Wide Spectrum Of Areas Research Articles

War-related stress scale.

The current war in Ukraine has affected the well-being of people worldwide. In order to understand how difficult the situation is, specific stressors associated with war need to be measured. In response, an inventory of war-related stressors including its short form, has been developed. A list of potential war-related stressors was created, and the content validity of each item assessed. The list, along with other validated scales, was administered to a representative sample of the Slovak population (effective N = 1851). Exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, convergent validity analysis and network analysis were carried out to determine the optimal scale (long and short form) focused on war-related stressors. The full version of the scale consists of 21 items, further divided into three factors: society-related stressors, person-related stressors, and security-related stressors. The short version of the scale comprises nine items loaded onto one factor. These items cover concerns for one's safety and future, access to necessities, potential worsening of the economic situation, and the risk of conflict escalation, including a nuclear threat. The results of the network analysis indicate that concern about escalation and fear of an economic crisis play a central role. The scale attempts to encompass a wide spectrum of areas that are affected by war and its potential consequences on individuals who reside outside the conflict zone. Given the complexity of the issue, researchers are invited to modify the scale, tailoring it to specific cultural, geographical, and temporal contexts.

The 8-Year Course of Acute Physical Pain Reported by Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder and Comparison Subjects With Other Personality Disorders.

The present study examines the 8-year course of physical pain and its interference with functioning in patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) and a comparison group of patients with other personality disorders (other-PD). Participants completed the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) at five assessments, each separated by 2 years. Results showed that across all 13 domains assessed, participants with BPD reported significantly higher levels of acute physical pain and its functional interference than other-PD comparison subjects. The severity of physical pain and its interference with multiple domains of functioning were relatively stable over 8 years of assessment for both study groups. Within the BPD group, pain was significantly associated with older age, comorbid major depressive disorder (MDD), and history of a physically violent partner. Taken together, these results suggest that physical pain is a serious health issue for individuals with BPD that interferes with functioning across a wide spectrum of areas.

An Empirical Assessment of Empirical Corporate Finance

AbstractWe empirically evaluate 20 prominent contributions across a broad range of areas in the empirical corporate finance literature. We assemble the necessary data and apply a single, simple econometric method, the connected-groups approach of Abowd et al. to appraise the extent to which prevailing empirical specifications explain variation of the dependent variable, differ in composition of fit arising from various classes of independent variables, and exhibit resistance to omitted variable bias and other endogeneity problems. We assess empirical performance across a wide spectrum of areas in corporate finance and indicate varying research opportunities for empiricists and theorists.

SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP: A CONCEPTUAL TAXONOMY

Social entrepreneurship is a pivotal theme that generates debates both in academia and industry. Even though the concept of social entrepreneurship has gained traction and become influential in a wide spectrum of areas, such as sociology, social work, the economy, and politics, an ambiguity persists with regard to its models and meanings. In this context, the paper aims to clarify the definition of social entrepreneurship by considering how the concept has informed a variety of theoretical approaches used to explore socioeconomic reality. This paper distinguishes between three perspectives: social entrepreneurship as a cultural orientation, social entrepreneurship as a management strategy, and social entrepreneurship as a political philosophy. Such a clarification could help entrepreneurial studies reach a new level of understanding by providing an analytical framework to navigate the intricate landscape of what constitutes the double and triple bottom lines.

Abnormal deformation and negative pressure of a hard magnetic disc under the action of a magnet

Intelligent robots are widely used in a wide spectrum of areas, but the underlying mechanism on the operation of actuated structures has not been fully uncovered. In the present study, we have made a comprehensive investigation on the mechanical behaviors of a hard magnetic disc under the action of a magnet. A new technique for preparing the hard magnetic disc is presented. The configurations of the disc after deformation are recoded, which are consistent with the analytical solutions and the numerical simulation results, and the maximum axial displacement of the disk is up to 2.7 mm. The contact force between the disc and the substrate is also calculated, which matches the experimental result very well. The negative pressure of the disc can cause the rise of water column linked with a reservoir (~9.3 mm), which can be explained by the theoretical model. These findings have important implications in such areas as controllable devices, robotics and high-precision measurement.

A system approach to simulation of individual food products

There is no doubt that the further development in the field of nutrition is linked with personalization. Nutrition management with account for metabolism plays a key role in health strengthening and prevention of human diseases. The paper gives a review of studies associated with personalized nutrition. Personalized nutrition is inextricably linked with personalized food products. At present, however, mass production of personalized food products for individuals or small groups of people is unfeasible. The devel‑ opment of personalized food products requires both time and labor input, as well as multidisciplinary and profound knowledge in a wide spectrum of areas associated with biology, medicine, nutrition and food systems. Among the most important characteristics of modern science is the study of complex and super-complex organized objects such as the food system. These objects were studied previously but by the way of significant simplification of their structure. Investigation of objects with all variety and complexity of their organization requires not only new scientific ideas but also a new conceptual framework, new research methodology, new approaches to simulation of both products and physiological processes. In this study, the authors made an attempt to bring the theoretical view on an individual product closer to the complex task solution using the method of mathematical physiology. The intuitive conceptual model for a process of food design is shown with regard to the “health passport” of an individual, disease risk and gastrointestinal (GI) tract status. The differential equations of the concentration dynamics of protein, denatured protein and peptides in the human stomach are presented. The differential equations that describe the process of protein assimilation in the human stomach were solved in the simulation environment Simplex 3. The presented fragments of model realization show the pos‑ sibility of virtual study on an effect of different indicators of the food nutritional value on the rate of digestion and the process of cleavage of complex components (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) to mono-structural elements depending on different state and influence factors.

Measures of Participation in Persons With Musculoskeletal Conditions.

Measures of Participation in Persons With Musculoskeletal Conditions.

Facile Plant Extract Mediated Eco-Benevolent Synthesis and Recent Applications of CaO-NPs: A State-of-the-art Review

Ameliorating the sustainable and eco-accommodating routes for the procurable synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) is a crucial aspect in the area of green nanotechnology. The known conventional routes for the production of NPs are complicated, noxious, expensive and not safer to human and environment. To overcome these threats, natural precursors such as biopolymers, plant, fungi, and bacteria have been used to fabricate the calcium oxide nanoparticles (CaO-NPs). The shape, size, and applications of the CaO-NPs are prominently affected by the reaction parameters under which they are synthesized. Moreover, the CaO-NPs synthesized by green approach have found potential applications in a wide spectrum of areas including, catalysis, bio-ceramics, additive in refractory, biodiesel production, adsorbent, antimicrobial agent, removal of Cr(VI) and trans esterification of oils. This research study discussed various plants and the different plant parts that have been used for the synthesis of CaO-NPs. The protocol, characterization techniques, mechanism, and eco-benign synthesis of the CaO-NPs along with various recent applications were also discussed.

Polymeric Nanoparticles in Gene Therapy: New Avenues of Design and Optimization for Delivery Applications.

The field of polymeric nanoparticles is quickly expanding and playing a pivotal role in a wide spectrum of areas ranging from electronics, photonics, conducting materials, and sensors to medicine, pollution control, and environmental technology. Among the applications of polymers in medicine, gene therapy has emerged as one of the most advanced, with the capability to tackle disorders from the modern era. However, there are several barriers associated with the delivery of genes in the living system that need to be mitigated by polymer engineering. One of the most crucial challenges is the effectiveness of the delivery vehicle or vector. In last few decades, non-viral delivery systems have gained attention because of their low toxicity, potential for targeted delivery, long-term stability, lack of immunogenicity, and relatively low production cost. In 1987, Felgner et al. used the cationic lipid based non-viral gene delivery system for the very first time. This breakthrough opened the opportunity for other non-viral vectors, such as polymers. Cationic polymers have emerged as promising candidates for non-viral gene delivery systems because of their facile synthesis and flexible properties. These polymers can be conjugated with genetic material via electrostatic attraction at physiological pH, thereby facilitating gene delivery. Many factors influence the gene transfection efficiency of cationic polymers, including their structure, molecular weight, and surface charge. Outstanding representatives of polymers that have emerged over the last decade to be used in gene therapy are synthetic polymers such as poly(l-lysine), poly(l-ornithine), linear and branched polyethyleneimine, diethylaminoethyl-dextran, poly(amidoamine) dendrimers, and poly(dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate). Natural polymers, such as chitosan, dextran, gelatin, pullulan, and synthetic analogs, with sophisticated features like guanidinylated bio-reducible polymers were also explored. This review outlines the introduction of polymers in medicine, discusses the methods of polymer synthesis, addressing top down and bottom up techniques. Evaluation of functionalization strategies for therapeutic and formulation stability are also highlighted. The overview of the properties, challenges, and functionalization approaches and, finally, the applications of the polymeric delivery systems in gene therapy marks this review as a unique one-stop summary of developments in this field.

Abstract SY08-02: Reshaping cancer care delivery through multi-disciplinary molecular tumor boards

Abstract Rapidly growing access to next-generation DNA sequencing technology has put the promise of precision oncology in reach, which is to individualize cancer care by matching molecular abnormalities found in a patient's tumor with specific treatments. As a result, clinicians strive to integrate molecular information into routine oncologic decision-making at accelerating pace. While some findings are associated with well-established treatment recommendations, such as KRAS mutations in colorectal cancer indicating lack of benefit of EGFR inhibitors, clinicians are frequently confronted with complex molecular findings that are difficult to interpret from a diagnostic and therapeutic perspective. In particular, tumors harboring multiple potentially targetable mutations or variants of unknown significance, pose challenges. Beyond this, perplexing complexities of cellular signaling networks dynamically responding to targeted therapies, intra-tumoral heterogeneity, as well as access to drugs as part of clinical trials or off-label use add to the difficulties in bringing precision oncology to patients. With the goal of assisting oncologists at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in addressing some of these challenges, we assembled the UCSF Molecular Tumor Board (MTB) in July of 2014. The Board constituents represent a wide spectrum of areas of expertise and include disease-area focused oncologists, pediatric oncologists, molecular pathologists, genetic counselors, pharmacists, clinical trialists, and molecular biologists. All patients undergoing molecular testing at UCSF are listed for possible MTB discussion by default unless the treating oncologist decides otherwise. The main source of molecular results is the UCSF500 test, a next-generation DNA sequencing targeted capture assay that is used to analyze paired tumor and normal DNA. On average, 22 cases are being discussed per month during initially weekly, now bi-weekly meetings. Approximately 20% of the cases are pediatric malignancies. As a result of differential utilization of the UCSF500 within the UCSF Comprehensive Cancer Center, CNS malignancies, colorectal, and neuroendocrine carcinomas as well as melanomas are the predominant tumor types discussed. In agreement with results published by other groups, pathogenic or likely pathogenic germline mutations are present in 15% of the cases, highlighting the importance of integration of genetic counselors in the process. Based on an in-depth analysis of 350 patients seen between April 2015 and November 2017, therapeutically actionable mutations were present in 67% of the cases. Molecularly targeted therapies were recommended in 73% of patients in this subset and recommendations to avoid particular therapies were made in 8%. In 21% of the cases with a recommendation for targeted therapies, clinical action was taken (e.g. drug prescription, clinical trial enrollment). In 62% of the cases with a recommendation, no action had been taken at time of data analysis, with the following reasons cited: patient performance status declined rapidly, patient continued standard therapy, patients declined MTB recommended therapy, or a plan is in place to take action in case of disease progression. Thus, only 16% of cases received treatment as recommended by the MTB. However, there was a trend that cases that were discussed at MTB had higher rates of clinical action taken compared to cases that were not discussed by the MTB. Overall, our experience with the UCSF Molecular Tumor Board is encouraging. Additional efforts need to be undertaken to further increase translation of molecular tumor board recommendations into clinical action. Citation Format: W. Michael Korn. Reshaping cancer care delivery through multi-disciplinary molecular tumor boards [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr SY08-02.

Nature-inspired delamination of layered double hydroxides into monolayered nanosheets in water

Inspired by the natural frost weathering of rocks and minerals, layered double hydroxides (LDHs) were delaminated by a facile temperature shock method, without the usual involvement of organic solvents and sonication. The temperature shock was carried out with cycles of freezing the LDH solution in liquid nitrogen and subsequent melting the frozen solution in a 80°C water bath. Around 67% LDHs were delaminated into nanosheets after 16 such cycles. Moreover, the LDH monolayers thus obtained retain their lateral size at least three times better than that prepared in formamide under sonication. The present work provides a green and general approach to obtain high quality LDH nanosheets, which are finding application across a wide spectrum of areas.

Well-known Personality in a Technical World and Information System

We are pleased to share profile of Col. Inderjit Singh (Retd). Inderjit is a an experienced Information Systems and Information Security Professional with experience of more than 25 year across a wide spectrum of areas spanning Solution Architecture, Program/Project Management Telecom, IT Infrastructure Management, Info Security Advisory and Architecture, Cyber Security, Cyber Warfare and Cyber Forensics, Data Centers Design and Operations, Cloud Computing and E-Commerce Startup. An experienced Information Systems Professional with experience of more than 25 year across a wide spectrum of areas spanning Solution Architecture, Program/ Project Management in Telecom, IT Infrastructure Management, Information Security Advisory and Architecture, Cyber Security, Cyber Warfare and Cyber Forensics, Data Centers Design and Operations, Cloud Computing and E-Commerce.

Fabrication, Characterization, and Biocompatibility of Polymer Cored Reduced Graphene Oxide Nanofibers.

Graphene nanofibers have shown a promising potential across a wide spectrum of areas, including biology, energy, and the environment. However, fabrication of graphene nanofibers remains a challenging issue due to the broad size distribution and extremely poor solubility of graphene. Herein, we report a facile yet efficient approach for fabricating a novel class of polymer core-reduced graphene oxide shell nanofiber mat (RGO-CSNFM) by direct heat-driven self-assembly of graphene oxide sheets onto the surface of electrospun polymeric nanofibers without any requirement of surface treatment. Thus-prepared RGO-CSNFM demonstrated excellent mechanical, electrical, and biocompatible properties. RGO-CSNFM also promoted a higher cell anchorage and proliferation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) compared to the free-standing RGO film without the nanoscale fibrous structure. Further, cell viability of hMSCs was comparable to that on the tissue culture plates (TCPs) with a distinctive healthy morphology, indicating that the nanoscale fibrous architecture plays a critically constructive role in supporting cellular activities. In addition, the RGO-CSNFM exhibited excellent electrical conductivity, making them an ideal candidate for conductive cell culture, biosensing, and tissue engineering applications. These findings could provide a new benchmark for preparing well-defined graphene-based nanomaterial configurations and interfaces for biomedical applications.

Limoniastrum monopetalum (L.) Boiss, a Candidate plant for use in Urban and suburban Areas with Adverse Conditions. An Anatomical and Histochemical Study.

Limoniastrum monopetalum L. is an interesting small shrub native to Greece and other Mediterranean countries with an attractive foliage, and blooming in the summer with pink flowers. In this work an anatomical and hystochemical study of the species were carried out in order to investigate the suitability of the L. monopetalum for use in urban and suburban areas as ornamental plan and its growth in hostile environments such as archeological sites, roof gardens, landscape restoration (e.g. quarries, roadsides, etc.). The results showed that the leaves of L. monopetalum are amphistomatic bifacial with leaf blade approx. 170 I¼m thick. The epidermal cells is relatively thick approx. 20 I¼m and covered by a 2 I¼m thick cuticle. Furthermore both surfaces of the leaves are entirely covered by salt crystals secreted by the salt glands, as this is revealed from fresh unprocessed specimens observed with the SEM.The histochemical tests showed the presence of terpenoids in the cell walls of the epidermal cells and in the leaf vascular tissues, phenolics, nitrites and alkaloids, flavonoids in the mesophyll cells, especially in the vacuoles, and lipids only in the cuticle. Both morphological anatomical and histochemical characteristics of the leaves indicate the xeromorphic character of the species which render L. monopetalum a suitable plant for ornamental use in a wide spectrum of areas with adverse conditions.

Robust informational entropy-based descriptors of flow in catchment hydrology

This paper explores the use of entropy-based measures in catchment hydrology, and provides an importance-weighted numerical descriptor of the flow–duration curve. Although entropy theory is being applied in a wide spectrum of areas (including environmental and water resources), artefacts arising from the discrete, under-sampled and uncertain nature of hydrological data are rarely acknowledged, and have not been adequately explored. Here, we examine challenges to extracting hydrologically meaningful entropy measures from a flow signal; the effect of binning resolution on calculation of entropy is investigated, along with artefacts caused by (1) emphasis of information theoretic measures towards flow ranges having more data (statistically dominant information), and (2) effects of discharge measurement truncation errors. We introduce an importance-weighted entropy-based measure to counter the tendency of common binning approaches to over-emphasise information contained in the low flows which dominate the record. The measure uses a novel binning method, and overcomes artefacts due to data resolution and under-sampling. Our analysis reveals a fundamental problem with the extraction of information at high flows, due to the lack of statistically significant samples in this range. By separating the flow–duration curve into segments, our approach constrains the computed entropy to better respect distributional properties over the data range. When used as an objective function for model calibration, this approach constrains high flow predictions, as well as the commonly used Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency, but provides much better predictions of low flow behaviour.Editor Z.W. KundzewiczAssociate editor Not assigned

A Bayesian analysis of spherical pattern based on finite Langevin mixture

Parameter estimation is a cornerstone of most fundamental problems of statistical research and practice. In particular, finite mixture models have long been heavily relied on deterministic approaches such as expectation maximization (EM). Despite their successful utilization in wide spectrum of areas, they have inclined to converge to local solutions. An alternative approach is the adoption of Bayesian inference that naturally addresses data uncertainty while ensuring good generalization. To this end, in this paper we propose a fully Bayesian approach for Langevin mixture model estimation and selection via MCMC algorithm based on Gibbs sampler, Metropolis–Hastings and Bayes factors. We demonstrate the effectiveness and the merits of the proposed learning framework through synthetic data and challenging applications involving topic detection and tracking and image categorization.

Activation of Sponsorship Relationship – the case of Volkswagen and the Prague International Marathon

The academia and the relevant industry seem to lack more complete and coherent literature and knowledge on the subject of sponsorship activation, and especially seek for more concrete business practices and feedback from the market. The goal of this work thus is to present a very relevant and up-to-date case study that will contribute to enriching the sponsorship activation literature and to better comprehending the business practices and decision makings. A scrutinized case study of such nature clearly requires a qualitative research method, concentrating on large amount of detailed and focused information, as opposed to analyzing bulk samples and statistics. The research question is being answered by collecting information from personal interviews, access to all necessary documentation and corporate material, as well as direct contribution of the author in all the negotiation and implementation processes of the sponsorship relationship. This work suggests that sponsorship gains significant importance in companies’ pursuit to convey their brand promises through unconventional and emotional platforms. This channel of communication is nowadays ‘on par’ with the other communication tools, and not their remote subcategory. Within the sponsorship tools as such, it is the concept of ‘activation’ that tends to take a central role in maximising the effect of the sponsorship relationship. It can be claimed that this new approach is gaining exponential importance and attains focal position in sponsorship relationships, which is apparently and especially evident in more matured markets. An in depth case study of a very recent sponsorship deal between the Volkswagen brand and the Prague International Marathon, which is largely based on the concept of ‘sponsorship activation’, shows that cooperation between sponsors and property owners in the Czech Republic is as well slowly but surely transforming to genuine partnership relationship. Nearly all strategic challenges and pragmatic decisions witnessed in the process of defining and establishing the new sponsorship relationship model between the two partners are found in the literature which elaborates them from different aspects. This case study can be taken as a contributor to better understanding of the wide spectrum of areas influenced by the notion of ‘sponsorship activation’, and as a sufficient indicator to modern shifts in trends and new challenges in sponsorship. Besides all the analytical inputs this work offers, the unarticulated general feeling and impression of the author and the involved parties is that sponsorship activation is lot about winning the heart of the people, identifying with their deeper emotions, simply amusing the audience, or genuinely being socially responsible.

The machine as data: a computational view of emergence and definability

Turing’s (Proceedings of the London Mathematical Society 42:230–265, 1936) paper on computable numbers has played its role in underpinning different perspectives on the world of information. On the one hand, it encourages a digital ontology, with a perceived flatness of computational structure comprehensively hosting causality at the physical level and beyond. On the other (the main point of Turing’s paper), it can give an insight into the way in which higher order information arises and leads to loss of computational control—while demonstrating how the control can be re-established, in special circumstances, via suitable type reductions. We examine the classical computational framework more closely than is usual, drawing out lessons for the wider application of information–theoretical approaches to characterizing the real world. The problem which arises across a range of contexts is the characterizing of the balance of power between the complexity of informational structure (with emergence, chaos, randomness and ‘big data’ prominently on the scene) and the means available (simulation, codes, statistical sampling, human intuition, semantic constructs) to bring this information back into the computational fold. We proceed via appropriate mathematical modelling to a more coherent view of the computational structure of information, relevant to a wide spectrum of areas of investigation.

Adrenal Insufficiency Overview

Since Thomas Addison first reported adrenal insufficiency in the 19th century till nowadays still this entity shows challenging scenarios and recurrently reported as missed cases diagnosed retrograde after substantial delay. This is due to the wide variety and non-specific manifestations such as fatigue, malaise, loss of energy, loss of appetite and even occasionally present with mood disorders. Also there are exceptions for cardinal features of adrenal insufficiency such as absent pigmentation in secondary and some primary cases of Adrenal Insufficiency (A.I) and the cosyntropin test may give normal response if done early in secondary A.I. So in this article there is extensive literature review of the adrenal insufficiency covering a wide spectrum of areas starting from physiology back ground till the management lines and raising some important points such as the regenerative potential of the adrenal glands, the variety of presentations, the entity of pseudo-hypoadrenalism, some pitfalls in the diagnosis, possible self-recovery and management lines.

Charge contribution to patch-charged microparticle adhesion

Microparticle adhesion influenced by electrostatic charge has been a significant research interest for over past three decades or so in a wide spectrum of areas of interest from manufacturing (electrophotography, powder technology, metallurgy, and semi-conductor manufacturing) to natural phenomena (desert sandstorms and northern lights (auroras)). However, over the years, as a result of the strong discrepancies between the experimental adhesion measurements data and theoretical predictions, some key issues regarding the contributors of adhesion forces in charged microparticles and the nature of surface charge distribution still remain unresolved. In the current work, a non-contact ultrasonic approach is presented and employed for understanding the nature of charge distribution on a single microparticle and determining the effect of electrostatic charge on its adhesion in a non-invasive manner. From the vibrational spectra of the charged particle response to the ultrasonic substrate oscillations under various electrostatic loading conditions, three distinct shifting patterns of vibrational (rocking) resonance frequencies are observed for each level of applied substrate surface voltage, implying an un-symmetric force field on the particle, thus depicting non-uniform non-symmetric surface charge distribution on its surface. Also, a simple mathematical model was presented and employed for predicting the equivalent bulk charge on a single microparticle (toner) from resonance frequency shifts. In summary, it is found that the charge levels reported here are consistent with the previously published data, and it is demonstrated that, in a non-invasive manner, non-uniform charge distribution on a single microparticle can be observed and its total charge can be predicted.