The “Winnetou Kitsch” and Other Traces of “Americanization”

The starting point for this article is the observation that American cultural influence never waned in socialist Czechoslovakia despite all attempts of the Communist Party to eliminate it and the Communist Party’s seemingly omnipotent position. The study focuses on the relationship between state policies, producers’ interests, and consumers’ demands, a triad more complex than the dichotomy of an “omnipotent” totalitarian regime versus an oppressed society. It describes the distinct phases in managing American cultural influence and illuminates the various interests and factors that contributed to the popularity and spread of “American” cultural goods. As the article shows, the approach of the Communist Party in prioritizing the political function of culture over entertainment or aesthetics facilitated consumers’ interest in cultural imports from abroad, mainly from the US. This interest in American cultural goods, in turn, exerted pressure on producers of culture and intermediaries to satisfy the demand. As a result, the American cultural influence not only survived in Czechoslovakia during the forty years of the Communist rule, but rather intensified and eventually took on a subversive force.

An Experimental Study on the Pressure Range of Fire Cupping Method

Background: Standardized procedures for the clinical application of fire cupping methods have not been established. In particular, the pressure parameters have not been fully characterized and described. Therefore, using various materials, this study investigated the pressure range exerted during fire cupping therapy. Methods: In this study, 3 differently sized (small, medium, large) glass and bamboo cups were used in the cotton ball fire cupping procedure to measure the pressure inside the cup applied to a human skin model. The pressure in each cup was measured 15 times for a total of 90 measurements. Results: A small bamboo cup had the minimum overall pressure (-305.4 mmHg), whereas the large glass cup exerted the maximum pressure (-401.3 mmHg), followed by the medium glass cup, large bamboo cup, small glass cup, and medium bamboo cup. The average pressure exerted by the cotton ball method for all cups ranged from -348.715 mmHg to -358.694 mmHg (95% confidence interval). Overall, the glass cups had a greater pressure than the bamboo cups in all groups (p < 0.001). Among the glass cups used, the larger the size of the cup, the higher the average pressure detected (-381.947 mmHg to -391.973 mmHg; p < 0.05). Conclusion: Large glass cups which are widely used in clinical practice, when used in the fire cupping method exerted pressure ranging from -381.947 mmHg to -391.973 mmHg (95% CI).

Allocative Inefficiency of General Hospitals in Poor Countries: A Case Study of Uganda

The increasing costs of healthcare arising largely from the growing population and emergence of non-communicable diseases have exerted pressure on healthcare budgets in poor countries. With a funding gap of 7% to realize WHO recommended target of 15 percent of GDP in Uganda, there is a need for hospitals to be efficient in allocation of financial resources in order to provide the required level of healthcare services. Most studies on Uganda have focused on the technical inefficiency of general hospitals and evidence on their allocative inefficiency is limited. Understanding the sources of inefficiency in the allocation of finances in general hospitals in Uganda is important to improve their performance. The purpose of this study was to determine the allocative inefficiency of the general hospitals in Uganda in order to provide a source of misuse of public allocations to a particular general hospital. Panel data from 22 general hospitals for the period 1997-2007 were used. Allocative inefficiency was estimated using Stochastic Frontier Analysis. The findings show that general hospitals are systematically allocatively inefficient in distributing the public funds given to them. The allocative inefficiencies value is high on payments of employee benefits (34.8 percent), followed by the purchase of drugs (29.2%) and lastly, costs on utilities like electricity and water (14.1%). To address the existing allocative inefficiencies, general hospitals in Uganda can improve the process of hiring of labour and management of staff payroll; monitor procurement of drugs, and reduce wastages in the use of utilities.

Ultrasound detection using optical interferometry

Ultrasound imaging is a widely used noninvasive imaging technique for biomedical and other applications. Piezoelectric devices are commonly used for the generation and detection of ultrasound in these applications. However, implementation of two-dimensional arrays of piezoelectric transducers for 3D ultrasound imaging is complex and expensive. Optical Fabry-Perot interferometry is an attractive alternative to the piezoelectric devices for detection of ultrasound. In this method a thin film etalon is constructed and used. Light reflected from the two surfaces of this thin film produces an intensity which depends on the film thickness. When ultrasound is incident on the film, it changes the thickness of the film and consequently modulates the light intensity on the film. In our work, we made two types of etalon (Finesse 2) for our experiment. We detected lower frequency ultrasound (0.5 MHz or 1 MHz) using the build etalon. We determined a linear relationship between the strength of the optical signals and the exerted pressure on a film by the ultrasound. The dependence of the etalon performance on the light wavelength was demonstrated indirectly by measuring the signal at various light incidence angle. Simulation results are also presented. Lastly, we proposed the optimum design of this detection system based on the simulation results. This method of ultrasound detection can be a potential low-cost approach for 3D ultrasound imaging.

Ultrasound detection using optical interferometry

Ultrasound imaging is a widely used noninvasive imaging technique for biomedical and other applications. Piezoelectric devices are commonly used for the generation and detection of ultrasound in these applications. However, implementation of two-dimensional arrays of piezoelectric transducers for 3D ultrasound imaging is complex and expensive. Optical Fabry-Perot interferometry is an attractive alternative to the piezoelectric devices for detection of ultrasound. In this method a thin film etalon is constructed and used. Light reflected from the two surfaces of this thin film produces an intensity which depends on the film thickness. When ultrasound is incident on the film, it changes the thickness of the film and consequently modulates the light intensity on the film. In our work, we made two types of etalon (Finesse 2) for our experiment. We detected lower frequency ultrasound (0.5 MHz or 1 MHz) using the build etalon. We determined a linear relationship between the strength of the optical signals and the exerted pressure on a film by the ultrasound. The dependence of the etalon performance on the light wavelength was demonstrated indirectly by measuring the signal at various light incidence angle. Simulation results are also presented. Lastly, we proposed the optimum design of this detection system based on the simulation results. This method of ultrasound detection can be a potential low-cost approach for 3D ultrasound imaging.

Vaccine market and production capabilities in the Americas

In the Americas, The United States of America, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil are the top vaccine producers and the countries with the leading infrastructure for biological manufacturing. The North American countries have the most demanding legislation regulating and controlling these pharmaceuticals’ distribution and production. Some Latin American countries rank in the top 20 of worldwide vaccine manufacturers, with Cuba, Brazil, México and Colombia have a self-sufficient vaccine production of 72.7%, 54,2%; 25%; and 7.7%, respectively, of the national vaccine demand. On the other hand, the rest of Latin American countries cannot satisfy their demand for vaccines, and most of their efforts are associated with the distribution within their health systems rather than in transferring technology.Based on this literature review, the results suggest an increasing growth vaccine demand, not only for their growing populations and previously established demand but also for the recently exerted pressure due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Because the American continent has a marked inequality between the hegemonic producers of vaccines, the exporters, and those that depend heavily on importing these products, this could assert technological dependence in countries with rapid population growth and jeopardize the effectiveness of the two vaccination plans.

Analysis of the Temperature Distribution on the Surface of Saddle-Shaped Briquettes Consolidated in the Roller Press

The unit pressure in the fine-grained material consolidation process in the roller press can reach over hundred MPa and is a parameter which results, among other things, from the properties of the consolidated material and the compaction unit geometry. Its value changes depending on the place on the molding surface. Generating different pressure on the surface of briquettes makes their compaction different. One’s own and other researchers’ experience shows that, in the case of exerting high pressure on the merged fine-grained material, the higher unit pressure exerted on the material, the higher temperature of the consolidated material is. The temperature distribution on the surface of the briquettes can testify the locally exerted pressure on the briquette. The stress distribution in the briquetting material is still a subject of research. The article includes thermography studies of the briquetting process of four material mixtures. Thermal images of briquettes were taken immediately after they left the compaction zone as well as forming rollers. The obtained thermograms and temperature variability at characteristic points of the surface of briquettes were analyzed. The correlation between the temperature distribution and the stress distribution in the briquettes was determined.

Development of a Novel Carbon-Fiber Mono-Lateral External Fixator

This paper reports the design of an innovative mono-lateral external fixator made of carbon fiber composite materials. The designed system can be easily assembled in comparison with commercial fixators and follows orthopedic requirements with sufficient stability and stiffness. The change of operation mode between distraction and fixation is achieved with a wedge that blocks axial translation in one position, while allows sliding with a 90º rotation. The prototypes were produced by the method of molding by compaction. A mold was developed for each part; the rail, the clamp and the cover. Each mold consisted of a cavity that gave form to the piece and a piston that exerted pressure on the composite. Mechanical tests were performed to determine the stiffness under axial compression, and anteroposterior and mediolateral bending. For comparison, tests were also performed on two Orthofix commercial systems, one with the rail made of carbon fiber and the other with an aluminum rail. The axial compression, anteroposterior and mediolateral bending stiffness of the developed system were 200.7, 13.4 and 87.0 N/mm, respectively, which were 38%, 35% and 27% lower than those obtained for the Orthofix system. However, these values were in the range of other similar systems reported in the literature. Therefore, the developed system presented promising results and may be clinically evaluated.

Competition, Technology Licensing-in, and Innovation

Although the relationship between competition and firm innovation has long been of scholarly interest, prior research has predominantly considered changes in internal research and development (R&D) as a strategic response to competitors’ actions. In this study, we focus on one of the most important and commonly observed contractual mechanisms used to acquire external technologies: technology licensing. Surprisingly, licensing has been mostly overlooked by prior studies examining the effect of competition on firms’ allocation of R&D. We take into account the unique properties of licensing and systematically link them to the demands arising from the competitive pressure caused by rivals’ launches of new products. Furthermore, we discuss how licensing-in decisions ultimately shape a firm’s subsequent innovation in areas where they are threatened by competitors and how such innovation depends on the cumulative R&D investments inside the organization into which licensed knowledge is added. We test our theoretical model through a longitudinal design that tracks the licensing-in and innovation outcomes of firms in the global biopharmaceutical industry. Accounting for the endogenous selection of firms into licensing, our findings illustrate that licensing-in is motivated by competitive pressures. We also find that licensing-in increases a firm’s capacity to innovate in areas where competitors have exerted pressure, particularly in the presence of cumulative R&D investments. In so doing, the paper anchors technology licensing as a key organizational action that helps increase our understanding of the important relationship between competition and innovation.

COVID-19: ramifications in surgical practice

Nepal lies between two large countries (India and China) who have reported high incidence of COVID-19. It is only logical that we prepare the best with the limited medical facilities that we have. There are numerous challenges that impact the surgical department and the hospital administration in general. New guidelines are being formulated and updated frequently. The challenge to provide sufficient personal protective equipment, limited finances and need to train staffs are pertinent challenges. A change in the method of treatment and execution has exerted pressure on the surgeons with a need to keep abreast of new developments. We describe the numerous impacts of the COVID-19 on surgical practice, the impact on surgeons, patients, surgical residents and even the hospitals which have led to all “new normal” in surgery.