What do we know about poverty in North Korea?

Reliable quantitative information on the North Korean economy is extremely scarce. In particular, reliable income per capita and poverty figures for the country are not available. In this contribution, we provide for the first time estimates of absolute poverty rates in North Korean subnational regions based on the combination of innovative remote-sensednight-time light intensity data (monthly information for built areas) with estimated income distributions. Our results, which are robust to the use of different methods to approximatethe income distribution in the country, indicate that the share of persons living in extreme poverty in North Korea may be larger than previously thought. We estimate a poverty rate for the country of around 60% in 2018 and a high volatility in the dynamics of income at the national level in North Korea for the period 2012–2018. Income per capita estimates tend to decline significantly from 2012 to 2015 and present a recovery since 2016. The subnational estimates of income and poverty reveal a change in relative dynamics since the second half of the 2012–2018 period. The first part of the period is dominated by divergent dynamics inincome across regions, while the second half reveals convergence in regional income

Sildenafil reduces signs of oxidative stress in pulmonary arterial hypertension: Evaluation by fatty acid composition, level of hydroxynonenal and heart rate variability

AbstractPulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare multifactorial disease with an unfavorable prognosis. Sildenafil therapy can improve functional capacity and pulmonary hemodynamics in PAH patients. Nowadays, it is increasingly recognized that the effects of sildenafil are pleiotropic and may also involve changes of the pro-/antioxidant balance, lipid peroxidation and autonomic control. In present study we aimed to assess the effects of sildenafil on the fatty acids (FAs) status, level of hydroxynonenal (HNE) and heart rate variability (HRV) in PAH patients. Patients with PAH were characterized by an increase in HNE and changes in the FAs composition with elevation of linoleic, oleic, docosahexanoic acids in phospholipids as well as reduced HRV with sympathetic predominance. Sildenafil therapy improved exercise capacity and pulmonary hemodynamics and reduced NT-proBNP level in PAH. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of sildenafil were noted from the significant lowering of HNE level and reduction of the phopholipid derived oleic, linoleic, docosahexanoic, docosapentanoic FAs. That was also associated with some improvement of HRV on account of the activation of the neurohumoral regulatory component. Incomplete recovery of the functional metabolic disorders in PAH patients may be assumed from the persistent increase in free FAs, reduced HRV with the sympathetic predominance in the spectral structure after treatment comparing to control group. The possibilities to improve PAH treatment efficacy through mild stimulation of free radical reactions and formation of hormetic reaction in the context of improved NO signaling are discussed

Economic Development and Forest Cover: Evidence from Satellite Data

We use satellite data on forest cover along national borders in order to study the determinants of deforestation differences across countries. We combine the forest cover information with data on homogeneous response units, which allow us to control for cross-country geoclimatic differences when assessing the drivers of deforestation. Income per capita appears to be the most robust determinant of differences in cross-border forest cover and our results present evidence of the existence of decreasing effects of income on forest cover as economic development progresses.(authors' abstract)Series: Department of Economics Working Paper Serie

A global reference database of crowdsourced cropland data collected using the Geo-Wiki platform

A global reference data set on cropland was collected through a crowdsourcing campaign using the Geo-Wiki crowdsourcing tool. The campaign lasted three weeks, with over 80 participants from around the world reviewing almost 36,000 sample units, focussing on cropland identification. For quality assessment purposes, two additional data sets are provided. The first is a control set of 1,793 sample locations validated by students trained in satellite image interpretation. This data set was used to assess the quality of the crowd as the campaign progressed. The second data set contains 60 expert validations for additional evaluation of the quality of the contributions. All data sets are split into two parts: the first part shows all areas classified as cropland and the second part shows cropland average per location and user. After further processing, the data presented here might be suitable to validate and compare medium and high resolution cropland maps generated using remote sensing. These could also be used to train classification algorithms for developing new maps of land cover and cropland extent

European contribution to the study of ROS: A summary of the findings and prospects for the future from the COST action BM1203 (EU-ROS).

The European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) provides an ideal framework to establish multi-disciplinary research networks. COST Action BM1203 (EU-ROS) represents a consortium of researchers from different disciplines who are dedicated to providing new insights and tools for better understanding redox biology and medicine and, in the long run, to finding new therapeutic strategies to target dysregulated redox processes in various diseases. This report highlights the major achievements of EU-ROS as well as research updates and new perspectives arising from its members. The EU-ROS consortium comprised more than 140 active members who worked together for four years on the topics briefly described below. The formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) is an established hallmark of our aerobic environment and metabolism but RONS also act as messengers via redox regulation of essential cellular processes. The fact that many diseases have been found to be associated with oxidative stress established the theory of oxidative stress as a trigger of diseases that can be corrected by antioxidant therapy. However, while experimental studies support this thesis, clinical studies still generate controversial results, due to complex pathophysiology of oxidative stress in humans. For future improvement of antioxidant therapy and better understanding of redox-associated disease progression detailed knowledge on the sources and targets of RONS formation and discrimination of their detrimental or beneficial roles is required. In order to advance this important area of biology and medicine, highly synergistic approaches combining a variety of diverse and contrasting disciplines are needed.The EU-ROS consortium (COST Action BM1203) was supported by the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST). The present overview represents the final Action dissemination summarizing the major achievements of COST Action BM1203 (EU-ROS) as well as research news and personal views of its members. Some authors were also supported by COST Actions BM1005 (ENOG) and BM1307 (PROTEOSTASIS), as well as funding from the European Commission FP7 and H2020 programmes, and several national funding agencies

Persistent accumulation of 4-hydroxynonenal-protein adducts in gastric mucosa after Helicobacter pylori eradication [Povećano nakupljanje 4-hidroksinonenal-proteinskih konjugata u želučanoj sluznici zaostaje nakon izlječenja Helicobacter pylori]

Recent studies indicate that oxidative stress caused by Helicobacter pylori and insufficient host antioxidant defense could play important role in pathogenesis of gastrointestinal ulcerations. By specific monoclonal antibodies we have detected weak presence of the major lipid peroxidation bioactive marker 4-hydroxynonenal (HNE) in healthy human gastric mucosa, which strongly increased in case of H. pylori-associated peptic ulcer. Considering physiological presence of HNE on one hand, and high prevalence of H. pylori associated disorders on the other, evaluation of oxidative stress after treatment is important. Therefore, in current study immunohistochemical accumulation and distribution of HNE-protein adducts in gastric mucosa was evaluated with 21 patients having H. pylori-associated duodenal peptic ulcer (DPU) before and one month after eradication of H. pylori. Although dramatic decrease in histological manifestations of inflammation was demonstrated after eradication of H. pylori, initially high immunopositivity for the HNE-protein adducts remained elevated in antrum and even increased in stomach corpus. The observed accumulation and redistribution to higher grades of HNE-immunopositivity in nuclei of glandular cells in gastric corpus indicate augmentation of oxidative stress after treatment and open possibilities for adjuvant antioxidant treatments to protect gastric mucosa from progressive oxidative stress after eradication of H. pylori infection

Functions of public management of the regional development in the conditions of digital transformation of economy

In this study, a methodological approach based on the model of the differential equations system to determine the impact of the functions of public administration of the regional development in the context of digital transformation is proposed. As digital transformation involves changes in management models of systems at different levels in order to improve their efficiency, this also applies to public management of the regional development. Based on the system approach, social, reproductive and mobilizing functions of state management of the regional development were singled out. To determine the impact of public administration functions on the regional development, it is proposed to use a model of differential equations. Different weights of the influence of the functions of state management of the regional development in the conditions of digital transformation are characterized by dynamic changes in the amplitude of fluctuations of integral indices of the modules of the functionalities of social, reproductive and mobilization functions. Scientific novelty of this study is the development of a methodological approach based on the model of the differential equations system to determine social, reproductive and mobilizing functions of public administration of the regional development in the context of digital transformation