Inflation hedging in the long run: Practical perspectives from seven centuries of commodity prices

One promise of commodity investments is that they offer a long run hedge against inflation. But do they? The authors undertake a comprehensive investigation of commodities’ inflation-hedging ability across 50 commodities for 80 countries and seven centuries of data. They confirm that commodities have offered protection against inflation throughout history, especially over long, multiyear periods. Nonetheless, hedging capacity has varied remarkably—both over time and across geographical regions. Following many centuries of agricultural commodity primacy, energy commodities have taken the lead only recently. They recommend that investors should continue to include commodities in their portfolios to protect against inflation. However, not all commodity types offer the same protection level, which differs over time and across countries and geographies

An investigation into the changing relationship between the gold price and South African gold mining industry returns

Background: It is accepted that the gold price impacts on the value of gold mining companies. Previous studies have shown that, in financial crises, gold is considered a ‘safe haven’ investment in developed markets.   Aim: The aim of the study is to investigate whether an investment in gold mining stocks do provide gold price-linked safe haven benefits to investors in an emerging economy. An understanding of the possible safe haven benefits of their companies’ stocks and the variables that influence these benefits would be valuable to managers of gold companies when endeavouring to maximise shareholders’ wealth through hedging and investment decisions.   Methods: Regression analysis is applied to investigate the relationship between gold mining returns, the gold price and the rand–dollar exchange rate within a multifactor model motivated by the arbitrage pricing theory.   Results: The results indicate that there is a strong, yet changing, relationship between the gold price, the rand–dollar exchange rate and gold mining returns.   Conclusion: This study extends the understanding of the changing South African gold mining industry in a world that is still recovering from the global financial crisis

Educational utility of advanced three-dimensional virtual imaging in evaluating the anatomical configuration of the frontal recess: Educational Utility of 3D Imaging Software For Frontal Recess Anatomy

Endoscopic sinus surgery represents a cornerstone in the professional development of otorhinolaryngology trainees. Mastery of these surgical skills requires an understanding of paranasal sinus and skull base anatomy. The frontal sinus is associated with a wide range of variation and complex anatomical configuration, and thus represents an important challenge for all trainees performing endoscopic sinus surgery

Effects of traumatic brain injury and posttraumatic stress disorder on Alzheimer's disease in veterans, using the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

Both traumatic brain injury (TBI) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common problems resulting from military service, and both have been associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia resulting from Alzheimer's disease (AD) or other causes. This study aims to use imaging techniques and biomarker analysis to determine whether traumatic brain injury (TBI) and/or PTSD resulting from combat or other traumas increase the risk for AD and decrease cognitive reserve in Veteran subjects, after accounting for age. Using military and Department of Veterans Affairs records, 65 Vietnam War veterans with a history of moderate or severe TBI with or without PTSD, 65 with ongoing PTSD without TBI, and 65 control subjects are being enrolled in this study at 19 sites. The study aims to select subject groups that are comparable in age, gender, ethnicity, and education. Subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia are being excluded. However, a new study just beginning, and similar in size, will study subjects with TBI, subjects with PTSD, and control subjects with MCI. Baseline measurements of cognition, function, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers; magnetic resonance images (structural, diffusion tensor, and resting state blood-level oxygen dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging); and amyloid positron emission tomographic (PET) images with florbetapir are being obtained. One-year follow-up measurements will be collected for most of the baseline procedures, with the exception of the lumbar puncture, the PET imaging, and apolipoprotein E genotyping. To date, 19 subjects with TBI only, 46 with PTSD only, and 15 with TBI and PTSD have been recruited and referred to 13 clinics to undergo the study protocol. It is expected that cohorts will be fully recruited by October 2014. This study is a first step toward the design and statistical powering of an AD prevention trial using at-risk veterans as subjects, and provides the basis for a larger, more comprehensive study of dementia risk factors in veterans

Brain injury-associated biomarkers of TGF-beta1, S100B, GFAP, NF-L, tTG, AbetaPP, and tau were concomitantly enhanced and the UPS was impaired during acute brain injury caused by Toxocara canis in mice

BACKGROUND: Because the outcomes and sequelae after different types of brain injury (BI) are variable and difficult to predict, investigations on whether enhanced expressions of BI-associated biomarkers (BIABs), including transforming growth factor beta1 (TGF-beta1), S100B, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), neurofilament light chain( NF-L), tissue transglutaminases (tTGs), beta-amyloid precursor proteins (AbetaPP), and tau are present as well as whether impairment of the ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is present have been widely used to help delineate pathophysiological mechanisms in various BIs. Larvae of Toxocara canis can invade the brain and cause BI in humans and mice, leading to cerebral toxocariasis (CT). Because the parasitic burden is light in CT, it may be too cryptic to be detected in humans, making it difficult to clearly understand the pathogenesis of subtle BI in CT. Since the pathogenesis of murine toxocariasis is very similar to that in humans, it appears appropriate to use a murine model to investigate the pathogenesis of CT. METHODS: BIAB expressions and UPS function in the brains of mice inoculated with a single dose of 250 T. canis embryonated eggs was investigated from 3 days (dpi) to 8 weeks post- infection (wpi) by Western blotting and RT-PCR. RESULTS: Results revealed that at 4 and 8 wpi, T. canis larvae were found to have invaded areas around the choroid plexus but without eliciting leukocyte infiltration in brains of infected mice; nevertheless, astrogliosis, an indicator of BI, with 78.9~142.0-fold increases in GFAP expression was present. Meanwhile, markedly increased levels of other BIAB proteins including TGF-beta1, S100B, NF-L, tTG, AbetaPP, and tau, with increases ranging 2.0~12.0-fold were found, although their corresponding mRNA expressions were not found to be present at 8 wpi. Concomitantly, UPS impairment was evidenced by the overexpression of conjugated ubiquitin and ubiquitin in the brain. CONCLUSION: Further studies are needed to determine whether there is an increased risk of CT progression into neurodegenerative disease because neurodegeneration-associated AbetaPP and phosphorylated tau emerged in the brain. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2334-8-8

International Consensus Statement on Rhinology and Allergy: Rhinosinusitis

Background: The 5 years since the publication of the first International Consensus Statement on Allergy and Rhinology: Rhinosinusitis (ICAR‐RS) has witnessed foundational progress in our understanding and treatment of rhinologic disease. These advances are reflected within the more than 40 new topics covered within the ICAR‐RS‐2021 as well as updates to the original 140 topics. This executive summary consolidates the evidence‐based findings of the document. Methods: ICAR‐RS presents over 180 topics in the forms of evidence‐based reviews with recommendations (EBRRs), evidence‐based reviews, and literature reviews. The highest grade structured recommendations of the EBRR sections are summarized in this executive summary. Results: ICAR‐RS‐2021 covers 22 topics regarding the medical management of RS, which are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Additionally, 4 topics regarding the surgical management of RS are grade A/B and are presented in the executive summary. Finally, a comprehensive evidence‐based management algorithm is provided. Conclusion: This ICAR‐RS‐2021 executive summary provides a compilation of the evidence‐based recommendations for medical and surgical treatment of the most common forms of RS

Poligeneracja energii cieplnej, energii elektrycznej i produktów antropogenicznych

This is the first in the series of engineering papers presenting new possibilities of coal-based power engineering, where the energy producing boiler is seen as a chemical reactor, which in the poly-generation process should be outputting only products, no waste. This is to help meeting the Circular Economy (CE) goals by the power sector. Rich chemical composition of flyash and conditions in which they arise, high temperatures and flue gas control systems, many times suggest to purposefully combine the processes of combustion of fuels with the processes of their energy-and-technological processing. Taking into account the huge interest in extracting aluminum compounds (alumina) from flyash, theoretical considerations were made in terms of possibilities of combing the combustion of coals rich in alumina compounds with the process of their extraction. Out of a very rich list of techniques for producing alumina, in the context of ashes the most interesting are the alkali-sintering methods. Of particular potential is the sintering-disintegrating method by Prof J. Grzymek, which has been already verified in industrial conditions in the cement sector, while in this paper it is analyzed from the angle of coal combustion and sintering of calcium-oxide containing ash.Jest to pierwsza z serii prac inżynieryjnych prezentujących nowe możliwości energetyki węglowej, w której kocioł energetyczny jest postrzegany jako reaktor chemiczny, który w procesie poligeneracji powinien wytwarzać tylko produkty, bez odpadów. Ma to pomóc w osiągnięciu celów gospodarki o obiegu zamkniętym (Circular Economy) przez sektor energetyczny. Bogaty skład chemiczny popiołów lotnych i warunki, w których powstają, wysokie temperatury i systemy kontroli spalin, sugerują celowe łączenie procesów spalania paliw z procesami przetwarzania powstających odpadów i produktów ubocznych. Biorąc pod uwagę ogromne zainteresowanie wydobyciem związków glinowych (tlenku glinu) z popiołów lotnych, przeprowadzono analizę możliwości adaptacji procesów spalania węgli bogatych w związki glinu do zwiększenia odzysku związków glinu. Z bardzo bogatej literatury dotyczącej technik wytwarzania tlenku glinu na bazie popiołów najciekawsze są metody spiekania alkalicznego. Szczególny potencjał stanowi metoda spiekania i dezintegracji wg Prof. J. Grzymka, która została już zweryfikowany w warunkach przemysłowych w sektorze produkcji cementu, natomiast w niniejszym opracowaniu przeprowadzono analizę spalania węgla i spiekania popiołu zawierającego tlenek wapnia