
Qualitative exploration of the experiences of informal care-givers for dependent older adults in Mexico City
Authors: Giraldo-Rodríguez Liliana , Guevara-Jaramillo Nathalia , Agudelo-Botero Marcela , Mino-León Dolores , López-Ortega Mariana
Published: July 2018

Population ageing and increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and their consequences, changes in family structure and a decrease in the potential pool of family care, increase the need for formal long-term care for older adults in Mexico, and the need to understand the experiences of informal care-givers and how this impacts their social, family and personal conditions. This study investigates the experience of informal care-givers of dependent older adults using a cross-sectional qualitative study with an ethnographic focus. Thematic analysis was performed. The study comprised 48 semi-structured interviews with care-givers of dependent older adults who are beneficiaries of an in-home medical programme in Mexico City. The average age of care-givers was 54.7 years (standard deviation = 13.1, range = 24–86) and 75 per cent (36) were women. Results show care-giving experiences are diverse and complex, and profoundly affect the care-giver's life in terms of emotional burden, health deterioration and adverse life conditions due to economic deprivation. They also revealed key aspects such as the need to improve communication between care-givers and health-care personnel, the need for training about specific care needs and opportunity costs incurred. This information can serve as a basis for generating support strategies that may be integrated into the in-home programme. It is essential to promote actions that consider the ‘dependent older adult–informal care-giver’ dyad, and that aim to reduce the care-giving burden.