Substantial reductions in the number of diabetic ketoacidosis and severe hypoglycaemia episodes requiring emergency treatment lead to reduced costs after structured education in adults with Type 1 diabetes

To determine the impact of structured education promoting flexible intensive insulin therapy on rates of diabetic ketoacidosis, and the costs associated with emergency treatment for severe hypoglycaemia and ketoacidosis in adults with Type 1 diabetes.

Managing ICT costs in e-commerce organizations with the time-driven activity-based costing model: a note

As online business activities continue to grow, it is important for organizations to understand the implications of being an e-commerce organization and the appropriateness of applying existing business techniques to e-commerce organizations. This paper examines issues in managing information and communication technologies (ICT) costs in e-commerce organizations and the potentials of the Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing (TDABC) model as a solution to these issues. The reliance on ICT in value creation, the unique natures of ICT costs and the need to maintain updated costing models present new challenges to e-commerce organizations in management of ICT costs. The TDABC model, as a variant of the Activity-Based Costing (ABC) model, inherits the strengths of activity-based paradigm and has unique features that can provide additional benefits to e-commerce organizations.

Wireless sensor networks for heritage object deformation detection and tracking algorithm

Deformation is the direct cause of heritage object collapse. It is significant to monitor and signal the early warnings of the deformation of heritage objects. However, traditional heritage object monitoring methods only roughly monitor a simple-shaped heritage object as a whole, but cannot monitor complicated heritage objects, which may have a large number of surfaces inside and outside. Wireless sensor networks, comprising many small-sized, low-cost, low-power intelligent sensor nodes, are more useful to detect the deformation of every small part of the heritage objects. Wireless sensor networks need an effective mechanism to reduce both the communication costs and energy consumption in order to monitor the heritage objects in real time. In this paper, we provide an effective heritage object deformation detection and tracking method using wireless sensor networks (EffeHDDT). In EffeHDDT, we discover a connected core set of sensor nodes to reduce the communication cost for transmitting and collecting the data of the sensor networks. Particularly, we propose a heritage object boundary detecting and tracking mechanism. Both theoretical analysis and experimental results demonstrate that our EffeHDDT method outperforms the existing methods in terms of network traffic and the precision of the deformation detection.

Facilitated communication and authorship: a systematic review

Facilitated Communication (FC) is a technique whereby individuals with disabilities and communication impairments allegedly select letters by typing on a keyboard while receiving physical support, emotional encouragement, and other communication supports from facilitators. The validity of FC stands or falls on the question of who is authoring the typed messages--the individual with a disability or the facilitator. The International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC) formed an Ad Hoc Committee on FC and charged this committee to synthesize the evidence base related to this question in order to develop a position statement. The purpose of this paper is to report this synthesis of the extant peer-reviewed literature on the question of authorship in FC. A multi-faceted search was conducted including electronic database searches, ancestry searches, and contacting selected authors. The authors considered synopses of systematic reviews, and systematic reviews, which were supplemented with individual studies not included in any prior reviews. Additionally, documents submitted by the membership were screened for inclusion. The evidence was classified into articles that provided (a) quantitative experimental data related to the authorship of messages, (b) quantitative descriptive data on the output generated through FC without testing of authorship, (c) qualitative descriptive data on the output generated via FC without testing of authorship, and (d) anecdotal reports in which writers shared their perspectives on FC. Only documents with quantitative experimental data were analyzed for authorship. Results indicated unequivocal evidence for facilitator control: messages generated through FC are authored by the facilitators rather than the individuals with disabilities. Hence, FC is a technique that has no validity.

Social media conflict: platforms for racial vilification, or acts of provocation and citizenship?

Although racism remains an issue for social media sites such as YouTube, this focus often overshadows the site’s productive capacity to generate ‘agonistic publics’ from which expressions of cultural citizenship and solidarity might emerge. This paper examines these issues through two case studies: the recent proliferation of mobile phone video recordings of racist rants on public transport, and racist interactions surrounding the performance of a Maori ‘flash mob’ haka in New Zealand that was recorded and uploaded to YouTube. We contrast these incidents as they are played out primarily through social media, with the case of Australian Football League player Adam Goodes and the broadcast media reaction to a racial slur aimed against him by a crowd member during the AFL’s Indigenous Round. We discuss the prevalence of vitriolic exchange and racial bigotry, but also, and more importantly, the productive and equally aggressive defence of more inclusive and tolerant forms of cultural identification that play out across these different media forms. Drawing on theories of cultural citizenship along with the political theory of Chantal Mouffe, we point to the capacities of YouTube as ‘platform’, and to social media practices, in facilitating ground-up antiracism and generating dynamic, contested and confronting micropublics.

Flying, fasting, and feeding in birds during migration: a nutritional and physiological ecology perspective

Unlike exercising mammals, migratory birds fuel very high intensity exercise (e.g., flight) with fatty acids delivered from the adipose tissue to the working muscles by the circulatory system. Given the primary importance of fatty acids for fueling intense exercise, we discuss the likely limiting steps in lipid transport and oxidation for exercising birds and the ecological factors that affect the quality and quantity of fat stored in wild birds. Most stored lipids in migratory birds are comprised of three fatty acids (16:0, 18:1 and 18:2) even though migratory birds have diverse food habits. Diet selection and selective metabolism of lipids play important roles in determining the fatty acid composition of birds which, in turn, affects energetic performance during intense exercise. As such, migratory birds offer an intriguing model for studying the implications of lipid metabolism and obesity on exercise performance. We conclude with a discussion of the energetic costs of migratory flight and stopover in birds, and its implications for bird migration strategies.

A telephone support program to reduce costs and hospital admissions for patients at risk of readmissions: lessons from an evaluation of a complex health intervention

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a telephone health coaching and support service provided to members of an Australian private health insurance fund-Telephonic Complex Care Program (TCCP)-on hospital use and associated costs. A case-control pre-post study design was employed using propensity score matching. Private health insurance members (n=273) who participated in TCCP between April and December 2012 (cases) were matched (1:1) to members who had not previously been enrolled in the program or any other disease management programs offered by the insurer (n=232). Eligible members were community dwelling, aged ≥65 years, and had 2 or more hospital admissions in the 12 months prior to program enrollment. Preprogram variables that estimated the propensity score included: participant demographics, diagnoses, and hospital use in the 12 months prior to program enrollment. TCCP participants received one-to-one telephone support, personalized care plan, and referral to community-based services. Control participants continued to access usual health care services. Primary outcomes were number of hospital admission claims and total benefits paid for all health care utilizations in the 12 months following program enrollment. Secondary outcomes included change in total benefits paid, hospital benefits paid, ancillary benefits paid, and total hospital bed days over the 12 months post enrollment. Compared with matched controls, TCCP did not appear to reduce health care utilization or benefits paid in the 12 months following program enrollment. However, program characteristics and implementation may have impacted its effectiveness. In addition, challenges related to evaluating complex health interventions such as TCCP are discussed.

On the welfare costs of business-cycle fluctuations and economic-growth variation in the 20th century

Lucas (1987) has shown a surprising result in business-cycle research: the welfare cost of business cycles are very small. Our paper has several original contributions. First, in computing welfare costs, we propose a novel setup that separates the effects of uncertainty stemming from business-cycle fluctuations and economic-growth variation. Second, we extend the sample from which to compute the moments of consumption: the whole of the literature chose primarily to work with post-WWII data. For this period, actual consumption is already a result of counter-cyclical policies, and is potentially smoother than what it otherwise have been in their absence. So, we employ also pre-WWII data. Third, we take an econometric approach and compute explicitly the asymptotic standard deviation of welfare costs using the Delta Method. Estimates of welfare costs show major differences for the pre-WWII and the post-WWII era. They can reach up to 15 times for reasonable parameter values -β=0.985, and ∅=5. For example, in the pre-WWII period (1901-1941), welfare cost estimates are 0.31% of consumption if we consider only permanent shocks and 0.61% of consumption if we consider only transitory shocks. In comparison, the post-WWII era is much quieter: welfare costs of economic growth are 0.11% and welfare costs of business cycles are 0.037% - the latter being very close to the estimate in Lucas (0.040%). Estimates of marginal welfare costs are roughly twice the size of the total welfare costs. For the pre-WWII era, marginal welfare costs of economic-growth and business- cycle fluctuations are respectively 0.63% and 1.17% of per-capita consumption. The same figures for the post-WWII era are, respectively, 0.21% and 0.07% of per-capita consumption.

On the welfare costs of business-cycle fluctuations and economic-growth variation in the 20th century

Lucas(1987) has shown a surprising result in business-cycle research: the welfare cost of business cycles are very small. Our paper has several original contributions. First, in computing welfare costs, we propose a novel setup that separates the effects of uncertainty stemming from business-cycle uctuations and economic-growth variation. Second, we extend the sample from which to compute the moments of consumption: the whole of the literature chose primarily to work with post-WWII data. For this period, actual consumption is already a result of counter-cyclical policies, and is potentially smoother than what it otherwise have been in their absence. So, we employ also pre-WWII data. Third, we take an econometric approach and compute explicitly the asymptotic standard deviation of welfare costs using the Delta Method. Estimates of welfare costs show major diferences for the pre-WWII and the post-WWII era. They can reach up to 15 times for reasonable parameter values = 0:985, and = 5. For example, in the pre-WWII period (1901-1941), welfare cost estimates are 0.31% of consumption if we consider only permanent shocks and 0.61% of consumption if we consider only transitory shocks. In comparison, the post-WWII era is much quieter: welfare costs of economic growth are 0.11% and welfare costs of business cycles are 0.037% the latter being very close to the estimate in Lucas (0.040%). Estimates of marginal welfare costs are roughly twice the size of the total welfare costs. For the pre-WWII era, marginal welfare costs of economic-growth and business-cycle uctuations are respectively 0.63% and 1.17% of per-capita consumption. The same gures for the post-WWII era are, respectively, 0.21% and 0.07% of per-capita consumption.

Sodium chloride added to transport water and physiological responses of Matrinxã Brycon amazonicus (Teleost: Characidae)

A adição de sal à água tem sido utilizada para a mitigação de estresse e aumento da taxa de sobrevivência em peixes. O presente estudo avaliou o efeito do cloreto de sódio (0,0; 1,0; 3,0 e 6.0 g/l) nas concentrações de cortisol plasmático, glicemia, triglicerídios, proteínas total plasmática, hematócrito, hemoglobina, número de eritrócitos, glicogênio e lipídio hepáticos, e lipídio muscular em matrinxã Brycon amazonicum adultos após quatro horas de transporte e durante período de recuperação de 96 h. Amostras foram coletadas antes e depois do transporte, bem como 24 e 96 h após a chegada. O nível de cortisol plasmático estava mais elevado logo após o transporte quando comparado à condição inicial (pré-transporte), exceto para os peixes transportados com sal nas concentrações 3,0 e 6,0 g/l. Comportamento semelhante foi observado para a glicemia, porém os peixes dos tratamentos 0,0, 1,0 e 3,0 g/l necessitaram de período superior a 24 h para recuperar a condição inicial. Foram registrados níveis mais baixos de glicogênio hepático em peixes do tratamento controle (0,0 g/l). Os parâmetros hemoglobina, número de eritrócitos, proteína plasmática total e lipídio hepático não apresentaram alterações durante o período experimental. Os valores de hematócrito diminuíram logo após o transporte em todos os tratamentos, retornando aos níveis iniciais após 24 h. Todos os tratamentos apresentaram redução nos níveis de lipídio muscular e triglicerídios durante o período de recuperação. Os resultados sugerem que a adição de 6,0 g/l de sal na água de transporte reduz as alterações fisiológicas de estresse e que é necessário período de 96 h após o transporte para a recuperação da condição inicial de matrinxãs transportados sem a adição de sal.

Effects of twenty-four hour transport or twenty-four hour feed and water deprivation on physiologic and performance responses of feeder cattle

The objective of this study was to compare the effects of 24-h road transport or 24-h feed and water deprivation on acute-phase and performance responses of feeder cattle. Angus x Hereford steers (n = 30) and heifers (n = 15) were ranked by gender and BW (217 +/- 3 kg initial BW; 185 +/- 2 d initial age) and randomly assigned to 15 pens on d -12 of the experiment (3 animals/pen; 2 steers and 1 heifer). Cattle were fed alfalfa-grass hay ad libitum and 2.3 kg/animal daily (DM basis) of a corn-based concentrate throughout the experiment (d -12 to 28). on d 0, pens were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: 1) transport for 24 h in a livestock trailer for 1,200 km (TRANS), 2) no transport but feed and water deprivation for 24 h (REST), or 3) no transport and full access to feed and water (CON). Treatments were concurrently applied from d 0 to d 1. Total DMI was evaluated daily from d -12 to d 28. Full BW was recorded before treatment application (d -1 and 0) and at the end of experiment (d 28 and 29). Blood samples were collected on d 0, 1, 4, 7, 10, 14, 21, and 28. Mean ADG was greater (P < 0.01) in CON vs. TRANS and REST cattle but similar (P = 0.46) between TRANS and REST cattle (1.27, 0.91, and 0.97 kg/d, respectively; SEM = 0.05). No treatment effects were detected for DMI (P >= 0.25), but CON had greater G: F vs. TRANS (P < 0.01) and REST cattle (P = 0.08) whereas G: F was similar (P = 0.21) between TRANS and REST cattle. Plasma cortisol concentrations were greater (P <= 0.05) in REST vs. CON and TRANS cattle on d 1, 7, 14, and 28 and also greater (P = 0.02) in TRANS vs. CON cattle on d 1. Serum NEFA concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) in REST and TRANS vs. CON cattle on d 1 and greater (P < 0.01) in REST vs. TRANS cattle on d 1. Plasma ceruloplasmin concentrations were greater (P = 0.04) in TRANS vs. CON cattle on d 1, greater (P = 0.05) in REST vs. CON on d 4, and greater (P <= 0.05) in REST vs. TRANS and CON on d 14. Plasma haptoglobin concentrations were greater (P < 0.01) in TRANS vs. CON and REST cattle on d 1 and greater (P <= 0.05) for REST vs. TRANS and CON cattle on d 7. In conclusion, 24-h transport and 24-h nutrient deprivation elicited acute-phase protein reactions and similarly reduced feedlot receiving performance of feeder cattle. These results suggest that feed and water deprivation are major contributors to the acute-phase response and reduced feedlot receiving performance detected in feeder cattle transported for long distances.

Electron Transport in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on ZnO Nanotubes: Evidence for Highly Efficient Charge Collection and Exceptionally Rapid Dynamics

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Costs estimates and rentability of the guava culture (Psidium guajava L Paluma cv) in Monte Alto County, São Paulo State

This work intended to calculate the rentability of the guava culture Paluma cv. in Monte Alto region-SP, estimating the costs of the implantation, maintenance, production and the gross income of this culture in the first three years of cultivation. The production system utilized refers to the cultural treatments usually used in this culture in the region. The costs estimates were based on the total operational costs methodology used by the Agricultural Economics Institute (I.E.A.). The results obtained showed that the implantation and maintenance costs of the culture, in the two first years was R$7.402,3 l/alqueire*. Considering the possibility that in guava orchard, on irrigated conditions, reach in the fourthy year a productivity of 80t/alqueire and that the current price is R$0,20/kg, it is possible to estimate the gross income around of R$16.000,00/alqueire, resulting in a net income of R$9.497,06/alqueire.

Costs estimates and rentability of the guava culture {psidium guajava l. patuma cv.) in monte alto county, Sao Paulo state

This work intended to calculate the rentability of the guava culture Paluma cv. in Monte Alto region-SP, estimating the costs of the implantation, maintenance, production and the gross income of this culture in the first three years of cultivation. The production system utilized refers to the cultural treatments usually used in this culture in the region. The costs estimates were based on the total operational costs methodology used by the Agricultural Economics Institute (I.E.A.). The results obtained showed that the implantation and maintenance costs of the culture, in the two first years was Rs7.402,31/alqueire. Considering the possibility that in guava orchard, on irrigated conditions, reach in the fourthy year a productivity of 80t/alqueire and that the current price is Rs0,20/kg, it is possible to estimate the gross income around of Rs16.000,00/alqueire, resulting in a net income of Rs9.497,06/alqueire.

Sintering and mass transport features of (Sn,Ti)O2 polycrystalline ceramics

Different (Sn,Ti)O2 compositions were sintered at 1450 °C for 2 h with the purpose of investigating their sintering and mass transport properties. Highly dense ceramics were obtained and their structural properties studied by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The changes in lattice parameters were analyzed by the Rietveld method and two mass transport mechanisms were observed during sintering in different temperature ranges, evidenced by the linear shrinkage rate as a function of temperature. The effect of the concentration of TiO2 on mass transport and densiffication during sintering was analyzed by considering the intrinsic defects. System densiffication was attributed to a mass transport mechanism in the SnO2 matrix, caused by the presence of TiO2, which formed a solid solution phase. The change in the mass transport mechanism was attributed to chemical bonding between SnO2 and TiO2, which improves ionic difusion as the concentration of TiO2 increased in (Sn,Ti)O2 compositions. © 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.