Using SMVAM as a linear approximation to a nonlinear function: a note

A study contending that the linear statistical market-value accounting model (SMVAM) is a reasonable approximation of the relationship between market and book equity for firms with positive balance sheets, but that the linear approximation is inadequate when the data sample includes firms whose balance sheets show a low or negative liquidation value.Corporate profits

A study of the time of hospital discharge of differentiated thyroid cancer patients after receiving iodine-131 for thyroid remnant ablation treatment

The aim of this study was to measure the radiation exposure rate from differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients who had received iodine-131 (131I) treatment, and to evaluate hospital discharge planning in relation to three different sets of regulations. We studied 100 patients, 78 females and 22 males, aged 13 to 79 years (mean 44.40±15.83 years) with DTC, in three Groups who were treated with 3.7, 5.5 or 7.4GBq of 131I, respectively. The external whole-body dose rates following oral administration of 131I were measured after each one of the first three hospitalization days. A multivariant linear analysis was performed, considering exposure rates as dependent variables to the administered dose for treatment, age, gender, regional and/or distant metastases, thyroglobulin (Tg), antibodies to Tg and thyroid remnant in the three dose groups. We found that the exposure rates after each of the three first days of hospitalization were 30, 50 and 70μSvh-1 at 1m. All our DTC patients had an acceptable dose rate on days 2 and 3 that allowed their hospital discharge. After only 1 day of hospitalization, just 3/11 cases showed not permissible exposure rates above 70μSvh-1. In conclusion, it is the opinion of the authors that after measuring the exposure rates, most treated, DTC patients could be discharged after only one day of hospitalization, even some of those treated with high doses of 131I (7.4GBq). Patients, who received the higher doses of 131I, should not be released before their individual exposure rate is measured

Hydrogen production from phenol steam reforming over Ni-Co/ZrO2 catalyst: effect of catalyst dilution

This study looked into the hydrogen production from phenol steam reforming over Zirconia (ZrO2)-supported nickel-cobalt catalysts diluted with silicon carbide (SiC). The objective of this study is to obtain the effect of catalyst dilution on hydrogen production and the phenol conversion in various SiC dilutions. The catalysts were prepared by impregnation method and their performance tests were carried out in a micro fixed bed reactor at atmospheric pressure and 800 °C temperature, feed flow rate 0.36 mL/min, weight of catalyst 0.2 g, and dilution range of 0.05 to 0.35 g (1:0 to 1:1.75). The results showed that the catalyst dilution does not affect much on the catalyst activity toward phenol conversion. However, it does improve the conversion of phenol with the presence of SiC. The maximum conversion was at 0.3 g (1:1.5) SiC dilution, which was of 98.9 % and 0.6 mole fraction of hydrogen

Comparison of Bacteroides Human Markers for Pollution Diagnostics in Recreational Waters

This presentation was given during the Great Lakes Beach Association Annual Conference

Exposure of neonatal rats to maternal cafeteria feeding during suckling alters hepatic gene expression and DNA methylation in the insulin signalling pathway

Nutrition in early life is a determinant of lifelong physiological and metabolic function. Diseases that are associated with ageing may, therefore, have their antecedents in maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation. Rat mothers were fed either a standard laboratory chow diet (C) or a cafeteria diet (O) based upon a varied panel of highly palatable human foods, during lactation. Their offspring were then weaned onto chow or cafeteria diet giving four groups of animals (CC, CO, OC, OO n=9-10). Livers were harvested 10 weeks post-weaning for assessment of gene and protein expression, and DNA methylation. Cafeteria feeding post-weaning impaired glucose tolerance and was associated with sex-specific altered mRNA expression of peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARg) and components of the insulin-signalling pathway (Irs2, Akt1 and IrB). Exposure to the cafeteria diet during the suckling period modified the later response to the dietary challenge. Post-weaning cafeteria feeding only down-regulated IrB when associated with cafeteria feeding during suckling (group OO, interaction of diet in weaning and lactation P=0.041). Responses to cafeteria diet during both phases of the experiment varied between males and females. Global DNA methylation was altered in the liver following cafeteria feeding in the post-weaning period, in males but not females. Methylation of the IrB promoter was increased in group OC, but not OO (P=0.036). The findings of this study add to a growing evidence base that suggests tissue function across the lifespan a product of cumulative modifications to the epigenome and transcriptome, which may be both tissue and sex-specific

Obogaćivanje kefira vlaknima jabuke i limuna

The effects of apple and lemon fiber addition on some properties of kefir were investigated. Five different kefirs were produced (A is control, B, C, D, E, F and G: contain 0.25 % apple fiber, 0.5 % apple fiber, 1 % apple fiber, 0.25 % lemon fiber, 0.5 % lemon fiber and 1 % lemon fiber, respectively) and stored for 20 days at 4±1 °C. pH, titratable acidity, dry matter, water activity, water holding capacity, viscosity, L, a and b values, sensorial analysis, total lactic bacteria, Lactococcus spp., Leuconostoc spp. and yeast counts of kefirs were determined at 1st, 10th and 20th days of storage. The addition of apple and lemon fiber enhanced rheological, microbiological and sensorial properties of kefirs (p<0.01). Apple and lemon fiber could be used for kefir production at a rate of 0.25 or 0.5 %.Istražen je utjecaj dodatka vlakana jabuke i limuna na neka svojstva kefira. U tu svrhu proizvedeno je pet različitih kefira (A je kontrolni, B, C, D, E, F i G: sadrže 0,25 % jabučnih vlakana, 0,5 % jabučnih vlakana, 1 % jabučnih vlakana, 0,25 % limunskih vlakana, 0,5% limunskih vlakana i 1 % limunskih vlakana), koji su bili pohranjeni 20 dana na 4±1 °C. pH, titriracijska kiselost, suha tvar, aktivnost vode, kapacitet zadržavanja vode, viskoznost, L, a i b vrijednosti, senzorska analiza, ukupni broj bakterija mliječne kiseline, Lactococcus spp., Leuconostoc spp. i broj kvasaca u kefiru određeni su 1., 10. i 20. dana skladištenja. Dobiveni rezultati upućuju na to da dodatak vlakana jabuke i limuna poboljšava reološka, mikrobiološka i senzorska svojstva kefira (p<0,01), te da se vlakna jabuke i limuna mogu koristiti za proizvodnju kefira do udjela od 0,25 % ili 0,5 %

Nationwide public perceptions regarding the acceptance of using wastewater for community health monitoring in the United States

To assess the levels of infection across communities during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, researchers have measured severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 RNA in feces dissolved in sewer water. This activity is colloquially known as sewer monitoring and is referred to as wastewater-based epidemiology in academic settings. Although global ethical principles have been described, sewer monitoring is unregulated for health privacy protection when used for public health surveillance in the United States. This study used Qualtrics XM, a national research panel provider, to recruit participants to answer an online survey. Respondents (N = 3,083) answered questions about their knowledge, perceptions of what is to be monitored, where monitoring should occur, and privacy concerns related to sewer monitoring as a public health surveillance tool. Furthermore, a privacy attitude questionnaire was used to assess the general privacy boundaries of respondents. Participants were more likely to support monitoring for diseases (92%), environmental toxins (92%), and terrorist threats (88%; e.g., anthrax). Two-third of the respondents endorsed no prohibition on location sampling scale (e.g., monitoring single residence to entire community was acceptable); the most common location category respondents wanted to prohibit sampling was at personal residences. Sewer monitoring is an emerging technology, and our study sheds light on perceptions that could benefit from educational programs in areas where public acceptance is comparatively lower. Respondents clearly communicated guard rails for sewer monitoring, and public opinion should inform future policy, application, and regulation measures

A Qualitative Modeling Method for Platform Design

The development of a collection of related products sharing a common platform represents an important approach in modern product design. an ongoing problem is the application of design methods toward a limited set of evolving product data and archived design knowledge to search and explore alternative platform options. with the goal of maximizing the reuse of end item artifacts and supply chain elements, we propose a design modeling method using basic qualitative relationships among relevant performance, design, and noise parameters in the system of interest. by using qualitative models related to multiple levels of design data, the method provides a single high level graphical representation among design data including archived knowledge in a design repository. © 2005 IEEE