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A documentary review was conducted on the production and publication of research papers on studying the variable Digital Transformation, Education and COVID-19. The bibliometric analysis proposed in this document aims to know the main characteristics of the volume of publications registered in the Scopus database from 2020 to 2022, achieving the identification of 464 publications in total. The information provided by this platform was organized using tables and figures, categorizing the information by Year of Publication, Country of Origin, Area of Knowledge and Type of Publication. Once these characteristics were described, the position of different authors regarding the proposed topic was referenced through qualitative analysis. Among the main findings of this research, it is found that Spain, with 49 publications, was the country with the highest global production. The area of knowledge that made the most significant contribution to the construction of bibliographic material related to the study of Digital Transformation, Education and COVID-19 was the area of Social Sciences with 253 published documents, and the type of publication that was most used during the period mentioned above was the journal article, representing 54% of the total scientific production.

When COVID-19 struck, higher education scrambled. Teaching and learning swerved abruptly to emergency remote instruction. For many students, the rapid refashioning of courses of instruction meant suddenly confronting new, radically different learning scenarios. We know relatively little about what enabled or constrained students' confidence in their ability to learn as a consequence. Using questionnaire responses from undergraduate students (N = 3806) who were studying at nine different institutions in six different countries on four different continents, we examine factors that helped, and hindered, students' confidence in their learning ability. We investigate a range of factors, including technology, living circumstances, communications with professors and peers, course attributes, as well as personal student circumstances and characteristics. Our results demonstrate that communication, both with peers and professors, was especially associated with the confidence students expressed in their ability to learn under conditions of emergency remote instruction. Household living conditions and technology also were important correlates.

A growing body of literature recognizes the importance of examining research article (RA) abstracts in particular disciplines. RA abstracts, after titles, are the first mini texts that readers may encounter in a scientific paper. Abstracts, therefore, determine the value of the paper and categorize them as good or vague. The present contrastive study aims to investigate the rhetorical organization of RA abstracts published in native and non-native English-speaking countries. It adopts Hyland's (2000) rhetorical structure model: introduction, purpose, method, product, and conclusion. A corpus of eighty RA abstracts written in the fields of humanities (education and sociology) and science (electronics and agronomy) and published in Ecuadorian and American journals between the periods of 2010-2016 constitutes the target data for the analysis. The results show rhetorical variation in the construction of RA abstracts across the four disciplines. These abstracts followed a non-hierarchical five move structure with three stable moves, as of M2, M3, and M4 sections. Research findings add to the claim that in academic writing, different discursive conventions and discourse community practices influence writers' preferred rhetoric and composing patterns.

Anatomical sciences curricula have been under constant reform over the years, with many countries having to reduce course hours while trying to preserve laboratory time. In Mexico, schools have historically been autonomous and unregulated, and data regarding structure and methods are still lacking. A national survey was sent by the Mexican Society of Anatomy to 110 anatomical sciences educators. The questionnaire consisted of 50 items (open and multiple choice) for gross anatomy, microscopic anatomy, neuroanatomy, and embryology courses in medical schools across Mexico. A clinical approach was the most common course approach in all disciplines. Contact course hours and laboratory hours were higher in Mexican anatomy education compared to other countries, with the highest reported contact hours for embryology (133.4 ± 44.1) and histology (125 ± 33.2). There were similar contact hours to other countries for gross anatomy (228.5 ± 60.5). Neuroanatomy course hours (43.9 ± 13.1) were less than reported by the United States and similar to Saudi Arabia and higher than the United Kingdom. Dissection and microscopy with histological slides predominate as the most common laboratory activities. Traditional methods prevail in most of the courses in Mexico and only a few educators have implemented innovative and technological tools. Implementation of new methods, approaches, and curricular changes are needed to enhance anatomical sciences education in Mexico.

Canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV) is one of the main causative agents of canine infectious respiratory disease (CIRD), an illness whose epidemiology is poorly understood. We assessed the prevalence, risk factors, and genetic characterization of CRCoV in privately owned dogs in the Southeastern United States. We PCR-screened 189 nasal swabs from dogs with and without CIRD clinical signs for 9 CIRD-related pathogens, including CRCoV; 14% of dogs, all diagnosed with CIRD, were positive for CRCoV, with a significantly higher rate of cases in younger dogs and during warmer weather. Notably, the presence of CRCoV, alone or in coinfection with other CIRD pathogens, was statistically associated with a worse prognosis. We estimated a CRCoV seroprevalence of 23.7% retrospectively from 540 serum samples, with no statistical association to dog age, sex, or season, but with a significantly higher presence in urban counties. Additionally, the genomes of 6 CRCoVs were obtained from positive samples using an in-house developed targeted amplicon-based approach specific to CRCoV. Subsequent phylogeny clustered their genomes in 2 distinct genomic groups, with most isolates sharing a higher similarity with CRCoVs from Sweden and only 1 more closely related to CRCoVs from Asia. We provide new insights into CIRD and CRCoV epidemiology in the Southeastern United States and further support the association of CRCoV with more severe cases of CIRD. Additionally, we developed and successfully tested a new amplicon-based approach for whole-genome sequencing of CRCoV that can be used to further investigate the genetic diversity within CRCoVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we test the hypothesis that beliefs about the ideal mother are convergent across cultures and that these beliefs overlap considerably with attachment theory's notion of the sensitive mother. In a sample including 26 cultural groups from 15 countries around the globe, 751 mothers sorted the Maternal Behavior Q-Set to reflect their ideas about the ideal mother. The results show strong convergence between maternal beliefs about the ideal mother and attachment theory's description of the sensitive mother across groups. Cultural group membership significantly predicted variations in maternal sensitivity belief scores, but this effect was substantially accounted for by group variations in socio-demographic factors. Mothers living in rural versus urban areas, with a low family income, and with more children, were less likely to describe the ideal mother as highly sensitive. Cultural group membership did remain a significant predictor of variations in maternal sensitivity belief scores above and beyond socio-demographic predictors. The findings are discussed in terms of the universal and culture-specific aspects of the sensitivity construct.

Graded readers can be an optimal resource to help language students improve and personalize their learning experience. An extensive reading library with graded readers and well-defined levels of reading difficulty increases language students' chances of having a successful reading experience and become independent readers. However, when it comes to implementing such a library, there is a practical issue. A review of the graded readers available in Spanish reveals different proficiency levels and a lack of a uniform set of criteria for establishing levels of reading difficulty. Through the analysis of 203 titles by 12 publishers (from Spain, England, Italy, and the United States) complemented by an objective and uniform tool--a readability test--the present study validates and suggests alignment among reading levels across publishers. The ultimate goal of this study is to provide language teachers and program administrators with a uniform system of cataloging graded readers under the premise that a well-established library fosters independent language learning.

In recent years, there has been increasing interest in automatically assessing help seeking, the process of referring to resources outside of oneself to accomplish a task or solve a problem. Research in the United States has shown that specific help-seeking behaviors led to better learning within intelligent tutoring systems. However, intelligent tutors are used differently by students in different countries, raising the question of whether the same help-seeking behaviors are effective and desirable in different cultural settings. To investigate this question, models connecting help-seeking behaviors with learning were generated from datasets from students in three countries--Costa Rica, the Philippines, and the United States, as well as a combined dataset from all three sites. Each model was tested on data from the other countries. This study found that models of effective help seeking transfer to some degree between the United States and Philippines, but not between those countries and Costa Rica. Differences may be explained by variations in classroom practices between the sites; for example, greater collaboration observed in the Costa Rican site indicates that much help seeking occurred outside of the technology. Findings indicate that greater care should be taken when assuming that the models underlying AIED systems generalize across cultures and contexts.

Background: Off-task behavior can be defined as any behavior that does not involve the learning task or material, or where learning from the material is not the primary goal. One suggested path for understanding how to address off-task behavior is to study classrooms where off-task behavior is less common, particularly in Asia, in order to understand why off-task behavior is less common in those settings. Purpose: In this paper, we discuss three studies that examine the differences in the off-task behavior of students using intelligent tutoring software in the Philippines and the United States. We investigate whether Filipino students using intelligent tutors exhibit significantly less off-task behavior than their American counterparts, in line with the previously observed patterns of off-task behavior in traditional classrooms in East Asia and Southeast Asia. Using identical intelligent tutors in both countries allows us to control for confounds due to differences in curricula. Research Design: In the first study, approximately matched cohorts of students in classrooms in the United States and Philippines used the same educational software (the Scatterplot Tutor) for an equal amount of time and according to an identical research protocol. In the second and third studies, students in the Philippines used different intelligent tutoring systems for a fixed amount of time. Data Collection and Analysis: As students used the software, researchers used a quantitative field observation protocol to record their behaviors. From the quantitative field observations, we computed an approximate percentage of time that each student was off-task and then calculated the average time off-task for each group under study. An additional behavior, gaming the system (intentional misuse of educational software) was also coded. Findings: In the first study, students in the United States were off-task, on average, seven times more than students in the Philippines. Interestingly, however, the proportion of gaming the system was higher in the Philippines than in the United States. In the second and third studies, the incidence of off-task behavior was comparable to the frequency of off-task behavior in the Philippines in the first study, and substantially lower than the frequency of off-task behavior in the United States in the first study or in prior research on off-task behavior in the United States. Conclusions/Recommendations: The results of the first study suggest that the previously observed differences in off-task behavior between the United States and Asia cannot be attributed simply to differences in curricula. Understanding the relative roles of cultural factors and past experiences with adaptive educational technology in student off-task behavior is an important area of future work.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to review and assess the state of sustainability reporting in universities. Design/methodology/approach: Analysis of the performance level of 12 universities sustainability reports using the Graphical Assessment of Sustainability in Universities tool. Findings: The results show that sustainability reporting in universities is still in its early stages (both in numbers of institutions reporting and in level of reporting) when compared to sustainability reporting in corporations. Research limitations/implications: The research is limited by the limited number of universities that publish sustainability reports. However, the results show that universities could learn from the experiences of corporate sustainability reporting efforts, and incorporate them into their efforts as learning organisations to better align their systems with sustainability. Practical implications: University leaders and champions need to consider publishing more information on the social and educational dimensions. Originality/value: The paper provides an analysis of sustainability reporting in universities, which has the potential to better incorporate and institutionalise sustainability. (Contains 4 notes and 7 tables.)

Copyright of Dialogos (14159945) is the property of Universidade Estadual de Maringa 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.)

Copyright of Religião e Sociedade is the property of Instituto de Estudos da Religiao 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 In the United States, the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine has been recommended for children since 2010 and for adults aged ≥65 years since 2014. We assessed S. pneumoniae antimicrobial nonsusceptibility among adults with suspected pneumonia from hospital settings. Methods Isolates were collected from 105 US sites between 2009 and 2017 in the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute methods were used for susceptibility testing. Serotypes were determined by cpsB sequence obtained by PCR or whole genome sequencing, plus multiplex PCR and/or Neufeld Quellung reactions as needed. Findings Of 7254 S. pneumoniae isolates analyzed, 63.6% and 36.4% were from patients aged 18‒64 and ≥65 years, respectively. Among all isolates, penicillin and ceftriaxone nonsusceptibility declined by 72.3% and 73.8%, respectively, with smaller changes observed for other antibiotics. Nonsusceptibility patterns were serotype-specific; for example, nonsusceptibility was relatively stable for serotype 19A but declined for 19F. Simultaneously, the percentage of serotype 19A isolates decreased from 17.4% to 3.9%, whereas for serotype 19F this percentage increased from 2.8% to 5.0%. The percentage of serotype 3 isolates that were nonsusceptible increased for select antibiotic classes, and the percentage of serotype 3 among all isolates increased minimally from 10.2% to 11.8%. Interpretation Overall pneumococcal nonsusceptibility patterns were influenced by distinct patterns within serotypes, indicating the likelihood of serotype-specific resistance mechanisms. Serotype 19A observations were consistent with vaccine-induced reductions in circulation with no change in the organism susceptibility, whereas the nonsusceptibility increases for serotypes 3 and 19F may indicate circulation of more antibiotic-resistant clones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Anuario Colombiano de Derecho Internacional is the property of Colegio Mayor de Nuestra Senora del Rosario 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: Upper extremity impairment is present in most of people with stroke. The use of the affected upper extremity can be impacted not only by physical impairment but also by abehavioral phenomenon called learned nonuse. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate which clinical factors in the acute phase are associated with the development of learned nonuse in the upper extremity after stroke. Methods: This cohort study included 38 patients with ischemic stroke. Hospital discharge data were collected for clinical aspects, scales of severity, incapacity and autonomy, as well as for neuromuscular and sensory evaluations. At 90 days after hospital discharge, the score on the Motor Activity Log scale for detecting learned nonuse was obtained, and life quality was evaluated by the EuroQol. The individuals with and without learned nonuse were compared by attest for univariate analysis, and ageneralized linear model was employed to find possible predictors, which were considered significant p <0.05. Results: In the statistical model, age (p=.006), severity at discharge (p=.036), handgrip strength (p=.000), altered sensitivity (p=.011), incapacity at discharge (p=.009) and autonomy at discharge (p=.011) were found to be associated with learned nonuse. In relation to quality of life, mobility, personal care, usual activities, anxiety, depression and perception had lower mean values in the learned nonuse group. Conclusion: Age, severity of stroke, incapacity and neuromuscular and sensory compromises are associated with upper extremity learned nonuse in stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xylella fastidiosa is a plant pathogenic bacterium with devastating consequences to several crops of economic importance across the world. While this pathogen has been studied for over a century in the United States, several aspects of its biology remain to be investigated. Determining the physiological state of bacteria is essential to understand the effects of its interactions with different biotic and abiotic factors on cell viability. Although X. fastidiosa is culturable, its slow growing nature makes this technique cumbersome to assess the physiological state of cells present in a given environment. PMA-qPCR, i.e. the use of quantitative PCR combined with the pre-treatment of cells with the dye propidium monoazide, has been successfully used in a number of studies on human pathogens to calculate the proportion of viable cells, but has less frequently been tested on plant pathogens. We found that the use of a version of PMA, PMAxx, facilitated distinguishing between viable and non-viable cells based on cell membrane integrity in vitro and in planta. Additional experiments comparing the number of culturable, viable, and total cells in planta would help further confirm our initial results. Enhancers, intended to improve the efficacy of PMAxx, were not effective and appeared to be slightly toxic to X. fastidiosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: To our knowledge, no study has previously evaluated whether individuals with bipolar depression enriched a priori on the basis of biochemical and/or phenotypic immuno-inflammatory activation would differentially respond to an anti-inflammatory agent for the treatment of depressive symptoms.Objective: To assess the antidepressant efficacy of adjunctive infliximab, a monoclonal antibody targeting tumor necrosis factor, in adults with bipolar I and bipolar II depression and inflammatory conditions.Design, Setting, and Participants: This 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial of 60 participants was conducted at 2 outpatient tertiary care sites in Canada and the United States. Eligible adults (aged 18-65 years) met DSM-5-defined criteria for bipolar I or bipolar II depression and exhibited pretreatment biochemical and/or phenotypic evidence of inflammatory activation. Participants were enrolled between October 1, 2015, and April 30, 2018. Data analysis was performed from May 1 through July 31, 2018, using modified intent-to-treat analysis.Interventions: Patients were randomized to receive 3 intravenous infusions of infliximab therapy or placebo at baseline and at weeks 2 and 6 of the 12-week study.Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary efficacy outcome was baseline-to-end point (ie, week-12) change in Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) total score. History of childhood maltreatment, as assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, was used for exploratory analyses as 1 of several secondary outcomes.Results: A total of 60 participants were randomized to infliximab (n = 29 [48%]; mean [SD] age, 45.0 [11.7] years; 20 of 28 female [71%]) or to placebo (n = 31 [52%]; mean [SD] age, 46.8 [10.2] years; 26 of 30 female [87%]) across study sites. Overall baseline-to-end point change in MADRS total score was observed across treatment × time interaction (χ2 = 10.33; P = .04); reduction in symptom severity was not significant at week 12 (relative risk, 1.09; 95% CI, 0.80-1.50; df = 1; P = .60). As part of a secondary analysis, a significant treatment × time × childhood maltreatment interaction was observed in which infliximab-treated individuals with childhood history of physical abuse exhibited greater reductions in MADRS total score (χ2 = 12.20; P = .02) and higher response rates (≥50% reduction in MADRS total score) (χ2 = 4.05; P = .04).Conclusions and Relevance: Infliximab did not significantly reduce depressive symptoms compared with placebo in adults with bipolar depression. Results from secondary analyses identified a subpopulation (ie, those reporting physical and/or sexual abuse) that exhibited a significant reduction in depressive symptoms with infliximab treatment compared with placebo.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02363738. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Firearm violence results in the death of thousands of children in the US annually. The effects of firearm legislation on gun violence are published but widely contested.Materials and Methods: The Kid's Inpatient Database from 2000 to 2009 were queried to capture hospitalizations of children diagnosed with a firearm-related injury. Cases were categorized into five levels of firearm legislation strictness by Brady State Scorecard. Trends of injuries were explored in terms of legislative strength, age, and race.Results: 27,566 children analyzed in the study. Most were adolescents aged 15-19 (87.3%), male (89.7%), and black (53.7%). The proportion of accidental injuries increased relative to state law leniency (R2 = 0.90), with highest percentage in lenient states (33.2%) compared to strict (16.7%). The proportion of suicide attempts were higher in states with lenient laws (4.4%) compared to strict (1.3%). Accidents were inversely related to age (59.3% in ages 0-4 compared to 22.0% in adolescents), while assaults were positively related to age (31.6% in ages 0-4 compared to 66.6% in adolescents). Whites were most likely to present with accidental injuries (44.6%), and Blacks and Hispanics with assaults (68.2% and 75.6%). Race (p = 0.009), age (p < 0.001), and firearm injury type (p = 0.001) were associated with mortality; Hispanics (OR 1.36, 95% CI: 1.03-1.78), children age 5-9 (2.03, 1.30-3.17) and suicide attempts (15.6, 11.6-20.9) had higher odds of in-hospital mortality.Conclusions: Firearm-related injuries types in hospitalized children are associated with age, race, and state level legislation. Accidents are most prevalent in young children, Whites, and states with lenient gun laws, while suicide attempts are more common in adolescents, Whites, and states with lenient gun laws. Suicide attempts are also associated with the greatest odds of in-hospital mortality. To address firearm violence, consideration should be given to legislation that promote safe gun storage behaviors and restrict firearm accessibility to children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The US and Mexico share a common history in many areas, including language and culture. They face ecological changes due to the increased frequency and severity of droughts and rising energy demands; trends that entail economic costs for both nations and major implications for human wellbeing. We describe an ongoing effort by the Environment Working Group (EWG), created by The University of California’s UC-Mexico initiative in 2015, to promote binational research, teaching, and outreach collaborations on the implications of climate change for Mexico and California. We synthesize current knowledge about the most pressing issues related to climate change in the US-Mexico border region and provide examples of cross-border discoveries and research initiatives, highlighting the need to move forward in six broad rubrics. This and similar binational cooperation efforts can lead to improved living standards, generate a collaborative mindset among participating universities, and create an international network to address urgent sustainability challenges affecting both countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) prevent invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia. However, some low-and middle-income countries have yet to introduce PCV into their immunization programs due, in part, to lack of certainty about the potential impact. Assessing PCV benefits is challenging because specific data on pneumococcal disease are often lacking, and it can be difficult to separate the effects of factors other than the vaccine that could also affect pneumococcal disease rates.Methods: We assess PCV impact by combining Bayesian model averaging with change-point models to estimate the timing and magnitude of vaccine-associated changes, while controlling for seasonality and other covariates. We applied our approach to monthly time series of age-stratified hospitalizations related to pneumococcal infection in children younger 5 years of age in the United States, Brazil, and Chile.Results: Our method accurately detected changes in data in which we knew true and noteworthy changes occurred, i.e., in simulated data and for invasive pneumococcal disease. Moreover, 24 months after the vaccine introduction, we detected reductions of 14%, 9%, and 9% in the United States, Brazil, and Chile, respectively, in all-cause pneumonia (ACP) hospitalizations for age group 0 to <1 years of age.Conclusions: Our approach provides a flexible and sensitive method to detect changes in disease incidence that occur after the introduction of a vaccine or other intervention, while avoiding biases that exist in current approaches to time-trend analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The petrochemical industry is known for its interrelations with the oil industry. In recent years the world has witnessed the rapid growth of the Chinese economy and an associated surge in demand for petroleum and oil products, alongside the emergence of alternative sources of oil and natural gas to those produced by OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) and Russia, such as Brazil’s pre-salt reserves and shale gas in the United States. The US is undergoing a veritable energy revolution with its use of unconventional oil and natural gas production techniques in low-permeability reservoirs, chiefly shale gas. Brazil’s prospects as an international player are on the rise thanks to the exploration of oil and natural gas from its pre-salt reserves, which could lead to exports of petroleum of over 2 million barrels/day. All these movements have a direct influence on the petrochemical industry. This article aims to foster discussions about the risks and opportunities facing the Brazilian petrochemical industry with the exploration of oil and natural gas in Brazil and unconventional sources in the United States. Systemic thinking and scenario-based planning were used as the basis for the analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the processes of negotiating and documenting hedge fund derivatives as of July 2014, focusing on global regulatory initiatives involving hedge funds, as well as information about European Union (EU) laws and the "Volcker Rule" requirements under the U.S. Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act 2010. American securities laws, restrictions on hedge fund investments and holdings, and the EU's Alternative Investment Fund Managers Directive are examined.

The article discusses the International Swaps and Derivatives Association Inc.'s (ISDA's) Master Agreement 2012, focusing on over-the-counter (OTC) markets, derivatives as financial instruments, and centralised exchanges such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME). The ISDA's Interest Rate Swap Agreement is addressed, along with changes to U.S. bankruptcy laws, choice of law provisions, and America's Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

The article reports an increase in suicide rates among physicians in the U.S. and Great Britain as compared to other countries. The suicide rate of male physicians is higher than that of the general population and the tendency is most prevalent in female psychiatrist and anesthetists. It highlights that physicians face difficulties such as stress, high responsibility and maintaining balance between work and family.

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Copyright of Economía del Caribe is the property of Fundacion Universidad del Norte 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.)

Copyright of Dialogos (14159945) is the property of Universidade Estadual de Maringa 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.)

The capacity to predict the geographic distribution and relative abundance of invasive species is pivotal to developing policy for eradication or control and management. Commonly used methods fall under the ambit of ecological niche models (ENMs). These methods were reviewed and shortcomings identified. Weather-driven physiologically based demographic models (PBDMs) are proposed that resolve many of the deficiencies of ENMs. The PBDM approach is used to analyze the invasiveness of the polyphagous glassy-winged sharpshooter (Homalodisca vitripennis [Germar] ), a pest native to the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico that extended its range into California in 1989. Glassy-winged sharpshooter vectors the pathogenic bacterium, Xylella fastidiosa (Wells) that causes Pierce's disease in grape and scorch-like diseases in other plants. PBDMs for glassy-winged sharpshooter and its egg parasitoids (Gonatocerus ashmeadi Girault and G. triguttatus Girault) were developed and linked to a PBDM for grape published by Wermelinger et al. (1991). Daily weather data from 108 locations across California for the period 1995-2006 were used to drive the PBDM system, and GRASS GIS was used to map the simulation results. The geographic distribution of glassy-winged sharpshooter, as observed, is predicted to be largely restricted to the warm areas of southern California, with the action of the two egg parasitoids reducing its abundance >90%. The average indispensable mortality contributed by G. triguttatus is <1%. A temperature-dependent developmental rate model for X. fastidiosa was developed that suggests its geographic range is also limited to the warm inland areas of southern California. Biological control of glassy-winged sharp- shooter further decreases the pathogen's relative range. Climate warming scenarios of + 2°C and +3°C suggest that the distribution and severity of glassy-winged sharpshooter and X. fastidiosa will increase in the agriculturally rich central valley of California. The utility of holistic analyses for formulating control policy and tactics for invasive species is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article features the study of Rodrigo Pedrosa and team on the correlation between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and atrial fibrillation of patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) in the U.S. Researchers evaluated 80 patients with HCM through sleep questionnaire, blood test, echocardiography and sleep study. They found that OSA is higher in those patients with HCM and is associated with heart remodeling.

Copyright of Parcerias Estratégicas is the property of Centro de Gestao e Estudos Estrategicos 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.)

Copyright of Revista de la Universidad del Valle de Guatemala is the property of Universidad del Valle de Guatemala 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.)

Even though businesses insure against myriad risks, patent litigation is often excluded from their general commercial liability insurance policy. Companies understand that patent litigation is an expensive ordeal, and some opt for specialized patent insurance. However, most businesses do not carry such protection because it is too costly. This is unfortunate because some studies suggest that patent insurance fosters research and development among small-to-medium sized enterprises. Following this finding, the European Commission called on CJA Consultants to study the feasibility of a mandatory, EU-wide patent insurance scheme in early 2003. In 2006, CJA Consultants concluded that such a scheme was feasible. This Note analyzes the mandatory patent insurance scheme proposed by CJA Consultants and considers whether a similar scheme could be implemented in the United States. First, the Note provides a background on patent insurance. Then, actual policy specimens from a patent insurer are analyzed to explain the differing types of insurance, their costs, and their shortcomings. Ultimately, the CJA Consultants' proposal is analyzed and compared to the identified shortcomings. The Note concludes that a mandatory U.S. patent insurance scheme would fail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Relações Internacionais is the property of Relacoes Internacionais 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.)

Immigration is often thought of as a problem primarily for large metropolitan areas. However, much of the recent literature dealing with the meat processing industry focuses on the migration it generates towards small, rural towns in the American Midwest. The prior studies frequently use a qualitative method. The primary goal of this study was to explore the characteristics of new arrivals to two Midwestern towns (Schuyler and Crete, Nebraska). The basic method used for developing the inventory of demographic characteristics and concerns was analyzing data from two quantitative studies previously conducted by the authors. Identical questions were selected from each study in order to create a uniform data set. Selected questions include length of residence, number of persons in the household, age, sex, nationality, level of education, occupation, and place of origin, as well as inadequacy of income, job satisfaction, pressure to do better at work, racial discrimination, and struggle for a better house. This study presents a description of the demographic characteristics and concerns of the recent arrivals to the two communities. The results could have implications for other similar communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Although the Medicare Coverage Advisory Committee found that significant evidence supports the safety and effectiveness of bariatric surgery, few data are available on the outcomes of bariatric procedures in patients ≥65 years. The aim of this study was to report on contemporary outcomes of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in patients ≥65 years. Methods: We reviewed prospectively collected data from all patients ≥65 years who underwent RYGB at two Florida university-based programs from 1999 to 2005. Similarly, the Florida Discharge Database was queried for patients ≥65 years who had undergone RYGB from 1999 to 2005. The data are presented as the mean ± SEM. Results: A total of 25 patients ≥65 years had undergone RYGB at our institutions (age 68 ± 1 years, body mass index 50 ± 3 kg/m2). The overall complication rate was 20%, and the length of stay was 7 ± 3 days. One patient (4%) died 5 weeks postoperatively of septic complications. For the 13 patients with a median follow-up of 21 months (range 9–61), the percentage of excess body weight loss was 51% ± 7%; medication use for co-morbidities decreased from 9 ± 1 to 4 ± 1 medications/day (P <.01). The Florida Discharge Database reported 231 patients ≥65 years who had undergone RYGB. In that group of patients, the mean age was 67 ± 0.2 years, the length of stay was 6 ± 1 days, in-hospital mortality rate was 1.3%, and the overall complication rate was 15%. Conclusion: In a small cohort of patients ≥65 years, RYGB resulted in significant weight loss and resolution of obesity-related co-morbidities. The findings from the mandatory reported Florida Discharge Database strongly confirmed the safety of RYGB in patients ≥65 years. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

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The article presents information on homelessness in Nebraska. Homelessness as a visible social and economic problem has plagued the United States since the 1980's. During this time period research on urban homelessness has proliferated dramatically. Comparatively, little research on rural and agricultural region homelessness has been undertaken. A number of factors have contributed to the changes in the rural economies. Food producers and processors have faced intensively competitive markets in conditions of inelastic or falling demand. Farm productivity has steadily increased over the past 50 years generating accumulations of surpluses and depressing farm markets. Increases in worldwide agricultural production and lower domestic price supports further contributed to the lowering of farm incomes, creating economic conditions in which agribusinesses succeeded while family farms struggled. The result has been a general decline in farm employment and a trend towards fewer, larger and more efficient farms.