Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in human mobility patterns in Holocene Southwest Asia and the East Mediterranean

We present a spatiotemporal picture of human genetic diversity in Anatolia, Iran, Levant, South Caucasus, and the Aegean, a broad region that experienced the earliest Neolithic transition and the emergence of complex hierarchical societies. Combining 35 new ancient shotgun genomes with 382 ancient and 23 present-day published genomes, we found that genetic diversity within each region steadily increased through the Holocene. We further observed that the inferred sources of gene flow shifted in time. In the first half of the Holocene, Southwest Asian and the East Mediterranean populations homogenized among themselves. Starting with the Bronze Age, however, regional populations diverged from each other, most likely driven by gene flow from external sources, which we term “the expanding mobility model.” Interestingly, this increase in inter-regional divergence can be captured by outgroup-f$_3$-based genetic distances, but not by the commonly used F$_{ST}$ statistic, due to the sensitivity of F$_{ST}$, but not outgroup-f$_3$, to within-population diversity. Finally, we report a temporal trend of increasing male bias in admixture events through the Holocene

Graduate careers during the post-communist transition in the South Caucasus

This paper uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative evidences to assess the ways and extent to which, by 2007/2008, higher education graduates in the South Caucasus capitals were, and were not, deriving labour market benefits from their higher education. The quantitative evidence is from representative samples of approximately 200 in the age range 31 - 37 who were living in each of the three capital cities (Baku, Tbilisi and Yerevan) in 2005 - 2007. The qualitative evidence is from 10 followup interviews in 2008 with selected higher education graduates from the preceding quantitative surveys. The evidence shows that the benefits of higher education were: much superior chances of having been continuously employed since entering the labour market, being in full-time employment in 2007/2008, and holding a non-manual job. Graduates were also more likely than non-graduates to have jobs in the public sector. However, the earnings of graduate employees were not consistently (across all three cities and among males and females) higher than the earnings of employed non-graduates, there was considerable under-employment among graduates in all three capitals, and graduate females who had married (between 70 and 76% in the three capitals had married by age 30) had nearly all withdrawn from the workforce. The paper explains how family and housing practices in the South Caucasus were requiring female graduates to prioritise marriage rather than employment careers in their life plans. We conclude that while higher education was conferring definite labour market benefits for both males and females, and in all three cities, these benefits varied by gender. Moreover, graduate under-employment had not been eliminated, and looked unlikely to be eliminated despite the strong economic growth that was continuing in all three countries

Does urination position have an effect on evaluation of lower urinary tract function ın children? A uroflowmetric study

Abstract Background We aimed to determine whether different urination positions had significant impact on the parameters of uroflowmetry performed by healthy individuals and children with voiding dysfunction. Methods The study was conducted with a prospective and comparative design. Children between 5 and 15 years of age who met the inclusion–exclusion criteria of the study were enrolled. Children in the study were divided into two groups. Participants whose voiding dysfunction symptom score was ≥ 9 points were classified in group 1 and the remaining individuals were classified in group 2. Girls urinated in two different positions as sitting and squatting while boys urinated in three different positions as sitting, squatting and standing. Also, habitual urination position was asked and recorded for each individual participated in the study. Uroflowmetry parameters were compared for different urination positions in two groups separately and a p value of ≤ .05 was accepted for statistical significance. Results Voided volume, maximum flow rate (Qmax), time to reach Qmax, urination time and postvoid residual volume measured by abdominal ultrasound were recorded in every participant for each urination position in both groups. In group 1, girls with voiding dysfunction presented a significantly higher postvoid residual volume in squatting position compared to sitting position (the p value = 0.02). In group 2, healthy boys presented a significantly higher Qmax in standing position compared to sitting and squatting positions (the p value = 0.01). All participants provided a better uroflowmetry pattern in their habitual urination positions. Conclusion Urination position may affect uroflowmetry results; however, its impact on lower urinary tract function requires further research