111,872 research outputs found
Elemental concentration in atmospheric particulate matter: Estimation of nanoparticle contribution
No full textAtmospheric nanoparticles (NPs) are often contained in aggregates or included in larger particles. We show that some of these structures can be crushed in water media by the application of ultrasounds, leading to a suspension of insoluble NPs. The contribution of these NPs to the total elemental concentration is evaluated as the difference between the inductively coupled plasma (ICP-MS) analysis before and after the elution of the suspension from an ion exchange cartridge. Total elemental content in PM can be therefore fractionated into three contributions - soluble species, solid NPs released from larger structures, insoluble particles - that may likely have different health and environmental effects. The method was applied to both Certified Material NIST 1649a and size-segregated atmospheric PM samples collected by a 13-stage impactor. The results indicate that alkaline and alkaline earth metals are found in the suspension only as watersoluble species, also when they are contained in the fine fraction of PM. Instead, a significant fraction of most elements typically emitted from combustion sources (Pb, Sb, Sn, Cd, V and As) is present in fine PM as insoluble nanoparticles that are easily dispersed in water under ultrasound application. © Taiwan Association for Aerosol Research
author-bios-SRD-19-0063.R1 – Supplemental material for The Network Structure of Police Misconduct
No full textSupplemental material, author-bios-SRD-19-0063.R1 for The Network Structure of Police Misconduct by George Wood, Daria Roithmayr and Andrew V. Papachristos in Socius</p
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
No full textThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Assessment of aortic wall mechanics in Marfan syndrome by transesophageal echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging
No full textBackground. It has been described that aortic elastic properties are abnormal in patients with Marfan syndrome irrespective of the aortic diameter. The aim of our study was to investigate the potential value of transesophageal echocardiography combined with tissue Doppler imaging for the assessment of elastic properties of the thoracic aorta in patients with Marfan disease. Methods. Twentyone patients (pts) with Marfan syndrome (Gent criteria) aged 13 to 52 years were studied with multiplane transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). 7/21 pts had surgery for aortic dissection. Sixteen age- and gender-matched healthy subjects who had normal findings at TEE served as controls. The ascending and descending aorta were visualized in a TEE short axis view. Standard formulas and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI, Toshiba corp.) during TEE were used for the quantification of aortic elastic properties. Distensibility, stiffness index, and pulse wave velocity were calculated using M-mode data. TDI tracing displayed accelerated expansion of the aortic wall followed by a slow deceleration, a plateau and then a rapid deceleration into diastole. Acceleration time (AT, msec), maximum wall expansion velocity (Vmax, cm/sec), wall contraction E and A velocities (cm/sec), and peak systolic wall strain (e, %) were determined. Results. Ascending and descending thoracic aorta dilation (>40mm and >30mm) was present in 11/21 and 12/21 pts, respectively. Marfan patients had a lower distensibility and a higher stiffness index both in patients with dilated (p<.001) and normal aortas (p<.05). Highly significant differences were obtained between both groups for Vmax (2.8±1.6 vs 6.7±1.8 cm/sec, p<.0001), AT (68±7 vs 89±5msec, p<.0001) and strain (7.6±1.3% vs 24±2.9%, p<.0001). The indices derived from TDI were significantly decreased compared to controls both in patients with dilated (p<.0001) and normal aortas (p<.001). Significant and independent predictors of aortic dilatation were systolic blood pressure (F=19.2, p<.005), aortic stiffness index (F=21.3, p<.005), Vmax (F=31.2, p<.005), and strain (F=33.6, p<.005). Decreased aortic strain, Vmax and stiffness index were predictive of aortic dissection (Odds ratio = 3.9, p <.0001, 3.5, p <.0001, and 1.5, p<.005, respectively). Conclusion. Our results show that in Marfan syndrome elastic properties of the thoracic aorta are significantly different from normal controls, even in the absence of vessel dilatation. TDI assessment of aortic wall mechanics in Marfan patients is more accurate than standard M-mode measurements and is predictive of aortic dilatation and dissectio
Assessment of aortic elastic properties by transesophageal strain echocardiography after repair of coarctation of the aorta.
No full textBackground: Increased arterial stiffness may participate in the genesis of hypertension and persistent increases in left ventricular mass after surgical correction of coarctation of the aorta (CoA). The purpose of the present study was to assess the aortic elastic properties using tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and strain echocardiography in patients (pts) after coartectomy.
Methods: Transesophageal echocardiography with TDI and strain capabilities (Toshiba corp, Tokyo, Japan) was performed in 10 pts aged 12-39 years who had repair of CoA and residual aortic narrowing <30% and who were not hypertensive at rest. 11 age- and sex-matched subjects with no signs of heart disease were selected as normal controls (CTR). Aortic transverse sections were measured at the level of the proximal, distal and coarctation segments. Transverse aortic stiffness was measured by the elastic modulus (Ep) and stiffness index beta () using previously reported formulas. TDI wall velocities during systole (Sw), early relaxation (Ew) and atrial systole (Aw) were measured in transverse views in both groups. Using dedicated software peak systolic strain (ps ) was measured from the resultant deformation curves in the same views.
Results: In the coartectomy pts there was a significant increase of Ep (47.66.5 vs 21.82.9 kPa, p<0.001) and (4.112.51 vs 2.280.65, p<0.005) at the level of the proximal and coarctation segments compared with CTR. At the same level Sw velocities were significantly decreased compared with CTR (4.10.8cm/sec vs 6.90.9cm/sec, p<0.001). There was a significant decrease of ps in the coartectomy pts compared with CTR in the proximal and coarctation segments (71.4% vs 232.5%, p<0.0001). Univariate correlations in the coartectomy group showed significant relationships of and Sw velocities (r=-0.66, p<0.01) and and ps (r=-0.78, p<0.001)
Conclusion: Thus, pts with CoA have increased proximal aortic stiffness and reduced wall velocities and wall strain even after successful repair
Assessment of aortic stiffness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea by tissue Doppler imaging.
No full textVyužití sociálních médií v B2B prodeji
No full textTato diplomová práce se zabývá tím, jak mohou B2B obchodníci využívat sociální média v prodeji. Na základě systematické rešerše literatury, autor zjistil, že akademici, zkoumající danou problematiku, navrhují další výzkum, a to: v kterých konkrétních krocích se dají využít sociální média v prodeji (Salo, 2017). Autor se na základě toho rozhodl zjistit, jaké sociální sítě, různé technologie a pluginy se dají využít v B2B prodeji - tzv. social sellingu. Social selling se v této práci týká primárně procesu akvizice a okrajově péčí o stávající zákazníky. Autor si vybral kvalitativní průzkum pomocí 10 hloubkových polo-strukturovaných rozhovorů, aby odhalil jak, která sociální média to jsou, tak i motivaci prodejců, proč tato média používat/nepoužívat. Aby autor dodržel správnost vyhodnocení výsledků, data byla analyzována pomocí Tématické analýzy, která v této studii vykrystalizovala 2 hlavní strategické přístupy v social sellingu. Tyto přístupy (tzv. Push a Pull strategie) obsahují praktické příklady a konkrétní aktivity, které mohou prodejci využívat v každodenní praxi. Tyto výsledky jsou prezentovány s důrazem na praktičnost a jednoduchost implementace. Tvoří proto hlavní přínos autorovo výzkumu. V poslední části autor zmiňuje výzvy a manažerská doporučení, které mohou obchodníci využít v každodenním pracovním životě.This diploma thesis focuses on social media usage in B2B sales. Based on the systematic literature review conducted by the author, he has found out that recent researchers (Salo, 2017) suggest further research in the area of how and in which sales phase should various social networking sites, technologies and plugins used. To further fill this research gap, author decided to identify these social media and their usage among B2B salespeople in the so-called social selling process. The social selling process in this thesis applies mainly to acquiring new prospects and tangentially to taking care of existing clients (follow-up step). Author has chosen a qualitative research method via conducting 10 in-depth semi-structured interviews to reveal these instruments as well as motivation of a sales person on why to use social media in the selling process. The collected data was analyzed using Thematic analysis to ensure the right procedure and to identify main themes which crystalized into 2 main strategic approaches in social selling. These approaches (Push and Pull) include practical examples of concrete activities which sales people can use in their daily jobs and are presented with focus on practicality and ease of implementation. These also form the main contribution of author`s research. In the last part, author mentions challenges in social selling and recommended managerial implications for salesforce
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