Electoral Institutions, Ethnopolitical Cleavages, and Party Systems in Africa\u27s Emerging Democracies

Do electoral institutions and ethnopolitical cleavages shape the structure of party systems separately or jointly? We examine the independent, additive, and interactive effects on the number of electoral and legislative parties of two institutional variables (district magnitude and proximity of presidential and legislative elections), one intervening variable (effective number of presidential candidates), and two new measures of ethnopolitical cleavages based on constructivist specification of ethnopolitical groups (fragmentation and concentration). Ethnopolitical fragmentation independently reduces the number of parties but, interactively with ethnopolitical concentration, increases it. However, the additive and interactive combinations of both measures with electoral institutions explain the largest amount of variance in the number of parties. These results emphasize the importance of ethnopolitical cleavages in mediating the effects of electoral institutions on the structure of party systems, with important implications for the stability of Africa\u27s emerging democracies in which parties are weak and multiethnic coalitions are fluid

Arsenic in soils and waters around the Kori Kollo gold mine on the Bolivian Altiplano: redox-induced speciation and mobilization

Mining activities in the Bolivian Altiplano have caused considerable negative environmental consequences on the water, soils, vegetation resources, biodiversity, and the atmosphere over the years. In this study, samples of soils, sediments, river water, water from drinking pools, and groundwater were collected from the area around the Kori Kollo gold mine, located near the city of Oruro on the Bolivian Altiplano to investigate the concentrations of arsenic (As) as an important contaminant associated with the mining activities in this area. Moreover, the redox-induced speciation, mobilization, and release dynamics, of As in soil/sediment samples was studied under controlled reducing and oxidizing conditions using an automated biogeochemical microcosm apparatus. The total As concentrations in the soils ranged between 10 and 81 mg kg-1 and exceeded the international trigger action values (10-65 mg kg-1) of As in agricultural soils. Arsenic concentrations (µg L-1) reached values up to 2,688, 952, and 300 in the groundwater, drinking pools, and surface water, respectively and exceeded the current WHO provisional guideline value of 10 µg L-1. The total dissolved concentrations of As varied from 368 to 3,130 µg L-1. The dissolved concentrations of As increased under oxidizing conditions and decreased under reducing conditions. Data of As speciation showed that the As (III) accounted from 0.0 to 79% of the total dissolved As and increased under reducing conditions, while the As (V) accounted from 21-100% of the total dissolved As and increased under oxidizing conditions. The results conclude that i) although the total concentrations of As in the soils around the mine are not very high, the concentrations of As in the waters were very high, 2) the concentrations of total dissolved As were very high which might indicate the high mobilization of As and support the anthropogenic source of As in theses soils, 3) the release and mobilization of As increased under oxidizing conditions as compared to the reducing conditions, and 4) the As (III) accounted values up to 79% of total dissolved As, which might increase the toxicity and risk of As in the soils and waters especially under reducing conditions. These results highlight the environment risk of As which might be a main reason for the gradual death of goats and cows, the biodiversity and the decline of fishing and agricultural sources in this area

ACG Clinical Guideline: Diagnosis and Management of Barrett’s Esophagus

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is among the most common conditions encountered by the gastroenterologist. In this document, the American College of Gastroenterology updates its guidance for the best practices in caring for these patients. These guidelines continue to endorse screening of high-risk patients for BE; however, routine screening is limited to men with reflux symptoms and multiple other risk factors. Acknowledging recent data on the low risk of malignant progression in patients with nondysplastic BE, endoscopic surveillance intervals are attenuated in this population; patients with nondysplastic BE should undergo endoscopic surveillance no more frequently than every 3-5 years. Neither routine use of biomarker panels nor advanced endoscopic imaging techniques (beyond high-definition endoscopy) is recommended at this time. Endoscopic ablative therapy is recommended for patients with BE and high-grade dysplasia, as well as T1a esophageal adenocarcinoma. Based on recent level 1 evidence, endoscopic ablative therapy is also recommended for patients with BE and low-grade dysplasia, although endoscopic surveillance continues to be an acceptable alternative. Given the relatively common recurrence of BE after ablation, we suggest postablation endoscopic surveillance intervals. Although many of the recommendations provided are based on weak evidence or expert opinion, this document provides a pragmatic framework for the care of the patient with BE

Women Filmmakers in the United Arab Emirates

This entry provides an introduction to the work of and the challenges faced by women filmmakers in the United Arab Emirates while at the same time providing an overview of the emerging film industry in the country. The fact that these women claim the power of representation and start telling their stories against the backdrop of a conservative, patriarchal society, obviously opens up space for gender redefinition. Overall, it seems that their films reveal a preference for strong, interesting women that fight for a meaningful life against the backdrop of a globalized society that has left women weaker and more fragile, with less obvious choices and possibilities for fulfillment. As their female characters claim center stage, both traditional and contemporary constructions of gender are called into question and popular stereotypes about Emirati women are challenged

Perinatal paracetamol exposure in mice does not affect the development of allergic airways disease in early life

Background Current data concerning maternal paracetamol intake during pregnancy, or intake during infancy and risk of wheezing or asthma in childhood is inconclusive based on epidemiological studies. We have investigated whether there is a causal link between maternal paracetamol intake during pregnancy and lactation and the development of house dust mite (HDM) induced allergic airways disease (AAD) in offspring using a neonatal mouse model. Methods Pregnant mice were administered paracetamol or saline by oral gavage from the day of mating throughout pregnancy and/or lactation. Subsequently, their pups were exposed to intranasal HDM or saline from day 3 of life for up to 6 weeks. Assessments of airway hyper-responsiveness, inflammation and remodelling were made at weaning (3 weeks) and 6 weeks of age. Results Maternal paracetamol exposure either during pregnancy and/or lactation did not affect development of AAD in offspring at weaning or at 6 weeks. There were no effects of maternal paracetamol at any time point on airway remodelling or IgE levels. Conclusions Maternal paracetamol did not enhance HDM induced AAD in offspring. Our mechanistic data do not support the hypothesis that prenatal paracetamol exposure increases the risk of childhood asthma

Segmented Band Mechanism for Itinerant Ferromagnetism

We introduce a novel mechanism for itinerant ferromagnetism, which is based on a simple two-band model, and using numerical and analytical methods, we show that the Periodic Anderson Model (PAM) contains this mechanism. We propose that the mechanism, which does not assume an intra-atomic Hund's coupling, is present in both the iron group and some $f$ electron compounds

Understanding consumer demand for new transport technologies and services, and implications for the future of mobility

The transport sector is witnessing unprecedented levels of disruption. Privately owned cars that operate on internal combustion engines have been the dominant modes of passenger transport for much of the last century. However, recent advances in transport technologies and services, such as the development of autonomous vehicles, the emergence of shared mobility services, and the commercialization of alternative fuel vehicle technologies, promise to revolutionise how humans travel. The implications are profound: some have predicted the end of private car dependent Western societies, others have portended greater suburbanization than has ever been observed before. If transport systems are to fulfil current and future needs of different subpopulations, and satisfy short and long-term societal objectives, it is imperative that we comprehend the many factors that shape individual behaviour. This chapter introduces the technologies and services most likely to disrupt prevailing practices in the transport sector. We review past studies that have examined current and future demand for these new technologies and services, and their likely short and long-term impacts on extant mobility patterns. We conclude with a summary of what these new technologies and services might mean for the future of mobility.Comment: 15 pages, 0 figures, book chapte

Femoral neck fracture after electrical shock injury

A case of femoral neck fracture is reported after electrical shock injury with 300 V direct current in a 41-year old male. He had two small full thickness burns on his left heel, probably the exit wounds. A fracture after electrical shock due to musculoskeletal contractions is a very rare condition. Surgeons caring for patients with electrical injury should be aware of the possibility of skeletal injuries. Without vigilance for these injuries, delay in diagnosis may occur