Can the Big Five of Publishing Become the Big Four?

On March 4, 2020, ViacomCBS announced its intention to sell its book-publishing subsidiary, Simon & Schuster. This announcement came less than a year after the merger between Viacom and CBS. Since the 2019 merger, ViacomCBS decided to focus on television and video and began selling its smaller companies that do not have a “significant connection for [its] broader business.” Prior to the announcement to buy Simon & Schuster, ViacomCBS had received “unsolicited inbound calls” regarding the sale of the book publishing company. This post was originally published on the Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal website on September 20, 2022. The original post can be accessed via the Archived Link button above

Ticketmaster and Live Nation Know Antitrust Laws All Too Well

Almost anyone who has been to a concert, sports match, or any type of live event in recent years has likely had to deal with Ticketmaster, which commands a large majority of the ticketing industry. In November 2022, Ticketmaster faced public scrutiny after its website crashed during the pre-sale for Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. Frustrated fans logged off empty handed after hours of waiting and enduring the website’s glitches and eventual crash. Fans that did secure tickets were required to pay various fees, which Ticketmaster notoriously uses to drive up prices and “extract more money from consumers.” The Chairman of Live Nation Entertainment (“Live Nation”), Ticketmaster’s parent company, pointed to Swift’s immense popularity as the source of the crash, taking no accountability for its website’s failure. Swift’s fans, also known as “Swifties,” voiced their disdain for Live Nation’s handling of the pre-sale, and even filed a lawsuit against the company in the state of California in December 2022. The lawsuit alleges that Live Nation’s ongoing engagement in anticompetitive behavior harms the ticketing industry and consumers. This post was originally published on the Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal website on March 1, 2023. The original post can be accessed via the Archived Link button above

Impact of Provider Cultural Competency on Latino/Hispanic Patients During End-of-Life and Hospice Care

Background: Cultural competency in healthcare means delivering high quality care to patients with diverse beliefs, attitudes, values, and behaviors. Latinos/Hispanics are one of the fastest growing ethnic group and with an aging population, there is an increased need for providers to deliver culturally sensitive end-of-life and hospice care. Latino/Hispanic patients face many disparities that affect their quality of care which cultural competency aims to address. Purpose: The purpose of this literature review is to identify factors that affect Latino/Hispanic patient’s end-of-life and hospice care and how cultural competency of providers can influence management of their pain and quality of life. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted using PubMed, MEDLINE, Lindell Library, and Google Scholar databases. Search terms included “Latino patients”, “Hispanic patients”, “end-of-life care”, “hospice care”, “palliative care”, “pain management”, “opioid use”, “quality of life”, and “cultural competency training”. Inclusion criteria included studies published from 2015-2022 that conducted original research with proof of internal validity and participants 18 years old and older. Studies conducted outside of the United States and those specific to cancer patients were excluded. Conclusions: Providing culturally competent care improves patient-provider communication, increases trust, and enhances patient satisfaction leading to the delivery of equitable patient- centered care to Latino/Hispanic patients. Continued efforts to improve hospice and end-of-life care must integrate the perceptions and experiences Latino/Hispanic patients face as cultural background influences the quality of care they receive and respective outcomes

Tenure Impacts on Livelihood, Income, Forest Condition, and Equity of an Upland Community in Negros Occidental, Philippines

This study examined the perceived impacts of the Integrated Social Forestry Program (ISFP) on the biophysical and socio-economic conditions of farmers in Barangay Patag, Silay City, Negros Occidental, Philippines. Specifically, it aimed to: (a) assess the perceived impacts of ISFP on local livelihood, income, forest condition, and equity (LIFE); and (b) identify the factors that are associated with perceived equity; and (c) determine the relationships between perceived equity and ISFP goals. Data were gathered through surveys and a focused group discussion. A total of 41 respondents composed the survey, while six key informants comprised the focused discussion group. Key findings showed that ISFP was perceived to have considerable beneficial impacts on livelihood and income sources. It also had positive impacts on forest condition particularly in the perceived increased of forest cover. Some beneficial impacts were likewise noted for equity across dimensions: gender; education; economic status; and membership. Finally, challenges in sustaining the program underscored the need for strategies to further enhance its positive impacts on the local community’s socio-ecological condition

Comprobación en vivo del grosor del tocino en los cerdos

Uno de los mayores obstáculos para la mejora de las canales de cerdos es que se cree en falsos espejismos para reducir la grasa, tales como el racionamiento, forma de la alimentación o el sistema de llevarla a cabo, y se espera la fórmula milagrosa que proporcione canales extra de cerdos mediocres. Se habrá dado un gran paso cuando todos los ganaderos comprendan las limitaciones de la restricción alimenticia y adopten la actitud positiva y verdadera de la selección genética. Se habrá dado un gran paso cuando todos los ganaderos comprendan las limitaciones de la restricción alimenticia y adopten la actitud positiva y verdadera de la selección genética. Numerosas investigaciones de autores, tanto europeos como americanos, han demostrado que la formación de grasa y tocino en las canales son uno de los factores que dependen más de la "clase" del cerdo, o sea genéticamente más transmisibles

Fish Performance, Nutrient Digestibilities, and Hepatic and Intestinal Morphologies in Grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus Fed Fermented Copra Meal

Protein enhanced copra meal (PECM®) is an alternative, cheap, and sustainable source of plant protein for the aquafeed industry, albeit its use on carnivorous fish species has been very limited. A 70-day feeding trial using grouper Epinephelus fuscoguttatus (initial mean body weight of 1.86 ± 0.19 g) tested fermented copra meal as feed ingredient. Six isonitrogenous (crude protein of 45%) and iso-lipidic (crude fat of 11%) diets consisted of PECM®: a control diet at 0% soybean meal replacement (C); four diets replacing soybean meal at 25% (FC25), 50% (FC50), 75% (FC75), 100% (FC100) – all with methionine and lysine supplementation; and 100% soybean replacement without methionine and lysine supplementation (FCW100). Growth and feed performance were not significantly (P \u3e 0.05) affected by PECM® replacement of soybean meal up to 100%, even without methionine and lysine supplementation. Chemical body composition was likewise not significantly (P \u3e 0.05) altered. PECM® when used as a grouper feed ingredient has protein, lipid, carbohydrate and dry matter digestibilities of 89.28%, 78.63%, 82.57%, and 48%, respectively. Hepatic and intestinal morphologies displayed no apparent pathological changes. PECM® can be efficiently utilized by grouper and can replace soybean meal up to 100% (16% in diet) for normal fish performance and digestive organ functions

Cuatro obras de Don Cesareo Sanz Egaña (1885-1959), que me resultaron muy útiles

El que suscribe, cursó Veterinaria en Zaragoza (1945-1950) en una época con gran precariedad de medios bibliográficos; ello nos obligó a que en bastantes asignaturas las teníamos que cursar mediante la toma de apuntes, con los consiguientes inconvenientes. Ello motivó, el que yo comprase las obras correspondientes a las asignaturas en cuestión, si es que existían. Ahora bien, y estudiaba siempre los apuntes, y en algunos casos consultaba el libro en cuestión. En otros casos, compré el libro, teniendo ya aprobada la asignatura (por no haberlo encontrado antes)

La Escuela-Facultad de Veterinaria de Zaragoza y sus estudiantes catalanes

En Cataluña ya existieron algunos veterinarios (muy pocos) antes de que empezara a funcionar en 1848 la Escuela de Veterinaria de Zaragoza, que como sabemos su primer Director, Anastasio Ortiz Landazuri, pasó muchisimas dificultades para ponerla en funcionamiento. Tenemos algunas escasas noticias de que algunos pocos estudiaron en Madrid (Jerónimo Darder Feliu, Miguel Viñas Martí, Josep Presta Corbera, Antoni Masip, Joan A. Marimon, Juan Arderius i Banjol, etc.), en Santiago de Compostela (Ramón Turró, etc.) y alguno en Toulouse. Posteriormente, salvo excepciones procedieron de Zaragoza. Más adelante citaremos a aquellos alumnos ya salidos de Zaragoza y que destacaron en su ejercicio profesional y ya fallecidos. Es seguro, que hubieron más, pero que dadas las circunstancias de la época (2ª mitad siglo XIX y principios del siglo XX), aislados en el medio rural, sin comunicaciones ni medios de transporte, sin electricidad ni teléfono ni ferrocaril, sin correo ni revistas, etc. algunos veterinarios a pesar de sus esfuerzos, apenas nos han quedado restos de su labor profesional