424 results
Search Results
102. Does God So Love the Multiverse?
- Author
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Don N. Page
- Subjects
Physics ,Theoretical physics ,Multiverse ,Argument ,Christian theology ,Theism ,Darwinism ,16. Peace & justice ,Relation (history of concept) ,Christianity ,Existence of God ,Epistemology - Abstract
Monotheistic religions such as Judaism and Christianity affirm that God loves all humans and created them in His image. However, we have learned from Darwin that we were not created separately from other life on earth. Some Christians opposed Darwinian evolution because it undercut certain design arguments for the existence of God. Today there is the growing idea that the fine-tuned constants of physics might be explained by a multiverse with very many different sets of constants of physics. Some Christians oppose the multiverse for similarly undercutting other design arguments for the existence of God. However, undercutting one argument does not disprove its conclusion. Here I argue that multiverse ideas, though not automatically a solution to the problems of physics, deserve serious consideration and are not in conflict with Christian theology as I see it. Although this paper as a whole is {\it addressed} primarily to Christians in cosmology and others interested in the relation between the multiverse and theism, it should be of {\it interest} to a wider audience. Proper subsets of this paper are addressed to other Christians, to other theists, to other cosmologists, to other scientists, and to others interested in the multiverse and theism.
- Published
- 2010
103. Testing spectral models for stellar populations with star clusters – I. Methodology
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Cid Fernandes, Roberto and González Delgado, Rosa M.
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ComputingMethodologies_DOCUMENTANDTEXTPROCESSING ,star clusters [Galaxies] ,Techniques: spectroscopic ,Galaxies: evolution ,stellar content [Galaxies] ,Magellanic clouds ,Galaxies: star clusters ,Galaxies: stellar content ,evolution [Galaxies] ,spectroscopic [Techniques] - Abstract
17 pages, 10 figures, 1 table, 2 appendix.-- Articles online in advance of print.-- Pre-print archive., High-resolution spectral models for simple stellar populations (SSP) developed in the past few years have become a standard ingredient in studies of stellar population of galaxies. As more such models become available, it becomes increasingly important to test them. In this and a companion paper, we test a suite of publicly available evolutionary synthesis models using integrated optical spectra in the blue-near-UV range of 27 well-studied star clusters from the work of Leonardi and Rose spanning a wide range of ages and metallicities. Most (23) of the clusters are from the Magellanic Clouds. This paper concentrates on the methodological aspects of spectral fitting. The data are fitted with SSP spectral models from Vazdekis and collaborators, based on the Medium-resolution INT Library of Empirical Spectra. Best-fitting and Bayesian estimates of age, metallicity and extinction are presented, and degeneracies between these parameters are mapped. We find that these models can match the observed spectra very well in most cases, with small formal uncertainties in t, Z and AV . In some cases, the spectral fits indicate that the models lack a blue old population, probably associated with the horizontal branch. This methodology, which is mostly based on the publicly available code starlight, is extended to other sets of models in Paper II, where a comparison with properties derived from spatially resolved data (colour–magnitude diagrams) is presented. The global aim of these two papers is to provide guidance to users of evolutionary synthesis models and empirical feedback to model makers., This work has been fundedwith support from the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia through grants AYA2007-64712 and cofinanced with FEDER funds. We also thank support from a joint CNPq-CSIC bilateral collaboration grant.
- Published
- 2010
104. Becoming DragonBankers: Constructing practice through processes of socially situated learning
- Author
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Bjørkeng, K and Clegg, SR
- Abstract
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore organizational induction as socially situated learning processes. It presents an empirical study of inductees going through an induction program in a medium sized bank and discusses their induction as a dual process of becoming a practitioner and constructing practice. Design/methodology/approach The research performed is qualitative: ethnographic methods including participant observation and interviews are used, and analysed through an interpretative methodology. Findings The paper suggests that the divide between the teaching curricula in the induction course and the learning curricula in real life banking contribute to the inductees ability and desire to engage in the construction of customer service officer practice; the divide itself legitimizes differences in particularities of the practice, and enhances the inductees ability to enact, accomplish, and construct practice actively. Research limitations/implications The paper suggests induction should be viewed as opportunities for organizational learning as much as the training of newcomers to adhere to organizational standards. Originality/value The paper presents a novel empirical case exploring socially situated learning. Looking at the confluence of authoring and performative acts allows us to expose the agentic dimension of practices; thus emphasising the construction involved in any practising.
- Published
- 2010
105. Testing spectral models for stellar populations with star clusters – II. Results
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González Delgado, Rosa M. and Cid Fernandes, Roberto
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ComputingMethodologies_MISCELLANEOUS ,ComputingMethodologies_DOCUMENTANDTEXTPROCESSING ,star clusters [Galaxies] ,Techniques: spectroscopic ,Magellanic clouds ,stellar populations [Galaxies] ,Galaxies: star clusters ,Galaxies: stellar populations ,spectroscopic [Techniques] - Abstract
20 pages, 16 figures, 8 tables.-- Articles online in advance of print.-- Pre-print archive., High spectral resolution evolutionary synthesis models have become a routinely used ingredient in extragalactic work, and as such deserve thorough testing. Star clusters are ideal laboratories for such tests. This paper applies the spectral fitting methodology outlined in Paper I to a sample of clusters, mainly from the Magellanic Clouds and spanning a wide range in age and metallicity, fitting their integrated light spectra with a suite of modern evolutionary synthesis models for single stellar population. The combinations of model plus spectral library employed in this investigation are Galaxev/STELIB, Vazdekis/MILES, SED@/GRANADA, and Galaxev/MILES+GRANADA, which provide a representative sample of models currently available for spectral fitting work. A series of empirical tests are performed with these models, comparing the quality of the spectral fits and the values of age, metallicity and extinction obtained with each of them. A comparison is also made between the properties derived from these spectral fits and literature data on these nearby, well studied clusters. These comparisons are done with the general goal of providing useful feedback for model makers, as well as guidance to the users of such models. We find that new generation of models using the GRANADA and MILES libraries are superior to STELIB-based models both in terms of spectral fit quality and regarding the accuracy with which age and metallicity are retrieved. Accuracies of about 0.1 dex in age and 0.3 dex in metallicity can be achieved as long as the models are not extrapolated beyond their expected range of validity., This work has been funded with support from the Spanish Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia through the grants AYA2007-64712, and cofinanced with FEDER funds. We also thank support from a joint CNPq-CSIC bilateral collaboration grant.
- Published
- 2010
106. Is the Export-led Growth Hypothesis Enough to Account for China’s Growth?
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Vicente Orts and M.J. Herrerias
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Macroeconomics ,China--Economic policy ,Endogenous growth theory ,Labor productivity ,Output ,Xina--Política econòmica ,Openness ,Investment (macroeconomics) ,Exchange rate ,Physical capital ,Capital accumulation ,Capital deepening ,China--Economic conditions ,Economics ,Openness to experience ,Investment ,China ,Xina--Condicions econòmiques ,General Economics, Econometrics and Finance - Abstract
The purpose of the present paper is to analyze whether the expansion of the Chinese economy is based on an export-led growth effect or, on the contrary, Chinese development between 1964 and 2004 was driven by investment. However, since we know the relevance of the real exchange rate in an open economy such as China, we also investigate the relationship between the real exchange rate and growth. Our empirical evidence shows that both investment and exports are relevant factors in the Chinese economy. These results are consistent with the idea that not only are exports the main engine of growth, as other papers have argued, but it also seems that the significant investment effort has played a key role in accounting for China’s growth in the last few decades. Furthermore, unlike previous works, we find that the real exchange rate has been used as an additional economic policy to encourage output in the long run.
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- 2010
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107. Solid State Characterization of Pharmaceuticals
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Richard A. Storey and Richard A. Storey
- Published
- 2011
108. The Student's Companion to Social Policy
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Pete Alcock and Pete Alcock
- Published
- 2011
109. The Fearful Dental Patient
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Arthur A. Weiner and Arthur A. Weiner
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- 2011
110. A Companion to American Literary Studies
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Caroline F. Levander and Caroline F. Levander
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- 2011
111. The Handbook of Language Socialization
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Alessandro Duranti and Alessandro Duranti
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- 2011
112. Alternative Alternatives
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Sona Blessing and Sona Blessing
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- 2011
113. Constitutionalism– A Skeptical View
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Jeremy Waldron
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Government ,Political science ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Law ,Limited government ,Ideology ,Constitutionalism ,Constitutional law ,Government failure ,Popular sovereignty ,Democracy ,media_common - Abstract
This paper examines the ideology that goes by the name of "constitutionalism." The first part of the paper considers the significance of "written constitutions" The second part of the paper casts a skeptical eye at conceptions of constitutionalisim that emphasize "limited" government. Once "limited government" is contrasted carefully with "restrained government" (restraints upon specific actions by government) and with "controlled government" (e.g. insistence upon democratic control), we see that the association of constitutionalism with general limitations on the scope of government ought to make it a much more controversial ideal than the general anodyne acceptance of the term "constitutionalism" might lead us to expect. Finally, the anti-democratic implications of constitutionalism are explored. The paper argues that, by insisting on limited government, constitutionalism downplays the important role that constitutions have to perform in the modern world in establishing and securing specifically democratic authority.
- Published
- 2009
114. Editorial ruminations: publishing Kyklos
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René L. Frey, Reiner Eichenberger, Bruno S. Frey, University of Zurich, and Frey, Bruno S
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Economics and Econometrics ,Academic Publishing ,Journals ,Reviewers ,Editors ,Unorthodox Economics ,jel:B40 ,jel:A20 ,2002 Economics and Econometrics ,jel:B00 ,Certification ,jel:D02 ,Globalization ,Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) ,10007 Department of Economics ,ddc:330 ,Asian country ,media_common.cataloged_instance ,jel:A1 ,Sociology ,European union ,A1 ,Publication ,media_common ,business.industry ,Public relations ,330 Economics ,B40 ,A20 ,Publishing ,1201 Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous) ,Kyklos ,Law ,D02 ,The Internet ,business ,B00 - Abstract
Globalization has resulted in a marked increase in the number of academic economists who have entered the international job market. Previously, the national markets were much more self-contained. Young economists could be confident of finding a tenured professorship in their own country. During the recent decades, virtually all member countries of the European Union and many Asian countries have joined the international market for economists today dominated by the United States. While private connections and ‘old boys’ networks’ remain an important instrument for obtaining academic positions, being published in internationally recognized journals has become a conditio sine qua non. Many universities assign professorships based on the number of publications in top academic journals and citations. At the same time, the revolution of the Internet has opened new ways to ‘publish’. Everybody can put his or her writings on their homepage, in working paper series (such as SSRN, CESifo, or CREMA), in editorially run electronic journals (such as Economists’ Voice or Vox), and in organized or spontaneous blogs. These publication channels have the great advantage over traditional journals of being quick (often even immediate) and of approximating the idea of an intellectual discourse. There are few, if any, restrictions, i.e. there is generally no peer reviewing. Many scholars today keep themselves informed by screening and selectively downloading the summaries of these Internet publications. However, when the manifold existing versions are finally revised and printed in a journal, the paper is often only cited and is rarely read. As a result, journal publications no longer impart new knowledge and ideas but serve as a certification that a paper has been deemed worthy of a narrowly defined
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- 2009
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115. CHARMM: the biomolecular simulation program
- Author
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Brooks, B. R., Brooks III, C. L., Mackerell Jr., A. D., Nilsson, L., Petrella, R. J., Roux, B., Won, Y., Archontis, Georgios Z., Bartels, C., Boresch, S., Caflisch, A., Caves, L., Cui, Q., Dinner, A. R., Feig, M., Fischer, S., Gao, J., Hodoscek, M., Im, W., Kuczera, K., Lazaridis, T., Ma, J., Ovchinnikov, V., Paci, E., Pastor, R. W., Post, C. B., Pu, J. Z., Schaefer, M., Tidor, B., Venable, R. M., Woodcock, H. L., Wu, X., Yang, W., York, D. M., Karplus, M., Brooks B.R., Brooks III C.L., Mackerell Jr. A.D., Nilsson L., Petrella R.J., Roux B., Won Y., Archontis G., Bartels C., Boresch S., Caflisch A., Caves L., Cui Q., Dinner A.R., Feig M., Fischer S., Gao J., Hodoscek M., Im W., Kuczera K., Lazaridis T., Ma J., Ovchinnikov V., Paci E., Pastor R.W., Post C.B., Pu J.Z., Schaefer M., Tidor B., Venable R.M., Woodcock H.L., Wu X., Yang W., York D.M., Karplus M., Archontis, Georgios Z. [0000-0002-7750-8641], and University of Zurich
- Subjects
Models, Molecular ,Potential energy functions ,Molecular dynamic ,Molecular model ,chemical model ,Energy functions ,Molecular dynamics ,Molecular mechanicals ,Computational chemistry ,Nucleic Acids ,computer program ,CHARMM program ,Many-particle systems ,Amines ,Explicit solvents ,Chemistry ,biology ,Small molecules ,article ,Potential energy ,Lipids ,peptide ,Dynamics ,Nucleic acids ,Computational Mathematics ,Molecular mechanic ,symbols ,Membrane models ,Molecular simulations ,Harvard ,Biomolecular simulation ,2605 Computational Mathematics ,Biophysical computation ,Carbohydrates ,Molecular modeling ,1600 General Chemistry ,chemistry ,Article ,Computational science ,symbols.namesake ,Parallel architectures ,lipid ,Simulators ,10019 Department of Biochemistry ,computer simulation ,Computer Simulation ,Molecular mechanics ,Analysis techniques ,Computational tools ,Energy function ,Computational Biology ,Proteins ,Quantum mechanical ,General Chemistry ,Mechanical force ,quantum theory ,nucleic acid ,Implicit solvents ,Models, Chemical ,Path sampling method ,carbohydrate ,chemical structure ,Quantum Theory ,570 Life sciences ,Drude particle ,protein ,Peptides ,Software - Abstract
CHARMM (Chemistry at HARvard Molecular Mechanics) is a highly versatile and widely used molecular simulation program. It has been developed over the last three decades with a primary focus on molecules of biological interest, including proteins, peptides, lipids, nucleic acids, carbohydrates and small molecule ligands, as they occur in solution, crystals, and membrane environments. For the study of such systems, the program provides a large suite of computational tools that include numerous conformational and path sampling methods, free energy estimators, molecular minimization, dynamics, and analysis techniques, and model-building capabilities. In addition, the CHARMM program is applicable to problems involving a much broader class of many-particle systems. Calculations with CHARMM can be performed using a number of different energy functions and models, from mixed quantum mechanical-molecular mechanical force fields, to all-atom classical potential energy functions with explicit solvent and various boundary conditions, to implicit solvent and membrane models. The program has been ported to numerous platforms in both serial and parallel architectures. This paper provides an overview of the program as it exists today with an emphasis on developments since the publication of the original CHARMM paper in 1983.
- Published
- 2009
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116. Practitioner review: quality of life in child mental health - conceptual challenges and practical choices
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David, Coghill, Marina, Danckaerts, Edmund, Sonuga-Barke, Joseph, Sergeant, A, Zuddas, University of Zurich, Coghill, D, and Clinical Neuropsychology
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Service (systems architecture) ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Population ,Applied psychology ,MEDLINE ,Umbrella term ,Context (language use) ,610 Medicine & health ,Choice Behavior ,Mental health [NCEBP 9] ,Developmental psychology ,2738 Psychiatry and Mental Health ,Quality of life ,Developmental and Educational Psychology ,Perception and Action [DCN 1] ,Humans ,Simplicity ,2735 Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,education ,Child ,media_common ,education.field_of_study ,3204 Developmental and Educational Psychology ,10058 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ,Mental health ,humanities ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Mental Health ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Practice Guidelines as Topic ,Quality of Life ,Psychology - Abstract
The terms ‘quality of life’ (QoL) and ‘health related quality of life’ (HRQoL) are fraught with preconceptions, misconceptions and, frequently, confusion: How are these terms best defined? What are the best ways to measure them? These challenges, which are present even in the relatively well-studied fields of adult physical health, are magnified considerably when considered in the context of child and adolescent mental health. They are, however, concepts that are being increasingly discussed by child and adolescent mental health clinicians, researchers and service planners. The purpose of this review is to analyse and discuss the concept of QoL and HRQoL (for simplicity we will use the umbrella term QoL in this paper except when there is a need to draw more fine-grain distinctions) as they relate to child and adolescent mental health, and review the various reasons for measuring QoL in this population. The paper is divided into three main sections. First, we introduce the concept of QoL and draw out the issues raised with regard to the field of childhood mental health research and practice. Second, we discuss the range of challenges raised as we move from concept to measurement. Third, we review and contrast some of the many different measurement tools currently available.
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- 2009
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117. Levels of Pollutants in Indoor Air and Respiratory Health in Preschool Children: A Systematic Review
- Author
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Ferran Ballester, José María Tenías, and Virginia Fuentes-Leonarte
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Lung Diseases ,Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine ,Pollution ,Pediatrics ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Passive smoking ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Air pollution ,Nitric Oxide ,medicine.disease_cause ,Indoor air quality ,Environmental health ,medicine ,Humans ,Air quality index ,media_common ,Exposure assessment ,Pollutant ,Volatile Organic Compounds ,business.industry ,Public health ,Infant, Newborn ,Infant ,Causality ,Air Pollution, Indoor ,Child, Preschool ,Epidemiological Monitoring ,Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health ,Particulate Matter ,business ,Environmental Monitoring - Abstract
The aim of this paper is thus to identify, evluate, and summarize in a systematic fashion all the epidemiological studies that have analyzed the association between exposure to specific indoor air pollutants and respiratory disease among children under the age of five. A search was carried out in the main biomedical bibliographica sources in December 2006 and updated in February 2008. The study period covered 12 years (1996-2007). All the selected papers were carefully read. We focused on studies that analyzed at least one indicator of respiratory health and which included one or more indoor air pollutants in relation to the respiratory health of children under the age of 5. Studies that analyzed passive smoking as the sole source of indoor air pollution were not included. Fourteen studies were considered to be relevant. The most analyzed pollutant was nitrogen dioxide, followed by volative organic compounds, airborne particulates and other pollutants; phthalates and CO2. The literature reviewed within our criteria seems to indicate that several indoor pollutants, even at the moderate levels found in the developed countries, could be harmful to the respiratory health of very young children. Future research should focus on conducting more studies, preferably making use of cohorts, with adequate techniques for measuring indooor pollution levels. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2009; 44:231-243. (C) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
- Published
- 2009
118. Optimal application of fluid viscous dampers in tall buildings incorporating integrated damping systems
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Ahmed Y. Elghazouli and Miguel Martinez-Paneda
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VIBRATION CONTROL ,Technology ,Engineering, Civil ,Computer science ,fluid viscous dampers ,multistory structures ,mass dampers ,Civil Engineering ,0905 Civil Engineering ,tall buildings ,Engineering ,Architecture ,damper arrangement ,DISTRIBUTIONS ,CONTROLLERS ,ALGORITHM ,Civil and Structural Engineering ,dynamic response ,Science & Technology ,Viscous damper ,business.industry ,Building and Construction ,Structural engineering ,PERFORMANCE ,OPTIMAL-DESIGN ,damping systems ,FRAMED STRUCTURES ,PLACEMENT ,Construction & Building Technology ,passive damping ,business ,COEFFICIENTS - Abstract
This paper examines the detailed performance of an Integrated-Damping-System (IDS) approach which was recently introduced to provide large damping levels by enabling two parts of a building to move independently through a parallel arrangement of springs and fluid viscous dampers. Extensive assessments into the characteristics and distribution of constituent dampers are illustrated through the dynamic response of a typical 300m central-core building. Besides examining the system performance under typical wind conditions and selected seismic excitations, five damper placement methods are assessed for various linear and nonlinear damper exponents. It is shown that intermediate exponents provide the best overall response. However, when the design targets a particular damping, deformation or acceleration related performance parameter, specific combinations of damper exponent and distribution can result in an optimal application. Most importantly, due to the underlying IDS nature, which acts as an inherent large-mass damper, the findings show that the overall performance is not highly sensitive to the damper placement and does not necessitate the use of an advanced distribution. Whilst specific placements can be adopted to refine targeted performance aspects where necessary, simple and practical uniform or stiffness proportional arrangements can be consistently employed with the IDS to provide a highly effective solution.
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- 2021
119. Being independent is a great thing: subjective evaluations of self-employment and hierarchy
- Author
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Matthias Benz, Bruno S. Frey, University of Zurich, and Benz, Matthias
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Value (ethics) ,Economics and Econometrics ,Labour economics ,Entrepreneurship ,SELBSTÄNDIGE UND FREISCHAFFENDE (PERSONEN) ,Economics ,media_common.quotation_subject ,jel:D00 ,2002 Economics and Econometrics ,jel:L22 ,jel:J23 ,IEW Institute for Empirical Research in Economics (former) ,10007 Department of Economics ,AUFBAUORGANISATION (BETRIEBSWIRTSCHAFT) ,0502 economics and business ,Industrial sociology ,ddc:330 ,050207 economics ,media_common ,Hierarchy ,050208 finance ,procedural utility, institutions, hierarchiy, self-employment, job satisfaction ,05 social sciences ,procedural utility, institutions, hierarchy, self-employment, job satisfaction ,Independence ,330 Economics ,Embodied cognition ,Job satisfaction ,HIERARCHICAL ORGANIZATION (BUSINESS ECONOMICS) ,SELF-EMPLOYED PERSONS AND FREE-LANCE PERSONS (PERSONS) ,Psychology ,Social psychology ,Self-employment ,050203 business & management - Abstract
One can be independent, or subject to decisions made by others. This paper empirically tests whether individuals attach an intrinsic value to the institutional difference between independence and hierarchy. Taking self-employment as an important case of independence, it is shown that the self-employed derive more utility from their work than people employed by an organization, irrespective of income gained or hours worked. This is evidence for procedural utility: people do not only value outcomes, but also the conditions and processes leading to these outcomes. Individuals value independence and dislike hierarchy as such, over and above the associated outcomes.
- Published
- 2008
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120. Bridging experience and evidence in mental health care reform
- Author
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Luis Salvador-Carulla
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HRHIS ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Forum: Steps, Challenges and Mistakes to Avoid in the Implementation of Community Mental Health Care ,business.industry ,Mental Health Act ,Health technology ,Public relations ,Mental illness ,medicine.disease ,Mental health ,Eastern european ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Health care ,Medicine ,Psychiatric hospital ,Pshychiatric Mental Health ,business ,Psychiatry - Abstract
The US Community Mental Health Act of 1963 led to a deinstitutionalization process which proved to be a mixed failure, particularly when community ser- vices were not available in the catchment areas. Ten years later, John Talbott 1 reported that hospital readmission or “revolving door” was a significant problem and that nearly half of it could be prevented with minor improvements of existing services. In spite of this early evidence, “revolving door” effects followed psychiatric reforms in many countries. Thirty years later, Talbott published the “ten commandments” of community mental health care, and summarized the reasons for the problems created by deinstitutionalization in four main factors: lack of consensus about the movement, no real testing of its philosophic bases, the lack of planning for alternative facil- ities and services, and the inadequacies of the mental health delivery system 2. The paper by Thornicroft et al uses an expert knowledge approach to frame community care on common sense and to describe ten key challenges to implement it and to improve balance of care. The paper is mainly focused on the challenges of care reform at individual ser- vices (microlevel). A number of comments may be added to better understand the current trends of decision making and planning at the upper side of the Thornicroft and Tansella matrix 3: the regio- nal or national care system (macro-level). Mental health care in the real world performs as a complex environmental system characterized by multidisciplinarity, high dimensionality with ill-structured and nonlinear domains, and high uncertainty with heterogeneity of data and imprecise information 4,5. Complex care systems demonstrate other identifiable characteristics such as embeddedness, self-organization, or unpredictability. Under these conditions, evidence cannot be generated using the designs and statistical methods of evidence-based medicine. New health technology assessment tools include outcomes management, decision support systems and knowledge discovery from data (KDD). KDD is a hybrid of statistics and artificial intelligence which incorporates implicit expert knowledge into the data analysis. In the analysis of complex systems, expert opinion is not a source of bias but a key component of the knowledge management and the development of mathematical models. Thus, experience is incorporated into evidence-base mental health care planning 5. The classical debate between hospital and community psychiatry is already closed. Todaýs mounting evidence delivers a simple and clear message: traditional psychiatric hospitals are part of an outdated system of service provision which should be abandoned or entirely transformed. Although failures exist and they replicate at a stubborn pace, psychiatric hospitals have been successfully closed in several countries or regions, whilst in other areas these services have been changed into integrated health care systems 6. On the other hand, the closure of a psychiatric hospital produces similar social resistance and unrest as any other service in obsolete economic sectors, particularly when the hospital is a major source of employment in what are often isolated communities 7. Surprisingly the staffs needs and the social dynamics are not handled in a similar way to other economic sectors. Involving other ministries or national agencies may favour deinstitutionalization in middle income countries. As Thornicroft et al put it forward, the reform of psychiatric hospitals should be led by experience and common sense as much as by values. Bulgaria and other Eastern European countries provide a good example of the complexities of hospital reform. Criticism raised against the World Bank policy to fund “improvement” of the Bulgarian psychiatric hospitals confronts the reality of emergency crisis and human rights of people living in these institutions. The balance of care approach may facilitate a better appreciation of these problems. Classical community psychiatry put major emphasis on closing psychiatric hospitals and on developing specialized community services, mainly residential and intermediate care for severe mental illness. During the last years, a new balance of care model is providing a broader view of the mental health system. Person-centered approaches and longitudinal perspectives are key to this new framework. It takes into consideration the equilibrium between residential and community care, primary and specialized care, or health, social and forensic care within an integrated (multi-sectoral) approach to the delivery of services 7. A special focus is provided on the transitional arrangements needed during the process of re-balancing care for people with mental health problems, or on the outputs at later stages of this process. For example, re-institutionalization has been identified as a worrying trend of well developed community care systems in Western Europe 8. To date, mental health systems have been extensively described by system characteristics, macro indicators of system development and the specific focus on deinstitutionalization and community psychiatry. However, little information has been provided on the financing of mental health systems until very recently. Care financing studies are concerned with the flow of expenditure throughout the care system. The Mental Health Economics European Network has described the financing systems of 17 European countries and identified commonalities and differences 9. A thorough information on the financing system of a number of these countries have been published separately 10,11. Assessing and comparing financing systems represents a “follow the money” approach which may provide a more accurate information on the care system than other traditional description methods. The World Health Organization has also provided a framework to produce standard reports on mental health financing (including pooling, context, mapping, resource base, allocation, budgeting, purchasing, and financing analysis). Financing is a main policy tool to lead mental health reforms 12,13.
- Published
- 2008
121. Estimating extreme dry-spell risk in the middle Ebro valley (northeastern Spain): a comparative analysis of partial duration series with a general Pareto distribution and annual maxima series with a Gumbel distribution
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Vicente-Serrano, S. and Beguería, S.
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Drought ,Gumbel distribution ,Aardwetenschappen ,Return periods ,Spain ,Dry spells, return periods, drought, partial duration series, annual maximum ,Annual maximum series ,Partial duration series ,Dry spells ,Ebro valley ,Generalized Pareto distribution ,series, Gumbel distribution, Generalized Pareto distribution, Ebro valley, Spain - Abstract
16 páginas, 12 figuras.-- El documento se encuentra en su versión post-print., This paper analyses a 50 year time series of daily precipitation in a region of the middle Ebro valley (northeastern Spain) in order to predict extreme dry-spell risk. A comparison of observed and estimated maximum dry spells (50 year return period) showed that the generalized Pareto (GP) distribution combined with partial duration series (PDS) gives better results than the Gumbel distribution fitted to annual maximum series. Indeed, the classical Gumbel approach underestimated the empirical duration of dry spells. The PDS–GP approach was successfully applied in the study of extreme hydro-climatic variable values. The results reported here could be applied in estimating climatic drought risks in other geographical areas., This paper was supported by the following projects: ‘La sequía en Aragón: tendencias climáticas seculares y patrones de cambio ambiental’ (CLI99-098), ‘Caracterización espacio-temporal de las sequías en el valle medio del Ebro e identificación de sus impactos’ (BSO2002-02743), ‘Identificación de ´areas fuente de sedimento y áreas generadoras de escorrentía en relación con los cambios de uso del suelo’ (HIDROESCALA, REN2000-1709-C04-01/GLO) and ‘Procesos hidrológicos en áreas seminaturales mediterráneas’ (PROHISEM, REN 2001-2268-C02-01/HID), financed by the CICYT.
- Published
- 2003
122. On the association between Haplosyllis (Polychaeta, Syllidae) and gorgonians (Cnidaria, Octocorallaria), with the description of a new species
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Martin, Daniel, Núñez, Juan, Riera, Rodrigo, and Gil, João
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Ecology ,Reproduction ,Annelida ,Polychaeta ,Adaptation ,Gorgonian ,Symbiosis ,Taxonomy - Abstract
23 páginas, 13 figuras, 2 tablas., The present paper includes a morphological, ecological and biological updating of the three gorgonian associated species of Haplosyllis (Polychaeta, Syllidae) known to date: H. chamaeleon (symbiont with Paramuricea clavata in the Mediterranean), H. anthogorgicola (symbiont with Anthogorgia bocki in the Japanese seas) and H. villogorgicola , a new species living symbiotically with Villogorgia bebrycoides which is only known from Tenerife (Canary Islands, Eastern Central Atlantic). The new species is described on the basis of ecological, morphological, morphometric and statistical analysis of relevant characteristics. Each host colony harboured about 15 pale-yellowish worms, whose cryptic colouration mimicked that of the host. They occurred either on the host branches or partly hidden inside cavities formed by the fusion of two branches. The new species is characterized by the presence of simple chaetae with clearly bidentate tips all along the body, the presence of gland pore aggregates distributed in two lateral rows and two ventral patches on each palp and the absence of ciliary tufts on the pharyngeal papillae. H. villogorgicola sp. nov. is closely related to H. chamaeleon . Thus, it is compared with two populations of this species collected in the north-west and south-west Mediterranean. Stolons of H. chamaeleon are re-described as tetracerous and a peculiar posterior end regeneration process occurring in adult worms during the stolon formation is described. H. anthogorgicola is also re-described, with particular emphasis on its appendage and chaetal arrangements. The main features of the three associations are discussed in light of the current knowledge on symbiotic polychaetes, particularly cnidarian-associated syllids. © 2002 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2002, 77 , 455–477., This paper is a contribution to the research project INTAS-97–0916.
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- 2002
123. Banks increase welfare
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Margarita Samartín
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Equity risk ,Demand deposit ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Financial intermediary ,Equity (finance) ,Interest rate ,Interest rate risk ,Microeconomics ,Economics ,General Economics, Econometrics and Finance ,Welfare ,Finance ,Equity capital markets ,media_common ,Empresa - Abstract
This paper examines the relative degrees of risk sharing provided by demand deposit contracts and equity contracts. It is shown that in a framework in which individuals have smooth preferences and there exists some type of aggregate uncertainty (interest rate risk), the allocations obtained with a financial intermediary allow in general for greater risk sharing than those achieved in an equity economy. However, the interest rate is essential in order to determine the superiority of demand deposit contracts over equity contracts. The results of the paper contradict the ones obtained by Jacklin [1987] and Hellwig [1994], where demand deposit and equity contracts are always equivalent risk sharing instruments. Publicado
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- 2001
124. A Rabbi of One’s Own? Navigating Religious Authority and Ethical Freedom in Everyday Judaism
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Taragin-Zeller, Lea, Taragin-Zeller, Lea [0000-0002-1886-4080], and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
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4401 Anthropology ,44 Human Society - Abstract
This paper examines the varying ways religious devotees utilize, negotiate, embrace and reject religious authorities in their everyday lives. Ethnographically exploring the ways that Orthodox Jews share reproductive-decisions with rabbinic authorities, I demonstrate how some sanctify rabbinic rulings, while others dismiss them, or continue to “shop around” until they find a rabbinic opinion that resonates with their personal desires. These negotiations of religious authority and ethical freedom are worked out across a biographical trajectory, opening new possibilities to explore how religious authority fluctuates and changes over the life-course. I argue that analysis of engagement with rabbis without attention to the inner-diversity of interpretations and practices perpetuates a hegemonic and over-harmonious picture of religious authority. Highlighting these variations, I show how the process of consultation was more significant than mere submission to religious rulings. Religious consultation, in itself, then constitutes a significant node for making an ethical Jewish life. Attending to these aspects of religious authority has great potential to further develop and contextualize the field of ethical freedom while complicating binary models of submission versus resistance. My approach demonstrates the need to broaden our anthropological tools to better understand the ways individuals share everyday decisions with mediators of authoritative knowledge.
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- 2021
125. EAACI statement on the diagnosis, management and prevention of severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines
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Sokolowska M, Eiwegger T, Ollert M, Torres MJ, Barber D, Del Giacco S, Jutel M, Nadeau KC, Palomares O, Rabin RL, Riggioni C, Vieths S, Agache I, and Shamji MH
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SARS-CoV ,COVID ,virus - Abstract
The first approved COVID-19 vaccines include Pfizer/BioNTech BNT162B2, Moderna mRNA-1273 and AstraZeneca recombinant adenoviral ChAdOx1-S. Soon after approval, severe allergic reactions to the mRNA-based vaccines that resolved after treatment were reported. Regulatory agencies from the European Union, Unites States and the United Kingdom agree that vaccinations are contraindicated only when there is an allergy to one of the vaccine components or if there was a severe allergic reaction to the first dose. This position paper of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) agrees with these recommendations and clarifies that there is no contraindication to administer these vaccines to allergic patients who do not have a history of an allergic reaction to any of the vaccine components. Importantly, as is the case for any medication, anaphylaxis may occur after vaccination in the absence of a history of allergic disease. Therefore, we provide a simplified algorithm of prevention, diagnosis and treatment of severe allergic reactions and a list of recommended medications and equipment for vaccine centres. We also describe potentially allergenic/immunogenic components of the approved vaccines and propose a workup to identify the responsible allergen. Close collaboration between academia, regulatory agencies and vaccine producers will facilitate approaches for patients at risks, such as incremental dosing of the second injection or desensitization. Finally, we identify unmet research needs and propose a concerted international roadmap towards precision diagnosis and management to minimize the risk of allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines and to facilitate their broader and safer use.
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- 2021
126. Patients with Primary Cutaneous Lymphoma are at risk for severe COVID-19. Data from the Spanish Primary Cutaneous Lymphoma Registry
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Ignacio García-Doval, L Haya, V Morillas, Miguel Ángel Descalzo, Elvira Acebo, Jorge Arroyo-Andrés, L. Calzado, J D Domínguez, Hae Jin Suh-Oh, Alba Sánchez-Velázquez, Cristina Muniesa, P Sánchez-Caminero, A Bauer-Alonso, A Pérez-Ferriols, Teresa Estrach, R. Izu, L Prieto-Torres, Andrea Combalia, M. Morillo, J Sarriugarte, Pablo L. Ortiz-Romero, D Vega-Díez, Rafael Botella-Estrada, E Silva-Díaz, Yeray Peñate, A Pérez, A Mateu-Puchades, P Garcia-Muret, R. Fernández de Misa, M. Blanes, M Navedo, and C Román-Curto
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medicine.medical_specialty ,Skin Neoplasms ,Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) ,Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) ,MEDLINE ,Dermatology ,SARS‐CoV‐2 ,Cutaneous lymphoma ,Mycosis Fungoides ,COVID‐19 ,medicine ,Humans ,Registries ,Letters to the Editor ,Letter to the Editor ,Mycosis fungoides ,SARS-CoV-2 ,business.industry ,Primary cutaneous lymphoma ,COVID-19 ,medicine.disease ,Lymphoma, T-Cell, Cutaneous ,Lymphoma ,Infectious Diseases ,Increased risk ,Sézary syndrome ,oncology ,Cutaneous Lymphoma ,business - Abstract
While some papers report an increased risk of COVID-19 and worse outcomes1 in oncological patients, others have found no differences2 . We are not aware of studies assessing risk for COVID-19 and clinical outcomes of patients with Primary Cutaneous Lymphomas (PCL).
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- 2021
127. Optimization of biogas production through anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste: a case study in the capital area of Reykjavik, Iceland
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Carlos Arce, David C. Finger, Tamara Llano, and Universidad de Cantabria
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Municipal solid waste ,Waste management ,Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment ,General Chemical Engineering ,Organic Chemistry ,Biogas ,Aspen Plus ,Pollution ,Inorganic Chemistry ,Anaerobic digestion ,Fuel Technology ,Capital (economics) ,Environmental science ,Waste Management and Disposal ,Simulation ,Biotechnology ,Biogas production ,Biomethane - Abstract
BACKGROUND Biogas is a valuable carbon-free renewable energy source that can be produced from anaerobic digestion of organic waste. Accordingly, biogas production is promoted worldwide in efforts to reduce carbon emissions and optimize the recovery of resources from waste streams. In this paper the biogas production from bioresidues collected in the capital area of Reykjavik was modelled in Aspen Plus v10. RESULTS Municipal solid waste (MSW), food waste (FW) and lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) were the feedstocks used in this research. A total of 16 scenarios were simulated at thermophilic temperature conditions of 55°C. Each scenario accounted for different inlet mass flows, varying the kind of feedstock, i.e. MSW, FW, LCB, or co-digestion of various feedstocks, using two model approaches: (i) one digestion stage and (ii) two stages coupled in series. Sizing, costing and environmental aspects were analysed for all the scenarios. A sensitivity analysis was carried out by changing the substrate concentration and studying its effect on the methane mass flow. Simulations showed biogas yields measured in millilitres per gram of volatile solids (VS) in the range 305.5-406.4 mL g-1 VS (single-stage approach); and biogas yields ranging from 64.78 to 358.8 mL g-1 VS (two-stage approach). Maximum methane yields were obtained using LCB as feedstock resulting in 106.0 mL g-1 VS. CONCLUSIONS From a technical viewpoint the highest biogas yield is obtained when using MSW whereas optimum calorific value of biogas and electrical power potential is achieved working in co-digestion of various feedstocks. This work was supported by the COST Action CA17133 ‘Imple-menting nature-based solutions for creating a resourceful circular city’ through the Short Term Scientific Missions (STSM) of the 2nd call with the topic of Circular Solutions in Reykjavik. The authors also acknowledge the support of the SORPA facility for providing the real data of waste management and for its interest. The authors especially appreciate the contribution of Thorleifur Thorbjornsson and Bjarni Hjardar.
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- 2021
128. The Empirical Content of Binary Choice Models
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Bhattacharya, Debopam, Bhattacharya, Debopam [0000-0002-2870-7898], and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
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Counterfactual thinking ,Economics and Econometrics ,Computer Science::Computer Science and Game Theory ,38 Economics ,Econometrics (econ.EM) ,Binary number ,Context (language use) ,Rationality ,utility maximization ,general heterogeneity ,FOS: Economics and business ,3801 Applied Economics ,Simple (abstract algebra) ,Revealed preference ,0502 economics and business ,Econometrics ,Economics ,050207 economics ,10 Reduced Inequalities ,integrability/rationalizability ,Economics - Econometrics ,050205 econometrics ,Parametric statistics ,Binary choice ,05 social sciences ,Nonparametric statistics ,3802 Econometrics ,Slutsky inequality ,3803 Economic Theory ,shape-restrictions ,income effect - Abstract
An important goal of empirical demand analysis is choice and welfare prediction on counterfactual budget sets arising from potential policy interventions. Such predictions are more credible when made without arbitrary functional‐form/distributional assumptions, and instead based solely on economic rationality, that is, that choice is consistent with utility maximization by a heterogeneous population. This paper investigates nonparametric economic rationality in the empirically important context of binary choice. We show that under general unobserved heterogeneity, economic rationality is equivalent to a pair of Slutsky‐like shape restrictions on choice‐probability functions. The forms of these restrictions differ from Slutsky inequalities for continuous goods. Unlike McFadden–Richter's stochastic revealed preference, our shape restrictions (a) are global, that is, their forms do not depend on which and how many budget sets are observed, (b) are closed form, hence easy to impose on parametric/semi/nonparametric models in practical applications, and (c) provide computationally simple, theory‐consistent bounds on demand and welfare predictions on counterfactual budge sets.
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- 2021
129. Packaging environmental impact on seafood supply chains: A review of life cycle 3 assessment (LCA) studies
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Almeida, Cheila, Loubet, Philippe, da Costa, Tamarís Pacheco, Quinteiro, Paula, Laso Cortabitarte, Jara, Baptista de Sousa, David, Cooney, Ronan, Mellett, Sinead, Sonnemann, Guido, Rodríguez, Carlos José, Rowan, Neil, Clifford, Eoghan, Ruiz Salmón, Israel, Margallo Blanco, María, Aldaco García, Rubén, Nunes, Maria Leonor, Dias, Ana Cláudia, Marques, António, and Universidad de Cantabria
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Canning ,Life cycle assessment ,Industrial ecology ,Fish ,Plastie ,food packaging - Abstract
Packaging is fundamental for food preservation and transportation but generates an environmental burden from its production and end-of-life management. This review evaluates packaging contribution to the environmental performance of seafood products. Life cycle assessment (LCA) studies were evaluated by both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The qualitative analysis assessed how direct (e.g., packaging material) and indirect impacts (e.g., influence on seafood loss and waste) have been considered, while the quantitative analysis evaluated packaging contribution to products? weight and climate change impact. Qualitative analysis revealed that seafood LCAs focus mainly on direct environmental impacts arising from packaging materials, for which some articles conducted sensitivity analysis to assess materials substitution. Recycling was found to be the most common recommendation to diminish direct potential environmental impacts arising from packaging end-of-life. However, standardized recovery rates and other end-of-life options (e.g., reuse), should be considered. Quantitative analysis revealed that cans' production contributes significantly to the overall climate change impact for canned products. On average, it contributes to 42% of a product's climate change impact and 27% of a product's weight. Packaging has a lower contribution when considering freezing, chilling, and other post-harvesting processing. It represents on average less than 5% of a product's climate change impact (less than 1 kg CO2 eq/kg) and 6% of a product's weight. Packaging material production is more relevant to aluminum, tinplate, and glass than for plastic and paper. Therefore, it is essential to accurately include these materials and their associated processes in inventories to improve the environmental assessment of seafood products.
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- 2021
130. Practicing logical reasoning through Drosophila segmentation gene mutants
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Bargiela A and Artero R
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education ,mutant phenotype ,larval cuticle ,Drosophila ,development ,segmentation genes - Abstract
Laboratory practical sessions are critical to scientific training in biology but usually fail to promote logical and hypothesis-driven reasoning and rely heavily on the teacher's instructions. This paper describes a 2-day laboratory practicum in which students prepare and analyze larval cuticle preparations of Drosophila segmentation gene mutant strains. Embryonic segmentation involves three major classes of genes according to their loss-of-function phenotypes: the establishment of broad regions by gap genes, the specification of the segments by the pair-rule genes, and the compartments within segments by the segment polarity genes. Students are asked to sort undefined segmentation mutants into gap, pair-rule, or segment polarity categories based on their knowledge of the Drosophila segmentation process and the microscopic anatomical traits they are capable of finding in the sample preparations. This technically simple practicum prompts students to pay attention to detailed observation to detect anatomic markers of intrasegmental compartments and thorax versus abdomen cuticle, and promote their logical reasoning in hypothesizing to which segmentation type a given mutant fits best.
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- 2021
131. Gender dysphoria: laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty. another utility of IndoCyanine Green (ICG)
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Flor-Lorente, Blas, Rosciano, Jose Gerardo, Perez-Perez, Teresa, Sancho-Muriel, Jorge, Garcia-Granero, Alvaro, Nohales-Alfonso, Francisco Jose, Primo-Romaguera, Vicent, and Simon-Sanz, Eduardo Antonio
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genetic structures ,Gender dysphoria, ICG, neovagina, sigmoid vaginoplasty ,eye diseases - Abstract
Gender dysphoria is the disagreement between the gender of birth and the one with which the patient identifies. For its management is mandatory to have a multidisciplinary team. Gender confirmation surgery with penoscrotal skin flap is the procedure of choice, and the sigmoid vaginoplasty is a feasible alternative. The new technologies and the help of Indocyanine green fluorescence (ICG) can help to guarantee a correct neovagina vascularization. The objective of this paper is to present the surgical technique of laparoscopic sigmoid vaginoplasty assisted by ICG.
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- 2021
132. Recommendations for ophthalmologic practice during the easing of COVID-19 control measures
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Gegundez-Fernandez J, Llovet-Osuna F, Fernandez-Vigo J, del Barrio J, Pablo-Julvez L, Munoz-Negrete F, Zarranz-Ventura J, de la Colina J, Silva V, Jimenez-Alfaro I, Calonge-Cano M, Galindo-Ferreiro A, Castillo-Gomez A, Mantolan-Sarmiento C, Duch-Samper A, de Toledo-Elizalde J, Duch-Mestres F, Elies-Amat D, Ortega-Usobiaga J, Saornil-Alvarez M, Cuadrado A, Aramburu G, Carduch A, Coma J, Delpech S, Carceles J, Sanchez J, Sanchez P, Castano M, Puente A, Garcia-Layana A, and Spanish Ophthalmology Soc
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eye health ,pandemic ,lockdown easing ,personal protective equipment ,COVID-19 ,eye care - Abstract
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper provides recommendations for medical eye care during the easing of control measures after lockdown. The guidelines presented are based on a literature review and consensus among all Spanish Ophthalmology Societies regarding protection measures recommended for the ophthalmologic care of patients with or without confirmed COVID-19 in outpatient, inpatient, emergency and surgery settings. We recommend that all measures be adapted to the circumstances and availability of personal protective equipment at each centre and also highlight the need to periodically update recommendations as we may need to readopt more restrictive measures depending on the local epidemiology of the virus. These guidelines are designed to avoid the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 among both patients and healthcare staff as we gradually return to normal medical practice, to prevent postoperative complications and try to reduce possible deficiencies in the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of the ophthalmic diseases. With this update (5(th)) the Spanish Society of Ophthalmology is placed as one of the major ophthalmology societies providing periodic and systematized recommendations for ophthalmic care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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- 2021
133. Drug-induced enterocolitis syndrome: Similarities and differences compared with food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome
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Mori, Francesca, Liccioli, Giulia, Fuchs, Oliver, Barni, Simona, Giovannini, Mattia, Sarti, Lucrezia, Novembre, Elio, and Caubet, Jean-Christoph
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610 Medizin und Gesundheit - Abstract
In 2014, drug-induced enterocolitis syndrome (DIES) was described for the first time. It is still a poorly known disease with symptoms that typically resemble those of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES). To date, six more cases of DIES have been described and new clinical diagnostic criteria have been proposed based on those in the international guidelines for FPIES. In this paper, the authors describe three more cases of DIES. In addition, similarities and differences with FPIES have been deeply analyzed. To date, several unanswered questions need to be addressed, but clinicians must be instructed how to identify DIES, in order to make an allergy workup and give definite therapeutic indications to patients, especially in children where DIES seems to be more frequent.
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- 2021
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- View/download PDF
134. Women in biogeography
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Christine N. Meynard, Giacomo Bernardi, Ceridwen Fraser, Judith Masters, Cynthia Riginos, Isabel Sanmartin, Krystal A. Tolley, Michael N Dawson, Holger Kreft, Centre de Biologie pour la Gestion des Populations (UMR CBGP), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), University of California [Santa Cruz] (UCSC), University of California, Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology [Santa Cruz, CA, USA], University of California-University of California, University of Otago [Dunedin, Nouvelle-Zélande], University of Fort Hare, University of Queensland [Brisbane], Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas [Madrid] (CSIC), Kirstenbosch Research Centre, South African National Biodiversity Institute, University of Johannesburg (UJ), University of California [Merced], Life and Environmental Science School of Natural Science, and Georg-August-University [Göttingen]
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0106 biological sciences ,legacy: recognition ,Biogeography ,[SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio] ,recognition [legacy] ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,diversity ,03 medical and health sciences ,equity ,5. Gender equality ,science gender disparities ,GeneralLiterature_REFERENCE(e.g.,dictionaries,encyclopedias,glossaries) ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,030304 developmental biology ,0303 health sciences ,Ecology ,Public economics ,ComputingMilieux_THECOMPUTINGPROFESSION ,Equity (finance) ,STEM ,legacy ,citations ,Geography ,inclusion ,role model ,recognition ,under-representation ,Inclusion (education) ,Diversity (business) - Abstract
International audience; Despite increasing awareness of issues affecting inclusivity, equity and diversity, change has been slow in science and academia, and gender disparities remain significant. Biogeography has not escaped this pattern. Here, we present a virtual issue compiling some of the most cited papers led by women that have been published in the Journal of Biogeography since 2009 in an effort to equalize visibility of women's influential work. We summarize leading gender disparities and their potential underlying causes, and present our motivation and methodology in compiling this issue. We further provide a blog, website and social media links to highlight the research of the authors whose work is showcased here. Highlighting influential contributions by women biogeographers is a small step towards equalizing visibility across genders. We hope that this virtual issue will also contribute in some way to creating a greater sense of belonging for women biogeographers.
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- 2021
135. Conventional and advanced MRI evaluation of brain vascular malformations
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Teodoro Martín-Noguerol, Cc Tchoyoson Lim, Eloísa Santos-Armentia, Antonio Luna, Luis Concepción-Aramendia, and Alberto Cabrera-Zubizarreta
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Adult ,Central Nervous System ,Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Black blood ,arteriovenous malformation ,Neuroimaging ,030218 nuclear medicine & medical imaging ,vascular malformation ,03 medical and health sciences ,0302 clinical medicine ,medicine ,Humans ,Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and imaging ,Mri techniques ,Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations ,business.industry ,Vascular malformation ,Hemodynamics ,Arteriovenous malformation ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Magnetic Resonance Imaging ,Arterial spin labeling ,Spin Labels ,Neurology (clinical) ,Radiology ,Mr images ,business ,030217 neurology & neurosurgery ,Mri findings ,cavernomadural fistula ,MRI - Abstract
Vascular malformations (VMs) of the central nervous system (CNS) include a wide range of pathological conditions related to intra and extracranial vessel abnormalities. Although some VMs show typical neuroimaging features, other VMs share and overlap pathological and neuroimaging features that hinder an accurate differentiation between them. Hence, it is not uncommon to misclassify different types of VMs under the general heading of arteriovenous malformations. Thorough knowledge of the imaging findings of each type of VM is mandatory to avoid these inaccuracies. Conventional MRI sequences, including MR angiography, have allowed the evaluation of CNS VMs without using ionizing radiation. Newer MRI techniques, such as susceptibility-weighted imaging, black blood sequences, arterial spin labeling, and 4D flow imaging, have an added value of providing physiopathological data in real time regarding the hemodynamics of VMs. Beyond MR images, new insights using 3D printed models are being incorporated as part of the armamentarium for a noninvasive evaluation of VMs. In this paper, we briefly review the pathophysiology of CNS VMs, focusing on the MRI findings that may be helpful to differentiate them. We discuss the role of each conventional and advanced MRI sequence for VMs assessment and provide some insights about the value of structured reports of 3D printing to evaluate VMs.
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- 2021
136. Political connections and the informativeness of insider trades
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Gaizka Ormazabal, Alan D. Jagolinzer, Daniel J. Taylor, David F. Larcker, and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
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Economics and Econometrics ,38 Economics ,Context (language use) ,Financial system ,Monetary economics ,Insider ,Politics ,3801 Applied Economics ,Accounting ,0502 economics and business ,Insider trading ,040101 forestry ,Actuarial science ,050208 finance ,3502 Banking, Finance and Investment ,Enterprise value ,05 social sciences ,Market reaction ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,Capital Purchase Program ,35 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services ,Troubled Asset Relief Program ,Economic interventionism ,Financial crisis ,0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries ,Business ,Finance ,Period (music) - Abstract
This paper examines the relation between political connections and informed trading by corporate insiders in the context of the Financial Crisis. The unprecedented magnitude of government intervention, the substantial impact of this intervention on firm value, and the political nature of the intervention provide a powerful setting to examine the relation between political connections and informed trading. Consistent with political connections providing corporate insiders with an information advantage, we find strong evidence of a relation between political connections and the informativeness of their trades. Consistent with this relation stemming from private information related to government intervention, we find the relation is strongest during the period in which TARP funds were dispersed, and strongest among politically connected insiders at banks that received TARP funds. Examining insider trades around the announcements of TARP infusions, we find evidence of significant trading thirty days in advance of the announcement, and that these trades predict the market reaction to the announcement. Notably, we find these relations are present only for the trades of politically connected insiders. Overall, our results suggest that politically connected insiders had an information advantage during the Crisis and traded to exploit this advantage.
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- 2020
137. Reverse-Engineering Blame
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Sliwa, Pauline, Sliwa, Pauline [0000-0002-9934-8247], and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
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50 Philosophy and Religious Studies ,5003 Philosophy - Abstract
When we blame one another for moral transgressions, we are doing something: we accuse the other of wrongdoing (“You did this on purpose”), demand an explanation (“How could you?”,“What were you thinking?”), or request an apology or compensation (“You owe me a drink!”). ese speech acts, in turn, invite characteristic responses – explanations, excuses, justifications, apologies – and render others inappropriate. Blame can be public, when spoken out loud, or private, when merely thought. is suggests that there is a moral practice of blaming that we frequently engage in – a socially recognized activity structured by internal norms. My aim in this paper is to investigate its nature.
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- 2020
138. Neurovisceral regulatory circuits of affective resilience in youth
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Koenig, Julian
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610 Medicine & health - Abstract
The Neurovisceral Integration Model (NIM) is one of the most influential psychophysiological models addressing the interplay between the autonomic (ANS) and central nervous system (CNS). In their groundbreaking conceptual work, integrating autonomic, attentional, and affective systems into a functional and structural network, Thayer & Lane laid the foundation for empirical research in the past two decades. The present paper provides a principal outline aiming to reflect and further elaborate on the model from a dynamic developmental perspective. The central question at hand is, how does neurovisceral integration develop (early in life)? By reviewing the existing evidence, it is illustrated that key components of the model, both, on a physiological and psychological level, undergo extensive change early in the course of life. This sensitive period of human development seems key for our understanding of the integrated action of the ANS and CNS in emotion across the lifespan. Early life events may interfere with the fine-tuned interplay of this shared neural circuitry resulting in long-term dysfunction and psychiatric illness. In the absence of longitudinal data covering the entire co-development of the ANS and CNS from early childhood to adolescence into early adulthood, it is suggested, that vagal activity and its normative increase in adolescence is a key premise for normative brain development on a structural and functional level, subsequent psychological functioning and adaptive regulation. Implications from this dynamic perspective and suggestions for future research in the field of developmental psychophysiology are discussed.
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- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
139. Acetaminophen-Induced Liver Damage in Hepatic Steatosis
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García-Román R and Francés R
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digestive, oral, and skin physiology ,digestive system diseases - Abstract
One of the most used painkillers is acetaminophen (APAP), which is safe at the right dose. However, several studies have described populations susceptible to APAP-induced liver damage, mainly in livers with steatosis. Thus, clinicians should consider the presence of obesity and other chronic liver diseases like nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) when indicating treatment with APAP. Liver damage from this drug is generated through its metabolite N-acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine, which is detoxified with glutathione (GSH). Prior depletion of GSH in steatotic hepatocytes plays a key role in APAP-induced hepatotoxicity in people with obesity and NAFLD. The knowledge about the damage to the liver or APAP in susceptible people like the obese and those with NAFLD is of great relevance for the sanitary sector because it would imply strategies of different therapeutic approach in such patients. This paper reviews the role of APAP in liver damage in the presence of obesity, NAFLD, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
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- 2020
140. Cardiac Abnormalities Seen in Pediatric Patients During the SARS-CoV2 Pandemic: An International Experience
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Clark BC, Sanchez-de-Toledo J, Bautista Rodríguez C, Choueiter N, Lara D, Kang H, Mohsin S, Fraisse A, Cesar S, Sattar Shaikh A, Escobar-Diaz MC, Hsu DT, Randanne PC, Aslam N, Kleinmahon J, Lamour JM, Johnson JN, Sarquella-Brugada G, and Chowdhury D
- Subjects
cardiac dysfunction ,multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) ,pediatric ,SARS-CoV2 ,coronary abnormalities - Abstract
Background During the SARS-CoV2 pandemic, there has been increase in hyperinflammatory presentation in previously healthy children with a variety of cardiac manifestations. Our objective is to describe the cardiac manifestations found in an international cohort of 55 pediatric cases with multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) during the SARS-CoV2 pandemic. Methods and Results We reviewed data on previously healthy pediatric patients (=18 years) with structurally normal hearts who presented at hospitals in the United States, United Kingdom, Spain and Pakistan with MIS-C and had consultation with a pediatric cardiologist. Data collected included demographics, clinical presentation, laboratory values, electrocardiographic abnormalities, echocardiographic findings and initial therapies. A total of 55 patients presented with MIS-C. Thirty-five patients (64%) had evidence of decreased left ventricular function, 17 (31%) had valvulitis, 12 (22%) with pericardial effusion and 11 (20%) with coronary abnormalities. Twenty-seven (49%) required ICU admission and 24 (44%) had evidence of shock. Eleven patients (20%) fulfilled complete Kawasaki disease criteria and had lower NT pro-BNP, D-dimer and ferritin levels compared with those who did not fulfill criteria. Electrophysiologic abnormalities occurred in 6 patients and included complete atrioventricular (AV) block, transient AV block and ventricular tachycardia. Conclusions We describe the first international cohort of pediatric patients with MIS-C during the SARS-CoV2 pandemic with a range of cardiac manifestations. This paper brings awareness and alertness to the global medical community to recognize these children during the pandemic and understand the need for early cardiology evaluation and follow-up.
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- 2020
141. Low cost digital image correlation and strain measurement for geotechnical applications
- Author
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Eichhorn, Geoffrey, Haigh, Stuart, Bowman, April, Stanier, Samuel, Eichhorn, Geoffrey [0000-0002-4764-8440], Haigh, Stuart [0000-0003-3782-0099], Stanier, Samuel [0000-0001-5671-2902], and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
- Subjects
binary fiducial marker ,soil displacement ,ChArUco ,Raspberry PI ,ComputingMethodologies_IMAGEPROCESSINGANDCOMPUTERVISION ,single-board computer (SBC) ,soil strain ,digital image correlation (DIC) - Abstract
Particle image velocimetry (PIV), or digital image correlation (DIC), is a widely used technique tomeasure soil displacements and strains in small-scale geotechnical models. Arrays of single-board computers (SBCs) produced by Raspberry Pi, and their associated 8-MP cameras, are being used at the University of Cambridge to capture the images required for DIC analysis. This alternative to more expensive camera set-ups has numerous advantages. A single expensive and large camera can be replaced—at low cost—by multiple cameras, adding flexibility and affordability to any experimental set-up. Traditionally, the alignment of multiple cameras to each other and the referencing to a known coordinate system required painted or machined markers to be located on the observation windows through which the experiments are viewed. This can obstruct localised soil grain displacement measurements in those areas of the model where such markers are placed. To complement the Raspberry Pi camera system, a markerless calibration method was used during image acquisition. This paper outlines the set-up of four of these small computers and associated cameras, provides an overview of the use of themarkerless referencing system and reviews two different experimental apparatus used tomeasure soil displacement and strain.When the cost of additional cabling, connectors and mounting hardware is considered for this system, the total cost to implement was approximately $125 USD per camera plus one-time costs of $175 USD for system peripherals, which represents outstanding value and enables practically all geotechnical laboratories to develop similar capabilities.
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- 2020
142. Are chilblain-like acral skin lesions really indicative of COVID-19? A prospective study and literature review
- Author
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Docampo-Simon A, Sanchez-Pujol M, Juan-Carpena G, Palazon-Cabanes J, Vergara-De Caso E, Berbegal L, Poveda-Montoyo I, Pastor-Tomas N, Mataix-Diaz J, Terencio-Alemany C, Martinez-Torres A, Miralles-Botella J, Blanes-Martinez M, Gonzalez-Villanueva I, and Betlloch-Mas I
- Abstract
Recently, young COVID-19 patients have presented with erythematous and purpuric acral lesions similar to chilblains(1–3). Despite the scarcity of published cases, this topic has attracted significant mass media attention.(4) Dermatologists have noted that more people than would be expected at this time of year are seeking medical attention for these chilblain-like lesions. Some have suggested that people presenting with this manifestation should be tested and isolated(2). Determining the accuracy of this association is therefore crucial. To establish the real prevalence of COVID-19 in patients with acral skin lesions, we firstly evaluated all the cases of acral lesions presented in dermatology and paediatrics departments and family doctors’ offices in an eastern Spanish region over a three-week period. Then we prospectively performed a SARS-CoV-2 PCR on nasopharyngeal aspirates taken from all available patients to determine whether their cutaneous manifestations were predictive of a positive result. To put our findings into context, we reviewed all the articles published before May 2020 concerning COVID-19 patients with cutaneous lesions. We evaluated 58 patients, whose characteristics are summarized in Table 1. In most cases, lesions were chilblain-like. Fifteen patients had already been tested, and only one had a positive result: an 85-year-old man admitted for severe Covid-19 pneumonia. He had an ulcer on a toe that was finally determined to be vascular in nature. We performed prospective PCR testing in 24 patients. All test results were negative. In total, then, PCR was negative in 38 patients and positive in a single patient whose lesion was very unlikely to be due to COVID-19. Our bibliography search returned 97 articles and we found 2 more through cross-references. Nine of these articles dealt with acral lesions specifically. Their results are summarized in Table 2. Data published in the literature are heterogeneous, as are the methods employed to collect them. The first papers looked at cutaneous manifestations in patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection.(5–8) This approach cannot reveal whether this dermatologic manifestation is a specific marker of SARS-CoV-2 infection, since patients without COVID-19 are not included. The other approach, which we have followed, is to analyse all patients with acral lesions. This can be done retrospectively, reporting on patients in the sample who have already been tested, or prospectively, performing the test on all available patients, regardless of whether they have symptoms. The retrospective method has a significant risk of confounding bias: due to the scarcity of COVID-19 tests(8), they are usually reserved for patients with COVID-19-related symptoms, who are obviously more likely to test positive. All previous studies including only patients with cutaneous acral lesions (summarized in table 2) have been retrospective, and only a minority of patients were tested. In total, 12 out of at least 49 tested patients were positive (24.5%). Combined with our results, they total 13 positives out of 88 tests (14.8%). There are two possible explanations for the high proportion of negative results: I) A high number of false negatives. II) The lesions are not related to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The low prevalence of an infected contact in our sample, after three weeks of strict confinement in Spain, makes the possibility of being infected in our cohort less likely. The diffusion of this entity by the mass media may have caused patients who would not normally consult to do so.(9) . Other possible explanations include a concomitant parvovirus B19 outbreak(10) or trauma-induced lesions. Our study suggests that acral skin lesions are not a specific marker of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Although larger prospective studies are needed, current evidence indicates that acral skin lesions should not be regarded as a sign of COVID-19 in otherwise asymptomatic patients.
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- 2020
143. Potential impacts of horizontal gene transfer on human health and physiology and how anthropogenic activity can effect it
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Luis Boto, Manuel Pineda, Rafael Pineda, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España), and Universidad de Córdoba (España)
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Gene Transfer, Horizontal ,Somatic gene transfer ,somatic gene transfer ,Gene transfer ,human managed environments ,Biology ,Affect (psychology) ,Biochemistry ,Human microbiome ,Resistome ,Human health ,Human managed environments ,Bacterial Proteins ,pathogenicity determinants ,Humans ,Microbiome ,Pathogenicity determinants ,resistome ,Molecular Biology ,Bacteria ,nutritional adaptations ,Microbiota ,human microbiome ,Biodiversity ,Cell Biology ,Horizontal gene transfer ,Pathogenicity ,Nutritional adaptations ,Evolutionary biology ,horizontal gene transfer ,Genome, Bacterial - Abstract
Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is widespread among prokaryotes driving their evolution. In this paper, we review the potential impact in humans of the HGT between prokaryotes living in close association with humans in two scenarios: horizontal transfer in human microbiomes and transfer between microbes living in human managed environments. Although our vision is focused on the possible impact of these transfers in the propagation of antibiotic resistance genes or pathogenicity determinants, we also discuss possible human physiological adaptations via gene transfer between resident and occasional bacteria in the human microbiome., The authors thank the two anonymous referees for their valuable comments. LB is supported by the grant CGL2016-75262-P of Spain DGI. RP is supported by a postdoctoral contract (Submodality 5.2.A) funded by the Research Plan of the University of Cordoba.
- Published
- 2019
144. Chemosensory discrimination of male age by female Psammodromus algirus lizards based on femoral secretions and feces
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Pedro Ismael da Silva Junior, José Martín, Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz, Pilar López, Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues, Carolina Nisa Ramiro, Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, and Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España)
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0106 biological sciences ,Mate choice ,05 social sciences ,Zoology ,Biology ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,Psammodromus algirus ,Age discrimination ,Femoral glands ,Sexual selection ,Male age ,Semiochemicals ,0501 psychology and cognitive sciences ,Animal Science and Zoology ,050102 behavioral science & comparative psychology ,Tongue‐flicking behavior ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Feces - Abstract
Chemical communication plays an essential role in several social and reproductive behaviors of many animals. In lizards, the main sources of semiochemicals are femoral or pre-anal gland secretions and feces. In male lizards Psammodromus algirus, there are age-related differences in the chemical composition of femoral gland secretions and in the reproductive strategies, with older males defending territories and females, while younger males adopting sneak-mating strategies. Females flee more often from mating advances of young males than from those of old males, which are more successful in obtaining matings. This suggests that age discrimination of males may be important for females. We tested here whether females showed differential chemosensory responses to chemical cues (femoral gland secretion and feces) of males of two age classes, and whether females use information from substrate scent marks of males of different ages to select where to stay. We found that females elicited more tongue-flicks to the secretion and feces of old males than to control or secretion and feces of young males. Also, the time spent by females on a scented paper depended on the treatment, suggesting that females tended to spend more time on scent marks made with femoral secretions of old males. Adult females seemed capable to discriminate between young and old males based on chemical cues alone and showed more interest in scents of old males. However, substrate scent marks did not seem to entirely determine site selection by females, suggesting that females might need additional cues to perform the choice. These results can be explained by the different age-dependent reproductive strategies of males, which can affect differentially to females., Financial support was provided by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP 2017/19640‐0) and by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad project MINECO CGL2014‐53523‐P.
- Published
- 2019
145. The continental divide? Economic exposure to Brexit on both sides of the Channel
- Published
- 2017
146. Exploring Necessary Conditions in HRM Research: Fundamental Issues and Methodological Implications
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Sven Hauff, Jan Dul, Marco Guerci, Henk van Rhee, and Department of Technology and Operations Management
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Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management ,Employee performance ,Knowledge management ,business.industry ,05 social sciences ,050209 industrial relations ,Outcome (game theory) ,Empirical research ,Work (electrical) ,0502 economics and business ,Relevance (law) ,business ,Psychology ,Value (mathematics) ,050203 business & management - Abstract
Although the notion that HRM activities are necessary conditions for achieving certain outcomes is widespread in HRM research, most empirical studies follow an additive sufficiency logic. That is, they analyse whether HRM activities increase an outcome, assuming that they can compensate for one another. However, this does not correspond to the idea of necessity where single HRM activities are required for an outcome to occur and cannot be compensated when absent. We discuss the differences between sufficiency and necessity logics in terms of theory, methodology, and practical relevance. Also, we suggest using a new approach and analysis technique in HRM research: necessary condition analysis. We illustrate the application of the method by analysing data on the relationship between ability‐, motivation‐, and opportunity‐enhancing HRM practices (i.e., high‐performance work practices) and employee performance. This illustrative example highlights that necessary conditions require particular theoretical attention and suitable empirical methods. The paper concludes by showing the value of studying necessary conditions, because such analyses allow straightforward recommendations to be given of high relevance for HRM practice, which differ from and add to recommendations based on additive sufficiency logic and analyses.
- Published
- 2019
147. Maintaining a reputation for consistently beating earnings expectations and the slippery slope to earnings manipulation
- Author
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Chu, J, Dechow, PM, Hui, KW, Wang, AY, and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
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ComputingMilieux_THECOMPUTINGPROFESSION ,ComputingMilieux_PERSONALCOMPUTING ,3501 Accounting, Auditing and Accountability ,35 Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services - Abstract
This paper investigates whether maintaining a reputation for consistently beating analysts’ earnings expectations can motivate executives to move from “within GAAP” earnings management to “outside of GAAP” earnings manipulation. We analyze firms subject to SEC enforcement actions and find that these firms consistently beat analysts’ quarterly earnings forecasts in the three years prior to the manipulation period and continue to do so by smaller “beats” during the manipulation period. We find that manipulating firms beat expectations around 86 percent of the time in the twelve quarters prior to the manipulation period (versus 75 percent for control firms) and that manipulation often ends with a miss in expectations. We document that executives of manipulating firms face strong stock market and CEO pressure to perform. Prior to the manipulation period, these firms have high analyst optimism, growing institutional interest, and high market valuations, along with powerful CEOs. Further, we find that maintaining a reputation for beating expectations is more important than CEO overconfidence and is incremental to CEO equity incentives for explaining manipulation. Our results suggest that pressure to maintain a reputation for beating analysts’ expectations can encourage aggressive accounting and, ultimately, earnings manipulation.
- Published
- 2019
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
148. Do-it-yourself digital: the production boundary, the productivity puzzle and economic welfare
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Coyle, D, Coyle, Diane [0000-0001-7243-1641], and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
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productivity ,digital ,production boundary - Abstract
Part of the debate about the ‘productivity puzzle’ concerns potential mismeasurement of GDP due to digital activities. This paper discusses some measurement issues arising from digitally-enabled substitutions in activity across the conventional production boundary. Production boundary issues are not new, as conventionally defined GDP statistics account for the monetary cost but not the time cost of consumption and production. This means changes in the way time is allocated between market and home production affect measured growth and productivity. Just as technological innovation in domestic appliances led to a substitution from home production into market consumption in the second half of the 20th century, today’s digital innovations are driving some reverse substitution out of the market into home production. Statistical agencies do not currently collect the data needed to measure the scale of the switch, but the available evidence suggests it may be enough to make a contribution to understanding the puzzling behaviour of measured productivity
- Published
- 2019
149. Biases incurred from non-random repeat testing of haemoglobin levels in blood donors
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Chung, Ryan K, Wood, AM, Sweeting, Michael J, Wood, Angela [0000-0002-7937-304X], Sweeting, Michael [0000-0003-0980-8965], and Apollo - University of Cambridge Repository
- Subjects
diagnostic performance ,blood donation ,selective testing ,simulation study ,multiple measurements - Abstract
To help prevent anaemia, it is a requisite for blood donors to undergo a haemoglobin test to ensure levels are not too low before donation. It is therefore important to have an accurate testing device and strategy to ensure donors are not being inappropriately bled. A recent study in blood donors used a selective testing strategy where if a donor’s haemoglobin level is below the level required for donation, then another reading is taken and if this occurs again, a third and final reading is used. This strategy can reduce the average number of readings required per donor compared to taking three measurements for all donors. However, the final decision-making measurement will on average be higher than a single measurement. In this paper, a selective testing strategy is compared against other strategies. Individual-level biases are derived for the selective strategy and are shown to depend on how close a donor’s true haemoglobin level is to the donation threshold and the magnitude of error in the testing device. A simulation study was conducted using the distribution of haemoglobin levels from a large donor population to investigate the effects different strategies have on population performance. We consider scenarios based on varying the measurement device bias and error, including differential biases that depend on the underlying haemoglobin level. Discriminatory performance is shown to be affected when using the selective testing strategies, especially when measurement error is large and when differential bias is present in the device. We recommend that the average of a number of readings should be used in preference to selective testing strategies if multiple measurements are available.
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- 2019
150. Gait parameters in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
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Gomez-Perez C, Font Llagunes JM, Martori JC, and Vidal Samso J
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human activities - Abstract
AIM: To identify the gait parameters used to assess gait disorders in children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy (CP) and evaluate their responsiveness to treatments. METHOD: A systematic search within PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus (in English, 2000-2016) for randomized controlled trials of children with bilateral spastic CP who were assessed by instrumented gait analysis (IGA) was performed. Data related to participants and study characteristics, risk of bias, and outcome measures were collected. A list of gait parameters responsive to clinical interventions was obtained. RESULTS: Twenty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. Eighty-nine gait parameters were identified, 56 of which showed responsiveness to treatments. Spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters were widely used compared to kinetic and surface electromyography data. The majority of responsive gait parameters were joint angles at the sagittal plane (flexion-extension). INTERPRETATION: The IGA yields responsive outcome measures for the gait assessment of children with bilateral spastic CP. Spatiotemporal and kinematic (at sagittal plane) parameters are the gait parameters used most frequently. Further research is needed to establish the relevant gait parameters for each clinical problem. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Fifty-six responsive gait parameters for children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy were identified. Most responsive gait parameters belong to joint angles time-series at sagittal plane. Spatiotemporal and kinematic parameters are widely used compared to kinetic and surface electromyography parameters.
- Published
- 2019
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