Instrumental variable method for the causal relationship between soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE) and risk of pancreatic cancer

This thesis project is motivated by the potential problem of using observational data to draw inferences about a causal relationship in observational epidemiology research when controlled randomization is not applicable. Instrumental variable (IV) method is one of the statistical tools to overcome this problem. Mendelian randomization study uses genetic variants as IVs in genetic association study. In this thesis, the IV method, as well as standard logistic and linear regression models, is used to investigate the causal association between risk of pancreatic cancer and the circulating levels of soluble receptor for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE). Higher levels of serum sRAGE were found to be associated with a lower risk of pancreatic cancer in a previous observational study (255 cases and 485 controls). However, such a novel association may be biased by unknown confounding factors. In a case-control study, we aimed to use the IV approach to confirm or refute this observation in a subset of study subjects for whom the genotyping data were available (178 cases and 177 controls). Two-stage IV method using generalized method of moments-structural mean models (GMM-SMM) was conducted and the relative risk (RR) was calculated. In the first stage analysis, we found that the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs2070600 of the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (AGER) gene meets all three general assumptions for a genetic IV in examining the causal association between sRAGE and risk of pancreatic cancer. The variant allele of SNP rs2070600 of the AGER gene was associated with lower levels of sRAGE, and it was neither associated with risk of pancreatic cancer, nor with the confounding factors. It was a potential strong IV (F statistic = 29.2). However, in the second stage analysis, the GMM-SMM model failed to converge due to non- concaveness probably because of the small sample size. Therefore, the IV analysis could not support the causality of the association between serum sRAGE levels and risk of pancreatic cancer. Nevertheless, these analyses suggest that rs2070600 was a potentially good genetic IV for testing the causality between the risk of pancreatic cancer and sRAGE levels. A larger sample size is required to conduct a credible IV analysis.^

¿Por qué se decide no emigrar? Un estudio de partida para el diseño de programas de desarrollo rural en la provincia de Cuenca

Uno de los objetivos de las estrategias de desarrollo rural es frenar el proceso de despoblamiento ya que la baja densidad de población va unida a un descenso en la cantidad y calidad de los servicios sociales. Por ello, son muchos los estudios que intentan identificar las causas de las migraciones en una u otra dirección, pero no existen estudios que se hayan preocupado por identificar las razones por las que determinadas personas actúan ?contracorriente? y deciden permanecer en el medio rural. Con esta perspectiva, se ha realizado un estudio en la provincia de Cuenca en el que se analizan casos individuales de personas menores de cuarenta años que han elegido el medio rural como marco de vida. El ?apego al pueblo? se revela como el principal factor determinante para que un joven decida quedarse a vivir en su pueblo.

La Caridad en Utiel [Manuscrito] : Discurso pronunciado por Don José Morró y Aguilar en el acto de la Inaguración del nuevo Hospital en 12 de Setiembre de 1891

Firmado

La villa de la C/ Olimpo y la organización territorial de la periferia urbana de Lucentum (Alicante)

Esta investigación establece la secuencia estratigráfica, cronológica y funcional de un núcleo de poblamiento suburbano del municipio romano de Lucentum, con el fin de dibujar las líneas maestras de la evolución productiva de su ager periurbano. El yacimiento presenta cuatro fases principales que abarcan un dilatado arco temporal: estructuras de época tardorrepublicana (fase I, ss. II-I aC), una reestructuración viaria y urbanística de época augustea (fase II), el desarrollo de una villa con estructuras de transformación mercantil datada a partir de época tardojulia o flavia (fase III) y, por último, una fase bajoimperial (fase IV, ss. IV-v dC), en la que la villa sufre fuertes reestructuraciones.

Viage literario a̲ las iglesias de Espan̲a.

na. 1851.--t. XXI-XXII. Mallorca. 1851-1852.

Om at bevare vort morsmaal /

Mode of access: Internet.

Angelic wisdom concerning the divine providence,

Translated by J. C. Ager; index by George W. Colton.

Angelic wisdom concerning the divine love and the divine wisdom,

Sapientia angelica de divinoamore

Heaven and its wonders and hell : from things heard and seen /

"First published in Latin, London, 1758."

The Apocalypse explained according to the spiritual sense, in which the arcana therein predicted but heretofore concealed are revealed.

"Translated by the Rev. J.C. Ager."

The Welsh Marches: Resilient Farmers? Exploring Farmers' Resilience to Extreme Weather Events in the Recent Past

In the 21st century climate change will cause a significant increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events across Europe. Investigating farmers’ resilience to extreme weather events in the past can be used to establish the inherent level of resilience farmers’ will have to respond to comparable events in the future. The Welsh Marches has experienced a range of extreme weather events including: heatwaves, flooding; prolonged rainfall; and heavy snowfall. To identify the resilience of farmers in the Marches farmers’ apparent vulnerabilities, coping capacity, social capital and adaptive capacity that have been exposed in past events are discussed. Rural isolation is identified as an exacerbating factor of farming vulnerability. Yet, this is also an apparent source of resilience as farmers are found to rely on high social capital to assist each other in emergency and challenging situations during extreme weather events. The paper concludes by indicating that more localised studies are required, situated within unique farming cultures. This will enable a more complete picture of farmers’ resilience across Europe to be established.

CIL 10.104 – Senatus consultum de Bacchanalibus, bronze tablet

Photograph

REFUGEES AND RESETTLEMENT: A QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS OF REFUGEE INTEGRATION THROUGH SOCIAL & SUPPORT SERVICES

This dissertation studies refugee resettlement in the United States utilizing the Integration Indicator’s framework developed by Ager and Strang for the U.S. context. The study highlights the U.S. refugee admissions program and the policies in the states of Maryland and Massachusetts while analyzing the service delivery models and its effects on refugee integration in these locations. Though immigration policy and funding for refugee services are primarily the domain of the federal government, funds are allocated through and services are delivered at the state level. The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), which operates under the Department of Health and Human Services, was established after the Refugee Act of 1980 to deliver assistance to displaced persons. The ORR provides funds to individual states primarily through The Refugee Social Service and Targeted Assistance Formula Grant programs. Since the inauguration of the ORR three primary models of refugee integration through service delivery have emerged. Two of the models include the publicly/privately administered programs, where resources are allocated to the state in conjunction with private voluntary agencies; and the Wilson/Fish Alternative programs, where states sub-contract all elements of the resettlement program to voluntary agencies and private organizations —in which they can cease all state level participation and voluntary agencies or private organizations contract directly from the ORR in order for all states to deliver refugee services where the live. The specific goals of this program are early employment and economic self-sufficiency. This project utilizes US Census, state, and ORR data in conjunction with interviews of refugee resettlement practitioners involved in the service delivery and refugees. The findings show that delivery models emphasizing job training, English instruction courses, institutional collaboration, and monetary assistance, increases refugee acclimation and adaptation, providing insight into their potential for integration into the United States.

Urrezko nanozilindroen funtzionalizazioa molekula fluoreszenteekin : sintesia eta karakterizazioa

[eus] Nanozientziak bizitzaren zirrikitu guztiak astintzeko ahalmena izango dituelakoan, zientzilariek nanopartikulen ikerkuntza helburu nagusitzat jarri dute eta horren ondorioz, eskala nanometrikoko partikulek aplikazio ugari izatea espero da hurrengo hamarkadetan. Interes handiko nanopartikulen artean urrezko nanozilindroak (GNR) aurkitzen dira, hori izanda lan honen helburua, nanozilindroen sintesia optimizatzea hazien metodoa erabiliz. Hain zuzen, 49±9 nm-ko luzera eta 22±4 nm-ko zabalera duten urrezko nanopartikula dispertsatuak lortu dira. Polimerizazio erreakzio baten bitartez urrezko nanozilindroak silizez (GNR@SiO2) estali dira eta lur arraroen proportzio desberdinekin dopatu egin dira, propietate fluoreszenteak izateko. Sintetizatutako laginen karakterizazioa burutu da transmisio bidezko mikroskopia elektronikoa, UM-Ikus-NIR espektroskopia eta espektroskopia fluoreszenteaz. Modu honetan urrezko nanozilindroen forma, propietate optikoak eta propietate fluoreszenteak aztertu dira.