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PurposeTaking a transdisciplinary viewpoint, the authors synthesize the literature on the theoretical, methodological, and epistemological issues in the study of corruption as a construct in project management (PM) as applied to IDPs. While the study of corruption has focused on “who and why” to help understand corruption's occurrence, there is a lack of analysis on “where and how” to ensure corruption's prevention and improve PM to better support delivery actors. The authors rely on four theoretical frameworks to help interpret evidence and formulate a coherent model for managing project socio-cultural context: organizational interests theory (OIT), principal-agent theory (PAT), culturalist theory (CT) and institutional theory (IT).Design/methodology/approachInternational development projects (IDPs) have become very complex with greater diversity of donor agencies and aid delivery actors. The relative lack of success of development aid has been linked in part to corruption at various levels. PM methods are essential to help prevent this behavior. To assess the complexity of this problem, the authors completed a grounded theory research based on thirty interviews with international development experts, balancing representation from donor and receiving countries, as well as project managers in public and private sectors. Data are analyzed using a qualitative sorting process using the software NVivo.FindingsResults show that PM, beyond PM's practical nature and technical focus, can offer numerous opportunities to prevent corruption impact on project actors, even in a context where anti-corruption initiatives may be perceived as less effective. The authors present an original theoretical model that illustrates which actors, events and context are related and linked in the dynamic efforts to understand and combat corruption in international development endeavors. Context is linked to dynamics: foreign aid cycle, capture opportunities, context pressures, personal damages done, and control mechanisms exercised.Originality/valueThe outcomes and quality of IDPs remain highly controversial, especially with perception of corruption by various stakeholders. Some experts recognize the inefficacy of applying classical PM tools and processes. By contrasting findings to the literature, the authors conclude that an alternative approach to overcome the taboos and prejudices in studying corruption is to ask a different research question. A research agenda is proposed for solving this phenomenon. To guide PM research on development projects, focusing on the “where and how” of corruption requires addressing how actors build their knowledge management capabilities, and address the social and cultural challenges inherent to IDPs.

Introduction Defibrotide (DF) is a polyribonucleotide with antithrombotic, pro-fibrinolytic, and anti-inflammatory effects on endothelium. These effects and the established safety of DF present DF as a strong candidate to treat viral and post-infectious syndromes involving endothelial dysfunction. Areas Covered We discuss DF and other therapeutic agents that have the potential to target endothelial components of pathogenesis in viral and post-infectious syndromes. We introduce defibrotide (DF), describe its mechanisms of action, and explore its established pleiotropic effects on the endothelium. We describe the established pathophysiology of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and highlight the processes specific to COVID-19 potentially modulated by DF. We also present influenza A and viral hemorrhagic fevers, especially those caused by hantavirus, Ebola virus, and dengue virus, as viral syndromes in which DF might serve therapeutic benefit. Finally, we offer our opinion on novel treatment strategies targeting endothelial dysfunction in viral infections and their severe manifestations. Expert Opinion Given the critical role of endothelial dysfunction in numerous infectious syndromes, in particular COVID-19, therapeutic pharmacology for these conditions should increasingly prioritize endothelial stabilization. Several agents with endothelial protective properties should be further studied as treatments for severe viral infections and vasculitides, especially where other therapeutic modalities have failed.

Despite advances in supportive therapy to prevent complications of sickle cell disease (SCD), access to care is not universal. Hematopoietic cell transplantation is, to date, the only curative therapy for SCD, but its application is limited by availability of a suitable HLA-matched donor and lack of awareness of the benefits of transplant. Included in this study are 1000 recipients of HLA-identical sibling transplants performed between 1986 and 2013 and reported to the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, Eurocord, and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research. The primary endpoint was event-free survival, defined as being alive without graft failure; risk factors were studied using a Cox regression models. The median age at transplantation was 9 years, and the median follow-up was longer than 5 years. Most patients received a myeloablative conditioning regimen (n = 873; 87%); the remainder received reduced-intensity conditioning regimens (n = 125; 13%). Bone marrow was the predominant stem cell source (n = 839; 84%); peripheral blood and cord blood progenitors were used in 73 (7%) and 88 (9%) patients, respectively. The 5-year event-free survival and overall survival were 91.4% (95% confidence interval, 89.6%-93.3%) and 92.9% (95% confidence interval, 91.1%-94.6%), respectively. Event-free survival was lower with increasing age at transplantation (hazard ratio [HR], 1.09; P < .001) and higher for transplantations performed after 2006 (HR, 0.95; P = .013). Twenty-three patients experienced graft failure, and 70 patients (7%) died, with the most common cause of death being infection. The excellent outcome of a cohort transplanted over the course of 3 decades confirms the role of HLA-identical sibling transplantation for children and adults with SCD.

—This paper presents a full wave quasi-resonant zerocurrent switching buck converter design, simulation and application. The converter control uses with zero-current switching (ZCS) technique to decrease the switching losses. Comparing to conventional buck converter, resonant buck converter includes a resonant tank equipped with resonant inductor and capacitor. The converter is analyzed in mathematical for each subintervals. Depending on the desired input and output electrical quantities, converter is designed with subinterval equations. The converter is simulated in PSIM with design parameters. The simulation results are verified with experimental setup. The converter is controlled by UC3867N integrated resonant mode power supply controller

WOS: 000308569300011, In this study, research was made on the production of white and translucent ceramics with a low water absorption and high resistance using waste dolomitic sepiolite, cullet and calcite through fast firing under operational conditions. For this purpose, 4 different recipes were prepared. The recipes were first dry ground and shaped with a dry pressing method. The shaped samples were then fired in a fast firing kiln at 1140 degrees C for 70 minutes. Strength, water absorption, porosity and color measurements were made on the fired samples as well as mineralogical and microstructural examinations. Consequently, diopside and amorphous phases and diopside and akermanite based ceramic structures were produced using the waste materials through fast firing at 1140 degrees C. L* values of the fired samples were found to be between 92.30 and 95.40. In the samples with the akermanite and diopside phases, the ratio of dissolution was found to be higher in acids than samples containing the diopside and amorphous phases. Consequently, highly white and translucent ceramics with a low water absorption capacity were obtained using the waste materials used through fast firing.

WOS: 000297454600003, gacli-Kemerburgaz area, NW of Istanbul, is one of the most important underclay deposits of Turkey This area is composed of Paleozoic sedimentary sequence, Upper Cretaceous volcanic rocks, Neogene sediments and Quaternary alluvium deposits. The calc-alkaline volcanic rocks are the parent rocks of the underclays in this area. In this work, mineralogical and chemical analyses and relevant technological tests were conducted in order to assess the potential of selected underclays of this region. The technological properties were characterized by firing shrinkage, water absorption and breaking strength after firing. The chemical analyses generally showed the characteristics of typical kaolinized materials. Underclays containing (up to 33 wt. %) porcelain stoneware formulations were prepared and standard tests were applied to the porcelain tiles after single fast firing under industrial conditions. The densification behaviour and phase evolution of the bodies upon firing were evaluated. Physical, thermal and optical properties and chromatic coordinates were also measured. The results revealed that it was possible to employ the underclays to replace more expensive clay in porcelain tile production without deterioration of the required properties.