West Hills Research Articles

Identification of 8-Digit HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 Allele and Haplotype Frequencies in Koreans Using the One Lambda AllType Next-Generation Sequencing Kit.

BackgroundRecent studies have successfully implemented next-generation sequencing (NGS) in HLA typing. We performed HLA NGS in a Korean population to estimate HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies up to an 8-digit resolution, which might be useful for an extended application of HLA results.MethodsA total of 128 samples collected from healthy unrelated Korean adults, previously subjected to Sanger sequencing for 6-digit HLA analysis, were used. NGS was performed for HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 using the AllType NGS kit (One Lambda, West Hills, CA, USA), Ion Torrent S5 platform (Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA), and Type Steam Visual NGS analysis software (One Lambda).ResultsEight HLA alleles showed frequencies of ≥10% in the Korean population, namely, A*24:02:01:01 (19.5%), A*33:03:01 (15.6%), A*02:01:01:01 (14.5%), A*11:01:01:01 (13.3%), B*15:01:01:01 (10.2%), C*01:02:01 (19.9%), C*03:04:01:02 (11.3%), and DRB1*09:01:02 (10.2%). Nine previous 6-digit HLA alleles were further identified as two or more 8-digit HLA alleles. Of these, eight alleles (A*24:02:01, B*35:01:01, B*40:01:02, B*55:02:01, B*58:01:01, C*03:02:02, C*07:02:01, and DRB1*07:01:01) were identified as two 8-digit HLA alleles, and one allele (B*51:01:01) was identified as three 8-digit HLA alleles. The most frequent four-loci haplotype was HLA-A*33:03:01-B*44:03:01:01-C*14:03-DRB1*13:02:01.ConclusionsWe identified 8-digit HLA-A, -B, -C, and -DRB1 allele and haplotype frequencies in a healthy Korean population using NGS. These new data can be used as a representative Korean data for further disease-related HLA type analysis.

The Settlement and Landscape Context of the Battle of Hastings

THIS ARTICLE PUTS FORWARD A MODEL for the development of the settlement and landscape context of the town of Hastings (East Sussex) immediately prior to the battle of Hastings of 1066. It explores the new thesis that a burh or citadel was created on the site of Castle or West Hill at Hastings, the site of the later Norman castle, by King Æthelred II in c ad 990 as one element in a possibly systematic defence of southern England against Viking invaders. The burh was associated with the establishment of a mint, and both led directly to the development of the town of Hastings from that time, together with a probable port and associated ship-building industry. The site of this putative burh, which was likely provided with defences, a tower-nave church and a monumental gateway, survived to be used by Duke William for two weeks in the autumn of 1066 as his military command centre in preparation for the battle which made possible his subsequent conquest of England.

Inter –Linkages Between Climate Change Vulnerability and Inequality an Empirical Study Across Hill, Foothill, Drought and Coastal Regions of West Bengal, India

India is one of the vulnerable countries in the world in terms of climate events. The poor people and poor regions are badly affected by climate change. On the other hand, the reduction of vulnerability received a top priority in the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations. The present paper attempts to examine the inter-linkages between climate change vulnerability and inequality empirically across four agro-climatic regions of West Bengal like hill, foothill, drought and coastal regions. Vulnerability in the present paper is measured by adopting composite livelihood vulnerability index and income (consumption) inequality is measured by Gini coefficient. This is an empirical paper based on primary data collected from 627 households over 15 villages in different agro-climatic regions of West Bengal during 2018- 2019. The result of the paper showed that there is a positive correlation relation between income inequality (consumption) and vulnerability. The higher inequality is accompanied by higher vulnerability and vice versa. The study draws an important policy implication for reduction of vulnerability as well as reduction of inequality. The poverty reduction measures are not sufficient to reduce inequality i.e., if inequalities are on the rise the anti-poverty measures cannot reduce such inequality.

Reappearance and disappearance of Anopheles minimus Theobald (Diptera: Culicidae) in West Singhbhum hills of Eastern India.

Reappearance and disappearance of Anopheles minimus Theobald (Diptera: Culicidae) in West Singhbhum hills of Eastern India.

Advanced Rainfall Trend Analysis of 117 Years over West Coast Plain and Hill Agro-Climatic Region of India

In this paper, the rainfall trend of the West Coast Plain and Hill Agro-Climatic Region is analyzed for 117 years (1901–2017). This region is a globally recognized biodiversity hotspot and known for one of the highest rainfall receiving regions in India. Rainfall grid dataset is used for the analysis of rainfall trends on monthly, seasonal, and decadal time scales. Modified Mann–Kendall’s test, Linear Regression, Innovative Trend Analysis, Sen’s Slope test, Weibull’s Recurrence Interval, Pearson’s Coefficient of Skewness, Consecutive Disparity Index, Kurtosis, and some other important statistical techniques are employed for trend analysis. Results indicate that the rainfall trend is significant in January, July, August, September as well as the Winter season. Among all the significant trends, January and July showed a decreasing rainfall trend. July has the highest contribution (30%) among all the obtained monotonic trend to annual rainfall and coincidentally has the highest trend magnitude. August and September months with a combined contribution of 30% to annual rainfall, show an increasing monotonic trend with high magnitude whereas Winter season shows a monotonic decreasing rainfall trend with comparatively low magnitudes. Decadal analysis along with the study of recurrence interval of excess and deficit years helps to understand the decadal rhythm of trend and the magnitude of extreme monthly and seasonal events. Skewness reveals that rainfall dataset of all the periodic results is right-skewed and the recurrence interval also supports the skewness results. Sharply decreasing rainfall in July and rising rainfall in August and September is predictive of the impact on agriculture, biodiversity and indicates the rainfall regime shift in the region.

Karst imaging of Mangkalihat in East Kalimantan; insight from Landsat OLI 8, DEMNAS and field investigation

Karst is one of the typical of landscape which is formed by soluble rock and mineral formation such as limestones, dolomites, gypsum, anhydrites and others types that have the same chacateristic. Based on Permen ESDM 17/2012, Karst Landform Area has two main function; conservation and development area. Mangkalihat Karst has some critical issues both on conservation and sustainable utilisation of its resources. We aim to delineate karst landform and other limestones formation in the area. Using DEMNAS-based combined with the multispectral imagery from Landsat OLI 8, we were able to delineate the karst area according to visual interpretation on karst morphology. Mangkalihat Karst presents as half-circular morphology consists of Tendehantu Hills in the west and Mangkalihat Hills in the east. The stratification of limestones formation has been clearly visible on image structured parallel strike with the arc. The slope is very steep (more than 45%) and it is densely vegetated areas. To the north, karst morphology formed undulated karst hills as slope average ranging from very steep to moderate. Scattered conical hills were identified as a result of surface karstification. However, drainage pattern had not clearly formed in karst landscape, they were formed subsurface. Tendehantu Formation (Tmt) is the main rock formation in the Mangkalihat Karst. Field investigation indicated that Tendehantu Formation (Tmt) is composed by coral limestones, white to light yellowish in color, well bedded and depsited during Middle Miocene in shallow marine (neritic zone). Caves and subsurface rivers had been identified in the area as a manifestation of endogenic and exogenic karst. The result can be approched for resource sustainability in Mangkalihat Karst Area.

Reassessment of the clinical impact of preformed donor-specific anti-HLA-Cw antibodies in kidney transplantation.

Anti-denatured HLA-Cw antibodies are highly prevalent, whereas anti-native HLA-Cw antibodies seem to lead to random flow cytometry crossmatch results. We aimed to reassess crossmatch prediction for anti-HLA-Cw using 2 types of single antigen flow beads (classical beads and beads with diminished expression of denatured HLA), and to compare the pathogenicity of preformed anti-denatured and anti-native HLA-Cw antibodies in kidney transplantation. We performed 135 crossmatches with sera reacting against donor HLA-Cw (classical beads fluorescence ≥500); only 20.6% were positive. Forty-three (31.6%) were anti-denatured HLA antibodies (beads with diminished expression of denatured HLA fluorescence <300); all were crossmatch negative. The correlation between classical beads fluorescence and the crossmatch ratio was low (ρ=0.178), and slightly higher with beads with diminished expression of denatured HLA (ρ=0.289). We studied 52 kidney recipients with preformed anti-HLA-Cw donor-specific antibodies. Those with anti-native HLA antibodies experienced more acute and chronic antibody-mediated rejections (P=.006 and .03, respectively), and displayed a lower graft survival (P=.04). Patients with anti-native HLA-Cw antibodies more frequently had previous sensitizing events (P<.000001) or plausibility of their antibody profile according to known anti-native HLA-Cw eplets (P=.0001). Anti-native but not anti-denatured HLA-Cw antibodies are deleterious, which underscores the need for reagents with diminished expression of denatured HLA.

‘Our shooting was far superior to theirs’: an archaeological investigation of the defence of West Australia Hill during the South African War (1899-1902)

ABSTRACT The defence of West Australia Hill was a day-long encounter between 30 West Australians and 300-400 Boers during the South African War (1899-1902). An archaeological survey to test the applicability of Battlefield Patterning Analysis (PBA: as used on the Battle of Little Big Horn site, Montana, USA) was conducted to determine how the West Australians maintained tactical superiority throughout the encounter. The locations of fired cartridges, artillery artefacts and archival evidence showed that the successful all-day defence was due to good tactical positioning on West Australia Hill and fire discipline, aided by accurate British artillery. Dynamic Patterning, a component of PBA, was developed further by the use of two innovative methods of recording spent ammunition characteristics: off-centredness of firing pin indentations, and marks within firing pin indentations of the fired cartridges. The ammunition finds for both Australian and Boers soldiers demonstrated the application of BPA on 20th century battlefields.

Atmospheric Muon Charge Ratio Analysis at the INO-ICAL Detector

The proposed Iron Calorimeter (ICAL) detector at Indian Neutrino Observatory (INO) will be a large (50 kt) magnetized detector located 1270 m underground at Bodi West Hills in Tamilnadu. ICAL is capable of identifying the charge of the particles. In this paper its potential for the measurement of the muon charge ratio is explored by means of a detailed simulation-based study, first using the CORSIKA code and then comparing it with an analytical model (the pika model). The simulated muon charge ratio is in agreement with the existing experimental observations; its measure can be extended by INO-ICAL up to 10.50 TeV and up to 60 degrees.

Crossing the Rubicon: Is the use of a realisation company still a viable tax planning tool?

In this article the principles established in the Natal Estates, Berea West and Founders Hill cases read together with the relevant legislation and other related cases are analysed. The aim is to determine whether the interposition of a realisation entity when selling immovable property with the view to protecting the capital nature of receipts in respect of the property, is a viable tax planning tool for the 21st century. The Supreme Court of Appeal in all three cases applied the so-called “crossing the Rubicon” metaphor to determine the point when the realisation of a capital asset transforms into a scheme of profit-making and thus becomes taxable. The decisions in these three cases, if closely analysed, confirm that the courts have provided complimentary rather than conflicting viewpoints on how the “crossing the Rubicon” metaphor is applied in practice. It is concluded from the analysis that a realisation entity should be used only to realise an asset when there are compelling reasons, other than for pure tax planning purposes, for its use. This conclusion is\ reached because current legislation ensures that the appreciation in the value of the asset up to the point of the change in use, from capital to revenue, remains capital in nature and will thus be taxed as a capital gain under the Eighth Schedule of the Income Tax Act. In practice therefore, the use of a realisation entity should be considered only in circumstances where the protection of the capital nature of an asset for purely tax reasons is not the main reason for the interposition of a realisation company or any other intermediary entity, but is set up, for example, to administer a deceased or insolvent estate, or to comply with legislation. Any tax advantage gained in these circumstances can be regarded as an inadvertent consequence and thus there is a possibility that the tax advantages gained will not be regarded as income of a revenue nature.

Naqlun 2016: Hermitage EE.50 preliminary report

During the 2016 season in Naqlun, dedicated to an array of specialist studies of material in the storeroom, the team documented one of the hermitages located in the hills west of the monastic compound. The work was necessitated by evident illicit digging which had partly destroyed the compound. The hermitage, which occupied a small valley, appears to have comprised at least three living units, furnished with rock-cut storage pits in the floor and niches in the walls. The doorways and niches bore traces of architectural rendering. The complex may be interpreted tentatively as a residential and religious complex, and it is a good example of a mid-5th century hermitage, the dating confirmed by a study of the pottery assemblage coming from it.

A Tribute to Shunso Ishihara

Resource GeologyVolume 68, Issue 2 p. 103-106 Preface A Tribute to Shunso Ishihara Richard H. Sillitoe, Corresponding Author Richard H. Sillitoe aucu@compuserve.com orcid.org/0000-0002-5501-3859 London, UKCorresponding author: R. H. Sillitoe, 27 West Hill Park, Highgate Village, London N6 6ND, UK. Email: aucu@compuserve.comSearch for more papers by this author Richard H. Sillitoe, Corresponding Author Richard H. Sillitoe aucu@compuserve.com orcid.org/0000-0002-5501-3859 London, UKCorresponding author: R. H. Sillitoe, 27 West Hill Park, Highgate Village, London N6 6ND, UK. Email: aucu@compuserve.comSearch for more papers by this author First published: 28 March 2018 https://doi.org/10.1111/rge.12166Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Volume68, Issue2Special Issue: The Japanese Porphyry Copper EnigmaApril 2018Pages 103-106 RelatedInformation

Review of Carbonate Breccia Genetic Classification in West Hill, Beijing

This thesis proposes genetic classification for carbonate breccia in West Hill, Beijing, summarizes the genesis mechanism and features of 14 types of carbonate breccia there, and raises research questions. Not at all of types were included in this classification, mainly which are not so commonly discussed, such as impact breccia formed by meteorolite. Among other things, it raises the issue of overlapping the concept, which requires further research.

Research on Construction of Historical and Cultural City of Ezhou: A Case Study of West Hill Scenic Spot

The paper intends to research the construction of famous historical and cultural city of Ezhou, making a case study of the West Hill Scenic Spot. The scenic spot boasts not only beautiful landscapes, but also rich historical and cultural resources like the Three Kingdoms culture and the Buddhist culture. However, the scenic spot in the context of Ezhou urban planning and design is not satisfactory and it has its own problems, such as historical factor and long-term planning defect. In light of the realities, we propose long-term, overall and scientific planning, various resources integration and coordinated, rational development.

Sequence of Early Pleistocene Shirakawa ignimbrites and their identifications in distal areas in Northeast Japan

The Aizu volcanic region located in NE Japan is one of the Quaternary volcanic clusters resulting from the subduction of the oceanic Pacific Plate beneath the North American Plate. This volcanic region is characterised by Early Pleistocene large Shirakawa ignimbrites resulting from repeated caldera-forming eruptions and has been examined by several previous studies that established the eruptive sequence, the correlations of proximal ignimbrites with distal fall-out tephras and the eruptive history. However, the proximal sequence of ignimbrites proposed by previous studies is inconsistent with that of distal fall-out tephras, suggesting the necessity to re-examine the sequence. We present a revised stratigraphical framework of the ignimbrites included in the Nanaorezaka Formation exposed in the West Hills of the Aizu Basin, together with their petrographic description and correlations with distal fall-out tephras. From the glass chemistries and refractive indices of glass shards and phenocrysts, we identified six Early Pleistocene ignimbrites: in ascending order, the Kumado, Akai, Ashino, Nishigo, Kachikata and Ten-ei ignimbrites. In addition, the vitric widespread Kurokawa Tephra originated from a distant volcano. Four distal fall-out tephras associated with four ignimbrites (Kumado, Akai, Ashino and Kachikata) are distributed broadly in the Kanto and Niigata regions. Each combination of both the proximal and distal tephras was labelled Sr-Kmd, Sr-Aki-Kd18, Sr-Asn-Kd8 and Sr-Kc-U8, respectively. We re-examined their ages considering the stratigraphic positions of distal tephras identified in the Kanto region where calcareous nannofossil bio-stratigraphic and magneto-stratigraphic frameworks were available and many radiometric ages have been determined: Sr-Kmd (1.542–1.504 Ma), KK (1.533–1.485 Ma), Sr-Aki-Kd18 (1.522–1.460 Ma), Sr-Asn-Kd8 (1.219 Ma) and Sr-Kc-U8 (0.922–0.910 Ma). In addition, we estimated the volume of each fall-out tephra for Sr-Kmd, Sr-Aki-Kd18, Sr-Asn-Kd8 and Sr-Kc-U8 to be approximately 23 km3. It is concluded that the total volume of each eruptive event, except the Ten-ei eruption, ranges between 38 km3 and 173 km3. This indicates that these eruptions can be classified as VEI 6–7. The total volume of the Shirakawa ignimbrite and its associated fall-out tephra is 498 km3 (DRE: 199 km3). In addition, we estimated the eruption rate of the tephra associated with caldera-forming eruptions during the period from the Sr-Kmd to Sr-Kc-U8 eruptions to be 0.3 km3/kyr in DRE, an average value for the Quaternary volcanoes in the area of the Japanese Islands. The four repose periods between the successive eruptions were variable, ranging from approximately 0.3 My to less than 0.08 My.

Shopping malls as catalyst for sub-urban development in Ghana

The concentration of population in major cities is usually the consequence of the concentration of employment opportunities, goods and services in such cities. These goods and services act as pull factors to the regional population, especially from the suburban or rural areas, to densely populated cities. The resulting migration creates congestion of all kinds in the cities. Suburban communities are, thus, rendered unattractive for living. This situation is prevalent in Ghana where 75% of migrants into major cities are from suburban areas and the rate of urbanization is 4.1%. Decentralizing amenities to suburban areas would initiate re-distribution of population and thus development. This study investigated the possibility of using the Shopping Mall concept as catalyst to both help develop the suburbia and decongest cities in Ghana. The West Hills Mall at Dunkonah, a suburb near Accra was selected for the study. A mixed research method including questionnaires, interviews, and observations was used for data collection. Out of a total of 1,642 house owners 328 were sampled and interviewed with questionnaire that delved into their origins, whether they are migrants, and the reasons behind their movement. The study concluded that shopping malls could act as catalysts for development.Keywords: Shopping Malls, Catalyst, Decongestion, Suburbanization, Amenities

Tamdrup – Kongsgård og mindekirke i nyt lys

Tamdrup – Kongsgård og mindekirke i nyt lys

HIV decline associated with changes in risk behaviours among young key populations in Nepal: analysis of population-based HIV prevalence surveys between 2001 and 2012.

We assessed changes in HIV prevalence and risk behaviours among young key populations in Nepal. A total of 7505 participants (aged 16-24 years) from key populations who were at increased risk of HIV infection (2767 people who inject drugs (PWID); 852 men who have sex with men/transgender (MSM/TG); 2851 female sex workers (FSW) and 1035 male labour migrants) were recruited randomly over a 12-year period, 2001-2012. Local epidemic zones of Nepal (Kathmandu valley, Pokhara valley, Terai Highway and West to Far West hills) were analysed separately. We found a very strong and consistent decline in HIV prevalence over the past decade in different epidemic zones among PWID and MSM/TG in Kathmandu, the capital city, most likely due to a parallel increase in safe needle and syringe use and increased condom use. A decrease in HIV prevalence in 22 Terai highway districts, sharing an open border with India, was also consistent with increased condom use among FSW. Among male labour migrants, HIV prevalence was low throughout the period in the West to Far West hilly regions. Condom use by migrant workers involved with FSW abroad increased while their condom use with Nepalese FSW declined. Other risk determinants such as mean age at starting first injection, injection frequency, place of commercial sex solicitation, their mean age when leaving to work abroad did not change consistently across epidemic zones among the young key populations under study. In Nepal, the decline in HIV prevalence over the past decade was remarkably significant and consistent with an increase in condom use and safer use of clean needles and syringes. However, diverging trends in risk behaviours across local epidemic zones of Nepal suggest a varying degree of implementation of national HIV prevention policies. This calls for continued preventive efforts as well as surveillance to sustain the observed downward trend.

Spatial–temporal framework for the closure of the Junggar Ocean in central Asia: New SIMS zircon U–Pb ages of the ophiolitic mélange and collisional igneous rocks in the Zhifang area, East Junggar

The closure time of the Junggar Ocean is one of the hottest topics surrounding the tectonic evolution of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). This paper reports SIMS zircon U–Pb ages of the ophiolitic mélange and collisional igneous rocks in the Zhifang area, East Junggar. Our new results reveal the following evidence: (1) the West Hill ophiolitic mélange in the Zhifang area contains segments of the 371Ma MORB-type layered rocks and 363Ma oceanic islands, which were intruded by the 348Ma syn-collisional quartz diorites; (2) the ophiolitic mélange and 348Ma syn-collisional quartz diorites are overlain by the 342Ma andesitic tuffs; and (3) the 342Ma andesitic tuffs and successive 332Ma granodiorites-gabbro were formed at late-collisional setting, whereas the 314Ma granitic porphyry at post-collisional setting. We suggest that the Junggar Ocean in the Zhifang area was opened before 371Ma and 363Ma, and possibly closed before 348Ma.By combining the published U–Pb ages of the Mayile–Tangbale–Darbute–Kalamaili–Zhifang–Daheishan (MTDKZD) ophiolite belt, Early-Carboniferous volcanic rocks unconformably overlying the MTDKZD ophiolite belt, bimodal volcanic rocks and granitoids within and adjacent to the MTDKZD ophiolite belt, it is suggested that the Junggar Ocean was possibly opened scissors-like from the Neoproterozoic–Ordovician Mayile–Tangbale ocean eastwards through the Silurian–Devonian Darbute–Karamay ocean finally to the Devonian–Early-Carboniferous Kalamaili–Zhifang ocean, and closed scissors-like from the Zhifang–Kalamaili area in the eastern segment westwards to the Darbute–Karamay area in the western segment. Tectonic collage between the Yemaquan–Xiemisitai arc and Junggar block occurred at approximately 343–348Ma. The Junggar orogenic belt went through late-collisional stage at 343–330Ma, post-collisional period after 330Ma, and post-collisional extensional regime after 320Ma with an intensive stage at around 303Ma.

Enhancing qualitative inquiry by hearing lived experiences

As a young adult I often journeyed back ‘‘home’’ from New York City (NYC) to visit my parents and siblings, travelling on an inexpensive commercial bus known as Greyhound. The bus would rumble out of one of the large, busy, central transportation hubs in NYC and begin its halting 4 or 5 hour trek (depending on the number of stops), toward my hometown of Ithaca, New York. Ithaca is situated at the tip of Cayuga Lake, the largest of 11 long, slender bodies of water known collectively as the Finger Lakes. Ithaca’s business district is nestled snuggly at the southern base of the lake surrounded on three sides by steep hills. If requested, the Greyhound driver would discharge a passenger at an intersection on the West Hill, before descending downtown. I often got off here, making the rest of the way on foot to my parents’ house. Stepping off the bus, I always entered a liminal space, requiring recalibration of my senses. NYC never sleeps, even if its residents do. Cacophony is the city’s sound track, varied and layered. Sometimes it is discordant, other times harmonic, but there is a perpetual baseline of noise. For example, vehicles respond to traffic lights, ordering them to stop, warning them to slow down, or releasing them from idling. On command, brigades of cars, buses, and trucks, screech, squeal, grunt, hiss, and rumble in response to these signals in metered rhythms. Layered atop the traffic track, are brassy sounds—proximal or distant—as horns toot or blare, depending on the frustration level of the driver. A police car might blast its siren, in rapid staccato, to nudge aside a car, or a fire engine’s might wail with impatient urgency, parting rivers of vehicles. Overhead you may hear the rhythmic whirling of a traffic helicopter, hovering in place, or the roar of an ascending airplane, a sound which quickly dissipates only to be replaced, minutes later, by another plane. In short, sounds come from above and below, near and far, but they play on in the continuous loop of the urban soundtrack. Qualitative Social Work 2015, Vol. 14(4) 447–452 ! The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1177/1473325015588856 qsw.sagepub.com