The colonial origins of Civil War

The dominant hypothesis in the literature that studies conflict is that poverty is the main cause of civil wars. We instead analyze the effect of institutions on civil war, controlling for income per capita. In our set up, institutions are endogenous and colonial origins affect civil wars through their legacy on institutions. Our results indicate that institutions, proxied by the protection of property rights, rule of law and the efficiency of the legal system, are a fundamental cause of civil war. In particular, an improvement in institutions from the median value in the sample to the 75th percentile is associated with a 38 percentage points reduction in the incidence of civil wars. Moreover, once institutions are included as explaining civil wars, income does not have any effect on civil war, either directly or indirectly.

Sweet diversity: Colonial goods and the rise of European living standards after 1492

When did overseas trade start to matter for living standards? Traditional real-wage indices suggest that living standards in Europe stagnated before 1800. In this paper, we argue thatwelfare rose substantially, but surreptitiously, because of an influx of new goods as a result ofoverseas trade. Colonial luxuries such as tea, coffee, and sugar transformed European diets afterthe discovery of America and the rounding of the Cape of Good Hope. These goods became household items in many countries by the end of the 18th century. We use three different methodsto calculate welfare gains based on price data and the rate of adoption of these new colonialgoods. Our results suggest that by 1800, the average Englishman would have been willing to forego 10% or more of his income in order to maintain access to sugar and tea alone. These findings are robust to a wide range of alternative assumptions, data series, and valuation methods.

A neuronal gamma oscillatory signature during morphological unification in the left occipitotemporal junction.

Morphology is the aspect of language concerned with the internal structure of words. In the past decades, a large body of masked priming (behavioral and neuroimaging) data has suggested that the visual word recognition system automatically decomposes any morphologically complex word into a stem and its constituent morphemes. Yet the reliance of morphology on other reading processes (e.g., orthography and semantics), as well as its underlying neuronal mechanisms are yet to be determined. In the current magnetoencephalography study, we addressed morphology from the perspective of the unification framework, that is, by applying the Hold/Release paradigm, morphological unification was simulated via the assembly of internal morphemic units into a whole word. Trials representing real words were divided into words with a transparent (true) or a nontransparent (pseudo) morphological relationship. Morphological unification of truly suffixed words was faster and more accurate and additionally enhanced induced oscillations in the narrow gamma band (60-85 Hz, 260-440 ms) in the left posterior occipitotemporal junction. This neural signature could not be explained by a mere automatic lexical processing (i.e., stem perception), but more likely it related to a semantic access step during the morphological unification process. By demonstrating the validity of unification at the morphological level, this study contributes to the vast empirical evidence on unification across other language processes. Furthermore, we point out that morphological unification relies on the retrieval of lexical semantic associations via induced gamma band oscillations in a cerebral hub region for visual word form processing.

António Nóvoa, Marc Depaepe, Erwin V. Johanningmeir e Diana Soto Arango (Eds.) (1996) Para uma história da educação colonial Hacia una historia de la educación colonial

A obra é composta por três partes: a primeira parte sobre “Ideologias das colonizações e acção educativa”; a segunda parte sobre “Processos de independência e acção educativa” e a terceira aborda a temática “A educação e o outro”. António Nóvoa apresenta a obra, resultante de comunicações, em português e castelhano, seleccionadas no 15º Congresso Internacional de História da Educação (Lisboa, 1993), dedicado ao tema “A educação no encontro dos povos e das culturas: a experiência colonial (séculos XVI-XX)”, que inicia com intervenções proferidas, na sessão inaugural, pelo Profs. José V. de Pina Martins e Joaquim Ferreira Gomes.

Dyadic pulsations as a signature of sustainability in correspondence networks

In this paper, we introduce the concept of dyadic pulsations as a measure of sustainability in online discussion groups. Dyadic pulsations correspond to new communication exchanges occurring between two participants in a discussion group. A group that continuously integrates new participants in the on-going conversation is characterized by a steady dyadic pulsation rhythm. On the contrary, groups that either pursue close conversation or unilateral communication have no or very little dyadic pulsations. We show on two examples taken from Usenet discussion groups, that dyadic pulsations permit to anticipate future bursts in response delay time which are signs of group discussion collapses. We discuss ways of making this measure resilient to spam and other common algorithmic production that pollutes real discussions

Open to closed system transition traced through the TDIC isotopic signature at the aquifer recharge stage, implications for groundwater 14C dating

14C dating models are limited when considering recent groundwater for which the carbon isotopic signature of the total dissolved inorganic carbon (TDIC) is mainly acquired in the unsaturated zone. Reducing the uncertainties of dating thus implies a better identification of the processes controlling the carbon isotopic composition of the TDIC during groundwater recharge. Geochemical interactions between gas, water and carbonates in the unsaturated zone were investigated for two aquifers (the carbonate-free Fontainebleau sands and carbonate-bearing Astian sands, France) in order to identify the respective roles of CO2 and carbonates on the carbon isotopic signatures of the TDIC; this analysis is usually approached using open or closed system terms. Under fully open system conditions, the seasonality of the 13C values in the soil CO2 can lead to important uncertainties regarding the so-called "initial 14C activity" used in 14C correction models. In a carbonate-bearing unsaturated zone such as in the Astian aquifer, we show that an approach based on fully open or closed system conditions is not appropriate. Although the chemical saturation between water and calcite occurs rapidly within the first metre of the unsaturated zone, the carbon isotopic contents (δ13C) of the CO2 and the TDIC evolve downward, impacted by the dissolution-precipitation of the carbonates. In this study, we propose a numerical approach to describe this evolution. The δ13C and the A 14C (radiocarbon activity) of the TDIC at the base of the carbonate-hearing unsaturated zone depends on (i) the δ13C and the A 14C of the TDIC in the soil determined by the soil CO2, (ii) the water's residence time in the unsaturated zone and (iii) the carbonate precipitation-dissolution fluxes. In this type of situation, the carbonate δ13C-A 14C evolutions indicate the presence of secondary calcite and permit the calculation of its accretion flux, equal to ~ 4.5 ± 0.5 x 10-9 mol grock-1 yr-1. More generally, for other sites under temperate climate and with similar properties to the Astian sands site, this approach allows for a reliable determination of the carbon isotopic composition at the base of the unsaturated zone as the indispensable "input function" data of the carbon cycle into the aquifer.

Strong time dependence of the 76-gene prognostic signature for node-negative breast cancer patients in the TRANSBIG multicenter independent validation series.

PURPOSE: Recently, a 76-gene prognostic signature able to predict distant metastases in lymph node-negative (N(-)) breast cancer patients was reported. The aims of this study conducted by TRANSBIG were to independently validate these results and to compare the outcome with clinical risk assessment. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Gene expression profiling of frozen samples from 198 N(-) systemically untreated patients was done at the Bordet Institute, blinded to clinical data and independent of Veridex. Genomic risk was defined by Veridex, blinded to clinical data. Survival analyses, done by an independent statistician, were done with the genomic risk and adjusted for the clinical risk, defined by Adjuvant! Online. RESULTS: The actual 5- and 10-year time to distant metastasis were 98% (88-100%) and 94% (83-98%), respectively, for the good profile group and 76% (68-82%) and 73% (65-79%), respectively, for the poor profile group. The actual 5- and 10-year overall survival were 98% (88-100%) and 87% (73-94%), respectively, for the good profile group and 84% (77-89%) and 72% (63-78%), respectively, for the poor profile group. We observed a strong time dependence of this signature, leading to an adjusted hazard ratio of 13.58 (1.85-99.63) and 8.20 (1.10-60.90) at 5 years and 5.11 (1.57-16.67) and 2.55 (1.07-6.10) at 10 years for time to distant metastasis and overall survival, respectively. CONCLUSION: This independent validation confirmed the performance of the 76-gene signature and adds to the growing evidence that gene expression signatures are of clinical relevance, especially for identifying patients at high risk of early distant metastases.

Transformations in occluded light fraction organic matter in a clayey oxisol: evidence from 13C-CPMAS-NMR and delta13C Signature

We hypothesised that, during occlusion inside granular aggregates of oxide-rich soils, the light fraction organic matter would undergo a strong process of decomposition, either due to the slow process of aggregate formation and stabilisation or due to digestion in the macro- and meso-fauna guts. This process would favour the accumulation of recalcitrant materials inside aggregates. The aim of this study was to compare the dynamics and the chemical composition of free and occluded light fraction organic matter in a natural cerrado vegetation (woodland savannah) and a nearby pasture (Brachiaria spp.) to elucidate the transformations during occlusion of light fraction in aggregates of a clayey Oxisol. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance of the 13C, with Cross Polarisation and Magic Angle Spinning (13C-CPMAS-NMR), and 13C/12C isotopic ratio were combined to study organic matter composition and changes in carbon dynamics, respectively. The occluded light fraction had a slower turnover than the free light fraction and the heavy fraction. Organic matter in the occluded fraction also showed a higher degree of decomposition. The results confirm that processes of soil organic matter occlusion in the typical "very fine strong granular" structure of the studied oxide-rich soil led to an intense transformation, selectively preserving stable organic matter. The small amount of organic material stored as occluded light faction, as well as its stability, suggests that this is not an important or manageable sink for sequestration of atmospheric CO2.

Validated prediction of clinical outcome in sarcomas and multiple types of cancer on the basis of a gene expression signature related to genome complexity.

Sarcomas are heterogeneous and aggressive mesenchymal tumors. Histological grading has so far been the best predictor for metastasis-free survival, but it has several limitations, such as moderate reproducibility and poor prognostic value for some histological types. To improve patient grading, we performed genomic and expression profiling in a training set of 183 sarcomas and established a prognostic gene expression signature, complexity index in sarcomas (CINSARC), composed of 67 genes related to mitosis and chromosome management. In a multivariate analysis, CINSARC predicts metastasis outcome in the training set and in an independent 127 sarcomas validation set. It is superior to the Fédération Francaise des Centres de Lutte Contre le Cancer grading system in determining metastatic outcome for sarcoma patients. Furthermore, it also predicts outcome for gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), breast carcinomas and lymphomas. Application of the signature will permit more selective use of adjuvant therapies for people with sarcomas, leading to decreased iatrogenic morbidity and improved outcomes for such individuals.

Human natural Treg microRNA signature: role of microRNA-31 and microRNA-21 in FOXP3 expression.

Treg are the main mediators of dominant tolerance. Their mechanisms of action and applications are subjects of considerable debate currently. However, a human microRNA (miR) Treg signature has not been described yet. We investigated human natural Treg and identified a signature composed of five miR (21, 31, 125a, 181c and 374). Among those, two were considerably under-expressed (miR-31 and miR-125a). We identified a functional target sequence for miR-31 in the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of FOXP3 mRNA. Using lentiviral transduction of fresh cord blood T cells, we demonstrated that miR-31 and miR-21 had an effect on FOXP3 expression levels. We showed that miR-31 negatively regulates FOXP3 expression by binding directly to its potential target site in the 3' UTR of FOXP3 mRNA. We next demonstrated that miR-21 acted as a positive, though indirect, regulator of FOXP3 expression. Transduction of the remaining three miR had no direct effect on FOXP3 expression or on the phenotype and will remain the subject of future investigations. In conclusion, not only have we identified and validated a miR signature for human natural Treg, but also unveiled some of the mechanisms by which this signature was related to the control of FOXP3 expression in these cells.

A Novel Volume-Age-KPS (VAK) Glioblastoma Classification Identifies a Prognostic Cognate microRNA-Gene Signature.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have established Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) prognostic and predictive models based on age and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), while very few studies evaluated the prognostic and predictive significance of preoperative MR-imaging. However, to date, there is no simple preoperative GBM classification that also correlates with a highly prognostic genomic signature. Thus, we present for the first time a biologically relevant, and clinically applicable tumor Volume, patient Age, and KPS (VAK) GBM classification that can easily and non-invasively be determined upon patient admission. METHODS: We quantitatively analyzed the volumes of 78 GBM patient MRIs present in The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) corresponding to patients in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) with VAK annotation. The variables were then combined using a simple 3-point scoring system to form the VAK classification. A validation set (N = 64) from both the TCGA and Rembrandt databases was used to confirm the classification. Transcription factor and genomic correlations were performed using the gene pattern suite and Ingenuity Pathway Analysis. RESULTS: VAK-A and VAK-B classes showed significant median survival differences in discovery (P = 0.007) and validation sets (P = 0.008). VAK-A is significantly associated with P53 activation, while VAK-B shows significant P53 inhibition. Furthermore, a molecular gene signature comprised of a total of 25 genes and microRNAs was significantly associated with the classes and predicted survival in an independent validation set (P = 0.001). A favorable MGMT promoter methylation status resulted in a 10.5 months additional survival benefit for VAK-A compared to VAK-B patients. CONCLUSIONS: The non-invasively determined VAK classification with its implication of VAK-specific molecular regulatory networks, can serve as a very robust initial prognostic tool, clinical trial selection criteria, and important step toward the refinement of genomics-based personalized therapy for GBM patients.

Evidence of an interannual effect of maternal immunization on the immune response of juveniles in a long-lived colonial bird.

Little is known about the maternal transfer of antibodies in natural host-parasite systems despite its possible evolutionary and ecological implications. In domestic animals, the maternal transfer of antibodies can enhance offspring survival via a temporary protection against parasites, but it can also interfere with the juvenile immune response to antigens. We tested the functional role of maternal antibodies in a natural population of a long-lived colonial seabird, the kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), using a vaccine (Newcastle disease virus vaccine) to mimic parasite exposure combined with a cross-fostering design. We first investigated the role of prior maternal exposure on the interannual transmission of Ab to juveniles. We then tested the effect of these antibodies on the juvenile immune response to the same antigen. The results show that specific maternal antibodies were transferred to chicks 1 year after maternal exposure and that these antibodies were functional, i.e. they affected juvenile immunity. These results suggest that the role of maternal antibodies may depend on the timing and pattern of offspring exposure to parasites, along with the patterns of maternal exposure and the dynamics of her immune response. Overall, our approach underlines that although the transgenerational transfer of antibodies in natural populations is likely to have broad implications, the nature of these effects may vary dramatically among host-parasite systems, depending on the physiological mechanisms involved and the ecological context.