Central North Africa Research Articles

China's outward foreign direct investment and bilateral export sophistication: a cross countries panel data analysis

PurposeChina's outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) has risen remarkably over the past two decades. Does such increase affect the sophistication of Chinese exports, is a significant issue that has surprisingly remained unaddressed? The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of Chinese OFDI on bilateral export sophistication of China and its OFDI receiving partner countries during 2003–2017 by applying Poisson pseudo-maximum likelihood approach based on gravity model.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis has been performed for total sample, region-wise grouped sample (Europe and Central Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and Caribbean, East Asia and Pacific, South Asia, North America and sub-Saharan Africa) and income-wise grouped sample (high income, upper middle income, lower middle income and lower income group sample).FindingsThe results confirmed the significant and positive effect of Chinese OFDI on bilateral export sophistication in total sample, regions-wise and income groups sample.Originality/valueThe study provides a helpful suggestion regarding policy towards achieving more sophistication in export and thus to achieve comparative advantage in trade.

Elevation of vitellogenin expression in Sunn pest is associated with pre‐migration and migration phases of the life cycle

AbstractSunn pest, Eurygaster maura L. (Hemiptera: Scutelleridae), a species with an obligatory diapause, is a major destructive pest of cereal products in central Asia, Europe and North Africa. Adults feed voraciously, causing total destruction of wheat fields in just a couple of days. Insect vitellogenins (Vgs) play a major role in reproduction by supplying the resources needed for oocyte development. In this study, we identified and characterized three E. maura Vg genes (EmVgs: EmVg1, EmVg2 and EmVg3) in the cDNA library generated from the fat body of overwintering E. maura. We examined expression levels of EmVgs in the phases of the life cycle, different tissues and at different developmental stages. mRNA levels in the female adults started to increase in the pre‐migration phase and reached peak level in the adults that freshly migrated to lowlands. This pattern suggests that the elevation of EmVg expression is associated with pre‐migration and migration phases of the insect's life cycle. EmVgs were primarily expressed in the fat body, which could be a possible EmVg expression site. EmVgs were expressed throughout developmental stages, suggesting that they might be prominent for nymphal development of E. maura.

Aflatoxin M1 in Africa: Exposure Assessment, Regulations, and Prevention Strategies - A Review.

Aflatoxins are the most harmful mycotoxins causing health problems to human and animal. Many acute aflatoxin outbreaks have been reported in Africa, especially in Kenya and Tanzania. When ingested, aflatoxin B1 is converted by hydroxylation in the liver into aflatoxin M1, which is excreted in milk of dairy females and in urine of exposed populations. This review aims to highlight the AFM1 studies carried out in African regions (North Africa, East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa), particularly AFM1 occurrence in milk and dairy products, and in human biological fluids (breast milk, serum, and urine) of the populations exposed. Strategies for AFM1 detoxification will be considered, as well as AFM1 regulations as compared to the legislation adopted worldwide and the assessment of AFM1 exposure of some African populations. Egypt, Kenya, and Nigeria have the highest number of investigations on AFM1 in the continent. Indeed, some reports showed that 100% of the samples analyzed exceeded the EU regulations (50ng/kg), especially in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Sudan, and Egypt. Furthermore, AFM1 levels up to 8,000, 6,999, 6,900, and 2040ng/kg have been reported in milk from Egypt, Kenya, Sudan, and Nigeria, respectively. Data on AFM1 occurrence in human biological fluids have also shown that exposure of African populations is mainly due to milk intake and breastfeeding, with 85-100% of children being exposed to high levels. Food fermentation in Africa has been tried for AFM1 detoxification strategies. Few African countries have set regulations for AFM1 in milk and derivatives, generally similar to those of the Codex alimentarius, the US or the EU standards.

Two decades of DNA barcoding in the genus Usnea (Parmeliaceae): how useful and reliable is the ITS?

We present an exhaustive analysis of the ITS barcoding marker in the genus Usnea s.lat., separated into Dolichousnea, Eumitria, and Usnea including the subgenus Neuropogon, analyzing 1,751 accessions. We found only a few low-quality accessions, whereas information on voucher specimens and accuracy and precision of identifications was of subpar quality for many accessions. We provide an updated voucher table, alignment and phylogenetic tree to facilitate DNA barcoding of Usnea, either locally or through curated databases such as UNITE. Taxonomic and geographic coverage was moderate: while Dolichousnea and subgenus Neuropogon were well-represented among ITS data, sampling for Eumitria and Usnea s.str. was sparse and biased towards certain lineages and geographic regions, such as Antarctica, Europe, and South America. North America, Africa, Asia and Oceania were undersampled. A peculiar situation arose with New Zealand, represented by a large amount of ITS accessions from across both major islands, but most of them left unidentified. The species pair Usnea antarctica vs. U. aurantiacoatra was the most sampled clade, including numerous ITS accessions from taxonomic and ecological studies. However, published analyses of highly resolved microsatellite and RADseq markers showed that ITS was not able to properly resolve the two species present in this complex. While lack of resolution appears to be an issue with ITS in recently evolving species complexes, we did not find evidence for gene duplication (paralogs) or hybridization for this marker. Comparison with other markers demonstrated that particularly IGS and RPB1 are useful to complement ITS-based phylogenies. Both IGS and RPB1 provided better backbone resolution and support than ITS; while IGS also showed better resolution and support at species level, RPB1 was less resolved and delineated for larger species complexes. The nuLSU was of limited use, providing neither resolution nor backbone support. The other three commonly employed protein-coding markers, TUB2, RPB2, and MCM7, showed variable evidence of possible gene duplication and paralog formation, particularly in the MCM7, and these markers should be used with care, especially in multimarker coalescence approaches. A substantial challenge was provided by difficult morphospecies that did not form coherent clades with ITS or other markers, suggesting various levels of cryptic speciation, the most notorious example being the U. cornuta complex. In these cases, the available data suggest that multimarker approaches using ITS, IGS and RPB1 help to assess distinct lineages. Overall, ITS was found to be a good first approximation to assess species delimitation and recognition in Usnea s.lat., as long as the data are carefully analyzed, and reference sequences are critically assessed and not taken at face value. In difficult groups, we recommend IGS as a secondary barcode marker, with the option to employ more resource-intensive approaches, such as RADseq, in species complexes involving so-called species pairs or other cases of disparate morphology not reflected in the ITS or IGS. Attempts should be made to close taxonomic and geographic gaps especially for the latter two markers, in particular in Eumitria and Usnea s.str. and in the highly diverse areas of North America and Central America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

Global discovery of human-infective RNA viruses: A modelling analysis.

RNA viruses are a leading cause of human infectious diseases and the prediction of where new RNA viruses are likely to be discovered is a significant public health concern. Here, we geocoded the first peer-reviewed reports of 223 human RNA viruses. Using a boosted regression tree model, we matched these virus data with 33 explanatory factors related to natural virus distribution and research effort to predict the probability of virus discovery across the globe in 2010-2019. Stratified analyses by virus transmissibility and transmission mode were also performed. The historical discovery of human RNA viruses has been concentrated in eastern North America, Europe, central Africa, eastern Australia, and north-eastern South America. The virus discovery can be predicted by a combination of socio-economic, land use, climate, and biodiversity variables. Remarkably, vector-borne viruses and strictly zoonotic viruses are more associated with climate and biodiversity whereas non-vector-borne viruses and human transmissible viruses are more associated with GDP and urbanization. The areas with the highest predicted probability for 2010-2019 include three new regions including East and Southeast Asia, India, and Central America, which likely reflect both increasing surveillance and diversity of their virome. Our findings can inform priority regions for investment in surveillance systems for new human RNA viruses.

The Hydro-Isostatic Rebound Related to Megalake Chad (Holocene, Africa): First Numerical Modelling and Significance for Paleo-Shorelines Elevation

Lake Chad, the largest freshwater lake of north-central Africa and one of the largest lakes of Africa, is the relict of a giant Quaternary lake (i.e., Megalake Chad) that developed during the early- to mid-Holocene African Humid Period. Over the drylands of the Sahara Desert and the semi-arid Sahel region, remote sensing (optical satellite imagery and digital elevation models) proved a successful approach to identify the paleo-shorelines of this giant paleo-lake. Here we present the first attempt to estimate the isostatic response of the lithosphere due to Megalake Chad and its impact on the elevation of these paleo-shorelines. For this purpose, we use the open source TABOO software (University of Urbino, Italy) and test four different Earth models, considering different parameters for the lithosphere and the upper mantle, and the spatial distribution of the water mass. We make the simplification of an instantaneous drying-up of Megalake Chad, and compute the readjustment related to this instant unload. Results (i.e., duration, amplitude, and location of the deformation) are then discussed in the light of four key areas of the basin displaying prominent paleo-shoreline morpho-sedimentary features. Whatever the Earth model and simplification involved in the simulations, this work provides a strong first-order evaluation of the impact on hydro-isostasy of Megalake Chad. It demonstrates that a water body similar to this megalake would induce a significant deformation of the lithosphere in the form of a vertical differential uplift at basin-scale reaching up to 16 m in the deepest part of the paleo-lake, and its shorelines would then be deflected from 2 m (southern shorelines) to 12 m (northern shorelines), with a maximum rate of more than 1 cm y−1. As such, any future study related to the paleo-shorelines of Megalake Chad, should integrate such temporal and spatial variation of their elevations.

To be there or not to be there: Centrality as a Measure of Closeness to Markets

Closeness to markets is a well-known determinant of firm location, with several studies focusing on the measurement of centrality. The ranking of the countries in terms of centrality derives simultaneously from economic and geographical factors. Additionally, internal and external dimensions are at play. Thus, four dimensions should be considered in empirical terms. We propose a centrality index and its disaggregation into four dimensions (internal economic, internal geographical, external geographical, external mixed). Each isolated dimension has a specific interpretation, allowing to verify the strongest and the weakest points of each country regarding its centrality level. We present an empirical example at the world-level covering 178 countries. To that end, we consider data from CEPII. Based on the overall centrality index and its decomposition, the conclusions emerging from this study provide guidance for policy intervention aiming to improve the specific dimension(s) in which the countries exhibit their worst position(s). The empirical evidence indicates that the most central countries are Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, and United Kingdom. We divide the countries under analysis into four groups. The first group – comprising the countries with the highest level of centrality – is composed by 11 countries, including 8 European countries and 3 from Asia. The second group includes 14 European countries, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and USA. In turn, the third group is heterogeneous, including countries from Central America, North Africa, Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Asia (China and India). The last group corresponds to the Southern Hemisphere. Additionally, the evidence makes clear the existence of different sources of centrality, corresponding to the dimensions identified in the decomposition method. The results obtained have important implications for policy action since they allow to identify the dimensions of centrality requiring intervention in each specific case. The interventions could be associated with: (i) the improvement of transports and communications at the national level, aiming to improve the internal accessibility; (ii) the promotion of economic growth and investment, with the objective of capturing a higher proportion of economic activity; (iii) the improvement of external connections; (iv) the formation of trading blocs.

Global and regional epidemiology of HIV-1 recombinants in 1990–2015: a systematic review and global survey

Global HIV-1 genetic diversity and evolution form a major challenge to treatment and prevention efforts. An increasing number of distinct HIV-1 recombinants have been identified worldwide, but their contribution to the global epidemic is unknown. We aimed to estimate the global and regional distribution of HIV-1 recombinant forms during 1990-2015. We assembled a global HIV-1 molecular epidemiology database through a systematic literature review and a global survey. We searched the PubMed, Embase (Ovid), CINAHL (Ebscohost), and Global Health (Ovid) databases for HIV-1 subtyping studies published from Jan 1, 1990, to Dec 31, 2015. Unpublished original HIV-1 subtyping data were collected through a survey among experts in the field who were members of the WHO-UNAIDS Network for HIV Isolation and Characterisation. We included prevalence studies with HIV-1 subtyping data collected during 1990-2015. Countries were grouped into 14 regions and analyses were done for four time periods (1990-99, 2000-04, 2005-09, and 2010-15). The distribution of circulating recombinant forms (CRFs) and unique recombinant forms (URFs) in individual countries was weighted according to the UNAIDS estimates of the number of people living with HIV in each country to generate regional and global estimates of numbers and proportions of HIV-1 recombinants in each time period. The systematic review is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42017067164. Our global data collection yielded an HIV-1 molecular epidemiology database of 383 519 samples from 116 countries in 1990-2015. We found that the proportion of recombinants increased over time, both globally and in most regions, reaching 22·8% (7 978 517 of 34 921 639) of global HIV-1 infections in 2010-15. Both the proportion and the number of distinct CRFs detected increased over time to 16·7% and 57 CRFs in 2010-15. The global and regional distribution of HIV-1 recombinants was diverse and evolved over time, and we found large regional variation in the numbers (0-44 CRFs), types (58 distinct CRFs), and proportions (0-80·5%) of HIV-1 recombinants. Globally, CRF02_AG was the most prevalent recombinant, accounting for 33·9% (2 701 364 of 7 978 517) of all recombinant infections in 2010-15. URFs accounted for 26·7% (2 131 450 of 7 978 517), CRF01_AE for 23·0% (1 838 433), and other CRFs for 16·4% (1 307 270) of all recombinant infections in 2010-15. Although other CRFs accounted for small proportions of infections globally (<1% each), they were prominent in regional epidemics, including in east and southeast Asia, west and central Africa, Middle East and north Africa, and eastern Europe and central Asia. In addition, in 2010-15, central Africa (21·3% [243 041 of 1 143 531]), west Africa (15·5% [838 476 of 5 419 010]), east Africa (12·6% [591 140 of 4 704 986]), and Latin America (9·6% [153 069 of 1 586 605]) had high proportions of URFs. HIV-1 recombinants are increasingly prominent in global and regional HIV epidemics, which has important implications for the development of an HIV vaccine and the design of diagnostic, resistance, and viral load assays. Continued and improved surveillance of the global molecular epidemiology of HIV is crucial. None.

Identification and Delineation of the Earth’s Large-Scale Closed Terrain Depressions and Their Fractal Size Distribution

Closed terrain depressions are geomorphic features that show scale invariance over the wide range of scales on which they occur, from metres to thousands of kilometres. They are also global features that are present on all continents. Morphometric analyses of these depressions are now possible because of the availability of global digital elevation models and advances in methods for mapping closed depressions. Here, a simple and automatic but efficient method is proposed for mapping closed terrain depressions. The GTOPO30 global digital elevation model, with a spatial resolution of around 1 km, was used to map the closed depressions of eight large test sites sampled from all inhabited continents. The identified and delineated terrain depressions include lake watersheds together with many other terrain depressions including deserts, karst terrains and rift valleys. A fractal analysis shows that South America and Central Africa have similar, and also the largest, fractal dimensions; Central Europe and North Africa have intermediate fractal dimensions; and North America, Central Asia, the Near East and Australia have similar, low fractal dimensions. The methodology proposed in this paper can be used to identify areas of interest for which a more exhaustive analysis, using digital elevation models with better spatial resolution, can be conducted.

Callosobruchus phaseoli (Gyllenhal, 1833) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae, Bruchinae): a new invasive species in Kazakhstan

An invasive seed-beetle species cowpea weevil Callosobruchus phaseoli (Gyllenhal, 1833), was found in the south-eastern Kazakhstan (Almaty city) for the first time. Its areal includes India (species origin), South and Central America, Europe, Middle East (Israel), North Africa, Arabian Peninsula, Far East, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Burma, Philippines, Hawaiian Islands, Australia, and Oceania. Damaged plants are adzuki bean Vigna angularis (Willd.) Ohwi &amp;amp; H. Ohashi (1969), mung bean Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek, broad bean Vicia faba Linnaeus, 1753, pea Pisum sativum Linnaeus, 1753, pigeon pea Cajanus cajan (L.) Huth, 1893, hyacinth bean Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet, 1826, Wisteria sp., lima bean Phaseolus lunatus Linnaeus, 1753, common bean Phaseolus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1753 and other species of beans, chickpea Cicer arietinum Linnaeus, 1753, Sesbania sp., rattlepod Crotalaria spectabilis Roth., lupine Lupinus sp. Emerged beetles immediately mate and begin to lay eggs on the same day. Beetle damage both in field and in storage. We were not able to find the species during the monitoring of agriculture lands and natural landscapes near the city. We assumed that the invasion occurred recently and the species did not have time to spread outside Almaty. Since C. phaseoli was discovered in Almaty, which is a transit crossroad for many trade routes, further species distribution should be predicted. The most probable corridor for further invasion of cowpea weevil in Kazakhstan is the south and southeast parts of the country, namely Almaty, Zhambyl, Turkestan, and Kyzylorda oblast's.

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Lectotypification of six names of species of &lt;em&gt;Scabiosa&lt;/em&gt; s.l. (Caprifoliaceae) endemic to North Africa and related taxonomic notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

As part of an ongoing project for the investigation of the Algerian-Tunisian flora, six names of species of Caprifoliaceae subfam. Dipsacaceae, endemic to central and western North Africa, described in the 19th and 20th Centuries under the genus Scabiosa, are here lectotypified. They are: Scabiosa camelorum Cosson &amp; Durieu, Scabiosa cartenniana Pons &amp; Quézel, Scabiosa daucoides Desf., Scabiosa farinosa Cosson, Scabiosa parielii Maire, and Scabiosa robertii Barratte. Taxonomic notes, distributisson and new unpublished data about plant phenology of these taxa are given.

An Analysis of Racial and Ethnic Backgrounds Within the CASiRe International Cohort of Sickle Cell Disease Patients: Implications for Disease Phenotype and Clinical Research.

Millions are affected by sickle cell disease (SCD) worldwide with the greatest burden in sub-Saharan Africa. While its origin lies historically within the malaria belt, ongoing changes in migration patterns have shifted the burden of disease resulting in a global public health concern. We created the Consortium for the Advancement of Sickle Cell Research (CASiRe) to understand the different phenotypes of SCD across 4 countries (USA, UK, Italy, and Ghana). Here, we report the multi-generational ethnic and racial background of 877 SCD patients recruited in Ghana (n = 365, 41.6%), the USA (n = 254, 29%), Italy (n = 81, 9.2%), and the UK (n = 177, 20.2%). West Africa (including Benin Gulf) (N = 556, 63.4%) was the most common geographic region of origin, followed by North America (N = 184, 21%), Caribbean (N = 51, 5.8%), Europe (N = 27, 3.1%), Central Africa (N = 24, 2.7%), and West Africa (excluding Benin Gulf) (N = 21, 2.4%). SCD patients in Europe were primarily West African (73%), European (10%), Caribbean (8%), and Central African (8%). In the USA, patients were largely African American (71%), Caribbean (13%), or West African (10%). Most subjects identified themselves as Black or African American; the European cohort had the largest group of Caucasian SCD patients (8%), including 21% of the Italian patients. This is the first report of a comprehensive analysis of ethnicity within an international, transcontinental group of SCD patients. The diverse ethnic backgrounds observed in our cohort raises the possibility that genetic and environmental heterogeneity within each SCD population subgroup can affect the clinical phenotype and research outcomes.

CO2 emission in transportation sector across 51 countries along the Belt and Road from 2000 to 2014

The transportation sector is a key economic sector and an important source of CO2 emissions. Due to these environmental implications and a desire to reduce emission levels, the number of empirical analyses on the transportation sector have increased significantly in recent times. Given this pretext, our study examines the heterogeneity and spatial autocorrelation CO2 emissions of the transportation sector for 51 belt and road economies from 2000 to 2014. As part of analysis, we examine the heterogeneity of CO2 emissions in the transportation sector through the use of the Theil index and semi-variogram analysis. Furthermore, our study also analyzed the global and local spatial autocorrelation of transport sector CO2 emissions using the Moran index for participating countries. From the analysis, this study found that the transportation CO2 emission intensity of Central and Western Asia and North Africa is significantly higher than that of other regions along the belt and road, and there is a strong spatial correlation in Southeast Asian countries. Our research provides a key reference point for governments by proposing carbon-reduction policies and the promotion of greener developmental initiatives within the transportation sector.

Pathotype diversification in the invasive PstS2 clonal lineage of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici causing yellow rust on durum and bread wheat in Lebanon and Syria in 2010–2011

AbstractYellow rust is the major wheat disease in central West Asia and North Africa. Recently, severe epidemics have occurred, with major yield losses in 2010–2011 in Lebanon and Syria. We conducted an extensive field survey, with a collection of 273 samples of Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici, to explore the origin of these epidemics. All samples were genotyped with 20 microsatellite markers, and 54 isolates were pathotyped. The population was dominated by the PstS2 lineage, which has spread worldwide since 2000 and displays considerable pathotype diversity (10 pathotypes). The 22 multilocus genotypes (MLGs) detected corresponded to variants of the clonal lineage PstS2, but they differed from the common PstS2 genotype found in the worldwide study conducted between 1981 and 2010. No strong differentiation was observed between Lebanon and Syria. The dominant MLG in Syria was common to both countries. Nine MLGs were found exclusively in the Syrian population and four were restricted to the Lebanese population, including the dominant MLG in Lebanon. The predominant MLG‐11 was found in nine pathotypes, at high frequency. The dominant pathotype in Syria was virulent against widely deployed resistance genes (Yr2, Yr6, Yr7, Yr9, Yr25, and Yr27); virulence against Yr3, Yr8, Yr17, and YrSP occurred at various frequencies, but Yr1, Yr4, Yr5, Yr10, Yr15, and Yr32 were effective against all isolates. No host effect was detected. The presence of diverse host populations consisting of landraces and elite varieties, and diverse climatic conditions may account for the unexpectedly high diversity of this clonal population.

Dynamics between Financial Development, Renewable Energy Consumption, and Economic Growth: Some International Evidence

This thesis investigates the dynamics between financial development, renewable energy consumption, and economic growth in comparative analyses across 123 countries from 1990 to 2017. In the comparative analyses, we considered four income groups, namely low-income (LIC), lower-middle-income (LMC), upper-middle-income (UMC) and high-income (HIC) countries, but also five major regions such as Asia Pacific (APA), Europe & Central Asia (ECS), America (AMA, North America & Latin America and The Caribbean), Middle-East and North Africa (MENA) and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This research is motivated by the need to show whether financial development may contribute to the protection of the planet (clean energy) and the eradication of poverty around the world. We also highlight the importance of good governance quality and renewable energies for achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs). This project is in line with the SDGs initiated by the United Nations to arouse attention towards clean water and sanitation, decent work and economic growth, peace, justice, and strong institutions affordable and clean energy in response to global warming. Hence, energy-saving technologies, i.e., renewable energies and sustainable growth, may play critical roles in this regard. The scrutiny of the empirical literature reveals that few studies have examined the nonlinear relationship between financial development, renewable energy consumption and economic growth in comparative analyses across different income groups and different regions while considering the multidimensional aspects of financial development. Notably, this study analyzes the nonlinear effects of financial development on renewable energy consumption and economic growth using different financial indicators. In a disaggregated approach, we alternatively use these indicators to represent four aspects of financial development, i.e., financial depth, financial efficiency, financial inclusion, and financial stability. Besides, this study examines the moderating effect of the quality of governance of public institutions on the relationship between financial development, renewable energy consumption, and economic growth across income levels and regions, unlike previous studies. In an aggregated approach, we built composite indexes of financial development and governance quality using eight (8) financial variables and six (6) indicators of governance quality. We make these indexes through the principal component analysis (PCA) technique to derive the overall effect of financial development on renewable energy consumption and growth while avoiding multicollinearity problems and the arbitrary choices of variables. The study also includes ten (10) control variables to avoid bias arising from omitted variables. The different estimations were performed by using two-stage least squares (2SLS), difference-GMM and system-GMM in most cases to deal with endogeneity problems, as well as to provide robust and reliable results. We also examined the causal relationships between financial development, renewable energy consumption, and economic growth using the panel vector autoregressive model (Panel VAR) following a similar approach to Granger causality framework with the GMM models. The study also provides detailed discussions of the results and specific policy implications for achieving the sustainable development goals in response to global warming across countries. These policy implications are well discussed in the last section of this thesis.

Neither core nor periphery: The search for competitive advantage in the automotive semi‐periphery

AbstractThis article examines a heretofore underexplored category of automotive‐producing nation known as the semi‐periphery. These nations are neither “core” automotive nations whose power derives from hosting headquarters of major automakers, nor are they low‐cost members of the automotive “integrated periphery” like Mexico or countries in Central and Eastern Europe or North Africa. Through a case study of one semi‐periphery country, Canada, the paper assesses automotive semi‐periphery countries' capacity to transition to knowledge‐based activities more typically associated with “core” automotive nations. In so doing, it raises implications for other “semi‐periphery” automotive‐producing nations as well as those currently categorized as “core” or “integrated periphery.”

İklim Değişikliğinin Çayır-Meralar Üzerindeki Etkileri

İklim değişikliği küresel ısınma ile birlikte sera gazlarının artışını ve iklimde meydana gelen her tür değişikliği ifade eder. Son 50 yılda sera gazlarından CO2 konsantrasyonunun %30‘un üzerinde arttığı, gelecek yüzyılda ise bu artışın daha hızlı olacağı tahmin edilmektedir. İklim değişikliği yıl içerisinde ve yıllar arasında önemli sıcaklık ve yağış farklılıklarına neden olabilmektedir. İklim değişikliğine paralel olarak flora da değişmektedir. İklim değişikliği nedeniyle bazı alanlarda tür sayısının azaldığı saptanmış ve özellikle serin iklim türlerinin yüksek sıcaklıklara adapte olamamasından dolayı daha da azalacakları öngörülmektedir. İklim değişikliği meralarda verimi önemli derecede etkilemektedir. Batı yarım kürede verim artışı Doğu yarım küreden daha yüksek olurken, Kuzey Amerika, Orta Asya, Orta Afrika ve Okyanusya‘daki meraların iklim değişikliğine karşı hassasiyeti ortaya çıkmıştır. Yaz sıcaklıklarının yüksek olduğu alanlarda küresel ısınma hayvanlarda yem tüketim etkinliğini, canlı ağırlık artışını, süt verimini ve üremeyi olumsuz yönde etkilemektedir. Serin bölgelerde ise küresel ısınmanın etkisi daha az hissedilmektedir. İklim değişikliklerinin çayır meralar üzerindeki etkilerini araştırmak ve tahminlerde bulunmak için yoğun çaba harcanmaktadır. Gelecekle ilgili yüksek güvenirlikli tahminler yapabilmek için detaylı modelleme çalışmalarına ihtiyaç vardır. Yapılan tahminlere göre özellikle ülkemizde küresel ısınmanın etkili olacağı öngörülmektedir. Bundan dolayı çayır-mera yem bitkilerinde kurağa dayanıklı çeşitlerin geliştirilmesi, farklı ekolojik bölgelerimize adapte olabilecek C4 yem bitkisi türlerinin belirlenmesi ve bu türlerin yetiştirme tekniği ve ıslah çalışmalarına ihtiyaç vardır.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: Epidemiological characteristic of Orofacial clefts and its associated congenital anomalies: retrospective study

BackgroundTo evaluate the relationship between gender, ethnicity/citizenship, clinical phenotype, total prevalence, and the various congenital malformations associated with oral clefts (OC) in Italy across the period 2001–2014.MethodsA retrospective analysis (2001–2014) was conducted based on the National Congenital Malformation Registries network of Italy (Emilia-Romagna Registry of Birth Defects [IMER] and Registro Toscano Difetti Congeniti [RTDC]), which were analyzed to investigate time trends, geographical/ethnic clusters, topography, sex ratio, and associated congenital anomalies of OC phenotypes.ResultsAmong 739 registered cases, 29.8% were syndromic or had multi-malformed associated anomalies, compared with 70.2% having isolated orofacial cleft. Cleft lip (CL) was observed in 22%, cleft palate (CP) in 40%, and cleft lip and palate (CLP) in 38% of live births, stillbirths, and terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly cases. Other associated conditions were major anomalies of cardiovascular defects (39%), followed by defects of the limbs (28%), neuroectodermal defects (23%), and urogenital malformations (10%).Male-to-female sex ratio was 1:1.14 in CP, 1.22:1 in CL, and 1.9:1 in CLP. Foreigners were represented by 29% from Southeast Asia, 25% from Balkans, 25% from North-Central Africa, 9% from the East, 7% from Western Europe, and 5% from South America. Total prevalence of OC cases ranged from 0.9 (RTDC) to 1.1 (IMER) of 1000 births.ConclusionsThis retrospective study provides a population-based, clinical-epidemiological description of the orofacial cleft phenomenon. As a relatively frequent congenital malformation, its social and economic impact is worthy of further study. These abnormalities can cause significant problems that may be solved or minimized by early diagnosis and treatment.

Culinary interactions: connecting foodways in Early Iron Age Africa

ABSTRACTThe archaeology of food has great potential for developing a more inclusive approach to the investigation of past African society and interaction beyond a traditional emphasis on the lifestyles and activities of social elites. Using the Middle Nile Valley as an example, the concept of archaeological ‘culinary traditions’ is employed as a framework for exploring interaction both within the kingdom of Kush and with neighbouring communities. A survey of Kushite kitchen contexts and the material culture of food preparation, cooking and consumption establishes the cuisine of Kush as part of broader Sub-Saharan traditions and highlights inter-regional connections across north-central and northeastern Africa during the Early Iron Age.

Does Governance Quality Moderate the Finance-Renewable Energy-Growth Nexus?: Evidence from Five Major Regions in the World

This paper investigates the moderating role of governance quality on the finance-renewable energy-growth nexus in five major regions in the world, including 123 countries from 1990 to 2017. These regions concern the Asia Pacific, Europe & Central Asia, America (North America and Latin America & Caribbean), Middle-East and North Africa (MENA), and Sub-Saharan African (SSA) regions. Following the principal component analysis (PCA), we constructed composite indexes of governance quality and financial development using six institutional indicators and eight financial variables. Next, we applied the two-stage least squares, difference-GMM, and system-GMM methods, as well as the Granger non-causality test in Dumitrescu and Hurlin (2012). First, the results show that better governance quality wipes out the harmful effects of financial development and renewable energy consumption on economic growth in the Asia Pacific, MENA, and SSA regions, respectively. Conversely, the level of governance quality reduces the positive effects of financial development and renewable energy consumption on economic growth in America, with few exceptions in Europe & Central Asia region, respectively. Second, we find marginal adverse effects of financial development and renewable energy consumption on growth in the Asia Pacific, MENA, and SSA regions due to their low levels of governance quality. However, the marginal effect of renewable energy consumption on growth is positive in America and Europe& Central Asia regions, whereas the marginal effect of financial development is negative in these regions in most cases. Third, there is bidirectional causality between financial development and economic growth in all areas, whereas the bidirectional causality between renewable energy consumption and growth is only confirmed in America and SSA regions, respectively. This study reveals the threshold effect of governance quality on the renewable energy-finance-growth nexus across regions. Thus, financial development, renewable energy consumption, and governance quality are complementary factors to enhance economic growth in the Asia Pacific, MENA and SSA regions, contrary to America and Europe & Central Asia regions, with some exceptions. Therefore, policymakers should improve the level of governance quality, the efficiency of financial systems and renewable energy consumption to promote sustainable development in the different regions, especially in the Asia Pacific, MENA, and SSA regions.