Understanding Of Regional Variation Research Articles

Regional variation in post-operative mortality in New Zealand.

BackgroundThere is a growing body of evidence that access to best practice perioperative care varies within our population. In this study, we use national‐level data to begin to address gaps in our understanding of regional variation in post‐operative outcomes within New Zealand.MethodsUsing National Collections data, we examined all inpatient procedures in New Zealand public hospitals between 2005 and 2017 (859 171 acute, 2 276 986 elective/waiting list), and identified deaths within 30 days. We calculated crude and adjusted rates per 100 procedures for the 20 district health boards (DHBs), both for the total population and stratified by ethnicity (Māori/European). Odds ratios comparing the risk of post‐operative mortality between Māori and European patients were calculated using crude and adjusted Poisson regression models.ResultsWe observed regional variations in post‐operative mortality outcomes. Māori, compared to European, patients experienced higher post‐operative mortality rates in several DHBs, with a trend to higher mortality in almost all DHBs. Regional variation in patterns of age, procedure, deprivation and comorbidity (in particular) largely drives regional variation in post‐operative mortality, although variation persists in some regions even after adjusting for these factors. Inequitable outcomes for Māori also persist in several regions despite adjustment for multiple factors, particularly in the elective setting.ConclusionsThe persistence of variation and ethnic disparities in spite of adjustment for confounding and mediating factors suggests that multiple regions require additional resource and support to improve outcomes. Efforts to reduce variation and improve outcomes for patients will require both central planning and monitoring, as well as region‐specific intervention.

Human occupation of the semi-arid grasslands of South Africa during MIS 4: New archaeological and paleoecological evidence from Lovedale, Free State

Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5 and 4 are periods of major cultural innovations in the Middle Stone Age (MSA) of southern Africa. While extensive data is available for the coast, far less is known about the interior, in particular its central plateau. This is likely due to the large geographic extent of this area and a general paucity of caves and rock shelters that can provide long stratigraphic sequences and environmental records. The lack of information and systematic research has hindered our understanding of regional variation and patterns of human dispersal within the subcontinent. Our research at the open-air MSA site of Lovedale situated on the Modder River addresses this issue. Using sediment micromorphology, infrared spectroscopy of bones and sediments, phytolith and faunal analyses, as well as luminescence dating, we have reconstructed the evolution of paleoenvironments in this region at specific points over the last ∼80,000 years. Our results help contextualize human occupation and hunting strategies associated with a pre-Howiesons Poort technology that occurred in a wetland environment during a short-lived warm, dry period dated to ∼70 ka. These results show that humans settled the grasslands of the central interior at the onset of MIS 4 and confirm the importance of wetlands in human subsistence strategies, especially in times of climatic stress.

The Demographic Factor Impact on the Economics of the Arctic Region

Decline of the international price of some minerals, such as coal, has changed the living standards of the Arctic population leading to its considerable out-migration because of the drop in profitability not only in mining, but also in related industries. Being essential for the sustainable economic development, the highly qualified specialists are currently a crucial issue in the Arctic. This research employs demographic and economic indicators to address the gap in the study of demographic challenges for the Arctic administrative-territorial entities. Special attention is paid to the comparative analysis of the population dynamic in the Russian and global Arctic regions. As part of this study, the impact of the demographic factor on the economic indicators of the region was assessed on the basis of GRP data calculation. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the major trends in the Arctic labour market. Based on the results of the assessment, an increase in GRP was determined with the simultaneous decrease in the Arctic population. The current demographic situation in the Arctic regions in the context of gender factors was reviewed. It should be noted that the article contains exceptions and the causes of the phenomena described. The results of the research may contribute to better understanding of regional variation and trends in socio-economic development of the Arctic as well as the stabilisation of the Arctic population.

DNA barcoding and species delimitation of butterflies (Lepidoptera) from Nigeria

Accurate identification of species is a prerequisite for successful biodiversity management and further genetic studies. Species identification techniques often require both morphological diagnostics and molecular tools, such as DNA barcoding, for correct identification. In particular, the use of the subunit I of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase (COI) gene for DNA barcoding has proven useful in species identification for insects. However, to date, no studies have been carried out on the DNA barcoding of Nigerian butterflies. We evaluated the utility of DNA barcoding applied for the first time to 735 butterfly specimens from southern Nigeria. In total, 699 DNA barcodes, resulting in a record of 116 species belonging to 57 genera, were generated. Our study sample comprised 807 DNA barcodes based on sequences generated from our current study and 108 others retrieved from BOLD. Different molecular analyses, including genetic distance-based evaluation (Neighbor-Joining, Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian trees) and species delimitation tests (TaxonDNA, Automated Barcode Gap Discovery, General Mixed Yule-Coalescent, and Bayesian Poisson Tree Processes) were performed to accurately identify and delineate species. The genetic distance-based analyses resulted in 163 well-separated clusters consisting of 147 described and 16 unidentified species. Our findings indicate that about 90.20% of the butterfly species were explicitly discriminated using DNA barcodes. Also, our field collections reported the first country records of ten butterfly species-Acraea serena, Amauris cf. dannfelti, Aterica galena extensa, Axione tjoane rubescens, Charaxes galleyanus, Papilio lormieri lormeri, Pentila alba, Precis actia, Precis tugela, and Tagiades flesus. Further, DNA barcodes revealed a high mitochondrial intraspecific divergence of more than 3% in Bicyclus vulgaris vulgaris and Colotis evagore. Furthermore, our result revealed an overall high haplotype (gene) diversity (0.9764), suggesting that DNA barcoding can provide information at a population level for Nigerian butterflies. The present study confirms the efficiency of DNA barcoding for identifying butterflies from Nigeria. To gain a better understanding of regional variation in DNA barcodes of this biogeographically complex area, future work should expand the DNA barcode reference library to include all butterfly species from Nigeria as well as surrounding countries. Also, further studies, involving relevant genetic and eco-morphological datasets, are required to understand processes governing mitochondrial intraspecific divergences reported in some species complexes.

A critical assessment of human-impact indices based on anthropogenic pollen indicators

Anthropogenic pollen indicators in pollen records are an established tool for reconstructing the history of human impacts on vegetation and landscapes. They are also used to disentangle the influence of human activities and climatic variability on ecosystems. The comprehensive anthropogenic pollen-indicator approach developed by Behre (1981) has been widely used, including beyond its original geographical scope of Central and Western Europe. Uncritical adoption of this approach for other areas is risky because adventives (plants introduced with agriculture) in Central Europe can be apophytes (native plants favoured by human disturbances) in other regions. This problem can be addressed by identifying region-specific, anthropogenic-indicator pollen types and/or developing region-specific, human-impact indices from pollen assemblages. However, understanding of regional variation in the timing and intensity of human impacts is limited by the lack of standardization, validation and intercomparison of such regional approaches. Here we review the most common European anthropogenic pollen-indicator approaches to assess their performance at six sites spanning a continental gradient over the boreal, temperate and Mediterranean biomes. Specifically, we evaluate the human-indicator approaches by using independent archaeological evidence and models. We present new insights into how these methodologies can assist in the interpretation of pollen records as well as into how a careful selection of pollen types and/or indices according to the specific geographical scope of each study is key to obtain meaningful reconstructions of anthropogenic activity through time. The evaluated approaches generally perform better in the regions for which they were developed. However, we find marked differences in their capacity to identify human impact, while some approaches do not perform well even in the regions for which they were developed, others might be used, with due caution, outside their original areas or biomes. We conclude that alongside the increasing wealth of pollen datasets a need to develop novel tools may assist numeric human impact reconstructions.

DNA barcode analysis of butterfly species fromPakistan points towards regional endemism

DNA barcodes were obtained for 81 butterfly species belonging to 52 genera from sites in north-central Pakistan to test the utility of barcoding for their identification and to gain a better understanding of regional barcode variation. These species represent 25% of the butterfly fauna of Pakistan and belong to five families, although the Nymphalidae were dominant, comprising 38% of the total specimens. Barcode analysis showed that maximum conspecific divergence was 1.6%, while there was 1.7–14.3% divergence from the nearest neighbour species. Barcode records for 55 species showed <2% sequence divergence to records in the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD), but only 26 of these cases involved specimens from neighbouring India and Central Asia. Analysis revealed that most species showed little incremental sequence variation when specimens from other regions were considered, but a threefold increase was noted in a few cases. There was a clear gap between maximum intraspecific and minimum nearest neighbour distance for all 81 species. Neighbour-joining cluster analysis showed that members of each species formed a monophyletic cluster with strong bootstrap support. The barcode results revealed two provisional species that could not be clearly linked to known taxa, while 24 other species gained their first coverage. Future work should extend the barcode reference library to include all butterfly species from Pakistan as well as neighbouring countries to gain a better understanding of regional variation in barcode sequences in this topographically and climatically complex region.

Net N mineralization and nitrification rates in a forested ecosystem in northeastern Taiwan

We used the buried-bag in situ incubation technique to quantify net rates of N mineralization and nitrification in a forest ecosystem in northeastern Taiwan. At the near-ridge top site, NH 4 + concentrations in the organic horizon (O horizon; 2–0 cm) ranged from 14.5 to 58.5 mg N kg −1 and NO 3 − varied from 2.5 to 7.8 mg N kg −1. In the lower part of the watershed, NH 4 + concentrations in the O horizon were between 10.3 and 28.8 mg N kg −1 and NO 3 − varied from 2.6 to 20.1 mg N kg −1. There were slightly lower soil NH 4 + concentrations during the summer than other seasons. Using the buried-bag technique, we estimated net mineralization rates to vary between 0.02 and 0.28 mg N kg −1 soil per day and net nitrification rates between 0.02 and 0.26 mg N kg −1 soil per day at the upper site. Rates of both processes were lower during the summer and were positively related to soil moisture content. We speculate that differences in soil texture are likely related to the differing pattern in concentrations of inorganic soil N between the two sites. N mineralization was positively correlated with nitrification rate ( r=0.820, P<0.001) and relative nitrification (slope of this relationship) was 0.709, indicating the dominance of nitrate cycling relative to ammonium cycling. Our results show that improved knowledge about rates of fundamental ecosystem nutrient cycling processes in watersheds in Taiwan can contribute to our understanding of regional variation in rates of ecosystem function.

‘Symbolic reservoirs’ and inter-group relations: West African examples

A number of archaeologists have recently considered the possible functioning of shared systems of symbols and beliefs — sometimes called ‘symbolic reservoirs’ — within and between more or less closely related West African societies. Elements from these systems are expressed in behaviour and in material culture to support and articulate group social strategies; they are therefore capable of structuring artefact variation on a large scale. This concept has obvious implications for our understanding of regional variation in archaeological assemblages. In this paper, I offer a critique of the concept of the ‘symbolic reservoir’; I believe that the metaphorical implications of the term ‘reservoir’ are not useful, and that present conceptions are of an entity too bounded and too stable usefully to reflect the dynamics of social interaction within and (especially) between African societies. I then offer an alternative view of the spread of symbolic and stylistic elements between groups.