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As a result of the International Olympic Committee's desire to rejuvenate its fan base and spark the interest of a new generation of spectators, the world witnessed the inclusion of action and adventure sports in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games. These sports included sport climbing, skate street, skate park, BMX park and surfing. Focusing specifically on the sport of surfing, this study aims to explore the expectations around its debut in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic programme, nurtured by people relevant to the surfing universe, such as athletes, managers and journalists. This is a descriptive and exploratory study that uses bibliographic and documentary analysis as methodological procedures, along with a semi-structured interview script for qualitative exploratory research, focused on the inclusion of surfing in the Olympic programme. Through the analysis of interview data combined with the information obtained through literature review, we conclude that the inclusion of surfing in the Olympic programme presents possibilities that go beyond rejuvenating its audience; it also has the potential to reaffirm Olympic values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heterologous fibrin sealant (HFS) consists of a fibrinogen-rich cryoprecipitate extracted from Bubalus bubalis buffalo blood and a thrombin-like enzyme purified from Crotalus durissus terrificus snake venom. This study evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of HFS, estimated the best dose, and assessed its preliminary efficacy in the treatment of chronic venous ulcers (CVU). Methods: A phase I/II non-randomized, single-arm clinical trial was performed on 31 participants, accounting for a total of 69 active CVUs. All ulcers were treated with HFS, essential fatty acid, and Unna boot for 12 weeks. The outcomes assessed were: (1) primary safety, immunogenicity analyses, and confirmation of the lowest safe dose; (2) secondary promising efficacy by analyzing the healing process. Immunogenicity was evaluated using the serum-neutralizing (IgM and IgG) and non-neutralizing (IgA and IgE) antibody techniques against the product. The immuno-detection of IgE class antibodies was assessed using dot-blot assay before and at the end of treatment. Positive samples on dot-blot assays were subsequently analyzed by western blotting to verify the results. Results: No severe systemic adverse events related to the use of HFS were observed. Local adverse events potentially related to treatment include ulcer pain (52%), peri-ulcer maceration (16%), peri-ulcer pruritus (12%), critical colonization (8%), peri-ulcer eczema (4%), the opening of new ulcers (4%), and increased ulcerated area 4%). Neutralizing and non-neutralizing antibodies did not show significant deviations at any of the evaluated time points. Blot assays showed that all patients presented negative immunological reactions, either before or after treatment, with the thrombin-like enzyme component. In addition, two participants showed a positive immunological reaction to the cryoprecipitate component, while another two were positive before and during treatment. Regarding the secondary outcomes of preliminary efficacy, a total healing and significant reduction of the area was observed in 47.5 and 22%, respectively. A qualitative improvement was observed in the wound beds of unhealed ulcers. Conclusions: The investigational HFS bioproduct proved to be safe and non-immunogenic with a good preliminary efficacy for the treatment of CVU, according to the protocol and doses proposed. A multicentric phase III clinical trial will be necessary to verify these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the impact of high levels of penetration of wind power generation in the problem of transient stability of power systems. The investigation takes into account the stability issues related to the disconnection of wind power plants due to violation of voltage limits defined by the low-voltage ride-through curve. Different levels of penetration are investigated, starting at 10.59% for wind power plants based on types 1, 2, 3 and 4 wind turbine generators, until 75.24% for those based on type 3. Simulation results show that the secure power system operation can be maintained in most of the situations, from the point of view of transient stability, for the crescent penetration of wind power plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We exploit the exogenous shock to the Brazilian banking system caused by the international turmoil of 2008 and find evidence that the run to systemically important banks is better explained by the perception of a too-big-to-fail policy than by bank fundamentals. We infer that the extra inflow of deposits received by systemically important banks during crises gives them an important competitive advantage. Our analysis also indicates that a bank’s share of funding from institutional investors affects the nonfinancial firms’ and institutional investors’ decision to run. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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SUMMARY Branches of tortuous arteries in the adventitia of the minor calyces supply blood to the renal papilla. The papilla therefore receives blood from both the vasa recta and the calyx. In certain pathological conditions this dual blood supply is of importance. It probably accounts for the preservation of the papilla and adjacent medulla in cases of acute tubular necrosis. When the calycine vessels are occluded, any interference with the blood supply through the vasa recta, such as occurs during peripheral circulatory failure, is liable to lead to ischemic necrosis of the renal papilla. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A preliminary court injunction based on alleged personal security risks gave Brazilian public companies the option of noncompliance with new executive and director compensation disclosure rules. We find that noncompliance is possibly motivated by agency conflicts and not by crime rates in the state where the company is headquartered. Noncompliers tend to present lower corporate governance (CG) quality, higher ownership concentration, larger total assets, and less profitability. State- and foreign-owned companies are significantly less likely noncompliers. Shareholders correctly anticipated that lower CG quality firms were more likely noncompliers but may have been negatively surprised when some higher CG quality firms did not comply. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article on teaching ethics in the May 26, 2007 issue.