The effects of having more than one good reputation on distributor investments in the film industry

Reputations of organizations and its individual members are valuable resources that help new organizations to get access to investment capital. Reputations, however, can have different dimensions. In this paper, we argue that an individual’s reputation along a particular dimension will have a positive effect on the behavior of investors when it is role congruent. In addition, we argue that also scoring favorably on the role-incongruent dimension at the same time—or, in other words, engaging in reputational category spanning—will weaken the positive effect of the role-congruent reputation. Our empirical setting is the film industry where we study the effect of the two main dimensions of reputation in cultural industries, artistic and commercial, of both directors and producers on the size of the investment by distributors. In this study, artistic reputation is based on professional critics’ reviews and commercial reputation on box office performance of the films in which individuals were involved in the past. We find that the commercial reputation of a film producer based on past box office performance has a positive effect on the size of the investment by film distributors. In addition, we find that directors who at the same time combine both a favorable commercial as well as an artistic reputation actually receive a lower investment from film distributors

Violência sexual contra crianças e adolescentes: características relativas à vitimização nas relações familiares Sexual abuse of children and adolescents: characteristics of sexual victimization in family relations

O objetivo deste estudo é analisar as características relativas às vitimizações sexuais intrafamiliares cometidas contra grupos etários categorizados segundo o critério de idade estabelecido pelo Estatuto da Criança e do Adolescente,atendidos no Centro de Referência da Criança e do Adolescente e nos Conselhos Tutelares de Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, no período de 1995 a 2000. Identificou-se 234 agressões cometidas por 217 agressores contra 210 famílias e 226 vítimas. Foram vitimizadas 131 crianças (48,7%) e 95 adolescentes (41,2%) com predomínio do sexo feminino. Crianças com idade entre dez anos e um mês e 12 anos incompletos foram as mais atingidas (19,5%) e nos adolescentes, entre 12 e 14 anos completos (17,3%). A maioria das vítimas reside com famílias que possuem três (19,9%) ou quatro filhos (17,7%), sendo os primogênitos os mais agredidos (33,6%). Agressores únicos vitimizaram em sua maioria apenas uma vítima (86,7%). Pais (34,2%) e padrastos (30,3%) foram os que mais agrediram, com os primeiros vitimizando mais crianças (19,7%) e os segundos, adolescentes (17,1%).<br>This study analyzes the characteristics of sexual abuse committed within the family against age groups classified according to the Brazilian Statute for Children and Adolescents (the prevailing legislation on matters pertaining to minors) and treated at the Reference Center for Children and Adolescents and the Guardianship Councils in Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo State, Brazil, from 1995 to 2000. Some 234 abuses were identified, committed by 217 aggressors, against 210 families and a total of 226 victims. A total of 131 children (48.7%) and 95 adolescents (41.2%), predominantly females, were victimized. Children ranging from 10 to 12 years were the most frequently abused (19.5%), as well as adolescents from 12 to 14 years old (17.3%). The majority of the victims live in families with 3 (19.9%) or 4 children (177%), and the firstborn are the most frequently abused (33.6%). The majority of aggressors who acted alone victimized only one individual (86.7%). Fathers (34.2%) and stepfathers (30.3%) were the most frequent aggressors, with the former victimizing more children (19.7%) and the latter adolescents (17.1%)

Profile of paediatric rheumatology specialists and services in the state of Sao Paulo

Introduction: Paediatric rheumatology (PR) is an emerging specialty, practised by a limited number of specialists. Currently, there is neither a record of the profile of rheumatology patients being treated in Brazil nor data on the training of qualified rheumatology professionals in the country. Objective: To investigate the profile of PR specialists and services, as well as the characteristics of paediatric patients with rheumatic diseases, for estimating the current state of rheumatology in the state of Sao Paulo. Patients and methods: In 2010, the scientific department of PR of the Paediatric Society of Sao Paulo administered a questionnaire that was answered by 24/31 accredited specialists in PR practising in state of Sao Paulo and by 8/21 institutions that provide PR care. Results: Most (91%) of the surveyed professionals practise in public institutions. Private clinics (28.6%) and public institutions (37.5%) reported not having access to nailfold capillaroscopy, and 50% of the private clinics reported not having access to acupuncture. The average duration of professional practise in PR was 9.4 years, and 67% of the physicians had attended postgraduate programmes. Seven (87.5%) public institutions perform teaching activities, in which new paediatric rheumatologists are trained, and five (62.5%) offer post-graduate programmes. Two-thirds of the surveyed specialists use immunosuppressants and biological agents classified as "restricted use" by the Health Secretariat. The disease most frequently reported was juvenile idiopathic arthritis (29.1-34.5%), followed by juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) (11.6-12.3%) and rheumatic fever (9.1-15.9%). The incidence of vasculitis (including Henoch-Schonlein purpura, Wegener's granulomatosis, and Takayasu's arteritis) and autoinflammatory syndromes was higher in public institutions compared to other institutions (P = 0.03, P = 0.04, P = 0.002, and P < 0.0001, respectively). Patients with JSLE had the highest mortality rate (68% of deaths), mainly due to infection. Conclusion: The field of PR in the state of Sao Paulo has a significant number of specialists with postgraduate degrees who mostly practise at teaching institutions with infrastructures appropriate for the care of high-complexity patients. (C) 2013 Elsevier Editora Ltda. All rights reserved.53434635

Density Functional Theory for Magnetism and Magnetic Anisotropy

Density functional theory and its application for the simulation of magnetic properties of condensed matter is introduced. This includes vector-spin density functional theory for the evaluation of spin-spin interactions and relativistic extensions to capture effects like the magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The role of the different approximations to the exchange-correlation functional, e.g., the local density approximation, or the generalized gradient approximation, is investigated, showing successes and limitations of the present functionals. Special techniques to determine, e.g., the magnetic ground state or finite temperature properties based on density functional theory are shortly discussed

Age-related increases in amyloid beta and membrane attack complex: evidence of inflammasome activation in the rodent eye

Background: The membrane attack complex (MAC) is a key player in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and is a putative activator of the NLRP3 inflammasome. Amyloid beta (Aβ), a component of drusen deposits, has also been implicated in inflammasome activation by our work and those of others. However, the interactions of MAC and Aβ are still poorly understood, especially their roles in aging and retinal degenerative pathologies. Since inflammasome activation may represent a key cellular pathway underlying age-related chronic inflammation in the eye, the purpose of this study is to identify the effects associated with MAC and inflammasome activation in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)/choroid and to evaluate the therapeutic merits of MAC suppression. Methods: Adult Long-Evans rats were divided into treatment and control groups. Treatment groups received oral aurin tricarboxylic acid complex (ATAC), a MAC inhibitor, in drinking-water, and control groups received drinking-water alone (No ATAC). Groups were sacrificed at 7.5 or 11.5 months, after approximately 40 days of ATAC treatment. To study age-related changes of Aβ and MAC in RPE/choroid, naive animals were sacrificed at 2.5, 7.5, and 11.5 months. Eye tissues underwent immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis for MAC, Aβ, NF-κB activation, as well as cleaved caspase-1 and IL-18. Vitreal samples were collected and assessed by multiplex assays for secreted levels of IL-18 and IL-1β. Statistical analyses were performed, and significance level was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: In vivo studies demonstrated an age-dependent increase in MAC, Aβ, and NF-κB activation in the RPE/choroid. Systemic ATAC resulted in a prominent reduction in MAC formation and a concomitant reduction in inflammasome activation measured by cleaved caspase-1 and secreted levels of IL-18 and IL-1β, but not in NF-κB activation. In vitro studies demonstrated Aβ-induced MAC formation on RPE cells. Conclusions: Age-dependent increases in Aβ and MAC are present in the rodent outer retina. Our results suggest that suppressing MAC formation and subsequent inflammasome activation in the RPE/choroid may reduce chronic low-grade inflammation associated with IL-18 and IL-1β in the outer retina.Medicine, Faculty ofOphthalmology and Visual Sciences, Department ofOther UBCReviewedFacult