Conflicts of interest in dermatology

Conflicts of interest exist in dermatology when professional judgement concerning a primary interest, such as research validity, may be influenced by a secondary interest, such as financial gain from a for-profit organization. Conflict of interest is a condition and not a behaviour, although there is clear evidence that gifts influence behaviour. Little has been written about conflicts of interest in dermatology. This series of papers raises awareness of the subject by exploring it in greater depth from the perspective of a dermatology researcher, an industry researcher, a dermatology journal editor, a health services researcher and a patient representative. Collectively, they illustrate the many ways in which conflicts can pervade the world of dermatology publications and patient support group activities.

Relations among Topic Knowledge, Individual Interest, and Relational Reasoning, and Critical Thinking in Maternity Nursing

Critical thinking in learners is a goal of educators and professional organizations in nursing as well as other professions. However, few studies in nursing have examined the role of the important individual difference factors topic knowledge, individual interest, and general relational reasoning strategies in predicting critical thinking. In addition, most previous studies have used domain-general, standardized measures, with inconsistent results. Moreover, few studies have investigated critical thinking across multiple levels of experience. The major purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which topic knowledge, individual interest, and relational reasoning predict critical thinking in maternity nurses. For this study, 182 maternity nurses were recruited from national nursing listservs explicitly chosen to capture multiple levels of experience from prelicensure to very experienced nurses. The three independent measures included a domain-specific Topic Knowledge Assessment (TKA), consisting of 24 short-answer questions, a Professed and Engaged Interest Measure (PEIM), with 20 questions indicating level of interest and engagement in maternity nursing topics and activities, and the Test of Relational Reasoning (TORR), a graphical selected response measure with 32 items organized in scales corresponding to four forms of relational reasoning: analogy, anomaly, antithesis, and antinomy. The dependent measure was the Critical Thinking Task in Maternity Nursing (CT2MN), composed of a clinical case study providing cues with follow-up questions relating to nursing care. These questions align with the cognitive processes identified in a commonly-used definition of critical thinking in nursing. Reliable coding schemes for the measures were developed for this study. Key findings included a significant correlation between topic knowledge and individual interest. Further, the three individual difference factors explained a significant proportion of the variance in critical thinking with a large effect size. While topic knowledge was the strongest predictor of critical thinking performance, individual interest had a moderate significant effect, and relational reasoning had a small but significant effect. The findings suggest that these individual difference factors should be included in future studies of critical thinking in nursing. Implications for nursing education, research, and practice are discussed.

Method of numerical correction of errors occasioned by delay of records during the monitoring of environmental variables of interest for animal production

As condições de ambiente térmico e aéreo, no interior de instalações para animais, alteram-se durante o dia, devido à influência do ambiente externo. Para que análises estatísticas e geoestatísticas sejam representativas, uma grande quantidade de pontos distribuídos espacialmente na área da instalação deve ser monitorada. Este trabalho propõe que a variação no tempo das variáveis ambientais de interesse para a produção animal, monitoradas no interior de instalações para animais, pode ser modelada com precisão a partir de registros discretos no tempo. O objetivo deste trabalho foi desenvolver um método numérico para corrigir as variações temporais dessas variáveis ambientais, transformando os dados para que tais observações independam do tempo gasto durante a aferição. O método proposto aproximou os valores registrados com retardos de tempo aos esperados no exato momento de interesse, caso os dados fossem medidos simultaneamente neste momento em todos os pontos distribuídos espacialmente. O modelo de correção numérica para variáveis ambientais foi validado para o parâmetro ambiental temperatura do ar, sendo que os valores corrigidos pelo método não diferiram pelo teste Tukey, a 5% de probabilidade dos valores reais registrados por meio de dataloggers.

Valorization of the Macroalgae Sargassum Muticum by Enzymatic Hydrolysis, Interest of Surfactants to Improve the Extraction of Phlorotannins and Polysaccharides

The use of surfactants to improve enzymatic hydrolysis of the macroalgae Sargassum muticum has been investigated. Visible absorption spectroscopy has been used to quantify the solubilization of both polysaccharides and phlorotannins in the hydrolysates.   After total extraction, results showed that Sargassum muticum contained 2.74% (expressed in percent of the dry weight of the algae) of phlorotannins whose 32 % were in the cell wall. This result shows that it is important to access to the parietal phlorotannins. To reach this objective, we chose the enzymatic approach for destructurating the cell wall of the algae. The use of 5% dry weight (DW - 5% by weight of hydrolyzed algae) of an enzymatic mix containing a commercial beta-glucanase, a commercial protease and an alginate lyase extracted from Pseudomonas alginovora led after 3 hours of hydrolysis to the solubilization of 2.43% DW polysaccharides and 0.52% DW phlorotannins. The use of 0.5% volume of the surfactant Triton® X-100 with 10% DW of the enzymatic mix has allowed to reaching the value of 2.63% DW of solubilized phlorotannins, that is 96% of the total phenolic content.   The use of non-ionic surfactant, combined to enzymatic hydrolysis, showed an increased efficiency in disrupting cell wall and solubilizing phlorotannins in Sargassum muticum.

An evaluation of the transmission of the policy interest rate to the financial system’s interest rates in Colombia

This paper studies monetary policy transmission using several statistical tools -- We find that the relationships between the policy interest rate and the financial system’s interest rates are positive and statistically significant, and transmission is complete eight months after policy shocks occur -- The speed of transmission varies according to the type of interest rates -- Transmission is faster for interest rates on loans provided to households, and is particularly rapid and complete for rates on preferential commercial loans -- Transmission is slower for credit card and mortgage rates, due to regulatory issues (interest rate ceilings)

Nuevas tendencias en el sector aeroespacial: Space Situational Awareness

La conferencia "Nuevas tendencias en el sector aeroespacial: Space Situational Awareness", impartida por el experto José María Hermoso Garnica (INDRA Espacio, ex-ESA, ...) se centra en el nuevo escenario que surge en los últimos meses en torno al Space Situational Awareness. Se examinan las múltiples tecnologías implicadas en el desarrollo de esta nueva línea de investigación, prioritaria para la UE y sus programas de financiación. Finalmente, se hace una especial revisión del tema de la basura espacial y los múltiples proyectos que comienzan a ver la luz.

Desenvolvimento do Conhecimento Situacional do Ciberespaço na Marinha/AMN e a sua contribuição no processo de tomada de decisão

Com a crescente dependência do ciberespaço, considerado o quinto domínio, é necessário que, para garantir a segurança dos sistemas de informação, as organizações civis como o Centro Nacional de Cibersegurança ou o Gabinete Nacional de Segurança e as organizações militares como o Estado-Maior General das Forças Armadas ou o Centro de Ciberdefesa, detenham um sólido conhecimento situacional do mesmo. Para alcançar este objetivo é fundamental que estas mesmas organizações colaborem de modo a desenvolver uma capacidade de prevenir e recuperar de ataques que possam ocorrer nesse domínio através de uma observação contínua do mesmo contribuindo, assim, para a sua proteção, prevenção, mitigação, resposta e para a sua recuperação. Deste modo, uma vez que os sistemas de informação são mais vulneráveis por estarem ligados em rede, apresentam potenciais riscos para as organizações pondo em causa a sua segurança. Por conseguinte, antecipar os eventuais problemas que poderão ocorrer nesses sistemas contribui para o desenvolvimento e implementação de medidas para proteger a informação. Sendo assim, e conforme outras organizações, também a Marinha está ligado em rede, pelo que está sujeita a este tipo de ameaça. Com o presente trabalho, pretende-se abordar o tema do Conhecimento Situacional do Ciberespaço e mostrar a sua importância para o tema através da compreensão do modo como pode influenciar a condução das missões atribuídas às UN bem como as unidades em terra. Pretende-se identificar se existe uma organização a bordo das UN que, em articulação com comandos em terra, possa garantir que, num determinado teatro de operações, o que se passa no ciberespaço de interesse para a missão, tanto a nível tático como a nível operacional, é acionável. Pretende-se, ainda, em alinhamento com o conceito de capacidade caracterizar o que é que a Marinha tem desenvolvido neste contexto relativamente a doutrina, organização, estrutura, formação assim como treino.

Interest rate (in)sensitivity of emerging market corporate debt : economic analysis based on 2002-2015 empirical evidence

Interest rate sensitivity assessment framework based on fixed income yield indexes is developed and applied to two types of emerging market corporate debt: investment grade and high yield exposures. Our research advances beyond the correlation analyses focused on co- movements in yields and/or spreads of risky and risk-free assets. We show that correlation- based analyses of interest rate sensitivity could appear rather inconclusive and, hence, we investigate the bottom line profit and loss of a hypothetical model portfolio of corporates. We consider historical data covering the period 2002 – 2015, which enable us to assess interest rate sensitivity of assets during the development, the apogee, and the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Based on empirical evidence, both for investment and speculative grades securities, we find that the emerging market corporates exhibit two different regimes of sensitivity to interest rate changes. We observe switching from a positive sensitivity under the normal market conditions to a negative one during distressed phases of business cycles. This research sheds light on how financial institutions may approach interest rate risk management, evidencing that even plain vanilla portfolios of emerging market corporates, which on average could appear rather insensitive to the interest rate risk in fact present a binary behavior of their interest rate sensitivities. Our findings allow banks and financial institutions for optimizing economic capital under Basel III regulatory capital rules.

Governed by the cycle : direct and inverted interest-rate sensitivity of emerging market corporate debt

An innovative approach to quantify interest rate sensitivities of emerging market corporates is proposed. Our focus is centered at price sensitivity of modeled investment grade and high yield portfolios to changes in the present value of modeled portfolios composed of safe-haven assets, which define risk-free interest rates. Our methodology is based on blended yield indexes. Modeled investment horizons are always kept above one year thus allowing to derive empirical implications for practical strategies of interest rate risk management in the banking book. As our study spans over the period 2002 – 2015, it covers interest rate sensitivity of assets under the pre-crisis, crisis, and post-crisis phases of the economic cycles. We demonstrate that the emerging market corporate bonds both, investment grade and high yield types, depending on the phase of a business cycle exhibit diverse regimes of sensitivity to interest rate changes. We observe switching from a direct positive sensitivity under the normal pre-crisis market conditions to an inverted negative sensitivity during distressed turmoil of the recent financial crisis, and than back to direct positive but weaker sensitivity under new normal post-crisis conjuncture. Our unusual blended yield-based approach allows us to present theoretical explanations of such phenomena from economics point of view and helps us to solve an old controversy regarding positive or negative responses of credit spreads to interest rates. We present numerical quantification of sensitivities, which corroborate with our conclusion that hedging of interest rate risk ought to be a dynamic process linked to the phases of business cycles as we evidence a binary-like behavior of interest rate sensitivities along the economic time. Our findings allow banks and financial institutions for approaching downside risk management and optimizing economic capital under Basel III regulatory capital rules.

Developmental, relational and situational characteristics of maritally abusive men

Rapport de stage présenté à la Faculté des Arts et Sciences en vue de l’obtention du grade de Maître des Sciences (M. Sc.) en Criminologie, Option Stage en Intervention

Three essays on the interest rate cruve multiplicity in the interbank market

Esta tesis lleva por título ”Tres ensayos sobre la multiplicidad de curvas de tipos de interés en el mercado interbancario” y está compuesta por tres artículos de investigación independientes en los que se analiza la evolución de los diferenciales del mercado interbancario del Euro en el periodo post-crisis. El objetivo es obtener información embebida en las cotizaciones de estos diferenciales emplenado distintas metodologías e identificar las variables que subyacen al fenómeno de la multiplicidad de curvas, caracterizando el papel que juegan a la hora de explicar esta evolución. El análisis se realiza según una aproximación cercana a la práctica de mercado (Capítulo 2), siguiendo técnicas de valoración de activos (Capítulo 3) y finalmente considerando métodos econométricos (Capítulo 4). El Capítulo 2, que incluye el primer ensayo, se centra en la evolución dinámica de las distintas curvas de tipos de interés surgidas a raíz de la crisis -diferenciadas por la periodicidad de pago del tipo de interés subyacente- a través del estudio de sus diferenciales respecto a la curva overnight. La metodología empleada es similar a la de Diebold and Li (2006) y se resume en tres factores principales que se interpretan como nivel, pendiente y curvatura. El análisis de componentes principales de estos factores para distintas periodicidades muestra que existen patrones comunes entre los factores de las diferentes curvas, en particular el primer componente principal explica el 90% de su variación. El estudio de los determinantes de estos factores revela importantes conclusiones sobre las fuentes de este patrón. En concreto, se observa que el nivel tiene una relación muy importante con el riesgo de crédito. Asimismo, el estudio del contenido informacional de los errores residuales del modelo -mediante el cómputo de la medida de ruido de Hu et al. (2013)- nos lleva a concluir que estos residuos tienen relación con la liquidez. El análisis de estos datos empleando téncicas VAR refuerza estos resultados...

Defending the 'public interest': an assessment of competing actor representations of 'solutions' to growing natural resource deficiencies.

This paper applies a SRT framework to the study of two case studies, namely the recent campaign of opposition to the legalization of hydraulic fracking in the State of New York and the more ongoing debate on land leasing in Africa. In relation to both campaigns, the analysis accounts for the arguments of a major financial institution and industry representatives who stress the safe and value-adding dimensions of these practices, as well as the views of opponents who refute the validity of industry's position and point to the unacceptable risks posed to the community, health and the environment. In spite of a number of obvious differences between these two case studies, not least differences arising from contrasting socio-economic and geo-political settings, there were also some notable similarities. First, was a tendency amongst protesters in both cases to formulate their role as contemporaries in a historically extended struggle for democratic justice. All perceived of themselves as guardians of their community's right to resist a corporate 'invasion' of their territories, like their forefathers and mothers before them. A theme of colonialism was explored in both settings through various identity and thematic anchoring devices that deliberately evoked shared understandings and historical memories of exploitation and human suffering. The evocation of powerful symbols of identity through visual narratives of protest further reinforced the cultural comprehensibility of opponents' message of protest in both contexts.

A study on situational awareness security and privacy of wearable health monitoring devices

Situational Awareness provides a user centric approach to security and privacy. The human factor is often recognised as the weakest link in security, therefore situational perception and risk awareness play a leading role in the adoption and implementation of security mechanisms. In this study we assess the understanding of security and privacy of users in possession of wearable devices. The findings demonstrate privacy complacency, as the majority of users trust the application and the wearable device manufacturer. Moreover the survey findings demonstrate a lack of understanding of security and privacy by the sample population. Finally the theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.

Developmental, relational and situational characteristics of maritally abusive men

Rapport de stage présenté à la Faculté des Arts et Sciences en vue de l’obtention du grade de Maître des Sciences (M. Sc.) en Criminologie, Option Stage en Intervention

The census of Iowa, as returned in the year 1873 : showing, in detail, the population, agricultural statistics, and other items of interest / published under direction of the Executive Council, 1874

This is the Census of Iowa as returned in the year 1873, showing in detail, the population, agricultural statistics, and other items of interest