bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Archaeological Micromorphology Self‐Evaluation Exercise
Authors: Shahack‐Gross Ruth
Published: November 2015

An intercommunity exercise was carried out between July 2011 and May 2013 among practitioners of archaeological micromorphology. The exercise was designed to quantitatively evaluate the accuracy of basic material identification using petrography only. Over 30 people participated. Participants were asked to provide general as well as detailed (mineralogical) identifications. Results were calculated in percentages of correct answers/identifications. The highest personal scores were in the order of 70% correct answers. This general low score primarily reflects misunderstanding related to filling out the test form. The test results therefore allow deciphering of only coarse trends. A learning curve is identified among students (0–4 years of experience), while among post‐PhD researchers there appears to be a learning “saturation.” Identification scores were better for archaeological materials than for geogenic materials (i.e., rocks). Mineralogy is generally poorly known. Materials that appear to require more basic research in order to develop clear petrographic guidelines for identification include calcined bone, wood ash versus lime plaster, and opaque materials (except for wood charcoal). Students of micromorphology are encouraged to devote time to studying core geology courses in order to obtain basic knowledge of rocks and minerals. The overall implications of this test resonate on geoarchaeology in general.
Test‐retest reliability of effective connectivity in the face perception network
Authors: Frässle Stefan , Paulus Frieder Michel , Krach Sören , Jansen Andreas
Published: November 2015

Computational approaches have great potential for moving neuroscience toward mechanistic models of the functional integration among brain regions. Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) offers a promising framework for inferring the effective connectivity among brain regions and thus unraveling the neural mechanisms of both normal cognitive function and psychiatric disorders. While the benefit of such approaches depends heavily on their reliability, systematic analyses of the within‐subject stability are rare. Here, we present a thorough investigation of the test‐retest reliability of an fMRI paradigm for DCM analysis dedicated to unraveling intra‐ and interhemispheric integration among the core regions of the face perception network. First, we examined the reliability of face‐specific BOLD activity in 25 healthy volunteers, who performed a face perception paradigm in two separate sessions. We found good to excellent reliability of BOLD activity within the DCM‐relevant regions. Second, we assessed the stability of effective connectivity among these regions by analyzing the reliability of Bayesian model selection and model parameter estimation in DCM. Reliability was excellent for the negative free energy and good for model parameter estimation, when restricting the analysis to parameters with substantial effect sizes. Third, even when the experiment was shortened, reliability of BOLD activity and DCM results dropped only slightly as a function of the length of the experiment. This suggests that the face perception paradigm presented here provides reliable estimates for both conventional activation and effective connectivity measures. We conclude this paper with an outlook on potential clinical applications of the paradigm for studying psychiatric disorders. Hum Brain Mapp 37:730–744, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Forecasting Consumption: the Role of Consumer Confidence in Real Time with many Predictors
Authors: Lahiri Kajal , Monokroussos George , Zhao Yongchen
Published: November 2015

We study the role of consumer confidence in forecasting real personal consumption expenditure, and contribute to the extant literature in three substantive ways. First, we re‐examine existing empirical models of consumption and consumer confidence, not only at the quarterly frequency, but using monthly data as well. Second, we employ real‐time data in addition to commonly used revised vintages. Third, we investigate the role of consumer confidence in a rich information context. We produce forecasts of consumption expenditures with and without consumer confidence measures using a dynamic factor model and a large, real‐time, jagged‐edge dataset. In a robust way, we establish the important role of confidence surveys in improving the accuracy of consumption forecasts, manifesting primarily through the services component. During the recession of 2007–2009, sentiment is found to have a more pervasive effect on all components of aggregate consumption: durables, non‐durables and services. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and Antitubercular activity of New Thiazolidinones with Pyrazinyl and Thiazolyl Scaffolds
Authors: Dhumal Sambhaji T. , Deshmukh Amarsinh R. , Khillare Lalit D. , Arkile Manisha , Sarkar Dhiman , Mane Ramrao A.
Published: November 2015

Emergence of multidrug resistant and extensively drug resistant tuberculosis has prompted to develop new molecular entities to treat the disease. A series of new 4‐thiazolidinones with pyrazinyl and thiazolyl scaffolds has been synthesized, and their antitubercular activity is reported. The title 4‐thiazolidinones, N‐(pyrazinyl substituted thiazoloylamino)‐2‐aryl‐4‐thiazolidinones (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i, 6j) have been first time prepared using pyrazinamide as a starting material via five successive steps. The purity and the structures of the intermediates (carboethoxythiazole, acid hydrazide, and azomethines) and title thiazolidinones (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i, 6j) have been confirmed by TLC and spectral analyses, respectively. An antitubercular screening of the new 4‐thiazolidinones has been performed on bacterial strains, Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra and Mycobacterium BCG using the solutions of different concentrations of the compounds (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, 6g, 6h, 6i, 6j) and the screening results are presented. Compound 6a has displayed notable antitubercular activity.
Synthesis, Structural Characterization, and Biological Evaluation of Novel Substituted 1,3‐Thiazole Derivatives Containing Schiff Bases
Authors: Tahtaci Hakan , Er Mustafa , Karakurt Tuncay , Onaran Abdurrahman
Published: November 2015

In this study, thiazole derivatives containing Schiff bases (7a, 7b, 7c, 7d, 7e, 7f, 8a, 8b, 8c, 8d, 8e, 8f, 9a, 9b, 9c, 9d, 9e, 9f) were synthesized in moderate to high yields (49–94%) using the Hantzsch reaction with thiosemicarbazone derivatives (5a, 5b, 5c) and 2‐bromo‐1‐phenylethanone derivatives (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f). The structures of synthesized compounds were elucidated by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, elemental analyses, mass spectroscopy and X‐ray diffraction analysis techniques. Moreover, the synthesized compounds were tested for their in vitro antifungal activity and most of them exhibited moderate to good activity against Fusariumoxysporumf.sp. lycopersici.
Green Synthesis of Benzo or Cyclopenta[j][1,7]phenanthroline Derivatives in EtOH under Catalyst‐free Conditions
Authors: Wang Yue , Xu Jing , Zhang Mei‐Mei , Wang Xiang‐Shan
Published: November 2015

A total of 25 benzo[j][1,7]phenanthroline and cyclopenta[j][1,7]phenanthroline derivatives were synthesized in EtOH under catalyst‐free conditions. This procedure included a three‐component reaction of aromatic aldehydes, quinolin‐7‐amine, and active methylene compounds and provided an efficient and green access to the synthesis of [1,7]phenanthrolines in high yields.
Application of Linear and Branched Poly(Ethylene Glycol)‐Poly(Lactide) Block Copolymers for the Preparation of Films and Solution Electrospun Meshes
Authors: Kessler Martina , Groll Juergen , Tessmar Joerg
Published: November 2015

Poly(ethylene glycol)‐poly(lactide) (PEG‐PLA) block copolymers are processed to solvent cast films and solution electrospun meshes. The effect of polymer composition, architecture, and number of anchoring points for the plasticizer on swelling, degradation, and mechanical properties of these films and meshes is investigated as potential barrier device for the prevention of peritoneal adhesions. As a result, adequate properties are achieved for the massive films with a longer retention of the plasticizer PEG for star‐shaped block copolymers than for the linear triblock copolymers and consequently more endurable mechanical properties during degradation. For electrospun meshes fabricated using the same polymers, similar trends are observed, but with an earlier start of fragmentation and lower tensile strengths. To overcome the poor mechanical strengths and an occurring shrinkage during incubation, which may impair the coverage of the wound, further adaptions of the meshes and the fabrication process are necessary.

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Two‐Phase Electrospinning to Incorporate Polyelectrolyte Complexes and Growth Factors into Electrospun Chitosan Nanofibers
Authors: Place Laura W. , Sekyi Maria , Taussig Julia , Kipper Matt J.
Published: November 2015

Growth factors are potent signaling proteins for tissue engineering, but they are susceptible to loss of activity when exposed to solvents used for polymer processing. This work explores preservation of fibroblast growth factor‐2 (FGF‐2) activity in chitosan nanofibers using two‐phase electrospinning via a compound coaxial needle and from a water‐in‐oil emulsion FGF‐2 in aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) is added on either the inside (A/O) or the outside (O/A) of an organic chitosan phase, using the compound needle. FGF‐2 is further stabilized by complexation to heparin‐based nanoparticles. The emulsion method does not result in detectable incorporation of FGF‐2. The A/O fibers incorporate the highest amount of FGF‐2. Nanoparticle‐stabilized FGF‐2 in A/O nanofibers is most active toward bone‐marrow stromal cells.

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Paclitaxel‐Loaded β‐Cyclodextrin‐Modified Poly(Acrylic Acid) Nanoparticles through Multivalent Inclusion for Anticancer Therapy
Authors: Yuan Shanmei , Chen Jiao , Sheng Jie , Hu Yong , Jiang Zhongying
Published: November 2015

A nanoassembled drug delivery system for anticancer treatment, formed by the host–guest interactions between paclitaxel (PTX) and β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) modified poly(acrylic acid) (PCDAA), is successfully prepared. After such design, the aqueous solubility of PTX is greatly increased from 0.34 to 36.02 μg mL−1, and the obtained PCDAA‐PTX nanoparticles (PCDAA‐PTX NPs) exhibit a sustained PTX release behavior in vitro. In vitro cytotoxicity finds that PCDAA‐PTX NPs can accumulate significantly in tumor cells and remain the pharmacological activity of PTX. The in vivo real‐time biodistribution of PCDAA‐PTX NPs is investigated using near‐infrared fluorescence imaging, indicating that the PCDAA‐PTX NPs can effectively target to the tumor site by the enhanced permeability and retention effect in H22 tumor‐bearing mice. Through in vivo antitumor examination, PCDAA‐PTX NPs exhibit superior efficacy in impeding the tumor growth compared to the commercially available Taxol®.

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Elastic Abdominal Binders Attenuate Orthostatic Hypotension in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Fanciulli Alessandra , Goebel Georg , Metzler Bernhard , Sprenger Fabienne , Poewe Werner , Wenning Gregor K. , Seppi Klaus
Published: November 2015

Background and Methods

To investigate the possible efficacy of an elastic abdominal binder to control orthostatic hypotension (OH) associated with Parkinson's disease (PD), 15 patients with PD and OH were enrolled in a single‐blind crossover study with elastic abdominal versus placebo binder on two different days, separated by a 1‐day interval, followed by a 4‐week open‐label follow‐up.

Results

Intervention significantly reduced blood pressure fall upon tilting. The mean difference (standard deviation; 95% confidence intervals) between abdominal binder versus placebo was +10 mm Hg (10.2; +3.5, +16.5; P = 0.006). No significant effect on supine mean blood pressure values was observed compared to placebo (P = 0.3). Symptoms of OH decreased significantly during follow‐up (P = 0.003), as assessed by means of the Orthostatic Hypotension Questionnaire.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that elastic abdominal binders may be a simple complementary tool to alleviate OH in PD.
Monogenic functions in the biharmonic boundary value problem
Authors: Gryshchuk Serhii V. , Plaksa Sergiy A.
Published: November 2015

We consider a commutative algebra
over the field of complex numbers with a basis {e1,e2} satisfying the conditions
,
. Let D be a bounded domain in the Cartesian plane xOy and Dζ={xe1+ye2:(x,y)∈D}. Components of every monogenic function Φ(xe1+ye2) = U1(x,y)e1+U2(x,y)ie1+U3(x,y)e2+U4(x,y)ie2 having the classic derivative in Dζ are biharmonic functions in D, that is, Δ2Uj(x,y) = 0 for j = 1,2,3,4. We consider a Schwarz‐type boundary value problem for monogenic functions in a simply connected domain Dζ. This problem is associated with the following biharmonic problem: to find a biharmonic function V(x,y) in the domain D when boundary values of its partial derivatives ∂V/∂x, ∂V/∂y are given on the boundary ∂D. Using a hypercomplex analog of the Cauchy‐type integral, we reduce the mentioned Schwarz‐type boundary value problem to a system of integral equations on the real axes and establish sufficient conditions under which this system has the Fredholm property. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Solution of nonlinear weakly singular Volterra integral equations using the fractional‐order Legendre functions and pseudospectral method
Authors: Eshaghi Jafar , Adibi Hojatollah , Kazem Saeed
Published: November 2015

In this article, our main goal is to render an idea to convert a nonlinear weakly singular Volterra integral equation to a non‐singular one by new fractional‐order Legendre functions. The fractional‐order Legendre functions are generated by change of variable on well‐known shifted Legendre polynomials. We consider a general form of singular Volterra integral equation of the second kind. Then the fractional Legendre–Gauss–Lobatto quadratures formula eliminates the singularity of the kernel of the integral equation. Finally, the Legendre pseudospectral method reduces the solution of this problem to the solution of a system of algebraic equations. This method also can be utilized on fractional differential equations as well. The comparison of results of the presented method and other numerical solutions shows the efficiency and accuracy of this method. Also, the obtained maximum error between the results and exact solutions shows that using the present method leads to accurate results and fast convergence for solving nonlinear weakly singular Volterra integral equations. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bioavailability and metabolism of benzyl glucosinolate in humans consuming Indian cress (Tropaeolum majus L.)
Authors: Platz Stefanie , Kühn Carla , Schiess Sonja , Schreiner Monika , Kemper Margrit , Pivovarova Olga , Pfeiffer Andreas F. H. , Rohn Sascha
Published: November 2015

Scope

Benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC), which occurs in Brassicales, has demonstrated chemopreventive potency and cancer treatment properties in cell and animal studies. However, fate of BITC in human body is not comprehensively studied. Therefore, the present human intervention study investigates the metabolism of the glucosinolate (GSL) glucotropaeolin and its corresponding BITC metabolites. Analyzing BITC metabolites in plasma and urine should reveal insights about resorption, metabolism, and excretion.

Methods and results

Fifteen healthy men were randomly recruited for a cross‐over study and consumed 10 g freeze‐dried Indian cress as a liquid preparation containing 1000 μmol glucotropaeolin. Blood and urine samples were taken at several time points and investigated by LC‐ESI‐MS/MS after sample preparation using SPE. Plasma contained high levels of BITC‐glutathione (BITC‐GSH), BITC‐cysteinylglycine (BITC‐CysGly), and BITC‐N‐acetyl‐L‐cysteine (BITC‐NAC) 1–5 h after ingestion, with BITC‐CysGly appearing as the main metabolite. Compared to human plasma, the main urinary metabolites were BITC‐NAC and BITC‐Cys, determined 4–6 h after ingestion.

Conclusion

This study confirms that consumption of Indian cress increases the concentration of BITC metabolites in human plasma and urine. The outcome of this human intervention study supports clinical research dealing with GSL‐containing innovative food products or pharmaceutical preparations.
An integrative review of the impact of mobile technologies used by healthcare professionals to support education and practice
Authors: Guo Ping , Watts Kim , Wharrad Heather
Published: November 2015

Aim

The aim of this study was to provide evidence of the impact of mobile technologies among healthcare professionals in education and practice settings.

Design

Integrative literature review.

Methods

Electronic databases including MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, EMBASE, ERIC and Web of Science were searched for papers published between 2002–2012. Quantitative studies were critically evaluated based on Thomas et al.'s framework, while the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research was used to appraise the rigour of the qualitative studies.

Results

Seventeen quantitative and three qualitative studies were included. The findings suggest a largely positive influence of mobile technologies on various clinical practice and educational outcomes. However, robust evidence was limited. Use of mobile technologies in health care are associated with improvements in access to information, accuracy and efficiency, evidence‐based decision making at the point of care and enhancement in performance, confidence and engagement in different contexts.
Distributed fault‐tolerant control design for spacecraft finite‐time attitude synchronization
Authors: Zhou Ning , Xia Yuanqing
Published: November 2015

This paper develops two distributed finite‐time fault‐tolerant control algorithms for attitude synchronization of multiple spacecraft with a dynamic virtual leader in the presence of modeling uncertainties, external disturbances, and actuator faults. The leader gives commands only to a subset of the followers, and the communication flow between followers is directed. By employing a novel distributed nonsingular fast terminal sliding mode and adaptive mechanism, a distributed finite‐time fault‐tolerant control law is proposed to guarantee all the follower spacecraft that finite‐time track a dynamic virtual leader. Then utilizing three distributed finite‐time sliding mode estimators, an estimator‐based distributed finite‐time fault‐tolerant control law is proposed using only the followers' estimates of the virtual leader. Both of them do not require online identification of the actuator faults and provide robustness, finite‐time convergence, fault‐tolerant, disturbance rejection, and high control precision. Finally, numerical simulations are presented to evaluate the theoretical results. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Lyapunov‐based small‐gain approach on design of triggering conditions in event‐triggered control systems
Authors: Yu Hao , Hao Fei
Published: November 2015

This paper studies a Lyapunov‐based small‐gain approach on design of triggering conditions in event‐triggered control systems. The event‐triggered control closed‐loop system is formulated as a hybrid system model. Firstly, by viewing the event‐triggered control closed‐loop system as a feedback connection of two smaller hybrid subsystems, the Lyapunov‐based small‐gain theorems for hybrid systems are applied to design triggering conditions. Then, a new class of triggering condition, the safe, adjustable‐type triggering condition, is proposed to tune the parameters of triggering conditions by practical regulations. This is conducive to break the restriction of the conservation of theoretical results and improve the practicability of event‐triggered control strategy. Finally, a numerical example is given to illustrate the efficiency and the feasibility of the proposed results. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Distributed output feedback MPC with randomly occurring actuator saturation and packet loss
Authors: Song Yan , Wei Guoliang , Liu Shuai
Published: November 2015

In this paper, a distributed output feedback model predictive control (OFMPC) algorithm is presented for the polytopic uncertain system subject to randomly occurring actuator saturation and packet loss. Compared with the intensively applied state feedback control in MPC, the OFMPC is more feasible to the real world because the system states are often unmeasurable. With taking both actuator saturation and packet loss into account, the presented OFMPC algorithm is more practical. Moreover, by splitting the controller inputs into two independent parts, the presented dynamic output feedback control (DOFC) strategy provides more freedom to the controller design. With the global system decomposed into some subsystems, the computation complexity is reduced, thus the online designing time can be saved. By defining the estimation error function and forming an augmented system to handle the DOFC and by transforming the nonlinear feedback law into a convex hull of linear feedback laws, the distributed controllers are obtained by solving a linear matrix inequality (LMI) optimization problem. Finally, some simulation examples are employed to show the effectiveness of the techniques proposed in this paper. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
First‐trimester screening for trisomies 18 and 13, triploidy and Turner syndrome by detailed early anomaly scan
Authors: Wagner P. , Sonek J. , Hoopmann M. , Abele H. , Kagan K. O.
Published: November 2015

ABSTRACT

Objective

To examine the performance of first‐trimester ultrasound screening for trisomies 18 and 13, triploidy and Turner syndrome based on fetal nuchal translucency thickness (NT), additional fetal ultrasound markers including anatomy of the nasal bone (NB), blood flow across the tricuspid valve (TV) and through the ductus venosus (DV) and a detailed fetal anomaly scan at 11–13 weeks' gestation.

Methods

This was a retrospective case‐matched study involving pregnant women at 11–13 weeks' gestation. The study population consisted of fetuses with trisomy 18, trisomy 13, triploidy or Turner syndrome. For each fetus with an abnormal karyotype, 50 randomly selected euploid fetuses were added to the study population. In all cases, the crown–rump length and NT were measured. In addition NB, TV flow and DV flow were examined. The summed risk for trisomies 21, 18 and 13 was computed based on: first, maternal age (MA); second, MA and fetal NT; third, MA, NT and one of the markers NB, TV flow or DV flow; fourth, MA, NT and all these markers combined; fifth, MA, NT and fetal anomalies; and, finally, MA, NT, all markers and fetal anomalies.

Results

The study population consisted of 4550 euploid and 91 aneuploid fetuses. Median NT was 1.8 mm in euploid fetuses and 4.8, 6.8, 1.8 and 10.0 mm in fetuses with trisomy 18, trisomy 13, triploidy and Turner syndrome, respectively. The NB, TV flow and DV flow were abnormal in 48 (1.1%), 34 (0.7%) and 99 (2.2%) euploid fetuses, respectively, and in 42 (46.2%), 31 (34.1%) and 62 (68.1%) aneuploid fetuses, respectively. At least one defect was found in 60 (1.3%) euploid and in 76 (83.5%) aneuploid fetuses. For a false‐positive rate of 3%, the detection rate for screening based on MA and fetal NT was 75.8%. It increased to 84.6–86.8% when including one of the additional ultrasound markers and it was 90.1% when all three markers were included. When screening was based on MA, fetal NT and a detailed anomaly scan, the detection rate was 94.5% and increased to 95.6% with the addition of NB, TV flow and DV flow.

Conclusion

A detailed anomaly scan at 11–13 weeks' gestation can identify about 95% of fetuses with trisomy 18, trisomy 13, triploidy and Turner syndrome. Copyright © 2015 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Labour Regulation and Employment Patterns*
Authors: Fenwick Colin , Martinsson Sara , Pignatti Clemente , Rusconi Giuditta
Published: November 2015

Chapter 4 reviews changes in employment regulation in 63 countries over the past two decades, focusing on changes in the regulation of different forms of employment (in particular agency, fixed‐term, and part‐time work) and employment protection law (EPL).

The most distinct changes, globally and especially in Europe, have been the increases in the relative strength of labour regulation that requires equal treatment for workers in agency, fixed‐term and part‐time work. Since the crisis, however, the relative strength of EPL fell in both developing countries and the EU. In the EU, decreases were driven largely by changes to notice periods for dismissal, and to the calculation of redundancy compensation. In the same period, on average, other advanced and emerging economies continued to slightly increase their overall level of EPL.

The chapter also analyses the effects of labour regulation and changes in regulation on key labour market indicators including the unemployment rate, the labour force participation rate and the employment to population ratio. The analysis presented in the chapter highlights that there are no negative effects from increased labour regulation. This also confirms the findings of previous studies that showed there was no statistically significant effect between the strength of labour regulation and employment levels.
Dynamics of the mammalian cell cycle in physiological and pathological conditions
Authors: Gérard Claude , Goldbeter Albert
Published: November 2015

A network of cyclin‐dependent kinases (Cdks) controls progression along the successive phases G1, S, G2, and M of the mammalian cell cycle. Deregulations in the expression of molecular components in this network often lead to abusive cell proliferation and cancer. Given the complex nature of the Cdk network, it is fruitful to resort to computational models to grasp its dynamical properties. Investigated by means of bifurcation diagrams, a detailed computational model for the Cdk network shows how the balance between quiescence and proliferation is affected by activators (oncogenes) and inhibitors (tumor suppressors) of cell cycle progression, as well as by growth factors and other external factors such as the extracellular matrix (ECM) and cell contact inhibition. Suprathreshold changes in all these factors can trigger a switch in the dynamical behavior of the network corresponding to a bifurcation between a stable steady state, associated with cell cycle arrest, and sustained oscillations of the various cyclin/Cdk complexes, corresponding to cell proliferation. The model for the Cdk network accounts for the dependence or independence of cell proliferation on serum and/or cell anchorage to the ECM. Such computational approach provides an integrated view of the control of cell proliferation in physiological or pathological conditions. Whether the balance is tilted toward cell cycle arrest or cell proliferation depends on the direction in which the threshold associated with the bifurcation is passed once the cell integrates the multiple signals, internal or external to the Cdk network, that promote or impede progression in the cell cycle. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2016, 8:140–156. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1325

This article is categorized under:

Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Mechanistic Models

Physiology > Mammalian Physiology in Health and Disease

Biological Mechanisms > Regulatory Biology
Alkali Metal and Alkaline Earth Metal Complexes with the Bis(borane‐diphenylphosphanyl)amido Ligand – Synthesis, Structures, and Catalysis for Ring‐Opening Polymerization of ϵ‐Caprolactone
Authors: Bhattacharjee Jayeeta , Das Suman , Reddy T. Dhileep N. , Nayek Hari Pada , Mallik Bhabani S. , Panda Tarun K.
Published: November 2015

The syntheses of lithium and alkaline earth metal complexes with the bis(borane‐diphenylphosphanyl)amido ligand (1‐H) of molecular formulas [{κ2‐N(PPh2(BH3))2}Li(THF)2] (2) and [{κ3‐N(PPh2(BH3))2}2M(THF)2] [(M = Ca (3), Sr (4), Ba (5)] are reported. The lithium complex 2 was obtained by treatment of bis(borane‐diphenylphosphanyl)amine (1‐H) with lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)amide in a 1:1 molar ratio via the silylamine elimination method. The corresponding homoleptic alkaline earth metal complexes 3–5 were prepared by two synthetic routes – first, the treatment of metal bis(trimethylsilyl)amide and protio ligand 1‐H via the elimination of silylamine, and second, through salt metathesis reaction involving respective metal diiodides and lithium salt 2. The molecular structures of lithium complex 2 and barium complex 5 were established by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. In the solid‐state structure of 2, the lithium ion is ligated by amido nitrogen atoms and hydrogen atoms of the BH3 group in κ2‐coordination of the ligand 1 resulting in a distorted tetrahedral geometry around the lithium ion. However, in complex 5, κ3‐coordination of the ligand 1 was observed, and the barium ion adopted a distorted octahedral arrangement. The metal complex 5 was tested as catalyst for the ring opening polymerization of ϵ‐caprolactone. High activity for the barium complex 5 towards ring opening polymerization (ROP) of ϵ‐caprolactone with a narrow polydispersity index was observed. Additionally, first‐principle calculations to investigate the structure and coordination properties of alkaline earth metal complexes 3–5 as a comparative study between the experimental and theoretical findings were described.
Critical Cases in Organisational Behaviour
Authors: Corbett Martin
Published: November 2015

This text contains 56 problem solving and analytical cases, designed to develop the critical thinking and analytical skills required to get beneath the surface reality of organisational life. These provocative case studies cover a wide range of topics from motivation and group dynamics to ethics and corporate responsibility. Each case is followed by stimulating points for discussion. It is suitable for students on a variety of courses in Management and Organisational Behaviour.
Human Geography
Authors: Gregory Derek , Martin Ron , Smith Graham
Published: November 2015

Human geography is currently undergoing a rapid and far-reaching re-orientation, based on a redefined and much closer relationship with other social sciences. Aimed at a broad student readership, this book focuses on developments in social scientific theory of particular significance in rethinking human geography and on the contribution the geographical imagination can make to good social science.
Hand Contamination, Cross‐Transmission, and Risk‐Associated Behaviors: An Observational Study of Team Members in ORs
Authors: Megeus Veronika , Nilsson Kerstin , Karlsson Jón , Eriksson Bengt I. , Andersson Annette Erichsen
Published: November 2015

Team members in ORs have frequent hand contact with many surfaces and sites during high workload, thus increasing the risk for microorganism cross‐transmission. This study aimed at identifying risks for hand contamination and microorganism cross‐transmission during invasive procedures in ORs. We carried out observations during 22 daytime sessions and analyzed data using qualitative content analysis. The results revealed that clinicians’ hands may be contaminated by self‐contamination, via objects, or by touching the patient. Contamination may occur before, during, or directly after performing an invasive procedure requiring the use of aseptic technique, which risks cross‐transmitting microorganisms. The results of the study contribute detailed knowledge about risk‐associated activities and behaviors in relation to performing invasive procedures in the OR. This knowledge provides clinicians, managers, and educators with specific information that can be used in nursing and medical education and in quality improvement projects aimed at improving hand hygiene routines and enhancing aseptic technique.
Clinical Issues‐December 2015
Authors: Ogg Mary J. , Burlingame Byron L. , Chambers Kerrie
Published: November 2015

This Month

Complementary care interventions for pediatric patients

Key words: pediatric, complementary care, music, hypnosis, acupressure, play therapy, pain, anxiety.

Cleaning personal eyewear

Key words: personal eyewear, eye protection, cleaning, bloodborne pathogen exposure.

Education requirements for advanced practice RN (APRN) first assistants

Key words: advanced practice registered nurse, APRN, registered nurse first assistant, RNFA.

Degree requirements for entrance to an RN first assistant (RNFA) program

Key words: registered nurse first assistant, RNFA, first assistant.

Wearing an arm cast in the perioperative setting

Key words: arm cast, workplace safety, work restrictions, hand hygiene.
Ghost Surgery: A Frank Look at the Issue and How to Address It
Authors: Dunn Debra
Published: November 2015

Ghost surgery occurs when a physician assistant, a surgical assistant, an RN first assistant, a resident, or another surgeon assists on or performs an operative or other invasive procedure without the patient's knowledge, regardless of whether the surgeon who obtained the consent was scrubbed in or not. This practice denies patients important information, eliminates their ability to provide informed consent, and represents an ethical issue that nurses must deal with when working with peers and patients. The American Nurses Association developed the Code of Ethics for Nurses to help guide nursing practice, and the provisions within the code embody the ethical issues that should guide nurses’ practice in advocating for patients.
Quality and Patient Safety Teams in the Perioperative Setting
Authors: Serino Michele Fusco
Published: November 2015

Quality and patient safety teams in the perioperative setting can provide perioperative personnel with a safety net to prevent avoidable errors, which is a necessity in today's complex surgical world. The primary goal of the quality and patient safety team should be to develop and implement a perioperative quality and patient safety strategic plan. The mission of the plan can be developed by surveying facility employees, choosing a quality methodology, and using an evidence‐based approach to develop and implement quality programs and processes. To create and sustain a quality and patient safety team, it is important to select a heterogeneous group; define team roles; identify day‐to‐day, weekly, and monthly team responsibilities; actively participate in facility committees, meetings, and new employee orientation; conduct audits; and schedule project time.
The Arabidopsis thaliana K+‐uptake permease 7 (AtKUP7) contains a functional cytosolic adenylate cyclase catalytic centre
Authors: Al-Younis Inas , Wong Aloysius , Gehring Chris
Published: November 2015

Adenylate cyclases (ACs) catalyse the formation of the second messenger cyclic adenosine 3′,5′‐monophosphate (cAMP) from adenosine 5′‐triphosphate (ATP). Although cAMP is increasingly recognised as an important signalling molecule in higher plants, ACs have remained somewhat elusive. Here we used a search motif derived from experimentally tested guanylyl cyclases (GCs), substituted the residues essential for substrate specificity and identified the Arabidopsis thaliana K+‐uptake permease 7 (AtKUP7) as one of several candidate ACs. Firstly, we show that a recombinant N‐terminal, cytosolic domain of AtKUP71‐100 is able to complement the AC‐deficient mutant cyaA in Escherichia coli and thus restoring the fermentation of lactose, and secondly, we demonstrate with both enzyme immunoassays and mass spectrometry that a recombinant AtKUP71‐100 generates cAMP in vitro.
Clotrimazole troches induce supratherapeutic blood levels of sirolimus and tacrolimus in an allogeneic hematopoietic cell-transplant recipient resulting in acute kidney injury
Authors: El-Asmar Jessica , Gonzalez Rebecca , Bookout Ryan , Mishra Asmita , Kharfan-Dabaja Mohamed A.
Published: November 2015

Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation is a potential curative treatment option for various malignant and nonmalignant hematologic disorders. Patients undergoing an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant are prescribed immune-suppressant therapies to facilitate hematopoietic donor-cell engraftment and prevent graft-versus-host disease. Drug-drug interactions may occur, owing to exposure to complex multidrug regimens with narrow therapeutic windows and high toxicity profiles. Here, we describe a unique case of a 65-year-old man with poor-risk acute myeloid leukemia who underwent a matched-sibling hematopoietic cell allograft. Sirolimus and tacrolimus were used for graft-versus-host disease prophylaxis. He developed oral thrush requiring treatment with clotrimazole troches, which subsequently resulted in serious renal toxicity attributed to supratherapeutic levels of sirolimus and tacrolimus. Patient renal function improved after temporarily holding both immune suppressants, and administering phenytoin to help induce sirolimus and tacrolimus metabolism. This case highlights sudden and serious toxicities that resulted from clotrimazole-sirolimus and clotrimazole-tacrolimus drug-drug interactions, even when administered topically.
Neuroprotective effects of docosahexaenoic acid on hippocampal cell death and learning and memory impairments in a valproic acid‐induced rat autism model
Authors: Gao Jingquan , Wang Xuelai , Sun Hongli , Cao Yonggang , Liang Shuang , Wang Han , Wang Yanming , Yang Feng , Zhang Fengyu , Wu Lijie
Published: November 2015

Prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA) in rat offspring is capable of inducing experimental autism with neurobehavioral aberrations. This study investigated the effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on hippocampal cell death, learning and memory alteration in an experimental rat autism model. We found that DHA supplementation (75, 150 or 300 mg/kg/day, 21 days) rescued the VPA (600 mg/kg) induced DHA reduction in plasma and hippocampus in a dose‐dependent manner, increased the levels of hippocampal p‐CaMKII and p‐CREB without affecting total protein level, and altered BDNF‐AKT‐Bcl‐2 signaling pathway, as well as inhibited the activity of caspase‐3. DHA also influenced the content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes in the VPA‐treated offspring. Consistent with the previous results, we also observed that 300 mg/kg DHA supplementation markedly increased the cell survival, decreased the cell apoptosis, and increased mature neuronal cell in the hippocampus in VPA‐treated offspring. Utilizing the Morris water maze test, we found that DHA prevented cognitive impairment in offspring of VPA‐treated rats. The data suggested that DHA may play a neuroprotective role in hippocampal neuronal cell and ameliorates dysfunctions in learning and memory in this rat autism model. Thus, DHA could be used as treatment intervention for mitigating behavioral dysfunctions in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Cultural Immersion: Developing a Community of Practice of Teachers and Aboriginal Community Members
Authors: Burgess Cathie , Cavanagh Paddy (Pat)
Published: November 2015

A lack of teacher awareness of the cultural and historical background of Aboriginal students has long been recognised as a major causative factor in the failure of Australian schools to fully engage Aboriginal students and deliver equitable educational outcomes for them. Using Wenger's communities of practice framework, this paper analyses the effectiveness of the Connecting to Country (CTC) program in addressing this issue in New South Wales (NSW) schools whereby Aboriginal community members design and deliver professional learning for teachers. Qualitative and quantitative data from 14 case studies suggest that the CTC program has had a dramatic impact on the attitudes of teachers to Aboriginal students, on their ability to establish relationships with the local Aboriginal community and on their willingness to adapt curriculum and pedagogy to better meet the needs of their students. As Aboriginal community members and teachers developed communities of practice, new approaches to Aboriginal student pedagogies were imagined through a sense of joint enterprise, mutuality and shared repertoire, empowering all participants in the CTC journey. Implications from this research highlight the importance of teacher professional learning delivered by Aboriginal people, Aboriginal community engagement in local schools and addressing deficit discourses about Aboriginal students and their families.
AJAX AND OTHER OBJECTS: HOMER'S VIBRANT MATERIALISM
Authors: Purves Alex
Published: November 2015

ἕρϰος Ἀχαιῶν: ἔμψυχον τεῖχος τῶν Ἑλλήνων.Bulwark of the Achaeans: living wall of the Greeks.Schol. D. Il. 6.5 (on Ajax)Now, still breathing, he is simply matter…Simone Weil, ‘The Iliad or the Poem of Force’
The two quotations at the start of this paper, one from the D scholion on the Iliad and the other from Simone Weil's famous essay on force, both make of the Homeric warrior a kind of ‘breathing material’. Two references, then, to the liveliness of objects, but each meaning very different things. For the scholiast places man on the same side as materiality, as if humans and things can equally be infused with life and can exist in a sort of continuum, but Weil argues that a human who is reduced to mere matter, even if he is a still a thing that breathes, is as good as nothing. Unlike the scholiast, Weil's interpretation is predicated on a strong belief in the duality of body and soul in the structure of human life, and since objects do not have souls they are, for her, essentially dead. Throughout her essay, Weil visits again and again the materiality of Homeric man and his propensity to turn, under the crushing power of force, into what she calls alternately a ‘thing’, ‘inert matter’, ‘stone’, and even ‘nothingness’. But for the D scholiast, the comparison of Ajax to stone does not subjugate him or turn him into a ‘mere’ or ‘inert’ object. On the contrary, the gloss ἔμψυχον τεῖχος speaks instead to the lively and permeable boundary between human and nonhuman in early Greek epic, one that suggests that objects can have their own life form, their own energy, vitality, and even creativity.
‘ANGER SWEETER THAN DRIPPING HONEY’: VIOLENCE AS A PROBLEM IN THE ILIAD
Authors: Thalmann William G.
Published: November 2015

Remarkably in a poem so concerned with warfare, there are prominent moments in the Iliad when it seems possible that the Trojan War can be settled and peace restored: for example, Agamemnon's three proposals that the Akhaians abandon the war and go home (Books 2, 9, and 14), the truce and single combat in Book 3, and the proposal in the Trojan assembly of Book 7 that Helen be returned to Menelaos. These episodes form a pattern of resistance, or potential counter-narrative, to what would otherwise seem a relentless progression to Troy's destruction. For the most part, therefore, they occur relatively early in the poem, when the course of events seems less determined than it does later. But twice in the late books, a character says something that, if pursued, might have led to peace. These later moments are striking because they occur even after the death of Patroklos, when alternatives to war and destruction appear to have been stripped away, and because they arise when Akhilleus has recognized something essential about human vulnerability. In both cases, the possibility of peace glimmers only faintly and then fades. But that it is raised at all so late in the narrative exemplifies how the Iliad makes a problem of violence while depicting it.
PENELOPE'S FOOT
Authors: Buchan Mark
Published: November 2015

There are dangers and pleasures in reducing stories to universal themes. The Odyssey seems all too aware of this. Part of its appeal comes from whether this tale of a single man returning home can stand for far greater questions of what it means to be human. Our pleasure as we recognize these familiar stories mirrors the delight of the poem's characters as they recognize Odysseus. We want such events to be universal, because the pleasure of the familiar helps us on our own journey through the dangers and uncertainties of life. But, as an increasingly vast scholarly bibliography reminds us, recognition in this poem is far from simple. The poem's delight in riddles and trickery means that the joy of any delight in recognition conflicts with its rhetoric of suspicion and the almost paranoid need of its hero for self-preservation. This to and fro is also part of the poem's wider economy of thrift, as if we must pay for any pleasure we gain in recognition with the pain of belated reflection.
THE ‘NARROW ROAD’ AND THE ETHICS OF LANGUAGE USE IN THE ILIAD AND THE ODYSSEY
Authors: Elmer David F.
Published: November 2015

I begin this exploration of characteristically Iliadic and Odyssean attitudes toward the traditional language in which these poems are composed by treading again a well-rutted path in the field of mid-20th century Homeric studies. In formulating his radical revision of the aesthetics of Homeric poetry, Milman Parry took as one of his guiding principles Heinrich Düntzer's notion of a contradiction between the compositional utility of the fixed epithet and its semantic value: if an epithet could be shown to have been selected on the basis of its utility in versification—and Parry's detailed examinations of extensive and economical systems of noun-epithet formulae were aimed in part at demonstrating this point—then it would be proven by that very fact that the epithet's meaning was irrelevant to its selection. Moreover, Parry asserted that the success of poetry composed in such a manner would depend on a corresponding indifference on the part of the audience, an indifference that must be, by his reasoning, categorical and absolute.
HOMER AND THE SUBLIME
Authors: Porter James I.
Published: November 2015

Was Homer sublime? The question is rarely asked today. Sublimity was once a staple of the ancient intellectual traditions, as Homer is perfectly suited to show. The present essay will take up the question of Homeric sublimity by examining four case studies drawn from ancient astronomy to literary criticism to Homer himself, who not only licensed but also inaugurated these later traditions. Longinus will lurk everywhere in the background, but part of the point of this essay is that Longinus, while broadly representative, is in fact a minority voice in the wider landscape of ancient thought, as is the purely literary critical perspective that he is usually assumed to represent. Just as sublimity transcends customary frameworks of experience by putting these radically into question, so does it challenge the ways in which we tend to carve up antiquity into domains and disciplines that are artificially removed from one another. Sublimity by its nature crosses over genres and discourses and brings out the underlying patterns of thought that they share. But now to our case studies, which will give us a clear entrée to the problem, and will supply us with criteria of what should or should not count as ‘sublime’, as we follow each case in turn.