A Comparative Pharmacokinetic Estimate of Mercury in U.S. Infants Following Yearly Exposures to Inactivated Influenza Vaccines Containing Thimerosal

The use of thimerosal preservative in childhood vaccines has been largely eliminated over the past decade in the United States because vaccines have been reformulated in single‐dose vials that do not require preservative. An exception is the inactivated influenza vaccines, which are formulated in both multidose vials requiring preservative and preservative‐free single‐dose vials. As part of an ongoing evaluation by USFDA of the safety of biologics throughout their lifecycle, the infant body burden of mercury following scheduled exposures to thimerosal preservative in inactivated influenza vaccines in the United States was estimated and compared to the infant body burden of mercury following daily exposures to dietary methylmercury at the reference dose established by the USEPA. Body burdens were estimated using kinetic parameters derived from experiments conducted in infant monkeys that were exposed episodically to thimerosal or MeHg at identical doses. We found that the body burden of mercury (AUC) in infants (including low birth weight) over the first 4.5 years of life following yearly exposures to thimerosal was two orders of magnitude lower than that estimated for exposures to the lowest regulatory threshold for MeHg over the same time period. In addition, peak body burdens of mercury following episodic exposures to thimerosal in this worst‐case analysis did not exceed the corresponding safe body burden of mercury from methylmercury at any time, even for low‐birth‐weight infants. Our pharmacokinetic analysis supports the acknowledged safety of thimerosal when used as a preservative at current levels in certain multidose infant vaccines in the United States.     

Modeling Local BES Indicators by Copula-Based Bayesian Networks

In Italy, the measure of the Equitable and Sustainable Well-being is provided by the Italian Institute of Statistics by means of a dashboard of basic and composite indicators. To investigate the dependence structure between the different domains of well-being, we propose the use of Non-Parametric Bayesian Networks based on the normal copula distribution, that allow to explore the conditional independence relationships between the composite indicators. The main advantage of the non-parametric models is that, as opposed to the parametric approach, they do not require any assumption on the marginal distributions of the variables. The proposed model is applied to the Equitable and Sustainable Well-being indicators measured at the provincial level and enriches the analysis of well-being by inspecting similarities and differences between Italian urban areas and territories.

     

走向读者——接受美学的理论渊源及其独特贡献

接受美学作为20世纪七八十年代盛行于世的主要美学思潮不是无缘无故产生的,也不是几个主要的天才理论家杜撰出来的,而是在很多理论思潮和美学派别的影响下产生的,特别是海德格尔和加达默尔的现代诠释学理论和英迦登的现象学理论对接受美学产生了巨大的影响,奠定了接受美学由时作者、作品的研究走向对读者研究的坚定道路,也彰显了接受美学的主要特色是一种读者美学.接受美学对读者的重视,提高了读者的地位,丰富了文学作品的内涵,开拓了文学理论研究的新领域.     

Leveraging the common and outsourcing the distinct: institutional difference and multinational company identity in emerging economies

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the challenges of outsidership faced by multinational companies (MNCs) accessing emerging economies. The paper departs from popular conceptualisations of culture drawing instead on social identity theory as part of an institutions-based view, to explain how employing a singularities approach can allow the identification of commonalities of Indianness and Australianness that can be leveraged to ameliorate negative socially embedded business norms that pose a challenge to MNC success in emerging economies. This study shows that despite recognised formal (regulatory) and informal (cultural) differences, managers of Australian MNCs operating in India were able to innovatively identify and exploit cultural commonalties/singularities to ease cultural adjustment and mitigate intergroup conflict, allowing them to achieve an innovative institutional fit. The paper discusses how, using this approach, sole-venture MNCs can access many of the benefits provided by collaborative entry modes while preserving MNC identity. We further propose that the singularities approach can provide a valuable starting point to develop culturally appropriate competence training initiatives.     

人类学理论的批判、反思与自觉——《人类学的理论预设与建构》评介

所谓"日三省乎己"是中国古代哲人强调反省自我的重要性的精练表达.对于任何学科的发展来说,不断地反省学科的发展轨迹,反省在不同的发展阶段上不同的"学科范式"的意义以及局限性都是十分重要的.陈庆德教授等人合著的《人类学的理论预设与建构》(社会科学     

Relocation stress syndrome in older adults transitioning from home to a long-term care facility: myth or reality?

Relocation stress syndrome is a nursing diagnosis characterized by symptoms such as anxiety, confusion, hopelessness, and loneliness. It usually occurs in older adults shortly after moving from a private residence to a nursing home or assisted-living facility. The primary purpose of this study was to validate the symptoms of relocation stress syndrome. Eight nursing home residents and 8 assisted-living facility residents were interviewed 2 to 10 weeks after admission, when symptoms of relocation stress syndrome are most likely to appear. Results of this study indicate that the incidence of relocation stress syndrome may be overestimated. More accurate diagnosis and treatment of depression in older adults is needed.     

世纪之交屈原研究的回顾和展望──'99岳阳两湖屈原与楚文化研讨会综述

综述了参与’99湖南岳阳两湖屈原与楚文化学术研讨会的专家学者的主要研究成果,介绍了有关世纪之交屈原研究的回顾与展望方面的成果。     

Decision settings analysis – a tool for analysis and design of human activity systems

The paper describes a methodology to be used for analysis and design of human activity systems. The methodology is based on an analysis of the decision settings whereas most other decision analysis methodologies are analysing the process. The decision concept is analysed and discussed. A distinction between programmed and programmable as well as non-programmed and non-programmable decisions is proposed. A classification of different information types for decision making is presented. A methodology based on a systemic and systematic analysis of the information requirements of an organization is proposed. This methodology also indicates organizational discrepancies and information imbalances. The methodology focuses the settings of the decisions on all levels of organizations. The methodology can be regarded as a dynamic, learning system. The author proposes further research on the individuals decision making abilities.     

Differential equation models for statistical functions

Differential equations have been used in statistics to define functions such as probability densities. But the idea of using differential equation formulations of stochastic models has a much wider scope. The author gives several examples, including simultaneous estimation of a regression model and residual density, monotone smoothing, specification of a link function, differential equation models of data, and smoothing over complicated multidimensional domains. This paper aims to stimulate interest in this approach to functional estimation problems, rather than provide carefully worked out methods.