Regional Integration of Equity Markets in Sub-Saharan Africa

Equity markets in developing and emerging economies have grown in number and importance as a result of financial market globalisation. However, their role in economic growth and development is enhanced if nascent markets are integrated with well-established ones. Market integration, measured by the transmission of returns volatility, is identified across a sample of SSA countries, using a unique dataset. Evidence for potential integration between financial markets in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is found. Spillovers are found across markets, some unidirectional and others bi-directional. However, continued illiquidity and incomplete institutions indicate that an integrated financial community remains premature, and considerable regulatory reform and harmonisation will be necessary for this to succeed

Failure to Detect Critical Auditory Alerts in the Cockpit: Evidence for Inattentional Deafness

Objective: The aim of this study was to test whether inattentional deafness to critical alarms would be observed in a simulated cockpit. Background: The inability of pilots to detect unexpected changes in their auditory environment (e.g., alarms) is a major safety problem in aeronautics. In aviation, the lack of response to alarms is usually not attributed to attentional limitations, but rather to pilots choosing to ignore such warnings due to decision biases, hearing issues, or conscious risk taking. Method: Twenty-eight general aviation pilots performed two landings in a flight simulator. In one scenario an auditory alert was triggered alone, whereas in the other the auditory alert occurred while the pilots dealt with a critical windshear. Results: In the windshear scenario, 11 pilots (39.3%) did not report nor react appropriately to the alarm whereas all the pilots perceived the auditory warning in the no-windshear scenario. Also, of those pilots who were first exposed to the no-windshear scenario and detected the alarm, only three suffered from inattentional deafness in the subsequent windshear scenario. Conclusion: These findings establish inattentional deafness as a cognitive phenomenon that is critical for air safety. Pre-exposure to a critical event triggering an auditory alarm can enhance alarm detection when a similar event is encountered subsequently. Application: Case-based learning is a solution to mitigate auditory alarm misperception

Aerial mapping and multi-sensors approaches from remote sensing applied to the roman archaeological heritage

This report details the preliminary results of the research focused on Roman archaeological heritage in the Middle Ebro Valley (Spain). The principal objective of this project was to obtain several different readings by means of a UAV equipped with different sensors. Firstly, it has been possible to obtain accurate maps, 3D models and digital elevation models of the site. Secondly, it has been possible to investigate and define archaeological remains still underground, via a new methodology which utilises visible and near-infrared wavelengths

Factors for changes in self-care and mobility capabilities in young children with cerebral palsy involved in regular outpatient rehabilitation care

BACKGROUND: Assessing prognosis of self-care and mobility capabilities in children with cerebral palsy (CP) is important for goal setting, treatment guidance and meaningful professional-caregiver conversations. AIMS: Identifying factors associated with changes in self-care and mobility capabilities in regular outpatient multidisciplinary paediatric CP rehabilitation care. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: Routinely monitored longitudinal data, assessed with the Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI-Functional-Skills-Scale, FSS 0–100) was retrospectively analysed. We determined contributions of age, gross-motor function, bimanual-arm function, intellectual function, education type, epilepsy, visual function, and psychiatric comorbidity to self-care and mobility capability changes (linear-mixed-models). OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: For 90 children (53 boys), in all Gross-Motor-Function-Classification-System (GMFCS) levels, 272 PEDI's were completed. Mean PEDI–FSS–scores at first measurement (median age: 3,2 years) for self-care and mobility were 46.3 and 42.4, and mean final FSS-scores respectively were 55.1 and 53.1 (median age: 6,5 years). Self-care capability change was significantly associated with age (2.81, p < 0.001), GMFCS levels III-V (-9.12 to -46.66, p < 0.01), and intellectual impairment (-6.39, p < 0.01). Mobility capability change was significantly associated with age (3.25, p < 0.001) and GMFCS levels II-V (-6.58 to -47.12, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Most important prognostic factor for self-care and mobility capabilities is GMFCS level, plus intellectual impairment for self-care. Maximum capability levels are reached at different ages, which is important for individual goal setting and managing expectations

Insulin levels are decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid of women with prodomal Alzheimer's disease

Previous studies have failed to reach consensus on insulin levels in cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and on its relation to pathological features. We performed a new analysis in patients at different stages of AD, and investigated the relationship of insulin levels with biochemical disease markers and with cognitive score. We included 99 patients from our Memory Clinic (Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden), including: 27 patients with mild AD, 13 that progressed from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to AD in two years time, 26 with MCI stable after two years, and 33 with subjective cognitive impairment. Insulin was significantly decreased in the cerebrospinal fluid of both women and men with mild AD. Insulin deficits were seen in women belonging to both MCI groups, suggesting that this occurs earlier than in men. Insulin was positively associated with amyloid-β 1-42 (Aβ1-42) levels and cognitive score. Furthermore, total-tau/(Aβ1-42*insulin) ratio showed strikingly better sensitivity and specificity than the total-tau/Aβ1-42 ratio for early AD diagnosis in women

U–Pb Zircon geochronology of the Cambro-Ordovician metagranites and metavolcanic rocks of central and NW Iberia

New U–Pb zircon data from metagranites and metavolcanic rocks of the Schist-Graywacke Complex Domain and the Schistose Domain of Galicia Tras-os-Montes Zone from central and NW Iberia contribute to constrain the timing of the Cambro-Ordovician magmatism from Central Iberian and Galicia Tras-os-Montes Zones which occurred between 498 and 462 Ma. The crystallization ages of the metagranites and metavolcanic rocks from the northern Schist-Graywacke Complex Domain are as follows: (a) in west Salamanca, 489 ± 5 Ma for Vitigudino, 486 ± 6 Ma for Fermoselle and 471 ± 7 Ma for Ledesma; (b) in northern Gredos, 498 ± 4 Ma for Castellanos, 492 ± 4 Ma for San Pelayo and 488 ± 3 Ma for Bercimuelle; (c) in Guadarrama, 490 ± 5 Ma for La Estacion I, 489 ± 9 Ma for La Canada, 484 ± 6 Ma for Vegas de Matute (leucocratic), 483 ± 6 Ma for El Cardoso, 482 ± 8 Ma for La Morcuera, 481 ± 9 Ma for Buitrago de Lozoya, 478 ± 7 Ma for La Hoya, 476 ± 5 Ma for Vegas de Matute (melanocratic), 475 ± 5 Ma for Riaza, 473 ± 8 Ma for La Estacion II and 462 ± 11 Ma for La Berzosa; and (d) in Toledo, 489 ± 7 Ma for Mohares and 480 ± 8 Ma for Polan. The crystallization ages of the metagranites from the Schistose Domain of Galicia Tras-os-Montes Zone are 497 ± 6 Ma for Laxe, 486 ± 8 Ma for San Mamede, 482 ± 7 Ma for Bangueses, 481 ± 5 Ma for Noia, 480 ± 10 for Rial de Sabucedo, 476 ± 9 Ma for Vilanova, 475 ± 6 Ma for Pontevedra, 470 ± 6 Ma for Cherpa and 462 ± 8 Ma for Bande.This magmatism is characterized by an average isotopic composition of (87Sr/86Sr)485Ma ≈ 0.712, (eNd)485Ma ≈ -4.1 and (TDM) ≈ 1.62 Ga, and a high zircon inheritance, composed of Ediacaran–Early Cambrian (65 %) and, to a lesser extent, Cryogenian, Tonian, Mesoproterozoic, Orosirian and Archean pre-magmatic cores. Combining our geochronological and isotopic data with others of similar rocks from the European Variscan Belt, it may be deduced that Cambro-Ordovician magmas from this belt were mainly generated by partial melting of Ediacaran–Early Cambrian igneous rocks

Glycerol kinase deficiency in adults: Description of 4 novel cases, systematic review and development of a clinical diagnostic score

Background and aims: Glycerol kinase deficiency (GKD) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by hyperglycerolemia and glyceroluria, which could be misdiagnosed as a moderate to severe hypertriglyceridemia (HTG). We aimed to describe four novel cases of GKD, to complete a systematic review of all cases of isolated GKD published so far, and to develop a suspicion clinical diagnostic score for GKD. Methods: We reported four cases with suspicion of GKD and compared their phenotype with 584 males with triglycerides (TG) > 300 mg/dL, selected as control group (HTG non-GKD). The GK gene was sequenced in all cases. Lipoprotein particle concentrations were measured in all cases with GKD. The systematic review involved a PubMed, Cochrane and Scopus databases search to identify anthropometric and biochemical characteristics of all described cases with GKD. Results: The systematic review retrieved a total of 15 articles involving 39 subjects with GKD. GKD cases reported a history of high TG levels resistant to lipid-lowering therapy. Compared to GKD subjects (n = 43), HTG non-GKD subjects (n = 584) showed significantly higher BMI, total cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol and gamma-glutamyltransferase, significantly lower HDL cholesterol and TG, and higher prevalence of diabetes. The proposed diagnostic score was significantly higher in GKD than in HTG non-GKD subjects. Conclusions: This is the first systematic review that compiles all GKD cases reported to date including 4 novel cases, and examine the differential GKD phenotype compared to other types of HTG. The proposed score would have a broad utility in clinical practice to avoid unwarranted lipid lowering treatment in GKD patients