Index Variables Research Articles

The influence of high heeled shoes on balance ability and walking in healthy women.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of high heeled shoes on balance ability and walking on healthy women. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty healthy female subjects, without orthopedic history of the lower extremity were selected for the present study. The 3 cm, 6 cm, and 9 cm shoes were worn according to the prescribed order to perform a balance and walking test. [Results] Significant difference was shown after the experiment, in comparison of the groups in all variance, and as the result of post hoc test. Time, anterior-posterior length and medial-lateral length of balance variables as well as velocity of walking variables showed a significant increase between 3 cm and 6 cm, 6 cm and 9 cm, 3 cm and 9 cm. In addition, the balance index of the balance variables as well as the step length and single support ratio of the walking variables showed a significant decrease between 3 cm and 6 cm, 6 cm and 9 cm, 3 cm and 9 cm. [Conclusion] It was found that the higher the shoe heel height, the lower the balance and the less the efficiency of walking.

Genomic Prediction Accounting for Genotype by Environment Interaction Offers an Effective Framework for Breeding Simultaneously for Adaptation to an Abiotic Stress and Performance Under Normal Cropping Conditions in Rice.

Developing rice varieties adapted to alternate wetting and drying water management is crucial for the sustainability of irrigated rice cropping systems. Here we report the first study exploring the feasibility of breeding rice for adaptation to alternate wetting and drying using genomic prediction methods that account for genotype by environment interactions. Two breeding populations (a reference panel of 284 accessions and a progeny population of 97 advanced lines) were evaluated under alternate wetting and drying and continuous flooding management systems. The predictive ability of genomic prediction for response variables (index of relative performance and the slope of the joint regression) and for multi-environment genomic prediction models were compared. For the three traits considered (days to flowering, panicle weight and nitrogen-balance index), significant genotype by environment interactions were observed in both populations. In cross validation, predictive ability for the index was on average lower (0.31) than that of the slope of the joint regression (0.64) whatever the trait considered. Similar results were found for progeny validation. Both cross-validation and progeny validation experiments showed that the performance of multi-environment models predicting unobserved phenotypes of untested entrees was similar to the performance of single environment models with differences in predictive ability ranging from -6–4% depending on the trait and on the statistical model concerned. The predictive ability of multi-environment models predicting unobserved phenotypes of entrees evaluated under both water management systems outperformed single environment models by an average of 30%. Practical implications for breeding rice for adaptation to alternate wetting and drying system are discussed.

THE INDEX METHOD IN THE ANALYSIS OF WAGES

Purpose of the study . The study of wages in the Russian Federation, the study of the influence of various factors on its magnitude is of particular relevance now in connection with the existence of a noticeable differentiation in the level of workers' wages. In the official statistics, differences in wages are manifested most clearly in the territorial aspect and in the context of the types of economic activity. The average wage in the economy is affected by changes in the structure of the employed – both within the constituent entities of the Russian Federation and the types of economic activity. The purpose of this paper is to consider the methodology for analyzing the structural changes that affect wages in Russia, as well as in obtaining their quantitative assessment, based on government statistics. Materials and methods. To achieve this goal, the index method is used, often used in the analysis of wages. Typically, the analysis of wages includes the construction of a system of variable wage indexes, constant composition and structural shifts. In this paper, we propose the index analysis methodology, adapted to identify the effect of changes in the structure of different territorial units on the average wage. Municipal entities, regions of the Russian Federation, federal districts and Russia in general act as territorial units. In addition, the methodology of index analysis of wages is considered, taking into account the structural factor by types of economic activity. A comprehensive analysis is presented, which makes it possible to assess structural changes in common – both in the distribution of territories and in the types of activity. The inclusion of factors is made depending on analytical purposes and the availability of statistical data. The calculations were performed, based on data from the Federal State Statistics Service. The proposed method makes it possible to consider more comprehensive the factor of wage differentiation. Results. The application of the system of variable, constant composition and structural shifts revealed that when the employed were grouped by territories, economic activities, education level and social and professional groups, the most noticeable structural changes were observed in the distribution of the employed by territories and education. Due to changes in the wages of individual groups of workers, the average wage has changed most strongly due to distribution across territories and by professional groups. Based on the adapted methodology, calculations have been made that allow drawing conclusions about the structural changes of the employed in the economy and the impact of these changes on wages in Russia. Conclusions. In the Russian Federation, there is a noticeable differentiation of wages by subjects and types of economic activity. A higher level of wages is observed in the Central and Far Eastern Federal Districts. The most highly paid are the activities in the financial sector and in mining. Multilevel index analysis makes it possible to identify the impact of changes in the structure of employees by subjects and types of economic activity. According to the results of the calculations, the changes in the average wage due to structural changes are significant.

Does the lower extremity alignment affect the risk of falling?

This study aims to investigate the effects of knee and foot alignments on the risk of falling. Between April 2016 and December 2016, a total of 74 individuals (24 males, 50 females; mean age 32.2±4.9 years; range 18 to 65 years) were included in the study. The knee Q angle and Chippaux-Smirak Index (CSI), Arch Index, and foot progression angle (FPA) evaluated by pedobarography were used for the assessment of the lower extremity alignment. The fall risk was evaluated by the Fall Index, Fourier 56 Index (F56), and Stability Index. The fall index was found to be correlated with the Q angle, CSI, the Arch index, and FPA (p<0.05). Q angle, Arch Index, and FPA which were explained 40% of the variance of the fall index. The Q angle was correlated with F56 and the stability index at the most position (p<0.05). The CSI was correlated with the F56 and the stability index at two and three positions, respectively (p<0.05); however, the Arch Index and FPA were not correlated with the F56 and Stability Index at any of the eight positions (p>0.05). According to the categorical regression analysis, the Q angle was the most effective on the F56 and Stability Index. Our study results suggest that lower extremity malalignment increases the risk of falling. We believe that the risk of falling can be decreased by the reduction of these malalingments and, thus, mortality and morbidity associated with the fall can be reduced as well.

CONSTRUCTING ISLAMIC BANKING RESILIENCE INDEX IN INDONESIA

Islamic banking plays critical roles in providing many essential economic functions and services to the entire financial system and the overall economy. Thus, a strong and the resilience of Islamic banking is the foundation and pre-condition for achieving sustainable economic growth, given that banks are at the centre of the credit intermediation process between savers and investors. One of the main causes of past financial crisis was that the banking sector had built up excessive both on-and-off balance sheet levereage. To address such financial crisis, the resilience of Islamic banking needs to be developed. Therefore, this paper searches the level of resilience of Islamic banking by building the Islamic Banking Resilience Index (IBRI). The level of resilience is analyzed through the construction of the composite index. The composite is compiled on the basis of several single variables index. Its construction follows an ideal sequence of five steps: theoretical framework, data selection, normalization, weighting and aggregation, and visualization of the result. Twelve variables are used to construct the composite index by using monthly data since January 2010 until December 2016. The composite index is able to figure out the resilience level of Islamic banking in Indonesia over periods of observation. At the resilience level, Islamic banking is able to deal with shocks and stresses, while keep providing financial services. The level of resilience is capable of preserving the elements of banking sector not failing from both crash and stagnation phase. Therefore, construction of IBRI is important as surveillance tools and underlying reason for further policy response and implementation. The composite index, represented by IBRI, is able to show the level of resilience of Islamic banking in Indonesia. The paper finally suggests that the resilience of Islamic banking requires a solid capital and liquidity management in order to provide a stronger ability in absorbing shocks and promoting financial services.

Index option returns and systemic equity risk

In an environment characterized by stochastic variances and correlations, we demonstrate through construction of the equilibrium index option value from constituent components, that the generalized PDE identifies the stochastic elements differentially affecting index option prices relative to prices of aggregated constituent stock options. A unified treatment of the generalized partial differential system for index and constituent stock options in Theorem 1 illustrates that nonlinear interactive terms emanating from stochastic correlation affect index option price and return essentially different from contributions to the aggregated risks of the constituent stock options. Our study contributes to the growing evidence of priced correlation risk in markets for index and constituent stock options.Theorem 1 illustrates the pricing differential, while Proposition 1 illustrates that the pricing differential produces a quantifiable metric of the measure of the nonlinear interactive terms. The quantifiable metric is constructed from the difference between the model free implied variance of the index and a weighted aggregate of the model free implied variances of the constituent stocks. Proposition 2 identifies that index variance risk premium includes additional significant contributions from the nonlinear interactive risks not present in the aggregated returns of the constituent stocks. The nonlinear interactive risks produce a wedge between the instantaneous expected excess index and aggregated stock option returns.

Unraveling Self-Reported Signs of Central Sensitization in Breast Cancer Survivors with Upper Limb Pain: Prevalence Rate and Contributing Factors

Hypersensitivity of the central nervous system to environmental and chemical stimuli is a clinical feature of central sensitization mechanisms that can be assessed with the central sensitization inventory (CSI). The aim was to determine prevalence rate of this feature and explore the treatment-, patient-, pain-, and psychosocial-related variables associated with the degree of self-reported signs of central sensitization, assessed with the CSI (0-100), in breast cancer survivors at long-term. Cross-sectional study. University Hospitals, Leuven, Belgium. One hundred and forty-six women with persistent pain, more than one year after breast cancer surgery, were included. The following factors were analyzed by bivariable and multivariable analysis: 1) treatment-related variables (type of surgery, levels of lymph node dissected, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and trastuzumab); 2) patient's related variables (age and body mass index); 3) pain-related variables (pain intensity, pain quality, primary hyperalgesia, and index of widespread pain); and 4) psychosocial variables (the degree of pain catastrophizing and vigilance and awareness to pain). The dependent variable was degree of central sensitization measured with the CSI. Additionally, a stepwise regression was performed. Fifty-five (38%) patients reported signs of central sensitization measured with the CSI (i.e., > 40/100). From multivariable analysis, it appears that more severe pain quality and higher levels of pain catastrophizing contribute to a higher degree of central sensitization. The stepwise regression revealed that up to 24% of variance of the CSI can be explained by these factors. A selection bias may be present since patients were all recruited from a larger cohort participating in clinical trials on the effectiveness of physical therapy after breast cancer treatment. Signs of central sensitization cannot be neglected in breast cancer survivors at long term. More severe pain quality and pain catastrophizing contribute to higher levels of central sensitization in this population. Breast neoplasm, pain, central sensitization mechanisms, central sensitization inventory.

Association between body mass index and individual characteristics and the school context: a multilevel study with Portuguese children

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine the association between individual and school context characteristics with the body mass index of Portuguese children. MethodsThe sample comprised 1641 children (847 boys) aged 6–10 years from the North and Central regions of Portugal. Regarding the individual characteristics, age, gender, city of residence, levels of physical activity, and physical fitness were assessed. Concerning the school context characteristics, the surrounding environment, school size, presence of recreational characteristics and space, and presence of a sports court and of physical education classes were considered. Children's body mass index was the dependent variable. The multilevel analysis was carried out in HLM 7.0 software. ResultsThe predictors of the child and the school context explained, respectively, 97.3% and 2.7% of the total body mass index variance. Regarding the individual characteristics, older children, boys, and those who had lower performance at the 1‐mile run/walk, curl‐up, push‐up, and higher performance in trunk lift tests showed higher BMI. Further, urban schools with higher recreational spaces were positively associated with children's body mass index. ConclusionSchool context variables have a reduced effect on body mass index variation compared to the children's biological and behavioral characteristics. The authors therefore encourage strategies that aim to increasing children's physical fitness levels to help prevent excess weight.

Measurement of vegetation parameters and error analysis based on Monte Carlo method

In this paper we bring up a Monte Carlo theory based method to measure the ground vegetation parameters, and make quantitative description of the error. The leaf area index is used as the example in the study. Its mean and variance stability at different scales or in different time is verified using both the computer simulation and the statistics of remotely sensed images. And the error of Monte Carlo sampling method is analyzed based on the normal distribution theory and the central-limit theorem. The results show that the variance of leaf area index in the same area is stable at certain scales or in the same time of different years. The difference between experimental results and theoretical ones is small. The significance of this study is to establish a measurement procedure of ground vegetation parameters with an error control system.

Modeling and optimization of lens heating effect for lithographic projector

In optical lithography tools, thermal aberration of a projection lens, which is caused by lens heating effect, leads to degradation of imaging quality. In addition to in-line feedforward compensation technology, thermal aberration can be reduced by optimizing optical design of a projector. Thermal aberration analysis of a projection lens benefits the optimization of optical design. A model of lens heating effect for a lithographic projector is introduced, which is capable of evaluating the synthetical thermal aberration of a projector as well as analyzing the contribution of an individual optical element. Simulation results by the introduced model show that not only the deformation of lens surface, the variance of refractive index but also the change of optical path, which depends on optical design, should be considered in thermal aberration analysis. The contributions of optical elements at different locations of the projector are also analyzed. Based on the model and the simulation results, an optimization method is proposed. A projector for i-line lithography is optimized by the proposed method. Main aberrations Z5, Z9, and Z17 are reduced by about 40%. The image quality of the lithographic projector in steady state is also improved.

Consistent nest-site selection across habitats increases fitness in Asian Houbara

ABSTRACT Nest-site choice profoundly influences reproductive success and the survival of incubating adult birds. Asian Houbara (Chlamydotis macqueenii) nest in subtly contrasting habitats where the main cause of nest failure is predation. We examined nest-site selection across 3 semiarid shrub habitats that differed in vegetation structure and hypothesized that increased concealment would reduce nest predation. We quantified vegetation structure at 210 nests and 194 random control sites at 2 scales, the “nest area” (50 m radius, considering mean “shrub height” and mean “shrub frequency”) and “nest scrape” (2 m radius, considering a “concealment index”). Variance ratio tests showed that variance in both shrub height and concealment index was lower at nests than at random sites, indicating nonrandom selection. Analysis of the probability of nest occurrence for nest area indicated consistent selection of intermediate shrub heights (shrub height + shrub height2) in the Astragalus, Salsola arbuscula, and S. ri...

Regulation of Skeletal Muscle Sarcomere Length through Titin Changes in iMSBmal1 Mice

Prior research shows that sarcomere length correlates with isometric force production, but the specific structural elements regulating resting sarcomere length are not well understood. Based on the assumption that sarcomeres operate similarly throughout a muscle fiber, heterogeneity in sarcomere lengths should decrease maximum active tension production. One structural protein that has been proposed to maintain sarcomere length is titin. Our lab developed an inducible skeletal muscle specific Bmal1 knockout mouse, which exhibits muscle weakness and a shift to longer titin isoform. My project takes a histological approach to study phenotypic changes in sarcomere length and A‐band centrality in the iMSBmal1−/− skeletal muscle. I hypothesized that the iMSBmal1−/− mice would exhibit an increased variance in sarcomere length, as well as a change in the A‐band centrality index (i.e. the distance of peak fluorescence of the myosin filament from the center of the sarcomere). After collecting tibilalis anterior (TA) muscle from these mice at 5 weeks after recombination, the muscles were frozen in OCT compound using liquid nitrogen cooled isopentane. These samples (n=3 animals/group) were then longitudinally cryosectioned at 6 microns. The samples were stained using primary antibodies that target α‐actinin and myosin heavy chain followed by fluorescent secondary antibodies. α‐actinin labels the Z‐lines, allowing us to measure sarcomere lengths in the longitudinal sections, while myosin heavy chain allows us to visualize the A‐band. I measured the peak fluorescence of both fluorescent secondary antibodies and measured where the myosin heavy chain peak was in relation to the Z‐line on either side to determine an A‐band centering index. The data was compiled by sample (~450 sarcomeres measured per sample) and then averaged both by sample and then by comparing iMSBmal1+/+ to iMSBmal1−/−. Results of iMSBmal1+/+ to iMSBmal1−/− showed a trend toward a longer sarcomere length from 2.64 μm to 2.82 μm (not significant, p=0.1), but the variance did not change. Since the variance of sarcomere lengths did not change, my hypothesis that altered titin expression correlates to more variable sarcomere length was not supported; however, longer titin could lead to the observed increased sarcomere length and my sample number is currently small (n=3/group). The mean and variance of the A‐band centrality index between these groups were not found to be statistically significant (p = 0.7769 and 0.3672, respectively). The lack of change in the A‐band centrality index does not support my hypothesis that a shift would occur. However, there were some technical issues with the antibody that I am repeating and further studying. Further investigations will include increasing my sample size with a focus on sarcomere length. I will also be using site specific titin antibodies to look at the inclusion of longer titin isoforms through the sarcomeres in muscle. Understanding the relationship among titin isoforms, sarcomere length and structure and muscle force will be important for understanding causes of muscle weakness.Support or Funding InformationThis work was made possible by the University of Florida and the funding of the American Physiological Society Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship Program. Special thanks to Lance A. Riley and Karyn A. Esser for their support and guidance through this process. Thanks also to David Hammers and Cora Coker for their help with microscopy.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Genomic regions associated with performance in racing line of Quarter Horses

Quarter Horses breed for rancing are able to run short distances faster than any other breed. Although in Brazil the effective number of animals in the racing line is relatively smaller compared to the other lines, its economic importance is substantial. Despite economic and scientific interest in this athletic trait, few efforts have been made to better understand the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying this trait. The objective of this study was to perform genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in Quarter Horses of the racing line using equine single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping chips for prospecting chromosome regions, genes and polymorphisms related to maximum speed index. Genotypic and phenotypic data from 305 horses genotyped with the 54 k or 65 k chip were used. Additional 187 not genotyped animal with SI record were added in the study, for a total of 492 animals and 620 horses in the pedigree used for the GWAS analysis GWAS was performed by the single-step genomic best linear unbiased prediction (ssGBLUP) method using two approaches: ssGWAS1 in which only SNP effects are recalculated at each iteration, and ssGWAS2 in which SNP effects are recalculated from updated genomic estimated breeding values (GEBVs) at each iteration. Twenty-one regions that explained more than 1% of the total genetic variance (gVar) in the maximum speed index were identified by ssGWAS1 and 12 by ssGWAS2. More than 40% of gVar was explained by these regions in ssGWAS1 and about 30% in ssGWAS2. Among chromosomes that explained more than 1% of genetic variance, five were common to both methods (equine autosomal chromosomes 3, 10, 15, 22, 25). The capacity to capture the largest number of small-effect quantitative trait loci was greater for ssGWAS1 than ssGWAS2. A total of 108 genes were identified with the first approach and 59 with the second approach. The present results show that the racing performance of Quarter Horses, given by the maximum speed index, is a quantitative trait and that no major genes exist. In general, the genes identified by enrichment analysis are related to the neuromotor system, bone and tendon development, hormonal responses, muscle contraction, and energy and sterol metabolism. These functions are considered important for the trait studied, corroborating these genes as candidates for racing performance in the Quarter Horse breed.

A scalable method to quantify the relationship between urban form and socio-economic indexes

The world is undergoing a process of fast and unprecedented urbanisation. It is reported that by 2050 66% of the entire world population will live in cities. Although this phenomenon is generally considered beneficial, it is also causing housing crises and more inequality worldwide. In the past, the relationship between design features of cities and socio-economic levels of their residents has been investigated using both qualitative and quantitative methods. However, both sets of works had significant limitations as the former lacked generalizability and replicability, while the latter had a too narrow focus, since they tended to analyse single aspects of the urban environment rather than a more complex set of metrics. This might have been caused by the lack of data availability. Nowadays, though, larger and freely accessible repositories of data can be used for this purpose. In this paper, we propose a scalable method that delves deeper into the relationship between features of cities and socio-economics. The method uses openly accessible datasets to extract multiple metrics of urban form and then models the relationship between urban form and socio-economic levels through spatial regression analysis. We applied this method to the six major conurbations (i.e., London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds, and Newcastle) of the United Kingdom (UK) and found that urban form could explain up to 70% of the variance of the English official socio-economic index, the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). In particular, results suggest that more deprived UK neighbourhoods are characterised by higher population density, larger portions of unbuilt land, more dead-end roads, and a more regular street pattern.

Corrección de la clorosis férrica con quelato EDDHA en cultivos sembrados en suelo alcalino y calcáreo

Iron deficiency in crops occurs mainly in regions with alkaline and calcareous soils. In the present study the effectiveness of Fe3+ chelated EDDHA [ethylenediamine di-(o-hydroxyphenylacetic acid)] is assessed alone or combined with foliar spray of FeSO4, in crops of sorghum, soybean, okra and beans. EDDHA-Fe (Ultraferro®) was applied at a dose of 1% on the seed at sowing and FeSO4 was applied on foliage twice at 1.5%. In the four experiments, we determined the variables index of chlorophyll (SPAD) in three readings (March 15 and 28, April 6), and 47-50 days after sowing and leaf and root biomass. Between crops, soybeans and okra expressed greater intensity of chlorosis, which was visible among treatments. In both crops, higher SPAD and leaf and root biomass values were obtained with applications of EDDHA-Fe alone or combined with FeSO4. In okra, the SPAD index was higher with the combination EDDHA-Fe + FeSO4, although root and leaf biomass was greater with EDDHA-Fe alone or in combination with FeSO4. In beans and sorghum, chlorosis was less visible. For beans, the highest SPAD rate was recorded with EDDHA-Fe and/or FeSO4 in the two latest readings (March 28 and April 6) and in leaf and root biomass. Similarly, the three chemical treatments exceeded the control. However, in sorghum, the highest SPAD was recorded on the last reading (Apr-6), while there were no significant differences in leaf and root biomass. There were no observed additive effects on the variables with the combination EDDHA-Fe and FeSO4. In general, the results indicate that application of EDDHA-Fe alone or combined with foliar FeSO4 in soybean, okra and bean, effectively corrected chlorosis ferric.

Future changes in extreme precipitation indices over Korea

ABSTRACTIn this study, the regional climate of the Korean Peninsula is dynamically downscaled using a high‐resolution regional climate model forced by two representative concentration pathway scenarios of Hadley Centre Global Environmental Model version 2‐Atmosphere and Ocean (HadGEM2‐AO) using multiple regional climate models. Changes in extreme precipitation indices are investigated. Through the evaluation of the present climate, a multi‐model ensemble reasonably reproduces the long‐term climatology of extreme precipitation indices over South Korea despite some systematic errors. Both mean and extreme precipitation intensities for 80 years in the future (2021–2100) increase compared to those of the present. However, the increasing rates of indices related to precipitation intensities are different according to sub‐period, season, and emission scenarios. Mean and extreme precipitation intensities of the future climate increase during the summer when most extreme precipitation events occur over the Korean Peninsula. Also, abnormal extreme precipitation can increase during future summers due to increasing variances of indices related to extreme precipitation intensity. Increasing extreme summer precipitation over South Korea is proportional to the increases in convective precipitation compared to non‐convective precipitation. This indicates that future changes in summer precipitation, with regard to intensity and frequency, over South Korea, among representative concentration pathway scenarios, are more related to a change in convective instability rather than synoptic condition.

The influence of high heeled shoes on balance ability and walking in healthy women.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of high heeled shoes on balance ability and walking on healthy women. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty healthy female subjects, without orthopedic history of the lower extremity were selected for the present study. The 3 cm, 6 cm, and 9 cm shoes were worn according to the prescribed order to perform a balance and walking test. [Results] Significant difference was shown after the experiment, in comparison of the groups in all variance, and as the result of post hoc test. Time, anterior-posterior length and medial-lateral length of balance variables as well as velocity of walking variables showed a significant increase between 3 cm and 6 cm, 6 cm and 9 cm, 3 cm and 9 cm. In addition, the balance index of the balance variables as well as the step length and single support ratio of the walking variables showed a significant decrease between 3 cm and 6 cm, 6 cm and 9 cm, 3 cm and 9 cm. [Conclusion] It was found that the higher the shoe heel height, the lower the balance and the less the efficiency of walking.

Emigration, Remittances and the Subjective Well-Being of Those Staying Behind

Despite growing academic and policy interest in the subjective well-being consequences of emigration for those left behind, existing studies have focused on single origin countries or specific world regions. Our study is the first to offer a global perspective on the well-being consequences of emigration for those staying behind using several subjective well-being measures (evaluations of best possible life, positive affect, stress, and depression). Drawing upon Gallup World Poll data for 114 countries during 2009-2011, we find that both having family members abroad and receiving remittances are positively associated with evaluative well-being (evaluations of best possible life) and positive affect (measured by an index of variables related to experiencing positive feelings at a particular point in time). Our analysis provides novel results showing that remittances are particularly beneficial for evaluative well-being in less developed and more unequal contexts; in richer countries, only the out-migration of family members is positively associated with life evaluations, while remittances have no additional association. We also find that having household members abroad is linked with increased stress and depression, which are not offset by remittances. The out-migration of family members appears more traumatic in contexts where migration is less common, such as more developed countries, and specific world regions, such as Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa, as well as among women. Relying on subjective well-being measures, which reflect both material and non-material aspects of life and are broad measures of well-being, allows us to provide additional insights and a more well-rounded picture of the possible consequences of emigration on migrant family members staying behind relative to standard outcomes employed in the literature, such as the left-behind’s consumption, income or labor market responses.

Morphological relative frequency impedes the use of stylistic variants

Abstract The sociolinguistic enterprise has demonstrated that speakers manipulate linguistic variants as they construct their speech style. Contrary to this expectation, this study introduces specific cases in which stylistic variation is highly constrained. We examine the verbal negative suffix in Kansai vernacular Japanese. We first demonstrate that this variable indexes speech style. We then show that in a few specific contexts, such as following the verb stem shir- ‘know’, speakers overwhelmingly use a single variant, in this case, shira-n ‘not know’. We point out that the unusual forms such as shira-n all have a high relative frequency compared to the other forms in their paradigms. Complex forms such as the English word insane, which occur more frequently than their parts (in+sane), are difficult to decompose. We claim that this phenomenon also impedes stylistic variation as forms such as shira-n are not readily decomposed into verb stem + negative suffix.

Urban climate modifies tree growth in Berlin.

Climate, e.g., air temperature and precipitation, differs strongly between urban and peripheral areas, which causes diverse life conditions for trees. In order to compare tree growth, we sampled in total 252 small-leaved lime trees (Tilia cordata Mill) in the city of Berlin along a gradient from the city center to the surroundings. By means of increment cores, we are able to trace back their growth for the last 50 to 100 years. A general growth trend can be shown by comparing recent basal area growth with estimates from extrapolating a growth function that had been fitted with growth data from earlier years. Estimating a linear model, we show that air temperature and precipitation significantly influence tree growth within the last 20years. Under consideration of housing density, the results reveal that higher air temperature and less precipitation led to higher growth rates in high-dense areas, but not in low-dense areas. In addition, our data reveal a significantly higher variance of the ring width index in areas with medium housing density compared to low housing density, but no temporal trend. Transferring the results to forest stands, climate change is expected to lead to higher tree growth rates.