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Journal articles on the topic 'Contracting entity'
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1
J., Locke. "Contracting Out, Grievance Procedure and Union Liability." Jurisprudence du travail 15, no. 2 (February 4, 2014): 249–63. http://dx.doi.org/10.7202/1022036ar.
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Summary Though the preferential wiring clause did not apply to an independant contractor, the union could not put him off the job, the matter beeing one which should have been dealt with accordingly under the grievance procedure clause. The union a legal entity, by the use of illegal means, caused damage to the respondent and is liable in damages for its wrongful acts, through the act of the union was not done in connection with a trade dispute.
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Żmuda-Matan, Kamila. "LOCAL GOVERNMENT SERVICING UNITS AS A CENTRAL CONTRACTING AUTHORITY." Roczniki Administracji i Prawa 1, no. XX (March 30, 2020): 111–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.5604/01.3001.0014.1429.
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The scope of tasks entrusted to the servicing units, the so-called shared services centres, as part of the joint service results from the resolution of the decision-making body of the local government unit or from an agreement concluded between units, with restrictions resulting from the local government laws. By means of a special provision of the public procurement law, the legislator granted the competence to indicate or appoint an entity performing central contracting tasks or to specify the method of appointing such entities to the decision-making body of the local government unit. The competences of the commune council also include determining the scope of activities of these entities in accordance with Art. 15c of the Public Procurement Law. The perspective of providing by the commune of the joint service of the commune’s organisational units may therefore include joint activities in the scope of the procurement procedures, but then it is necessary to apply both the provisions of the law on commune government and the public procurement law. The indication or appointment of a central contracting authority by the decision-making body of the local government unit must be the activity preceding the transfer of specific tasks in the field of public procurement to this entity.
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Hernandez, José R. "Good Value from Shared Values: A fraud and risk perspective." Maandblad Voor Accountancy en Bedrijfseconomie 85, no. 11 (November 1, 2011): 573–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.5117/mab.85.12871.
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Corporate scandals in the last decade have led to renewed focus by auditors and regulators on fraud, risk assessments, and governance reforms. Hernandez (2007) documents auditor perceived associations between risk indications or concerns on dimensions of management ethics and compensation, performance, governance and fraud across auditor risk assessments performed during the continuance stage of an audit at a ‘Big Four’ firm (from 2002 to 2004). Running three separate sets of ordinal regressions, this study notes that assessed risk of fraud, perceived corporate performance risks, and corporate governance risks are independently associated with each other, as well as positively affected by management ethics and integrity concerns perceived by auditors and the pressure and balance of financial and non-financial goal-setting targets in management compensation contracts. This suggests that managers and entities focused by ethics, values, and sustainable goals (lower integrity concerns, less profits pressure) may present themselves with lower audit risk and benefit investors, reducing contracting and agency risks, which may be by simultaneously associated with fraud, governance, and overall entity performance risks. I extend this result into a theoretical model where the entity and its customers, suppliers, regulators, and other stakeholders (‘Five Forces’) share corporate values, lowering audit (and entity contracting) risks, resulting in higher entity value
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Kabytov, Pavel P. "The Analysis of the content and structure of the contracting system for the procurement of goods, work, and services for state and municipal needs." Vestnik of Saint Petersburg University. Law 11, no. 3 (2020): 601–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.21638/spbu14.2020.305.
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The article is devoted to the study of the phenomenon of the contracting system for the procurement of goods, work, and services for state and municipal needs. The author aims to determine the content of the contracting system as a legal category and its structure. In this context, the definitions of basic concepts in relation to the contracting system, such as a government contract, public procurement, and state needs are determined. Based on the analysis of the Russian Federation legislation and approaches established in domestic legal doctrine to the concept of the “contracting system”, the author reveals the substantive aspects of the legal phenomenon under investigation. The author concludes that the current structure of the contracting system is not optimal. The extension of the law on the contracting system to social relations, the essence and economic as well as legal content, which do not relate to its entity, the main principles, and objectives, has resulted in an ineffective legal impact on them. The author suggests changing the structure of participants of a contracting system on the basis of a specification of signs of the state (municipal) needs. It is proposed to exclude commercial organizations (the state and non-state forms of ownership) as entities which do not have state needs from the group of participants in the contracting system. State customers include budgetary and autonomous institutions. The author formulates proposals to amend current legislation on the contracting system to ensure the elimination of conflicts and contradictions in the legal regime regarding the purchases of goods, work, and services for the needs of the country’s defense and state security.
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Debono, Pauline. "Transforming Public Procurement Contracts Into Smart Contracts." International Journal of Information Technology Project Management 10, no. 2 (April 2019): 16–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.4018/ijitpm.2019040103.
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The terms governing the provision of supplies, services, or works by an economic operator to a governmental entity are set into a public contract that is signed, following a procurement process. This article explores whether the public administration can utilise smart contracts to incorporate the terms governing the provision of supplies, services, or works. The fundamental elements of a contract are assessed, in order to determine whether a smart contract can be considered as fulfilling these requirements. Following this assessment, the main hurdles to the use of smart contracting are examined and a possible solution proposed. The case for utilising smart contracting within the realm of public procurement is finally advocated.
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Robinson, Rick, and Robert Powers. "Critical success factors for partnerships in the oil and gas contracting industry." APPEA Journal 53, no. 2 (2013): 462. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/aj12073.
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The advent of mega LNG projects in Australia has encouraged the Australian contracting industry to establish partnerships with local or international peers to bolster capability and take advantage of larger work scopes to handle the contracting risks. The types of partnerships generally fall into three broad categories: Unincorporated joint ventures formed between partner companies, specifically to win and deliver a project. Each partner retains its individual entity and the relationship is finalised once the project is delivered. Incorporated joint ventures that take a long-term view to the partnership. The incorporated entity focuses on winning and delivering work on multiple projects, without a specific end date. Client contractor integration is the aligned relationships between clients and contractors to achieve delivery of optimal outcomes, thereby achieving mutual benefits. Clough’s history in partnering dates back to 1957, when Harold Clough started the company’s first joint venture with Christiani and Nielsen of Denmark. During a 55-year period, the company has delivered more than 130 projects in joint-venture or client contractor-integration arrangements. This rich history of partnering is used to explore the pros and cons of different partnering arrangements through a series of partnership case studies. Despite the relationship differences, there is a number of critical factors for successful partnerships, with the ultimate goal of adding value to the owner’s project. These factors, including focal interface points, financial and project management systems, and HSE unity and support, are explored using a case study about the BAM Clough Joint Venture, Clough’s most successful long-term partnership, which has been in place since 1964.
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Adámiková, Eva, Roman Chinoracký, Tatiana Čorejová, and Grzegorz Dydkowski. "Value of Company and Choice of Valuation Method for Forwarding Company." Transport and Communications 6, no. 2 (2018): 1–4. http://dx.doi.org/10.26552/tac.c.2018.2.1.
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The value of company is a very broad concept. Its determination depends on many factors and valuer must take into account both internal and external factors which are affecting the company. In some cases, it is very difficult to decide which of the methods should be used so that the entire valuation is not unnecessarily overpriced for the contracting entity. Valuation also takes into account the resulting objective value. In the case where the choice of method is not determined by the legal act itself, consultation and agreement with the expert is necessary in order to clarify the state of the company and determine the reason for doing the valuation itself. Therefore, the main goal of this paper is to choose an appropriate valuation method for a forwarding company.
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McGhee, Kevin K. "Factors Affecting Overlay Ride Quality." Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board 1712, no. 1 (January 2000): 58–65. http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/1712-07.
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A study was conducted to identify the predominant factors that affect the achievable smoothness of asphalt overlays. The subject was approached from the perspective of a contracting entity (state highway agency). The basis of the study was a roughness survey that incorporated 4270 lane-km (2,650 lane-mi) and two full construction seasons with hot-mix asphalt concrete paving. Among the variables found to be related to the achievable smoothness were the functional classification (highway system), original surface roughness, and a special provision for smoothness. Variables that were found to be not significantly related to the smoothness achieved included surface mix type, the application of additional structural layers, the use of milling, and time-of-day restrictions on construction activities (i.e., nighttime paving).
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Pangondian, Daniel. "Analysis And Design Of Accounting Information System Of Purchase Of Credit Spare Parts In PT. Sumber Batu." Journal of Sosial Science 1, no. 5 (November 25, 2020): 185–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.46799/jsss.v1i5.25.
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This research was conducted at PT. Sumber Batu which is engaged in contracting. Activities carried out by the company, one of which is the purchase of spare parts on credit. The implementation of the accounting system for purchasing spare parts on credit has not yet fully carried out activities in accordance with internal controls. Data collection was carried out using interview and observation techniques. The analysis conducted was a qualitative descriptive analysis by analyzing and designing Flowcharts, Data Flow Diagrams (DFD), Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD), and Normalization. Based on research that has been done, researchers can draw the conclusion that there is no duplication of functions applied to the procedure for purchasing spare parts on credit,
Keywords : Information System Accounting, Credit Purchases, Internal Control Systems
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Goraya, Muhammad Hassan Naeem, Sidra Kalsoom, Talal Almas, Muhammad Kashif Amin, Nadeem Hussain, Junaid Rasul Awan, Maryam Ehtesham, Muhammad Ali Niaz, Hafeez Ul Hassan Virk, and Steven J. Filby. "Simultaneous Left Ventricular Aneurysm and Ventricular Septal Rupture Complicating Delayed STEMI Presentation: A Case-Based Review of Post-MI Mechanical Complications Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic." Journal of Investigative Medicine High Impact Case Reports 9 (January 2021): 232470962110311. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/23247096211031135.
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Amid the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there is an unprecedented increase in public avoidance of hospitals predominantly driven by fear of contracting the virus. Recent publications highlight a re-emergence of rare post–myocardial infarction complications. While mechanical complications are infrequent in the era of primary percutaneous coronary intervention, they are associated with high mortality rates. The concurrent occurrence of mechanical complications such as left ventricular aneurysm and ventricular septal rupture is an extremely rare entity. We hereby delineate a unique case of a 53-year-old Caucasian male who underwent successful concomitant closure of a ventricular septal rupture, left ventricular aneurysmectomy, and 3-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting. Due to a delayed initial presentation owing to the patient’s fear of contracting COVID-19, the surgery was carried out 3 months after the myocardial infarction. His postoperative evaluation confirmed normal contractility of the left ventricle and complete closure of the ventricular septal rupture. Six months postoperatively, the patient continues to do well. We also present a literature review of the mechanical complications following delayed presentation of myocardial infarction amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This article illustrates that clinicians should remain cognizant of these extremely rare but potentially lethal collateral effects during the ongoing global public-health challenge. Furthermore, it highlights a significant concern regarding the delay in first medical contact due to the reluctance of patients to visit the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Siegle, M. L., and H. J. Ehrlein. "Interdigestive contractile patterns of the ileum in dogs." American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology 253, no. 4 (October 1, 1987): G452—G460. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.1987.253.4.g452.
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The aim of this study is to elucidate the nature of ileal interdigestive contractile patterns by the computerized analysis of the contraction spread and by videofluoroscopy. Conscious dogs equipped with closely spaced strain-gauge force transducers were used. Two patterns of repetitive, phasic contractions were recorded, migrating clusters and phase IIIs; both patterns consisted of repetitive, propagated contractions. Both patterns migrated aborad by sequential movement of contraction waves down the bowel. Consequently, the rate of migration of either of the entire patterns was slower than the propagation velocity of constituent, individual contraction waves. Both patterns differed in several parameters, especially the propagated contractions of the clusters spread over shorter distances (1.47 +/- 0.4 cm) than those of phase III (4.65 +/- 0.99 cm). Compared with these complex patterns, propagating power contractions represented single contractions that propagated aborad at the same velocity as the contraction waves of the complex patterns. All three patterns propelled luminal contents distally.
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Donohue, David, Wayne Dysinger, and Susan Benigas. "Formation of a National Lifestyle Medicine Network to Benefit Patients and Lifestyle Medicine Providers." American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine 13, no. 6 (September 11, 2019): 548–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1559827619874297.
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The American College of Lifestyle Medicine (ACLM) is forming a Lifestyle Medicine Provider Network (LMPN). The goal of this network is 2-fold: (1) to provide significant benefits to patients by focusing on the adoption of intensive evidence-based lifestyle medicine (LM) therapies to treat and reverse chronic disease and (2) to benefit LM providers by supporting their practice operations and optimizing contracting and reimbursement opportunities. The 2 phases of the network development will include (1) network formation and practice standardization and (2) deployment for group contracting. LMPN will be organized as a special project of the ACLM, with leadership provided through the ACLM LMPN Task Force. As part of this first phase, ACLM will devote the necessary resources to establish the network and promote LM training, certification, and sharing of best practices across the network. The second phase will necessitate the establishment of a separate corporate entity, enabling the acquisition of the required capital and expertise to fully realize the potential of LMPN deployment. Strategic direction will be provided by a LMPN Board of Advisors, consisting of select network members as well as select members of ACLM’s Board of Directors. The first priority of the LMPN will be to recruit interested and qualifying LM practitioners and standardize the LM approach and process of care delivery, starting with high-value services, such as chronic care management. The focus on maximizing existing provider program incentives avails the LMPN the fastest and most efficient path to demonstrating value to its members and to its client base.
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Olefirenko, Alexander Ivanovich, and Alexey Galuschenko. "Major Features, Benefits, and Prerequisites for Intelligent Enterprise Managing System." Research in Social Sciences and Technology 3, no. 3 (October 10, 2018): 68–91. http://dx.doi.org/10.46303/ressat.03.03.5.
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The modern conditions of high-tech and highly competitive markets require the evolution of the enterprise automation systems. Such new, the post-ERP systems should meet the conditions for the provision of customer self-service and other counterparts, the dramatic decrease of the manual labour through automation, robotic application, integration with other systems and external contracting systems, multi-channel marketing and distribution, reduction of supply chains and other current trends. These systems should be built on the new IEM Automation Paradigm (Intelligent Enterprise Managing) and therefore belong to the IEM system class. As stated in the IEM paradigm article, a modern approach to solving the task of automation is based on the application of "best" solutions for each separate entity or business unit. In practice, however, this approach has resulted in a series of significant problems. The scale of the problems is increasing with the growth in transactional load, competitive pressures on the market, requirements for accelerate optimization, and business processes changes.
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Majchrowicz-Jopek, Elżbieta. "Partnerstwo publiczno-prywatne jako forma świadczenia usług publicznych z zakresu oświaty." Kwartalnik Kolegium Ekonomiczno-Społecznego. Studia i Prace, no. 2 (November 29, 2018): 59–80. http://dx.doi.org/10.33119/kkessip.2018.2.3.
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The text discusses the context and background for development of public-private partnership in the education sector. This development is based in the concept of New Public Management (New Governance) widespreaded in the policy and practice of governments since 1980 s. The article discuses an example of involvement of non-public actors in providing education: The Private Financial Initiative (PFI). PFI has become the predominant model for building and operating of new schools in the United Kingdom. The British experiences have been employed by other countries as the number and volume of educational investments conducted in the PPP formula is steadily growing. This process has been illustrated by the relevant European Investment Bank data. The text also features the Polish approach to contracting out public education services i.e. when local authorities entrusts the operation of public school to a private entity. This concept corresponds with the idea of community schools where local communities become authentic owners of the school itself and its assets.
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Putra, Putu Bagus Adidyana Anugrah. "SISTEM PENDAFTARAN RAPID TEST COVID-19 PADA KLINIK MEDIKA PALANGKA RAYA." Jurnal Teknologi Informasi: Jurnal Keilmuan dan Aplikasi Bidang Teknik Informatika 15, no. 1 (January 10, 2021): 44–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.47111/jti.v15i1.1959.
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During January-April 2020, a number of flights were canceled to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19. Flights were reopened when the government relaxed the PSBB in mid-May 2020. However, aviation activities must comply with health protocols. One of the requirements for traveling by plane is to show a letter of negative PCR test results for COVID-19 or rapid test with non-reactive results. The medical clinical laboratory in registering the rapid test is still manual so that the general public who wants to travel by plane in carrying out a rapid test must be served from registration to completion at the clinic. So that sometimes there is an accumulation of people who want a rapid test. It is necessary to make a registration system for rapid tests in medical clinics using the waterfall method. The stages of system development are business process modeling using Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) and Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD), user interface design, and the testing process will be carried out with a blackbox. The system developed can reduce the accumulation of patients in the clinic. From the test results, the system functionality can run well
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Putra, Putu Bagus Adidyana Anugrah. "SISTEM PENDAFTARAN RAPID TEST COVID-19 PADA KLINIK MEDIKA PALANGKA RAYA." Jurnal Teknologi Informasi: Jurnal Keilmuan dan Aplikasi Bidang Teknik Informatika 15, no. 1 (January 10, 2021): 44–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.47111/jti.v15i1.1959.
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During January-April 2020, a number of flights were canceled to reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19. Flights were reopened when the government relaxed the PSBB in mid-May 2020. However, aviation activities must comply with health protocols. One of the requirements for traveling by plane is to show a letter of negative PCR test results for COVID-19 or rapid test with non-reactive results. The medical clinical laboratory in registering the rapid test is still manual so that the general public who wants to travel by plane in carrying out a rapid test must be served from registration to completion at the clinic. So that sometimes there is an accumulation of people who want a rapid test. It is necessary to make a registration system for rapid tests in medical clinics using the waterfall method. The stages of system development are business process modeling using Data Flow Diagrams (DFD) and Entity Relationship Diagrams (ERD), user interface design, and the testing process will be carried out with a blackbox. The system developed can reduce the accumulation of patients in the clinic. From the test results, the system functionality can run well
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Keating, Barry, and Maryann Keating. "Private firms, public entities, and microeconomic incentives." International Journal of Organizational Analysis 21, no. 2 (May 16, 2013): 176–97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ijoa-08-2011-0499.
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PurposePublic private partnerships (PPPs) centralize decision making into a hybrid type of firm, consisting of a government entity with a private firm, that is either a profit‐seeking or non‐profit entity, that initiates, constructs, maintains, or provides a service. The PPP model recognizes that both the public and the private sectors have certain comparative advantages in the performance of specific tasks. PPPs, grounded in cost/benefit analysis, have been used in Australia for decades and are presently being introduced in the USA as a form of innovate contracting. This paper aims to evaluate PPPs as a potentially transferable model for the delivery of public services. PPP firms are evaluated in terms of capital asset management, productive and allocative efficiency, transfer of risk between the public and private sectors, rights to the residual, and the public interest. A case study comparison of Fremantle Ports (Australia) and the Indiana Toll Road (USA) is employed to demonstrate PPP design and function.Design/methodology/approachA description and evaluation of public private partnerships (PPP) is presented and two original and primary case studies are reviewed.FindingsA PPP functioning as a monopoly provider of a common pool public asset approximates economic efficiency when user fees cover virtually full cost. Identifying optimal output and quality assessment is more challenging in the case of social goods in which the public goal is subsidy minimization and clients cannot assess quality. Best practices are helpful; they guarantee the PPP process, but not the outcome. All PPPs, in whatever country or industry, are vulnerable to bureaucratic expansion whenever they are given access to subsidized loans underwritten by taxpayers.Originality/valueThe two case studies in this paper are 100 percent original; they were examined in person by the authors, and the managers of the two entities were interviewed in Indiana (USA) and Fremantle, Western Australia.
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Helm, J. F., W. J. Dodds, J. Christensen, and S. K. Sarna. "Control mechanism of spontaneous in vitro contractions of the opossum sphincter of Oddi." American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology 249, no. 5 (November 1, 1985): G572—G579. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.1985.249.5.g572.
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We evaluated the control mechanism of peristaltic contractions in the opossum sphincter of Oddi (SO) by means of an in vitro preparation. At each of four sites spaced uniformly along the sphincter segment, a force transducer recorded contractions while a monopolar electrode recorded myoelectric activity. Spontaneous myoelectric and contractile activity occurred in 15 of the 20 intact SO specimens studied. Electrical recordings showed characteristic control waves and response activity. Each control wave was invariably accompanied by a phasic contraction, irrespective of whether or not response activity was superimposed on the control wave. The predominant motor activity of the SO was antegrade peristalsis. Retrograde peristalsis occurred when antegrade peristalsis failed to traverse the entire sphincter. Spontaneous SO phasic contractions were not antagonized by tetrodotoxin. Muscle rings sectioned from the SO exhibited spontaneous phasic contractions with a proximal-to-distal gradient of intrinsic contraction frequencies. We conclude that a) the frequency of SO phasic contractions is determined by control wave frequency, b) spontaneous SO peristalsis is myogenic in origin and may be modeled by a linear array of bidirectionally coupled relaxation oscillators, c) the predominance of antegrade peristalsis may be explained by a high-frequency oscillator in the proximal SO that drives the slower, more distal oscillators, d) retrograde peristalsis is initiated by an ectopic oscillator in the distal SO when antegrade contractions fail to propagate the entire length of the SO, and e) ectopic SO contractions can propagate retrograde when the more proximal oscillators are not in their absolutely refractory state.
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Mirić, Marija Karanikić, and Tatjana Jevremović Petrović. "Administrative Contracts in Serbian Law – Specificities of the New Statutory Regime." Review of Central and East European Law 45, no. 1 (March 13, 2020): 1–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15730352-04404005.
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The subject of this paper is the special legal regime for administrative contracts under the recently enacted Serbian Law on General Administrative Procedure of 2016. We offer a comprehensive analysis of the new statutory rules, and examine their relationship to the general rules and principles of Serbian contract law. In addition, we identify the main shortcomings of the new regime, especially in the context of the lack of any statutory, scholarly and judicial typology of administrative contracts in Serbia. Furthermore, we highlight the lack of references to the notions of public interest, public purpose or public needs in the statutory definition of administrative contracts. This is cause for concern, since only the need to protect the public interest could justify the new statutory provisions, which significantly improve the contractual position of a public body as a contracting party in relation to the position of a private entity as the other party in administrative contracts. There is as yet no case law pertaining to administrative contracts in Serbia. This is why we turn to practical experience in the Croatian legal system, which is sufficiently similar and historically connected to Serbia via a shared Yugoslav heritage. We also consider German and French legal models, since they traditionally serve as comparative points of reference for Serbian legal scholars, judges and law makers.
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Miyashita, Shuhei, Cagdas D. Onal, and Daniela Rus. "Multi-crease Self-folding by Global Heating." Artificial Life 21, no. 4 (November 2015): 398–411. http://dx.doi.org/10.1162/artl_a_00183.
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This study demonstrates a new approach to autonomous folding for the body of a 3D robot from a 2D sheet, using heat. We approach this challenge by folding a 0.27-mm sheetlike material into a structure. We utilize the thermal deformation of a contractive sheet sandwiched by rigid structural layers. During this baking process, the heat applied on the entire sheet induces contraction of the contracting layer and thus forms an instructed bend in the sheet. To attain the targeted folding angles, the V-fold spans method is used. The targeted angle θout can be kinematically encoded into crease geometry. The realization of this angle in the folded structure can be approximately controlled by a contraction angle θin. The process is non-reversible, is reliable, and is relatively fast. Our method can be applied simultaneously to all the folds in multi-crease origami structures. We demonstrate the use of this method to create a lightweight mobile robot.
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Kinney, Eleanor D. "Procedural Protections for Patients in Capitated Health Plans." American Journal of Law & Medicine 22, no. 2-3 (1996): 301–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0098858800007851.
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In the American health care system, payers are rapidly moving toward the use of capitation as the preferred method for paying for health care services for sponsored patients. n capitation, the payer pays a provider organization a set rate per patient to care for a group of patients. The provider organization assumes the risk of the actual costs of caring for these covered lives. The theory of capitation is that providers, by assuming risk, will have incentives to contain their costs.The provider entity that provides the care can take many corporate forms. A capitated provider can be a small group of physicians with admitting privileges at a single hospital or a complex integrated delivery network comprised of hospitals, physicians, and other health care professionals and institutions with integrated case management and data systems. Currently such integrated delivery networks assume a variety of organizational forms, ranging from traditional staff model health maintenance organizations (HMOs) in which physicians are employees of the health plan to physician hospital organizations (PHOs) in which physicians and hospitals join together for purposes of contracting with payers. Hospitals and physicians belonging to their medical staffs are motivated to form integrated delivery networks or other consolidated business organizations in order to contract with payers that seek providers willing to accept financial risk for the care of sponsored patients. Providers join such arrangements out of fear of losing patients if they do not.
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Kent, R. L., D. L. Mann, Y. Urabe, R. Hisano, K. W. Hewett, M. Loughnane, and G. Cooper. "Contractile function of isolated feline cardiocytes in response to viscous loading." American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology 257, no. 5 (November 1, 1989): H1717—H1727. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.1989.257.5.h1717.
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The classical force-velocity relationship is a standard measure of the contractile function of isolated linear cardiac muscle, but no such simple index of contractile function exists for the isolated mammalian cardiocyte. Therefore, this study established an analogous viscosity-velocity relationship for the characterization of cardiocyte contractile function. For this purpose, force was imposed on unfettered adult feline cardiocytes as a series of defined viscous loads, which provided resistance to cardiocyte shape changes during contraction. This was done by increasing the viscosity of the Krebs superfusate (37 degrees C, pH 7.4) in graded, reproducible steps from 1 to 500 centipoise by the addition of methylcellulose. Sarcomere motion within each contracting cardiocyte was measured as movement of the diffraction pattern cast onto a photodiode array by a laser beam passing through the cell. Both the rate and extent of sarcomere shortening varied inversely with increasing viscosity, whereas neither resting sarcomere length nor osmolarity was altered. Further, increased inotropism effected by paired-pulse stimulation of cardiocytes caused an upward shift of the entire viscosity-velocity relationship. Thus the cardiocyte viscosity-velocity relationship is analogous in form to the force-velocity relationship of isolated linear cardiac muscle and provides a simple reproducible method for characterizing the contractile performance of relatively large numbers of cardiocytes isolated from a single specimen of myocardium.
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Fliegner, John R. H. "Pelvic Outlet Contraction: A Forgotten Entity." Asia-Oceania Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 13, no. 4 (May 24, 2010): 401–3. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0756.1987.tb00283.x.
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Simmonds, N. J., and B. I. Hoffbrand. "Contracturing granulomatous myositis: a separate entity." Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 53, no. 11 (November 1, 1990): 998–1000. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/jnnp.53.11.998.
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Husain Rizvi, Syed Mohammad, and Per Helsing. "Transitory contractile dermatosis—A new entity?" Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 71, no. 1 (July 2014): 197. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2013.09.062.
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Muharremi, Robert. "The Challenge of Introducing New Public Management to Kosovo’s Healthcare Sector." Hrvatska i komparativna javna uprava 17, no. 1 (March 29, 2017): 7–28. http://dx.doi.org/10.31297/hkju.17.1.6.
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The paper outlines the current healthcare sector reform process in Kosovo and the challenges to its implementation. The reform attempts to introduce modern public management principles into Kosovo’s healthcare sector, including a purchaser–provider split, performance incentives, and performance-based contracting, as well as a reorganisation of healthcare service delivery with a view to improving effectiveness and efficiency. This is the first major reform of the healthcare sector since Kosovo declared independence in 2008, and it intends to replace the healthcare system established by the United Nations between 1999 and 2008. Kosovo’s earlier healthcare system had been characterised by decentralised decision-making, but was re-established by the UN in the form of an emergency healthcare system after the UN was deployed to administer Kosovo in 1999. The reform envisages separating healthcare regulators from healthcare providers and healthcare purchasers. Kosovo Hospital and University Clinical Services is established as a new entity providing healthcare services, and a new Health Insurance Fund will become the healthcare purchaser. The Ministry of Health will be restricted to the functions of a regulator, divested of all administrative functions in favour of healthcare providers and purchasers. A major challenge lies in the limited capacities of the Kosovo Government to implement such an ambitious reform. This is also an attempt to introduce modern public management principles into a public administration which is dominated by traditional public administration principles. Lack of implementation capacities and contradictory public administration principles are the most important factors that may endanger the successful implementation of the reform.
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Vlahinić Lenz, Nela, and Vedran Prša. "Electricity Sector Reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina: Results and Policy Implications." INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCE AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 3, no. 4 (2017): 46–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.18775/ijmsba.1849-5664-5419.2014.34.1006.
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Analysis shows that electricity sector reforms in Bosnia and Herzegovina have not been implemented as they should according to the Third Energy Package and obligations deriving from the Energy Community membership. Despite the sanctions and infringement procedures for non-transposition of the Third Energy Package that has been adopted against Bosnia and Herzegovina, its legal and regulatory framework for the electricity market is still non-compliant with the Energy Community acquis. Legal framework harmonization with the Acquis communaitaire is completely missing on the state level in Bosnia and Herzegovina while the legal compliance with the Acquis is somewhat better on entity levels. Still, they do not comply with the Third Energy Package as well and this situation strongly hinders the required structural reforms and liberalization of the electricity market. Development of electricity market in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been also influenced by regional electricity market that started by European Union’s incentive. Extending the European Union internal energy market to its neighboring countries, the Energy Community aims to create a regulatory and market framework capable of securing reliable energy supply and attracting investments in the energy sector. All Contracting Parties from Southeast Europe started to implement reforms in the energy sector at a different pace, but Bosnia and Herzegovina has been marked as the worst performer. It is not wondering because Bosnia and Herzegovina is a victim of its own constitutional framework and political complexity. However, during 2016 some new developments have occurred that give some hope for this country to solve some of the obstacles for functioning national and regional electricity market.
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Piszczatoski, Christopher R., and John G. Gums. "Ervebo (Ebola Zaire Vaccine, Live/rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP): The First Licensed Vaccine for the Prevention of Ebola Virus Disease." Journal of Pharmacy Technology 36, no. 6 (August 14, 2020): 243–50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/8755122520950692.
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Objective: To review the clinical data regarding the safety and efficacy of the Ervebo (Ebola Zaire vaccine, live/rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP) vaccine for the prevention of the Ebola virus disease. Data Sources: A literature search through PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library was conducted for clinical trials published between January 2014 and June 2020 in the English language using the keywords Ervebo, rVSVΔG-ZEBOV, rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP, Ebola Zaire, and vaccine. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Articles were selected if they were related to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of Ervebo (Ebola Zaire vaccine, live/rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP) or provided novel data regarding this entity. Twelve articles noted in the FDA approval were chosen, along with 2 additional articles identified as providing novel information. Data Synthesis: The findings of the review show that Ervebo (Ebola Zaire vaccine, live/rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP) is a safe, immunogenic, and likely effective vaccine for the prevention of Ebola virus disease. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: Ebola virus disease is highly infectious and often fatal. There have been multiple large outbreaks in the past 5 years, with no licensed treatments or vaccines. An effective vaccine could largely curtail current outbreaks and prevent further ones. Conclusion: The recent FDA approval of Ervebo (Ebola Zaire vaccine, live/rVSVΔG-ZEBOV-GP) offers the first approved vaccine for the prevention of Ebola virus disease. It has been shown to be safe, immunogenic, and likely effective for use in real-world applications for those at risk of contracting the disease.
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Rode, Christian, Tobias Siebert, Andre Tomalka, and Reinhard Blickhan. "Myosin filament sliding through the Z-disc relates striated muscle fibre structure to function." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283, no. 1826 (March 16, 2016): 20153030. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.3030.
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Striated muscle contraction requires intricate interactions of microstructures. The classic textbook assumption that myosin filaments are compressed at the meshed Z-disc during striated muscle fibre contraction conflicts with experimental evidence. For example, myosin filaments are too stiff to be compressed sufficiently by the muscular force, and, unlike compressed springs, the muscle fibres do not restore their resting length after contractions to short lengths. Further, the dependence of a fibre's maximum contraction velocity on sarcomere length is unexplained to date. In this paper, we present a structurally consistent model of sarcomere contraction that reconciles these findings with the well-accepted sliding filament and crossbridge theories. The few required model parameters are taken from the literature or obtained from reasoning based on structural arguments. In our model, the transition from hexagonal to tetragonal actin filament arrangement near the Z-disc together with a thoughtful titin arrangement enables myosin filament sliding through the Z-disc. This sliding leads to swivelled crossbridges in the adjacent half-sarcomere that dampen contraction. With no fitting of parameters required, the model predicts straightforwardly the fibre's entire force–length behaviour and the dependence of the maximum contraction velocity on sarcomere length. Our model enables a structurally and functionally consistent view of the contractile machinery of the striated fibre with possible implications for muscle diseases and evolution.
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Sarna, S. K. "Giant migrating contractions and their myoelectric correlates in the small intestine." American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology 253, no. 5 (November 1, 1987): G697—G705. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.1987.253.5.g697.
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We investigated the characteristics of spontaneously and pharmacologically induced giant migrating contractions (GMC) in the small intestine of conscious dogs. Myoelectric and contractile activities were recorded from eight sites, 40-70 cm apart, by surgically implanted bipolar electrodes and strain-gauge transducers, respectively. In addition to the usual phasic contractions in the fasted state, we observed spontaneous GMCs that generally originated in the mid or distal small intestine and migrated caudad. These contractions occurred infrequently and irregularly. The amplitude and duration of these giant contractions were severalfold larger than those of usual phasic contractions during phase III activity. The giant contractions migrated caudad at a velocity of approximately 1 cm/s. These contractions were preceded and followed by a period of inhibition of spontaneous motor activity. Some dogs whined and showed restlessness when giant contractions originated in the mid to upper small intestine. Intravenous morphine at 20, 50, 100, and 200 micrograms.kg-1 .h-1 or gastric instillation of 100 ml of 60% vinegar solution also initiated GMCs whose characteristics were similar to those of spontaneous GMCs. The GMC in response to these stimuli originated at more proximal sites than the spontaneous giant contractions. The GMC in response to morphine infusions occurred repeatedly, but in response to vinegar they occurred only once as a burst of contractions. These agents did not induce GMCs in the fed state. In most cases, the upstroke of a giant contraction was associated with a brief burst of electrical response activity. In some cases the burst of response activity lasted for the entire duration of giant contractions.
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Choi, Su Jin, So Won Choi, Jong Hyun Kim, and Eul-Bum Lee. "AI and Text-Mining Applications for Analyzing Contractor’s Risk in Invitation to Bid (ITB) and Contracts for Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) Projects." Energies 14, no. 15 (July 30, 2021): 4632. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/en14154632.
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Contractors responsible for the whole execution of engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) projects are exposed to multiple risks due to various unbalanced contracting methods such as lump-sum turn-key and low-bid selection. Although systematic risk management approaches are required to prevent unexpected damage to the EPC contractors in practice, there were no comprehensive digital toolboxes for identifying and managing risk provisions for ITB and contract documents. This study describes two core modules, Critical Risk Check (CRC) and Term Frequency Analysis (TFA), developed as a digital EPC contract risk analysis tool for contractors, using artificial intelligence and text-mining techniques. The CRC module automatically extracts risk-involved clauses in the EPC ITB and contracts by the phrase-matcher technique. A machine learning model was built in the TFA module for contractual risk extraction by using the named-entity recognition (NER) method. The risk-involved clauses collected for model development were converted into a database in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format, and the final results were saved in pickle format through the digital modules. In addition, optimization and reliability validation of these modules were performed through Proof of Concept (PoC) as a case study, and the modules were further developed to a cloud-service platform for application. The pilot test results showed that risk clause extraction accuracy rates with the CRC module and the TFA module were about 92% and 88%, respectively, whereas the risk clause extraction accuracy rates manually by the engineers were about 70% and 86%, respectively. The time required for ITB analysis was significantly shorter with the digital modules than by the engineers.
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Usune, Sadaharu, Takeshi Katsuragi, Yasuzi Sakamoto, and Tatsuo Furukawa. "Contribution of Na+ and membrane depolarization to contraction induced by adrenaline in the guinea pig vas deferens." Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 64, no. 6 (June 1, 1986): 720–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/y86-121.
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The contribution of Na+ and membrane depolarization to biphasic contractions induced by adrenaline were investigated in the smooth muscle of guinea pig vas deferens. Adrenaline (5 × 10−6 M) produced an initial small contraction (first contraction) followed by a large tonic contraction (second contraction) with subsequent rhythmic activity. The entire response to adrenaline was largely inhibited by phentolamine (5 × 10−6 M). By adding an appropriate concentration of Mn2+ (2 × 10−4 M) or nifedipine (3 × 10−7 M), a Ca2+ blocker, the second contraction was strongly reduced, accompanied by abolishment of the rhythmic contraction, whereas the first contraction was virtually unaffected. However, the first contraction was markedly suppressed by a higher concentration of Mn2+. All contractions produced by adrenaline were greatly reduced in Ca2+-free solution containing 0.5 mM EGTA. By lowering external Na+ concentration, the first contraction was markedly increased without greatly affecting the second contraction. By exposure to Na+-free isotonic high K+ solution, which elicited a greater depolarization of the membrane, the first contraction produced by adrenaline was also greatly potentiated, while the second and rhythmic contractions were eliminated. These results suggest that the adrenaline-evoked first contraction may be due to an influx of membrane bound Ca2+ which is independent of membrane depolarization, while the second (rhythmic) contraction is due to an influx of extracellular Ca2+ which is dependent upon depolarization.
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Del Valle, Alejandro, and Christine K. Thomas. "Motor unit firing rates during isometric voluntary contractions performed at different muscle lengths." Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology 82, no. 8-9 (July 1, 2004): 769–76. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/y04-084.
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Firing rates of motor units and surface EMG were measured from the triceps brachii muscles of able-bodied subjects during brief submaximal and maximal isometric voluntary contractions made at 5 elbow joint angles that covered the entire physiological range of muscle lengths. Muscle activation at the longest, midlength, and shortest muscle lengths, measured by twitch occlusion, averaged 98%, 97%, and 93% respectively, with each subject able to achieve complete activation during some contractions. As expected, the strongest contractions were recorded at 90° of elbow flexion. Mean motor unit firing rates and surface EMG increased with contraction intensity at each muscle length. For any given absolute contraction intensity, motor unit firing rates varied when muscle length was changed. However, mean motor unit firing rates were independent of muscle length when contractions were compared with the intensity of the maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) achieved at each joint angle.Key words: muscle activation, length–tension relationships, force–frequency relationships.
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M. Elsawi, Ahmed. "The civil liability of the consortium members for the individual mistake of one member." International Journal of Engineering & Technology 7, no. 2.13 (April 15, 2018): 272. http://dx.doi.org/10.14419/ijet.v7i2.13.12677.
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Nowadays, the various forms of contractual agreements have spread between the different contracting companies for the purpose of executing the huge international contracts which require the synergy of all efforts. This has led to the appearance of new forms of cooperation between the international contractors, called the "Consortium Agreement", which is a kind of special partnership entered into for the purpose of executing a certain project, and ends at the completion of this project, without the constitution of a separate entity for the parties of this consortium. Nonetheless, many and various legal implications result from this consortium, some of which may be attributed to the subordination relationship between this agreement and the international contract of construction; while other legal implications might be attributed to the Consortium Agreement itself. The main problem in this regard may arise, if the consortium members did not agree on the accurate determination of the civil liability for each party, whether it was during the pre-contractual stage, or during the contract's execution; as well as the specific determination of the consortium members' liability towards the employer for the individual mistake of one member, especially in light of the multiple parties and the unity of purpose. In this regard, the liability may take one of the following two forms: first, to consider all members of the consortium as joint partners before the employer; second, to adopt the personal liability of each member separately, thus, each member shall be liable only for the part assigned to him. Hence, we will try here to answer a major question regarding the liability of the consortium members for the individual error of one member towards each other or towards the employer, taking into consideration the special nature of the Consortium Agreement.
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Tran, Cao Thach, and Hugh Calkins. "Premature ventricular contraction-induced cardiomyopathy: an emerging entity." Expert Review of Cardiovascular Therapy 14, no. 11 (August 23, 2016): 1227–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14779072.2016.1222901.
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Torrelo, Antonio. "Reply to “Transitory contractile dermatosis—A new entity?”." Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 71, no. 1 (July 2014): 197–98. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2014.03.052.
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Barton, Elisabeth R. "Impact of sarcoglycan complex on mechanical signal transduction in murine skeletal muscle." American Journal of Physiology-Cell Physiology 290, no. 2 (February 2006): C411—C419. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpcell.00192.2005.
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Loss of the dystrophin glycoprotein complex (DGC) or a subset of its components can lead to muscular dystrophy. However, the patterns of symptoms differ depending on which proteins are affected. Absence of dystrophin leads to loss of the entire DGC and is associated with susceptibility to contractile injury. In contrast, muscles lacking γ-sarcoglycan (γ-SG) display little mechanical fragility and still develop severe pathology. Animals lacking dystrophin or γ-SG were used to identify DGC components critical for sensing dynamic mechanical load. Extensor digitorum longus muscles from 7-wk-old normal (C57), dystrophin- null ( mdx), and γ-SG-null ( gsg−/−) mice were subjected to a series of eccentric contractions, after which ERK1/2 phosphorylation levels were determined. At rest, both dystrophic strains had significantly higher ERK1 phosphorylation, and gsg−/− muscle also had heightened ERK2 phosphorylation compared with wild-type controls. Eccentric contractions produced a significant and transient increase in ERK1/2 phosphorylation in normal muscle, whereas the mdx strain displayed no significant proportional change of ERK1/2 phosphorylation after eccentric contraction. Muscles from gsg−/− mice had no significant increase in ERK1 phosphorylation; however, ERK2 phosphorylation was more robust than in C57 controls. The reduction in mechanically induced ERK1 phosphorylation in gsg−/− muscle was not dependent on age or severity of phenotype, because muscle from both young and old (age 20 wk) animals exhibited a reduced response. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that γ-SG was phosphorylated in normal muscle after eccentric contractions, indicating that members of the DGC are modified in response to mechanical perturbation. This study provides evidence that the SGs are involved in the transduction of mechanical information in skeletal muscle, potentially unique from the entire DGC.
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Goldspink, P., W. Sharp, and B. Russell. "Localization of cardiac (alpha)-myosin heavy chain mRNA is regulated by its 3′ untranslated region via mechanical activity and translational block." Journal of Cell Science 110, no. 23 (December 1, 1997): 2969–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jcs.110.23.2969.
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We have altered the spontaneous contractile activity of neonatal cardiac myocytes in culture to investigate the re-lationship between mechanical forces, myofibril assembly, and the localization and translation of (alpha)-myosin heavy chain mRNA. Immunofluorescence and in situ hybridization techniques revealed that contracting myocytes display well aligned myofibrils and a diffuse distribution of (alpha)-myosin heavy chain mRNA. Inhibition of contractile activity with the calcium channel blocker verapamil (10 microM) resulted in myofibril disassembly and a perinuclear mRNA distribution within six hours. There was a significant decrease (P<0. 05) of mRNA levels, 5 to 15 micron away from the nucleus following 6 hours of verapamil treatment compared with control cells. Inhibition of protein synthesis with cycloheximide (10 microM) also resulted in perinuclear mRNA localization despite having little effect on contractile activity or myofibril assembly. To determine if the 3′ untranslated region of (alpha)-myosin heavy chain mRNA was sufficient for localizing the entire message, a chimeric construct composed of beta-galactosidase coding region followed by (alpha)-myosin heavy chain 3′ untranslated region sequences was made as a reporter plasmid and transfected into cultured myocytes. A perinuclear accumulation of ss-galactosidase was exhibited in many of the contractile arrested cells (48.3+/−2.4%, n=7). In contrast, significantly fewer (P<0.05) contracting control (29.1+/−3.3%, n=7) and strongly contracting, isoproterenol-treated cells (27.2+/−6.1%, n=3) exhibited a perinuclear localization of protein. The distribution of the reporter protein was not affected by the contractile state in cells transfected with a constitutively translated 3′UTR. We propose that mechanical activity of neonatal cardiac myocytes regulates the intracellular localization of alpha-myosin heavy chain mRNA via the 3′ untranslated region mediated by an initial block in translation.
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Toda, N., T. Matsumoto, and K. Yoshida. "Comparison of hypoxia-induced contraction in human, monkey, and dog coronary arteries." American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology 262, no. 3 (March 1, 1992): H678—H683. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.1992.262.3.h678.
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In monkey coronary artery strips contracted with prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha or K+, exchange of entire N2 for O2 in the gas aerating the bathing media produced a contraction. Endothelium denudation did not alter the response. Aspirin, indomethacin, and ONO 3708, a PG receptor antagonist, markedly inhibited the hypoxia-induced contraction, whereas superoxide dismutase and OKY 046, a thromboxane (Tx) A2 synthesis inhibitor, were ineffective. Diltiazem depressed the contraction. Hypoxia increased the release of PGE2 but not 6-keto-PGF1 alpha and TxB2. Contractions induced by hypoxia of human coronary artery strips were also independent of the endothelium but were suppressed by indomethacin and diltiazem. On the other hand, dog coronary artery contractions induced by hypoxia were attenuated by endothelium denudation but were not influenced by indomethacin. It may be concluded that the hypoxia-induced contraction of monkey and human epicardial coronary arteries is associated with vasoconstrictor PGs released from subendothelial tissues; however, TxA2 and superoxide anion are not involved. The dog coronary artery contraction appears to be elicited by substance(s), other than cyclooxygenase products, released from the endothelium.
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De Ridder, Dirk, Giovanni Alessi, Marc Lemmerling, Hendrik Fransen, and Luc De Waele. "Hemilingual spasm: a new neurosurgical entity?" Journal of Neurosurgery 97, no. 1 (July 2002): 205–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.3171/jns.2002.97.1.0205.
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✓ Hemilingual spasm is a little-known movement disorder, presenting as intermittent paroxysmal involuntary contractions of half of the tongue muscles. The authors report a case of hemilingual spasm caused by an arachnoid cyst. After marsupialization of the cyst, the patient's symptoms immediately resolved. There has been no recurrence of hemilingual spasm during the follow-up period of more than 40 months.
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An, B. S., and E. B. Jeung. "97 THE REGULATION OF UTERINE CONTRACTION BY ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTING CHEMICALS IN RATS." Reproduction, Fertility and Development 25, no. 1 (2013): 196. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rdv25n1ab97.
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Environmental oestrogens, class of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, are defined as compounds that bind the oestrogen receptors and elicit or modulate an ER-mediated response. Examples of suspected environmental oestrogenic chemicals include plastic components such as bisphenol A (BPA) and some components of detergents and their biodegradation products, 4-octylphenol (OP). The uterus frequently contracts throughout the entire menstrual cycle, and these contractions have been termed endometrial waves or contractile waves. The balanced contractile waves play an important role in regulating oestrus or menstrual cycles, implantation, maintaining pregnancy, and parturition. The uterine contraction has been known to be regulated by contraction-associated proteins such as oxytocin, oxytocin receptor (OTR), connexin 43, prostaglandin F2 alpha receptor (FP), and 15-hydroxy prostaglandin dehydrogenase (PDGH). Endogenous steroid hormones including oestrogen and progesterone have been shown to regulate contraction-associated proteins and, thereby, modify uterine contraction. Forty female immature rats were divided into 8 groups, each group composed of 5 rats. They were injected subcutaneously daily for 3 days with BPA and OP at doses of 20, 100, and 500 mg kg–1 of BW per day; 17β-estradiol (E2, 40 µg kg–1 per day) was a positive control. After 24 h of the final treatment, the rats were euthanized and the uteri were collected for further experiments. Total RNA and protein were extracted from uteri. The mRNA expressions for CaBP-9k, oxytocin, OTR, FP, and PDGH were determined by real-time PCR with specific primers, and the protein levels were examined by Western blot assay. The data were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA. The P-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. The treatment of oestrogenic compounds significantly regulated the contraction-associated proteins. First, the mRNA levels of CaBP-9k that is a biomarker for evaluating oestrogenicity in the rats were significantly induced by positive control, E2. Chemicals OP and BPA at doses of 100 and 500 mg kg–1 also induced the gene expression of CaBP-9k. Oxytocin and OTR were highly augmented by OP (40 fold) and BPA (6-fold) at a dose of 500 mg kg–1 compared with control, whereas PDGH was moderately upregulated by the chemicals. Interestingly, FP was decreased by E2 and high doses of OP and BPA. These results showed that exposure of immature rats to BPA and OP regulated expression of oxytocin, OTR, PDGH, and FP genes in the rat uterus. Taken together, uterine contraction and physiological conformational change of the uterus were affected by exposure to oestrogenic endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Because balanced contractile activity of the uterus maintains regular menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and labor, alteration of the contractility raised by oestrogenic compounds may cause severe adverse effects on the female reproductive system.
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ZABLODSKA, I. V., O. P. PODTSERKIVNIY, and D. V. ZABLODSKA. "ECONOMIC COSTS ON THE CHANGE OF ORGANIZATIONAL AND LEGAL FORMS OF ECONOMIC DECREASE BY RECORDING OF THE CIVIL CODE OF UKRAINE AND CANCELLATION OF THE ECONOMIC CODE OF UKRAINE: TO DISCUSSION." Economic innovations 22, no. 1(74) (March 20, 2020): 80–87. http://dx.doi.org/10.31520/ei.2020.22.1(74).80-87.
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Topicality. Today, the scientific environment discusses a legislative proposal to abolish the Economic Code of Ukraine and enshrined in the recodified Civil Code of Ukraine types of organizational and legal forms of management based on corporate rights. Aim and tasks The purpose of the article is to develop a methodological approach to determining the economic costs of bringing legal entities to their organizational and legal forms and constituent documents in accordance with the requirements of the recodified Civil Code of Ukraine through the abolition of the Economic Code of Ukraine. Research results. The number of legal entities that are registered in Ukraine has been determined, which should change the legal form of economic activity and types of economic expenses: obligatory, highly probable, and unlikely. Compulsory expenses include expenses of legal entities for state registration of changes in constituent documents, administrative fee, payment of notary services, printing expenses. In addition, many legal entities may incur expenses related to: payment of legal services of third parties on state registration of changes in the constituent documents, production of new seals and stamps, payment of additional duties for the employees of the company. It is through registration of necessary documents, holding general meetings founders, transportation expenses for visiting state registration bodies, payment for printing services, etc. For some businesses, the costs may be increased by the cost of services such as: re-licensing, re-contracting with counterparties, re-issuing leases of land and real estate, as well as the amount of downtime associated with a reorganization. Conclusion. According to the results of the costs calculation for the change by the legal entities of their organizational and legal forms and constituent documents in accordance with the requirements of the recodified Civil Code of Ukraine. It is established that each legal entity will spend almost three thousand UAH, and the maximum amount of expenses depends on the type of economic activity and the legal form of management, and thorough an analytical research is needed to calculate the real cost.
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Tutwiler, Valerie, Rustem I. Litvinov, Tatiana Lebedeva, Fazoil I. Ataullakhanov, Douglas B. Cines, and John W. Weisel. "Effects of Platelets and Erythrocytes on the Dynamic Size and Mechanical Properties of Blood Clots during Contraction." Blood 124, no. 21 (December 6, 2014): 4225. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.v124.21.4225.4225.
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Abstract Clot contraction is a final step of blood clotting and plays a key role in hemostasis and restoring blood flow past obstructive thrombi. The volume shrinkage of clots is driven by the contractile forces generated by activated platelets and propagated by the platelet-attached viscoelastic fibrin fibers throughout the entire clot. We have recently shown that blood clot contraction results in the formation of compressed. tightly packed, polyhedral erythrocytes (polyhedrocytes) and in the redistribution of platelets and fibrin to the surface of the contracted clot as a result of the complex interplay between platelets, fibrin, and erythrocytes. This study further investigates the role of these major blood cells in the dynamic mechanical (or viscoelastic) properties of the clot and the kinetics of clot contraction. Platelet and erythrocyte levels were varied through the use of partially reconstituted blood. Samples of platelet-containing plasma with or without added erythrocytes were recalcified and activated with thrombin. The viscoelastic properties and the force of contraction of the resultant clot were determined using high precision rheology. The kinetics of contraction was analyzed using a Thromboimager (HemaCore, Moscow, Russia), which allows continuous tracking and quantitative characterization of dynamic clot size by sensing changes in the light scattering of the clot over time. As predicted, the rate and degree of clot contraction depended linearly on the platelet count over a broad range (R2=0.9881). Increased platelet concentration of greater than 500 k/μl resulted in a more than 30% increase (p<0.001) in the percentage of clot contraction at 30 minutes when compared to the lowest platelet concentration (<75 k/μl). There was a significant increase in the rate and a ~15% increase (p<0.001) in the percentage of clot contraction seen in samples with 250-300k/μl, however, and no difference in samples with 125-150k/μl when compared to the lowest platelet concentration. It was observed that increasing the hematocrit level also affected the degree of contraction with a 30% decrease (p<0.001) in the percentage of contraction seen as the erythrocyte level was increased to hematocrit >40% when compared to <10% hematocrit. There was a 10-15% decrease in the percentage of contraction seen at intermediate hematocrit levels (p<0.05). In addition to decreasing the degree of contraction, changing the cellular composition also affected the rate of contraction. Increasing the concentration of either erythrocytes or platelets resulted in a relative increase in the viscous (or plastic) properties when compared to elastic (or stiffness) properties of the clot (p<0.01), showing a complex dependence of the viscoelastic behavior of the contracting clot as a result of the addition of cells. The presence of erythrocytes resulted in a 63% increase (p<0.05) in the contractile forces that were generated by the platelet-fibrin network when compared to platelets alone. We interpret these results as a profound effect of erythrocytes on the course of clot contraction and on the final size and mechanical properties of contracted blood clots. These results reveal that the concentration of cellular components critically affects the ability of the platelet-fibrin network on the outside of the clot to generate forces needed to reduce the clot size and to compact the erythrocytes, resulting in the formation of a stiff, dense hemostatic plug with low permeability. Disclosures Ataullakhanov: HemaCore LLC: Employment, Membership on an entity's Board of Directors or advisory committees.
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Brunet, Thibaut, and Detlev Arendt. "From damage response to action potentials: early evolution of neural and contractile modules in stem eukaryotes." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 371, no. 1685 (January 5, 2016): 20150043. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2015.0043.
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Eukaryotic cells convert external stimuli into membrane depolarization, which in turn triggers effector responses such as secretion and contraction. Here, we put forward an evolutionary hypothesis for the origin of the depolarization–contraction–secretion (DCS) coupling, the functional core of animal neuromuscular circuits. We propose that DCS coupling evolved in unicellular stem eukaryotes as part of an ‘emergency response’ to calcium influx upon membrane rupture. We detail how this initial response was subsequently modified into an ancient mechanosensory–effector arc, present in the last eukaryotic common ancestor, which enabled contractile amoeboid movement that is widespread in extant eukaryotes. Elaborating on calcium-triggered membrane depolarization, we reason that the first action potentials evolved alongside the membrane of sensory-motile cilia, with the first voltage-sensitive sodium/calcium channels (Na v /Ca v ) enabling a fast and coordinated response of the entire cilium to mechanosensory stimuli. From the cilium, action potentials then spread across the entire cell, enabling global cellular responses such as concerted contraction in several independent eukaryote lineages. In animals, this process led to the invention of mechanosensory contractile cells. These gave rise to mechanosensory receptor cells, neurons and muscle cells by division of labour and can be regarded as the founder cell type of the nervous system.
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Chatturong, Usana, Tanwarat Kajsongkram, Sakara Tunsophon, Rachanee Chanasong, and Krongkarn Chootip. "Ginger Extract and [6]-Gingerol Inhibit Contraction of Rat Entire Small Intestine." Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine 23 (January 1, 2018): 2515690X1877427. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/2515690x18774273.
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This study aims to investigate the effect of oral administration and the direct action of ginger extract or [6]-gingerol on small intestinal contractility. The direct effect of 10 minutes preincubation of ginger ethanolic extract (10, 100 and 300 μg/mL) or [6]-gingerol (1, 30, and 100 μM) on 0.01 to 30 μM ACh-induced contractions of all parts of the small intestine isolated from normal rats was investigated using the organ bath technique. For in vivo study, the rats were orally administered with extract (10, 20, and 100 mg/kg/d) or [6]-gingerol (2 mg/kg/d) for 7 days, followed by determining the contractile responses to ACh of rat isolated duodenum, jejunum, and ileum and their histology were assessed. Direct application of the extract or [6]-gingerol attenuated ACh-induced contractions in each small intestinal segment, Emax was reduced by 40% to 80%, while EC50 increased 3- to 8-fold from control. Similarly, in the in vivo study ACh-induced contractions were reduced in all parts of the small intestine isolated from rats orally treated with ginger extract (20 and 100 mg/kg/d) or [6]-gingerol (2 mg/kg/d). Emax decreased 15% to 30%, while EC50 increased 1- to 3-fold compared to control. No discernable changes in the histology of intestinal segments were detectable. Thus, the results support the clinical application of ginger for disorders of gastrointestinal motility.
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Csapo, Robert, Vadim Malis, Usha Sinha, and Shantanu Sinha. "Mapping of spatial and temporal heterogeneity of plantar flexor muscle activity during isometric contraction: correlation of velocity-encoded MRI with EMG." Journal of Applied Physiology 119, no. 5 (September 1, 2015): 558–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00275.2015.
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The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between contraction-associated muscle kinematics as measured by velocity-encoded phase-contrast (VE-PC) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and activity recorded via electromyography (EMG), and to construct a detailed three-dimensional (3-D) map of the contractile behavior of the triceps surae complex from the MRI data. Ten axial-plane VE-PC MRI slices of the triceps surae and EMG data were acquired during submaximal isometric contractions in 10 subjects. MRI images were analyzed to yield the degree of contraction-associated muscle displacement on a voxel-by-voxel basis and determine the heterogeneity of muscle movement within and between slices. Correlational analyses were performed to determine the agreement between EMG data and displacements. Pearson's coefficients demonstrated good agreement (0.84 < r < 0.88) between EMG data and displacements. Comparison between different slices in the gastrocnemius muscle revealed significant heterogeneity in displacement values both in-plane and along the cranio-caudal axis, with highest values in the mid-muscle regions. By contrast, no significant differences between muscle regions were found in the soleus muscle. Substantial differences among displacements were also observed within slices, with those in static areas being only 17–39% (maximum) of those in the most mobile muscle regions. The good agreement between EMG data and displacements suggests that VE-PC MRI may be used as a noninvasive, high-resolution technique for quantifying and modeling muscle activity over the entire 3-D volume of muscle groups. Application to the triceps surae complex revealed substantial heterogeneity of contraction-associated muscle motion both within slices and between different cranio-caudal positions.
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Hesse, Linnea, Tim Kampowski, Jochen Leupold, Sandra Caliaro, Thomas Speck, and Olga Speck. "Comparative Analyses of the Self-Sealing Mechanisms in Leaves of Delosperma cooperi and Delosperma ecklonis (Aizoaceae)." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21, no. 16 (August 11, 2020): 5768. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijms21165768.
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Within the Aizoaceae, the genus Delosperma exhibits a vast diversification colonizing various ecological niches in South-Africa and showing evolutionary adaptations to dry habitats that might include rapid self-sealing. Leaves of Delosperma react to external damage by the bending or contraction of the entire leaf until wound edges are brought into contact. A study of leaf morphology and anatomy, biomechanics of entire leaves and individual tissues and self-sealing kinematics after a ring incision under low and high relative humidity (RH) was carried out comparing the closely related species Delosperma cooperi and Delosperma ecklonis, which are indigenous to semi-arid highlands and regions with an oceanic climate, respectively. For both species, the absolute contractions of the examined leaf segments (“apex”, “incision”, “base”) were more pronounced at low RH levels. Independent of the given RH level, the absolute contractions within the incision region of D. cooperi were significantly higher than in all other segments of this species and of D. ecklonis. The more pronounced contraction of D. cooperi leaves was linked mainly to the elastic properties of the central vascular strand, which is approximately twice as flexible as that of D. ecklonis leaves.
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Klinova, Svetlana V., Y. L. Protsenko, O. N. Lookin, A. A. Balakin, L. V. Nikitina, O. P. Gerzen, S. R. Nabiev, I. A. Minigalieva, L. I. Privalova, and M. P. Sutunkova. "CHANGES OF MYOCARDIUM CONTRACTILITY ASSOCIATED WITH A SUBCHRONIC LEAD INTOXICATION IN RATS." Hygiene and sanitation 99, no. 2 (March 23, 2020): 193–99. http://dx.doi.org/10.33029/0016-9900-2020-99-2-193-199.
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Introduction. There is a high chance of a link between cardiovascular conditions and occupational or environmental exposure to lead. Taking into account the peculiarities of lead intoxication and the metal common occurrence it appeared to necessarily prove further experimental research of lead cardiotoxicity. Material and methods. After repeated intraperitoneal administration of sublethal doses of lead acetate to outbred male rats 3 times a week for 5 weeks, there was obtained the moderately pronounced subchronic lead intoxication manifested by some characteristic features. Cardiotoxic effects on myocardial contractility were studied by the analysis of the mechanical activity of isolated preparations of right ventricular trabeculae and papillary muscles contracting in isotonic and physiological modes of loading. Myocardial contractile function was also studied at the molecular level by measuring the sliding velocity of reconstructed thin filaments over myosin. Results. In papillary muscles lead intoxication led to a decrease in the maximal rate of isotonic shortening for all afterloads and a decrease in the thin filament sliding velocity in the in vitro motility assay. The same type of muscle from lead-exposed rats displayed marked changes in most of the main characteristics of afterload contraction-relaxation cycles, but in trabeculae, these changes were less pronounced. The reported changes were attenuated to some extent in rats similarly exposed to lead while being treated with a Ca-containing bio protector. The amount of work produced by both muscle preparations was unchanged under lead intoxication over the entire range of afterloads, which is an evidence of adaptation to the production of adequate mechanical work despite resulting contractility disturbances. Conclusions. 1. Subchronic lead intoxication was shown to cause contractile dysfunction of rat myocardium. In papillary muscles the alterations were observed more than in trabeculae. The changes in contractile proteins corresponded with those seen in myocardium structures. 2. The reported changes were attenuated to some extent in rats being treated with a Ca-containing bio protector.
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Aratow, M., R. E. Ballard, A. G. Crenshaw, J. Styf, D. E. Watenpaugh, N. J. Kahan, and A. R. Hargens. "Intramuscular pressure and electromyography as indexes of force during isokinetic exercise." Journal of Applied Physiology 74, no. 6 (June 1, 1993): 2634–40. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/jappl.1993.74.6.2634.
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A direct method for measuring force production of specific muscles during dynamic exercise is presently unavailable. Previous studies indicate that both intramuscular pressure (IMP) and electromyography (EMG) correlate linearly with muscle contraction force during isometric exercise. The objective of this study was to compare IMP and EMG as linear assessors of muscle contraction force during dynamic exercise. IMP and surface EMG activity were recorded during concentric and eccentric isokinetic plantarflexion and dorsiflexion of the ankle joint from the tibialis anterior (TA) and soleus (SOL) muscles of nine male volunteers (28–54 yr). Ankle torque was measured using a dynamometer, and IMP was measured via catheterization. IMP exhibited better linear correlation than EMG with ankle joint torque during concentric contractions of the SOL (IMP R2 = 0.97, EMG R2 = 0.81) and the TA (IMP R2 = 0.97, EMG R2 = 0.90), as well as during eccentric contractions (SOL: IMP R2 = 0.91, EMG R2 = 0.51; TA: IMP R2 = 0.94, EMG R2 = 0.73). IMP provides a better index of muscle contraction force than EMG during concentric and eccentric exercise through the entire range of torque. IMP reflects intrinsic mechanical properties of individual muscles, such as length-tension relationships, which EMG is unable to assess.
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Ghosh, Sudip K., John E. Pandolfino, Qing Zhang, Andrew Jarosz, Nimeesh Shah, and Peter J. Kahrilas. "Quantifying esophageal peristalsis with high-resolution manometry: a study of 75 asymptomatic volunteers." American Journal of Physiology-Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology 290, no. 5 (May 2006): G988—G997. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/ajpgi.00510.2005.
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The vastly enhanced spatial resolution of high-resolution manometry (HRM) makes it possible to simultaneous monitor contractile activity over the entire length of the esophagus. The aim of this investigation was to define the essential features of esophageal peristalsis in novel HRM paradigms and establish their normative values. Ten 5-ml water swallows were recorded in each of 75 asymptomatic controls with a solid-state manometric assembly incorporating 36 circumferential sensors spaced at 1-cm intervals positioned to record from the hypopharynx to the stomach. The data set was then subjected to intensive computational analysis to distill out the essential characteristics of normal peristalsis. Esophageal peristalsis was conceptualized in terms of a proximal contraction, a distal contraction, and a transition zone separating the two. Each contractile segment was quantified in length and then normalized among subjects to summarize focal fluctuation of contractile amplitude and propagation velocity. Furthermore, the temporal and spatial characteristics of the transition zone separating the proximal and distal contraction were quantified. For each paradigm, graphics were developed, establishing median values along with the 5th to 95th percentile range of observed variation. In addition, the synchronization between peristalsis and esophagogastric junction relaxation was analyzed using a novel concept of the outflow permissive pressure gradient. We performed a detailed analysis of esophageal peristalsis aimed at quantifying its essential features and, in so doing, devised new paradigms for the quantification of peristaltic function that will hopefully optimize the utility of HRM in clinical and investigative studies.