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Background: The rapid rise in coronavirus disease worldwide has drastically limited the availability of hospital facilities for patients. Residential treatment centers were opened in South Korea for the admission of asymptomatic or patients with mild symptoms. This study discusses the appropriateness of the admission criteria set by the centers in a pandemic situation, the prioritization of patients for admission, and ways to minimize the risk of self-isolation.Methods: A total of 217 low-risk patients (n=217) were admitted to the Nowon Residential Treatment Center between August 22 and October 14, 2020. The following criteria were met at the time of admission: patients (1) were asymptomatic or had mild symptoms, (2) had either a controlled or no underlying chronic disease, and (3) did not need oxygen treatment. Among them, 202 patients who were eligible for inclusion in the study were retrospectively investigated through periodic interviews.Results: Of the 202 patients, 153 satisfied the criteria for symptomatic isolation standards, and 25 for asymptomatic isolation standards. The clinical conditions of 24 patients were aggravated, and these patients were transferred to other hospitals, among which 12 had persistent fever and 13 were suffering dyspnea with oxygen saturation (SpO2)

The rapid rise in the application of novel treatment techniques, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), motivated us to survey the status of Korea's radiation safety management and the shielding designs of facilities employing medical linear accelerators (LINACs). To this end, a questionnaire was used to collect information on LINAC facilities and treatments, workload, shielding design, shielding management, and path of obtaining shielding information. Out of 100 domestic institutions, 52 responded to the survey. Approximately 70% of the institutions utilized IMRT for more than 60% of their cases, and an IMRT factor of 5 was adopted by 75% of these institutions. Over 80% of the institutions accounted for the applied time-averaged dose rate per week and instantaneous dose equivalent rates in their shielding designs. Approximately 45% of the institutions obtained important shielding information via a radiation shielding design company and the NCRP-151 report. Overall, most facilities were shown to follow the standards recommended by the relevant international agencies. However, the requirement to establish standardized shielding design information and clarify ambiguous paths for information acquisition was also highlighted. Therefore, the study's results can be used as a foundation for establishing a safety control system and for creating adequate shielding designs.

Background: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine use for outpatient pediatric specialty care was low. Stay-at-home orders (SHO) prompted rapid upscaling of telemedicine capabilities and upski...

With the rapid rise in gene-editing technology, pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) and their derived organoids have increasingly broader and practical applications in regenerative medicine. Gene-editing technologies, from large-scale nucleic acid endonucleases to CRISPR, have ignited a global research and development boom with significant implications in regenerative medicine. The development of regenerative medicine technologies, regardless of whether it is PSCs or gene editing, is consistently met with controversy. Are the tools for rewriting the code of life a boon to humanity or a Pandora’s box? These technologies raise concerns regarding ethical issues, unexpected mutations, viral infection, etc. These concerns remain even as new treatments emerge. However, the potential negatives cannot obscure the virtues of PSC gene editing, which have, and will continue to, benefit mankind at an unprecedented rate. Here, we briefly introduce current gene-editing technology and its application in PSCs and their derived organoids, while addressing ethical concerns and safety risks and discussing the latest progress in PSC gene editing. Gene editing in PSCs creates visualized in vitro models, providing opportunities for examining mechanisms of known and unknown mutations and offering new possibilities for the treatment of cancer, genetic diseases, and other serious or refractory disorders. From model construction to treatment exploration, the important role of PSCs combined with gene editing in basic and clinical medicine studies is illustrated. The applications, characteristics, and existing challenges are summarized in combination with our lab experiences in this field in an effort to help gene-editing technology better serve humans in a regulated manner. Current preclinical and clinical trials have demonstrated initial safety and efficacy of PSC gene editing; however, for better application in clinical settings, additional investigation is warranted.

Climate change is an environmental problem that humanity will face over the next several decades. Environmental quality has always been an important component of the quality of life. The rapid rise...

Background: There has been a rapid rise in the use of smart devices amongst medical practitioners throughout the world. This study aimed to identify how smart devices were being used by medical practitioners at the Universitas Academic Hospital (UAH), Bloemfontein, and the associated factors thereof. We also identified the views of medical practitioners regarding the usage of smart devices at their workplace.Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study was conducted. Anonymous questionnaires were distributed to medical practitioners working at UAH during weekly departmental meetings or monthly morbidity and mortality meetings. The following largest departments were included: Surgery, Anaesthetics, Paediatrics, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Obstetrics and Gynaecology.Results: The response rate was 82.7% of those attending the meetings. All the respondents owned a smart device and brought it to their workplace. The most common applications used on these smart devices were that for drug references (65.9%), medical textbooks (63.6%) and medical calculators (58.1%). Significantly larger percentages of doctors aged 21–39 years compared with those aged 40–65 years used drug reference applications and medical calculators. A quarter (24.8%) of respondents communicated with patients through a smart device, 21.7% used an online storage platform to backup patient data, whilst 56.6% used their devices to store and view patient information. More than one-third (36.7%) agreed that smart devices threatened patient confidentiality, but the majority (58.8%) did not agree that these devices hinder patient communication. The majority felt that these devices improved both personal performance (69.2%) and patient care (79.0%).Conclusion: Smart devices usage is common in this setting. Hence, integration of such usage in medical curricula, discussion on professionalism, ethics and confidentiality in this context, and guidance from institutions and professional bodies become necessary.

With the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIEd), multiple stakeholders are questioning AI’s capability to make fair and trustworthy decisions that improve teaching and learning. We suspect that unfair and unreliable outcomes might stem from lack of systematic collaboration between the developers of AIEd systems and the educators tasked with their implementation. In a profession that is underresourced, teachers don’t merely need technology-centered solutions. Rather they and the students they serve need useful tools that work in culturally and socially complex instructional environments. In this article, the authors argue that FATE in AIEd-related issues must be addressed as the system evolves with users and the local context. This requires supporting the development of users’ ownership over AIEd systems that is needed to adapt them to their local contexts. It is in this process of gaining ownership that significant issues related to the FATE of AIEd systems present themselves. Inspired by continuous improvement approaches, we propose that the pursuit of FATE of AIEd lays broadly in: (a) promoting systematic inquiry and collaboration between educators, developers, and researchers; (b) exploring, through collaborative efforts, how on-the-ground realities influence the implementation of AIEd; and (c) using variation as an opportunity to learn how to make a system work reliably and across contexts. The authors conclude by discussing the implications of continuous improvement for research, development, and practice of AIEd.

PurposeThis paper outlines the rapid rise of China's fintech companies over the past decade with a focus on their globalization strategies as they enter their next phase of development.Design/methodology/approachThe author examines China's current and prospective influence on global financial digitization trends, and assesses both domestic and foreign opportunities and challenges confronted by China's fintech firms as they look to expand abroad.FindingsThe Chinese government is experimenting with a radically new fintech system and a regulatory regime in response to it. Chinese ambitions to expand fintech influence through private companies and the state-led “digital RMB” (e-CNY) will likely provoke a wave of “digital protectionism” among developed nations to protect internal digital payments.Originality/valueThis paper is an original economic history research on China's fintech industry.

Perovskite solar cells (PSCs) have attracted significant research interest due to the rapid rise in efficiency. However, a large efficiency gap still exists between laboratory-based small devices and industrial-oriented large-scale modules. One of the main reasons for the efficiency losses is the degraded quality and morphology of the deposited large-area films, which is closely associated with crystallization processes. In this review, we discuss the nucleation and crystallization processes in solution and vapor-based up-scaling deposition methods for large-area perovskite films. We review recent scientific achievements and technical developments that have been made in the field of large-area cells. We present the existing problems that limit the performance of large devices and extensively discuss the key influencing parameters from the perspective of nucleation and crystallization over large areas. This review highlights the importance of crystallization control in up-scaling fabrications and presents promising strategies towards large-area perovskite-based optoelectronic devices.

With the aggravation of global aging, the rapid rise in the obesity rate, and the increasing number of patients with intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), the principles and mechanism of this disease remain unclear. This study explored the molecular mechanism of IDD treatment through interactions of the lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA-signaling pathways and the effects on the proliferation and apoptosis of human nucleus pulposus cells (HNPCs) cultured in vitro. Our study revealed that lncRNA JPX is expressed at low levels in HNPCs under normoxic conditions. Luciferase and RNA pull-down assays were used to verify that lncRNA JPX directly bound to miR-18a-5p and influenced HNPC proliferation and apoptosis. Subsequently, a luciferase assay confirmed the direct binding of miR-18a-5p to HIF-1α and demonstrated a negative correlation between miR-18a-5p and HIF-1α. In addition, the HIF-1α antagonist reversed the inhibition of the Hippo-YAP pathway by the miR-18a-5p inhibitor. In conclusion, overexpression of lncRNA JPX upregulated HIF-1α by inhibiting the expression of miR-18a-5p, thereby inhibiting the Hippo-YAP pathway. By inhibiting this pathway, JPX overexpression promoted the proliferation of HNPCs and decreased their apoptosis. Therefore, the lncRNA JPX is a potential new target.

The arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 threatened to overwhelm the NH ability to provide sufficient critical care support to patients in the UK. In response to a rapid rise in cases in March 2020, the UK Government issued a call to industry to rapidly design and develop additional ventilators to expand the UK’s capacity for mechanical ventilation. Three NHS consultants working in conjunction with TTP Plc (The Technology Partnership), were at the forefront, evolving the Government brief and developing a safe and effective ventilator, the CoVent™, in less than 5 weeks. The project demonstrates the ability of physicians to guide industry and pool knowledge and resources to rapidly develop and evolve technology in the face of a national emergency. This article discusses key aspects of the design process, highlights the unique human factors and engineering aspects of undertaking this amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Overall we demonstrated that when industry, healthcare and regulatory bodies collaborate and communicate efficiently, huge progress can be made in a fraction of the usual timescales.

We examine how immigration affects natives’ relative prime-age labor market outcomes by economic class background, with class background established on the basis of parents’ earnings rank. Exploiting alternative sources of variation in immigration patterns across time and space, we find that immigration from low-income countries reduces intergenerational mobility and thus steepens the social gradient in natives’ labor market outcomes, whereas immigration from high-income countries levels it. These findings are robust with respect to a wide range of identifying assumptions. The analysis is based on high-quality population-wide administrative data from Norway, which is one of the rich-world countries with the most rapid rise in the immigrant population share over the past two decades. Our findings suggest that immigration can explain a considerable part of the observed relative decline in economic performance among natives with a lower-class background.

The United Nations’ projections for the period between 2019 and 2050 anticipate a rapid rise in population aging in Eastern and South-Eastern Asia. With such population aging often comes a disease ...

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is a neurological disorder characterized by damage to the myelin and oligodendrocytes in the pons. This review focuses on the history of CPM and the discovery of its association with the treatment of hyponatremia. The author reviewed original publications regarding CPM, hyponatremia, and the treatment of hyponatremia. The author interviewed Dr. Robert Laureno who was a pioneer in CPM research with his animal work in dogs. Animal models demonstrated the role of the rapid correction of hyponatremia as causative of pontine and extrapontine myelinolytic lesions. Nevertheless, the importance of the speed of correction was widely denied. There were years of debates and only slow changes in expert guidelines. CPM occurs as a consequence of a rapid rise in serum sodium in individuals with chronic hyponatremia. It is recommended to increase plasma sodium concentration by no more than 8 to 10 mmol/L per 24 h in chronic hyponatremia.

With the rapid rise in popularity in additive manufacturing, 3D printing technologies are increasingly competitive. However, current post-processing solutions are unable to cope with the varieties ...

Problem definition : We have witnessed a rapid rise of on-demand platforms, such as Uber, in the past few years. Although these platforms allow workers to choose their own working hours, they have limited leverage in maintaining availability of workers within a region. As such, platforms often implement various policies, including offering financial incentives and/or communicating customer demand to workers in order to direct more workers to regions with shortage in supply. This research examines how behavioral biases such as regret aversion may influence workers’ relocation decisions and ultimately the system performance. Academic/practical relevance : Studies on on-demand platforms often assume that workers are rational agents who make optimal decisions. Our research investigates workers’ relocation decisions from a behavioral perspective. A deeper understanding of workers’ behavioral biases and their causes will help on-demand platforms design appropriate policies to increase their own profit, worker surplus, and the overall efficiency of matching supply with demand. Methodology : We use a combination of behavioral modeling and controlled laboratory experiments. We develop analytical models that incorporate regret aversion to produce theoretical predictions, which are then tested and verified via a series of controlled laboratory experiments. Results : We find that regret aversion plays an important role in workers’ relocation decisions. Regret-averse workers are more willing to relocate to the supply-shortage zone than rational workers. This increased relocation behavior, however, is not sufficient to translate to a better system performance. Platform interventions, such as demand information sharing and dynamic wage bonus, can help further improve the system. We find that workers’ regret-aversion behavior may lead to an increased profit for the platform, a higher surplus for the workers, and an improved demand-supply matching efficiency, thus benefiting the entire on-demand system. Managerial implications : Our research emphasizes the importance and necessity of incorporating workers’ behavioral biases such as regret aversion into the policy design of on-demand platforms. Policies without considering the behavioral aspect of workers’ decision may lead to lost profit for the platform and reduced welfare for workers and customers, which may ultimately hurt the on-demand business.

The second wave of COVID-19 due to Delta (B.1.617.2) variant led to the rapid rise of total coronavirus and COVID-associated mucormycosis cases reported from India. Hence, the current perspective explores the possible causes of rapid upsurge in COVID-associated mucormycosis cases, which was accounted for over 70% of global cases. The five most probable factors associated with the increase of mucormycosis in COVID-19 patients include diabetes mellitus, steroids overdose, high iron levels, immuno-suppression, combined with other possible factors such as unhygienic conditions, prolonged hospitalization, use of ventilators and leaky humidifiers in oxygen cylinders, creates an ideal environment for contracting mucormycosis. However, these cases could be brought down by disseminating simple preventive measures and creating awareness among the medical society and general public on this rare and deadly contagion of COVID-associated mucormycosis. The identification of the early symptoms will help to restrict the spread of lethal fungal diseases. Further, a collaborative team of surgeons, ophthalmologists, physicians, otolaryngologists specialists would be required in the hospital wards to proceed with quick surgeries on severely impacted patients., Graphical Abstract Image, graphical abstract

In contemporary times, the highly debated issue in geopolitics is the rapid rise of China as a potential Superpower. In merely, three decades China’s economy has transformed into the second-biggest...

The past decade has seen a rapid rise in the number of policy innovation labs (PILs). PILs that are found both inside and outside of government address a wide range of social issues. Many PILs shar...

The adherences to protective actions are subjective to knowledge, perception, attitude, practice and barriers towards COVID-19 by Saudi residents. The self-design questionnaires were used as a cross-sectional online survey for assessed their social and behavioral parameters during the agonizing time. The cross-sectional study used data collected via an online self-reported questionnaire from 2216 Saudi residents. SPSS software and chi-square test were applied to analyze and categorize significant differences among sectional variables of the parameters. More than 95% of responders were well aware about the main clinical symptoms of COVID-19 infection and had sufficient knowledge about the protocols of five steps to stop the spread of coronavirus. Apositive perception towards COVID-19 was observed, about 55% participants strongly agreed that the coronavirus outbreak could impact the global economy and infection could be successfully controlled by imposing lockdown and by staying at home. The majority of respondents had good practices regarding COVID-19 infection. A high percentage of participants favored wearing masks, cleaning hands and frequently using hand sanitizer. A large number of participant (83.2%; n=1844) agreed that misinformation and rumors are spreading more quickly than the current outbreak of the new coronavirus. The findings suggested that Saudi residents are possessed good knowledge, optimistic attitudes, and appropriate practices towards COVID-19 during the rapid rise of the COVID-19 outbreak. Hopefully, under the combined efforts of WHO, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia, all Saudi residents surely will win the battle against COVID-19 very soon.

Considerable evidence has demonstrated that gender influences interactions during in-person meetings, most commonly, negatively impacting women and persons of color. Pervasive gender stereotypes about roles that were (and are) occupied by men and women lead to implicit assumptions about competency in said roles. For example, women may receive more negative verbal interruptions or nonverbal cues that undermine their authority as a leader, a stereotypically male-typed role. The coronavirus pandemic has led to the rapid rise in videoconferencing in professional interactions; however, little is known about videoconferencing etiquette and how gender bias permeates to this new setting. Although there are many benefits to the use of this technology, it has the potential to reinforce gender bias rooted in cultural and societal norms, gender stereotypes, and traditional gender roles. The well-documented implicit biases that have been shown to favor men over women during in-person meetings may translate to further gender gaps in leadership during virtual meetings. It is also possible that videoconferencing could be used to reduce gender bias, but until we have research to shine a light on this topic, this article provides 10 tips for promoting gender equity during virtual meetings.

Clustering of data streams has become very popular in recent times, owing to rapid rise of real-time streaming utilities that produce large amounts of data at varying inter-arrival rates. We propos...

In recent years, escape rooms have become one of the leading leisure activities worldwide. Derived from these activities, educational escape rooms have emerged as a new type of teaching practice with the promise of enhancing students’ learning through highly engaging experiences. The rapid rise of educational escape rooms has led to a misalignment between educators’ needs for being able to implement this novel teaching practice and the availability of tools to ease the process. Moreover, this lack of support is preventing teachers and students from taking full advantage of the potential of educational escape rooms. This article provides a road map of the most urgent issues to be addressed to bridge the aforementioned gap: easing the creation of digital puzzles, aiding in the logistical aspects of conducting an educational escape room, harnessing learning analytics, fostering remote collaboration, and integrating artificial intelligence to adapt the experience to each team.

The rapid rise of shadow banking activities in China since 2009 has attracted a great deal of attention in both academia and policy circles. Most existing studies and commentary on China's shadow banking have treated it as a recent phenomenon that appeared after the Global Financial Crisis and China's response to it. In this paper, I argue that shadow banking is not a new phenomenon; it has always been a part of China's financial system since the 1980s, and arose from the need to get around various lending restrictions imposed by the central government on banks. I also emphasize that there are two types of shadow banking activities, those initiated by banks and those initiated by local governments or state-owned enterprises. I provide evidence suggesting that the shadow banking activities initiated by banks prior to 1996 helped directing credits to the more productive non-state sector and were efficiency enhancing. In recent years, however, I find that the shadow banking loans have a positive effect on real estate investments only, and their effects on investments by private firms outside the real estate sector have been negative.

Over the past two decades, the rapid rise of social media has revolutionized the way we communicate and share information online. Social media platforms are not now only used extensively by individuals but also by businesses, governmental agencies, educational institutions, and many other organizations to deliver information to the public and, in return, collect information from that same audience. The preliminary study presented here offers valuable insights into how social media may be used to improve food safety standards. Today, food safety is still a major health challenge in the country, which occasionally faces unsafe food supply chains, an increased number of food borne outbreaks, and poor hygiene education. Social media may be used as a very valuable tool for people to access important information and more knowledge about food safety. The limited-scope survey presented here was conducted over the western part of Saudi Arabia and included 295 individuals of both genders, among various age groups. Participants responded to an online questionnaire about their use of social media to obtain information about food safety. Results showed that social media was indeed a major outlet for individuals to access information on food safety, with the top-ranked social media platforms being WhatsApp (M = 2.99) followed by Snapchat (M = 3.72), YouTube (M = 4.08), Instagram (M = 4.46), and Facebook (M = 4.81). Additionally, we found that the most trusted sources of information was the Saudi Food and Drug Authority (72.6%) and the Saudi Ministry of Health (55.4%). Participants most frequently sought epidemiological information (52.5%), quantitative risk estimates (23.1%), and information on the various types of foodborne infections (15.3%); they preferred the information to be in video format (67.5%), articles (57.6%), infographics (55.3%). Trustworthiness clearly emerged from the survey as an important consideration for individuals when accessing food safety information on social media.

Gingkolide is an antiseizure medicine used as an adjuvant of partial seizures and GAD to relieve neuropathic pain. It binds to the very high affinity alpha delta site in the CNS. Although the drug's mechanism remains unclear, in genetically engineered mice and other anticonvulsive models, findings showed that it binds to alpha receptors. A rapid rise in the number of drugs added to each class of drugs has been noted. Whether in a single or multi-drug delivery form, these medications are developed into newer formulations. These newest formulations put on the market need a new investigation to estimate the medication in the formulations. In the scientific literature, the current analytical procedures for such drugs are available, but not all approaches are stable and economical to use. Few other techniques are often time-consuming. The goal of this work was to develop an RP-HPLC analytical tool for Gingkolide estimation. The drug's RP-PLC study meets the drug's optimum integrity, suitability, regeneration. The drug's LOQ and LOD were reached with elevated sensitivity. Overall, the results show that the recommended analytical approach in the formulation should be used to evaluate the drug. For regular study of the medication in its dosage form, this approach may be recommended.

The last decade witnessed a rapid rise in shared mobility in China. However, there is lack of understanding how the shared mobility market developed, how shared mobility reshapes daily travel patte...

Despite the harrowing opioid crisis in the United States, the use of opioids to combat musculoskeletal pain continues to be widespread. In the setting of hip arthroscopy, approximately one-third of patients are on opioids while awaiting surgery to address the pain that results from femoracetabular impingement syndrome. In addition, the use of opioids to address pain postoperatively is common practice. With the rapid rise of hip arthroscopy in the United States, it is paramount that other modes of pain relief are promoted by surgeons in conjunction with allied health professionals, such as physical therapists. In fact, early physical therapy has been shown to decrease the use of postoperative opioids by 10%. The use of complementary and alternative therapies should be common practice in the in the orthopaedic setting to assist in reducing the number of opioids used for both pre and postoperative pain management. While this may be a small piece of the opioid crisis puzzle, it is up to all of us in the medical community to do our part and change the direction of the current opioid crisis.

Background: In Colombia, the rapid rise of illicit opioid use has become a major public health concern. Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are well established and effective. However, acces...

Major tunnel fires can have catastrophic consequences, including loss of life, property damage, and long-term service disruptions. The rapid rise of gas temperature in excess of 1,000°C (1,832°F) inside a confined tunnel space as well as long fire duration because of limited emergency responder access necessitate special design considerations when evaluating the structural response to fire. Although tunnel stability is not challenged in most cases, severe damage to the concrete lining is observed after major fire events. This paper provides a detailed review of assessment methodologies and techniques of fire damage in concrete tunnel linings, including guidance on the determination of fire scenarios, concrete spalling, and tunnel safety from existing codes and guidelines, experiments, and numerical models. Based on the review, the need to develop relevant guidelines is emphasized, the knowledge gaps in the existing research are identified, and future research directions are proposed.

Is the Melanoma Epidemic Real? The incidence of melanoma of the skin is 6 times as high as it was 40 years ago; mortality has stayed low. UV light exposure is the strongest environmental risk facto...

With advent of modern technology, there is a rapid rise in growth of electronic devices which in-turn creates radio frequency interference (RFI) and electromagnetic interference (EMI).This demands an extensive research in EMI shielding materials as the modern electronic devices malfunctions due to EMI generated. In general, high electrical conductivity metals and their alloys have served as ideal shielding materials due to their high shielding effectiveness (SE). Their disadvantages like heavy weight, rigidity and corrodibility has increased the research on development of alternatives to serve purpose of EMI shielding. Hence, it is necessary to develop lightweight, thin, and easy-to-design EMI shielding materials for electronic device. In addition, if the selected material is biodegradable and environment friendly, it will add advantage to it. Polymeric materials and their composites have been used as EMI shielding materials due to their characteristics like light weight, good corrosive resistance, superior electrical, dielectric, thermal, mechanical and magnetic properties. Also, it can be degraded without creating any environment pollution. In this review article, shielding effectiveness of various polymeric materials and their composites have been deeply reviewed. In addition, this article covers the various nano-fillers and other materials that can be added along with polymers for EMI shielding.

Unlike other Shakespearean tragedies, King Richard III was never turned into a comedy through the insertion of a happy ending. It did, however, undergo a transformation of dramatic genre, as the numerous Richard III burlesques and travesties produced in the nineteenth century plainly show. Eight burlesques (or nine, including a pantomime) were written for and/or performed on the London stage alone. This essay looks at three of these plays, produced at three distinct stages in the history of burlesque's rapid rise and decline: 1823, 1844, and 1868. In focusing on these productions, I demonstrate how Shakespeare burlesques, paradoxically, enhanced rather than endangered the playwright's iconic status. King Richard III is a perfect case study because of its peculiar stage history. As Richard Schoch has argued, the burlesque purported to be “an act of theatrical reform which aggressively compensated for the deficiencies of other people's productions. . . . [It] claimed to perform not Shakespeare's debasement, but the ironic restoration of his compromised authority.” But this view of the burlesques’ importance is incomplete. Building on Schoch's work, I illustrate how the King Richard III burlesques not only parodied deficient theatrical productions but also called into question dramatic adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. In so doing, these burlesques paradoxically relegitimized Shakespeare.

Background/aim Advanced prostate cancer is a recalcitrant disease with very limited treatment options. Our laboratory discovered methionine addiction, presumably a characteristic of all cancer types, including prostate cancer, which can be targeted by methionine restriction (MR), through treatment with oral recombinant methioninase (o-rMETase). Patients and methods o-rMETase was produced by fermentation of recombinant E. coli containing the Pseudomonas putida methioninase gene, and purified by column chromatography. An advanced prostate cancer patient received o-rMETase as a supplement, 500 units per day, divided into two oral doses of 250 units each. Results Before treatment, the patient had a rapid rise in PSA levels, from 39 to 56 ng/ml, within 6 weeks. At the 15th week of o-rMETase administration, the PSA levels stabilized at 62 ng/ml. No overt side effects were observed. Conclusion o-rMETase single treatment can be beneficial for advanced prostate cancer patients.

The high prevalence of the world’s population diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, with a significant number suffering from diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), has always been a global concern over the years. The rapid rise of this disease in the last decades is deemed increasingly alarming as it has left deleterious effects not only on affected patients but also on the society and nation. This paper aims to develop a reliable diagnostic tool to address the tremendous need for coordinated and efficient DFU management via prediction of transcutaneous oxygen saturation ( $\text{S}_{\mathrm {t}}\text{O}_{2}$ ) and relative blood perfusion ( $\tau$ ) in the affected limb. This system integrates the use of a multispectral imaging and laser speckle contrast imaging technique for two-dimensional (2D) mapping of tissue oxygen and blood perfusion level in ulcerated foot. Longitudinal study revealed a slightly higher mean $\text{S}_{\mathrm {t}}\text{O}_{2}$ and $\tau $ level in healed ulcer than in impaired healing, despite the data indicating no statistical significance between these two groups $\left ({{p-\textrm {value}>0.05} }\right)$ . It was observed that a mean $\text{S}_{\mathrm {t}}\text{O}_{2}$ of at least 70 % and $\tau $ value of 1.5 ( $\times 10^{3}$ ) are necessary during the proliferative phase to ensure progressive healing. Based on these findings, this study concluded that high tissue oxygenation and perfusion levels are pivotal to ensure progressive wound healing. This work provides a rationale for evaluating the healing outcomes of skin grafting procedures in diabetic ulcers based on observation of quantitative changes in blood perfusion and tissue oxygen level during its revascularization phase.

Phosphines have played an important role in the rapid rise of transition metal-catalysed processes and with the possibility of fine-tuning the electronic and steric properties of these ligands, several synthesis challenges have been overcome in the past decades leading to their application in academia and industry. Caged phosphines are one such class of phosphines with the phosphorus atom at the bridgehead of a cyclic cage and have exhibited excellent control of the steric and electronic properties leading to their applications as ligands in a vast number of catalytic processes. This review provides an overview of the origin of this area of research, as well as the developments that have taken place and how the unique properties of these ligand systems could help to fine-tune the reactivity. A critical analysis of the area reveals some lacunae that will also be highlighted to promote further developments in this area of research.

In the past two decades, the United States has experienced a rapid rise in the use of opioids by its population, a context that has come to be assessed by the U.S. government as a threat to national and international security that requires emergency measures. The strategies of the U.S. government and transnational pharmaceutical corporations for resolving the insecurity generated by capitalist accumulation constitute what a certain literature calls “pacification.” In addition, these corporations export to the “foreign” the contradictions inherent in the opioid control policy that underlies the capitalist logic of drugs. Thus Latin American populations have been instrumentalized in the “solution” of this crisis either as a focus of violence by the state or as a focus of consumption by the market.Nas últimas duas décadas, os Estados Unidos vivenciaram uma rápida ascensão do uso de opioides pela sua população, contexto que passou a ser avaliado pelo governo estadunidense como uma ameaça à segurança nacional e internacional que demanda medidas emergenciais. As estratégias do Estado estadunidense e das corporações farmacêuticas transnacionais para solucionar a insegurança gerada pela acumulação capitalista configuram o que certa literatura chama “pacificação” Ademais, elas exportam para o “estrangeiro” as contradições próprias da política de controle de opioides que fundamenta a lógica capitalista das drogas. Assim, populações latino-americanas têm sido instrumentalizadas para a “solução” dessa crise, seja como foco da violência pelo Estado, seja como foco do consumo pelo mercado.

There has been a rapid rise in papers modelling the impacts of autonomous vehicles. Drawing on a review of this literature, we analyse and discuss the messages conveyed by these studies from a poli...

Malaysian government started the Movement Control Order (MCO) on 18th March 2020, as one of the initiatives to prevent the more massive outbreak of COVID-19. Recent statistics showed a rapid rise in the numbers of positive COVID-19 patients. However, the statistics on COVID-19 patients being discharged showed that the higher authority was very committed in managing COVID-19 crisis. This online study was conducted among 1,543 Malaysian adults using a validated questionnaire to explore more findings on the Malaysian’s Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) level towards COVID-19 prevention during the MCO period. Descriptive study and binary logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 22. This study showed that the majority of respondents have good KAP level regarding COVID-19 prevention. WhatsApp and Telegram were the primary sources of information used by the respondents. Education level was the main predictor for knowledge (OR: 2.083, CI: 1.605-2.702), attitude (OR:1.854, Ci; 1.42-2.42) and practice (OR: 1.745, CI; 1.326-2.096) regarding COVID-19 prevention (p

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has forever changed the lives of many across the world. Like many others, New Yorkers witnessed their hospital systems become overwhelmed with a massive influx of critically ill patients. Protocols, workflow, staffing, and individual responsibilities all changed as health care providers scrambled to help where they could. As we see, for the second time this year, a rapid rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the United States, I wanted to share our experience as vascular surgeons during the first surge from a health care system located in New York City, one of the largest epicenters of the pandemic.

The rapid rise of robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) has necessitated an efficient and standardized training curriculum. Cognitive training (CT) can significantly improve skills, such as attention, working memory and problem solving, and can enhance surgical capacity and support RAS training. This pilot study was carried out between 02/2019 and 04/2019. The participants included 33 student volunteers, randomized into 3 groups: group 1 received training using the da Vinci training simulator, group 2 received computer-based cognitive training, and group 3 was the control group without training. Before (T1) and after-training (T2), performance was measured. Additionally, expert ratings and self-evaluations were collected. Subjective evaluations of performance were supplemented by evaluations based on three scales from the revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R). In total, 25 probands remained with complete data for further analyses: n = 8 (group 1), n = 7 (group 2) and n = 10 (group 3). There were no significant differences in T1 and T2 among all three groups. The average training gain of group 1 and 2 was 15.87% and 24.6%, respectively, (a restricting condition is the loss of the last training session in group 2). Analyses of semi-structured psychological interviews (SPIs) revealed no significant differences for T1, but in T2, significance occurred at ‘self-reflection’ for group 2 (F(2.22) = 8.56; p

“Modern” vaping involving battery-operated electronic devices began approximately one dozen years and has quickly evolved into a multibillion dollar industry providing products to an estimated 50 million users worldwide. Originally developed as an alternative to traditional cigarette smoking, vaping now appeals to a diverse demographic including substantial involvement of young people who often have never used cigarettes. The rapid rise of vaping fueled by multiple factors has understandably outpaced understanding of biological effects, made even more challenging due to wide ranging individual user habits and preferences. Consequently while vaping-related research gathers momentum, vaping-associated pathological injury (VAPI) has been established by clinical case reports with severe cases manifesting as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) with examples of right ventricular cardiac failure. Therefore, basic scientific studies are desperately needed to understand the impact of vaping upon the lungs as well as cardiopulmonary structure and function. Experimental models that capture fundamental characteristics of vaping-induced ARDS are essential to study pathogenesis and formulate recommendations to mitigate harmful effects attributable to ingredients or equipment. So too, treatment strategies to promote recovery from vaping-associated damage require development and testing at the preclinical level. This review summarizes the back story of vaping leading to present day conundrums with particular emphasis upon VAPI-associated ARDS and prioritization of research goals.

With the advent of direct-acting antiviral agents, there has been a rapid rise in hepatitis C virus-infected (HCV+) heart transplantation. We aimed to understand local and regional differences in utilization and allocation of HCV+ hearts. Using United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) de-identified data from January 1, 2016 to September 30, 2019 we compared trends in the utilization rates (hearts transplanted/donors recovered) of HCV-uninfected (HCV-) to those of HCV+ nonviremic (HCV-NV) and viremic (HCV-V) hearts nationally and by UNOS region. We also evaluated allocation rates (hearts successfully allocated/donors recovered) by organ procurement organization (OPO). We found that (1) in 2019, national utilization rates for HCV-NV and HCV-V hearts were the same as HCV- hearts (27.6% for HCV-NV, 30.9 for HCV-V, and 31.7% for HCV-, P = .277); (2) utilization rates of HCV-NV hearts were low in regions 3 and 4 and of HCV-V hearts in regions 3, 4, and 8 even in the contemporary period since 2018; and (3) there was marked variability in allocation of HCV+ hearts at the OPO level even within the same UNOS region. We conclude that despite national strides in the utilization of HCV+ hearts for transplantation, more aggressive allocation of HCV+ hearts at the OPO level may still significantly affect the organ shortage.

With the rapid rise in cases of COVID-19 across the world, health systems face unprecedented challenges in the delivery of patient care. This includes constrained capacity for intensive care unit (...

Background: With the rapid rise in technology, digital mental health interventions (DMHIs) have been created across a range of platforms. Despite mixed consensus about their effectiveness and uptak...