433 research outputs found
Projections for the International Development Information Network (IDIN) : an analysis of strategic options
Missing pages: 4; 12; 34; 44; 76; 78; 84; 8
What Does ‘Self-Determination’ Mean in the Context of Legal Service Provision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS)?
University of Technology Sydney. Faculty of Law.What does 'self-determination' mean in the context of legal service provision for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (ATSILS). The research analyses the complex factors characterising the environment in which ATSILS have survived, and continue to survive, and continue to achieve just outcomes for Indigenous people in Australia’s justice system. The research aimed to investigate whether or not the ATSILS’s model is the only model able to provide a legal service to Indigenous people. A model that accommodates their client’s unique needs through the shared experiences of their cultural understanding and historical knowledge of its people and its places. Does self-determination play a part in this model, or can a hybrid form of self-management that possibly non-Indigenous organisations could replicate? The research will also put a scope on the legal sector and look at its commitment to Indigenous people
Evaluating the quality of a set of modelling languages used in combination: A method and a tool
[EN] Modelling languages have proved to be an effective tool to specify and analyse various perspectives of enterprises and information systems. In addition to modelling language designs, works on model quality and modelling language quality evaluation have contributed to the maturity of the model-driven engineering (MDE) field. Although consolidated knowledge on quality evaluation is still relevant to this scenario, in previous works, we have identified misalignments between the topics that academia is addressing and the needs of industry in applying MDE, thus identifying some remaining challenges. In this paper, we focus on the need for a method to evaluate the quality of a set of modelling languages used in combination within a MDE environment. This paper presents MMQEF (Multiple Modelling language Quality Evaluation Framework), describing its foundations, presenting its method components and discussing its trade-offs. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.This work was supported by COLCIENCIAS (Colombia) (grant 512, 2010); the European Commision FP7 Project CaaS (611351).Giraldo-Velásquez, FD.; España Cubillo, S.; Giraldo, WJ.; Pastor López, O. (2018). Evaluating the quality of a set of modelling languages used in combination: A method and a tool. Information Systems. 77:48-70. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.is.2018.06.002S48707
Fractura-luxación posterior de hombro tratada mediante la técnica de McLaughlin
Se presenta un caso de luxación posterior de hombro, con fractura por impactación
de la cabeza humeral, ocasionada por crisis convulsivas. Estas lesiones no son fáciles de reconocer
en los primeros momentos, y en nuestro caso se precisó de un estudio radiográfico en distintas
proyecciones y una TAC. Se realizó tratamiento quirúrgico mediante la técnica original de
McLaughlin. A los 7 meses de la intervención el paciente ha recuperado casi totalmente la movilidad
en dicho hombro y está libre de dolor.A case of posterior dislocation of the shoulder with locked fracture of the humeral
head after a convulsive seizure is reported. At first stages, this type is very difficult to recognize.
In our case, a radiographic study in different views and a CT-scan were needed. Surgical
treatment were carried out according to McLauglin's original technique. Seven months after surgery
the patient had regained almost complete range of shoulder motion and was pain-free
Sufficient consumption as a missing link toward sustainability: The case of fast fashion
The fashion industry has been driven by limitless consumption-led growth spearheaded by companies in the fast
fashion segment, with a dominant business model based on massive accelerated demand, production, consumption,
and disposal. Despite companies’ efforts to decouple the pursuit of growth from its negative impacts, a
more sufficiency-driven approach seems imperative to curb consumerism and contribute more effectively to
sustainability. This study draws on the literature to build a three-pillar framework of potential strategies to
enable fashion companies to foster sufficient consumption and reduce dependence on the sale of new items, with
benefits expected for both consumers and companies. Subsequently, it uses multiple case study to examine
qualitatively the annual reports issued during 2013–2014 and 2020–2021 by a sample of ten top companies in
this segment. The goal is to assess whether these companies are embracing such strategies, what (if any) evolution
occurs between these two periods, whether the 2030 Agenda with its SDG12 ‘Responsible consumption
and production’ plays a mediating role in their adoption, and what is the logic behind such evolution. The results
show that, although such adoption is gaining momentum, companies tend first to embrace strategies with less
impact on their traditional modus operandi. Further, the laxity of SDG12 enables companies to profess
commitment even when not addressing any of the strategies to foster sufficient consumption. This study aims to
give actors critical awareness of this issue and provide practical guidance for managers to adopt and combine
these strategies decisively to fully embrace the principles of circular economy and a more holistic approach to
sustainability. It also advises companies to avoid the risk of ‘anti-consumerist washing’—a newly identified
variant of greenwashing—and proposes to study a ‘hierarchical pyramid of business strategies to rationalize
consumptionMinistry of Science and Innovation of the Government of Spain PDI2021.124396NB.I00European Regional Development Fund (European Union)CRUE-Universitat Politecnica de Valenci
Enrichment of neural-related genes in human mesenchymal stem cells from neuroblastoma patients.
Neuroblastoma (NB) is one of the most common pediatric solid tumors and, like most human cancers, is char-acterized by a broad variety of genomic alterations. Although mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to interact with cancer cells, the relationship between MSCs and metastatic NB cancer cells in bone marrow (BM) is unknown. To obtain genetic evidence about this interaction, we isolated ΒΜ-derived MSCs from children with NB and compared their global expression patterns with MSCs obtained from normal pediatric donors, using the Agilent 44K microarrays. Significance analysis of microarray results with a false discovery rate (FDR) <5% identified 496 differentially expressed genes showing either a 2-fold upregulation or downregulation between both groups of samples. Comparison of gene ontology categories of differ-entially expressed genes revealed the upregulation of genes categorized as ‘neurological system process’, ‘cell adhesion’, ‘apoptosis’, ‘cell surface receptor linked signal transduction’, ‘intrinsic to membrane’ and ‘extracellular region’. Among the downregulated genes, several immunology-related terms were the most abundant. These findings provide preliminary genetic evidence of the interaction between MSCs and NB cancer cells in ΒΜ as well as identify relevant biological processes potentially altered in MSCs in response to NBThis study was supported by grants from the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (FIS; PI05/2217 and PI08/0029 to J.G.C.), MICINN (PLE2009-0115) and the Madrid Regional Government (S-BIO-0204-2006 and P2010/BMD-2420) in Spain. The experiments were approved by the appropriate committees.S
Growth-promoting effects of sustained swimming in fingerlings of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.)
Fish growth is strongly influenced by environmental and nutritional factors and changing culture conditions can help optimize it. The importance of early-life experience on the muscle phenotype later in life is well known. Here, we study the effects of 5 weeks of moderate and sustained swimming activity (5 BL s) in gilthead sea bream during early development. We analysed growth and body indexes, plasma IGF-I and GH levels, feed conversion, composition [proximate and isotopic (N/C)] and metabolic key enzymes (COX, CS, LDH, HOAD, HK, ALAT, ASAT) of white muscle. Moderate and continuous exercise in fingerlings of gilthead sea bream increased plasma IGF-I, whereas it reduced plasma GH. Under these conditions, growth rate improved without any modification to feed intake through an increase in muscle mass and a reduction in mesenteric fat deposits. There were no changes in the content and turnover of muscle proteins and lipid reserves. Glycogen stores were maintained, but glycogen turnover was higher in white muscle of exercised fish. A lower LDH/CS ratio demonstrated an improvement in the aerobic capacity of white muscle, while a reduction in the COX/CS ratio possibly indicated a functional adaptation of mitochondria to adjust to the tissue-specific energy demand and metabolic fuel availability in exercised fish. We discuss the synergistic effects of dietary nutrients and sustained exercise on the different mitochondrial responses.A.M.C and E.J.V. are supported by a predoctoral fellowship from the “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación” (MICINN) and A.M.P. by a fellowship from the University of Barcelona (APIF-2012). This study was supported by the projects from the MICINN AGL2012-39768, and the “Xarxa de Refèrencia d’R+D+I en Aqüicultura” and the SGR2009-00402 from the “Generalitat de Catalunya”.Peer Reviewe
Growth-promoting effects of sustained swimming in fingerlings of glithead sea bream (Sparus aurata L.)
Fish growth is strongly influenced by environmental and nutritional factors and changing culture conditions can help optimize it. The importance of early-life experience on the muscle phenotype later in life is well known. Here, we study the effects of 5 weeks of moderate and sustained swimming activity (5 BL s−1) in gilthead sea bream during early development. We analysed growth and body indexes, plasma IGF-I and GH levels, feed conversion, composition [proximate and isotopic (15N/13C)] and metabolic key enzymes (COX, CS, LDH, HOAD, HK, ALAT, ASAT) of white muscle. Moderate and continuous exercise in fingerlings of gilthead sea bream increased plasma IGF-I, whereas it reduced plasma GH. Under these conditions, growth rate improved without any modification to feed intake through an increase in muscle mass and a reduction in mesenteric fat deposits. There were no changes in the content and turnover of muscle proteins and lipid reserves. Glycogen stores were maintained, but glycogen turnover was higher in white muscle of exercised fish. A lower LDH/CS ratio demonstrated an improvement in the aerobic capacity of white muscle, while a reduction in the COX/CS ratio possibly indicated a functional adaptation of mitochondria to adjust to the tissue-specific energy demand and metabolic fuel availability in exercised fish. We discuss the synergistic effects of dietary nutrients and sustained exercise on the different mitochondrial responses
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Disorder-specific functional abnormalities during sustained attention in youth with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and with Autism
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often comorbid and share behavioural-cognitive abnormalities in sustained attention. A key question is whether this shared cognitive phenotype is based on common or different underlying pathophysiologies. To elucidate this question, we compared 20 boys with ADHD to 20 age and IQ matched ASD and 20 healthy boys using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a parametrically modulated vigilance task with a progressively increasing load of sustained attention. ADHD and ASD boys had significantly reduced activation relative to controls in bilateral striato–thalamic regions, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and superior parietal cortex. Both groups also displayed significantly increased precuneus activation relative to controls. Precuneus was negatively correlated with the DLPFC activation, and progressively more deactivated with increasing attention load in controls, but not patients, suggesting problems with deactivation of a task-related default mode network in both disorders. However, left DLPFC underactivation was significantly more pronounced in ADHD relative to ASD boys, which furthermore was associated with sustained performance measures that were only impaired in ADHD patients. ASD boys, on the other hand, had disorder-specific enhanced cerebellar activation relative to both ADHD and control boys, presumably reflecting compensation. The findings show that ADHD and ASD boys have both shared and disorder-specific abnormalities in brain function during sustained attention. Shared deficits were in fronto–striato–parietal activation and default mode suppression. Differences were a more severe DLPFC dysfunction in ADHD and a disorder-specific fronto–striato–cerebellar dysregulation in ASD
Hypocalcemia: A key biomarker in hospitalized COVID-19 patients
BACKGROUND: At the end of 2019 a new respiratory syndrome emerged in China named Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Considering the severity of the disease in adult subjects with one or more chronic pathologies, it was mandatory to find simple and effective biomarkers for negative prognosis of the disease easily available at the admission to the hospital. MATERIAL AND METHODS: To identify possible parameters showing association with the outcome in COVID-19 patients with previous chronic diseases, blood biochemical profiles of 511 patients, enrolled from March to June 2020, were retrospectively evaluated. The pathologies taken into consideration were diabetes, arterial hypertension, chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, obesity, and cancer. All the data were collected upon admission to the emergency room (ER) during the indicated period. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In accord with previous studies, we observed that serum and ionized calcium were prevalently altered in our cohort. We determined that hypocalcemia was a major parameter associated with mechanical ventilation and poor prognosis, correlating also with the presence of comorbidities such as cardiovascular diseases, chronic kidney disease, and cancer. In addition, we found a positive correlation between hypocalcemia and clinical complications during hospitalizations, strengthening the relevance of calcium concentration as a useful prognostic biomarker in COVID-19 patients
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