Race Ethnicity and In-store Mobile-Assisted Shopping in the US

This research primarily investigates the relationship between race ethnicity and consumer use of mobile phones in-store to facilitate purchase decisions. Data were collected by a telephone survey of a nationally representative sample of US adults between January 5 and January 8, 2012. The data collection was sponsored by the Pew Foundation and made available for this research. The data were analyzed with the software R and its survey package that allow researchers to incorporate the sampling weights to estimate population statistics, standard errors, and confidence intervals. The independent variables were demographic variables (race ethnicity, gender, and household income) and behavioral variables (tablet and E-reader ownership index, and social networking service (SNS) and Twitter use index. Results showed that minority (Non-White) adults were significantly more likely than White adults to use their mobile phone in-store to 1.) purchase products with mobile coupons, and 2.) scan barcodes for product information. Univariate analyses showed SNS use and tablet/E-reader ownership were both significantly associated with the instore use of mobile coupons and of mobile phones to scan barcodes for product information. Multivariate analyses showed that only SNS use was associated with instore mobile coupon use. Both univariate and multivariate analyses showed that greater household income was significantly related to a greater mobile coupon use but was not associated with greater likelihood of barcode scans for product information. These results show that minorities are forefront of the use of mobile phones to assist with in-store purchase decisions

Acessos de mandioca açucarada coletados no Nordeste paraense possuem o mesmo genótipo detectado por marcadores microssatélites.

A mandioca é encontrada na região Norte do Brasil e é usada como fonte de subsistência para muitas famílias. A mandioca açucarada ou mandiocaba, é um tipo de mandioca que armazena em suas raízes, além do amido, açúcares livres como reservas. Atualmente, vêm recebendo destaque pelo seu potencial para uso na fabricação de álcool combustível, devido ao acúmulo de glicose que pode ser convertida em etanol diretamente. Foi realizado teste para avaliar a diversidade genética de acessos de mandiocas açucaradas coletadas em diferentes locais do estado do Pará mantidos no banco de germoplasma da Embrapa Amazônia Oriental. Foi realizada a genotipagem molecular de nove acessos de mandioca açucarada e um acesso de mandioca brava com marcadores microssatélites. Para isso, foram utilizados 13 primers microssatélites e a corrida dos produtos amplificados foi realizada em géis de poliacrilamida 6%. Após a análise dos géis, foi verificado que todas as nove amostras de mandioca açucarada possuíam o mesmo genótipo, sendo verificada baixa variabilidade genética para esse grupo de mandiocas

Microinjection of polipropylene with nanoclays

Polypropylene (PP)/montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites micro samples was produced by micro injection molding at concentrations 2, 6 and 10% of Nanomax. The dispersion of the nanoclay particles in polypropylene was characterized using optical microscopy in polarized light, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and the mechanical characterisation was performed using the tensile test. The results of x-ray diffraction indicated the formation of nanocomposites with partially exfoliated or intercalated structures, depending on the concentration of clay, with a maximum basal spacing of 6.217 nm. The micrographs obtained by scanning electron microscopy of fractured nanocomposite showed good dispersion of clay in polymer matrix without the presence of clusters. The tensile strength of PP/MMT is not much improved compared with pure PP but deformation increased significantly

Fiber reinforced thermoplastics compounds for electromagnetic interference shielding applications

Market demands for lightweight and lower cost products drive manufacturers to improve current product portfolios. In the case of electronic devices, the most significant weight originates from the enclosure, traditionally in steel or aluminum, that ensures excellent mechanical and electromagnetic shielding performance. The use of thermoplastics filled with electrically conductive fibers, such as carbon or stainless steel, was investigated as a lightweight and cost-effective alternative to steel sheet for creating electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding enclosures for electronic devices. This paper presents an EMI shielding analysis workflow for the development of plastic enclosures for an electronic device. The workflow starts by measuring the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic compounds shielding effectiveness (SE) with an experimental method in the 30 MHz–3 GHz frequency band. This analysis helps to filter a vast list of materials with a wide range of shielding performance, 20–100 dB, and allows to obtain empirical data for the second phase of the workflow, computer simulations. Simulations with experimentally adjusted material properties were used to validate the design concept of an enclosure in its early development phase. Results from this study showed that the selected material has better EMI SE performance than a steel sheet venting grid.The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was supported by Portugal Incentive System for Research and Technological Development, Project no 36265/2013

Impact of the economic crisis on human resources for health policies in Southern EU countries

Background The economic and financial crisis which started in the European Union in 2008 affected some countries more than others. Cyprus, Greece, and Portugal had to receive emergency financial aid from the so-called Troika (International Monetary Fund, Central European Bank, European Commission) and consequently were imposed severe austerity measures. All sectors were affected, including health. This paper focuses on the effects of the crisis on the health workforce, which represents the largest share of expenditures in the sector, and on policy responses from these three governments to measures ‘imposed' by the Troika. Methods A systematic search of peer-reviewed and grey literature, and key sources such as government websites was performed. Interviews with key informants were also conducted. Country data and information served to assess policy responses and their effects on the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of human resources for health. Results Countries responded to the crisis and to the conditions set by lenders by reducing or freezing salaries and benefits, by cutting on recruitment and even dismissing personnel, by increasing workloads, and by introducing other cost containment measures. The three countries do not seem to have used the crisis as an opportunity to make efficiency gains and thereby improve the performance of their health workforce. Conclusions This paper is included in the Workshop because it discusses policy responses to a major economic shock by governments facing external constraints, which at the same time limited their capacity for action and provided opportunities for reforminfo:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

The Oral-Vascular-Pulmonary Infection Route:a Pathogenic Mechanism Linking Oral Health Status to Acute and Post-Acute COVID-19

Purpose of Review: In recent years, much attention has focused on the role of poor oral health in the development or worsening of systemic diseases, including COVID-19. The mouth is an important site of cellular infection early in the disease course of COVID-19. We review how oral pathology, and specifically viral infection within the oral cavity, may mediate the disease severity and duration of COVID-19. In particular, the previously reported model of SARS-CoV-2 vascular delivery from the mouth to the lungs via the bloodstream is revisited.Recent Findings: We previously proposed that an oral-vascular-pulmonary route of infection could facilitate severe lung disease in COVID-19. This pathway could also explain the vital link between periodontitis and COVID-19 severity, including higher mortality risk. This model of pathogenesis is reconsidered in light of recent findings regarding the involvement of the mouth as a viral reservoir, and pathological processes in the blood, pulmonary vasculature, and elsewhere in the body. Oral dysbiosis in COVID-19 and the effect of oral hygiene in mitigating disease severity are discussed. The evidence for viral persistence in the mouth and intravascular viral passage from the mouth to the rest of the body via blood is also discussed in the context of post-acute COVID (long COVID).Summary: High viral load in the mouth and poor oral health status are associated with COVID-19 disease severity, increasing the risk of death. Pathophysiological links between viral activity in the mouth, oral health status, and disease outcome in the lungs and blood provide a rationale for further evaluation of the oral-vascular-systemic pathway in patients with acute COVID-19 and long COVID. The potential benefits of oral hygiene protocols and periodontal procedures in COVID-19 also warrant further investigation

The Oral-Vascular-Pulmonary Infection Route:a Pathogenic Mechanism Linking Oral Health Status to Acute and Post-Acute COVID-19

Purpose of Review: In recent years, much attention has focused on the role of poor oral health in the development or worsening of systemic diseases, including COVID-19. The mouth is an important site of cellular infection early in the disease course of COVID-19. We review how oral pathology, and specifically viral infection within the oral cavity, may mediate the disease severity and duration of COVID-19. In particular, the previously reported model of SARS-CoV-2 vascular delivery from the mouth to the lungs via the bloodstream is revisited.Recent Findings: We previously proposed that an oral-vascular-pulmonary route of infection could facilitate severe lung disease in COVID-19. This pathway could also explain the vital link between periodontitis and COVID-19 severity, including higher mortality risk. This model of pathogenesis is reconsidered in light of recent findings regarding the involvement of the mouth as a viral reservoir, and pathological processes in the blood, pulmonary vasculature, and elsewhere in the body. Oral dysbiosis in COVID-19 and the effect of oral hygiene in mitigating disease severity are discussed. The evidence for viral persistence in the mouth and intravascular viral passage from the mouth to the rest of the body via blood is also discussed in the context of post-acute COVID (long COVID).Summary: High viral load in the mouth and poor oral health status are associated with COVID-19 disease severity, increasing the risk of death. Pathophysiological links between viral activity in the mouth, oral health status, and disease outcome in the lungs and blood provide a rationale for further evaluation of the oral-vascular-systemic pathway in patients with acute COVID-19 and long COVID. The potential benefits of oral hygiene protocols and periodontal procedures in COVID-19 also warrant further investigation

Model to predict shrinkage and ejection forces of injection moulded tubular parts of short glass fiber reinforced thermoplastics

This work presents a model to predict shrinkage and ejection forces for glass fiber reinforced thermoplastics of tubular geometry. This mathematical model was based in Jansen’s Model to predict shrinkage and residual stresses in fiber reinforced injection molded products and Pontes’s Model to predict ejection forces for tubular parts of pure PP. The model used the modified classical laminate theory applied to injection moulding and it uses the fiber orientation state, temperature and pressure field as input and which predicts the shrinkage and ejection forces. The fiber orientation state was determined experimentally and the temperature and pressure fields were obtained by MOLDFLOW simulations. The model to predict ejection forces considers also the fiber orientation state, friction coefficient between steel and polymer, elastic modulus of polymer, both in the ejection temperature and diametrical shrinkage. The model is validated by experimental results

Assessment of the shrinkage and ejection forces of reinforced polypropylene based on nanoclays and short glass fibre

In this study the influence of nanoclay and glass fibre in the shrinkage and ejection forces in polypropylene matrix in tubular parts moulded by injection moulding were analysed. An instrumented mould was used to measure the part surface temperature and ejection forces in tubular parts. The materials used were a polypropylene homopolymer Domolen 1100L nanoclay for polyolefin nanocomposites P-802 Nanomax in percentages of 2%, 6% and 10% and a polypropylene homopolymer with content of 10% of glass fibre Domolen P1-013-V10-N and 30% of glass fibre Domolen P1-102-V30-N with 2% of nanoclay. The shrinkage and ejection forces were analysed. The results show that the incorporation of nanoclays decreases the shrinkage and ejection forces whereas glass fibre decreases the shrinkage and increase ejection forces due to the increase of the elastic modulus. The nanoclays decrease the ejection force when compared with glass fibre and pure PP. The effects of nanoclays are less pronounced than those of glass fibre. The effect of the mould temperatures on the ejection forces in the mouldings produced with the mentioned materials were also analysed. The ejection force decreases with the increase of the temperature of the mould