Consumer Law and Policy Relating to Change of Circumstances Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic

An unprecedented number of consumer problems has been caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, not least with regard to refunds of prepayments and the ability of consumers to keep up their monthly payments under loan and rental agreements. Based on a notion of societal force majeure sketched in this paper, we propose guiding principles in respect of the introduction of moratoria on recurring payments, the use of refunds or vouchers in respect of prepayments, and associated enforcement challenges. This analysis draws on experiences around the globe.Non peer reviewe

Renal Effects of Aliskiren Compared With and in Combination With Irbesartan in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes, Hypertension, and Albuminuria

Objective: We investigated if the antiproteinuric effect of the direct renin inhibitor aliskiren is comparable to irbesartan, and the effect of the combination. Research Design and Methods: Double-blind, randomized, cross-over trial. After a one-month washout period 26 patients with type 2 diabetes, hypertension and albuminuria (>100mg/day) were randomized to four 2-month treatment periods in random order with placebo, aliskiren 300 mg once daily, irbesartan 300 mg once daily or the combination using identical doses. Patients received furosemide in a stable dose throughout the study. Primary endpoint was change in albuminuria. Secondary measures included change in 24h blood pressure (24h BP) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Results: Placebo geometric mean albuminuria was 258 mg/day (range 84-2361), mean 24h BP was 140/73 (SD 15/8) mmHg, GFR was 89 (SD 27) ml/min/1.73 m(2). Aliskiren treatment reduced albuminuria by 48% (95% confidence interval 27-62) compared to placebo (p<0.001), not significantly different from irbesartan treatment (58% (42-70) (p<0.001 vs. placebo)). Combination treatment reduced albuminuria by 71% (59-79), more than either monotherapy (p<0.001 and p=0.028). Fractional clearances of albumin were significantly reduced (46, 56 and 67% reduction vs. placebo). 24h BP was reduced 3/4 mmHg by aliskiren (NS/p=0.009), 12/5 mmHg by irbesartan (p<0.001/p=0.002) and 10/6 mmHg by the combination (p=0.001/p<0.001). GFR was significantly reduced 4.6 (0.3, 8.8) ml/min/1.73m(2) by aliskiren, 8.0 (3.6, 12.3) ml/min/1.73m(2) by irbesartan and 11.7 (7.4, 15.9) ml/min/1.73m(2) by the combination. Conclusions: Combining aliskiren and irbesartan is more antiproteinuric in type 2 diabetic patients with albuminuria as compared to monotherapy

Care and phronesis in teaching and coaching: dealing with personality disorder

My aim in this article is to contribute to the discussion about how teachers and coaches come to act in appropriate ways given the complex nature of both practices. I focus on two specific dispositions or qualities from the philosophical literature, namely the virtue of care and the Aristotelian concept of phronesis (or practical wisdom), which have been put forward as possible explanations. I argue that care and phronesis are fundamental qualities for both good teachers and coaches. Talk of care and phronesis in the literature is welcome, but these concepts are themselves complex. Care and phronesis, like other virtues are context-specific, difficult to acquire (or teach) and their particular expression depends on a host of complex factors, not least one's character and personal and professional experience. I illustrate my argument with reference to a former professional football player who exhibited symptoms of personality disorder from an early age and who presented challenges to his teachers and coaches through his disruptive behaviour

First Report of Cocksfoot mottle virus Infecting Dactylis glomerata in Oregon and the United States

Cocksfoot mottle virus (CfMV) is a mechanically and beetle-transmitted, non-seedtransmitted sobemovirus associated with orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) stand decline in Europe, Japan, New Zealand (Mahy and Van Regenmortel 2010), and Canada (Bittman et al. 2006). Additional hosts, reported from New Zealand (Delmiglio et al. 2010), include Festuca novae-zelandiae, Lolium spp., Poa anceps, Poa cita, Chionochloa rubra, and Dichelachne crinita. To determine if the virus is present in the United States, surveys for CfMV were conducted in 2014 and 2015 in orchardgrass seed production fields in the Willamette Valley in Oregon, where most of the orchardgrass seed produced in the United States is grown. During June, in each of 2014 and 2015, 18 orchardgrass fields were selected arbitrarily. Stand age of the seed production fields ranged from 2 to 24 years. Two of the fields were sampled in both years. Four samples (each containing 4 leaves, one from each of four plants) were collected along each of four transects in an M-shape pattern from each field. All plants sampled appeared healthy. In 2014, samples were placed in separate plastic bags and in 2015 samples were placed in deep well plates (VWR, International LLC, Radnor, PA). In each year, samples were transported over ice and stored at 5°C until processed. Samples were homogenized and tested for CfMV using DAS-ELISA, with antibodies derived from an isolate of CfMV from British Columbia, Canada. In 2014 and 2015, CfMV was detected in 61% and 72% of the fields, respectively. Symptoms were not present at the time of sampling. In 2015, eight ELISA positive samples were further examined with RT-PCR. RNA was extracted with the Direct-zol RNA MiniPrep kit (Zymo Research, Irvine, CA) following the manufacturer’s instructions and used for cDNA synthesis using the SuperScriptIII First-Strand Synthesis SuperMix kit (Life Technologies, ThermoFisher, Waltham, MA). PrimeSTAR HS DNA Polymerase (Takara Clonetech, Kyoto, Japan) was used following the manufacturer’s instructions with CfMV specific primers CfCPF1 (GATGGAGCCAGTCTCTCG) and CfCP-R2 (ATCCGTCAATCTTCAAGC) (Delmiglio 2008) for PCR with the following program: 98°C for 2 min; 40 cycles of 98°C for 15 s, 55°C for 5 s, and 72°C for 45 s; followed by 72°C for 7 min. The predominant band at 750 bp was reamplified and sequenced using CfCP-F1 and CfCP-R1 primers. A BLAST search indicated 94.4 to 95.4% identity with CfMV isolates found in native and exotic grasses of New Zealand (Delmiglio 2008). Sequences were submitted to GenBank (Accession No. KT984653 to KT984660). To our knowledge, this is the first report of CfMV in orchardgrass seed production fields in Oregon and in the United States. Results of this study are significant given the severity of CfMV in Canada and elsewhere, and this could account for the winter die-out occurring in orchardgrass seed-production fields in Oregon. Additional studies will be needed to determine to what extent CfMV is associated with stand decline in Oregon and what vectors may be present

Sustained Action of Developmental Ethanol Exposure on the Cortisol Response to Stress in Zebrafish Larvae and Adults

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are creditedThis study was supported by the National Centre for the replacement, refinement and reduction of animals in research

О перспективе извлечения йода из продукта утилизации окислителя ракетного топлива

Crop models are essential tools for assessing the threat of climate change to local and global food production. Present models used to predict wheat grain yield are highly uncertain when simulating how crops respond to temperature. Here we systematically tested 30 different wheat crop models of the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project against field experiments in which growing season mean temperatures ranged from 15 degrees C to 32 degrees C, including experiments with artificial heating. Many models simulated yields well, but were less accurate at higher temperatures. The model ensemble median was consistently more accurate in simulating the crop temperature response than any single model, regardless of the input information used. Extrapolating the model ensemble temperature response indicates that warming is already slowing yield gains at a majority of wheat-growing locations. Global wheat production is estimated to fall by 6% for each degree C of further temperature increase and become more variable over space and time

Maternal protein-energy malnutrition during early pregnancy in sheep impacts the fetal ornithine cycle to reduce fetal kidney microvascular development

This paper identifies a common nutritional pathway relating maternal through to fetal protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) and compromised fetal kidney development. Thirty-one twin-bearing sheep were fed either a control (n=15) or low-protein diet (n=16, 17 vs. 8.7 g crude protein/MJ metabolizable energy) from d 0 to 65 gestation (term, ∼ 145 d). Effects on the maternal and fetal nutritional environment were characterized by sampling blood and amniotic fluid. Kidney development was characterized by histology, immunohistochemistry, vascular corrosion casts, and molecular biology. PEM had little measureable effect on maternal and fetal macronutrient balance (glucose, total protein, total amino acids, and lactate were unaffected) or on fetal growth. PEM decreased maternal and fetal urea concentration, which blunted fetal ornithine availability and affected fetal hepatic polyamine production. For the first time in a large animal model, we associated these nutritional effects with reduced micro- but not macrovascular development in the fetal kidney. Maternal PEM specifically impacts the fetal ornithine cycle, affecting cellular polyamine metabolism and microvascular development of the fetal kidney, effects that likely underpin programming of kidney development and function by a maternal low protein diet

Does it matter where you go for breast surger? Attending surgeon's influence on variation in receipt of mastectomy for breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Concerns about the use of mastectomy and breast reconstruction for breast cancer have motivated interest in surgeon's influence on the variation in receipt of these procedures. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the influence of surgeons on variations in the receipt of mastectomy and breast reconstruction for patients recently diagnosed with breast cancer. METHODS: Attending surgeons (n = 419) of a population-based sample of breast cancer patients diagnosed in Detroit and Los Angeles during June 2005 to February 2007 (n = 2290) were surveyed. Respondent surgeons (n = 291) and patients (n = 1780) were linked. Random-effects models examined the amount of variation due to surgeon for surgical treatment. Covariates included patient clinical and demographic factors and surgeon demographics, breast cancer specialization, patient management process measures, and attitudes about treatment. RESULTS: Surgeons explained a modest amount of the variation in receipt of mastectomy (4%) after controlling for patient clinical and sociodemographic factors but a greater amount for reconstruction (16%). Variation in treatment rates across surgeons for a common patient case was much wider for reconstruction (median, 29%; 5th-95th percentile, 9%-65%) then for mastectomy (median, 18%; 5th-95th percentile, 8% and 35%). Surgeon factors did not explain between-surgeon variation in receipt of treatment. For reconstruction, 1 surgeon factor (tendency to discuss treatment plans with a plastic surgeon prior to surgery) explained a substantial amount of the between-surgeon variation (31%). CONCLUSION: Surgeons have largely adopted a consistent approach to the initial surgery options. By contrast, the wider between-surgeon variation in receipt of breast reconstruction suggests more variation in how these decisions are made in clinical practice.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/94120/1/Does it matter where you go for breast surgery Attending surgeon's influence on variation in receipt of mastectomy for breast cancer.pd