The Future of Business Discourse Teaching

This chapter will:; ; ; Explore ways in which new media and digital technologies are shaping business communication and highlight the importance of digital communicative competence for learners and teachers;; ; ; Discuss ways in which the digital workplace can be brought into the business discourse classroom;; ; ; Discuss the role of Business English and other business languages in international business and what this means for business discourse teaching;; ; ; Consider how the multicultural workplace can inform business discourse teaching;; ; ; Provide a case study that illustrates some of the above developments, together with a set of tasks appropriate for the business discourse classroom, and a set of further readings

Historical development of technologies for water resources management and rainwater harvesting in the Hellenic civilizations

The shortage of water in ancient Greek civilizations necessitated various collection methods and storage cisterns. In fact, rainwater harvesting dates back to Minoan times, ca. 3200–1100 BC. Since then, several types of cisterns have evolved, while a significant development appears to have occurred throughout Hellas during the Hellenistic period. In addition to the Hellenistic period, the succeeding Roman, Byzantine, Venetian and Ottoman periods are discussed. Within this context, a few examples relating to characteristics of Hellenistic cisterns, conveying illustrations of the development of technology during those historical periods, are included

A specific phospholipase C activity regulates phosphatidylinositol levels in lung surfactant of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome

Lung surfactant (LS) is a lipid-rich material lining the inside of the lungs. It reduces surface tension at the liquid/air interface and thus, it confers protection of the alveoli from collapsing. The surfaceactive component of LS is dipalmitoyl-phosphatidylcholine, while anionic phospholipids such as phosphatidylinositol (PtdIns) and primarily phosphatidylglycerol are involved in the stabilization of the LS monolayer. The exact role of PtdIns in this system is not wellunderstood; however, PtdIns levels change dramatically during the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) evolution. In this report we present evidence of a phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) activity in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid,which may regulate PtdIns levels. Characterization of this extracellular activity showed specificity for PtdIns and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate, sharing the typical substrate concentration-, pH-, and calcium-dependencies with mammalian PI-PLCs. Fractionation of BAL fluid showed that PI-PLC did not co-fractionate with large surfactant aggregates, but it was found mainly in the soluble fraction. Importantly, analysis of BAL samples from control subjects and from patients with ARDS showed that the PI-PLC specific activity was decreased by 4-fold in ARDS samples concurrently with the increase in BAL PtdIns levels. Thus, we have identified for the first time an extracellular PI-PLC enzyme activity that may be acutely involved in the regulation of PtdIns levels in LS

Comparative effectiveness of ceftriaxone plus metronidazole versus anti-pseudomonal antibiotics for perforated appendicitis in children

Background: Appendicitis is the most common pediatric surgical emergency and one of the most common indications for antibiotic use in hospitalized children. The antibiotic choice differs widely across children's hospitals, and the optimal regimen for perforated appendicitis remains unclear. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study comparing initial antibiotic regimens for perforated appendicitis at a large tertiary-care children's hospital. Children hospitalized between January 2011 and March 2015 who underwent surgery for perforated appendicitis were identified by ICD-9 codes with confirmation by chart review. Patients were excluded if they had been admitted ≥48 hours prior to diagnosis, had a history of appendicitis, received inotropic agents, were immunocompromised, or were given an antibiotic regimen other than ceftriaxone plus metronidazole (CTX/MTZ) or an anti-pseudomonal drug (cefepime, piperacillin/tazobactam, ciprofloxacin, imipenem, or meropenem) within the first two days after diagnosis. The primary outcome of interest was post-operative complications, defined as development of an incisional infection or abscess within six weeks of hospital discharge. Results: Of the 353 children who met the inclusion criteria, 252 (71%) received CTX/MTZ and the others received an anti-pseudomonal regimen. A post-operative complication occurred in 37 (14.7%) of the CTX/MTZ group versus 18 (17.8%) of the anti-pseudomonal group. Antibiotic-related complications occurred in 4.4% of children on CTX/MTZ and 6.9% of children on anti-pseudomonal antibiotics (p = 0.32). In a multivariable logistic regression model adjusting for sex, age, ethnicity, and duration of symptoms prior to presentation, the adjusted odds ratio for post-operative complications in children receiving anti-pseudomonal antibiotics was 1.25 (95% confidence interval 0.66-2.40). Conclusion: Post-operative complication rates did not differ for children treated with CTX/MTZ versus a broader-spectrum regimen

An in situ optical dataset for working towards fiducial reference measurements based satellite ocean colour validation in the Eastern Mediterranean

The societal benefits of satellite ocean colour include aiding the management of the marine ecosystem, helping understand the role of the ocean ecosystem in climate change, aquaculture, fisheries, coastal zone water quality, and the mapping and monitoring of harmful algal blooms. Ocean colour is also designated as an essential climate variable by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS). However, in order to have confidence in earth observation data, measurements made at the surface of the Earth, with the intention of providing verification or validation of satellite mounted sensor measurements, should be trustworthy and of the same high quality as those taken with the satellite sensors themselves. In order to be trustworthy, in situ validation measurements should include an unbroken chain of SI traceable calibrations and comparisons and full uncertainty budgets for each of the in situ sensors used. This metrological traceability is beginning to be demanded by the space agencies for satellite validation measurements and, for ocean colour, should follow the guidelines and protocols of the ESA Fiducial Reference Measurements for Satellite Ocean Colour (FRM4SOC) project (www.frm4soc.org). Until now, this has not been the case for most measurements used for validation, including those taken in the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean. Subsequently, the Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), in cooperation with the Laboratory of Optical Metrology (LOM), has started to follow the FRM direction by ensuring that the radiometers of its optical suite underwent SI- traceable absolute radiometric calibration. This included an estimate of the radiometry calibration uncertainty budget and was performed at the marine optical laboratory of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre prior to their deployment on the recent PERLE- 2 oceanographic cruise in the Eastern Mediterranean (Feb- Mar 2019). As well as irradiance and radiance sensors, the HCMR optical suite also houses instruments for measuring inherent optical properties (IOP) of the water column. Therefore, this paper presents the in-water radiometry matchups from PERLE-2 with Sentinel-3 Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) measurements, and investigates their validation potential. It also presents the PERLE-2 cruise profile chlorophyll and backscatter measurements that aid this effort through characterizing the light scattering and absorbing constituents that contribute to the signal detected by satellite ocean colour sensors during validation matchups