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Scribes in early modern South Asia relied on their skill in writing to secure the support of powerful courtly patrons. The rapid expansion of emerging regional states in the eighteenth century created new opportunities to apply these skills to administration, land-holding, and politics. This article examines the changing professional identity of the Kayastha scribal household in eighteenth-century western India. I focus on the ascendancy of the Chitnis household of Satara in the context of the growth and diversification of Kayastha employment under the Maratha sovereign Shahu Bhonsle (1682–1749). By consolidating portfolios of titles, appointments, and rights to property, ambitious scribes and secretaries, as epitomised by the career of Govind Khanderao Chitnis (d. 1785), were able to pursue riskier and more lucrative political assignments and form networks of kinsmen and associates across Maratha governments. Yet greater scrutiny and competition for state largesse, not least from within the Chitnis household itself, forced members of later generations to adopt creative and sometimes risky strategies to defend their claims to property. This article explores how the profound dislocations of political transformation in eighteenth-century South Asia enabled distinctive modes of individual and collective self-fashioning amongst skilled, upwardly mobile groups.

The network of international investment agreements (IIAs) sees a rapid expansion in the last three decades. With it also the number of international investor-State disputes (ISDS), where foreign investors allege governments of breaches of IIAs, increases sharply also in Balkan, post-Soviet Union and Near and Middle East (BSNME) countries. These disputes are frequently seen to negatively interfere with the national sovereignty of host governments to enact regulation in the public interest, especially in times when regulatory interventions are necessary from a social welfare viewpoint. Against this background, in this paper we appraise the current state of ISDS in BSNME countries: Are BSNME countries prime targets of foreign investors’ arbitral claims? Which economic sectors are targeted by investors? What is the outcome of the arbitral councils’ deliberations? What can we infer from the experience of BSNME countries with ISDS about the future role of IIAs for these countries? We conclude that further improvements in governance are key factors in the attempt to optimize the trade-off between attraction of foreign investment via the ratification of IIAs and national sovereignty in policy making.

In general, the LBK is considered a very assertive cultural phenomenon characterized by rapid expansion and subsequent high population density in agriculturally favorable areas. On the one hand, for the first time larger and long-term populated places were created, on the other hand, a strong colonial tendency is obvious. A closer look at the settlement areas on the upper Danube in Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg, however, shows an astonishing picture: Both the time of the first rural colonization and the ups and downs in the further settlement are very different from region to region. Colonization advances as well as abandonment of entire areas can be observed several times. The LBK in this region is thus characterized by a very high dynamics of settlement. In addition to all conservative tendencies, risky foundations of settlements, the option of failure and the willingness to considerable personal mobility appear to be integral components of the cultural model.

Refereed/Peer-reviewed Despite facing the rapid expansion of high-speed rail (HSR) services, China's airline industry has experienced substantial growth in the last decade. Using panel data from 2007 to 2016, this paper assesses the welfare changes for both economy- and business-class air passengers in China due to the HSR entry. We found that the demand for air travel is inelastic and that the HSR entry has led to significant welfare changes for air passengers. Specifically, air passengers in the short-distance markets were worse off, largely driven by a dramatic cut in flight frequency. However, over time, their welfare could improve when flight frequencies were restored. In contrast, in the medium- and long-distance markets, air passengers could be better off immediately after the HSR entry, thanks to the lower airfare and insignificant drop in flight frequency. However, a reduction in welfare was observed in the long run, after airlines gradually reduced the flight frequency.

In recent years, there has been a rapid expansion of increasingly restrictive laws managing the post release behavior and movement of individuals convicted of sexual offenses. In the US, this legislation has led to many barriers for people returning to their community as “registered sex offenders.” We consider the often ignored but undeniable traumagenic impact of life on “the list” and conceptualize this experience as Post-Conviction Traumatic Stress. We present a qualitative content analysis of secondary data collected from interviews with over 70 men. Emergent themes were first organized according to the human needs identified in Maslow’s hierarchy, and then by the established symptoms of PTSD, and finally in terms of resilient coping versus traumatic coping when basic human needs were unmet. We discuss the unexplored impact of traumatic instability on risk for recidivism and present recommendations for trauma-informed policies and practices with individuals required to register as “sex offenders.”

Rapid expansion of South Korean investment in Asia and Africa highlights a need to understand how local staff manage intercultural communication, particularly involving conflict with their superiors. South Korea is Vietnam’s largest investor and the Southern Key Economic Zone hosts the majority of 1252 projects and 70,000–80,000 South Koreans working in Vietnam. This paper reports on a mixed methods data set comprising 356 survey responses and nine in-depth interviews of Vietnamese workers at South Korean companies in Bình Dương province. According to workers, the main causes of conflict in workplace interactions with Korean managers are ‘differences in working culture’ – especially about workplace time use – and ‘attitude differences’. The most popular solution from both sides is to apologise. However, workers report frequently remaining silent when they are verbally abused. This research shows that intercultural communication is an ongoing and dynamic interpersonal process that is influenced by social, contextual and individual factors.

Most ecological and environmental issues faced by human society can only be solved at the ecosystem, watershed, regional and even global scale. Thus, ecological research is developing rapidly towards macro-scale studies. With the rapid development of observational networks and information technology, the spaceborne-aircraft-ground based observation system is becoming an important feature of ecosystem monitoring in the new era. With the gradual formation of the global new-generation observational systems and the rapid expansion of massive multi-source heterogeneous data, ecology has entered the era of big data, big science, and big theory. How to integrate ecological big data, discover valuable ecological laws and mechanisms, and further expand them to solve eco-environmental issues that closely relate to human development are the major opportunities and challenges in this field. In this paper, we systematically summarized the research progresses in ecological big data, reviewed the opportunity and demand of integrative ecology, and further discussed the main approaches of ecological big data integration by using meta-analysis, data mining, and data-model fusion. Finally, we proposed the prospects and research directions of in-tegrative ecology and suggested that future researches need to integrate big data into land models so as to improve the accuracy of ecological forecasting. It can be foreseen that under the background of global change and the rapid development of big data in the future, integrative ecology will be extensively applied and developed to serve the sustainable development of human society.

The availability of accessible fabrication methods based on deterministic transfer of atomically thin crystals has been essential for the rapid expansion of research into van der Waals heterostructures. An inherent issue of these techniques is the deformation of the polymer carrier film during the transfer, which can lead to highly non-uniform strain induced in the transferred two-dimensional material. Here, using a combination of optical spectroscopy, atomic force and Kelvin probe force microscopy, we show that the presence of nanometer scale wrinkles formed due to transfer-induced stress relaxation can lead to strong changes in the optical properties of MoSe$_2$/WSe$_2$ heterostructures and the emergence of the linearly polarized interlayer exciton photoluminescence. We attribute these changes to the local breaking of crystal symmetry in the nanowrinkles, which act as efficient accumulation centers for the interlayer excitons due to the strain-induced interlayer band gap reduction. The surface potential images of the rippled heterobilayer samples acquired using Kelvin probe force microscopy reveal the variation of the local work function consistent with the strain-induced band gap modulation, while the potential offset observed at the ridges of the wrinkles shows a clear correlation with the value of the tensile strain estimated from the wrinkle geometry. Our findings highlight the important role of the residual strain in defining optical properties of van der Waals heterostructures and suggest novel approaches for interlayer exciton manipulation by local strain engineering.

Background Before the COVID-19 pandemic, telemedicine utilization was mostly used for postoperative visits only in neurosurgery. Shelter-in-place measures led the rapid expansion of telemedicine to address the needs of the neurosurgical patient population. Our goal is to determine the extent of adoption of telemedicine across tumor, vascular, spine, and function neurosurgery and utilization for new patient visits. Methods A single-center retrospective cohort study of patients who received neurosurgical care at a tertiary academic center from February to April 2020 was conducted. Patients evaluated from March to April 2019 were included for comparison. A total of 10,746 patients were included: 1247 patients underwent surgery, 8742 were seen in clinic via an in-person outpatient visit, and 757 were assessed via telemedicine during the study period. Results A 40-fold increase in the use of telemedicine was noted after the shelter-in-place measures were initiated with a significant increase in the mean number of patients evaluated via telemedicine per week across all divisions of neurosurgery (4.5 ± 0.9 to 180.4 ± 13.9, P

The rapid expansion of the proxy wars literature invites an examination of its advances and developments. This article’s aims are three-fold. First, to assess proxy war literature with a view to understand how it has progressed knowledge. Second, to map the field’s effort to cumulate knowledge. Third, to think creatively about the future directions of this research agenda as it addresses a problem no longer at the periphery of contemporary security debates. This article proposes a novel categorization of the evolution of our thinking about proxy wars across three "generations": founders, framers, and reformers. Following on from this, it provides an assessment of the literature’s assumptions in order to show what remains, or not, under-studied. In doing so, it makes a case for a historiography of the idea of "proxy war," and one for embedding strategy in analyses of wars by proxy.

The solute carrier (SLC) transporter superfamily comprises an ancient and ubiquitous group of proteins capable of translocating a range of nutrients, endogenous molecules, and xenobiotics. Although the group has been the subject of intense investigation in both bacteria and mammals, its systematic identification in arthropods has not yet been undertaken. Here, we present a genome-wide identification of all 66 human SLC families in 174 arthropod species. A pipeline (SLC_id) was constructed to identify and group SLCs using a combination of hidden Markov model and BLAST searches followed by filtering based on polypeptide length and the number of transmembrane domains. Comparative analysis of the number of transporters in each family across diverse arthropod lineages was accomplished using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Computational Analysis of gene Family Evolution (CAFE). These results suggested that many SLC families have undergone expansions or contractions in particular evolutionary lineages. Notably, the sugar transporting SLC2 family was significantly larger in insects compared with arachnids. This difference may have been complemented by a rapid expansion of the SLC60 family in arachnids which also acts on dietary sugars. Furthermore, the SLC33 family underwent a recent and drastic expansion in aphids, although the biological relevance of this expansion was not possible to infer. Information on specific SLC transporter families across arthropod species can be accessed through an R shiny web application at http://chrysalida.imbb.forth.gr : 3838/Arthropod_SLC_Database/. The present study greatly facilitates further investigation of the diverse group of SLC transporters in arthropods.

The amount of plastics from waste electric and electronic equipment (WEEE) has enormously increased nowadays, due to the rapid expansion and consumption of electronic devices and their short lifespan. This, in combination with their non-biodegradability, led to the need to explore environmentally friendly solutions for their safe disposal. One main obstacle when recycling plastics from WEEE is that they usually comprise harmful additives such as brominated flame retardants (BFRs) that need to be removed before or during their recycling. This paper reviews existing techniques for the recycling of plastics from WEEE and focuses specifically on the advantages, disadvantages, and challenges of pyrolysis as an environmentally friendly method for the production of value-added materials (monomers, hydrocarbons, phenols, etc.). Current technological trends available for the recycling of plastics containing brominated flame retardants are reviewed in an attempt to provide insights for future research on the sustainable management of plastics from WEEE. Emphasis is given on conventional pyrolysis, where a pretreatment step for the debromination of products is applied. This is required since brominated compounds treated at high temperatures may result in the production of harmful to health compounds such as dioxins. All current pretreatment methods (solvent extraction, supercritical fluid technology, etc.) are presented and compared in detail. Co-pyrolysis is also investigated, as it seems to be a very interesting approach, since no catalysts or solvents are used, and at the same time, more plastic wastes can be consumed as feedstock. Furthermore, catalytic pyrolysis along with key parameters, such as the type of the catalyst or pyrolysis temperature, are fully analyzed. Catalysts affect the products' distribution and enhance the removal of bromine from pyrolysis oils. Finally, an emerging technique, that of microwave-assisted pyrolysis, is also highlighted, as it offers many advantages over conventional pyrolysis. Of course, there are some impediments, such as the operational costs or other difficulties as regards the industrial implementation of the mentioned techniques that need to be overcome through future works.

Objectives To assess changes in pulp blood flow (PBF) and pulp sensibility (PS) in teeth of patients with a history of dental trauma undergoing maxillary expansion. Materials and Methods Twenty-five patients requiring rapid maxillary expansion (RME) had the pulp status of their maxillary anterior teeth assessed using laser Doppler flowmetry, electric pulp testing, and thermal testing (CO2 snow). Each patient was tested at T1 (prior to expansion), T2 (2 weeks after rapid expansion), and T3 (3 months after expansion). Relationships between PBF, time interval, and history of trauma were evaluated using linear mixed modelling. Results Within the Trauma group, PBF was significantly lower (P ≤ .05) at T2 and T3 in comparison to T1 and significantly lower (P ≤ .05) at T2 in comparison to T3. In the Non-trauma group, PBF at T2 was significantly lower (P ≤ .05) than PBF at T1 and T3; however, no significant difference (P > .05) in PBF was observed when comparing PBF at T1 and T3. In both groups, PS was maintained in almost all teeth (>90%). Conclusions RME in healthy teeth causes reduction of PBF before reestablishment of pretreatment values. RME in traumatized teeth causes reduction of PBF without PBF being reestablished to pretreatment levels. Teeth with a history of compromise may have reduced adaptive capacity under insults such as RME, which should be appreciated during the informed consent process.

Purpose: With the rapid expansion of the field of interventional neuroradiology (INR) and the diverse background of aspiring neuro-interventionists, there is an ever increasing need to establish consensus criteria for training and accreditation in INR.Materials and Methods: We performed a survey to explore the current state of criteria for training and accreditation in INR. The questionnaire consisting of 11 questions was emailed to the members of World Federation of Interventional and Therapeutic Neuroradiology (WFITN) worldwide. It was focused on the training charter, training program, qualifying examination, and education after training program as perceived by practitioners in each country.Results: A total of 52 WFITN members in 19 countries responded to the questionnaire. There was a huge variation internationally and nationally due to the unique situation and challenges in each country and institution. Criteria for training and accreditation in INR were well established in some countries of Europe, North America, and Asia but not specified in other countries.Conclusion: It is critical to establish consensus criteria for training and accreditation in INR in order to ensure safe practice and continued expansion and development of INR as a specialty.

Indian higher education (HE) system has undergone rapid expansion over the last two decades, emerging as one of the largest HE systems in the world. Expansion is accompanied by the challenge of ensuring comparable quality education across a diverse institutional spectrum. Simultaneously, academic reforms in the sphere of general HE have been pursued in recent years to align HE with global quality assurance frameworks. This creates an intrinsic pull in the system where international benchmarks juxtapose against demands made on HE institutions (HEIs) to meet the needs of and support first-generation learners coming from disadvantaged backgrounds to enable them to transition successfully to academic cultures of colleges. This article addresses the challenge for equity and institutional challenge to find ways to engender the pedagogical and scaffolding processes accountable to the ‘educational outcomes’ through ensuring attainment of specified graduate attributes.

Rapid expansion of eParticipation as a tool of engagement and strengthened cooperation between governments and citizens is a contemporary trend worldwide. The objective is to improve access to information and public services as well as to promote participation in policy-making by usage of Information and Communication Technologies. eParticipation is also considered as a necessary component or a prerequisite of eDemocracy. The paper is focused on the issue of eParticipation and its application on local level of government in the Czech Republic. The aim of the research is to evaluate the offer and availability of eParticipation services provided on the municipal websites by the municipalities with extended powers in Moravian-Silesian Region. The methodology and structure of the criteria for assessing the level of eParticipation services in the presented research was designed on the basis of the Digital Governance in Municipalities Worldwide methodology. The data were obtained from author`s own investigation on the municipal websites. The data analysis was supplemented by cluster analysis. On the basis of the results of cluster analyses, the municipalities were divided according to their success in the selected criteria. The results of the research point out the insufficient offer of eParticipation services on municipal websites and on the poor options of citizen´s eParticipation at the local level of government in the Moravian-Silesian Region. Similar results may be expected across the Czech Republic. The results of this research are particularly relevant to the municipal authorities of the selected region and local government to indicate the weaknesses of online opportunities for society. At present, the topic of participation at the local level is very important as it contributes to the implementation of the concept of Smart Cities. This research emphasizes that the offer and availability of eParticipation services for citizens needs to be expanded. It is very useful and comfortable to use current technological possibilities and offer participation services online.

Background. The rise in an ageing population has resulted in an increase in the prevalence of aortic stenosis. With the advent and rapid expansion in the use of transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs), patients with severe aortic stenosis, traditionally thought too high risk for surgical intervention, are now being treated with generally favourable results. Frailty is an important factor in determining outcome after a TAVR, and an assessment of frailty is fundamental in the identification of appropriate patients to treat. Objective. The objective of the study was to identify if the psoas muscle area is associated with frailty in TAVR patients and outcome after intervention. Method. In this prospective study, we measured outcomes of 62 patients who underwent TAVR procedures against the psoas muscle area and the Reported Edmonton Frail Scale (REFS). Our aim was to assess if psoas muscle assessment can be used as a simple method to predict frailty in our population group. Results. A total of 60 patients met the study criteria. Mean psoas-lumbar vertebral index was 0.61, with a lower value in the frail group. There was not a statistically significant correlation between the psoas measures, REFS score (indicative of frailty), and mortality. However, there was a statistically significant relationship between the psoas size and REFS score (p=0.043). Conclusion. Psoas assessment can be useful in providing additional information when planning for patients to undergo a TAVR and can be used as a screening tool to help identify frail patients within this high-risk group.

Given the rapid expansion in social work education, universities in Vietnam are facing tremendous challenges in organizing effective field practicum. This article explores the current field practicum models in Vietnam, its strengths, challenges and recommendations for enhancement. The study utilized a case-study approach in which focus groups and in-depth interviews were conducted. The key strengths included diverse and comprehensive content, and enthusiasm and support from field supervisors and instructors. The key challenges were lack of qualified field supervisors, loose collaboration between universities and field agencies, and inadequate student assessment methods. Specific recommendations are presented that fit the contexts of Vietnam.

A finales del 2019 China detecta en sus ciudadanos la aparición de un nuevo virus asociado al SARS-CoV-2, denominado como COVID-19. Pocas semanas después a inicios del 2020 la población a nivel mundial se ve alarmada por la rápida expansión, lo cual hace tomar medidas de seguridad en todos los aspectos de la vida social del ser humano. Siendo la medida radical el confinamiento y por consecuencia la educación se enfrenta a un nuevo modelo pedagógico de aprendizaje. Resultado de esto los preescolares abandonan su mundo mágico de diversión abordando un mundo tecnológico que antes no lo habían manejado. En este artículo se analiza y reflexiona la realidad educativa de los preescolares y como aporte se considera los siguientes aspectos: a) dotación de tecnología, b) área socioemocional, entre ellos se destaca la ruptura de relaciones sociales y el sentimiento de apego. Desafíos que debe considerar cada cartera de Estado para garantizar la educación de calidad que proliferan.

Since 2011, freight transport rail links between China and Europe have been rapidly multiplying. Against all expectations, this commercial initiative, under the aegis of the Deutsche Bahn, has expanded significantly. The number of origin-destination pairs has increased, the number of trains has risen sharply, and both Chinese and European partners have far-reaching ambitions. The railways’ market share of trans-Asian freight is still low. However, rail link development projects have received a spectacular boost from the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), resulting in the rapid expansion of volume, services offered, and the emergence of new rail infrastructure. Does this development, which needs to be examined more closely, represent a political tool for China? To what extent does the development of these rail links rely on a buoyant market? This article studies the development of rail services and infrastructure by means of a cross-analysis of a body of technical reports and publications by the transport sector’s professional press.

This study provides data on the feasibility and impact of video-enabled telemedicine use among patients and providers and its impact on urgent and nonurgent healthcare delivery from one large health system (NYU Langone Health) at the epicenter of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in the United States. Between March 2nd and April 14th 2020, telemedicine visits increased from 102.4 daily to 801.6 daily. (683% increase) in urgent care after the system-wide expansion of virtual urgent care staff in response to COVID-19. Of all virtual visits post expansion, 56.2% and 17.6% urgent and nonurgent visits, respectively, were COVID-19–related. Telemedicine usage was highest by patients 20 to 44 years of age, particularly for urgent care. The COVID-19 pandemic has driven rapid expansion of telemedicine use for urgent care and nonurgent care visits beyond baseline periods. This reflects an important change in telemedicine that other institutions facing the COVID-19 pandemic should anticipate.

Este artigo tem como objetivo analisar de que modo o cooperativismo vem contribuindo com a rápida expansão da produção de orgânicos no Brasil. Para tal, busca-se aporte teórico nos escritos de Alexander Chayanov para sustentar o cooperativismo como forma de organização social profícua para o desenvolvimento desse modo de fazer agricultura. A metodologia utilizada se consistiu na análise de dados secundários dos Censos Agropecuários de 2006 e 2017 do IBGE. Os resultados mostram um aumento numericamente expressivo de estabelecimentos agropecuários associados com cooperativas entre os anos de 2006 e 2017. Além disso, enquanto 15,75% das unidades de produção orgânica certificadas estão associadas com cooperativas, nas unidades não certificadas esse índice atinge apenas 5,33%. Considerando o potencial do cooperativismo como um modo de organização social, ações do Estado e as políticas púbicas poderiam se beneficiar desta capacidade organizacional para tornar mais efetivas a superação das múltiplas carências dessa categoria.

Os Emirados Árabes Unidos passaram as últimas duas décadas trabalhando para transformar seu litoral, ampliando território e criando paisagens artificias monumentais como as ilhas artificiais, para mudar sua economia baseada no petróleo para uma economia de serviços e turismo. A rápida expansão da cobertura do solo urbano acarretou sérios desafios para a sustentabilidade do País. Este artigo, que tem a Ilha Palm Jumeirah como exemplo tem como objetivo estudar o desenho, a construção das ilhas e sua relação com a sustentabilidade. Para o estudo, partiu-se do reconhecimento prévio da área, pelo autor, a partir de visitas ao local, levantamentos bibliográficos, registros fotográficos e observações. Um estudo de campo foi necessário, devido à falta de pesquisas similares anteriores. Os resultados mostraram que as intervenções feitas em Dubai, como a Ilha Palm Jumeirah, trouxeram mudanças boas e significativas para a economia (como desejado), mas gerou conflitos socioculturais, além de problemas ambientais, principalmente ao ambiente marítimo.

There has been a rapid expansion in the use of non-randomized evidence in the regulatory approval of treatments globally. An emerging set of methodologies have been utilized to provide greater insight into external control data used for these purposes, collectively known as synthetic control methods. Through this paper, we provide the reader with a set of key questions to help assess the quality of literature publications utilizing synthetic control methodologies. Common challenges and real-life examples of synthetic controls are provided throughout, alongside a critical appraisal framework with which to assess future publications.

The rapid expansion of modern cancer immunotherapeutics has led to a dramatic improvement in patient survival and sustained remission for otherwise refractory malignancies. However, a significant limitation behind these current treatment modalities is an irregularity in clinical response, which is especially pronounced among checkpoint inhibition. This unpredictability leads to significant side effects, financial costs, and health care burden, with unsatisfactory clinical benefit in the majority of treated patients. Additionally, although ongoing studies and trials investigate the use of multiple biomarkers predictive of patient response or harm, none of these are comprehensive in predicting potential benefit. This unmet need for validated biomarkers is largely secondary to a prohibitive complexity within tumor parenchyma and microenvironment, dynamic clonal and proteomic changes to therapy, heterogenous host immune defects, and varied standardization among sample preparation and reporting. Herein, we discuss current advantages of predictive biomarkers, as well as limitations in their clinical use and application. We also review future directions, ideal characteristics, and trial design needed for proper precision immuno-oncology and biomarker development.

Axial spondyloathritis (axSpA) treatment with biologic DMARDs was previously focused around anti-TNF agents. Significant advances in research have led to new therapeutic options, such as secukinumab, an IL-17 inhibitor, which has been approved for the treatment of axSpA. Two other biologic agents that are already licensed for rheumatoid and psoriatic arthritis, tofacitinib and ixekizumab, have demonstrated improved outcomes in axSpA. Several newer agents have been developed to inhibit IL-17, IL-23, and JAK. Early trials are promising; however, further research is needed. Rapid expansion of therapies available to treat axSpA could lead to improved disease control and decreased disease burden.

The rapid expansion, accessibility and connectivity of social media enables real-time reader engagement and interaction with news regarding crime and criminal behaviour. However, the generally unre...

The rapid expansion of the Comparative Agendas Project (CAP) has drastically increased data availability on the policy agendas of government outputs. These data are coded using a system to allow for valid comparisons in policy agendas across issues, time, and systems. However, less data are available for interest groups outputs, and that data have mostly been limited to the USA. In this paper, we propose methods for measuring the policy agendas of interest groups using the CAP system. Scholars can estimate the policy content of interest group activities by linking them to existing CAP datasets. These data can be used to compare the distribution of policy attention of interest groups and the institutions they attempt to influence. Because the CAP datasets are highly detailed and widely available, researchers can examine interest group activities at low costs. Furthermore, we discuss higher-cost methods of coding interest group policy outputs that may be of interest to scholars.

A LVA é uma doença endêmica em alguns estados do Brasil, especialmente em São Paulo, devido a sua rápida expansão. Ela é uma preocupação constante para as equipes de saúde uma vez que seu controle é deficiente em razão da ecologia dos flebotomíneos, que apresentam parte do seu ciclo de vida em solos com a presença de matéria orgânica em decomposição. O objetivo do presente estudo foi o de analisar a composição físico-química do solo de uma área endêmica para a doença, com a presença do e vetor e com transmissão canina e humana, e compará-la com uma área em que não existe a presença do vetor e nem a transmissão. Foram analisadas 333 amostras de solo, sendo 161 em área endêmica e 172 em área não endêmica no Laboratório de Solos da Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas – FCA/UNESP Campus de Botucatu. Os resultados das análises mostraram que as duas áreas apresentam diferenças importantes em relação à composição do solo, o que poderia explicar a presença ou ausência do vetor em determinados municípios. A área não endêmica apresentou resultados significativamente maiores para os valores de areia total, matéria orgânica, hidrogênio + alumínio, magnésio, capacidade de troca de cátions, cobre e ferro, e quantidade significativamente menor de Argila, apresentando um pH mais ácido do que a área endêmica. Não existem trabalhos na literatura que definam com precisão quais macro ou micronutrientes presentes nos solos com matéria orgânica, teriam a função de prejudicar ou auxiliar o desenvolvimento das formas larvárias do vetor. Entretanto, a principal contribuição do presente estudo foi detectar que existem diferenças de composição do solo entre áreas endêmicas e não endêmicas, o que pode facilitar ou dificultar a multiplicação do vetor e que pode ser utilizado para uma possível modificação no solo, contribuindo assim para o controle do ciclo vetorial.

The rapid expansion of microcredit in recent years renders knowledge of its impact on poverty critical. Unfortunately, empirical investigations have been limited by endogeneity issues, and randomiz...

India and Africa have experienced the rapid expansion of bilateral trade during the last two decades. The India–Africa trade is understudied in general and in the agriculture sector. Very few considerable efforts have been made to study the agro-trade restrictions between both the economies. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to empirically identify the recent evidence of non-tariff measures (NTMs) imposed on the agro-products between India and Africa, which also work as non-tariff barriers. It is perceived that India being one of the frequent users of NTMs in the world poses many challenges for its trading partners. Based on the Revealed Trade Barrier (RTB) index, using 28 agro-products (HS-4 digit level), this paper assesses bilateral agro-trade barriers. The frequency index ( Fi) and coverage ratio ( Cr) were used to analyse the complex nature of NTMs. The study findings show that both trading partners imposed a wide range of NTMs on each other’s agro-products, which resulted in the discriminatory effects on trade. Comparatively, India has imposed the lesser number of NTMs on Africa’s agro-products. Despite the recent bilateral trade agreements between both the economies, trade barriers were frequently noticed. The paper suggests applying strategic trade policies and reduction of NTMs along with harmonisation of standards to flourish the bilateral agro-trade.

Due to The rapid expansion of energy and growing number of wind turbines construction in earthquake areas, a design method for simple and accurate evaluation of seismic load to ensure structural integrity is required. In Egypt, there are some appropriate places to build wind turbine towers lie in active seismically regions, so accurate analysis is necessary for prediction of seismic loads with consideration of intensity of the earthquake, soil and structural charateristics.In this research, seismic behavior of wind turbine towers Gamesa Type G52 in Zafarana Wind Farm Egypt is investigated using experimental work by ambient vibration test, and fully dynamic analysis based on time history from El Aqaba Earthquake 1995 using 3D by PLAXIS 3D software, including the soil structure interaction effect. The results obtained from dynamic analyses are discussed. From this study it is concluded that, the fully dynamic seismic analysis based on used PLAXIS 3D with the aid of the full scale ambient vibration test gives almost good simulation for the seismic loads that can be applied to wind turbine tower design in Egypt. نتيجة التوسعات إلى حدثت موخرا في الطاقة وخاصة طاقة الرياح , بناء توربينات الرياح ومزارع الرياح في المناطق النشطة زلزاليه مما نتج عنها ضرورة الاهتمام بتصميم هذا النوع من المنشات تحت تأثير الأحمال الزلازليه بطريقة مبسطة ودقيقة. فى مصر هناک مناطق مناسبة لإنشاء توربينات الرياح ومزارع الرياح في مناطق نشطة زلزاليا حيث يتطلب ذلک التصميم الدقيق للأحمال الزلزاليه مع لأخذ في الاعتبار شدة الزلازل, خواص التربة والخواص لإنشائية. فى هذا البحث نقوم بدراسة السلوک السيزمى لتوربينات الرياح ونوعها بلاکسس ثلاثي الأبعاد في منطقة الزعفرانة بمزرعة رياح الزعفرانة على ساحل البحر الأحمر بمصر و باستخدام التحليل الديناميکى الکلى عن طريق عمل اختبارات الاهتزاز غير المحيط. وکذلک التحليل العددي ثلاثي الإبعاد المعتمد على استخدام السجلات الزلزاليه لزلازال العقبة لسنة 1995 وباستخدام برنامج التحليل الجيوتقنى بلاکسس ثلاثي الأبعاد .والذي يشمل إدخال رد الفعل الديناميکي لخواض التربة تحت توربينات الرياح . ويتم بعد ذلک مقارنة نتائج النماذج العددية المستخدمة فى هذا البحث باختبارات حقلية تمت فى هذا البحث وهى اختبار الاهتزاز غير المحيط على توربينات الرياح بلاکسس ثلاثي الأبعاد بواسطة الفريق البحثى في هذه الدراسة بمزرعة الزعفرانة على ساحل البحر الأحمر بمصر. وقد أظهرت النتائج ان طريقة التحليل الديناميکى المستخدمة بمساعدة الاختبارات الحقلية وهى اختبار الاهتزاز غير المحيط تعطى نتائج جيده يمکن تطبيقها على تصميم توربينات الرياح المنشاة فى مناطق زلزاليه بمصر.

We are in the midst of generational changes that are unprecedented and may have far reaching implications for the future of our health care workforce. Driven by the rapid expansion of technology and artificial intelligence, we are experiencing radical shifts in the ways we access information, communicate, interact, learn, write, and spend time. The implications are just starting to unfold, with anticipated impact around how we educate, orient, operate, and support the health care workforce of tomorrow. As nurse leaders, we are in a position to take an active role in charting a course for the future we want.

Prosthetic hands have made a significant influence on the quality of life of people with upper arm amputation. Research on prosthetic hands today is focused on replicating the functionalities of the biological hands. The present article provides a bibliometric survey on bionic hands, done through a compilation of a scientific publications database on the field of prosthetic hands spanning the last two decades. Through network-based information analysis, meaningful patterns are inferred, and several key questions significant to bionic prosthetic hands are answered. The article gives an insight into the growth, progress, and future trend in bionic hand prostheses, including identifying subject areas and discovering distinct research communities within the subject. The analysis clearly reveals the rapid expansion of bionic hand research over the last two decades, which is expected to rise considerably in near future.

Parallel to the rapid expansion of air travel services and advances in medical technology, more passengers with cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) fly each year. In general, commercial airline flights are considered safe for patients with CIEDs; nevertheless, some specific precautions should be undertaken in some certain circumstances. Apart from the risk of a minor and overlooked pneumothorax early after implantation of a CIED, which may be aggravated due to sudden pressure changes during flight, electromagnetic interference, cosmic radiation and vibration are the other risks a patient with a CIED may encounter during air travel, nevertheless, these are rare and often do not bring about significant clinical consequences.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to quantify to what extent the housing bubble in the early-to-mid 2000s in Spain exacerbated land planning corruption among Spain’s largest municipalities. Design/methodology/approach The authors exploit plausibly exogenous variation in housing prices induced by changes in local mortgage market conditions; namely, the rapid expansion of savings banks (Cajas de Ahorros). Accounting for electoral competition in the 2003–2007 and 2007–2009 electoral cycles among Spanish municipalities larger than 25,000 inhabitants, the authors estimate a positive relationship between housing prices and land planning corruption in municipalities with variation in savings bank establishments using instrumental variables techniques. Findings A 1% increase in housing prices leads to a 3.9% points increase in the probability of land planning corruption. Moreover, absolute majority governments (not needing other parties’ support) are more susceptible to the incidence of corruption than non-majority ones. Two policy implications to address corruption emerge: enhance electoral competition and increase scrutiny over land planning decisions in sparsely populated. Originality/value First empirical evidence of a formal link between the 2000s housing bubble in Spain and land planning corruption.

Dyes are colored compounds extensively used for coloring products in industries such as textiles, leather tanning, cosmetics, pigmentation, and others. Synthetic dyes have almost substituted natural dyes due to their higher resistance toward washing, heat, light, pH, exposure to biological agents, etc. Various dyes used in the industrial process include azo dyes, sulfur dyes, pigment dyes, etc. Synthetic dyes possess various advantages compared to natural dyes; however, they cause serious adverse effects to the environment. With the rapid expansion of industries, especially textiles, the demand for dyes has increased and this creates a major cause of water pollution. Several studies reported that dyes are carcinogenic and mutagenic for humans. Due to their xenobiotic properties and chemical structures, they show resistance to degradation. Due to these problems, the removal of dyes using different methods is required. Biological method of using plant offers a low-cost, eco-friendly, and efficient substitute for dye removal. Phytoremediation uses plant roots to protect the environment by the removal of pollutants in the form of inorganic and organic wastes. Phytoremediation is capable of treating pollutants of dye waste, which are derived from various sources. Adaptation in genetic levels is the basic attitude behind plants that are able to manage the contaminants from a polluted site. Therefore, in this chapter, various problems associated with dyes and potential removal strategies using phytoremediation have been discussed.

The past decades have witnessed a rapid expansion in investigations of two-dimensional (2D) monoelemental materials (Xenes), which are promising materials in various fields, including applications in optoelectronic devices, biomedicine, catalysis, and energy storage. Apart from graphene and phosphorene, recently emerging 2D Xenes, specifically graphdiyne, borophene, arsenene, antimonene, bismuthene, and tellurene, have attracted considerable interest due to their unique optical, electrical, and catalytic properties, endowing them a broader range of intriguing applications. In this review, the structures and properties of these emerging Xenes are summarized based on theoretical and experimental results. The synthetic approaches for their fabrication, mainly bottom-up and top-down, are presented. Surface modification strategies are also shown. The wide applications of these emerging Xenes in nonlinear optical devices, optoelectronics, catalysis, biomedicine, and energy application are further discussed. Finally, this review concludes with an assessment of the current status, a description of existing scientific and application challenges, and a discussion of possible directions to advance this fertile field.

Rapid population aging has led to a global burden of late-life diseases. As the largest risk factor for a multitude of age-related diseases, aging is not only the result of genotype but also closely related to external factors. With the rapid expansion in the usage of electromagnetic fields (EMFs), the effect of EMFs on aging has also attracted attention. Cells are the basic unit of organs and body tissues, and cellular senescence plays an important role in the aging process. The effect of EMFs on cellular senescence has been investigated in a few studies, but the information is limited, and the results are inconsistent; thus, further investigation is required. In this study, we investigated the effect of 10 Hz pulsed magnetic fields (MFs) on cellular senescence in a 2BS cell line, isolated from human fetal lung fibroblasts, and found that intermittent (1 d on/1 d off) exposure to 10 Hz pulsed MFs at 1.0 mT for 2 weeks induced DNA damage, but no other significant phenotype of cellular senescence in 2BS cells.

Citizen science and informed citizens have become fundamental in providing the first records and accounts about the expansion of numerous non-indigenous species. However, implementing a successful citizen science campaign can be expensive and particularly difficult for aquatic species. Here, we demonstrate how a low-cost citizen science campaign and its outreach plan in social and traditional media enabled to track the expansion of the Atlantic blue crab Callinectes sapidus Rathbun, 1896 along the coast of Algarve (southern Portugal, Europe). We describe the outreach strategy and a cost-benefit analysis of the first year of the citizen science campaign. Social media platforms allowed us to reach a significant number of citizens (over 31,500 clicks in Facebook publications), while traditional media gave national visibility to the citizen science campaign and biological invasions. In only 1 year, we documented the spread of the invasive Atlantic blue crab across the entire 140 km of the Algarve coast with 166 valid observations referring to 1747 specimens, submitted by 62 citizen scientists. We spent 0 € on the citizen science campaign, but considering the time invested in the campaign the cost would have summed up to 3,751 €, while the total minimum cost for one scientist to go to the field and retrieve the equivalent information would have exceeded 11,000 €. We used free online tools of communication to obtain the records about the Atlantic blue crab, instead of a dedicated web platform or mobile app, and handled social media accounts ourselves, which saved us at least 18,815 €. The citizen science campaign revealed that the Atlantic blue crab is unequivocally established in southern Portugal and that females appear to exhibit summer migrations to coastal areas to spawn as in the native area. Overall, our low-cost citizen science campaign effectively documented the rapid spread of a marine invasive species while providing some insights into its ecology. Our strategy can be easily replicated and implemented elsewhere in the world to tackle the ever-growing problem of biological invasions while increasing the scientific literacy of local populations.

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a rapid expansion in vaccine research focusing on exploiting the novel discoveries on the pathophysiology, genomics, and molecular biology of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Although the current preventive measures are primarily socially distancing by maintaining a 1 m distance, it is supplemented using facial masks and other personal hygiene measures. However, the induction of vaccines as primary prevention is crucial to eradicating the disease to attempt restoration to normalcy. This literature review aims to describe the physiology of the vaccines and how the spike protein is used as a target to elicit an antibody-dependent immune response in humans. Furthermore, the overview, dosing strategies, efficacy, and side effects will be discussed for the notable vaccines: BioNTech/Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Gamaleya, and SinoVac. In addition, the development of other prominent COVID-19 vaccines will be highlighted alongside the sustainability of the vaccine-mediated immune response and current contraindications. As the research is rapidly expanding, we have looked at the association between pregnancy and COVID-19 vaccinations, in addition to the current reviews on the mixing of vaccines. Finally, the prominent emerging variants of concern are described, and the efficacy of the notable vaccines toward these variants has been summarized.

BackgroundAdoptive cell transfer (ACT) with autologous tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) has proven to be one of the most successful immune therapies with overall response rates of around 50% in patients with metastatic melanoma including complete responses in up to 20% of the patients. Current protocols combine a first expansion of TILs from tumor fragments or tumor digest with high-dose IL-2, followed by further expansion with a rapid-expansion-protocol (REP) using allogeneic feeder cells, αCD3 and IL-2. Following this protocol, TIL production takes 4–7 weeks, and many patients deteriorate before they can receive therapy. With success rates of TIL expansion ranging from 70–90%, a TIL product cannot be generated for every patient. Furthermore, clinical response to TIL therapy is lower in other solid tumors such as ovarian cancer, likely due to a lower number of expanded TILs and lower frequencies of tumor reactive CD8+ T cells.Therefore, there is a clinical need for improvement of current TIL expansion protocols to make this therapy available to more cancer patients.MethodsIn this project, TILs from tumor fragments of patients with various solid tumors have been cultured under two different conditions using novel culture vessels. TIL yield, viability, composition, phenotype, reactivity and expansion time were compared to TILs expanded following the standard protocol.ResultsUsing the two novel culture conditions, success rates of expansion across all tumor types increased from 70% to >95%. Additionally, significantly higher frequency and total numbers of viable CD8+ T cells per fragment were obtained compared to standard expansion with IL-2 alone. The majority of these CD8+ T cells exhibit an effector memory phenotype with elevated levels of exhaustion markers. A third of CD8+ T cells can be activated unspecifically and express any combination of the cytotoxicity markers IFNg, TNFa or CD107a. Overall, the initial expansion time could be reduced from 2–5 weeks to 10–14 days and the rapid expansion time from 2 weeks to 8–12 days. Thus, the total culture time was shortened from 4–7 weeks to 18–26 days. As the REP TILs still comprise a majority of CD8+ T cells (~75%), the clinical dose would contain a total number of 3–10 billion functional CD8+ T cells.ConclusionsWith this study, we show that by improving the initial culture conditions, we can shorten expansion time while simultaneously improving the characteristics of the TIL product with a high dose of functional CD8+ T cells with potential anti-tumor activity.

Globally, rapid urban expansion has caused green spaces in urban areas to decline considerably. In this study, the rapid expansion of three Southeast Asia cities were considered, namely, Kuala Lumpur City, Malaysia, Jakarta, Indonesia, and Metro Manila, Philippines. This study evaluates the changes in spatial and temporal patterns of urban areas and green space structure in the three cities over the last two decades. Land use land cover (LULC) maps of the cities (1988/1989, 1999 and 2014) were developed based on 30-m resolution satellite images. The changes in the landscape and spatial structure were analysed using change detection, landscape metrics and statistical analysis. The percentage of green space in the three cities reduced in size from 45% to 20% with the rapid expansion of urban areas over the 25-year period. In Metro Manila and Jakarta, the proportion of green space converted to urban areas was higher in the initial 1989 to 1999 period than over the latter 1999 to 2014 period. Significant changes in green space structure were observed in Jakarta and Metro Manila. Green space gradually fragmented and became less connected and more unevenly distributed. These changes were not seen in Kuala Lumpur City. Overall, the impact of spatial structure of urban areas and population density on green space is higher in Jakarta and Metro Manila when this is compared to Kuala Lumpur. Thus, the results have the potential to clarify the relative contribution of green space structure especially for cities in Southeast Asia where only a few studies in urban areas have taken place.

PURPOSE: The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid expansion of telehealth use in oncology, a specialty in which prior utilization was low in part because of barriers perceived by providers. Understanding the changing perceptions of medical oncology providers during the pandemic is critical for continued expansion and improvement of telehealth in cancer care. This study was designed to identify medical oncology providers' perceptions of telehealth video visits as influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with medical oncology providers from November 20, 2020, to January 27, 2021, at the Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University, a National Cancer Institute–designated cancer center in an urban, academic health system in Philadelphia, PA. We assessed provider perceptions of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on (1) provider-level comfort and willingness for telehealth, (2) provider-perceived patient comfort and willingness to engage in telehealth, and (3) continued barriers to successful telehealth use. RESULTS: Volunteer and convenience sampling resulted in the participation of 25 medical oncology providers, including 18 physicians and seven advanced practice providers, in semi-structured interviews. Of the 25 participants, 13 (52%) were female and 19 (76%) were White, with an average age of 48.5 years (standard deviation = 12.6). Respondents largely stated an increased comfort level and willingness for use of video visits. In addition, respondents perceived a positive change in patient comfort and willingness, mostly driven by convenience, accessibility, and reduced risk of COVID-19 exposure. However, several reported technologic issues and limited physical examination capability as remaining barriers to telehealth adoption. CONCLUSION: The rapid adoption of telehealth necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic has increased provider-level and provider-perceived patient comfort and willingness to engage in video visits for cancer care. As both providers and patients increasingly accept telehealth across many use cases, future work should focus on further addressing technology and physical examination barriers and ensuring continued reimbursement for telehealth as a routine part of covered care.