Suchergebnisse

During aircraft flights, combat readiness and the supply system affecting it are essential issues. The basic items of supply during the implementation of tasks are combat assets and aviation fuel. Effective management of the flow of required products, as well as the reliability of vehicles and the availability of crews contribute to the quality of task performance. The components that make up this quality in military operations are measured by readiness. In real-life operations, the number of vehicles supplying aircraft with aviation fuel is determined for safety and reliability with an surplus related to the number of flight support facilities. This paper develops a method for determining the minimum number of vehicles required to supply aircraft (sp) with aviation fuels. The developed method was verified by a numerical example illustrating its application in practice. Additionally, a detailed analysis of its application was carried out in relation to potentially 50 possible scenarios of combat task execution, with a number of assumptions fulfilled. Based on the performed calculations, it was concluded that the number of vehicles required for sp fuel supply depends on several factors: the number of aircraft, the characteristics of air tasks (flight length and frequency of departures), as well as the time of clean sp refuelling and the duration of the vehicle-tanker refuelling cycle.

Do business contributions to political parties convey different messages in different countries, and, if so, why? This is the first cross-national study of firm behaviour in political finance. It understands motivations for contributions to parties as either ideological or pragmatic. Motivation is inferred by quantitatively relating the payments of 960 firms to variations in political competition in three countries over periods of between seven and seventeen years. In co-ordinated Germany, a small number of firms make ideological payments. In liberal Canada and Australia, large numbers of firms made pragmatic payments. Australia's left-right party system created an awareness of policy risk, which motivated ideological payments, but there was no ideological bias in business financing of politics in Canada's unusually non-ideological party system. The statistical analysis is supplemented by a qualitative investigation of discrete and reciprocal exchanges between businesses and political parties.

During the past decade in the United States, many public owners have implemented contractor prequalification criteria to increase the probability of building projects being completed on time, within budget and according to specifications. However, restricting the number of bidders runs the risk of reducing competitive pressures and increasing the accepted bid price. In an analysis of 927 building projects in Utah, this research finds that owners can partially offset the effect of a reduced number of bidders by timing their projects to seasonal or cyclical periods of construction slowdown or by bundling their projects together into a single, larger project.

Time dependent reproduction number (TD – R0) is a measure of secondary infections or transmissibility of a disease useful in monitoring changes in the rate of infection and assessing policies put in place to control the spread of a disease. In this study we used daily infections situation report of COVID – 19 published by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to estimate Nigeria's TD – R0 and then repeated the same for the six geo – political zones in the country. Estimates of TD – R0 values for the country from the 23rd of March – 27th of May 2020 fluctuated with a maximum of 2.3 (95% CrI) on the 19th of April and a minimum of 0.83 (95% CrI) on the 16th May 2020. Despite the decline in TD – R0 since the early stages of the outbreak of COVID – 19 in Nigeria suggesting a fall in the expected rate of secondary infection apart from the northwest and the northeast geo – political zones values remain above 1.0 for other zones and the country, generally. The Kolmogorov – Smirnov (KS) test was used to test the null hypothesis stating that the means of TD – R0 across the geo-political zones does not follow the same distribution pattern. After making adjustments for Type 1 – error we accepted the null hypothesis (p < 0.05) for six pairs of geo-political zones. We conclude that our findings are significant in studying the COVID – 19 epidemic in Nigeria and important in evaluating the strategies deployed by governments at the national and regional levels, thus, the same method can be replicated across Africa.

[Background] Liver fibrosis risk is a heritable trait, the outcome of which is the net deposition of extracellular matrix by hepatic stellate cell-derived myofibroblasts. Whereas nucleotide sequence variations have been extensively studied in liver fibrosis, the role of copy number variations (CNV) in which genes exist in abnormal numbers of copies (mostly due to duplication or deletion) has had limited exploration. ; [Methods] The impact of the XPO4 CNV on histological liver damage was examined in a cohort comprised 646 Caucasian patients with biopsy-proven MAFLD and 170 healthy controls. XPO4 expression was modulated and function was examined in human and animal models. ; [Findings] Here we demonstrate in a cohort of 816 subjects, 646 with biopsy-proven metabolic associated liver disease (MAFLD) and 170 controls, that duplication in the exportin 4 (XPO4) CNV is associated with the severity of liver fibrosis. Functionally, this occurs via reduced expression of hepatic XPO4 that maintains sustained activation of SMAD3/SMAD4 and promotes TGF-β1-mediated HSC activation and fibrosis. This effect was mediated through termination of nuclear SMAD3 signalling. XPO4 demonstrated preferential binding to SMAD3 compared to other SMADs and led to reduced SMAD3-mediated responses as shown by attenuation of TGFβ1 induced SMAD transcriptional activity, reductions in the recruitment of SMAD3 to target gene promoters following TGF-β1, as well as attenuation of SMAD3 phosphorylation and disturbed SMAD3/SMAD4 complex formation. ; [Interpretation] We conclude that a CNV in XPO4 is a critical mediator of fibrosis severity and can be exploited as a therapeutic target for liver fibrosis. ; ME and JG are supported by the Robert W. Storr Bequest to the Sydney Medical Foundation, University of Sydney; a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Program Grant (APP1053206) and Project and ideas grants (APP2001692, APP1107178 and APP1108422). AB is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship. EB is supported by Horizon 2020 under grant 634413 for the project EPoS. ; Peer reviewed

BACKGROUND: Liver fibrosis risk is a heritable trait, the outcome of which is the net deposition of extracellular matrix by hepatic stellate cell-derived myofibroblasts. Whereas nucleotide sequence variations have been extensively studied in liver fibrosis, the role of copy number variations (CNV) in which genes exist in abnormal numbers of copies (mostly due to duplication or deletion) has had limited exploration. METHODS: The impact of the XPO4 CNV on histological liver damage was examined in a cohort comprised 646 Caucasian patients with biopsy-proven MAFLD and 170 healthy controls. XPO4 expression was modulated and function was examined in human and animal models. FINDINGS: Here we demonstrate in a cohort of 816 subjects, 646 with biopsy-proven metabolic associated liver disease (MAFLD) and 170 controls, that duplication in the exportin 4 (XPO4) CNV is associated with the severity of liver fibrosis. Functionally, this occurs via reduced expression of hepatic XPO4 that maintains sustained activation of SMAD3/SMAD4 and promotes TGF-β1-mediated HSC activation and fibrosis. This effect was mediated through termination of nuclear SMAD3 signalling. XPO4 demonstrated preferential binding to SMAD3 compared to other SMADs and led to reduced SMAD3-mediated responses as shown by attenuation of TGFβ1 induced SMAD transcriptional activity, reductions in the recruitment of SMAD3 to target gene promoters following TGF-β1, as well as attenuation of SMAD3 phosphorylation and disturbed SMAD3/SMAD4 complex formation. INTERPRETATION: We conclude that a CNV in XPO4 is a critical mediator of fibrosis severity and can be exploited as a therapeutic target for liver fibrosis. FUNDING: ME and JG are supported by the Robert W. Storr Bequest to the Sydney Medical Foundation, University of Sydney; a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Program Grant (APP1053206) and Project and ideas grants (APP2001692, APP1107178 and APP1108422). AB is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program (RTP) ...

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG ; [Abstract] The quantification of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA load in wastewater has emerged as a useful tool to monitor COVID–19 outbreaks in the community. This approach was implemented in the metropolitan area of A Coruña (NW Spain), where wastewater from a treatment plant was analyzed to track the epidemic dynamics in a population of 369,098 inhabitants. Viral load detected in the wastewater and the epidemiological data from A Coruña health system served as main sources for statistical models developing. Regression models described here allowed us to estimate the number of infected people (R2 = 0.9), including symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. These models have helped to understand the real magnitude of the epidemic in a population at any given time and have been used as an effective early warning tool for predicting outbreaks in A Coruña municipality. The methodology of the present work could be used to develop a similar wastewater-based epidemiological model to track the evolution of the COVID–19 epidemic anywhere in the world where centralized water-based sanitation systems exist. ; This work was supported by EDAR Bens S.A., A Coruña, Spain [grant references INV04020, INV12120 and INV05921 to MP], the National Plan for Scientific Research, Development and Technological Innovation 2013-2016 funded by the ISCIII, Spain - General Subdirection of Assessment and Promotion of the Research-European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) "A way of making Europe" [grant numbers PI15/00860 to GB, PI17/01482 and PI20/00413 to MP], the GAIN, Xunta de Galicia, Spain [grant number IN607A 2016/22 to GB, ED431C-2016/015 and ED431C-2020/14 to RC, ED431C 2017/58 to SL, ED431G 2019/01 to RC and SL, and ED431C 2017/66 to MCV], MINECO, Spain [grant number MTM2017-82724-R to RC], Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain [grant number PID2020-113578RB-100 to RC], and the Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases [REIPI RD16/0016/006 to GB]. The work was also supported by the European Virus Archive Global (EVA-GLOBAL) project that has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 - Research and Innovation Framework Programme under grant agreement no 871029. SR-F was financially supported by REIPI RD16/0016/006, KC-P by IN607A 2016/22 and the Spanish Association against Cancer (AECC) and JAV by IN607A 2016/22. Funding for open access charge: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG ; EDAR Bens S.A.; INV04020 ; EDAR Bens S.A.; INV12120 ; EDAR Bens S.A.; INV05921 ; Xunta de Galicia; IN607A 2016/22 ; Xunta de Galicia; ED431C-2016/015 ; Xunta de Galicia; ED431C-2020/14 ; Xunta de Galicia; ED431C 2017/58 ; Xunta de Galicia; ED431G 2019/01 ; Xunta de Galicia; ED431C 2017/66

Do states' partnerships with foreign elites influence international public opinion? During Russia's annexation of Crimea, the Kremlin strengthened its ties with far-left and far-right European parties—leading some European elites to express more explicit pro-Russian positions. This paper analyzes how these elite-level ties influence ordinary individuals' foreign policy attitudes, offering insight into the conditions under which soft power "trickles down." By leveraging public opinion data before and after the conflict in Crimea (2012–2017), and employing an estimation strategy that follows the same logic as a standard differences-in-differences strategy, I demonstrate that Russia's linkages with anti-establishment parties led to greater confidence in Vladimir Putin over time, but had limited impact on favorability toward Russia, the United States, and NATO. These findings have important implications for autocratic public diplomacy, our conceptualization of soft power, and Russian foreign policy.

Background: Guideline implementation tools (GI tools) can improve clinician behavior and patient outcomes. Analyses of guidelines published before 2010 found that many did not offer GI tools. Since 2010 standards, frameworks and instructions for GI tools have emerged. This study analyzed the number and types of GI tools offered by guidelines published in 2010 or later. Methods: Content analysis and a published GI tool framework were used to categorize GI tools by condition, country, and type of organization. English-language guidelines on arthritis, asthma, colorectal cancer, depression, diabetes, heart failure, and stroke management were identified in the National Guideline Clearinghouse. Screening and data extraction were in triplicate. Findings were reported with summary statistics. Results: Eighty-five (67.5%) of 126 eligible guidelines published between 2010 and 2017 offered one or more of a total of 464 GI tools. The mean number of GI tools per guideline was 5.5 (median 4.0, range 1 to 28) and increased over time. The majority of GI tools were for clinicians (239, 51.5%), few were for patients (113, 24.4%), and fewer still were to support implementation (66, 14.3%) or evaluation (46, 9.9%). Most clinician GI tools were guideline summaries (116, 48.5%), and most patient GI tools were condition-specific information (92, 81.4%). Government agencies (patient 23.5%, clinician 28.9%, implementation 24.1%, evaluation 23.5%) and developers in the UK (patient 18.5%, clinician 25.2%, implementation 27.2%, evaluation 29.1%) were more likely to generate guidelines that offered all four types of GI tools. Professional societies were more likely to generate guidelines that included clinician GI tools. Conclusions: Many guidelines do not include any GI tools, or a variety of GI tools for different stakeholders that may be more likely to prompt guideline uptake (point-of-care forms or checklists for clinicians, decision-making or self-management tools for patients, implementation and evaluation tools for managers and ...

Abstract: The Development of Waqf Management Throught Waqf Act in Indonesia (Note on Republic of Indonesia Act Number 41 of 2004 regarding Waqf). Waqf is an Islamic endowment of property to be held in trust and used for a charitable or religious purpose. The development of waqf law in Indonesia, as one of religious institutions, is the realization of Muslim community needs to fulfill their religious life. The object of waqf that formerly was focused on immovable objects, with the presence of the Act has been broader to movable property, especially money waqf. This paper describes the urgency of civilization and the dynamics of waqf both from the side of law and its management in the context of people prosperity. By using library research that use qualitative data, this paper found the existence of waqf, normatively lies not only in the individual obligations, but also in social meaning in the context of collective obligations involving mawqûf bih (the property), wâqif (the person creating a waqf), nazir (the supervisor/manager of waqf), mauqûf 'alayh (waqf users), and the government through legislation. Basically, the Republic of Indonesia Act Number 41 of 2004 regarding Waqf is based on the philosophical, sociohistorical, and juridical foundation.

This research is based on a decision of the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, by revoking the Attachment III of the Presidential Regulation Number 10 of 2021 concerning the business sector of investment in the liquor and alcoholic drink industry. This presidential decree attracts a wide attention from all levels of Indonesian society. Most of them welcome the decision, and a few are more optimistic about the implementation of the presidential regulation because it has actually offered a clear and proportional regulation. To get a sharp analysis result, the researcher looks at this constitutional fact through the theory of human rights and maqasid al-shari'ah. Based on the research results, it is stated that the decision of the President of the Republic of Indonesia by abolishing the presidential regulation is in line with the basic values and principles contained in human rights and maqasid al-shari'ah. Even so, there are some basic rights points that need serious attention from the government, particularly how to revive the people's economy which is teetering due to the Covid-19 pandemic. At least, this is the reason for arguing for groups who are oppossing to the presidential decision. Abstrak: Penelitian ini bertumpu pada sebuah keputusan Presiden Republik Indonesia, Joko Widodo, dengan mencabut Lampiran III Peraturan Presiden Nomor 10 Tahun 2021 tentang bidang usaha penanaman modal dan investasi industri minuman keras dan minuman beralkohol. Keputusan presiden ini cukup mengundang perhatian dari seluruh lapisan masyarakat Indonesia. Sebagian besar dari mereka menyambut gembira keputusan itu, dan sebagian kecil lebih optimis dengan pemberlakuan peraturan presiden itu karena sebenarnya telah menawarkan suatu regulasi yang jelas dan proporsional. Untuk mendapatkan hasil analisis yang tajam, peneliti melihat fakta konstitusi ini melalui teori Hak Asasi Manusia dan maqasid al-shari'ah. Berdasarkan hasil penelitian menyatakan bahwa keputusan yang diambil Presiden Republik Indonesia dengan menghapus peraturan presiden itu sejalan dengan nilai-nilai dan prinsip-prinsip dasar yang tertuang dalam hak asasi manusia dan maqasid al-shari'ah. Meskipun demikian, ada beberapa poin hak-hak dasar yang perlu mendapatkan perhatian serius dari pemerintah terutama bagaimana membangkitkan perekonomian rakyat yang tertatih-tatih akibat pandemic Covid-19. Setidaknya, inilah yang menjadi alasan mendasar kelompok yang berseberangan dengan keputusan presiden tersebut.

AbstractMainwaring and Scully's concept of party system institutionalization (PSI) has greatly influenced the literature on parties and party systems. This article contributes to the "revisionist" literature on PSI by exploring the recent evolution of the concept's four dimensions in Chile. It finds that the Chilean party system is not homogenously institutionalized (as conventionally argued) but is simultaneously frozen at the elite level and increasingly disconnected from civil society. In this regard, it approaches some recent descriptions of the Brazilian party system, a prototypical example of an "inchoate" party system that has gained stability over time without developing roots in society. This article argues that the current operationalization of the concept of PSI is problematic. Not only should all four dimensions of the concept be simultaneously measured, probably through multiple indicators for each one, but their trends across time and space should also be better integrated into the concept's theoretical structure.