Evaluation of the Population and Poverty Research Initiative (PopPov)

Since 2005, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, with collaboration and co-funding from research councils in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, France, and Norway and from the World Bank, has invested in a portfolio of social science research on the relationship between population dynamics and micro- and macroeconomic outcomes. It is known as the Population and Poverty Research Initiative (PopPov), and its geographic focus is on subSaharan Africa (SSA). The starting premises that led to the development of PopPov were that evidence showing that population dynamics could affect economic outcomes might increase the interest of ministers of finance in funding population policies and that they might be most convinced by rigorous research done by respected economists. The core aim of the program has been to build (or, in some cases, rebuild) and advance the field of economic demography, orienting the work toward research that would be relevant for policy and would increase recognition by economic policymakers of the value of lowering the rate of population growth and investing in family planning (FP). The program also aimed to strengthen the capacity of researchers in SSA. The PopPov initiative tried to achieve these aims through four main components: (1) grants to support research on PopPov core topics of interest, (2) fellowships to support graduate students preparing their doctoral dissertations, (3) conferences and workshops to support the development of networking opportunities, and (4) other dissemination activities. PopPov has funded 56 doctoral fellows and, together with its partners, has supported 61 research projects. Seven international conferences and additional workshops have been held, and there have been several other dissemination activities. The Population Reference Bureau (PRB) and the Center for Global Development (CGD) have been the secretariats for PopPov. Since 2008, the Institute of International Education (IIE) has administered the fellowship program.In November 2012, to help guide its decisions about both the substance and means of future investments, the foundation issued a request for proposals (RFP) for an evaluation of PopPov. The RAND Corporation was selected to conduct the evaluation

El desarrollo de la identidad de grupo andaluza

A lo largo de sus 700 años de historia, Al-Andalus tuvo de forma consistente la imagen de “Paraíso terrenal” a pesar de sus continuos problemas económicos, sociales y políticos y amenazas externas. Este estudio intenta explicar cómo se creó la Identidad Andaluza, cuáles fueron sus principales características, porqué se consideraron un grupo que desarrollaba admiración y cómo esta información ha sido mantenida y transmitida a lo largo del tiempo. Esta investigación tuvo lugar en 2005 en el Sur de España, zona antaño llamada AlAndalus. Una combinación de fuentes primarias y secundarias, junto a artefactos visuales de naturaleza histórica sirven de base para este análisis. La base teórica para este trabajo fue desarollada utilizando diferentes teorías sociales de los autores Bourdieu, Ringrose, Piaget, Cavalli-Sforza y Maslow.Throughout its 700 years history, al-Andalus has consistently enjoyed an image of a “Paradise on Earth” in spite of its continuous internal economic, social and political problems and external threats. This paper attempts to uncover how the Andalusian group identity was formed, what its main characteristics were, why they were viewed as attractive and how this information was transmitted and maintained. The research for this study was conducted in 2005 in Southern Spain, which used to be al-Andalus. A combination of primary and secondary sources, and historical visual artifacts were used as a basis for this analysis. Theoretical grounding for this work was developed based on several social theories of Bourdieu, Ringrose, Piaget, Cavalli-Sforza and Maslow

Seasonal zooplankton community variation in Karatas Lake, Turkey

This study was carried out to determine seasonal variation and zooplankton community structure in Karataş Lake, Southern Turkey. Zooplankton samples were collected seasonally between 2002 and 2003 in two stations using a zooplankton net of 55-µm mesh size. A total of 42 taxa were identified, including 19 taxa (45.2 %) Rotifera, 16 taxa (38.1 %) Cladocera, and 7 taxa (16.7 %). Copepoda. Among them, Keratella quadrata, Asplanchna priodonta from Rotifera, Daphnia longispina, Ceriodaphnia quadrangula, Chydorus sphaericus, Coranatella rectangula from Cladocera, and Eudiaptomus drieschi, Eucyclops speratus from Copepoda were dominant species. Spring and autumn seasons were found to be the most similar by using Sorenson index value

The effects of image compression on quantitative measurements of digital panoramic radiographs

Objectives: The aims of this study were to explore how image compression affects density, fractal dimension, linear and angular measurements on digital panoramic images and assess inter and intra-observer repeatability of these measurements. Study Design: Sixty-one digital panoramic images in TIFF format (Tagged Image File Format) were compressed to JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group) images. Two observers measured gonial angle, antegonial angle, mandibular cortical width, coronal pulp width of maxillary and mandibular first molar, tooth length of maxillary and mandibular first molar on the left side of these images twice. Fractal dimension of the selected regions of interests were calculated and the density of each panoramic radiograph as a whole were also measured on TIFF and JPEG compressed images. Intra-observer and inter-observer consistency was evaluated with Cronbach's alpha. Paired samples t-test and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to evaluate the difference between the measurements of TIFF and JPEG compressed images. Results: The repeatability of angular measurements had the highest Cronbach's alpha value (0.997). There was statistically significant difference for both of the observers in mandibular cortical width (MCW) measurements (1st ob. p: 0.002; 2nd ob. p: 0.003), density (p<0.001) and fractal dimension (p<0.001) between TIFF and JPEG images. There was statistically significant difference for the first observer in antegonial angle (1st ob p< 0.001) and maxillary molar coronal pulp width (1st ob. p< 0.001) between JPEG and TIFF files. Conclusions: The repeatability of angular measurements is better than linear measurements. Mandibular cortical width, fractal dimension and density are affected from compression. Observer dependent factors might also cause statistically significant differences between the measurements in TIFF and JPEG images

Developing a scoring function for NMR structure-based assignments using machine learning

Determining the assignment of signals received from the ex- periments (peaks) to speci_c nuclei of the target molecule in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR1) spectroscopy is an important challenge. Nuclear Vector Replacement (NVR) ([2, 3]) is a framework for structure- based assignments which combines multiple types of NMR data such as chemical shifts, residual dipolar couplings, and NOEs. NVR-BIP [1] is a tool which utilizes a scoring function with a binary integer programming (BIP) model to perform the assignments. In this paper, support vector machines (SVM) and boosting are employed to combine the terms in NVR-BIP's scoring function by viewing the assignment as a classi_ca- tion problem. The assignment accuracies obtained using this approach show that boosting improves the assignment accuracy of NVR-BIP on our data set when RDCs are not available and outperforms SVMs. With RDCs, boosting and SVMs o_er mixed results

Study and analogue simulation of the dynamic behaviour of transistors for small signals

Imperial Users onl

St. John’s Wort (Hypericum perforatum) products – How variable is the primary material?

Background: Saint John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum L., HP) is commonly registered in Europe under the THR scheme (Traditional Herbal Registration) or licensed as a medicine. Nonetheless unregulated medical products and food supplements are accessible through the internet which are often of poor (Booker et al. 2018). The species’ natural distribution stretches through large regions of Europe to China and four subspecies have been distinguished. When compared to the European Pharmacopoeia reference, the presence of additional compounds was linked to so-called Chinese HP. Aim: In order to obtain an integrated picture of the entire chemoprofile, the chemical composition of HP materia prima was studied using a combination techniques well-established in the relevant industries and on The impact of phytogeographic factors on the material prima can shed light on whether the variability of the final products is strongly influenced by these factors of whether they relate to poor processing, adulteration, or other factors linked to the processing of the material.. Methods: 86 Hypericum samples (77 H. perforatum) were collected from 14 countries. Most were authenticated and harvested in the wild; others came as roughly ground material from commercial cultivations, markets and pharmacies. The samples were analysed using HPTLC and 1H-NMR-based PCA. Results and Discussion: Limited variability in the in chemical variability was foundNonetheless, the typical fingerprint of Chinese HP was observed in each specimen from China. Additional compounds were also detected in some samples collected in Spain. Rutin is not necessarily present in the crude material. The variability previously found in the marketed products can be ascribed only partially to the geographical origin of harvested material, but mainly to the plant part harvested, closely related to harvesting techniques, processing and probably time of harvest. Conclusions: HP can be sourced in a consistent composition (and thus quality) from different geographical sources. However, chemical variability needs to be accounted for when evaluating what is considered authentic good material. Therefore, the processing and good practice are all stages of primary importance, calling for a better (self-)regulation and quality assurance along the value chain of a herbal medical product or botanical

Macrophage cell-autonomous adrenergic alpha 1 signaling mediated extracellular matrix remodeling in cardiac regeneration

Ischemic heart disease ranks among the leading causes of death worldwide. Following myocardial infarction, cardiomyocyte loss through necrosis leads to inflammation, fibrosis, and permanent scarring, impairing heart function and leaving it susceptible to failure. Clinical efforts employing progenitor or stem cell-derived cardiomyocyte transplantation or utilizing biomaterials to induce cardiomyocyte proliferation, have proven ineffective in renewing the myocardium due to the human heart’s almost non-existent inherent self-renewal capacity. Unlike most adult mammals, neonatal mice and several non-mammalian vertebrates demonstrate the ability to regenerate cardiac tissue following myocardial infarction. Cardiac regeneration is a complex process, demanding a delicate orchestration of multiple cellular and molecular events. One fundamental aspect of regeneration is the resolution of scarring following injury and its replacement with new cardiomyocytes, partially attributed to fibroblast inactivation. However, a comprehensive understanding of the entire regeneration process is lacking, impeding the development of effective therapeutic strategies. The immune response is a significant event following ischemic injury, with macrophages as primary effectors. These cells are implicated in various processes, from dead cell clearance to tissue remodeling. Their initial pro-inflammatory phenotype is critical for cell influx into the injury area, and their subsequent anti-inflammatory phenotype contributes to the activation of fibroblasts, facilitating collagen deposition for extracellular matrix organization. Consequently, exploring the mechanisms that govern macrophage functional diversification is vital for elucidating the regeneration process. Additionally, the nervous system plays a pivotal role in immune modulation, with sensory neurons capable of relaying the immune state of peripheral locations to the central nervous system to regulate the immune response. Both sympathetic and parasympathetic signaling was shown to be critical for proper regenerative response. Transcriptomic studies in zebrafish have revealed that blocking cholinergic signaling post-cardiac injury impairs the immune response, and sympathetic signaling influences macrophage phenotype. The immunomodulatory capabilities of the nervous system, in conjunction with the multifaceted roles of macrophages, underscore the importance of neuro-immune interactions in cardiac regeneration. This dissertation revealed previously unidentified neural modulation of myocardial regenerative response and delineated the distinct roles of a macrophage subset. Utilizing zebrafish, known for its robust regenerative capacity, genetic tractability, and larval translucency allowing real-time injury event tracing, to model human myocardial infarction, this study identifies adrenergic receptor alpha-1 (Adra1) as a potent modulator of regenerative response and macrophage diversification. Utilizing a macrophage-specific loss-of-function model for Adra1 signaling and single-cell transcriptomics, this study uncovered the activation of an ‘extracellular matrix remodeling’ macrophage population that regulates the extracellular matrix composition and turnover. In vivo and ex vivo validation of the in-silico analyses elucidated the Adra1-activated macrophages’ roles in activating a pro-regenerative collagen XII-expressing fibroblast subset through Mdka-Lrp1aa crosstalk, regulating the cardiac regenerative niche, promoting vessel formation and cardiomyocyte proliferation. In short, this project emphasizes the potential of Adra1-mediated neural input as a key regulator of macrophage function, unveiling a novel mechanism of neuro-immune interactions that modulate fibrosis and myocardial renewal during the regeneration process. The insights into nervous modulation of immune response to regulate cardiac fibrosis and facilitate myocardial self-renewal provide a substantial foundation for development of a much-needed therapeutic strategy for cardiac regenerative medicine.Ischämische Herzkrankheiten sind weltweit eine der häufigsten Todesursachen. Nach einem Myokardinfarkt führt der Verlust von Kardiomyozyten durch Nekrose zu Entzündung, Fibrose und dauerhafter Narbenbildung, was die Herzfunktion beeinträchtigt und das Herz anfällig für ein Versagen macht. Klinische Versuche, Kardiomyozyten aus Vorläufer- oder Stammzellen zu transplantieren oder Biomaterialien zu verwenden, um die Proliferation von Kardiomyozyten zu induzieren, haben sich als unwirksam erwiesen, da das menschliche Herz kaum über eine eigene Selbsterneuerungskapazität verfügt. Im Gegensatz zu den meisten erwachsenen Säugetieren zeigen neonatale Mäuse und einige Nicht-Säugetiere die Fähigkeit, Herzgewebe nach einem Herzinfarkt zu regenerieren. Die Regeneration des Herzens ist ein komplexer Prozess, der ein fein abgestimmtes Zusammenspiel zahlreicher zellulärer und molekularer Ereignisse erfordert. Ein grundlegender Aspekt der Regeneration ist die Auflösung der Narbenbildung nach einer Verletzung und deren Ersatz durch neue Kardiomyozyten, was teilweise auf die Inaktivierung von Fibroblasten zurückzuführen ist. Es fehlt jedoch ein umfassendes Verständnis des gesamten Regenerationsprozesses, was die Entwicklung wirksamer therapeutischer Strategien behindert. Die Immunantwort ist ein wichtiges Ereignis nach einer ischämischen Verletzung, wobei Makrophagen als primäre Effektoren fungieren. Diese Zellen sind an verschiedenen Prozessen beteiligt, die von der Beseitigung abgestorbener Zellen bis zum Gewebeumbau reichen. Ihr anfänglicher proinflammatorischer Phänotyp ist entscheidend für den Einstrom von Zellen in den verletzten Bereich, und ihr späterer antiinflammatorischer Phänotyp trägt zur Aktivierung von Fibroblasten bei, die die Ablagerung von Kollagen für die Organisation der extrazellulären Matrix erleichtern. Die Erforschung der Mechanismen, die die funktionelle Diversifizierung der Makrophagen steuern, ist daher für das Verständnis des Regenerationsprozesses von entscheidender Bedeutung. Darüber hinaus spielt das Nervensystem eine entscheidende Rolle bei der Immunmodulation. Sensorische Neuronen sind in der Lage, den Immunstatus peripherer Orte an das zentrale Nervensystem weiterzuleiten, um die Immunantwort zu regulieren. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass sowohl die sympathische als auch die parasympathische Signalübertragung für eine adäquate Regenerationsantwort entscheidend sind. Transkriptomische Studien am Zebrafisch haben gezeigt, dass die Blockade der cholinergen Signalübertragung die Immunantwort nach einer Herzverletzung beeinträchtigt, während die sympathische Signalübertragung den Phänotyp von Makrophagen beeinflusst. Die immunmodulatorischen Fähigkeiten des Nervensystems in Verbindung mit den vielfältigen Funktionen der Makrophagen unterstreichen die Bedeutung der Neuro-Immun-Interaktionen für die Herzregeneration. In dieser Dissertation wurde eine bisher unbekannte neuronale Modulation der myokardialen Regenerationsantwort aufgedeckt und die differenzielle Rolle einer Makrophagen-Subgruppe beschrieben. Unter Verwendung des Zebrafisches, der für seine robuste Regenerationsfähigkeit, seine genetische Rückverfolgbarkeit und seine larvale Transparenz bekannt ist, die es erlaubt, Verletzungen in Echtzeit zu verfolgen, wurde in dieser Studie der adrenerge Rezeptor alpha-1 (Adra1) als potenter Modulator der Regenerationsantwort und der Makrophagen-Diversifizierung identifiziert, um einen menschlichen Myokardinfarkt zu modellieren. Mit Hilfe eines Makrophagen-spezifischen Funktionsverlustmodells der Adra1-Signaltransduktion und der Einzelzell-Transkriptomik konnte die Aktivierung einer Makrophagenpopulation für den Umbau der extrazellulären Matrix nachgewiesen werden, die die Zusammensetzung und den Umsatz der extrazellulären Matrix reguliert. Die in vivo- und ex vivo-Validierung der in silico-Analysen zeigte, dass Adra1-aktivierte Makrophagen über den Mdka-Lrp1aa-Crosstalk eine pro-regenerative, Kollagen XII-exprimierende Fibroblasten-Subpopulation aktivieren, die die kardiale Regenerationsnische reguliert und die Vaskularisierung und Proliferation von Kardiomyozyten fördert. Zusammenfassend unterstreicht dieses Projekt das Potenzial des Adra1-vermittelten neuronalen Inputs als Schlüsselregulator der Makrophagenfunktion und deckt einen neuartigen Mechanismus der Neuro-Immun-Interaktionen auf, der die Fibrose und die Erneuerung des Herzmuskels während des Regenerationsprozesses moduliert. Die Erkenntnisse über die nervale Modulation der Immunantwort zur Regulation der kardialen Fibrose und zur Erleichterung der myokardialen Selbsterneuerung bilden eine wesentliche Grundlage für die Entwicklung einer dringend benötigten therapeutischen Strategie für die kardiale Regenerationsmedizin

Damage to the Superficial Peroneal Nerve in Operative Treatment of Fibula Fractures: Straight to the Bone? Case Report and Review of the Literature

Ankle fractures are a significant part of the lower extremity trauma seen in the emergency department. Neurologic complications of ankle fracture surgery are infrequently described but account for significant morbidity. The risk of nerve injury is increased for the Blair and Botte type B pattern of the intermediate cutaneous dorsal nerve branch, crossing the distal fibula from posterior to anterior (at 5 to 7 cm from malleolar tip). This pattern is present in about 10% to 15% of patients. Injuries to the superficial peroneal nerve and its branches negatively influence the outcome. Early recognition and protection might reduce the incidence of superficial peroneal nerve injuries during open reduction and internal fixation of lateral malleolus fractures. We describe 2 surgically treated ankle fractures with superficial peroneal nerve branch (intermediate cutaneous dorsal nerve) involvement and review the current literature