Cross-sectional associations between air pollution and chronic bronchitis: an ESCAPE meta-analysis across five cohorts

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess associations of outdoor air pollution on prevalence of chronic bronchitis symptoms in adults in five cohort studies (Asthma-E3N, ECRHS, NSHD, SALIA, SAPALDIA) participating in the European Study of Cohorts for Air Pollution Effects (ESCAPE) project. METHODS: Annual average particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5, PMabsorbance, PMcoarse), NO2, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and road traffic measures modelled from ESCAPE measurement campaigns 2008-2011 were assigned to home address at most recent assessments (1998-2011). Symptoms examined were chronic bronchitis (cough and phlegm for ≥3 months of the year for ≥2 years), chronic cough (with/without phlegm) and chronic phlegm (with/without cough). Cohort-specific cross-sectional multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted using common confounder sets (age, sex, smoking, interview season, education), followed by meta-analysis. RESULTS: 15 279 and 10 537 participants respectively were included in the main NO2 and PM analyses at assessments in 1998-2011. Overall, there were no statistically significant associations with any air pollutant or traffic exposure. Sensitivity analyses including in asthmatics only, females only or using back-extrapolated NO2 and PM10 for assessments in 1985-2002 (ECRHS, NSHD, SALIA, SAPALDIA) did not alter conclusions. In never-smokers, all associations were positive, but reached statistical significance only for chronic phlegm with PMcoarse OR 1.31 (1.05 to 1.64) per 5 µg/m(3) increase and PM10 with similar effect size. Sensitivity analyses of older cohorts showed increased risk of chronic cough with PM2.5abs (black carbon) exposures. CONCLUSIONS: Results do not show consistent associations between chronic bronchitis symptoms and current traffic-related air pollution in adult European populations

Ramsey numbers of Berge-hypergraphs and related structures

For a graph $G=(V,E)$, a hypergraph $\mathcal{H}$ is called a Berge-$G$, denoted by $BG$, if there exists a bijection $f: E(G) \to E(\mathcal{H})$ such that for every $e \in E(G)$, $e \subseteq f(e)$. Let the Ramsey number $R^r(BG,BG)$ be the smallest integer $n$ such that for any $2$-edge-coloring of a complete $r$-uniform hypergraph on $n$ vertices, there is a monochromatic Berge-$G$ subhypergraph. In this paper, we show that the 2-color Ramsey number of Berge cliques is linear. In particular, we show that $R^3(BK_s, BK_t) = s+t-3$ for $s,t \geq 4$ and $\max(s,t) \geq 5$ where $BK_n$ is a Berge-$K_n$ hypergraph. For higher uniformity, we show that $R^4(BK_t, BK_t) = t+1$ for $t\geq 6$ and $R^k(BK_t, BK_t)=t$ for $k \geq 5$ and $t$ sufficiently large. We also investigate the Ramsey number of trace hypergraphs, suspension hypergraphs and expansion hypergraphs.Comment: Updated to include suggestions of the refere

ქართული ევროპიული მოძრაობა

1950-იანი წლების დასაწყისშიევროპის ქვეყნების გამაერთი­ანებელი მოძრაობის დაწყებას სიხარულით შეხვდნენ ქართულ პო­ლიტიკურ ემიგრაციაში და მას საქართველოს მომავალი დაუკავში­რეს. 1952 წლის ნოემბერში ჟურნალმა „ბედი ქართლისა:“ გამოაქვეყ­ნა კალისტრატე სალიას (1901-1986) წერილი „ქართული ევროპი­ული მოძრაობა“, რომელშიც მიესალმება ამ სახელწოდების მოძრა­ობის შექმნას და განიხილავს საქართველოს ისტორიულ კავშირს ევროპულ ცივილიზაციასთან. „ევროპული ქართული მოძრაობა“ ოფიციალურად დაარსდა 1952 წლის აგვისტოში

An Econometric Assessment of Entrepreneurship in the Diamond Mining Sector and Its Impact on Economic Growth in Sierra Leone

This study examines the relationship between entrepreneurship in the diamond mining sector and economic growth in Sierra Leone for the period 1970-2013. The neoclassical production function is employed to explore new firm formation in the mining sector as a separate determinant of economic growth. Using recent econometric technique, the study finds a unique co-integrating relationship among real GDP, entrepreneurship, labour and capital. The results suggest that entrepreneurship exerts a positive and statistically significant effect on economic growth, and investment in the diamond mining sector is an important channel through which entrepreneurs fuel economic growth. Policy recommendation calls for entrepreneurship education, improving on the general labour capacity, facilitating access to finance, improving support services and the employment conditions for entrepreneurship. Keywords: Entrepreneurship, diamond sector, economic growth, co-integration, Sierra Leone DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/9-7-05 Publication date: April 30th 201