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Global mortality from dementia: Application of a new method and results from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019
Get PDFIntroduction: Dementia is currently one of the leading causes of mortality globally, and mortality due to dementia will likely increase in the future along with corresponding increases in population growth and population aging. However, large inconsistencies in coding practices in vital registration systems over time and between countries complicate the estimation of global dementia mortality. Methods: We meta-analyzed the excess risk of death in those with dementia and multiplied these estimates by the proportion of dementia deaths occurring in those with severe, end-stage disease to calculate the total number of deaths that could be attributed to dementia. Results: We estimated that there were 1.62 million (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 0.41–4.21) deaths globally due to dementia in 2019. More dementia deaths occurred in women (1.06 million [0.27–2.71]) than men (0.56 million [0.14–1.51]), largely but not entirely due to the higher life expectancy in women (age-standardized female-tomale ratio 1.19 [1.10–1.26]). Due to population aging, there was a large increase in allage mortality rates from dementia between 1990 and 2019 (100.1% [89.1–117.5]). In 2019, deaths due to dementia ranked seventh globally in all ages and fourth among individuals 70 and older compared to deaths from other diseases estimated in the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study. Discussion: Mortality due to dementia represents a substantial global burden, and is expected to continue to grow into the future as an older, aging population expands globally.This work was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, WA, and by Gates Ventures, Seattle, WA.publishedVersio
Enhancing Resource-Based Test Case Generation for RESTful APIs with SQL Handling
Get PDFNowadays, many companies use RESTful web services to develop their enterprise applications. These web services typically interact with databases. In REST, resource handling is a fundamental concept, where resources are manipulated by exposing HTTP endpoints. Rd-MIO* is an evolutionary algorithm which is specialized in test generation for such kind of services, i.e., RESTful APIs, via manipulating resources in various ways using HTTP actions (e.g., GET and POST). In this paper, we further extended Rd-MIO* by employing SQL commands to manipulate the resources for test generation, directly into the databases. We implemented our novel technique as an extension of the EvoMaster tool. To evaluate our approach, we selected Rd-MIO* as a baseline technique and conducted an empirical study with five open source REST APIs. Results showed that our approach clearly outperforms the baseline over all of the five case studies.publishedVersio
The European Central Bank
Get PDFThis chapter suggests that the European Central Bank´s (ECB’s) changed role over the last 10 years can be conceptualized by three modes of crisis handling: Denial, Mission Creep, and Mission Leap. The ECB was never intended to be a lender of last resort, but with the financial crisis, this was precisely what eurozone financial institutions needed. As the crisis evolved, member states themselves needed a sovereign lender of last resort, something the ECB was explicitly designed not to be. TheECB has “muddled forward” to a position of considerable strength. In terms of outcomes, the monetary union is moving forward (Scenario 3thus, “muddling through” (Scenario 2) almost seems too weak a description of the constitutionally messy process that led the ECB through the crisis.acceptedVersio
Enterprise Systems and Blockchain Technology: The Dormant Potentials
Get PDFThis paper surveys the current status of blockchain technologies integration and its potentials with enterprise systems’ (ES). The blockchain technology has received substantial attention since the recent cryptocurrency-boom. The corporate world seeks to stay on the blockchain-train by exploring how they can benefit from the evolving technology and platforms. Hence, this research explores the capabilities and potentials of blockchain technology illustrated in the extant literature and investigates how it can reinforce, and be integrated with enterprise systems through semi-structured interviews with subject matter experts. The literature and collected data were classified into four components of blockchain technologies; identity, assets, logistics, and transactions. Our main findings suggest that there is scarce literature on blockchain integration with ES. Nevertheless, there is a huge potential for this integration, specifically on the transactions, identity, and logistics dimensions. In addition, our interview results suggest that blockchains can reinforce ES by accomplishing a single source of truth, and a common environment for shared information amongst a larger scope of actors and organizations.publishedVersio
Industry-related cooperation in media and design-oriented education: Internship and business involvement get high score from students
Get PDFSamarbeidet mellom høyere utdanning og arbeidslivet er blitt vektlagt sterkere de senere årene. Både NOKUT og Kunnskapsdepartementet prioriterer utvikling av slikt samarbeid på ulike nivåer. Dette er synlig gjennom meldinger til Stortinget, NOKUT-rapporter og rapporter fra NIFU. Når bransjerelatert samarbeid løftes frem slik, blir det også behov for forskning på hvordan ulike aktiviteter virker. Studien kartlegger og undersøker bransjerelatert samarbeid ved tre bachelorutdanninger innen medie- og designfag. Hensikten er å beskrive hva slags utdanningsaktiviteter bransjerelatert samarbeid kan bestå av og studentenes opplevelse av dette, samt identifisere utfordringer og muligheter dette byr på. Studiens formål er å bidra i en faktabasert diskurs om slike praksisnære utdanningsaktiviteter. Artikkelen presenterer studiens forankring i relevant teori og pedagogikk og definerer på bakgrunn av dette seks læringsaktiviteter som oppleves som viktige i et bransjerelatert samarbeid. Studentenes oppfatning av disse læringsaktivitetene kartlegges gjennom analyse av data fra studiebarometeret, dokumentasjon i institusjonens kvalitetssystem samt egne kvalitative og kvantitative undersøkelser. Funnene i artikkelen baserer seg på analyse og vurderinger av innsamlede data vurdert opp mot de seks definerte læringsaktivitetene. Enkelte av aktivitetene ser ut til å føre til høyere studenttilfredshet og kan derfor vurderes som viktigere enn andre.publishedVersio
Effect of intermittent and continuous caloric restriction on Sirtuin1 concentration depends on sex and body mass index
Get PDFBackground & aims
The favorable effect of caloric restriction (CR) on health span is well known and partly mediated by the sirtuin system. Sirtuin1, a regulator of energy homeostasis in response to nutrient availability, is activated by CR. We therefore investigated effects of two different CR regimens on Sirtuin1 concentrations.
Methods & results
The study included 112 abdominally obese subjects, randomized to intermittent or continuous CR for 1 year. Blood samples and anthropometric measures were collected at baseline and after 12 months. Sirtuin1 concentrations were measured by ELISA. Sirtuin1 correlated significantly to BMI at baseline (r = .232, p = 0.019). Mean reduction in body-weight was 8.0 and 9.0 kg after intermittent and continuous CR, respectively. After 1 year, no significant between-group differences in Sirtuin1 levels were observed according to regimen (p = 0.98) and sex (p = 0.41). An increase in median Sirtuin1 concentrations (pg/mL) [25, 75 percentiles] from baseline was observed after intermittent CR in the total population (884 [624, 1285] vs.762 [530, 1135]; p = 0.041), most marked in men (820 [623, 1250] vs. 633 [524, 926]; p = 0.016). Improvement in BMI after 1 year correlated to Sirtuin1 changes, but varied according to sex. In women, Spearman's rho = .298, p = 0.034, with stronger correlation in the intermittent CR group (r = .424, p = 0.049). In men, there was an inverse relation to Sirtuin1 changes, only in the intermittent CR group (r = −.396, p = 0.045).
Conclusions
Effects on Sirtuin1 concentrations after 1 year of CR are sex and BMI-related. Intermittent CR regimen affected Sirtuin1 to a stronger extent than continuous CR, suggesting individualized dietary intervention.publishedVersio
Unlocking the potential for achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 – “Zero Hunger” - in Africa: Targets, strategies, synergies and challenges
Get PDFBackground: The UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2 (‘Zero Hunger’) aims to end all forms of hunger and malnutrition by 2030. Thus, a range of different strategies are needed to facilitate the achievement of SDG 2 to overcome challenges and enable synergies between various SDG targets.
Objective: The aim of this review is to highlight Africa’s progress toward SDG 2, including targets, strategies, synergies and challenges.
Methods: We scrutinized published research articles in peer-reviewed journals, UN reports and in-country Africa reports (between 2015 and 2020) that were relevant to the current topic.
Results: Several hunger indicators are showing slow progress or even deterioration in Africa. The prevalence of undernourishment in the general population was 19.1% in 2019 and is expected to increase to 25.7% by 2030. Improvements in child stunting in several regions in Africa are slow, especially in sub-Saharan Africa where about 34% of under-fives were stunted in 2012 and 31% in 2019. In Eastern Africa, stunting prevalence decreased from 38% in 2012 to 34% in 2019. Major drivers of hunger are poor governance and state fragility, war and conflicts, increasing inequality, weak economic development, climate change, biodegradation – and now lately the Covid 19 pandemic – factors that all increase food insecurity.
Conclusion: Africa is off track to reach SDG – ‘Zero Hunger’ – by 2030. Current efforts and progress are insufficient. Africa must champion the SDG agenda on a national, regional and global level to facilitate synergies to unlock the potential for reaching ‘Zero Hunger’ throughout the continent.publishedVersio
