This thesis proposes a unique quantitative investigation of the long-term development of modern states in Sub-Saharan Africa. This is done by measuring and analysing the dynamic history of tax revenue, as a key measure of the capacity of the state, and development in four countries in francophone West Africa – Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger and Senegal – over the long 20th century. This approach cont

BACKGROUND: Identification of risk factors for rapid joint destruction in early rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be helpful for optimizing treatment, and improving our understanding of destructive arthritis and its mechanisms. The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between early RA patient characteristics and subsequent rapid radiographic progression (RRP).METHODS: An incepti

Introduction: Apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 is the major genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD), but its prevalence is unclear because earlier studies did not require biomarker evidence of amyloid β (Aβ) pathology. Methods: We included 3451 Aβ+ subjects (853 AD-type dementia, 1810 mild cognitive impairment, and 788 cognitively normal). Generalized estimating equation models were used to ass

One of the greatest impediments to the use of probabilistic reasoning in legal arguments is the difficulty in agreeing on an appropriate prior probability for the ultimate hypothesis, (in criminal cases this is normally “Defendant is guilty of the crime for which he/she is accused”). Even strong supporters of a Bayesian approach prefer to ignore priors and focus instead on considering only the lik

This article addresses the question whether maternal mortality should be excluded from the study of excess female mortality. This phenomenon points to lower survival chances for women in certain age groups as opposed to men in the same age group. The existence of excess female mortality has been established for a number of European countries, primarily for the nineteenth century period, and it has

Du kanske simmade i sjön i somras? Bakterier simmar också men i en högviskös värld styrd av mycket exotiska hydrodynamiska egenskaper som får oväntade effekter.

We present high-resolution near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (NEXAFS) measurements at the P L2/3 edges, F K edge, C K edge, and Se M2/3 edges of the quasi-one-dimensional (1D) conductor and superconductor (TMTSF)2PF6. NEXAFS allows probing the donor and acceptor moieties separately; spectra were recorded between room temperature (RT) and 30 K at normal incidence. Spectra taken around RT we

BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1) is a nuclear deubiquitinating enzyme that is associated with multiprotein complexes that regulate key cellular pathways, including cell cycle, cellular differentiation, cell death, and the DNA damage response. In this study, we found that the reduced expression of BAP1 pro6motes the survival of neuroblastoma cells, and restoring the levels of BAP1 in these cells f

Recently, we identified ELL2 as a susceptibility gene for multiple myeloma (MM). To understand its mechanism of action, we performed expression quantitative trait locus analysis in CD138+ plasma cells from 1630 MM patients from four populations. We show that the MM risk allele lowers ELL2 expression in these cells (P combined = 2.5 × 10-27; β combined = -0.24 SD), but not in peripheral blood or ot

Timetables are important for train punctuality. However, relatively little attention has been paid to the people who plan the timetables: the research has instead been more centred on how to improve timetables through simulation, optimisation, and data analysis techniques. In this study, we present an overview of the state of practice and the state of the art in timetable planning by studying the

A 3D model is developed to investigate solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) contacting with optimized interconnect designs and the results indicate that the current density and thermal stress are closely related to both the shape of tip in interconnects and the depth of it in the cathode. The interconnect with triangular rips can yield the best electrochemical performance compared to those with tips of

Automated processes in industry have been implemented in order to get higher production rates, but our knowledge about their effects on physical exposure of the workers is still limited. Muscular load, postures, and movements of the head, neck/shoulders, upper arms, and wrists were recorded in 19 operators from two different car clutch disc production lines (manual and semi-automated). Higher angu

This book explores the need to develop business strategies, organise and fund transformation projects and manage the transformation programme in order to further a circular economy. Circular Business Models outlines sustainable business models that can be used by companies to move transformation forward on a large scale. In addition to business models the book will cover and discuss a number of ot

As a novel coolant, the ethylene glycol-water (50 wt.%:50 wt.%) with graphene nanoplatelets nanofluids (GnP-EGW) were prepared at four weight concentrations (0.01, 0.1 0.5 and 1.0 wt.%), and heat transfer and pressure drop characteristics in a miniature plate heat exchanger (MPHE) were investigated. All nanofluid samples were prepared and diluted by ultrasonic vibration, and their thermal conducti

Consistent datasets of experiments are highly important both for validation and optimization of kinetic mechanisms. An analysis of the data consistency of all available burning velocity measurements of hydrogen flames using the heat flux method at atmospheric pressure is performed in the present work. A comparison of many experiments performed in several laboratories with different types of diluti

We report the results of a symposium aimed at identifying validated biomarkers that can be used to complement clinical observations for diagnosis and prognosis of joint injury leading to equine osteoarthritis (OA). Biomarkers might also predict pre-fracture change that could lead to catastrophic bone failure in equine athletes. The workshop was attended by leading scientists in the fields of equin

While slow sand filters (SSFs) have produced drinking water for more than a hundred years, understanding of their associated microbial communities is limited. In this study, bacteria in influent and effluent water from full-scale SSFs were explored using flow cytometry (FCM) with cytometric histogram image comparison (CHIC) analysis; and routine microbial counts for heterotrophs, total coliforms a

A near-unity unselective absorption spectrum is desirable for high-performance photovoltaics. Nanowire (NW) arrays are promising candidates for efficient solar cells due to nanophotonic absorption resonances in the solar spectrum. The absorption spectra, however, display undesired dips between the resonance peaks. To achieve improved unselective broadband absorption, we propose to enclose distribu

Biological tissue is a highly scattering medium that prevents deep imaging of light. For medical applications, optical imaging offers a molecular sensitivity that would be beneficial for diagnosing and monitoring of diseases. Acousto-optical tomography has the molecular sensitivity of optical imaging with the resolution of ultrasound and has the potential for deep tissue imaging. Here, we present