Latest Survey Research Articles

Outlook on UK-EU Brexit negotiations and possible economic risks

The UK parliament on 29 January endorsed by 317 to 301 votes a government-backed amendment proposing to renegotiate the Brexit deal with the European Union, specifically demanding major changes to the so-called backstop on future border management between the UK region of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. EU negotiators, as well as leaders from the remaining 27 EU member states, have repeatedly stated that they reject such a move. While still failing to approve viable alternative routes, the UK parliament also confirmed in a nonbinding vote with a majority of 318 to 310 that it is opposed to leaving the EU without a deal. The easiest route is for the UK to secure an orderly Brexit on 29 March would require major EU concessions to the backstop, such as agreeing to a time limit or providing a unilateral exit clause for the UK. But, the EU continues to rule out a renegotiation, suggesting May could struggle to win some concessions to win over support from hardline Brexiteers. Should the EC refuse to budge on the backstop agreement, parliament could demand a legally binding vote to remove a “no deal” option from the table, increasing the likelihood of the UK edging closer to a softer Brexit instead. This could entail the establishment of a permanent UK-EU customs union, which could attract sufficient number of votes from the opposition as well as an array of pro-EU MPs from the governing Conservative Party. However, May has so far refrained from offering such an option as it would significantly increase the risk of splitting her party. Without either EU concessions or a cross-party alliance supporting a softer Brexit, the risk of exiting without a deal on 29 March increases. At this point in time (4 February), IHS Markit's assessment that the risk of a “no-deal” Brexit is more elevated, and sits uncomfortably around a 25–30% probability range. Even before we examine the impact of a “no deal” outcome on the UK economy, the continued Brexit uncertainty represents a significant hit on business sentiment, with many firms bemoaning the continued lack of clarity and expressing deep shock that the no-deal option remains on the table. Business groups continue to highlight the lack of contingency planning for a disorderly Brexit. Specifically, London Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Colin Stanbridge reports, “75 per cent of London businesses that we surveyed still haven't made any provisions in preparation for Brexit. Furthermore, the survey also reveals that 86% of businesses in London employing under 10 people have made no preparations at all due to lack of resources and time.” More encouragingly, some have welcomed the fact that parliament has indicated that it is against leaving the EU without a deal, although it is not legally binding. Indeed, Huw Evans, the director-general of the Association of British Insurers, noted that it was “encouraging to see Parliament saying it won't support a no-deal outcome”. Overall, parliament's indecisive vote on the Brexit path signifies that there has been no progress towards how the UK will leave the EU, with many UK firms angry that the point of departure is getting ever close. They highlight that the continued uncertainty is damaging business sentiment and economic activity. Indeed, the latest survey data suggest that the UK economy was close to stagnation in the final month of 2018 and point to limited growth in the first half of 2019. At this stage, we continue to advocate a cautious near-term growth outlook, with the UK economy set to expand by 1.1% (the January consensus is 1.4%) in 2019 and 1.3% (consensus at 1.6%) in 2020 from an estimated 1.3% gain in 2018.

Extortion or cost-reduction: why do firms pay bribes?

ABSTRACTDo firms bribe government officials to reduce their costs or do bribe payments arise because of extortion from government officials? Using three of the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance surveys of firms across several countries and employing various estimation methodologies, this paper considers how bribery is associated with the potential for the firm to find honest government officials. If firms that report greater opportunities to find honest officials pay lower bribes, then this is a sign that bribes come from extortion because the presence of such officials should not matter for firms wanting to pay bribes to reduce costs. I generally find evidence that bribes arise due to extortion although results somewhat weaken in the latest survey.

Safeguarding 5G-and-Beyond Networks with Physical Layer Security

The eight articles in this special section provide the latest survey of physical layer security research on various promising techniques for 5G era and beyond networks. The number of mobile-connected wireless devices is quickly growing and will reach 11 billion by 2020, exceeding the world’s projected population at that time (7.8 billion). Meanwhile, the demand for wireless data transmission in futuristic wireless networks is growing exponentially. For example, a mobile user is expected to download approximately 1 terabyte of data on average annually by 2020. Cutting-edge wireless-enabled applications, such as e-healthcare, augmented reality, Tactile Internet, and the Internet of Vehicles (IoV), are becoming a reality, which is triggering an explosion of mobile data traffic, a rapid increase in the number of end-devices, massive instantaneous end-to-end connections, and high-reliability low-latency services. It will be an extremely daunting task for fourth generation (4G) networks to meet the ever-increasing communication needs, and the aforementioned features have been recognized as essential requirements for the fifth generation (5G) era and beyond.

Situational Analysis of Career Choices among Indonesian Nurses Returnees

Background: There are few studies about the Indonesian nurse returnees� career after working and living overseas. Therefore, the present study addressed the current status of their employment. Purpose: This paper explores the situation of return migration among Indonesian nurses who return to the country of origin. Methods: Descriptive study using the latest survey of Indonesian nurse returnees. Results: The career situation of Indonesian nurse returnees varies on the post-migration stage. Half of the returnees were working out of nursing areas (57.2) at the time of the survey. Returnees predominantly work as own account worker when they get back into the labor market. While the rest were working as private employees, Japanese translators, Indonesian state own enterprises employee, hotel staff, insurance agent, and teacher. Conclusion: The result of this research inquiry adds new understanding and knowledge in an area of return migration of nurses that has been relatively unexplored. Returnee career situations were relatively similar number between nursing and non-nursing areas. © 2019, Indian Journal of Public Health Research and Development. All rights reserved.

Луга класса Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tx. 1937 в пойме р. Варзуга (Мурманская область)

In the Murmansk Region floodplain meadows of class Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tx. 1937 being there on the northern limit of distribution in Europe, rarely occur along the large rivers. The research with purpose of classification was conducted in lower stream of the Varzuga River, which is one of the largest (254 km long) river on Kola Peninsula. Few large islands are disposed in the lower course of the river. Riverbanks are formed mainly by sandstones and moraine deposits which prevent the formation of a vast floodplain formation; its the largest area is situated downstream the Varzuga village, that is one of the oldest settlements of Kola Peninsula, arisen in 15 century. The agriculture period on floodplains around the village has about 500 years of regular mowing and grazing. The river basin is located in the taiga zone. Adjacent spruce and pine forests belong to associations Empetro–Piceetum obovatae (Sambuk 1932) Morozova 2008 and Cladonio arbusculae–Pinetum sylvestris (Cajander 1921) K.-Lund 1967, bogs — to ass. Empetro–Sphagnetum fusci (Du Rietz (1921) 1926) Dierssen 1982. Ferns and tall herbs dominated birch forests occur on Varzuga River islands. Sandy beach vegetation of Ammophiletea Br.-Bl. et Tx. ex Westhoff et al. 1946 and halophytic marshes of Junceteamaritimi Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1952 were described in the river mouth (Koroleva, 1999; Koroleva et al., 2011). Floodplain meadows (Fig. 1) were studied on the river banks and on islands from the Varzuga village to river mouth, in July and August in 2013 and 2015. 46 relevés were performed on sample plots mainly 10×10 m on the base of Braun-Blanquet approach. The syntaxa of high level are in accordance with latest survey by L. Mucina et al. (2016). Floodplain meadows belong to the alliance Astragalo subpolaris–Festucion rubrae all. nov. hoc loco (holotypus — Anthoxantho alpini–Geranietum sylvatici ass. nov. hoc loco) (Table 1) with following diagnostic species: Sanguisorba polygama, Dianthus superbus, Astragalus subpolaris, Oxytropis sordida, Myosotis asiatica, Veratrum lobelianum, Hedysarum arcticum, Senecio nemorensis, Allium schoenoprasum, Potentilla crantzii. Plant communities include mesophytic herbs, diagnostic species of classes Molinio-Arrhenatheretea and Mulgedio-Aconitetea Hadač et Klika in Klika et Hadač 1944, with group of species characteristic for tundra meadows (Dianthus superbus, Astragalus subpolaris, Oxytropis sordida, Bistorta vivipara and Potentilla crantzii). More than half of diagnostic species of alliance Astragalo subpolaris–Festucion rubrae have arctic, arctic-alpine and hypoarctic distribution. Two associations belong to this alliance: ass. Diantho superbi–Festucetum ovinae ass. nov. (Table 2; holotypus hoc loco — relevé 2 (186/13), Fig. 2) with diagnostic species Dianthus superbus, Thymus subarcticus, Campanula rotundifolia, Antennaria ­dioica, Calluna vulgaris, Festuca ovina, Nardus stricta, Viola canina, Potentilla crantzii, P. erecta, Sonchus arvensis, Pilosella laticeps. Low-herb meadows, being used as a pasture, occur mainly on higher and dryer habitats, than the next association. Ass. Antho­xantho alpini–Geranietum sylvatici ass. nov. (Table 3; holotypus hoc loco — relevé 17 (136/13), Fig. 3) includes regularly mowed tall-herb meadows formed after deforestation. Diagnostic taxa are Anthoxanthum alpinum, Geranium sylvaticum, Angelica sylvestris, Phleum pratense, Trollius europaeus, Anthriscus sylvestris, Cirsium heterophyllum, Vicia cracca. Ass. Filipendulo ulmariae–Deschampsietum cespitosae Shushpannikova et Yamalov 2013 of alliance Deschampsion cespitosae Horvatić 1930 (Table 4) was described in wet depressions near the village. Diagnostic taxa are Deschampsia cespitosa and Filipendula ulmaria. Community type Festuca rubra–Ligusticum scothicum of alliance Conioselinion tatarici Golub et al. 2003 (Table 5) occurs on the islands and in floodplain in the Varzuga river mouth. Diagnostic taxa are Ligusticum scothicum, Festuca rubra, Potentilla egedii, Primula finmarchica, Alopecurus arundinaceus, Calamagrostis neglecta, Lathyrus aleuticus, Carex lanceolata, Eleocharis palustris. Floodplain meadows of class Molinio-Arrhena­the­retea are rich of species, with about 140 vascular plants, 20 % of which occur with high constancy (more than 60 % of presence in at least one syntaxa), and 20 % with high cover (more than 5 % at least in one community). The composition of meadows reflects the habitats specific, with short spring flood, regular grazing and mowing, close neighboring of birch and pine forests, tundra zone and White Sea shore. These meadows are worth status of the special protected area «Floodplain meadows in the valley and islands of Varzuga River». If the idea of the National Park «Terskiy Bereg» is revived, the analyzed meadows are to be included in the protected area of natural and cultural heritage, with special regime of mowing and moderate grazing.

Atomic hydrogen in IllustrisTNG galaxies: the impact of environment parallelled with local 21-cm surveys

We investigate the influence of environment on the cold-gas properties of galaxies at z=0 within the TNG100 cosmological, magnetohydrodynamic simulation, part of the IllustrisTNG suite. We extend previous post-processing methods for breaking gas cells into their atomic and molecular phases, and build detailed mocks to comprehensively compare to the latest surveys of atomic hydrogen (HI) in nearby galaxies, namely ALFALFA and xGASS. We use TNG100 to explore the HI content, star formation activity, and angular momentum of satellite galaxies, each as a function of environment, and find that satellites are typically a factor of ~3 poorer in HI than centrals of the same stellar mass, with the exact offset depending sensitively on parent halo mass. Due to the large physical scales on which HI measurements are made (~45--245 kpc), contributions from gas not bound to the galaxy of interest but in the same line of sight crucially lead to larger HI mass measurements in the mocks in many cases, ultimately aligning with observations. This effect is mass-dependent and naturally greater for satellites than centrals, as satellites are never isolated by definition. We also show that HI stripping in TNG100 satellites is closely accompanied by quenching, in tension with observational data that instead favour that HI is preferentially stripped before star formation is reduced.

Mesozoic basin evolution of the East China Sea Shelf and tectonic system transition in Southeast China

AbstractThe East China Sea Shelf Basin (ECSSB) is located on the south‐eastern edge of the Eurasian Plate. The tectono‐evolution and dynamic mechanism of the ECSSB are related to the collision of the Pacific Plate with the Eurasian Plate, and the remote pushing effect of the Indo‐Australian Plate remains a hot topic of debate. Based on the latest survey data, this paper mainly focuses on the evolution of the Mesozoic basin in the East China Sea Shelf by means of assessing the regional tectonic background, conducting structural physical simulation experiments, and applying balanced geological section recovery technology to discuss the processes of dynamic transition in Southeast China. Our data suggest that the ECSSB experienced an evolutionary sequence involving the pre‐Late Triassic passive continental margin; the Late Triassic–Middle Jurassic active continental margin extrusion‐depression; the extrusional stress from the low‐angle subduction of the Izanaki Plate under the Eurasian Plate; the late Early Cretaceous to Late Cretaceous active continental marginal extension faulted basin, during which the extensional stress originated from the lithospheric thinning and palaeoenvironment resulting from the subduction of the Palaeo‐Pacific Plate under the Eurasian Plate; and the Palaeogene back‐arc extension faulted sags. The transition time from the E‐W‐trending Palaeo‐Tethys tectonic system to the NE‐trending Palaeo‐Pacific tectonic system in Southeast China occurred at the end of the Middle Triassic. The low‐angle subduction and withdrawal of subduction of the Palaeo‐Pacific Plate probably represented the deep geological processes of the Mesozoic in Southeast China.

On Time Series Analysis for Repeated Surveys

Governments and other agencies repeated many important surveys at regular time intervals, but the population mean is estimated mainly using the latest survey. Time series estimators for the population mean using repeated surveys are superior to those obtained from the last survey. This superiority may be affected by several factors such as the sampling variance, the number of surveys, and the Auto Regressive Moving Average ARMA model coefficients and orders among others. The main objective of the paper is to compare the time series estimator for repeated surveys developed by Scott et al. (A.J. Scott, T.M.F. Smith, R.G. Jones, Int. Stat. Rev. 45 (1977), 13–28.) and the last survey estimator using extensive simulation studies. Furthermore, the impact of the factors that may affect the efficiency of the time series estimator is also investigated.

Transcriptomic study of Herpes simplex virus type-1 using full-length sequencing techniques

Herpes simplex virus type-1 (HSV-1) is a human pathogenic member of the Alphaherpesvirinae subfamily of herpesviruses. The HSV-1 genome is a large double-stranded DNA specifying about 85 protein coding genes. The latest surveys have demonstrated that the HSV-1 transcriptome is much more complex than it had been thought before. Here, we provide a long-read sequencing dataset, which was generated by using the RSII and Sequel systems from Pacific Biosciences (PacBio), as well as MinION sequencing system from Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT). This dataset contains 39,096 reads of inserts (ROIs) mapped to the HSV-1 genome (X14112) in RSII sequencing, while Sequel sequencing yielded 77,851 ROIs. The MinION cDNA sequencing altogether resulted in 158,653 reads, while the direct RNA-seq produced 16,516 reads. This dataset can be utilized for the identification of novel HSV RNAs and transcripts isoforms, as well as for the comparison of the quality and length of the sequencing reads derived from the currently available long-read sequencing platforms. The various library preparation approaches can also be compared with each other.

NATIONAL QUESTIONNAIRE SURVEY ON ADVANCE CARE PLANNING IN JAPAN

AbstractThe Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare conducts a national questionnaire survey on end-of-life care every five years. The subjects were among general population, doctors, nurses, and administrators in long-term care institutions. The survey focuses on preferences for future medical treatment and one’s desired place to receive care when becoming terminally ill. The latest survey, conducted in December 2017, defined the concept of advance care planning (ACP) for the first time and included questions related to ACP. The preliminary analysis found that people who are 65 years and older, who are female, and who have experience of caring for someone are more likely to have engaged in ACP. I will present the summary findings from the survey including the current status of ACP, factors associated with ACP, and perspectives toward ACP among the general population and health care providers in Japan.

Global Public Attitudes About Clinical Research and Patient Experiences With Clinical Trials

Effective, continuous improvement in patient engagement depends on an intimate understanding of public and patient perceptions and experiences in clinical research. To identify the views of clinical trial participants and nonparticipants and characterize trends in these views over time. In this survey study, a questionnaire was administered online from May 8 to July 24, 2017, by the Center for Information and Study on Clinical Research Participation (CISCRP), and findings were compared with previous studies conducted in 2013 and 2015. The 2017 sample included responses from 12 427 individuals from 68 countries and represents a 10% participation rate. Similar to international assessments conducted by the CISCRP and other organizations, this study drew responses from a convenience sample; any adult older than 18 years who received an email or had online access was eligible to participate. Significant changes were observed in the perceptions and clinical trial experiences of the public and study volunteers compared with past CISCRP studies. A total of 12 427 individuals (mean [SD] age, 55 [15] years; 7355 [59.2%] female; 10 085 [81.2%] white), 2194 (17.7%) of whom had participated in previous clinical research studies, responded to the survey in 2017. Findings indicated a belief in the importance of clinical research, but limited understanding of the research process persists. In 2017, a total of 10 506 individuals (84.5%) perceived clinical research to be very important to the discovery and development of new medicines; however, 4079 of 6919 respondents (59.0%) were unable to name a place where studies were conducted. A total of 11 182 respondents (90.0%) believed that clinical research is generally safe; however, 5578 of 12 427 individuals (44.9%) reported that clinical trials are rarely considered as an option when discussing treatments or medications with their physician. Clinical trial participation was perceived as inconvenient and burdensome; in the latest survey, 1075 respondents (49.0%) expressed that their clinical trial participation disrupted their daily routine. The results of this study may provide a foundation from which to build meaningful and effective engagement with the public and patients and revealed roadblocks, including knowledge gaps among the public, limited physician involvement in discussing clinical trials as treatment options, and the inconveniences that patients encounter after they volunteer to participate. These findings may inform patient engagement strategies and tactics and ultimately help accelerate the drug-development process.

Embrapa Network for Brazilian Plant Genetic Resources Conservation.

Brazil is one of the most biodiverse countries on Earth, holding ∼10% of the world's vascular plant species. Despite that, Brazilian agriculture is highly dependent on genetic resources originating from other countries. Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) is the governmental institution that, since 1973, has been responsible for the introduction and conservation of genetic resources in Brazil. In this article, we report on the experiences that Embrapa has faced over the past 45 years to build and improve a national network for the preservation of plant genetic resources under the coordination of Embrapa Genetic Resources & Biotechnology (CENARGEN), one of the 42 Embrapa decentralized units. The first network-based model, RENARGEN, initiated in 2003, was followed by the National Platform for Genetic Resources (Platform RG) in 2009; and from 2014 until today Embrapa manages the conservation of genetic resources through Portfolio REGEN, in which the plant component is called Plant Genetic Resources Network (RGV). This network covers activities of enrichment, conservation, characterization, and documentation of genebanks. Embrapa's plant genetic resources are conserved in active genebanks (AGs), in long-term seed bank (Colbase), and in vitro and DNA banks. In situ and on-farm conservation are also handled at Embrapa to complement and reinforce ex situ conservation. The latest survey reveals that Embrapa has 134 AGs with ∼150,000 accessions of 1130 plant species, 123,000 accessions of 735 species within Colbase, 1250 in vitro accessions, and 12,000 DNA samples. At least 65% of this collection is documented and available to the public in the Embrapa Alelo system, which also handles quarantine, germplasm exchange, and herbarium data. By the end of 2018, the public Alelo data will be automatically migrated to the Genesys system. In the last 40 years, ∼650,000 accessions have been exchanged by Embrapa, with 70% of them imported from other countries.

World and National Trends in University Libraries Acquisition

Introduction. We investigated the problem of comparative analysis of the world and national trends of development of information support of the university research and education and position of Russia in the world academic community. Materials and Methods. We analyzed international and national surveys with data processing methods. Materials comprise results of the latest survey of the Publishers Communication Group, initial data of annual surveys conducted by Russian National electronic information consortium and the data of the surveys conducted by the Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation in 2016 and 2017. Results. More than 90 % of world and Russian universities report of acquisition of scholarly resources via university consortia, 75 % of university funds are spent on periodicals. All peer groups demonstrate gradual migration to e-resources. In 2016, e-resources comprised 91 % of total acquisition expenses and e-books – 63 % of book acquisition. In Russia, more than 85 % of expenses on scholarly information belong to universities. From 2006 to 2014 average annual expenses on e-resources in Russian universities increased, however since the 2014, due to the economic crisis one can see shrinking of library expenses. This leads to a decrease in a number of acquired resources. Acquisition budgets of Russian leading universities (group 1) exceed budgets of non-leading universities (group 2) by ten times. In 2015, Russian universities spent 57 % of their acquisition budgets on the Elsevier databases. Discussion and Conclusions. Information support at Russian and world universities show common trends and features. The data on the e-resource expenses can be used as indicator of research activity in Russian institutions. It can also affect the information providers and scholarly journal publishers in development of the marketing, subscription and pricing policy in Russia.

Older Adults’ Deployment of ‘Distrust’

Older adults frequently deploy the concept of distrust when discussing digital technologies, and it is tempting to assume that distrust is largely responsible for the reduced uptake by older adults witnessed in the latest surveys of technology use. To help understand the impact of distrust on adoption behavior, we conducted focus groups with older adults exploring how, in what circumstances, and to what effect older adults articulate distrust in digital technologies. Our findings indicate that distrust is not especially relevant to older adults’ practical decision making around technology (non-)use. The older adults in our study used the language of distrust to open up discussions around digital technologies to larger issues related to values. This suggests that looking to distrust as a predictor of non-use (e.g., in Technology Acceptance Model studies) may be uniquely unhelpful in the case of older adults, as it narrows the discussion of technology acceptance and trust to interactional issues, when their use of distrust pertains to much wider concerns. Likewise, technology adoption should not be viewed as indicative of trust or an endorsement of technology acceptability. Older adults using-while-distrusting offers important insights into how to design truly acceptable digital technologies.

The Influence of Parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) on Survival of the Lime Leafminer Phyllonorycter issikii (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) in Udmurtia

The species structure of parasitoids (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) of the invasive lime leafminer Phyllonorycter issikii (Kumata, 1963) (Lepidoptera, Gracillariidae) was reexamined ten years after the latest survey. The work was carried out in 2015 in three previously selected test plots within the city of Izhevsk. Extremely high survival rates (61.7 to 89%) of the leafminer were observed while the parasitoid complex had a negligible impact on its mortality (0.6 to 1.6%). A slight structural transformation of the parasitoid complex was noted, namely a decrease in the number of dominants and a change of the dominant species. In addition, the species structure of the parasitoids collected in 22 populated localities in Udmurtia was studied in 2016. Five new parasitoids of the lime leafminer were found: Pnigalio pectinicornis (Linnaeus, 1758), Sympiesis acalle Walker, 1848, Chrysocharis amanus Walker, 1839, Ch. pentheus Walker, 1839, and Ch. polyzo Walker, 1839. Two species of parasitoids of Ph. issikii were recognized as new to Udmurtia: Pnigalio agraules (Walker, 1839) and Pediobius saulius (Walker, 1839).

Medication Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: Basic Research and Clinical Practice for Prevention and Treatment by Ultrasound/Laser Pulsation

Objective: The latest survey by Japanese Society of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons suggested that the number of medication related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) patients who received oral bisphosphonate, mostly for postmenopausal osteoporosis, may exceed that by intravenous bisphosphonate for cancer treatment. Consequently, the number of female patients with MRONJ can be 3 times that of male in Japan. The predominance of oral bisphosphonate related cases is more apparent in Korea. MRONJ treatment by laser including that by low level laser (LLLT) is uncommon in Japan partly because of insufficient referrals and collaboration between medical and dental professionals. Here, we evaluated the potential and prospective effectiveness of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) treatment for MRONJ in terms of translational research. Materials and Methods: Primary pathophysiology of MRONJ described in the revised position paper (2016) by the allied task force committee of 6 Japanese societies was listed and used as outcome measures to compare the following therapeutic methods: LIPUS, LLLT, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and cellular transplantation in a review of laboratory and clinical (PTH and LLLT) studies. Results: Characteristics of periodontal lesions observed in early stages, including periosteal reaction, thickening of lamina dura and persisting alveolar sockets, were all prevented by LIPUS treatment in model rat experiments. Discussion: While half of patients diagnosed as stage 0 may have been overdiagnosed, not progressing to later stages, it remains important to diagnose and treat early stage patients to prevent deterioration of their condition. Non-invasive LIPUS treatment prevented all early symptoms of MRONJ and is promising as a preventive measure for MRONJ.

Informal settlement upgrading in South Africa: beneficiaries’ perceptions over nearly twenty-five years

ABSTRACTResearch on informal settlement upgrading tends to focus on one-off case studies. This article investigates the changing experiences, over nearly 25 years, of people living in an upgraded informal settlement. We sought to determine how the perceptions of the residents of Freedom Square changed. Our latest survey (2014) included responses from 199 household representatives and followed earlier surveys. Firstly, we find that the upgrading of Freedom Square represents a first step towards ensuring the housing rights of black people in urban South Africa. Secondly, spatial infilling and locational advantage continue to play valuable roles. Thirdly, dweller control, in terms of which residents themselves are able to design extensions to their houses, remains important. Fourthly, social cohesion among community members is proving to be more important than access to a stand. Fifthly, urban management remains an important long-term requirement. Lastly, elements of informality persist in the area.

The nutrition transition in Mexico 1988-2016: the role of wealth in the social patterning of obesity by education.

The present study investigates whether the reversal of the social gradient in obesity, defined as a cross-over to higher obesity prevalence among groups with lower education level, has occurred among men and women in urban and rural areas of Mexico. Cross-sectional series of nationally representative surveys (1988, 1999, 2006, 2012 and 2016). The association between education and obesity was investigated over the period 1988-2016. Effect modification of the education-obesity association by household wealth was tested. Mexico. Women (n 54 816) and men (n 20 589) aged 20-49 years. In both urban and rural areas, the association between education and obesity in women varied by level of household wealth in the earlier surveys (1988, 1999 and 2006; interaction P<0·001). In urban areas in 1988, one level lower education was associated (prevalence ratio; 95 % CI) with 45 % higher obesity prevalence among the richest women (1·45; 1·24, 1·69), whereas among the poorest the same education difference was protective (0·84; 0·72, 0·99). In the latest surveys (2012, 2016), higher education was protective across all wealth groups. Among men, education level was not associated with obesity in urban areas; there was a direct association in rural areas. Wealth did not modify the association between education and obesity. The reversal of the educational gradient in obesity among women occurred once a threshold level of household wealth was reached. Among men, there was no evidence of a reversal of the gradient. Policies must not lose sight of the populations most vulnerable to the obesogenic environment.

Implementing a regression discontinuity design to explore the heterogeneous effects of obesity on labour income: the case of Mexico

This study aims to explore within-country heterogeneity in the causal relationship between body mass and labour income. We focus on Mexico, which is an emerging country where overweight is predominant and hunger has become marginal. Based on the working-age population from the Mexican Family Life Survey (2002–2012), we use a regression discontinuity design to test for significant discontinuities along the body mass-income relationship. More specifically, we investigate the presence of income gaps along the body mass distribution. Our findings suggest that the overweight status is not particularly penalised in the Mexican labour market. By contrast, the obesity status decreases hourly wages by about 15%. Regarding heterogeneity, obesity-related wage penalties are stronger for female than male employees and higher in service employments, urban areas and the latest survey. We conclude on a co-occurrence of pro- and anti-fat social norms in emerging countries. Our results might be generalised to other middle-income economies with similar nutritional patterns where hunger is marginal and overweight predominant.

Adaptation et validation francophone d’un questionnaire sur les conduites parentales à caractère violent (PC-CTS)

IntroductionThe Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale (Straus et al., 1998) is the most commonly used instrument to document violence against children in the general population. It was translated into French and adapted to be used in several population-based surveys over the past 15 years. ObjectiveThis study aims at verifying the internal consistency and the factorial structure of the three subscales pertaining to violent behaviors (psychological aggression, minor physical violence/corporal punishment and severe physical violence) as well as the invariance of the models according to the sex of the respondent parent. MethodThe data were derived from the latest survey on family violence in Québec conducted in 2012 with two independent samples of 4029 mothers and of 1342 fathers of 0- to 17-year-old children. Mothers are on average 38.7 years old and hold a university degree or college diploma (76%). They are most often in employment (82%) and come from two-parent families (71%). Fathers are on average 41.5 years old and have a university degree or college diploma (60%). They most often hold a paid job (91%) and come from a two-parent family (82%). ResultsThe results show that the three subscales have good internal consistency, as measured by the polychoric alphas. The factorial structure of the subscales was also confirmed for both samples, although the measure of severe physical violence showed some particularities notably because of the asymmetrical distribution of the ordinal answers. ConclusionThe French translation and adaptation of the PC-CTS has good psychometric qualities and its use in the Francophonie context for epidemiological surveillance of parental violence is recommended.