bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Solubility and Dissolution of Drug Product: A Review
Authors: Shahrin Naila
Published: May 2013

The oral route of drug administration is the most common and preferred method of delivery due to convenience and ease of ingestion. From a patients perspective, swallowing a dosage form is a comfortable and a familiar means of taking medication. As a result, patient compliance and hence drug treatment is typically more effective with orally administered medications as compared with other routes of administration, for example, parenteral. Although the oral route of administration is preferred, for many drugs it can be a problematic and inefficient mode of delivery for a number of reasons. Limited drug absorption resulting in poor bioavailability is paramount amongst the potential problems that can be encountered when delivering an active agent via the oral route. Drug absorption from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can be limited by a variety of factors with the most significant contributors being poor aqueous solubility and/or poor membrane permeability of the drug molecule. When delivering an active agent orally, it must first dissolve in gastric and/or intestinal fluids before it can then permeate the membranes of the GI tract to reach systemic circulation. Therefore, a drug with poor aqueous solubility will typically exhibit dissolution rate limited absorption, and a drug with poor membrane permeability will typically exhibit permeation rate limited absorption. Hence, two areas of pharmaceutical research that focus on improving the oral bioavailability of active agents include: (i) enhancing solubility and dissolution rate of poorly water-soluble drugs and (ii) enhancing permeability of poorly permeable drugs. In this article, solubility and dissolution will be discussed.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijpls.v2i1.15133 International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Vol.2(1) 2013: 33-41
Solid Dispersion to Improve Dissolution of Drug Product
Authors: Huq Asma
Published: May 2013

The term solid dispersion has been utilized to describe a family of dosage forms whereby the drug is dispersed in a biologically inert matrix, usually with a view to enhancing oral bioavailability. It may be defined as the dispersion of one or more active ingredients in an inert carrier matrix at solid-state prepared by the melting (fusion), solvent or melting-solvent method. In practice, these dosage forms have been traditionally regarded as being synonymous with systems whereby the in vitro release of the drug is enhanced compared to conventional dosage forms, with concomitant implications for in vivo release. Furthermore, the carrier used has, again traditionally, been a water-soluble or water-miscible polymer such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or low molecular weight materials such as sugars. However, the proliferation of publications in the area since the first solid dispersions were described1 has led to a broadening of these definitions to include water insoluble matrices such as Gelucires and Eudragits that may yield either slow or rapid release or absorption.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijpls.v2i1.15134 International Journal of Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Vol.2(1) 2013: 42-58
SIMULATION OF PERSPECTIVE BY NONLINEAR TRANSFORMATIONS
Authors: Gingold Yotam I. , Gingold Harry
Published: May 2013

A feature of the brain processing the visualization of objects is such that objects that are much farther away from the eye look smaller than closer objects to the eye. We show that a family of nonlinear transformations, also to be called compactifications, simulate qualitatively this property of keeping objects in perspective. These transformations project objects in a plane on a spherical shell. It is shown then that an observer located at a fixed point on the axis of the sphere visualizes the projected objects on the sphere in perspective. Namely, that objects that are farther away from the observation point seem smaller. Examples are provided. This is a departure from the traditional approaches using linearity and projections of objects from one plane into another plane.
Bibliometric analysis of research on women and advertising: Differences in print and audiovisual media
Authors: Navarro-Beltrá Marián , Martín-Llaguno Marta
Published: May 2013

The media in general, and advertising in particular, are considered as important agents of socialization, including genderrelated issues. Thus the legislator has focused on the regulation of the images of women and men in advertisements. However, regulations prohibiting sexist advertising in Spain pay specific attention to audiovisual media. The objective of this study is to check whether this unequal interest also takes place in academic research. This paper analyzes the differences in the scientific literature (national and international) on the sexism in advertising depending on the media. Specifically we examine the methodology, techniques and ways to measure concepts. In order to do this, we conduct a systematic review of studies on gender and advertising published in Spanish or English between 1988 and 2010 in seven databases Spanish (Dialnet, Compludoc, ISOC), or international (Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, PubMed and Eric).The main results of the 175 texts analyzed show that, unlike legislative controls, the academy has studied mainly sexism in advertising in print media, although interest by analysis of the treatment of gender in the discourse of advertising audiovisual seems to be increasing.

Los medios de comunicación en general, y la publicidad en particular, son considerados importantes agentes de socialización, incluso en temas relacionados con el género. No en vano el legislador se ha preocupado por la regulación de las imágenes de mujeres y hombres trasmitidas en los anuncios. Sin embargo, las normativas que prohíben la publicidad sexista en España prestan específica atención a los medios audiovisuales en detrimento del resto. En este escenario, el objetivo del presente trabajo es comprobar si este dispar interés según soporte se reproduce en la investigación. Así, se consideran las diferencias en la producción científica (nacional e internacional) sobre el sexismo publicitario en función del medio de comunicación observando específicamente la metodología, las técnicas y la forma concreta de medir este concepto en los artículos. Para ello se realiza una revisión sistemática de los estudios sobre publicidad y género publicados en español o en inglés entre 1988 y 2010 indexados en siete importantes bases de datos españolas (Dialnet, Compludoc, Isoc) e internacionales (Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, PubMed y Eric). A partir del análisis de los 175 textos seleccionados, los resultados apuntan que, a diferencia de los controles legislativos, la academia ha estudiado mayoritariamente el sexismo publicitario en los medios impresos, aunque el interés por el análisis del tratamiento de género en los discursos publicitarios audiovisuales parece irse acrecentando.
Informal learning through Facebook among Slovenian pupils
Authors: Erjavec Karmen
Published: May 2013

Since existing research has failed to consider how primary school pupils use Facebook for informal learning and to enhancing social capital, we attempted to fill this research gap by conducting 60 indepth interviews and thinkaloud sessions with Slovenian primary school pupils. Furthermore, we used content analysis to evaluate their Facebook profiles. The results of the study show that Slovenian pupils regularly use Facebook for informal learning. Pupils are aware that they use Facebook for learning and they use it primarily as social support, which is seen as exchanging practical information, learning about technology, evaluation of their own and other people’s work, emotional support, organising group work and communicating with teachers. In using Facebook, pupils acquire bridging and bonding social capital; they maintain an extensive network of weak ties that are a source of bridging capital, and deeper relationships that provide them with emotional support and a source of bonding capital. Key differences between the participants were found in the expression of emotional support. Female participants are more likely to use Facebook for this purpose, and more explicitly express their emotions. This study also showed that our participants saw a connection between the use of Facebook and the knowledge and skills they believed their teachers valued in school.

Teniendo en cuenta que la investigación ha descuidado el estudio de cómo los alumnos de primaria hacen uso de Facebook para el aprendizaje informal y cómo potencia el capital social, el presente trabajo intenta llenar dicho vacío con sesenta entrevistas en profundidad y el protocolo de pensamientos en voz alta con alumnos de escuelas primarias eslovenas. Para analizar el perfil de Facebook también incluimos un análisis de contenido. Los resultados del estudio demuestran que los alumnos eslovenos con frecuencia utilizan Facebook para el aprendizaje informal. El estudio no solo muestra que los estudiantes son conscientes del uso de Facebook para el aprendizaje y lo utilizan en primer lugar como apoyo social, sino también ofrece muestras de intercambio práctico de información, aprendizaje de tecnología, (auto)evaluación, apoyo emocional, organización de grupo de trabajo y comunicación con los profesores. Con el uso de Facebook, los estudiantes adquieren competencias relacionales y vinculación de capital social, pues mantienen una amplia red de lazos débiles, capaz de generar relaciones más profundas con apoyo emocional y fuentes de unión. Las principales diferencias entre los participantes se refieren a la expresión del apoyo emocional. Las participantes femeninas prefieren Facebook para dichos fines y expresan con más habilidad sus emociones. El estudio muestra además que nuestros participantes perciben una conexión entre el uso de Facebook y el conocimiento y destrezas que ellos pensaban que sus profesores valoraban en la escuela.
The role of the Internet and social networks in the arab uprisings an alternative to official press censorship
Authors: Soengas-Pérez Xosé
Published: May 2013

This research analyzes the power of the Internet and social networks in the Arab uprisings. We are interested in learning about the contribution of communication technology in low advanced societies in conflict situations and the value of the network as a link between young people who supported the changes from abroad and those who were directly involved in protests. On the importance of technology as a virtual communication tool we have conducted a series of online interviews with 30 young people from Tunisia, Egypt and Libya living in Barcelona, Madrid and Santiago de Compostela during the development of the conflicts and who were involved in the Arab Spring though the network. The research findings in this study prove that virtual support for uprisings were not based on coordinated actions, and that it was simply a confluence of similar acts coinciding in time and on the same platforms. The Internet and social networks served as elements for supporting the process and as a counterbalance to official censorship and to governmentsupportive media, and were useful for overcoming the isolation of Arab society, in order to make the conflicts visible and to attract relevant support from abroad. But it also showed that the network had constraints in the face of the consolidated propaganda infrastructure which existed in each country.

Esta investigación analiza el papel de Internet y de las redes sociales en las revueltas árabes. Interesa conocer la contribución de la tecnología a la comunicación en sociedades poco avanzadas en situaciones de conflicto y el valor de la Red como enlace entre los jóvenes que apoyaban los cambios desde el exterior y los que participaban directamente en las manifestaciones. Para conocer la importancia de la tecnología como instrumento de comunicación virtual se ha realizado una serie de entrevistas online a 30 jóvenes de Túnez, Egipto y Libia que vivían en Barcelona, Madrid y Santiago de Compostela durante el desarrollo de los conflictos y que han participado en la primavera árabe a través de la Red. Los resultados de esta investigación demuestran que los apoyos virtuales a las revueltas no estaban basados en acciones coordinadas, simplemente se trataba de una confluencia de actos similares que coincidían en el tiempo y en las mismas plataformas. Internet y las redes sociales funcionaron como elementos de apoyo al proceso y como contrapeso a la censura oficial y a los medios afines al régimen, y fueron útiles para superar el aislamiento de la sociedad árabe, para hacer visibles los conflictos y para conseguir apoyos relevantes en el exterior. Pero también se demostró que la Red tenía limitaciones frente a la consolidada infraestructura de propaganda que existía en cada país.
Preparing Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Nursing Students for Clinical Practice in the Health Care Setting
Authors: Harvey Theresa , Robinson Carolyn , Frohman Rena
Published: May 2013

The number of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students seeking enrollment in higher education courses in Western countries where English is the predominant language has grown considerably in the past decade, especially in undergraduate health care courses. When enrolled in nursing courses, students are required to complete clinical placements. Such experiences can create significant challenges for CALD students where language, cultural differences, and interpretation of cultural norms complicate the learning process. To assist CALD nursing students to transition successfully, an extracurricular integrated curriculum program was developed and implemented at a university in Queensland, Australia. The program is a series of interactive workshops based on the principles of caring pedagogy and student-centered learning. The program applies strategies that combine small-group discussions with peers, role-plays, and interactions with final-year nursing student volunteers. Evaluation of the program suggests it has assisted most of the students surveyed to be successful in their clinical studies. [
J Nurs Educ.
2013;52(7):365–370.]
Nitric Oxide–Induced Regulatory T Cells Inhibit Th17 but Not Th1 Cell Differentiation and Function
Authors: Niedbala Wanda , Besnard Anne-Gaelle , Jiang Hui R. , Alves-Filho Jose C. , Fukada Sandra Y. , Nascimento Daniela , Mitani Akio , Pushparaj Peter , Alqahtani Mohammed H. , Liew Foo Y.
Published: May 2013

NO is a free radical with pleiotropic functions. We have shown earlier that NO induces a population of CD4+CD25+Foxp3− regulatory T cells (NO-Tregs) that suppress the functions of CD4+CD25− effector T cells in vitro and in vivo. We report in this study an unexpected finding that NO-Tregs suppressed Th17 but not Th1 cell differentiation and function. In contrast, natural Tregs (nTregs), which suppressed Th1 cells, failed to suppress Th17 cells. Consistent with this observation, NO-Tregs inhibited the expression of retinoic acid–related orphan receptor γt but not T-bet, whereas nTregs suppressed T-bet but not retinoic acid–related orphan receptor γt expression. The NO-Treg–mediated suppression of Th17 was partially cell contact–dependent and was associated with IL-10. In vivo, adoptively transferred NO-Tregs potently attenuated experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. The disease suppression was accompanied by a reduction of Th17, but not Th1 cells in the draining lymph nodes, and a decrease in the production of IL-17, but an increase in IL-10 synthesis. Our results therefore demonstrate the differential suppressive function between NO-Tregs and nTregs and indicate specialization of the regulatory mechanism of the immune system.
Complete TCR-α Gene Locus Control Region Activity in T Cells Derived In Vitro from Embryonic Stem Cells
Authors: Lahiji Armin , Kučerová-Levisohn Martina , Lovett Jordana , Holmes Roxanne , Zúñiga-Pflücker Juan Carlos , Ortiz Benjamin D.
Published: May 2013

Locus control regions (LCRs) are cis-acting gene regulatory elements with the unique, integration site–independent ability to transfer the characteristics of their locus-of-origin’s gene expression pattern to a linked transgene in mice. LCR activities have been discovered in numerous T cell lineage-expressed gene loci. These elements can be adapted to the design of stem cell gene therapy vectors that direct robust therapeutic gene expression to the T cell progeny of engineered stem cells. Currently, transgenic mice provide the only experimental approach that wholly supports all the critical aspects of LCR activity. In this study, we report the manifestation of all key features of mouse TCR-α gene LCR function in T cells derived in vitro from mouse embryonic stem cells. High-level, copy number–related TCR-α LCR-linked reporter gene expression levels are cell type restricted in this system, and upregulated during the expected stage transition of T cell development. We also report that de novo introduction of TCR-α LCR-linked transgenes into existing T cell lines yields incomplete LCR activity. These data indicate that establishing full TCR-α LCR activity requires critical molecular events occurring prior to final T lineage determination. This study also validates a novel, tractable, and more rapid approach for the study of LCR activity in T cells, and its translation to therapeutic genetic engineering.
Bakens, drumpels en webbe: (Hervormde) Teologie as kreatiewe onderneming
Authors: Van Staden Piet
Published: May 2013

Beacons, thresholds and webs: Theology as creative endeavour. This article argues from the premise that theology is a creative undertaking. Nothing can be thought about God other than by thinking about people’s experience and understanding of God. Theology therefore speaks objectively about God from the subjective experience of God and from testimonies about that experience. Such reflections and testimonies are expressed in language. However, the inherent constraints of vocabulary and formulation render any linguistic expression of such spiritual encounters incomplete. Theology is always seeking for new possibilities of expression in order to overcome the constraints. It stands to reason that the figurative mode of expression will be preferred to the concrete or factual register of language because figurative language is more suited to articulate the elusive spiritual experience of meeting God through faith. Signposts, thresholds and webs are employed here as metaphors to emphasise the creative aspect of theology within the context of a changing world. They represent the three phases in the so-called rites of passage described by anthropologist Arnold van Gennep and refined by Victor Turner into an abstract model employed in the understanding of all similar experiences of ritual transference. Here the model is applied to the church and its theology.
Asymptotical Behaviour of Roots of Infinite Coxeter Groups
Authors: Hohlweg Christophe , Labbé Jean-Philippe , Ripoll Vivien
Published: May 2013

Let W be an infinite Coxeter group. We initiate the study of the set E of limit points of “normalized” roots (representing the directions of the roots) of W. We show that E is contained in the isotropic cone Q of the bilinear form B associated with a geometric representation, and we illustrate this property with numerous examples and pictures in rank 3 and 4. We also define a natural geometric action of W on E, and then we exhibit a countable subset of E, formed by limit points for the dihedral reflection subgroups of W. We explain how this subset is built fromthe intersection with Q of the lines passing through two positive roots, and finally we establish that it is dense in E.
Identification and quantification of particle growth channels during new particle formation
Authors: Pennington M. R. , Bzdek B. R. , DePalma J. W. , Smith J. N. , Kortelainen A.-M. , Hildebrandt Ruiz L. , Petäjä T. , Kulmala M. , Worsnop D. R. , Johnston M. V.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. Atmospheric new particle formation (NPF) is a key source of ambient ultrafine particles that may contribute substantially to the global production of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). While NPF is driven by atmospheric nucleation, its impact on CCN concentration depends strongly on atmospheric growth mechanisms since the growth rate must exceed the loss rate due to scavenging in order for the particles to reach the CCN size range. In this work, chemical composition measurements of 20 nm diameter particles during NPF in Hyytiälä, Finland, in March–April 2011 permit identification and quantitative assessment of important growth channels. In this work we show that: (A) sulfuric acid, a key species associated with atmospheric nucleation, accounts for less than half of particle mass growth during this time period; (B) the sulfate content of a growing particle during NPF is quantitatively explained by condensation of gas phase sulfuric acid molecules, in other words sulfuric acid uptake is collision limited; (C) sulfuric acid condensation substantially impacts the chemical composition of preexisting nanoparticles before new particles have grown to a size sufficient to be measured; (D) ammonium and sulfate concentrations are highly correlated, indicating that ammonia uptake is driven by sulfuric acid uptake; (E) sulfate neutralization by ammonium does not reach the predicted thermodynamic endpoint, suggesting that a kinetic barrier exists for ammonia uptake; (F) carbonaceous matter accounts for more than half of the particle mass growth and its oxygen-to-carbon ratio (~0.5) is characteristic of freshly formed secondary organic aerosol; and (G) differences in the overall growth rate from one formation event to another are caused by variations in the growth rates of all major chemical species, not just one individual species.
Arctic stratospheric dehydration – Part 1: Unprecedented observation of vertical redistribution of water
Authors: Khaykin S. M. , Engel I. , Vömel H. , Formanyuk I. M. , Kivi R. , Korshunov L. I. , Krämer M. , Lykov A. D. , Meier S. , Naebert T. , Pitts M. C. , Santee M. L. , Spelten N. , Wienhold F. G. , Yushkov V. A. , Peter T.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. We present high-resolution measurements of water vapour, aerosols and clouds in the Arctic stratosphere in January and February 2010 carried out by in-situ instrumentation on balloon-sondes and high-altitude aircraft combined with satellite observations. The measurements provide unparalleled evidence of dehydration and rehydration due to gravitational settling of ice particles. An extreme cooling of the Arctic stratospheric vortex during the second half of January 2010 resulted in a rare synoptic-scale outbreak of ice PSCs (polar stratospheric clouds) detected remotely by the lidar aboard the CALIPSO satellite. The widespread occurrence of ice clouds was followed by sedimentation and consequent sublimation of ice particles, leading to vertical redistribution of water inside the vortex. A sequence of balloon and aircraft soundings with chilled mirror and Lyman-α hygrometers (CFH, FISH, FLASH) and backscatter sondes (COBALD) conducted in January 2010 within the LAPBIAT and RECONCILE campaigns captured various phases of this phenomenon: ice formation, irreversible dehydration and rehydration. Consistent observations of water vapour by these independent measurement techniques show clear signatures of irreversible dehydration of the vortex air by up to 1.6 ppmv in the 20–24 km altitude range and rehydration by up to 0.9 ppmv in a 1 km-thick layer below. Comparison with space-borne Aura MLS water vapour observations allow the spatiotemporal evolution of dehydrated air masses within the Arctic vortex to be derived and upscaled.
Being Social: Why the NCAA Has Forced Universities to Monitor Student-Athletes' Social Media
Authors: Hopkins Jamie P. , Hopkins Katie , Whelton Bijan
Published: May 2013

On June 21, 2011, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) charged the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC) with a number of NCAA legislation violations, including “not adequately and consistently monitor[ing] social networking activity that visibly illustrated potential amateurism violations within the football program[.]” While the NCAA’s bylaws regarding member institution conduct indirectly impacts social media oversight, the NCAA’s lack of a social media monitoring policy creates uncertainty as to how member institutions should deal with potential violations of a non-existing policy. Coupled with concerns about their public image, tort liability, and their student-athletes’ safety, NCAA member institutions must develop a social media monitoring policy that does not infringe on constitutional free speech rights or more specific social media privacy laws. Ultimately, monitoring publicly available social media might be the safest and the best way to protect the institutions’ interests without violating their student-athletes’ legal rights.
Combating STI Epidemic: Community Perspectives Learned from Mixed-Gender Focus Group Study
Authors: Islam K. M. , Vinson Laura , Nared Sherri , Combs Ira , Tibbits Melissa , Watanabe-Galloway Shinobu , Margalit Ruth
Published: May 2013

Background. Since 2004, Douglas County in Nebraska has been experiencing higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) than the rest of the state. Northern Omaha has been considered to be one of the “hot spots for STIs in the county. In 2011-2012, a focus group study was conducted to investigate the community’s perception of STIs and to identify strategies to increase the testing and treatment of STIs.Methods. Fourteen young adults were recruited to participate in two mixed-gender focus group sessions, each lasting 1.5 hours. Sessions covered various topics on STIs. Audio-recorded sessions were transcribed and analyzed by the study team.Results. Participants were aware of the STI problem in their community. They identified risk factors for STIs included careless sexual behavior, unprotected sex, and lack of communication with parents. Participants believed that the club environment and drug and alcohol use contribute to risky sexual behavior. Participants perceived lack of confidentiality as the most important barrier to getting tested. The most important reason for not seeking treatment was lack of awareness about the signs of infection. Participants called for measures to increase trustworthy relationships with the health care system and suggested opening more testing and treatment sites.Discussion. The uniqueness of our study is that it is the first conducted epidemiological study in this population to better understand risk factors of STIs specific to this population. The study identified several important factors that may assist in future interventions to reduce STIs in this population.
Poetry as Panacea: Mill on the Moral Rewards of Aesthetic Experience
Authors: Parkhurst Bryan
Published: May 2013

In chapter 5 of his Autobiography, John Stuart Mill recounts a crisis in his mental history. The details of Mill’s depression and eventual rehabilitation due to the salutary powers of lyric poetry are well known. But most scholars who have investigated the status of poetry in Mill’s philosophy have overlooked the fact that the story the Autobiography tells about poetry’s contribution to Mill’s spiritual convalescence and moral education raises several interesting interpretive issues and leaves many notable questions unanswered. I begin with an overview of Mill’s psychological case history as presented in the Autobiography. After that I turn my attention to some exegetical difficulties surrounding Mill’s adulation for poetry and the aesthetic experience. While it is clear that Mill thinks poetry has important moral consequences for the individual, and is crucial in the formation of character and conscience, his views about why poetry is of outstanding significance in this respect are less than transparent and have to be reconstructed on the basis of his more developed literary, ethical, and psychological theories. I take issue with two such reconstructions that appear in the secondary literature and present an alternative to them.
Social Organization and Agricultural Strategies to Face Climate Variability: A Case Study in Guaraciaba, Southern Brazil
Authors: Bonatti Michelle , Schlindwein Sandro L. , De Vasconcelos Ana Carolina F. , Sieber Stefan , Agostini Luiz Renato D , Lana Marcos A. , Fantini Alfredo C. , Homem Larissa H. I. , Canci Adriano
Published: May 2013

Climate scenarios and projections have suggested that the impacts of climate change on land use will be noticed particularly by the communities that depend on natural resources for their subsistence. The climate vulnerability of poor communities varies greatly, but in general, climate change combines with other threats and becomes superimposed on existing vulnerabilities. This paper presents a case study that strives to understand the social organization in a vulnerable community of Guaraciaba, in southern Brazil, to investigate aspects of an adaptation strategy to climate change based on the local development and conservation of landraces of a set of crop species. Landraces are varieties better adapted to adversities, especially drought, which is an important threat to the famers in the region. Every farmer receives annually a “kit of biodiversity”, a set of local varieties with the amount of seeds necessary to be cultivated in order to produce enough food for the family. The study had a qualitative approach and was carried out through semi-structured interviews with technicians and 30% of the rural families who farm with landraces. The study concludes that the factors that make this adaptation strategy sustainable are: the ability to undertake actions strongly based on local socio-cultural needs (a social support network), biodiversity management practices designed to reduce external economic dependence, self management of genetic resources, the establishment of priorities based on locally available resources, a work plan for community participation (field days, a community based festival), the establishment of the roles of community in the planning and implementation of programs for biodiversity management.
Spring fen Scheuchzerio-Caricetea nigrae in the Polish Western Carpathians – vegetation diversity in relation to soil and feeding waters
Authors: Koczur Anna , Nicia Paweł
Published: May 2013

The species composition of vegetation associated with the Carpathian fens primarily depends on the type of water present and the hydrological feeding of the soils that occur there. These, in turn, shape the fertility of the fens. Those with typically formed Carici-Agrostietum caninae and Valeriano-Caricetum flavae fundamentally differ in the properties of their soils and feeding waters. These include differences in mineral content, pH, CaCO3 levels, degree of peat decomposition, electrical conductivity and oxygenation of the waters that feed the fens. Carici-Agrostietum caninae is a homogenous plant association adapted to extreme habitat conditions. It is characterized by a very narrow range of essential soil and feeding water parameters. Valeriano-Caricetum flavae is a highly diverse association. Considerable diversity both in terms of plant species and vegetation structure reflects very wide ranges in the properties of soil and feeding water. Vegetation patches of transitory character were also identified. These contained plant species characteristic of both associations. The character of the vegetation depends mainly on fen soil pH and the degree of mineralization of the feeding waters. It is only these parameters that allow intermediate patches to be clearly distinguished. The degree of peat decomposition, mineral content and water oxygenation all differ for Carici-Agrostietum caninae and Valeriano-Caricetum flavae, whereas the values for intermediate patches display a range of parameters typical of both investigated associations. Consequently, vegetation present in these patches reflects to a greater or lesser extent one of the two analyzed plant associations.
Pediatric Pathology Services in Africa
Authors: Kerr Darcy A. , Kaschula Ronald Otto Christian
Published: May 2013

Context.—Like other pathology services in developing settings, pediatric pathology in Africa is faced with major challenges such as limited access to resources and few opportunities for professional advancement. Additionally, the discrepancy between the large burden of pediatric diseases, many of which individually are rare enough to prove challenging to the general pathologist, and the amount of specialized training available compounds the underlying problems and makes the provision of a high-quality service difficult. Pediatric neoplasms in particular are a chief cause for concern among general pathologists practicing in Africa.

Objectives.—To provide relevant pediatric pathology information with an emphasis on pediatric malignancies to pathologists practicing in Africa, where children represent a very high proportion of the population and training in pediatric pathology is incomplete.

Data Sources.—Authors' experience and relevant literature.

Conclusions.—The limitations inherent in working within a low-resource setting may be reduced by thoughtful and purposeful triaging of specimens, prudent use of cytology in facilitating rapid and inexpensive diagnoses, and collaboration within and outside of the continent. Increased investment in and advocacy for child health, including the creation of additional hospitals dedicated to the care of children, are likely necessary to significantly advance children's health in the region.
The Pediatric Autopsy in Africa
Authors: Kaschula Ronald Otto Christian
Published: May 2013

Context.—Within the continent of Africa few countries have been able to practice pathology at the levels present in Europe and the Americas, and pediatric pathology does not exist as a stand-alone specialty. The author was invited by a colleague from Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, to join a group of North American pathologists in presenting a course on the Contribution of Anatomic Pathology for advancing the health of women and children in Africa. The course was held in Ethiopia in June 2011, to review the current state of pediatric pathology in Africa and to provide resources/teaching for improving pediatric pathology services in low-resource settings.

Objective.—To provide a succinct description of applicable autopsy techniques and the interpretation of gross, microscopic, and ancillary findings with respect to Africa's need to enhance the health of women and children. The author makes suggestions for obviating possible problems in anticipation of increased demands by national authorities and of public expectations of pathologists who usually have had only general training.

Data Sources.—This article is based upon the author's personal experience of practicing pathology in Africa for the past 51 years, which has included visiting pathology laboratories in 9 African countries and interacting with colleagues in 18 additional African countries. The contents of this article are derived from personal observations, recent publications, and information gleaned from Internet sources.

Conclusions.—Even without specific training in pediatric pathology, it is possible for pediatric autopsies to be undertaken in Africa and other resource-poor settings, in a manner that facilitates sound decision making for improving the health of women and children.
Validation of an Improved Pediatric Weight Estimation Strategy
Authors: Abdel-Rahman Susan M. , Ahlers Nichole , Holmes Anne , Wright Krista , Harris Ann , Weigel Jaylene , Hill Talita , Baird Kim , Michaels Marla , Kearns Gregory L.
Published: May 2013

OBJECTIVES

To validate the recently described Mercy method for weight estimation in an independent cohort of children living in the United States.

METHODS

Anthropometric data including weight, height, humeral length, and mid upper arm circumference were collected from 976 otherwise healthy children (2 months to 14 years old). The data were used to examine the predictive performances of the Mercy method and four other weight estimation strategies (the Advanced Pediatric Life Support [APLS] method, the Broselow tape, and the Luscombe and Owens and the Nelson methods).

RESULTS

The Mercy method demonstrated accuracy comparable to that observed in the original study (mean error: −0.3 kg; mean percentage error: −0.3%; root mean square error: 2.62 kg; 95% limits of agreement: 0.83–1.19). This method estimated weight within 20% of actual for 95% of children compared with 58.7% for APLS, 78% for Broselow, 54.4% for Luscombe and Owens, and 70.4% for Nelson. Furthermore, the Mercy method was the only weight estimation strategy which enabled prediction of weight in all of the children enrolled.

CONCLUSIONS

The Mercy method proved to be highly accurate and more robust than existing weight estimation strategies across a wider range of age and body mass index values, thereby making it superior to other existing approaches.
Une culture urbaine en mouvement. Se déplacer et consommer en milieu populaire à Québec, 1930-1980
Authors: Gilbert Dale
Published: May 2013

Cet article porte sur les mutations de la mobilité et des pratiques de consommation en milieu populaire québécois au coeur du XXe siècle dans une perspective intégrant usages, demande et planification. À partir du cas du quartier Saint-Sauveur de Québec, nous examinons l’évolution de l’expérience du quartier et de la ville des résidants, de même que les réactions des instances planificatrices et les demandes citoyennes face à celle-ci. Les résultats d’une enquête orale démontrent que l’automobile a transformé l’expérience de la consommation au tournant des années 1960 en redessinant les rapports à la proximité et à l’accessibilité physique des résidants, habitués jusqu’alors de se déplacer à pied. Les projets des instances planificatrices de la Ville de Québec découlant du nouveau contexte né de cette transformation, fortement teintés par la variable automobile, ont fait l’objet d’une opposition de la part de citoyens. Les interventions de ces instances ont conduit néanmoins à une redéfinition durable de la structure de ce quartier populaire ancien et conséquemment de la vie qu’on y menait, redéfinition acceptée par une grande partie de ses résidants.
Characterizing the Electroluminescence Emission from a Strongly Coupled Organic Semiconductor Microcavity LED
Authors: Christogiannis Nikolaos , Somaschi Niccolo , Michetti Paolo , Coles David M. , Savvidis Pavlos G. , Lagoudakis Pavlos G. , Lidzey David G.
Published: May 2013

The fabrication of a strongly coupled organic semiconductor light emitting diode (OLED) is described. The device is characterised through angle‐resolved photoluminescence and electroluminescence spectroscopy, with the efficiency of the polariton OLED being compared to that of an equivalent weakly coupled device. The external emission efficiency of the polariton OLED is approximately 6 times smaller than that of the OLED; an effect that is attributed to the relatively slow scattering of excitons towards states at the bottom of the lower polariton branch. The temporal responses of the polariton and standard OLED devices are measured under pulsed voltage excitation, and device dynamics are found to be limited by charge transport and recombination.
Physical mechanism of sono‐Fenton process
Authors: Chakma Sankar , Moholkar Vijayanand S.
Published: May 2013

Hybrid advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), where two or more AOPs are applied simultaneously, are known to give effective degradation of recalcitrant organic pollutants. This article attempts to discern the physical mechanism of the hybrid sono‐Fenton process with identification of links between individual mechanism of the sonolysis and Fenton process. An approach of coupling experimental results with simulations of cavitation bubble dynamics has been adopted for two textile dyes as model pollutants. Fenton process is revealed to have greater contribution than sonolysis in the overall decolorization of both dyes. H2O2 added to the liquid medium as a Fenton reagent scavenges
radicals produced by cavitation bubbles. Addition of only H2O2 to the medium during sonolysis does not yield marked difference in decolorization. Elimination of transient cavitation with application of elevated static pressure to the medium does not alter the extent of decolorization. The synergy between sonolysis and Fenton process is, thus, revealed to be negative. The dissolved oxygen in the medium is found to play an important role in decolorization through conservation of oxidizing radicals. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 59: 4303–4313, 2013
Isozyme patterns in erythrocytes from human fetuses
Authors: Chen Shi‐Han , Anderson Jeanne E. , Giblett Eloise R. , Stamatoyannopoulos George
Published: May 2013

Starch gel electrophoretic patterns of 26 enzymes (corresponding to 36 gene loci) were examined in hemolysates of erythrocytes from 11 first‐trimester and midtrimester human fetuses (65‐138 gestation days). The zymograms of 16 enzymes were identical in fetal and control adult red cells. Six enzymes (enolase, guanylate kinase, lactate dehydrogenase, nucleoside Phosphorylase, phosphofructokinase, hexokinase) showed differences in the staining intensity of certain isozyme zones as compared with the controls. Also, the fetal red cell zymograms, in contrast to those of adults, contained the mitochondrial forms of isocitric dehydrogenase and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase as well as more definite zones of phosphoglucomutase‐3. Finally, some of the isozymes of uridine diphosphate kinase in the fetal cells had slightly retarded mobility. These observed differences between fetal and adult red cells could reflect the expression of a different program of protein synthesis in red cells of the fetuses or the epigenetic modifications of isozymes in immature red cells.
Dyskeratosis congenita: Hematologic evaluation of a sibship and review of the literature
Authors: Trowbridge Arthur A. , Sirinavin Chintana , Linman James W.
Published: May 2013

Dyskeratosis conagenita is a rare genodermatosis whose hematologic complications include pancytopenia of variable time of onset, a propensity for opportunistic infections, and neoplasia. A family in which the disorder segregated in 3 generations and involved 9 members is reported, and the hematologic data of the 46 previously reported cases are reviewed.
Observations on the anemia and neutropenia of human copper deficiency
Authors: Zidar Bernard L. , Shadduck Richard K. , Zeigler Zella , Winkelstein Alan
Published: May 2013

Following extensive bowel resection, a young woman experienced severe malnutrition; subsequent administration of parenteral nutrition precipitated the copper deficiency syndrome. This consisted of hypocupremia, subnormal ceruloplasmin levels, anemia, and severe neutropenia. The bone marrow was megaloblastic, vacuolated, and sideroblastic; granulocytic maturation was not observed beyond the myelocyte stage. Copper sulfate therapy was followed by a marked reticulocytosis, increase in hematocrit, and recovery of neutrophils.

Additional studies indicated that both serum and urinary erythropoietin values were low; serum activity increased after copper supplementation. Abnormal granulopoiesis was demonstrated using the in vitro granulocyte colony assay. The patient's granulocytic stem cells were normal on two occasions; however, mixing studies showed that culture of the patient's copper‐deficient marrow with her copper‐deficient serum yielded significantly reduced numbers of granulocyte colonies. Thus, copper appears to be a necessary element for normal hematopoiesis; lack of this trace element may result in ineffective erythropoiesis and granulopoiesis.
Coagulopathy in amyloidosis: Combined deficiency of factors IX and X
Authors: McPherson Richard A. , Onstad John W. , Ugoretz Richard J. , Wolf Paul L.
Published: May 2013

Combined severe deficiencies of blood clotting factors IX and X were observed in 2 patients who suffered from systemic amyloidosis. This unique deficiency state was marked by refractoriness to Vitamin K as well as to transfusion therapy. Increased antithrombin activity was present in both individuals and corresponded in time to the emergence of a monoclonal IgG kappa light chain paraprotein in 1. Both patients demonstrated profound bleeding disorders. It is hypothesized that the Vitamin K dependent factors have special affinity for amyloid deposits due to an unusual amino acid (γ‐carboxyglutamic acid) present in these factors.
Synthesis of substituted biaryls via Suzuki, Stille and Hiyama cross‐coupling and homo‐coupling reactions by CN‐dimeric and monomeric ortho‐palladated catalysts
Authors: Hajipour Abdol R. , Rafiee Fatemeh
Published: May 2013

The catalytic activity of dimeric [Pd{C6H2(CH2CH2NH2)–(OMe)2,2,3}(μ‐Br)]2 and monomeric [Pd{C6H2(CH2CH2NH2)–(OMe)2,2,3}Br(PPh3)] complexes as efficient, stable and air‐ and moisture‐tolerant catalysts was investigated in the Suzuki, Stille and Hiyama cross‐coupling and homo‐coupling reactions of various aryl halides. Substituted biaryls were produced in excellent yields in short reaction times using catalytic amounts of these complexes. The monomeric complex was demonstrated to be more active than the corresponding dimeric catalyst for the cross‐coupling reaction of unreactive aryl bromides and chlorides. The combination of homogeneous metal catalysts and microwave irradiation gave higher yields of products in shorter reaction times. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation and characterization of cardanol‐based epoxy resin for coating at room temperature curing
Authors: Kanehashi Shinji , Yokoyama Kota , Masuda Risa , Kidesaki Takashi , Nagai Kazukiyo , Miyakoshi Tetsuo
Published: May 2013

Novel organic solvent‐free bio‐based epoxy resin for coating was prepared from cashew nut shell liquid which is one of renewable resources. The epoxy coating was fabricated by the reaction between amine compounds and epoxy cardanol prepolymer (ECP). The drying, physical, and thermal properties of the epoxy were investigated and compared with those of the commercial cashew coating. The ECP was synthesized by thermal polymerization under the various conditions. Based on the FT‐IR analysis, hydroxyl and carbonyl groups were generated, and viscosity increased with increasing heating temperature and time. On the other hand, the NMR analysis showed decrease in the degree of unsaturation in the side group of cardanol. Based on these results, the polymerization of the ECP could be autoxidized in the unsaturated group in the side chains. The drying time until harden dry of the ECP coating took about 2.5 h at room temperature, which is faster than that of the commercial cashew coating. This is because that the curing of ECP coating was based on the prepolymer (i.e., high molecular weight) and crosslink reaction between epoxy and amine groups. The ECP coating was rubbery state due to the flexible side chains of cardanol. Furthermore, the ECP coating improved chemical stability compared with the commercial cashew. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 2468–2478, 2013