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Pectoral nerve blocks (Pecs I and Pecs II) are superficial thoracic wall blocks which block the pectoral and intercostal nerves. They can be used as analgesia/anesthesia for breast surgery and other procedures/surgeries involving the anterior chest wall (arteriovenous graft creation surgery, minimally invasive cardiac surgery and thoracotomy, etc.). The aim of this study is to evaluate publications in the scientific field of pectoral nerve blocks. ISI Web of Knowledge-Science was used for the analysis. All scientific works published included in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-E) from 1975 to January 27, 2019, were analyzed. A retrospective search was performed using key words "pectoral nerve block," "PECS I," "PECS II," "pecs block," "PECS block,""Pecs I," "Pecs II," "PECS 1," "PECS 2," and "modified pecs I block." We further analyzed these results by the "analyze" function of the software in terms of number of papers for each country, type of documentation, number of publications per year, and name of journals and authors. The number of citations to published works was also calculated by using the citation function of the same software. 72 papers were found related to pectoral nerve block. The biggest contribution was from India (24.28%), and followed by Japan (14.28%), USA (14.28%), Canada (7.14%), Egypt (7.14%), Italy (5.71%), and South Korea (5.71%). The total number of publications increased sharply in years from 2014 (n = 1) to 2018 (n = 28). We have detected that papers on the use of pecs block in breast cancer surgery, which is one of the most common surgical procedure in the world, are few in the literature. With this study, we hope to increase the awareness on this area. We believe that pecs block applications will become widespread with the increasing use of ultrasound in anesthesia and the increase in education in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is regularly pointed out that despite impressive economic growth India has the largest number of malnourished children in the world. It also has the largest number of people with diabetes despite moderate levels of obesity. These two observations may in fact be linked; poverty breeds malnutrition in children and chronic diseases in adults. This article reviews evidence on the critical role of early nutrition both for long-term health and also for reducing the intergenerational transmission of poverty. (JEL codes: I12, I14, O15) [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose: This paper investigates the role of the founder CEO and board independence in shaping the way in which Indian and Italian family firms (FFs) pursue international growth via two modes, that is exports and FDI. This article claims that country's context matters in determining the relationship between the presence of the founder CEO and FFs' extent of exports and extent of FDI. Further, this article examines the moderating role of board independence on the above-mentioned founder CEO–FF's international growth relationship. Design/methodology/approach: Using a fixed-effect panel data method, this article tests the hypotheses on a sample of 1,275 Indian FF-year observations and 705 Italian FF-year observations over the period 2008–2015. Findings: This article reveals that the presence of a founder CEO is positively associated with the extent of exports but negatively associated with the extent of FDI in Italian firms. However, in case of Indian firms, the presence of the founder CEO is negatively associated with the extent of exports as well as with the extent of FDI. This founder CEO's influence on the firm's international growth is mitigated by the presence of an independent board in Italian firms; however, this moderation is not significant in the case of Indian firms. Research limitations/implications: It is important to capture heterogeneity within family firms and across institutional contexts while studying family firms' international growth. Further, it is important for international business scholars to theorize for different modes of international growth because challenges faced in expansion via exports are different from the challenges faced in expansion via FDI (foreign subsidiaries). Therefore, family firms leadership might prefer a certain mode of international growth. Practical implications: The findings of the study imply that national culture and institutional context could play an important role in determining (a) Founder CEO's inclination towards FF's extent of exports and FDI as well as (b) the effectiveness of an independent board in mitigating founder CEO's influence on FF's international growth. Originality/value: This work is one of the very few studies that examines the impact of FF's heterogeneity and country heterogeneity on two modes of international growth, namely exports and FDI, in the Indian and Italian contexts. Further, this work provides empirical evidence on the independent board's role in mitigating founder CEO's influence in decision making in the case of Italian firms. Extant literature expects an independent board to encourage FFs' international growth both via exports and FDI; this study shows that independent boards could reduce the founder CEO's inclination towards exports and mitigate founder CEO's influence on the decision making; however, this mitigation effect is highly context dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

COVID-19 is the highly communicable disease which is being announced as pandemic by WHO. The disease has already impacted the economies of big nations like China, Italy, United states etc and now this disease is hitting our developing country i.e. India too. COVID-19 or Corona virus is human to human spread disease and thus social distancing is the only measure which everyone can take to minimize its spread. National lockdown is the measure taken by Government to create distance among people. But what will be the probable impact of this lockdown on different sectors of our country. This paper aims to analyze impact of COVID-19 on the educational sector of India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic negatively influenced the entire life globally including various aspects of patients' care. Its effect on medical research production is not known. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on medical research reporting trend. Methods: Advanced search on PubMed was performed over 2011- August, 2021. Monthly comparison was done for the years 2019, 2020, and 2021. Kruskal Wallis test was used to compare continuous distributions. Results: The total publication count showed constant increment over the study period. Faster rise was noticed on 2020 (15.7%). A steady growth in publications over the years and through the pandemic was also seen in seven studied countries with variable, both in total and also after exclusion of COVID-19 related papers. Italy and India have the highest proportions of COVID-19 related publications in comparison to the total papers in 2020, but USA has the highest quantity. Statistically significant differences exist between the first eight months of the last three years with and without counting COVID-19 related publications (p-values=0.0003907 and 0.001084, respectively). Conclusion: Our results reflect that investigators world-wide succeeded to reconfigure their work style and utilize the spared time induced by the lockdown to enrich the medical research platform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The higher education efficiency evaluation model using the data envelopment analysis method has interested many researchers. This paper uses bibliometric analysis on publications extracted from the Scopus database to provide a comprehensive overview of research publications on the measurement of higher education efficiency based on data envelopment analysis: its growth rate, major collaboration networks, the most important and popular research topic. A total of 169 related publications were collected and analyzed from 1988 to 2021. The analysis results show that: Publications published every year have increased sharply in the last six years; The quality of publications is relatively high as publications tend to be published in journals with high-ranking indexes; Countries with the most influence in studies on this topic are: Italy, China, Spain, the USA, and the United Kingdom; Authors with the most influence in this research direction are Agasisti T., Abbott M., Doucouliagos C., Avkiran N.K., and Johnes J.; The research cooperation among countries and among affiliations is not strong. Finally, the paper has provided recommendations for future studies based on the findings.

This paper presents a compilation of personal reflections from 66 contributors on the impact of, and responses to, COVID-19 in accounting education in 45 different countries around the world. It reveals a commonality of issues, and a variability in responses, many positive outcomes, including the creation of opportunities to realign learning and teaching strategies away from the comfort of traditional formats, but many more that are negative, primarily relating to the impact on faculty and student health and well-being, and the accompanying stress. It identifies issues that need to be addressed in the recovery and redesign stages of the management of this crisis, and it sets a new research agenda for studies in accounting education.

This rapid systematic review aims to examine emerging evidence on the effects of COVID-19 on educational institutions and assess the prevalence of e-learning changes in the sector. This paper reviews literature on learning, teaching, and assessment approaches adopted since the COVID-19 outbreak, and assesses the impact on the sector, staff, and students, summarizing findings from peer-reviewed articles. It categorizes these into five key themes: (1) digital learning; (2) e-learning challenges; (3) digital transition to emergency virtual assessment (EVA); (4) psychological impact of COVID-19; and (5) creating collaborative cultures. This represents the first systematic review of COVID-19's impact on education, clarifying current themes being investigated. The author suggests that the term 'emergency virtual assessment' (EVA) is now added for future research discussion. Finally, the paper identifies research gaps, including researching the impact on lesser developed countries, the psychological impact of transition, and the important role of leadership and leadership styles during the transition and handling of the pandemic.

The rapid spread of COVID‐19 has led to a global shortfall in essential items, turning many countries into resource‐constrained environments. In response, an unprecedented number of do‐it‐yourself hobbyists (i.e. makers) have started to use digital fabrication tools to produce critical items. These bottom‐up communities are mobilising as part of a global movement to produce innovative solutions to much‐needed items, such as face masks, face shields and ventilators. As these individuals tackle widespread resource constraints, the conceptual lens of frugal innovation becomes highly relevant to study how these solutions developed. Frugal innovation is a type of resource‐constrained innovation that refers to the practice of doing more with less, for more people. In this study, we present two instrumental case studies of maker projects that use digital fabrication to tackle COVID‐19. The first case study is from Italy (a High Income Country) and the second is from India (a Lower Middle Income Country). We analyse the frugality of these cases and highlight their similar approaches. In doing so, we suggest that current theories of frugal innovation can be expanded to new geographical and technological contexts. We put forward that frugal innovation is an important strategy in crisis response beyond emerging markets and that digital fabrication can be considered as an important frugal innovation enabler, both in its ability to produce frugal solutions and to support distributed networks of innovation actors. This study advances knowledge on how frugal innovation unfolds in the Maker movement. It is among one of the first studies to connect the domains of makers and frugal innovation, and the paper concludes by identifying several promising areas for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article situates the Enrica Lexie award's stance on the Tribunal's jurisdiction over the marines' immunity within the broader debate on the scope of the jurisdiction of international courts and tribunals over incidental questions. After illustrating the Tribunal's approach to the question at hand, the paper appraises those instances where an international tribunal with limited jurisdiction can decide issues and apply rules that are "external" to its principal jurisdiction. It then focuses on the question of the jurisdiction over incidental issues, which is the most debated avenue for an international tribunal to engage with substantive matters falling outside the scope of the tribunal's ratione materiae jurisdiction. Finally, the Tribunal's approach in the Enrica Lexie award is critically assessed against the above debate. It is submitted that, although the award arguably put an end to the longstanding dispute between India and Italy, the Tribunal's reasoning does not seem to be in line with the conditions for the exercise of jurisdiction over incidental questions as roughly sketched in relevant case law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An understanding of the cultural aspects of suicidal behavior is essential for the development of culturally appropriate suicide prevention and intervention strategies. Aims: This study explored the attitudes toward youth suicide in 686 Italian, Indian and Australian undergraduate students (18–24 years old). Method: A 21-item suicide attitude inventory titled Attitude towards Youth Suicide (AtYS) scale, included in this paper, was used in the three samples. Results: Four factors were extracted, labeled negative attitudes toward suicide, belief that suicide was not preventable, suicide as acceptable and normal, and the existence of risk signs for suicide. Country differences were found for all four subscales, with Indian students having the most negative attitudes toward suicide. Sex differences were found in all three countries with women, on the whole, having less negative attitudes toward suicide, more belief in the preventability of suicide in India and more belief in risk signs for suicide in Italy. Conclusion: Attitudes are linked to suicide in a complex manner. More quantitative and qualitative studies, including in lower-income and non-English speaking Western societies, are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Civil society engagement around health care and population health improvement is an important driver towards Health for All. Research can improve the effectiveness of health activism by examining the resources, structures and strategies of civil society engagement. However, research to support such engagement faces epistemological and methodological challenges which call for specific research strategies. A four year multi-country study was undertaken by the People's Health Movement, a global network working for health for all. The research took place in six countries (Brazil, Colombia, DR Congo, India, Italy, South Africa) and globally, and was directed to understanding five domains of civil society engagement: movement building; campaigning and advocacy; capacity building; knowledge generation, access and use; and engaging with governance. The research plan and methods of data collection and analysis were tailored to address the objective of improving activist practice, while negotiating research challenges identified during the design phase. Results include insights into the practice of civil society engagement in relation to the five domains of activist practice, as well as experience gained in managing six methodological challenges which we describe as: making meaning, aligning research and action, managing power relations, valuing experiential knowledges, chaos and contingency, challenging preconceptions. Researching activism can produce useful insights into practice as well as support continuous improvement in the effectiveness of such activism. However, there are significant methodological challenges that can be addressed through appropriate strategies. More research, building on the approach described in this paper, can contribute to more effective civil society activism for health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Free and open-source software (FOSS) has been used worldwide because of the advantages of user control, cost-saving, flexibility, openness, freedom, more security and better stability. The purpose of this study is to explore the status quo of educational application of FOSS and the trends from international perspectives and its implications for higher education in Hong Kong. Design/methodology/approach: The method of cluster analysis was used in this study. The Web of Science database was used as the data source and all relevant literature for the year 2010-2020 on the theme of "FOSS" was collected for analysis. The information visualization software CiteSpace was used for citation visualization analysis, revealing the research results of FOSS worldwide, including hot spots and development trends. Findings: This paper found that FOSS has become an important research area and is playing an important role in the reform and development of education. Meanwhile, the development and application of FOSS have regional imbalances and strong differentiation, including the educational sector. The paper also found that although FOSS has entered the stage of interdisciplinary development, the research and development of FOSS in the field of education is insufficient, which poses a huge challenge to decision-makers, teachers and students. Originality/value: Implications for higher education in Hong Kong including: attach importance to and vigorously promote FOSS research and practice to benefit more teachers and students; teachers and students need to be trained for acquiring the awareness and skills of FOSS applications and formulate different strategies; the government should provide greater support to formulate and implement a short and middle-term development plan to facilitate the application of FOSS; and Hong Kong higher education institutions may strengthen exchanges and cooperation with counterparts around the world to jointly promote the development of FOSS. It is hoped that the findings will provide a reference for the study and application of FOSS in higher education in Hong Kong.

This paper explores the thesis of de-globalisation in relation to international education. Through interrogating accounts of international school leadership during the COVID-19 crisis, the tension between international expectations and localised realities is charted, with four central tenets of internationalism undermined by the pandemic experience. It is argued that the COVID-19 crisis, ostensibly a single global event, resulted in the fractalisation of international education; the conceptualisation of unified internationalism was undermined by the inherently localised material effects of the pandemic. In place of an internationalism that is unified, transcendent, inclusive and connected, international school leaders' accounts of leading through the pandemic focused on their sense that their schools were fractured, rooted, privileged and isolated. It is suggested that this international crisis demonstrates the precarious nature of the respatialising of the global that is intrinsic to international schooling.

The Aplusix system has been designed for helping students to learn algebra. Its capacity to tell the students whether their calculations are correct or not, to provide families of exercises of a chosen level, and to give scores after tests allows this system to be used in the regular functioning of the class. Its capacity to record the students' actions and to replay the students' work is a valuable feature for the researcher in mathematics education. In this paper, we describe four experiments conducted in four different countries with different goals: remediation piloted by researchers in Italy; remediation integrated in the regular functioning of classes in Brazil, collaborative learning in India, and learning and use during the entire school year in France. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a need for individuals in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers to drive the innovation and research potential of Europe. Yet, there is expected to be a decrease in the number of STEM professionals, as there is less student interest in STEM fields of the study. Studies show that STEM classes that focus on inquiry-based science education (IBSE) are engaging and encourage students to become more fascinated with STEM fields. The Ark of Inquiry Project involves a consortium of STEM- and education-focused universities and organizations across Europe that created an online platform with IBSE and STEM lessons. The UNESCO Regional Bureau for Science and Culture in Europe conducted the pilot phase of the Ark of Inquiry Project in Italy from September 2015 to February 2016. In this paper, we will discuss some of the barriers to the expansion of this online STEM education project that was noted by the 14 participating Italian teachers of the pilot phase and 30 educators from India, Germany, Canada, and Denmark who participated through online surveys. We discovered that teachers must be able to overcome barriers of access to technology, misconceptions about women's abilities in STEM fields, and the effect of poor pre-service teacher training as it relates to implementing IBSE effectively for student-centered learning. This paper will focus on how the above factors hinder the growth of teachers as designers and facilitators of student-centered IBSE curriculum and will recommend how The Ark of Inquiry Project can be scaled up to impact the rest of the world.

In this study, the variables having impact on the student motivation have been analyzed based on the articles, conference papers, master's theses and doctoral dissertations published in the years 2000-2017. A total of 165 research papers were selected for the research material and the data were collected through qualitative research techniques through document review and content analysis. According to the research results, the most important factors affecting student motivation are the fields of teacher, teachers' classroom management skills and their teaching methods. In this research, factors having less influence on the student motivation are parental communication, student characteristics and study fields. In addition, relational search type was used more than others, mostly students were selected as the study group and most researches were conducted in USA and Turkey.

This paper discusses the application of the Cross-Correlation Analysis (CCA) technique to multi-spatial resolution Earth Observation (EO) data for detecting and quantifying changes in forest ecosystems in two different protected areas, located in Southern Italy and Southern India. The input data for CCA investigation were elaborated from the forest layer extracted from an existing Land Cover/Land Use (LC/LU) map (time T1) and a more recent (T2, with T2 > T1) single date image. The latter consist of a High Resolution (HR) Landsat 8 OLI image and a Very High Resolution (VHR) Worldview-2 image, which were analysed separately. For the Italian site, the forest layer (1:5000) was first compared to the HR Landsat 8 OLI image and then to the VHR Worldview-2 image. For the Indian site, the forest layer (1:50,000) was compared to the Landsat 8 OLI image then the changes were interpreted using Worldview-2. The changes detected through CCA, at HR only, were compared against those detected by applying a traditional NDVI image differencing technique of two Landsat scenes at T1 and T2. The accuracy assessment, concerning the change maps of the multi-spatial resolution outputs, was based on stratified random sampling. The CCA technique allowed an increase in the value of the overall accuracy: from 52% to 68% for the Italian site and from 63% to 82% for the Indian site. In addition, a significant reduction of the error affecting the stratified changed area estimation for both sites was obtained. For the Italian site, the error reduction became significant at VHR (±2 ha) in respect to HR (±32 ha) even though both techniques had comparable overall accuracy (82%) and stratified changed area estimation. The findings obtained support the conclusions that CCA technique can be a useful tool to detect and quantify changes in forest areas due to both legal and illegal interventions, including relatively inaccessible sites (e.g., tropical forest) with costs remaining rather low. The data obtained through CCA intervention could not only support the commitments undertaken by the European Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) and the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD) but also satisfy UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to systematically review the university social responsibility (USR) implementation from the empirical studies, which published during the period from 2004 to 2020. Design/methodology/approach: The bibliometric method has been employed to review prior empirical research on higher education social responsibility topics. Findings: These synthesis results confirmed that USR initiatives as an excellent tool to attain sustainability and enhance university performance worldwide. Universities in developed nations underline paying more attention to the core values in the long-term; meanwhile, their counterparts in transitional countries to pay more attention to short-term activities by focusing on stakeholders. Research limitations/implications: The notable limitation is that in terms of the number of empirical papers employed as the data to analyze in this manuscript. Practical implications: This paper's findings have described the USR implementations and how well to define USR adoption from the empirical studies globally. Thus, it has theoretical implications in enriching the USR knowledge and providing useful guidance for universities, then recommend new research directions in the future for other scholars. Originality/value: This research is an initial attempt to systematize studies on USR implementation in universities between developed countries and developing nations.

This article maps the scientific production and the contents associated with the sustainable development goals and their integration with universities during the past 21 years. Although many of the topics related to sustainable development goals (SDGs) have been addressed in different studies for decades, it is since 2015 onwards that they gained greater prominence due to the inclusion of higher education as an important actor in the fulfillment of the 2030 agenda and the United Nations SDGs. For the purpose of this paper, a bibliometric analysis of 871 papers, 535 documents in Scopus, and 336 in Web of Science (WoS) from 1998 to 2019 was performed, and the Bibliometrix analysis tool was used. The objective of this mapping is to answer the following research question: Is the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals and Universities a field of study? An analysis of the network of collaborators and trend topics in Scopus and WoS allows us to identify the concurrence and relationships of some keywords, such as sustainable development, sustainability and planning, and some background words, such as humans and global health. In another analysis, the word "higher education" is related to change. This article suggests that the integration of the Sustainable Development Goals in Universities is becoming a field of study under exploration, with a peak of production in 2016 and that has remained stable in the last three years, but thanks to the leading role assigned to Universities, intellectual production should increase in the following years.

For over two decades now, the application of Citizen Science to Education has been evolving, and fundamental topics, such as the drivers of motivation to participate in Citizen Science projects, are still under discussion. Some recent developments, though, like the use of Artificial Intelligence to support data collection and validation, seem to point to a clear-cut divergence from the mainstream research path. The objective of this paper is to summarise the development trajectory of research on Citizen Science in Education so far, and then shed light on its future development, to help researchers direct their efforts towards the most promising open questions in this field. We achieved these objectives by using the lens of the Affordance-Actualisation theory and the Main Path Analysis method.

This paper examines the concept of otherness through the examination of two stories of prostitutes playing tricks on their marks and then being tricked in return. The first comes from the classical Indian novel the Daskumaracarita, and concerns the greatest prostitute of them all, and the attempts to hoist her by her own petard. The second, which is likely on a similar source, comes from the famous medieval Italian collection of tales by Boccaccio, the Decameron, where we find a prostitute cheating a merchant and getting cheated in return due to her own greed. We examine how despite the vast gulf medieval India and medieval Italy, the figure of the prostitute still emerges as the other, both because of her gender and her chosen profession. We explore the connection between otherness and deceit, and show how these "others," women of disrepute and their marks, enable a critique of the concept of virtue and skill. What does it mean to be a "good" prostitute, or an honorable woman? Can one be simultaneously virtuous and cunning? Can one be honorable and clever? Is there a difference between a virtuous woman and an honorable man?. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While many reviews of job stress and the stressor-strain relationship have been conducted, such reviews typically focus exclusively on quantitative data. In the current paper, we review qualitative studies on occupational stress that met two criteria: (1) the studies employed qualitative methods; (2) the stressors, strains and/or coping strategies were grouped into identifiable, higher-order categories. Results indicated that the nature of the stressors experienced varied by (a) occupation, (b) country, (c) seniority and (d) gender. The review further revealed that organizational constraints, work overload and interpersonal conflict were relatively universal stressors. Anger and annoyance were the most frequently reported psychological strains in the United States and the United Kingdom, while Chinese workers exhibited tension and anxiety and Indian workers exhibited acceptance. Coping strategies also varied by gender, occupation and country. Research on gender differences suggested that, compared to men, women tended to report more interpersonal stressors. Differences in the ways in which the two types of methodologies are applied, as well as their relative strengths and weaknesses, underline the value of qualitative approaches to the study of occupational stress, especially when used in conjunction with quantitative methods in mixed-methods studies. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the world‐rivers are often ungauged or poorly gauged due to inadequate streamflow monitoring networks. Even with the limited available monitoring stations, only a few of them monitor both stage and discharge data. But when there is a need for estimation of discharges at a gauging station, where only stage data is monitored, one may employ a reverse routing technique using the stage data monitored at a nearby downstream gauging station. This study develops a novel single‐parameter reverse‐stage routing (RSR) model based on the second‐order approximate water surface gradient governing equation to estimate stage and discharge at any scantily‐gauged upstream river section using the known stage information available at the downstream section. A novel criterion is also developed for checking the applicability of the RSR model. Reverse routing experiments, carried out by the RSR model using different hypothetical downstream stage hydrographs in a number of hypothetical trapezoidal and rectangular channel reaches to reproduce the benchmark upstream stage and discharge hydrographs, demonstrate the good performance of the RSR model with the Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency >98%, absolute volume conservation error <1.5%, and an absolute error in peak ≤1%. Subsequently, the RSR model was tested for three real‐river case studies in India and Italy with good reproduction performances, and along with the development of the corresponding normal rating curves at the upstream river sections. The study results reveal that the parsimonious RSR model has good potential for solving reverse routing problems with stable numerical solutions for rivers under ungauged and scantily‐gauged scenarios. Plain Language Summary: The discharge and flow depth variables at an upstream section of a river reach are often required for flood management and operating the downstream hydraulic control structures. However, many world‐rivers have poor streamflow monitoring infrastructure, and sometimes, only stage data at the downstream section of a reach are available. As the existing methods mostly use discharge as the operating variable, this study is aimed at developing an approach involving stage as an operating variable. Hence, the current study proposes a novel physically based parsimonious Reverse stage‐routing model for obtaining the upstream flow depth and the corresponding discharge, thus establishing the normal rating curve at the ungauged section, meant for field use. A novel applicability criterion is also advocated to check the failure of the routed solutions. Conclusively, the developed model has an excellent potential to establish normal rating curves at an ungauged or scantily‐gauged upstream river section for field applications by field engineers and water resources managers. Key Points: Based on the second‐order approximate water surface gradient equation, developed a novel reverse‐stage routing model with lateral flowDeveloped a novel applicability criterion ensuring stable stage‐discharge solutions at ungauged/scantily‐gauged upstream river sectionsIn hypothetical and real‐river cases, it efficiently solves reverse routing problems and can establish normal rating curves [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work we define a modified SEIR model that accounts for the spread of infection during the latent period, infections from asymptomatic or pauci-symptomatic infected individuals, potential loss of acquired immunity, people's increasing awareness of social distancing and the use of vaccination as well as non-pharmaceutical interventions like social confinement. We estimate model parameters in three different scenarios—in Italy, where there is a growing number of cases and re-emergence of the epidemic, in India, where there are significant number of cases post confinement period and in Victoria, Australia where a re-emergence has been controlled with severe social confinement program. Our result shows the benefit of long term confinement of 50% or above population and extensive testing. With respect to loss of acquired immunity, our model suggests higher impact for Italy. We also show that a reasonably effective vaccine with mass vaccination program are successful measures in significantly controlling the size of infected population. We show that for a country like India, a reduction in contact rate by 50% compared to a reduction of 10% reduces death from 0.0268 to 0.0141% of population. Similarly, for a country like Italy we show that reducing contact rate by half can reduce a potential peak infection of 15% population to less than 1.5% of population, and potential deaths from 0.48 to 0.04%. With respect to vaccination, we show that even a 75% efficient vaccine administered to 50% population can reduce the peak number of infected population by nearly 50% in Italy. Similarly, for India, a 0.056% of population would die without vaccination, while 93.75% efficient vaccine given to 30% population would bring this down to 0.036% of population, and 93.75% efficient vaccine given to 70% population would bring this down to 0.034%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the examination of the researches about the use of technology by fine arts teachers. The study was conducted according to the content and citation analysis model. In this context, Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection indexes were included. In the document scanning in the WOS environment, the keywords 'Fine arts', 'Teachers' and 'Technology' were searched. In total, 169 documents were examined and analysed one by one. They were analysed according to year, document type, WOS content category, country, source title, organisation and citation, authors, publication language and categories. As a result of this research, the first study was conducted in 2004, while the most studies were conducted in 2016. It was concluded that the published studies had the most Proceedings papers as the document type. The area where the studies of fine arts teachers on the use of technology are mostly carried out is Education Educational Research, according to the Web of Science content category. The most researched title in the distribution according to the Source Title field is 'International Multidisciplinary Scientific Conferences on Social Sciences and Arts.' The university with the most studies is Kazan Federal University. The 19 authors who conducted the studies have a large number of studies in this field. It was concluded that other authors had only one study in the field. Again, when we look at the distribution of the countries and documents according to the language of writing, the country with the most studies is China and the language of the documents is English. The area continues to evolve.

Preschool education is an education process that prepares children for primary education, provides the training and upbringing conditions in the home and also aims to remove the inequalities in terms of language and society in the early period. The audit is to evaluate learning and all the factors that affect learning and also prepare the environment and conditions for effective learning. The purpose of this research was to develop a comprehensive point of view for preschool education audit in the world and our country. Document analysis that is one of the qualitative research methods were utilized in this paper as the method. The documents related to the systems in France, Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Switzerland, Russia, China, Israel, America, Saudi Arabia, Japan, India Jordan, Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Poland, Kosovo and Turkey were researched out within the scope of this study.

Seamless learning has a significance that has been increasing in recent years, and an increasing number of studies on the subject in the literature draws attention. This study aimed to examine the research on seamless learning between 1996 and 2020 with the bibliometric analysis method. The Scopus database was used in the collection of the data. After various screening processes, a total of 389 publications were included in the analysis. Descriptive analysis and bibliometric analysis were used in the analysis of the data. The distribution of publications by years, types of publications, sources, and languages were analyzed in the research. Additionally, visual maps were created with analyses of co-author, cocitation, and co-word. At the end of the study, it was seen that there has been an increase in the number of publications from the past to the present, articles and papers were predominant, and that most of the studies were carried out in English. As a result of bibliometric analysis, it was concluded that the most efficient countries in seamless learning were the United Kingdom, the United States, and Singapore. Also, it has been determined that the National Institute of Education, Center for International Education and Exchange, and Kyushu University institutions are dominant. The most frequently mentioned authors cited in studies in many different fields are M. Sharples, L.-H. Wong, and H. Ogata. According to the co-word analysis, the keywords seamless learning, mobile learning, ubiquitous learning, and mobile-assisted language learning stand out in the field of seamless learning.

In this study, an attempt has been made to formulate a novel SEIAHR deterministic compartmental model for the COVID-19 pandemic by incorporating additionally vaccinated and quarantined compartments. We obtained the basic reproduction number using the next-generation matrix approach. Thereafter, the stability of equilibrium points has been investigated using the basic reproduction number. Furthermore, we have studied the pandemic behaviour in four countries: Brazil, India, Italy, and the USA. We have fitted the proposed model to daily new cases and cumulative cases of the aforementioned countries using the nonlinear least square technique in MATLAB. Moreover, we have also estimated the best-fitted model parameters based on the available data. In addition, a numerical simulation of the model has been added to examine the influence of intervention policies, vaccination rates, vaccine efficacy, and quarantine. It was found that all the control policies had a positive impact on reducing the COVID-19 incidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As role of ports is changing rapidly in global supply chains and transport networks, and sixth-generation ports are evolving on the threshold of the fourth industrial revolution, the issue of sustainable port management has become crucial. Consequently, the Port Authority and policy-makers are under increasing pressure from all stakeholders whether business, governmental or societal, to adopt more mature sustainability theories and models that provide assurance for effective implementation and ease in practice for sustainability measures in ports. Apparently, such developments in port sustainability vary across countries in the realm of usual competition and cooperation dynamics of ports. This article examines the directives and efficacies of sustainability initiatives at three major ports located in three different countries. By utilizing a comparative case study methodology grounded in existing theory, this research aims to understand the success factors, differences and trends in sustainable port management. Additionally, managerial implications are discussed while tracing a pattern along with the empirical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Purpose: This study aimed to analyze coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine policies and their effectiveness in Italy, India, and South Africa to provide empirical experience for vaccination and COVID-19 pandemic control. (2) Methods: The study systematically summarized the COVID-19 vaccine policies in Italy, India, and South Africa through public information available on the official websites of the World Health Organization and the ministries of health in these three countries. Total vaccinations, COVID-19 vaccination rates, rates of fully vaccinated, rates of booster-vaccinated, and total confirmed cases were selected for cross-sectional comparison of COVID-19 vaccination in these three countries. Daily cases per million, daily deaths per million, and the effective reproduction rate were calculated to measure the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccine policies implementation in each of these three countries. (3) Results: Italy, India, and South Africa differ in the start date of COVID-19 vaccination, vaccine types, vaccine appointments, and whether vaccinations are free. The COVID-19 vaccination rates in these three countries varied widely, with Italy having the highest and South Africa the lowest. COVID-19 vaccination has had a positive effect on reducing daily deaths and stabilizing the effective reproduction rate. The three countries had experienced more than one outbreak spike due to the spread of new mutated strains since the start of COVID-19 vaccination. (4) Conclusions: This study concluded that responding to the COVID-19 pandemic requires active promotion of basic and booster vaccinations to comprehensively build up the population immune barrier. Promoting equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccine internationally and solidarity and cooperation among countries maximizes global common interests. By combining vaccination with non-pharmaceutical interventions, the pandemic can be prevented and controlled comprehensively and systematically in three aspects: detection of the source of infection, reduction of transmission routes, and protection of susceptible populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information pertaining to medical education courses. Between July 11-13, the Killingbeck Cardiovascular II, a 3-day course for Radiologists, Cardiologists and Vascular Surgeons featuring lectures, preferred papers and live televised demonstration of new interventional cardiovascular techniques will be held in Leeds, England. Between September 20-21, 1990, the program Cerebral Monitoring in Carotid Surgery, will be held in Rome, Italy. Between January 11-13, 1991, the Update in Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery East-West Meet, will be held in Madras, India.

This study investigates and compares the continuance intention of full-time business school students and faculty in India and Italy who moved from traditional pedagogy style to the digital classroom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study integrates the Expectation Confirmation Model (ECM) and Task-Technology Fit (TTF) to examine their continuance intention. Survey data was collected from 396 business school students and 130 faculty members from India and Italy and analysed using SmartPLS 3 software. The study found that perceived usefulness, satisfaction, and task-technology fit significantly impact the continuance intentions of students and faculty. Multigroup analysis of students indicates that Italian students are more driven by task-technology fit as compared to Indian students in their continuance intention; in comparison, Indian students rely more on gaining experience and knowhow on technology. Finally, the multigroup study of faculty suggests that Italian educators have a comparatively stronger orientation towards the fit between digital classroom technology and a portfolio of related tasks. In comparison, their Indian counterparts rely more on the perceived usefulness of technology. The strength of relationship between task-technology fit and continuance intention is comparatively lower for faculty as compared to students in both countries. Finally, implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has approved the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD‐11). A version of the ICD‐11 for Mental, Behavioural and Neurodevelopmental Disorders for use in clinical settings, called the Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Requirements (CDDR), has also been developed. The CDDR includes behavioural indicators (BIs) for assessing the severity of disorders of intellectual development (DID) as part of the section on neurodevelopmental disorders. Reliable and valid diagnostic assessment measures are needed to improve identification and treatment of individuals with DID. Although appropriately normed, standardised intellectual and adaptive behaviour assessments are considered the optimal assessment approach in this area, they are unavailable in many parts of the world. This field study tested the BIs internationally to assess the inter‐rater reliability, concurrent validity, and clinical utility of the BIs for the assessment of DID. Methods: This international study recruited a total of 206 children and adolescents (5–18 years old) with a suspected or established diagnosis of DID from four sites across three countries [Sri‐Lanka (n = 57), Italy (n = 60) and two sites in India (n = 89)]. Two clinicians assessed each participant using the BIs with one conducting the clinical interview and the other observing. Diagnostic formulations using the BIs and clinical utility ratings were collected and entered independently after each assessment. At a follow‐up appointment, standardised measures (Leiter‐3, Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales‐II) were used to assess intellectual and adaptive abilities. Results: The BIs had excellent inter‐rater reliability (intra‐class correlations ranging from 0.91 to 0.97) and good to excellent concurrent validity (intra‐class correlations ranging from 0.66 to 0.82) across sites. Compared to standardised measures, the BIs had more diagnostic overlap between intellectual and adaptive functioning. The BIs were rated as quick and easy to use and applicable across severities; clear and understandable with adequate to too much level of detail and specificity to describe DID; and useful for treatment selection, prognosis assessments, communication with other health care professionals, and education efforts. Conclusion: The inclusion of newly developed BIs within the CDDR for ICD‐11 Neurodevelopmental Disorders must be supported by information on their reliability, validity, and clinical utility prior to their widespread adoption for international use. BIs were found to have excellent inter‐rater reliability, good to excellent concurrent validity, and good clinical utility. This supports use of the BIs within the ICD‐11 CDDR to assist with the accurate identification of individuals with DID, particularly in settings where specialised services are unavailable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to present a comprehensive review of the present state and trends of smart education research. It addresses the need to have a systematic review of smart education to depict its research landscape in view of the growing volume of related publications. Design/methodology/approach: A bibliometric analysis of publications on smart education published in 2011 to 2020 was conducted, covering their patterns and trends in terms of collaboration, key publications, major topics and trends. A total of 1,317 publications with 29,317 cited references were collected from the Web of Science and Scopus for the bibliometric analysis. Findings: Research on smart education has been widely published in various sources. The most frequently cited references are all theoretical or discussion articles. Researchers in the USA, China, South Korea, India and Russia have been most active in research collaborations. However, international collaborations have remained infrequent except for those involving the USA. The research on smart education broadly covered smart technologies as well as teaching and learning. The emerging topics have addressed areas such as the Internet of Things, big data, flipped learning and gamification. Originality/value: This study depicts the intellectual landscape of smart education research, and illustrated the evolution and emerging trends in the field. The results highlight its latest developments and research needs, and suggest future work related to research collaborations on a larger scale and more studies on smart pedagogies.

Our research explored the social representations of the 'vegetative state' across different cultural (India, Italy, and the UK) and social milieus (left‐leaning, right‐leaning, and religious/tabloid newspapers). The aim was to discover how public discourse engages liminality between life and death. Qualitative and quantitative text analyses were conducted on news headlines and full‐texts from British (n = 300), Indian (n = 300), and Italian (n = 300) newspapers published between January 1990 and June 2019. Our study shows three results: (a) the vegetative state is a potentially global issue that remains discussed with local timing and characteristics; (b) it is commonly represented in eight frames of different resonance across cultural milieus; (c) the news flows are organised on different dimensions (quality, political, and ideological). Results shed light on how liminality is discursively managed by the interplay of cultural resources and social positionings. In particular, this suggests a hitherto unrecognised function of the objectification process: personification as position‐taking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To construct international ultrasound-based standards for fetal cerebellar growth and Sylvian fissure maturation.Methods: Healthy, well nourished pregnant women, enrolled at < 14 weeks' gestation in the Fetal Growth Longitudinal Study (FGLS) of INTERGROWTH-21st , an international multicenter, population-based project, underwent serial three-dimensional (3D) fetal ultrasound scans every 5 ± 1 weeks until delivery in study sites located in Brazil, India, Italy, Kenya and the UK. In the present analysis, only those fetuses that underwent developmental assessment at 2 years of age were included. We measured the transcerebellar diameter and assessed Sylvian fissure maturation using two-dimensional ultrasound images extracted from available 3D fetal head volumes. The appropriateness of pooling data from the five sites was assessed using variance component analysis and standardized site differences. For each Sylvian fissure maturation score (left or right side), mean gestational age and 95% CI were calculated. Transcerebellar diameter was modeled using fractional polynomial regression, and goodness of fit was assessed.Results: Of those children in the original FGLS cohort who had developmental assessment at 2 years of age, 1130 also had an available 3D ultrasound fetal head volume. The sociodemographic characteristics and pregnancy/perinatal outcomes of the study sample confirmed the health and low-risk status of the population studied. In addition, the fetuses had low morbidity and adequate growth and development at 2 years of age. In total, 3016 and 2359 individual volumes were available for transcerebellar-diameter and Sylvian-fissure analysis, respectively. Variance component analysis and standardized site differences showed that the five study populations were sufficiently similar on the basis of predefined criteria for the data to be pooled to produce international standards. A second-degree fractional polynomial provided the best fit for modeling transcerebellar diameter; we then estimated gestational-age-specific 3rd , 50th and 97th smoothed centiles. Goodness-of-fit analysis comparing empirical centiles with smoothed centile curves showed good agreement. The Sylvian fissure increased in maturation with advancing gestation, with complete overlap of the mean gestational age and 95% CIs between the sexes for each development score. No differences in Sylvian fissure maturation between the right and left hemispheres were observed.Conclusion: We present, for the first time, international standards for fetal cerebellar growth and Sylvian fissure maturation throughout pregnancy based on a healthy fetal population that exhibited adequate growth and development at 2 years of age. © 2020 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper extends earlier studies in this field by Chenery-Watanabe and Santhanam-Patil to a comparison of the production structure of Korea at present with those of other countries and with that of Korea at various points in the past. The results of this study provide additional evidence in support of the main findings of earlier studies. It is suggested that existing methods for computing inter-industry linkages and for comparing production structures could be improved by including an analysis of both "domestic" and "international linkages". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Social Work is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Oral cancer is a growing problem worldwide, with high incidence rates in South Asian countries. With increasing numbers of South Asian immigrants in developed countries, a possible rise in oral cancer cases is expected given the high prevalence in their source countries and the continued oral cancer risk behaviours of immigrants. The aim of this review is to synthesise existing evidence regarding knowledge, attitudes and practices of South Asian immigrants in developed countries regarding oral cancer.Methods: Five electronic databases were systematically searched to identify original, English language articles focussing on oral cancer risk knowledge, attitudes and practices of South Asian immigrants in developed countries. All studies that met the following inclusion criteria were included: conducted among South Asian immigrants in developed countries; explored at least one study outcome (knowledge or attitudes or practices); used either qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. No restrictions were placed on the publication date, quality and setting of the study.Results: A total of 16 studies involving 4772 participants were reviewed. These studies were mainly conducted in the USA, UK, Italy and New Zealand between 1994 and 2018. Findings were categorised into themes of oral cancer knowledge, attitudes and practices. General lack of oral cancer risk knowledge (43-76%) among participants was reported. More than 50% people were found engaging in one or more oral cancer risk practices like smoking, betel quid/pan/gutka chewing. Some of the participants perceived betel quid/pan/gutka chewing habit good for their health (12-43.6%).Conclusion: This review has shown that oral cancer risk practices are prevalent among South Asian immigrants who possess limited knowledge and unfavourable attitude in this area. Culturally appropriate targeted interventions and strategies are needed to raise oral cancer awareness among South Asian communities in developed countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to study the possibilities and potential barriers on the path of internationalization of the educational services market through development of the system of remote education. Design/methodology/approach: In order to determine the influence of development of the system of remote education on the process of internationalization of the educational services market, the authors use the method of regression analysis. A regression curve is built, containing the model of paired linear regression and the value of determination coefficient. The research object is the market of higher educational services -- as it is subject to internationalization and distribution of remote education. The research is performed based on the 2017 data by the example of countries from various regions of the world that show different rates and levels of socio-economic development but that achieved the largest success in development of the system of remote education -- the USA, the UK, Brazil, China, South Korea, Italy, Germany, India, Malaysia, Australia, South Africa and Russia. Due to the absence of the official international statistics on the issue of internationalization of the educational services market, the proprietary method is used for determining its level. Findings: It is concluded that remote education has a slight influence on the process of internationalization of the educational services market in the countries of the world, though it has large potential in the sphere of stimulation of internationalization of the educational services market, as it allows providing educational services of equal quality and equal cost for domestic and foreign students. Originality/value: The developed and presented model of managing the development of the remote education system of a modern university in the interests of stimulating internationalization of the educational services market allows overcoming these barriers and opening the existing potential of remote education in the sphere of stimulation of internationalization of the educational services market.

Based on life history narratives of 57 women in India and interviews with 21 practitioners, we document the neglect, abuse, and instrumental deprivation of women’s rights through the process of transnational abandonment. While gendered local sociocultural milieus and economic norms contribute to these harms, they are crucially enabled and sustained by transnational formal-legal frameworks. Widening the explanatory lens for understanding domestic violence beyond the family and community, we argue that in a globalized world, (inter)state policies serve to construct these women as a subordinate category of citizens—“disposable women”—who can be abused and abandoned with impunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical literacy is complex and multifaceted. In every country, education and numeracy are a function of a multitude of factors including culture, history, and societal norms. Nevertheless, since the launch of the International Statistical Poster Competition (ISLP) in 1994, a number of patterns have emerged to suggest there are some common or universal success factors in running statistical literacy competitions involving schools, universities, statistical offices, and many other institutions. This paper outlines some of those factors, such as institutional cooperation, celebrating participation and success, improvement of statistical literacy in the local schools, support for teachers, the involvement of national statistics institutes, and use of technology. These factors have been identified from our own experience running the competition and from articles submitted to the ISLP newsletters. Statistical literacy is a complex phenomenon, and so this is neither an exhaustive list of key factors nor a formula for success, but rather an overview of recurring themes across countries participating in the competition around the world.

We studied neurodevelopmental outcomes and behaviours in healthy 2-year old children (N = 1306) from Brazil, India, Italy, Kenya and the UK participating in the INTERGROWTH-21 st Project. There was a positive independent relationship of duration of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and age at weaning with gross motor development, vision and autonomic physical activities, most evident if children were exclusively breastfed for ≥7 months or weaned at ≥7 months. There was no association with cognition, language or behaviour. Children exclusively breastfed from birth to <5 months or weaned at >6 months had, in a dose-effect pattern, adjusting for confounding factors, higher scores for "emotional reactivity". The positive effect of EBF and age at weaning on gross motor, running and climbing scores was strongest among children with the highest scores in maternal closeness proxy indicators. EBF, late weaning and maternal closeness, associated with advanced motor and vision maturation, independently influence autonomous behaviours in healthy children.

Recent studies have highlighted the presence of a strong relationship between performance measurement systems (PMSs) and corporate governance structures in European firms. Taking into account the growing economic relevance of developing countries, we investigated the role of corporate governance structure as a PMS contingency factor in Italian and Indian SMEs using a multiple case-study approach. The results show that the first development of a PMS was determined by two different factors; in Italian SMEs, the changes in the corporate governance structure promoted the implementation of an advanced PMS, while in Indian SMEs, environmental changes pushed the development of the PMS without affecting any modification in the corporate governance structure. Moreover, after the adoption of an advanced (or almost advanced) performance management system, relevant environmental changes or the positive impacts of the PMS use, were enough to promote further development of the system in both Italian and Indian SMEs, without any change in the corporate governance structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging markets of today are represented by companies with international growth ambitions and new opportunities to be exploited. This study explores the characteristics of the Italian Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in India and aims to fill the gap identified in literature by providing a comprehensive empirical analysis of this issue. The study specifically focuses on the localization drivers of Italian MNCs that internationalized in India. In order to investigate the research questions, a unique database of Italian firms that invested in India was created. The number of Italian companies with subsidiaries in India was found to be low. In terms of geographical distribution, the sample showed prevalence in New Delhi, followed by Mumbai and Bangalore. The main driver for localization choice was found to be the general economic importance of the city, and a majority of the sampled companies chose the place of establishment of their Indian subsidiary mainly based on the location of their clients (prospect and actual). This data was consistent with the idea that 'market seeking' is the primary strategic goal for the companies analyzed. A typical 'multidomestic' approach was adopted by customizing products and services to the local needs and demands. This supports the progressive embeddedness of the subsidiary into the local market. Under this perspective, FDIs could also represent a way to access local knowledge to be combined at a global scale to contribute to the overall performance of the MNC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By analyzing the history of a photograph taken in a Bombay photo studio in 1885, this article explores notions of the production of knowledge on India and cultural dialogues, encounters, appropriations, and conflicts in colonial British India in the late nineteenth century. The photograph was taken after a Hindu religious ceremony in honour of the Italian Sanskritist Angelo de Gubernatis. Dressed as a Hindu Brahman, he is the only European photographed next to three Indian scholars, but what the image suggests of encounter and hybridity was challenged by the many written texts that reveal the conflicting dialogues that took place before and after the portrait was taken. Several factors were examined in order to decide who should and who should not be in the photograph: religion, cast, and even gender were successively discussed, before the category of 'knowledge' became the bond that unified the four men who studied, taught, and wrote on India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As historians of the material cultures of Italy, England, India, China, and the Americas continue to reconstruct the early modern overseas trade in fashionable commodities, economic historians increasingly urge the study of early modern (or first-wave) globalism. Drawing on insights from this vast body of work, this essay explores the German Alamode discourse of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Long a stepchild of national literatures, the Alamode discourse across European vernaculars offers a locus of remarkable critical potential, serving to illustrate how global energies shaped local, even apparently provincial, discussions. Via readings of widely circulated and translated illustrated broadsheets, satirical pamphlets, prosodies, and poetry (by Balde, Zesen, Lauremberg, and Logau), this essay also examines the strategies early modern German literati developed to tame the anxieties unleashed when the world arrived at home. Globalization was imagined to work foremost on women, and the backlash it engendered sought to refashion women's "hard heads," hammering out "fashionable" notions such as women's intellectual and literary abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: ART is a multi-centre randomised trial of cardiac surgery which provided a unique opportunity to evaluate the data from a large number of centres from a variety of countries. We attempted to assess data quality, including recruitment rates, timeliness and completeness of the data obtained from the centres in different socio-economic strata.Methods: The analysis was based on the 2-page CRF completed at the 6 week follow-up. CRF pages were categorised into "clean" (no edit query) and "dirty" (any incomplete, inconsistent or illegible data). The timelines were assessed on the basis of the time interval from the visit and receipt of complete CRF. Data quality was defined as the number of data queries (in percent) and time delay (in days) between visit and receipt of correct data. Analyses were stratified according to the World Bank definitions into: "Developing" countries (Poland, Brazil and India) and "Developed" (Italy, UK, Austria and Australia).Results: There were 18 centres in the "Developed" and 10 centres in the "Developing" countries. The rate of enrolment did not differ significantly by economic level ("Developing":4.1 persons/month, "Developed":3.7 persons/month). The time interval for the receipt of data was longer for "Developing" countries (median:37 days) compared to "Developed" ones (median:11 days) (p < 0.001). The median number of data queries was 23% in "Developed" countries compared to 19% in "Developing" ones (p = ns).Conclusions: In this study we showed that data quality was comparable between centres from "Developed" and "Developing" countries. Data was received in a less timely fashion from Developing countries and appropriate systems should be instigated to minimize any delays. Close attention should be paid to the training of centres and to the central management of data quality.Trial Registration: ISRCTN46552265. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Res Antiquitatis: Journal of Ancient History is the property of Centro de Historia de Alem-Mar and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)