Global Reserve Research Articles

What do unions want from BRICS?

The BRICS group of countries is an international Bloc of countries comprising five of the world’s most influential emerging economies, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, spanning Latin America, Africa, Eurasia, and Asia. The first BRIC meeting (South Africa joined later, creating BRICS) was convened at the initiative of Russian President Vladimir Putin, and was held as a side event during a Session of the UN General Assembly. Foreign ministers of Russia, Brazil and China and the Indian Defence Minister took part in the meeting. They expressed their interest in expanding multilateral cooperation. Two years later, a Joint Communiqué was issued, with BRIC political leaders meeting as a group later that year, during the G8 Summit in Japan. South Africa joined in 2010. The BRICS Forum was established as a formal international body in 2011, thought it still lacks a robust secretariat – what formal information exists about the BRICS group and its meetings is still largely coordinated by the country hosting each session1. In this regard it follows the G7 / G8 model, rather than the model of the EU, or of NAFTA, or ASEAN, all of which have bureaucracies of varying complexity. Yet despite the lack of a central BRICS office (inviting the old line, ‘who do I call when I want to speak to BRICS’?), the grouping does have a clearly articulated political vision, and it is surprisingly radical, and challenging to the current global economic order. At its most radical this ambition saw Russia mooting the establishment of a new global reserve currency to challenge the dollar. That may have overstepped the ambition of other BRICS parties, for now, and official statements from the BRICS subsequently called only for a more stable and predictable monetary system. Yet the BRICS’ ambition to challenge global economic paradigm took a practical step forward in 2014, with the foundation of the New Development Bank and Contingent Reserve Arrangement, broadly based on the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Planned cooperation on currency and trade stability continues, and other projects under development include a BRICS-wide submarine communications cable network, intended to circumvent Westernand , particularly, US-controlled communications hubs, in the wake of revelations about the extent of US spying. The BRICS Trade Union Forum As in a number of other international institutions, most notably the ILO, with its Workers Group, and the OECD, with TUAC, labour is organised into a body that works alongside the BRICS political bloc, the BRICS Trade Union Forum. But the Forum is not strictly a part of the BRICS machinery, but was established independently by the trade unions involved. The concept was mooted and supported at the 2010 Congress of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), and came to fruition with the signing of the BRICS Trade Union Forum Declaration during an ILO Decent Work conference in Moscow in December 2012. Within the Forum, almost all major trade union centres from the BRICS countries are represented, including moderates, socialists and communists, ITUC affiliates, WFTU affiliates, and the ACFTU, which otherwise participates only infrequently in trade union international affairs. Alongside this diverse grouping, the ITUC is a regular participant. The only significant exceptions among relevant national trade union centres are the CITU of India and the (newly established) SAFTU of South Africa. Unions were quick to call for a formal position within the BRICS Forum, but despite their repeated calls for such a body to be established, as yet unions have no formal role within the group. This has been a source of some tension. But as yet bursts of discontent have tended to emanate from one national group at a time, and have been temporary. The unions do meet each year, during the BRICS Forum, as a side meeting, and arising from these meetings has been a series of joint annual declarations issued by the BRICS trade unions, which demonstrate a degree of unity and common FOCUS | THE BRICS COUNTRIES AND TRADE UNION RIGHTS 3 24/4 | International Union Rights | The BRICS group has clear and radical policies WhatdounionswantfromBRICS? Daniel Blackburn is Director of ICTUR in London 4 | International Union Rights | 24/4 FOCUS | THE BRICS COUNTRIES AND TRADE UNION RIGHTS purpose. But the lack...

Uphill Capital Flows and the International Monetary System

Uphill capital flows constitute a key transmission channel through which reserve accumulation can distort the stability of the international monetary system. This paper examines and quantifies the importance of this transmission channel by examining how foreign official purchases of U.S. Treasuries influences the U.S. yield curve at different maturities. Our findings suggest that a percentage point increase in foreign official holdings relative to outstanding marketable securities reduces the term premium by 2.0-2.4 basis points at maturities of 2-3 years. These estimates are then used to gauge the role of a global policy in reducing excess reserve accumulation?e.g., a composite global reserve asset or through global liquidity facilities. Findings show that a policy that reduces the demand for Treasuries by $100 billion would increase yields by 1.5-1.8 basis points.

A Long-Term Mathematical Model for Mining Industries

A parcimonious long term model is proposed for a mining industry. Knowing the dynamics of the global reserve, the strategy of each production unit consists of an optimal control problem with two controls, first the flux invested into prospection and the building of new extraction facilities, second the production rate. In turn, the dynamics of the global reserve depends on the individual strategies of the producers, so the models leads to an equilibrium, which is described by low dimensional systems of partial differential equations. The dimen-sionality depends on the number of technologies that a mining producer can choose. In some cases, the systems may be reduced to a Hamilton-Jacobi equation which is degenerate at the boundary and whose right hand side may blow up at the boundary. A mathematical analysis is supplied. Then numerical simulations for models with one or two technologies are described. In particular, a numerical calibration of the model in order to fit the historical data is carried out.

Effect of Diffuse Subendocardial Hypoperfusion on Left Ventricular Cavity Size by 13N-Ammonia Perfusion PET in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Vasodilator-induced transient left ventricular (LV) cavity dilation by positron emission tomography (PET) is common in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC). Because most patients with PET-LV cavity dilation lack obstructive epicardial coronary artery disease, we hypothesized that vasodilator-induced subendocardial hypoperfusion resulting from microvascular dysfunction underlies this result. To test this hypothesis, we quantified myocardial blood flow (MBF) (subepicardial, subendocardial, and global MBF) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in 104 patients with HC without significant coronary artery disease, using 13NH3-PET. Patients with HC were divided into 2 groups, based on the presence/absence of LV cavity dilation (LVvolumestress/LVvolumerest >1.13). Transient PET-LV cavity dilation was evident in 52% of patients with HC. LV mass, stress left ventricular outflow tract gradient, mitral E/E', late gadolinium enhancement, and prevalence of ischemic ST-T changes after vasodilator were significantly higher in patients with HC with LV cavity dilation. Baseline LVEF was similar in the 2 groups, but LV cavity dilation+ patients had lower stress-LVEF (43 ± 11 vs 53 ± 10; p <0.001), lower stress-MBF in the subendocardial region (1.6 ± 0.7 vs 2.3 ± 1.0ml/min/g; p <0.001), and greater regional perfusion abnormalities (summed difference score: 7.0 ± 6.1 vs 3.9 ± 4.3; p= 0.004). The transmural perfusion gradient, an indicator of subendocardial perfusion, was similar at rest in the 2 groups. Notably, LV cavity dilation+ patients had lower stress-transmural perfusion gradients (0.85 ± 0.22, LV cavity dilation+ vs 1.09 ± 0.39, LV cavity dilation-; p<0.001), indicating vasodilator-induced subendocardial hypoperfusion. The stress-transmural perfusion gradient, global myocardial flow reserve, and stress-LVEF were associated with LV cavity dilation. In conclusion, diffuse subendocardial hypoperfusion and myocardial ischemia resulting from microvascular dysfunction contribute to development of transient LV cavity dilation in HC.

Feasibility of triple imaging vasodilator stress echo in patients with suspected coronary artery disease

Background: Regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMA) are the diagnostic cornerstone of stress echo, but the positivity rate hasbeen declining over the last decades. Additional information is obtained with simultaneous assessment of coronary flow velocityreserve (CFVR) on left anterior descending coronary artery and global left ventricular contractile reserve (LVCR) from the systolicpressure/end-systolic volume relationship.Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of triple imaging (RWMA + LVCR + CFVR) during dipyridamole stressecho.Methods: We enrolled 40 consecutive patients (30 men; 62±11 years, mean ejection fraction: 62±7%) referred to testing for suspectedcoronary artery disease. All patients underwent dipyridamole (0.84 mg/kg in 6 min) stress echo. LVCR was defined as theratio between peak and rest elastance index (cuff systolic blood pressure/left ventricular end-systolic volume from biplane Simpsonmethod, normal values: > 1.0). CFVR was defined as the ratio between maximal vasodilation and rest peak diastolic flow velocity inthe left anterior descending coronary artery (normal values >2.0).Results: In 40 consecutive patients, interpretable images were obtained in 40/40 patients (100%) for RWMA, 40/40 (100%) for LVCRand 40/40 (100%) for CFVR. The positivity rate was 1/40 (2%) for RWMA, 4/40 (10%) for LVCR, 6/40 (15%) for CFVR and 9/40(22.5%) with any of the three criteria combined. The average additional imaging time at peak stress after completion of RWMA imagingwas 45 seconds for CFVR; no extra-time was required for LVCR. The average off-line analysis time was 30 seconds for RWMA,55 seconds for LVCR, and 15 seconds for CFVR.Conclusions: Triple imaging vasodilator stress echo was highly feasible and non-time consuming. Abnormal values are more frequentlyfound with CFVR and LVCR than with RWMA. Triple imaging might become the new diagnostic standard in stress echo,and a larger scale validation is now ongoing in the Italian Stress echo 2020 multicenter study.

How to Restore Equitable and Sustainable Economic Growth in the United States

Today's weakness in the US economy results from lack of aggregate demand, due to high and growing inequality, underinvestment in public infrastructure and technology that is complementary to private capital, continuing mild austerity, difficulties encountered in making the structural transformation from manufacturing to a service-based economy, and a financial sector failing to provide adequate funds to SMEs. An agenda to restore growth includes a carbon price, inducing climate investments; increased public investments in infrastructure and technology; fighting inequality through redistribution and rewriting the rules structuring the economy; and reforming the financial sector and the global reserve system.

Abstract 11579: Myocardial Infarction Size by 3D Reconstruction of Late Gadolinium Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Cardiac Imaging in the Mouse: Correlation With Left Ventricular (LV) Global and Regional Performance

Background: Assessment in vivo of murine myocardial infarction (MI) size, and its correlation with global and regional LV dysfunction, remains problematic. In this experimental MI model, the validity of 3-D reconstruction of late gadolinium enhanced (LGE) Bruker Biospec 7T magnetic resonance (MR) images was tested and compared to degree of LV dysfunction. Methods and Results: Thirty-three male C57BL/6J mice were studied (Figure 1A). LGE MR images were obtained by FLASH-cine pulse sequence. Continuity 6 software was used to 3D reconstruct the LV from 1.0 mm contiguous 2D slices at end-diastole (Figure 1B) and -systole; wall motion was quantitated by 3D % shrinkage and regional surface area change (RSAC) at the endocardium. Hemodynamic assessment was followed post-mortem by histologic (TTC) measurement of infarction size. In the chronic MI study, control measurements were used for normalization of 3D parameters. Results are shown in Table 1. We found highly significant negative linear correlations between the absolute increase of max dP/dt, by dobutamine stimulation and LGE MI size at 2 days after MI in the acute (r=-0.83, P&lt;0.0001) and at 4 weeks in the chronic MI (r=-0.77, P=0.0052) groups. 3D % RSAC measured at 2 days precisely predicted the ESV at 4 weeks (r=0.95, P&lt;0.0001). Conclusion: 3D reconstruction of LGE MR images quantitates MI size that correlates significantly with histologic infarct size, regional impairment of 3D shortening, endocardial surface area change, and LV global contractile reserve. This approach provides accurate end-points for interventions, pharmacologic and genomic, that potentially limit both direct and reperfusion injuries associated with acute MI.

Myocardial blood flow assessment with 82rubidium-PET imaging in patients with left bundle branch block

OBJECTIVES:Perfusion abnormalities are frequently seen in Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) when a left bundle branch block is present. A few studies have shown decreased coronary flow reserve in the left anterior descending territory, regardless of the presence of coronary artery disease.OBJECTIVE:We sought to investigate rubidium-82 (82Rb) positron emission tomography imaging in the assessment of myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve in patients with left bundle branch block.METHODS:Thirty-eight patients with left bundle branch block (GI), median age 63.5 years, 22 (58%) female, 12 with coronary artery disease (≥70%; GI-A) and 26 with no evidence of significant coronary artery disease (GI-B), underwent rest-dipyridamole stress 82Rb-positron emission tomography with absolute quantitative flow measurements using Cedars-Sinai software (mL/min/g). The relative myocardial perfusion and left ventricular ejection fraction were assessed in 17 segments. These parameters were compared with those obtained from 30 patients with normal 82Rb-positron emission tomography studies and without left bundle branch block (GII).RESULTS:Stress myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve were significantly lower in GI than in GII (p<0.05). The comparison of coronary flow reserve between GI-A and GI-B showed that it was different from the global coronary flow reserve (p<0.05) and the stress flow was significantly lower in the anterior than in the septal wall for both groups. Perfusion abnormalities were more prevalent in GI-A (p=0.06) and the left ventricular ejection fraction was not different between GI-A and GI-B, whereas it was lower in GI than in GII (p<0.001).CONCLUSION:The data confirm that patients with left bundle branch block had decreased myocardial blood flow and coronary flow reserve and coronary flow reserve assessed by 82Rb-positron emission tomography imaging may be useful in identifying coronary artery disease in patients with left bundle branch block.

Prognostic Value of Coronary Flow Reserve in Patients with Dialysis-Dependent ESRD

Capillary rarefaction of the coronary microcirculation is a consistent phenotype in patients with dialysis-dependent ESRD (dd-ESRD) and may help explain their excess mortality. Global coronary flow reserve (CFR) assessed by positron emission tomography (PET) is a noninvasive, quantitative marker of myocardial perfusion and ischemia that integrates the hemodynamic effects of epicardial stenosis, diffuse atherosclerosis, and microvascular dysfunction. We tested whether global CFR provides risk stratification in patients with dd-ESRD. Consecutive patients with dd-ESRD clinically referred for myocardial perfusion PET imaging were retrospectively included, excluding patients with prior renal transplantation. Per-patient CFR was calculated as the ratio of stress to rest absolute myocardial blood flow. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards models, including age, overt cardiovascular disease, and myocardial scar/ischemia burden, were used to assess the independent association of global CFR with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. The incremental value of global CFR was assessed with relative integrated discrimination index and net reclassification improvement. In 168 patients included, median global CFR was 1.4 (interquartile range, 1.2-1.8). During follow-up (median of 3 years), 36 patients died, including 21 cardiovascular deaths. Log-transformed global CFR independently associated with all-cause mortality (hazard ratio, 0.01 per 0.5-unit increase; 95% confidence interval, <0.01 to 0.14; P<0.001) and cardiovascular mortality (hazard ratio, 0.01 per 0.5-unit increase; 95% confidence interval, <0.01 to 0.15; P=0.002). For all-cause mortality, addition of global CFR resulted in risk reclassification in 27% of patients. Thus, global CFR may provide independent and incremental risk stratification for all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in patients with dd-ESRD.

Ischaemic vs non-ischaemic dilated cardiomyopathy: The value of nuclear cardiology techniques

The left ventricular (LV) dysfunction exhibited by the patient is of equivocal origin. Nuclear imaging provides a very well-validated, versatile series of tests for proper diagnosis of disease pathophysiology, with the added, equally well established benefit of incremental information on patient prognosis and guidance towards optimal therapy (Table 1). In this case, the patient should first undergo a perfusion test, to identify or rule out an ischemic origin of LV dysfunction, and to distinguish between ischemia and myocardial infarction. If a fixed perfusion defect is present, a subsequent viability study using metabolic tracers can assist in selecting the appropriate treatment course. In addition, independent of ischemic or nonischemic origin, complementary assessment of absolute myocardial blood flow can identify severity of global microcirculatory dysfunction as a prognostic marker, and imaging of myocardial sympathetic innervation may be employed to determine individual risk of arrhythmia or heart failure progression. Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) using SinglePhoton Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) or Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is routinely applied to detect underlying ischemia. SPECT MPI using Tc-labelled tracers (tetrofosmin or sestamibi) is a cornerstone of clinical evaluation to detect coronary artery disease (CAD) with established diagnostic and prognostic value. A recent meta-analysis reported sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 76%. The application of CT-based attenuation correction (AC) and scatter correction substantially improves specificity, up to 90%. Furthermore, MPI-defined ischemia has emerged as a powerful prognostic tool to predict adverse outcome and to guide interventional therapeutic decisions. Specifically, whereas a normal study identifies patients at low-risk of developing cardiac events, the presence and extent of perfusion abnormalities are directly proportional to the likelihood that a given patient will benefit from revascularization. PET with Rb or N-ammonia also exhibits excellent diagnostic performance in the setting of coronary artery disease. Compared to SPECT, PET displays higher diagnostic accuracy for the detection of coronary disease (85% sensitivity and 90% specificity), relating to improved spatial and temporal resolution, and superior tracer kinetic properties which are more proportional to flow over a wide range of values. Moreover, PET perfusion imaging allows absolute flow quantification, which enables noninvasive calculation of global coronary flow reserve. This is of value in detecting balanced reduction of myocardial perfusion in multiple vascular territories (e.g. triple vessel disease), and in detecting microvascular disease which may be present in diabetes and hypertension as in the discussed case. While reduced global flow reserve indicates an elevated risk in subjects with nonischemic cardiomyopathy, it also provides incremental prognostic value in ischemic heart disease where it may be used to guide therapeutic decision towards bypass surgery, targeted coronary intervention or medical therapy. Of note, in order to potentially expand the availability of absolute quantification, the field is moving towards implementation of quantitative SPECT by implementing principles established for PET imaging on novel, sensitive solid-state detector SPECT cameras. For both SPECTand PET-based perfusion imaging, electrocardiogram-gated acquisition is a routine procedure which enables the complementary evaluation of LV geometry and function at rest and stress, including ejection fraction (EF), ventricular volumes, transient ischemic dilation and dyssynchrony. These measurements Reprint requests: Frank M. Bengel, MD, FAHA, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Hannover Medical School, Carl Neuberg Strase, 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany; bengel.frank@mh-hannover.de J Nucl Cardiol 2015;22:971–4. 1071-3581/$34.00 Copyright 2015 American Society of Nuclear Cardiology.

Shaping the Future of the IMS: Regionalization of Selected Asian Currencies

The dominance of the US Dollar (USD) as the main global reserve currency will continue for the foreseeable future. Yet various events, including the most recent financial crisis, have pointed to the need for an alternative system that will strengthen market discipline rather than a system relying excessively on policy coordination. The rise of Asian economies led by China provides a unique opportunity for a regionalization of selected Asian currencies, namely, the settling of current account transactions among Asian economies using selected local currencies. To do so, relevant governments should be more proactive in setting up a market framework by following similar steps taken by China for RMB internationalization. This will provide an opportunity for the market to determine how fast it wants to shape an alternative international monetary system. Most likely, a tri-polar and two-tier system will emerge. As the medium of exchange and unit of account, the first tier, the USD, the Euro, and the RMB will dominate, forming a tri-polar system along each of which various local currencies will be used specific to the locality. As the store of value, the second tier, the USD will retain its hegemony for a few more decades. Gradually, these two tiers will merge.

Využití odpadních materiálů v pěstebních substrátech

Gardeners' practical experience and experimental work prove the affirmation that the used substrate is a very important base for the production of quality nursery products. It is important to emphasis the complexity and synergy of all factors influencing the ecosystem and there mutual relations. Physical, chemical and biological properties do not separately affect the growth and development of plants. In addition, the relations are not statical but differ in relation with other factors changes. This article is dealing with the possibility to use waste material from timber processing in cultivation substrates. The large scale use of such substrates would enable people to reach a relative independence from peat substrates, of which the global reserve is gradually decreasing.Our research activities focus on the use of bark. The basic problems of a bark substrate are easy dehydration and unbalanced nutrition of trees and shrubs. The suggested and experimented cultivation technology solves these problems. It is based on the cultivation of woody species in bark substrates, using modern irrigation systems, slow release fertilisers (Silvamix Forte) and special soil conditioners (TerraCottem). This technology was tested on the following species of trees and shrubs:MalusandBuxus.

From the Chiang Mai Initiative to an Asian Monetary Fund

In the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis of 1997-98, East Asian finance ministers launched several new initiatives for regional financial cooperation including: (i) regional economic surveillance; (ii) a regional liquidity support arrangement; and (iii) Asian bond markets initiative. This paper evaluates the progress of such initiatives—particularly the Chiang Mai Initiative Multilateralization (CMIM)—and explores the possible evolution of the CMIM toward an Asian Monetary Fund (AMF). The paper argues that for an AMF to emerge, East Asian authorities need to strengthen regional surveillance and upgrade their capacity to formulate independent conditionality in the event of crisis lending so that the CMIM can be delinked from IMF programs. The paper also makes a case for more flexible use of CMIM when the type of external shock that affected the Republic of Korea in the fall of 2008 following the Lehman collapse hits Asia once again in the future. Given capital inflow risks, the paper suggests the authorities to prepare for exchange rate policy coordination—through intensive policy dialogue—to better manage macroeconomic and financial conditions while keeping intraregional exchange rate stability. An Asian Currency Unit should be developed to facilitate such policy dialogue for exchange rate policy coordination. Acknowledgment: This paper is prepared for the conference on the Future Global Reserve System organized by Columbia University in partnership with ADB and ADBI in Tokyo on 17-18 March 2010. It is a revised version of the discussion paper presented for the first phase of the ADB International Monetary Advisory Group (IMAG) meeting held in New York, 16-17 September 2009. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in the paper are solely the author's alone and do not necessarily represent the views of the Asian Development Bank, its Institute, their respective executive directors, or the countries they represent.

Left atrial enlargement increases the risk of major adverse cardiac events independent of coronary vasodilator capacity.

Longstanding uncontrolled atherogenic risk factors may contribute to left atrial (LA) hypertension, LA enlargement (LAE) and coronary vascular dysfunction. Together they may better identify risk of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that chronic LA hypertension as assessed by LAE modifies the relationship between coronary vascular function and MACE. In 508 unselected subjects with a normal clinical (82)Rb PET/CT, ejection fraction ≥40 %, no prior coronary artery disease, valve disease or atrial fibrillation, LAE was determined based on LA volumes estimated from the hybrid perfusion and CT transmission scan images and indexed to body surface area. Absolute myocardial blood flow and global coronary flow reserve (CFR) were calculated. Subjects were systematically followed-up for the primary end-point - MACE - a composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, hospitalization for heart failure, stroke, coronary artery disease progression or revascularization. During a median follow-up of 862 days, 65 of the subjects experienced a composite event. Compared with subjects with normal LA size, subjects with LAE showed significantly lower CFR (2.25 ± 0.83 vs. 1.95 ± 0.80, p = 0.01). LAE independently and incrementally predicted MACE even after accounting for clinical risk factors, medication use, stress left ventricular ejection fraction, stress left ventricular end-diastolic volume index and CFR (chi-squared statistic increased from 30.9 to 48.3; p = 0.001). Among subjects with normal CFR, those with LAE had significantly worse event-free survival (risk adjusted HR 5.4, 95 % CI 2.3 - 12.8, p < 0.0001). LAE and reduced CFR are related but distinct cardiovascular adaptations to atherogenic risk factors. LAE is a risk marker for MACE independent of clinical factors and left ventricular volumes; individuals with LAE may be at risk of MACE despite normal coronary vascular function.

China's currency: faster steps towards global use

The arrival of the renminbi as a global reserve currency seems inevitable, underlining China's position as a global economic power.

ChemInform Abstract: Organofluorine Chemistry: Applications, Sources and Sustainability

AbstractReview: [22 refs.

The Kremlin’s Economic Checkmate Maneuver

Much has been written over the past year describing how Russian security forces were able to seize the Crimean peninsula, which ultimately led to annexation in March 2014. The West responded to this aggression with both political and economic measures. Russia’s membership in the G8 was annulled and a series of economic sanctions have been applied to force Russia to renounce its claims in Crimea and discontinue its support for separatists in southeastern Ukraine. The Russian leadership has undertaken its own retaliatory measures. Besides enacting its own sanctions, the Kremlin has redoubled its efforts to attack what it perceives as the Achilles heel of American leadership: U.S. financial indebtedness. This brief essay examines the Kremlin’s strategy to weaken faith in the U.S. economy and to unseat the dollar as the global reserve currency.

Patient selection for elective revascularization to reduce myocardial infarction and mortality: new lessons from randomized trials, coronary physiology, and statistics.

As stated in American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Guidelines, randomized trials have not demonstrated that elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduces myocardial infarction (MI) or mortality over medical treatment. Even the Fractional Flow Reserve Guided PCI Versus Medical Therapy in Stable Coronary Disease (FAME 2) trial showed no statistically significant benefit of PCI over the deferred group by traditional intention-to-treat, nonbenchmark analysis starting at randomization that includes procedure-related events. Benchmark analysis in FAME 2 beginning 1 week after PCI removed procedure-related events that counterbalanced subsequent reduced MI and mortality compared with the deferred group. Meta-analysis of the literature on risk of events related to fractional flow reserve (FFR), including FFR Versus Angiography in Multivessel Evaluation (FAME), and other physiological measures of severity reveal an underappreciated, powerful interdependence among physiological severity of stenosis, diffuse coronary artery disease (CAD), event rates, sample size, and statistical certainty of differences. This analytic review synthesizes an evidenced-based, quantitative hypothesis and potential solution to this issue based on hard data from the literature by coauthors of diverse cardiovascular disciplines in trial design, biostatistics, invasive procedures, coronary physiology, fluid dynamics, coronary pathology, and quantitative imaging. Our synthesis elucidates a dual hypothesis for failure of elective PCI in stable CAD to reduce MI or mortality and novel trial design for selecting patients for whom PCI will likely reduce these events. First, a large burden of global diffuse CAD carries a high risk of coronary events unmitigated by PCI of a focal stenosis. Second, focal stenosis severity in previous randomized revascularization trials has been too modest without objectively quantified sufficient severity to observe benefit of PCI. In previous trials, mixture of diffuse coronary disease and intermediate stenosis may not incur high enough risk for potential benefit by PCI for sample size of reported trials. Greater quantitative severity with …

Latina/o identities, the racialization of work, and the global reserve army of labor: Becoming Latino in Postville, Iowa

This article argues that the experiences and group formation of the Latino population in the United States can best be understood by employing a framework which examines global economic and political forces—forces which draw upon Latin America’s global reserve army of labor to meet and exceed U.S. national labor demands in order to increase capital accumulation. While cautioning against viewing Latinos as a homogenous “culture,” the authors’ framework acknowledges shared racialized historical experiences and examines how a large segment of the Latino population fits into distinct spheres of the U.S. labor and economic system. The authors ground their theoretical framing using a case study of Guatemalan immigrants in a small U.S. Midwestern town. The authors conclude that Latinos in U.S. labor markets are used to perpetuate power dynamics, disrupt worker consciousness, and racialize Latinos around jobs.

Origin of early Cambrian black-shale-hosted barite deposits in South China: Mineralogical and geochemical studies

The barite deposits hosted in early Cambrian black shales in South China are a classic example of sediment-hosted stratiform barite deposits, and their origin is controversial. In this paper, we address the origin of these deposits by a comprehensive integrated study of mineralogy and geochemistry, based on a case study of the Dahebian deposit in Tianzhu County, Guizhou Province, which contains the largest global reserve of barite. Particular attention was paid to a comparison between ore and non-ore horizons, as this has not been fully addressed previously. The results indicate that the ore horizon is dominated by barite with intergrown hyalophane, quartz and pyrite. The hyalophane is zoned, implying hydrothermal activity. In contrast, the non-ore horizons contain minor amounts of granular barite and are free of hyalophane, suggesting that these horizons experienced weaker hydrothermal activity. The contrasting trace and rare earth element compositions of the ore and non-ore samples indicate dilution of complex geochemistry with multiple ore-forming processes and materials during barite mineralization. The barite mineralization was rapid, as demonstrated by the relatively low terrigenous input in the ore samples compared with the non-ore samples. The ore samples have positive Eu anomalies (>3.0), indicative of hydrothermal activity during mineralization. Organic geochemical analyses provide evidence of the development of abundant organic matter and hydrothermal activity. The sulphur isotopic values (δ34S) of the ore samples show an enrichment relative to contemporaneous early Cambrian seawater and substantial variation (+36.7‰ to +43.8‰), indicative of sulphur derived from seawater that was affected by sulphate-reducing bacteria and hydrothermal activity in a restricted marine environment. To summarize, the barite deposit in the Dahebian site was most likely formed in a generally restricted and reducing marine basin environment with rapid sedimentation during a period of hydrothermal activity. These results have general implications for the future study of other black-shale-hosted deposits worldwide.