The Greek Sovereign Debt Crisis: Antecedents, Consequences and Reforms Capacity

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the antecedents and the consequences of the Greece debt crisis as well as highlighting the reforms capacity. The approach adopted in this paper is to answer the questions such as “what is the background of the Greece debt crisis and how it is originated?â€, “which antecedents caused the Greece vulnerable to the crisis?â€, “what are the twin constraints being faced by Greece and its consequences?â€, “which measures are taken to gain fiscal stability in the Greece under Stability and Growth Pact?†and “what are the rescue possibilities available to Greece to withstand the crisis? Is bail out the only possible solution?†These questions are used to guide the search or studies and analysis thereof and major emerging themes are presented. The key findings of the study are some main factors that triggered the crisis. These are misstated statistics by Greek government, weak co-ordination and organization, high expenditures in comparison to revenues, corruption, tax evasion, weak welfare system and inflexible employment laws. The research limitation is based on the limited scope of the study as some important question regarding the Greece debt crisis is yet to be answered and some aspects of literature are needed to be explored further. Since the main objective of this study is to explore the antecedents that caused Greece vulnerable to the crisis and its aftermaths, it also aims at explaining the fiscal stability measures under taken by Greece under Stability and Growth Pact along with explaining the bail- out alternative available to the Greece perhaps as a last resort. Moreover, this paper highlights the various steps being upheld for reforming Economic Monetary Union (EMU) governance. Thus, this study provides an opportunity to probe into the overall economic and fiscal scenario of Greece under debt crisis

Clinical and Cost Implications of Insulin Degludec in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes and Problematic Hypoglycemia:A Quality Improvement Project

Introduction To assess the real-life clinical benefits and cost implications of switching from another basal insulin to insulin degludec (degludec) in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) on basal–bolus regimens with recurrent hypoglycemia and/or hypoglycemia unawareness. Methods Patients with T1D who were aged ≥ 18 years, were on a basal–bolus regimen, and had switched to degludec plus bolus insulin for at least 6 months were included. Patients had to have switched to degludec as a result of recurrent hypoglycemia and/or hypoglycemia unawareness. Results Six months of follow-up data were available for 42 patients. At 6 months, there was a significant reduction in median (interquartile range) HbA1c, from 8.6 (8.0–9.3)% [70 (64–78) mmol/mol] to 8.4 (7.9–8.9)% [68 (63–74) mmol/mol]; p < 0.05. Median daily basal insulin dose reduced significantly from 30.0 (14.7–45.0) to 25.5 (14.0–30.2) units; p < 0.0001. Data from hospital records showed reductions in the frequency of episodes of severe hypoglycemia from eight in the 6 months preceding degludec initiation to two in the 6 months following initiation. In the same period, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) episodes reduced from two before degludec initiation to no episodes after initiation. No patients reported worsening treatment satisfaction after switching to degludec. Considering the reductions in the basal dose required and the frequency of hypoglycemia episodes, we estimate that switching such patients to degludec from other basal insulins could provide significant savings in direct healthcare costs. Conclusion In patients with T1D, switching to degludec was associated with an improvement in HbA1c and reductions in basal insulin dose, severe hypoglycemia, and DKA. When used in appropriate patients, degludec could lead to significant cost savings

Leveraging brain–computer interface for implementation of a bio-sensor controlled game for attention deficit people

In video games, neurofeedback via Electroencephalogram (EEG) has emerged as a method for treating attention deficit, alongside preventative measures such as behavioral therapy. By 2020–21, the Neuro-Gaming industry has reached USD 6.29 billion. As a remedy to attention deficit and to take advantage of the ever-growing EEG-based gaming industry, this research work presents the design and implementation of an EEG-controlled 2D game built in the Unity 3D game engine. Our research includes steps like dataset creation, training the learning algorithms, classification, and deciding on those results in the designed game whether to shoot a target or not. We read signals from the Neurosky sensor, user orientation, and linear acceleration. We pre-process them via transforms into a processed input for various learning algorithms. The results are then exported to the game engine and used in the game. In classification, we have achieved 89% accuracy and F1 score of 87% with LSTM

Comparative analysis of hyoscine in wild-type and in vitro grown Datura innoxia by high performance liquid chromatography

Purpose: To compare the hyoscine contents of Datura innoxia plant grown in the wild and that grown in vitro.Methods: For callus induction from leaf explants, 15 combinations of 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid, gibberellic acid, benzyl amino purine and kinetin were used. For regeneration of shoots, 8 combinations of BAP, kinetin and indole butyric acid (IBA) were tested. Different concentrations of IBA were used for rooting. The hyoscine contents of the wild and in vitro samples was initially identified by TLC and subsequently quantified by high performance liquid chromatography using hyoscine N-butyl bromide as standard.Results: For callus induction, 2,4-D at 2 mg/L produced maximum calli (96 %). Maximum shoots regeneration was obtained with 2 mg/L BAP and 1 mg/L kinetin. IBA at 0.5 mg/L induced good rooting. Substantial amount of hyoscine was detected in the extracts of in vitro grown plants through TLC and HPLC. Wild root, stem and leaves exhibited higher amounts (approx. 2 μg/mL) of hyoscine than the parts of in vitro grown plants. Green callus grown in vitro contained a maximum concentration of hyoscine (1.01 μg/mL) followed by leaf (0.82 μg/mL) and brown callus (0.432 μg/mL).Conclusion: The callus cultures of D. innoxia are capable of yielding good amounts of hyoscine, and therefore can be exploited to increase hyoscine production using chemical/hormone treatments on a large scale. Thus, this study provides a sustainable and efficient way for the sustainable production of a natural hyoscine product via in vitro-grown D. innoxia cultures.Keywords: Datura innoxia, Hyoscine, Callus, Hyoscine, Explant, Gibberellic acid, Benzyl amino purine, Kineti

Soil Quality Variation under Different Land Use Types in Haramosh Valley, Gilgit, Pakistan

Soil quality is a fundamental component of environmental quality and impact of land use is also a keydetrimental factor in today’s rapid urbanization era. The study aims to evaluate the effects of different land-use type on&nbsp;selected soil quality indicators. Sixty soil samples were collected from various land use types, i.e, pasture, forest and&nbsp;agriculture from a depth of 0-15cm. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the land use type significantly&nbsp;affected the soil’s physical and chemical properties. The moisture content was significantly higher (p&lt;0.001) in the&nbsp;pasture (41.7%) than the forest (26.2%) and lowest in agricultural land (14.4%). The soil pH was significantly higher or&nbsp;slightly alkaline for agriculture (7.8), while for pasture (6.5) and forest (6.1), it was found to be slightly acidic. Electric&nbsp;conductivity (EC) and bulk density (BD) did not vary significantly with land use type, but the EC followed the&nbsp;decreasing order: forest (203.7μS/cm) &lt; pasture (235μS/cm) &lt; agriculture (328.7μS/cm). The soil organic matter&nbsp;(SOM) and soil organic carbon (SOC) significantly (p&lt;0.05) differed with land use type and found in the order: forest&nbsp;(3.0%, 1.3 %) &gt; pasture land (2.9%, 1.2%) &gt; arable land (2.5%, 1.1%). NO3-N, available P and exchangeable K did not&nbsp;vary significantly across land use types. However, mean values were higher for agriculture (10.2mg/kg, 4.5mg/kg,&nbsp;66mg/kg) than forest (10mg/kg,3.5mg/kg, 60mg/kg) and pasture (9.8mg/kg, 4.3, 60.2mg/kg). Alpine soils are good ecological indicators because of vulnerability to environmental change, therefore, regular monitoring of soil properties&nbsp;along with carbon stocks is essential to maintain soil health, enhance agricultural productivity and sustain agroecosystems

Socioeconomic Deprivation and the Risk of Sight-Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy (STDR):A Population-Based Cohort Study in the U.K.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the associations between socioeconomic deprivation and sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR) in individuals with type 1 (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D).RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSData from 175,628 individuals with diabetes in the Health Improvement Network were used to assess the risk of STDR across Townsend Deprivation Index quantiles using Cox proportional hazard regression.RESULTSAmong individuals with T1D, the risk of STDR was three times higher (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 2.67, 95% CI 1.05–7.78) in the most deprived quintile compared with the least deprived quintile. In T2D, the most deprived quintile had a 28% higher risk (aHR 1.28; 95% CI 1.15–1.43) than the least deprived quintile.CONCLUSIONSIncreasing socioeconomic deprivation is associated with a higher risk of developing STDR in people with diabetes. This underscores persistent health disparities linked to poverty, even within a country offering free universal health care. Further research is needed to address health equity concerns in socioeconomically deprived regions

Analyzing Land Cover Change Using Remote Sensing and GIS: A Case Study of Gilgit River Basin, North Pakistan

Mountainous areas of northern Pakistan are rich in biodiversity, glaciers and key watershed of Indus Riversystem which provide ecosystem services for their inhabitants. These regions have experienced extensive deforestationand are presently vulnerable by rapid land cover changes, therefore an effective assessment and monitoring is essentialto capture such changes. The aim of this study is to analyze the observed changes in land cover over a period of thirtynine years, divided into three stages (1976-1999, 1999-2008 and 2008-2015). Four images from Landsat 2Multispectral Scanner System (MSS), Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper andLandsat 8 Operation Land Imager data were obtained to detect land cover change. This study used supervisedclassification-maximum likelihood algorithm in ERDAS imagine to identify land cover changes perceived in GilgitRiver Basin, Pakistan. The result showed that the range land, glaciers, water bodies, built-up/agricultural cover are themajor categories that have been altered by the natural and anthropogenic actions. In 1976, built up/agriculture, rangeland, water bodies and glacier cover was 1.13%, 45.3%, 0.66% and 13.2%, respectively. Whereas in 2015, builtup/agriculture, range land, water bodies and glacier cover was 3.25%, 12.7%, 0.91% and 8.2%, respectively. Thesesland cover shifts posed acute threat to watershed resources. Therefore, a comprehensive watershed resourcemanagement is essential or otherwise, these resources will deplete rapidly and no longer be capable of playing their rolein socioeconomic and sustainable environmental development of the are

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Receptor (TSHR) Intron 1 Variants Are Major Risk Factors for Graves' Disease in Three European Caucasian Cohorts

BACKGROUND: The thyroid stimulating hormone receptor (TSHR) gene is an established susceptibility locus for Graves' disease (GD), with recent studies refining association to two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs179247 and rs12101255, within TSHR intron 1. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We aimed to validate association of rs179247 and rs12101255 in Polish and UK Caucasian GD case-control subjects, determine the mode of inheritance and to see if association correlates with specific GD clinical manifestations. We investigated three case-control populations; 558 GD patients and 520 controls from Warsaw, Poland, 196 GD patients and 198 controls from Gliwice, Poland and 2504 GD patients from the UK National collection and 2784 controls from the 1958 British Birth cohort. Both rs179247 (P = 1.2×10(-2)-6.2×10(-15), OR = 1.38-1.45) and rs12101255 (P = 1.0×10(-4)-3.68×10(-21), OR = 1.47-1.87) exhibited strong association with GD in all three cohorts. Logistic regression suggested association of rs179247 is secondary to rs12101255 in all cohorts. Inheritance modeling suggested a co-dominant mode of inheritance in all cohorts. Genotype-phenotype correlations provided no clear evidence of association with any specific clinical characteristics. CONCLUSIONS: We have validated association of TSHR intron 1 SNPs with GD in three independent European cohorts and have demonstrated that the aetiological variant within the TSHR is likely to be in strong linkage disequilibrium with rs12101255. Fine mapping is now required to determine the exact location of the aetiological DNA variants within the TSHR