1,507 research outputs found
Non-Tariff Trade Barriers: Implications for U.S. Economic Growth and Competitiveness
No full textSam O. McCord is an Associate Professor of Finance and International Business, Department of Finance at Auburn University. Leonard G. Weld is an Assistant Professor, School of Accountancy at Auburn University
The effectiveness of interventions to treat severe acute malnutrition in young children: a systematic review
No full textSevere acute malnutrition (SAM) arises as a consequence of a sudden period of food shortage and is associated with loss of a person’s body fat and wasting of their skeletal muscle. Many of those affected are already undernourished and are often susceptible to disease. Infants and young children are the most vulnerable as they require extra nutrition for growth and development, have comparatively limited energy reserves and depend on others. Undernutrition can have drastic and wide-ranging consequences for the child’s development and survival in the short and long term. Despite efforts made to treat SAM through different interventions and programmes, it continues to cause unacceptably high levels of mortality and morbidity. Uncertainty remains as to the most effective methods to treat severe acute malnutrition in young children.ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of interventions to treat infants and children aged < 5 years who have SAM.Data sourcesEight databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations, CAB Abstracts Ovid, Bioline, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, EconLit EBSCO and The Cochrane Library) were searched to 2010. Bibliographies of included articles and grey literature sources were also searched. The project expert advisory group was asked to identify additional published and unpublished references.Review methodsPrior to the systematic review, a Delphi process involving international experts prioritised the research questions. Searches were conducted and two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts for eligibility. Inclusion criteria were applied to the full texts of retrieved papers by one reviewer and checked independently by a second. Included studies were mapped to the research questions. Data extraction and quality assessment were undertaken by one reviewer and checked by a second reviewer. Differences in opinion were resolved through discussion at each stage. Studies were synthesised through a narrative review with tabulation of the results.ResultsA total of 8954 records were screened, 224 full-text articles were retrieved, and 74 articles (describing 68 studies) met the inclusion criteria and were mapped. No evidence focused on treatment of children with SAM who were human immunodeficiency virus sero-positive, and no good-quality or adequately reported studies assessed treatments for SAM among infants < 6 months old. One randomised controlled trial investigated fluid resuscitation solutions for shock, with none adequately treating shock. Children with acute diarrhoea benefited from the use of hypo-osmolar oral rehydration solution (H-ORS) compared with the standard World Health Organization-oral rehydration solution (WHO-ORS). WHO-ORS was not significantly different from rehydration solution for malnutrition (ReSoMal), but the safety of ReSoMal was uncertain. A rice-based ORS was more beneficial than glucose-based ORSs, and provision of zinc plus a WHO-ORS had a favourable impact on diarrhoea and need for ORS. Comparisons of different diets in children with persistent diarrhoea produced conflicting findings. For treating infection, comparison of amoxicillin with ceftriaxone during inpatient therapy, and routine provision of antibiotics for 7 days versus no antibiotics during outpatient therapy of uncomplicated SAM, found that neither had a significant effect on recovery at the end of follow-up. No evidence mapped to the next three questions on factors that affect sustainability of programmes, long-term survival and readmission rates, the clinical effectiveness of management strategies for treating children with comorbidities such as tuberculosis and Helicobacter pylori infection and the factors that limit the full implementation of treatment programmes. Comparison of treatment for SAM in different settings showed that children receiving inpatient care appear to do as well as those in ambulatory or home settings on anthropometric measures and response time to treatment. Longer-term follow-up showed limited differences between the different settings. The majority of evidence on methods for correcting micronutrient deficiencies considered zinc supplements; however, trials were heterogeneous and a firm conclusion about zinc was not reached. There was limited evidence on either supplementary potassium or nicotinic acid (each produced some benefits), and nucleotides (not associated with benefits). Evidence was identified for four of the five remaining questions, but not assessed because of resource limitation.LimitationsThe systematic review focused on key questions prioritised through a Delphi study and, as a consequence, did not encompass all elements in the management of SAM. In focusing on evidence from controlled studies with the most rigorous designs that were published in the English language, the systematic review may have excluded other forms of evidence. The systematic review identified several limitations in the evidence base for assessing the effectiveness of interventions for treating young children with severe acute malnutrition, including a lack of studies assessing the different interventions; limited details of study methods used; short follow-up post intervention or discharge; and heterogeneity in participants, interventions, settings, and outcome measures affecting generalisability.ConclusionsFor many of the most highly ranked questions evidence was lacking or inconclusive. More research is needed on a range of topic areas concerning the treatment of infants and children with SAM. Further research is required on most aspects of the management of SAM in children < 5 years, including intravenous resuscitation regimens for shock, management of subgroups (e.g. infants < 6 months old, infants and children with SAM who are human immunodeficiency virus sero-positive) and on the use of antibiotics.FundingThe National Institute for Health Research Technology Assessment programme.<br/
The "New Age Atheism"? An Atheistic Morality and Spirituality at Sam Harris
No full textO presente trabalho procura discutir certos aspectos da tese de doutorado em andamento intitulada “Uma “Nova Era” no ateísmo: ciência moderna, espiritualidade e desencantamento religioso na perspectiva de Sam Harris”. O recorte estabelecido neste artigo procura investigar as relações entre o pensamento do filósofo e neurocientista ateu Sam Harris e as práticas conhecidas como Nova Era (New Age). Em sua busca pela moralidade e espiritualidade longe da influência religiosa e baseada na ciência, o autor pauta suas discussões em elementos e discussões recorrentes de círculos New Age, promovendo assim uma possível influência, mesmo não intencional, das ideias da Nova Era em suas reflexões.This paper intents to discuss some aspects of the doctoral thesis in advance entitled “Uma “Nova Era” no ateísmo: ciência moderna, espiritualidade e desencantamento religioso na perspectiva de Sam Harris” (A “New Age” in the atheism: modern science, spirituality and religious disenchantment in the Sam Harris’ perspective). The contour settled in this article plans to research the relations between the views of the philosopher and neuroscientist Sam Harris and the practices known as the New Age. Searching for morality and spirituality apart from religious influence and science-based, the author base his discussions in elements and discussions recurring at New Age’s circles, promoting a so-called influence, intentionally or not, from the New Age’s ideas in his works
Enzymatic S-Methylation of Thiols Catalyzed by Different O-Methyltransferases
No full textS-Adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases (MTs) are highly chemoselective enzymes grouped in C-, N-, O-, S- and halide MTs, depending on the (hetero) atom that acts as the methyl group acceptor. So far, OMTs present the largest group, including many well investigated candidates. The catechol OMT from mammals such as from Rattus norvegicus (RnCOMT) is involved in the metabolism of neurotransmitters like dopamine. It is known to methylate the hydroxyl of the catechol ring in the 3 position. There are also reports showing that the regioselectivity of different COMTs can vary leading to different products with methyl groups in the 3 and or 4 positions. Nevertheless, there was only O-methylation reported for COMTs. Another related MT, the caffeate OMT involved in the lignin biosynthesis of plants has also been reported as a chemoselective enzyme. In nature, S-methylation is a rare phenomenon with different methyl donors being involved in the methyl transfer onto sulfur atoms. Several SAM-dependent MTs are identified as S-methyltransferases (SMTs), these are involved in salvaging pathways and xenobiotic metabolism of cells. Here, we report a new function of three OMTs; RnCOMT, a COMT from Myxococcus xanthus (MxSafC), and a CaOMT from Prunus persica (PpCaOMT) with acceptance towards different aromatic thiol substrates with up to full conversion.BT/Biocatalysi
Parochial life and the audience of Jacob's Well
No full textThe medieval sermon, a weekly feature of the Mass, addressed the spiritual and theological concerns of its intended audience. In order to preach most effectively to a particular congregation, homilists tailored their messages to answer the individual worries of that group. Thus, careful analysis of the content of the sermons of Jacob’s Well should provide the historian with a reconstruction of the parochial life of a fifteenth century English village. The composition of the audience of Jacob’s Well was the first question to be addressed in this essay. Specific statements addressed to agricultural laborers and manorial servants, husbands, wives, household retainers, and members of the knightly class indicate that the author probably intended for his sermons to reach an audience made up of lay persons. Moreover, the author’s frequent translation of biblical and patristic citations from Latin into the vernacular support this assertion, for a group of monastics would have been expected to be proficient in the original language. Another goal of this thesis was to place the sermons within their geographic setting. Distinctive features in the homilist’s dialect suggest that he was East Anglian--probably from western Norfolk. A comparison between the economy, geography, and topography of the dialect region and references to the same in Jacob’s Well would seem to indicate two things: first, that the author was most familiar with the fens of southwestern Norfolk, and second, that he probably intended for his sermons to be preached to a congregation whose life centered on such an area. Since it is probable that the intended audience of Jacob’s Well was also the population of a rural village, the most common components of such are described in this section of the essay. Evidence from the sermons which appears to support this hypothesis is also presented. Lastly, the importance of the village priest in parochial life is discussed, particularly the great economic impact he would have had on his congregation through the institution of the tithe. The final section describes the role of the parish church in the social life of a rural village. Financial responsibility for the construction and repair of the parish fabric fell on the congregation, which resulted in the laity’s belief that the church was their property to be used as they thought the best. Consequently, various liturgical feasts were celebrated in the nave and churchyard in what moralists of the period decried as less than appropriate fashions. The author of Jacob’s Well, as evidenced by his denunciation of the secular practices associated with holy festivals, expected his audience to behave in a similar manner. In conclusion, the audience of Jacob’s Well, as indirectly described by the anonymous author of the sermon series, probably reflects normal parochial life in the fifteenth century England. The economic pursuits of the parish are overwhelmingly agricultural, as was the case in the rest of the country. Local political authority was wielded by a manorial lord and was seemingly tempered by the influences of the village priests, a governmental arrangement which persisted in England until relatively recently. The social life of the audience of Jacob’s Well, as was the case with the rest of the rural population of the kingdom, revolved around the parish church and the liturgical calendar. It is probably safe to conclude, therefore, that the parochial life describes in the course of the sermons of Jacob’s Well largely reflects that of the entire medieval English countryside
Croatian Author Comic "Iron Lace
No full textStrip album Čelična Čipka je autorska priča o pripadniku heavy metal subkulture koji od vlastitog oca i prijatelja skriva veliku, sramotnu tajnu. Istovremeno, njegov otac sam sebi ne želi priznati vlastitu seksualnu orijentaciju. Pouka stripa jest prihvaćanje različitosti, budući da smo ispod kože koju nosimo ustvari svi isti.Comic book Iron lace is author story about heavy metalhead who has hidding big, embarrassing secret from his father and friends. At the same time, his father woun't admit his sexual orientation to himself. Moral lesson of this comic book is acceptane of diversity, since we're all the same under this skin which we wear
Childhood in the novels Jaz sam by Sarival Sosič and Tišine by Karla Suarez
No full textDiplomsko delo temelji na romanih Jaz sam slovenskega pisatelja Sarivala Sosiča in Tišine kubanske pisateljice Karle Suarez. Analizira motiv otroštva kot dobe, kjer se postavljajo temelji za človekovo življenje in kjer pomembno vlogo igra družina s svojim odnosom do otroka in tudi odnosom do ostalih. Romana odpirata teme tišine, samote, iskanja lastnega jaza in spominov na otroštvo, ki omogočajo medgeneracijsko pripovedovanje o poreklu družine.This diploma thesis is based on the novels Jaz sam by the Slovenian writer Sarival Sosič and Silencios by the Cuban author Karla Suarez. Throughout the diploma, the motif of childhood is analysed as an age where the foundations for human life are established and where family plays an important role with its attitude towards the child and others. Both novels discuss themes such as silence, loneliness, the search of oneself and the memories of childhood, which enable the intergenerational narration of the family’s origins
Complex father – son in the novel Sam čovjek by Ivo Kozarčanin
No full textU ovom radu, Kompleks otac – sin u romanu Sam čovjek Ive Kozarčanina, prikazana je raščlamba odnosa oca i sina u romanu Sam čovjek Ive Kozarčanina. Najprije je predstavljen pisac i njegovo stvaralaštvo a potom se objašnjavaju posebnosti spomenutoga romana. Nakon toga obrađuje se glavni lik Valentin, njegova samoća i odnosi naspram žena. Nakon Valentina obrađuje se njegov otac, a najviše se govori o odnosima oca i sina; kako otac postupa prema sinu, u čemu su slični, u čemu se razlikuju i koliko očevo ponašanje prema drugima utječe na sina.This work, Complex father – son in the novel Sam čovjek by Ivo Kozarčanin, presents an analysis of father and son relations in the novel Sam čovjek by Ivo Kozarčanin. The author and his creativity are presented first, and then the specifics of the novel are explained. After that, the main character Valentin, his loneliness and relations with women are discussed. Then Valentine's father is presented. The main part of this work deals with mutual relations of father and son; how the father treats his son, in what aspects are they alike and how they differ, and how much the father's behavior towards others affects his son
Methyltransferases: Functions and Applications
No full textIn this review the current state-of-the-art of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases and SAM are evaluated. Their structural classification and diversity is introduced and key mechanistic aspects presented which are then detailed further. Then, catalytic SAM as a target for drugs, and approaches to utilise SAM as a cofactor in synthesis are introduced with different supply and regeneration approaches evaluated. The use of SAM analogues are also described. Finally O-, N-, C- and S-MTs, their synthetic applications and potential for compound diversification is given.BT/Biocatalysi
Przodkowie Janusza Korczaka a obraz rodziny w utworze Sam na sam z Bogiem. Modlitwy tych, którzy się nie modlą
No full textThe article shows the structure and the semantics of the religious text Alone with God: The Prayers of Those Who Do Not Pray, written by Janusz Korczak, a well-known pedagogue. Korczak’s lively interest in the topic of human spirituality is apparent in this text. In the Dedication in the final part of the collection of prayers, the author writes that they are the statements of his ancestors, dictated by his parents. By writing this, he expresses his conviction about the overwhelming importance of the heritage of the past to the spiritual development of each person. The article also contains a description of Korczak’s ancestors and the image of the family recorded in the text.W artykule przedstawiona została struktura i semantyka tekstu religijnego Sam na sam z Bogiem. Modlitwy tych, którzy się nie modlą, którego autorem jest znany pedagog Janusz Korczak. W tym tekście uwidoczniły się żywe zainteresowania Korczaka tematem ludzkiej duchowości. W Dedykacji zamieszczonej w części końcowej zbioru modlitw autor pisze, że są one wypowiedziami przodków, dyktowanymi przez rodziców, w czym wyraża się jego przekonanie o przemożnym znaczeniu dziedzictwa przeszłości dla rozwoju duchowego człowieka. Artykuł zawiera także opis przodków Korczaka i obraz rodziny utrwalony w analizowanym tekście
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