Thomas Cole Historic House

In West Africa, the distribution of official development assistance is no longer based solely on humanitarian or governance criteria, but also on the geostrategic value of natural resources. These resources sometimes attract the interest of powers wishing to secure access to them through aid, while at other times they make resource-rich recipient countries less eligible, as they are perceived to be self-sufficient. The aim of this research is to analyze the effect of natural resource exploitation on official development assistance received by 13 West African countries over the period 1985–2020. Several estimation methods are used including: Two-stage Least Squares or Instrumental Variable Least Squares, Driscoll-Kraay Regression with Standard Errors, Kinky Least Squares and Instrumental Variables with two high-dimensional fixed effects that take into account donor heterogeneity. The results show that the exploitation of natural resources, particularly forestry, mining and oil, has a positive influence on the Official Development Assistance received by West African countries. More specifically, the exploitation of these resources attracts more bilateral ODA, while multilateral ODA is mainly influenced by the exploitation of forestry and mining resources. These results provide decision-makers with a strategic opportunity to use natural resources as negotiating leverage to mobilize aid for infrastructure and energy projects that are essential to the local transformation of natural resources. These results are also fully in line with the Sustainable Development Goals, underlining the role of natural resources as a lever for financing inclusive growth projects and better environmental governance.

Background: Percutaneous left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is increasingly utilized for stroke prevention in non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients with contraindications to long-term anticoagulation. With growing global use of WATCHMAN, Amplatzer Amulet, and LAmbre devices, a comprehensive comparison integrating randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and real-world evidence is warranted. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of RCTs, registries, and observational studies from PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Cochrane (through June 2025), including studies reporting outcomes for WATCHMAN (2.5 and FLX), Amplatzer Amulet, and LAmbre. Primary endpoints included ischemic stroke, systemic embolism, all-cause mortality, major bleeding, device-related thrombus (DRT), peri-device leak (PDL), and procedural complications. Subgroup analyses assessed device type, CHADS 2 -VASc score, imaging modality (ICE vs TEE), and LAA anatomy. Random-effects models pooled trial and real-world data. Results: We analyzed 27 studies (12 RCTs, 15 observational; 65,308 patients). Procedural success exceeded 97% across devices. Annual ischemic stroke rates were 1.5% (WATCHMAN), 1.4% (Amulet), and 1.2% (LAmbre) (p=NS); all-cause mortality was 3.6%, 3.5%, and 3.3%, respectively. Major bleeding rates were 3.0% (WATCHMAN), 2.7% (Amulet), and 2.8% (LAmbre), with WATCHMAN FLX significantly reducing bleeding vs WATCHMAN 2.5 (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.49–0.92). DRT occurred in 1.9% (WATCHMAN), 1.3% (Amulet), and 0.9% (LAmbre). Significant PDL (>5 mm) was highest with WATCHMAN (3.2%), lower with Amulet (1.1%) and LAmbre (0.7%). Device embolization occurred in 0.5% (Amulet), 0.2% (WATCHMAN), and 0% (LAmbre), while pericardial effusion rates were 3.1%, 2.8%, and 1.5%, respectively. ICE guidance improved procedural success (OR 1.11, 95% CI 1.03–1.21) but increased pericardial effusion risk (OR 1.22, 95% CI 1.05–1.42) vs TEE. Efficacy was consistent across CHADS 2 -VASc scores (mean 3.8 ± 1.3). LAmbre demonstrated superior adaptability in complex anatomies, including large ostia (≥31 mm), bilobed morphologies, and persistent thrombus. Conclusion: LAAO devices are safe and effective for stroke prevention in NVAF, with device-specific differences. Real-world data highlight LAmbre’s suitability for complex anatomies and Amulet’s lower leak rates. Optimal outcomes depend on individualized device selection based on anatomy, imaging, and bleeding risk.

Permissions Request permissions Contents list Ind. Chem. Mater., 2023, 1, 275 DOI: 10.1039/D3IM90012F This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given. Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Permissions Request permissions Contents list Sens. Diagn., 2023, 2, 473 DOI: 10.1039/D3SD90010J This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given. Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Permissions Request permissions Contents list Environ. Sci.: Adv., 2023, 2, 1465 DOI: 10.1039/D3VA90038J This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given. Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Permissions Request permissions Contents list Sens. Diagn., 2023, 2, 755 DOI: 10.1039/D3SD90015K This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given. Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Significant progress has been made at Argonne National Laboratory in the development of a compact wakefield accelerator based on a cylindrical corrugated waveguide with a 2-mm ID and fine corrugations on the wall. The fabrication process of 10-cm-long corrugated waveguide structures has been established and a high quality of the final product has been confirmed by precision metrology. Several samples have been tested using the electron beam at Brookhaven National Laboratory's Accelerator Test Facility. The frequency and group velocity of the fundamental monopole ${\mathrm{TM}}_{01}$ mode of sub-terahertz \ifmmode \check{C}\else \v{C}\fi{}erenkov radiation produced by a 1.5-ps-long electron bunch propagating in the corrugated waveguide, as well as the frequencies of the dipole ${\mathrm{HEM}}_{11}$ and the quadrupole ${\mathrm{HEM}}_{21}$ modes have been measured and found to be in good agreement with the design values calculated using CST Microwave Studio. The energy modulation of a 5-ps-long electron bunch caused by the self-induced wakefield has also been measured and found to be in good agreement with the calculated values.

Python Changes Packaging Dropped support for Python 3.6 and added support for Python 3.9 (#246). Breaking Changes Moved non-public / experimental <code>bezier._clipping</code> module to <code>bezier.hazmat.clipping</code> (#225).