Financial engineering instruments for sustainable urban development – introducing an impact analysis for innovative urban policies

The Joint European Support for Sustainable Investment in City Areas (JESSICA) is part of a general paradigm shift in EU-policy, since its most innovative element is to introduce an alternative to traditional grant funding by providing financial engineering instruments – namely loans, guarantees and equity capital – on a revolving base. This means that instead of financing sustainable urban development projects with grants that are – once paid out – lost for good, revolving financial engineering instruments for successful projects may generate a capital backflow enabling Managing Authorities to reinvest in new urban development projects. In order to channel funds effectively to sustainable urban projects, the institutional framework of the JESSICA-initiative intends to set up urban development funds as financial intermediary. The three main objectives of the JESSICA-initiative are (i) to promote urban deve­lop­ment projects as economic stimulus, (ii) to provide cost-effective, long-term financing to support urban trans­formation in a sustainable fund model and (iii) to mobilize private capital for public-private partnerships. Concerning the latter, the JESSICA-initiative shall attract private investors and banks to finance sustainable urban development by providing catalytic first-loss capital via UDFs that lowers the risk and enhances the return of private investors, therefore making more projects feasible and overcoming existing market failures. So far, an empirical evaluation is missing on how successful JESSICA has been so far in achieving its ambitious objectives. In this paper, we first develop a conceptual base to analyze urban development funds and give second an introduction into the realized outcomes of the policy change measurable in monetary terms in all 28 EU member states. Our findings reveal the prob­lems in urban development financing for private financial institutions as well as public authorities. With the help of an ongoing impact analysis managing authorities might overcome these problems in the current programming period

Moving and Moved Singers: Non-Vocal Embodiments of Vocal Expressions in the Era of Mass Media

Este artículo está dedicado a las cantantes movidas físicamente y conmovidas emocionalmente que combinan corporeizaciones no vocales como contenido esencial de lo que transmite su canto. Los términos “movimiento de cantantes” y “cantantes que se mueven” se refieren principalmente a un proceso físico que puede incluir la interpretación de la situación emocional de las cantantes. La pregunta principal es cómo varios medios de comunicación de masas impactan en estas representaciones no vocales específicas en las cantantes y en sus aparentes resultados, y cómo muestran una sorprendente variedad intercultural. A lo largo de sus tres secciones, basadas en la observación participativa y el análisis audiovisual, este artículo contribuye a la literatura musicológica y educativa de manera interdisciplinaria a través de múltiples perspectivas de investigar los movimientos de las cantantes. Además, proporciona alguna cuestiones nuevas que estimulan la discusión sobre los “cuerpos que cantan” en un mundo de creciente simulación del sonido. Metodológicamente, los autores se centran principalmente en la agencia de las cantantes, los actores y los productores para fundamentar ideas finales del artículo. Los autores están conectados a través de la realización de estudios conjuntos sobre las artes escénicas en y sobre Asia.Este artigo é dedicado às cantoras movidas fisicamente e comovidas emocionalmente que combinam incorporações não-vocais como um conteúdo essencial daquilo que seu canto transmite. Os termos “movimento das cantoras” e “cantoras sendo movidas” referem-se primeiramente a um processo físico que pode incluir a interpretação da situação emocional das cantoras. A questão principal é como essas incorporações não-vocais específicas nas cantoras e seus resultados aparentes são impactadas por várias formas de mídia de massa, mostrando uma notável variedade intercultural. Ao longo de suas três seções, baseadas em observação participante e análise audiovisual, este trabalho contribui para a literatura musicológica e educacional de forma interdisciplinar e por meio de múltiplas perspectivas de se inspecionar movimentos em cantoras. Além disso, fornece novos pontos para estimular a discussão sobre a necessidade de corpos cantantes em um mundo de crescente simulação sonora. Metodologicamente, os autores enfocam principalmente a agência dos cantores, atores e produtores para a fundamentação das considerações finais deste artigo. Os autores estão interconectadas por meio de estudos conjuntos sobre as artes performáticas na e sobre a Ásia.This paper is dedicated to physically moving and emotionally moved singers who combine vocal embodiments as an essential content of what their singing conveys. The terms “movement of singers” and the “singers being moved” refer primarily to a physical process that may include the interpretation of the singers’ emotional situation. The main question is how these specific non vocal embodiments in singers and their apparent outcomes are impacted by various forms of mass media showing a striking intercultural variety. Through three sections, based on observation and audio visual analysis, this paper contributes to the musicological and educational literature in interdisciplinary ways and through multiple perspectives of surveying movements in singers. Beyond this, it provides some new points to stimulate the discussion about the necessity of “singing bodies” in a world of increasing sound simulation. Methodologically, the authors focus mainly on the agency of the singers, actors, and producers in substantiating the final thoughts of the paper. The authors are interconnected through joint studies on the performing arts in and about Asi

Random X -chromosome inactivation in interspecific hybrids of Meriones libycus (♂) × Meriones shawi (♀) (Rodentia: Gerbillinae)

Des cultures obtenues à partir d'hybrides femelles entre deux espèces de Meriones à 44 chromosomes et différant par l'acrocentrie ( M. shawi ) ou la métacentrie ( M. libycus ) de l' X ont permis l'étude de clones cellulaires. C'est alors tantôt l' X métacentrique, tantôt l' X acrocentrique qui se révèle inactivé («latereplicating»). Bien que la proportion 1/1, significative d'une inactivation due uniquement au hasard, n'ait pas été rigoureusement observée, ces résultats sont nettement en faveur de l'hypothèse de Lyon .Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/42503/1/18_2005_Article_BF02138896.pd

Long-term risk of adverse outcomes according to atrial fibrillation type

Sustained forms of atrial fibrillation (AF) may be associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes, but few if any long-term studies took into account changes of AF type and co-morbidities over time. We prospectively followed 3843 AF patients and collected information on AF type and co-morbidities during yearly follow-ups. The primary outcome was a composite of stroke or systemic embolism (SE). Secondary outcomes included myocardial infarction, hospitalization for congestive heart failure (CHF), bleeding and all-cause mortality. Multivariable adjusted Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying covariates were used to compare hazard ratios (HR) according to AF type. At baseline 1895 (49%), 1046 (27%) and 902 (24%) patients had paroxysmal, persistent and permanent AF and 3234 (84%) were anticoagulated. After a median (IQR) follow-up of 3.0 (1.9; 4.2) years, the incidence of stroke/SE was 1.0 per 100 patient-years. The incidence of myocardial infarction, CHF, bleeding and all-cause mortality was 0.7, 3.0, 2.9 and 2.7 per 100 patient-years, respectively. The multivariable adjusted (a) HRs (95% confidence interval) for stroke/SE were 1.13 (0.69; 1.85) and 1.27 (0.83; 1.95) for time-updated persistent and permanent AF, respectively. The corresponding aHRs were 1.23 (0.89, 1.69) and 1.45 (1.12; 1.87) for all-cause mortality, 1.34 (1.00; 1.80) and 1.30 (1.01; 1.67) for CHF, 0.91 (0.48; 1.72) and 0.95 (0.56; 1.59) for myocardial infarction, and 0.89 (0.70; 1.14) and 1.00 (0.81; 1.24) for bleeding. In this large prospective cohort of AF patients, time-updated AF type was not associated with incident stroke/SE

The trans-ancestral genomic architecture of glycemic traits

Glycemic traits are used to diagnose and monitor type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic health. To date, most genetic studies of glycemic traits have focused on individuals of European ancestry. Here we aggregated genome-wide association studies comprising up to 281,416 individuals without diabetes (30% non-European ancestry) for whom fasting glucose, 2-h glucose after an oral glucose challenge, glycated hemoglobin and fasting insulin data were available. Trans-ancestry and single-ancestry meta-analyses identified 242 loci (99 novel; P < 5 x 10(-8)), 80% of which had no significant evidence of between-ancestry heterogeneity. Analyses restricted to individuals of European ancestry with equivalent sample size would have led to 24 fewer new loci. Compared with single-ancestry analyses, equivalent-sized trans-ancestry fine-mapping reduced the number of estimated variants in 99% credible sets by a median of 37.5%. Genomic-feature, gene-expression and gene-set analyses revealed distinct biological signatures for each trait, highlighting different underlying biological pathways. Our results increase our understanding of diabetes pathophysiology by using trans-ancestry studies for improved power and resolution. A trans-ancestry meta-analysis of GWAS of glycemic traits in up to 281,416 individuals identifies 99 novel loci, of which one quarter was found due to the multi-ancestry approach, which also improves fine-mapping of credible variant sets.Peer reviewe

Genetic Drivers of Heterogeneity in Type 2 Diabetes Pathophysiology

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a heterogeneous disease that develops through diverse pathophysiological processes1,2 and molecular mechanisms that are often specific to cell type3,4. Here, to characterize the genetic contribution to these processes across ancestry groups, we aggregate genome-wide association study data from 2,535,601 individuals (39.7% not of European ancestry), including 428,452 cases of T2D. We identify 1,289 independent association signals at genome-wide significance (P \u3c 5 × 10-8) that map to 611 loci, of which 145 loci are, to our knowledge, previously unreported. We define eight non-overlapping clusters of T2D signals that are characterized by distinct profiles of cardiometabolic trait associations. These clusters are differentially enriched for cell-type-specific regions of open chromatin, including pancreatic islets, adipocytes, endothelial cells and enteroendocrine cells. We build cluster-specific partitioned polygenic scores5 in a further 279,552 individuals of diverse ancestry, including 30,288 cases of T2D, and test their association with T2D-related vascular outcomes. Cluster-specific partitioned polygenic scores are associated with coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease and end-stage diabetic nephropathy across ancestry groups, highlighting the importance of obesity-related processes in the development of vascular outcomes. Our findings show the value of integrating multi-ancestry genome-wide association study data with single-cell epigenomics to disentangle the aetiological heterogeneity that drives the development and progression of T2D. This might offer a route to optimize global access to genetically informed diabetes care

Genetic drivers of heterogeneity in type 2 diabetes pathophysiology

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is a heterogeneous disease that develops through diverse pathophysiological processes1,2 and molecular mechanisms that are often specific to cell type3,4. Here, to characterize the genetic contribution to these processes across ancestry groups, we aggregate genome-wide association study data from 2,535,601 individuals (39.7% not of European ancestry), including 428,452 cases of T2D. We identify 1,289 independent association signals at genome-wide significance (P &lt; 5 × 10-8) that map to 611 loci, of which 145 loci are, to our knowledge, previously unreported. We define eight non-overlapping clusters of T2D signals that are characterized by distinct profiles of cardiometabolic trait associations. These clusters are differentially enriched for cell-type-specific regions of open chromatin, including pancreatic islets, adipocytes, endothelial cells and enteroendocrine cells. We build cluster-specific partitioned polygenic scores5 in a further 279,552 individuals of diverse ancestry, including 30,288 cases of T2D, and test their association with T2D-related vascular outcomes. Cluster-specific partitioned polygenic scores are associated with coronary artery disease, peripheral artery disease and end-stage diabetic nephropathy across ancestry groups, highlighting the importance of obesity-related processes in the development of vascular outcomes. Our findings show the value of integrating multi-ancestry genome-wide association study data with single-cell epigenomics to disentangle the aetiological heterogeneity that drives the development and progression of T2D. This might offer a route to optimize global access to genetically informed diabetes care.</p

Ancestral diversity improves discovery and fine-mapping of genetic loci for anthropometric traits - the Hispanic/Latino Anthropometry Consortium

Hispanic/Latinos have been underrepresented in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for anthropometric traits despite their notable anthropometric variability, ancestry proportions, and high burden of growth stunting and overweight/obesity. To address this knowledge gap, we analyzed densely-imputed genetic data in a sample of Hispanic/Latino adults to identify and fine-map genetic variants associated with body mass index (BMI), height, and BMI-adjusted waist-to-hip ratio (WHRadjBMI). We conducted a GWAS of 18 studies/consortia as part of the Hispanic/Latino Anthropometry (HISLA) Consortium (Stage 1, n=59,771) and generalized our findings in 9 additional studies (HISLA Stage 2, n=10,538). We conducted a trans-ancestral GWAS with summary statistics from HISLA Stage 1 and existing consortia of European and African ancestries. In our HISLA Stage 1+2 analyses, we discovered one BMI locus, as well as two BMI signals and another height signal each within established anthropometric loci. In our trans-ancestral meta-analysis, we discovered three BMI loci, one height locus, and one WHRadjBMI locus. We also identified three secondary signals for BMI, 28 for height, and two for WHRadjBMI in established loci. We show that 336 known BMI, 1,177 known height, and 143 known WHRadjBMI (combined) SNPs demonstrated suggestive transferability (nominal significance and effect estimate directional consistency) in Hispanic/Latino adults. Of these, 36 BMI, 124 height, and 11 WHRadjBMI SNPs were significant after trait-specific Bonferroni correction. Trans-ancestral meta-analysis of the three ancestries showed a small-to-moderate impact of uncorrected population stratification on the resulting effect size estimates. Our findings demonstrate that future studies may also benefit from leveraging diverse ancestries and differences in linkage disequilibrium patterns to discover novel loci and additional signals with less residual population stratification