bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rural Modernity and the Wood Engraving Revival in Interwar England
Authors: Bluemel Kristin
Published: September 2014

‘Rural Modernity and the Wood Engraving Revival in Interwar England’ brings analysis of a specific kind of visual-verbal text, wood-engraved books about the English countryside, and the means of these texts' production, to bear upon debates over rural modernity -what is it, where is it, who owns it-in order to more thoroughly engage literary and arts scholars in debates over the meaning of modernity for rural England and rural England for modernity. Framed by analysis of the work of social historians and cultural critics of rural England and ‘Englishness’, it takes as its supporting case studies two mass-marketed books: A. G. Street's Farmer's Glory (1932), with wood engravings by Gwen Raverat, and Francis Brett Young's Portrait of a Village (1937), with wood engravings by Joan Hassall. I argue that these and other books with wood engravings have a special story to tell about the relation of this interwar ‘flood’ of printed matter to rural England, serving as uniquely productive meeting places for interwar writers, illustrators, publishers, and readers to participate in the paradoxical crisis of England's rural depression and modernisation.
Leptospira spp. in Domestic Cats from Different Environments: Prevalence of Antibodies and Risk Factors Associated with the Seropositivity
Authors: Azócar-Aedo Lucía , Monti Gustavo , Jara Ronald
Published: September 2014

Leptospirosis is an emerging zoonotic disease of worldwide distribution. A cross-sectional study was conducted in urban and rural environments in southern Chile (1) to detect domestic cats with serologic evidence of exposure to Leptospira spp.; (2) to determine the prevalence of anti-Leptospira antibodies; (3) to describe seroprevalences according to different characteristics of the animals, and (4) to identify risk factors associated with the seropositivity in the Microscopic Agglutination Test (MAT). Blood samples were taken from 124 owned cats. A frequentist and Bayesian approach were applied for prevalence estimation. The overall apparent prevalence of anti-Leptospira antibodies was 8.1% (95% Confident Interval = 3.9–4.3). With the Bayesian approach, the overall True Prevalence (TP) was 5.2% (95% Credibility Interval (CrI) = 0.6–12.4). The TP for urban cats was 1.8% (95% CrI = 0.1–7.2) and the TP for rural felines was 25.2% (95% CrI = 9.3–46.6). Cats that live in a place where agricultural activities are performed with water that flows in streams or backwater and cats that live in places near flooded areas had a higher risk of seropositivity in MAT. The exposure to Leptospira spp. in domestic cats of urban and rural origin in Southern Chile is a public health concern that requires an increased awareness and the implementation of preventive measures.
Effect of Season, Transport Length, Deck Location, and Lairage Length on Pork Quality and Blood Cortisol Concentrations of Market Hogs
Authors: Newman David , Young Jennifer , Carr Chad , Ryan Matt , Berg Eric
Published: September 2014

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of seasonal environment, transport conditions, and time in lairage on pork quality and serum cortisol concentrations. Market hogs were slaughtered during winter (n = 535), spring (n = 645), summer (n = 644), and fall (n = 488). Within season, hogs were randomly assigned to treatments in a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with 2 deck locations (top vs. bottom) and 2 transport and lairage durations (3 h vs. 6 h). Blood samples were collected at exsanguination for analysis of cortisol concentration. Loins were collected at 24 h postmortem for pork quality assessment. Season and deck did not have a main effect on cortisol concentrations or pork quality. Hogs transported 6 h had increased cortisol concentrations (103.0 vs. 95.5 ng/mL; P < 0.001) and decreased L* (52.49 vs. 52.69; P = 0.09), b* (6.28 vs. 6.36; P = 0.03), and hue angle (20.70 vs. 20.95; P = 0.03) compared to hogs transported 3 h. Hogs subjected to 6 h of lairage had increased 24-h pH (5.69 vs. 5.66; P = 0.005), a* (16.64 vs. 16.48; P < 0.0001), b* (6.42 vs. 6.22; P < 0.0001), saturation (17.85 vs. 17.64; P < 0.0001), and hue angle (21.01 vs. 20.65; P = 0.002) and decreased L* (52.49 vs. 52.69; P = 0.07) when compared to hogs subjected to 3 h of lairage.
STAT3: A Novel Molecular Mediator of Resistance to Chemoradiotherapy
Authors: Spitzner Melanie , Ebner Reinhard , Wolff Hendrik , Ghadimi B. , Wienands Jürgen , Grade Marian
Published: September 2014

Chemoradiotherapy (CRT) represents a standard treatment for many human cancers, frequently combined with radical surgical resection. However, a considerable percentage of primary cancers are at least partially resistant to CRT, which represents a substantial clinical problem, because it exposes cancer patients to the potential side effects of both irradiation and chemotherapy. It is therefore exceedingly important to determine the molecular characteristics underlying CRT-resistance and to identify novel molecular targets that can be manipulated to re-sensitize resistant tumors to CRT. In this review, we highlight much of the recent evidence suggesting that the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) plays a prominent role in mediating CRT-resistance, and we outline why inhibition of STAT3 holds great promise for future multimodal treatment concepts in oncology.
Classical Transient Receptor Potential 1 (TRPC1): Channel or Channel Regulator?
Authors: Dietrich Alexander , Fahlbusch Meike , Gudermann Thomas
Published: September 2014

In contrast to other Classical Transient Receptor Potential TRPC channels the function of TRPC1 as an ion channel is a matter of debate, because it is often difficult to obtain substantial functional signals over background in response to over-expression of TRPC1 alone. Along these lines, heterologously expressed TRPC1 is poorly translocated to the plasma membrane as a homotetramer and may not function on its own physiologically, but may rather be an important linker and regulator protein in heteromeric TRPC channel tetramers. However, due to the lack of specific TRPC1 antibodies able to detect native TRPC1 channels in primary cells, identification of functional TRPC1 containing heteromeric TRPC channel complexes in the plasma membrane is still challenging. Moreover, an extended TRPC1 cDNA, which was recently discovered, may seriously question results obtained in heterologous expression systems transfected with shortened cDNA versions. Therefore, this review will focus on the current status of research on TRPC1 function obtained in primary cells and a TRPC1-deficient mouse model.
Multi-Objective Planning of Multi-Type Distributed Generation Considering Timing Characteristics and Environmental Benefits
Authors: Gao Yajing , Liu Jianpeng , Yang Jin , Liang Haifeng , Zhang Jiancheng
Published: September 2014

This paper presents a novel approach to multi-type distributed generation (DG) planning based on the analysis of investment and income brought by grid-connected DG. Firstly, the timing characteristics of loads and DG outputs, as well as the environmental benefits of DG are analyzed. Then, on the basis of the classification of daily load sequences, the typical daily load sequence and the typical daily output sequence of DG per unit capacity can be computed. The proposed planning model takes the location, capacity and types of DG into account as optimization variables. An improved adaptive genetic algorithm is proposed to solve the model. Case studies have been carried out on the IEEE 14-node distribution system to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method and model.
Geography Geo-Wiki in the Classroom: Using Crowdsourcing to Enhance Geographical Teaching
Authors: Perger Christoph , LeDrew Ellsworth , See Linda , Fritz Steffen
Published: September 2014

Geo-Wiki is a crowdsourcing tool used to derive information, based on satellite imagery, to validate and enhance global land cover. Around 5000 users are registered, who contribute to different campaigns to collect data across various domains (e.g., agriculture, biomass, human impact, etc.). However, seeing the Earth’s surface from above does not provide all of the necessary information for understanding what is happening on the ground. Instead, we need to enhance this experience with local knowledge or with additional information, such as geo-located photographs of surface features with annotation. The latest development in enhancing Geo-Wiki in this context has been achieved through collaboration with the University of Waterloo to set up a separate branch called Geography Geo-Wiki for use in undergraduate teaching. We provide the pedagogical objectives for this branch and describe two modules that we have introduced in first and third year Physical Geography classes. The majority of the feedback was positive and in, many cases, was part of what the student liked best about the course. Future plans include the development of additional assignments for the study of environmental processes using Geo-Wiki that would engage students in a manner that is very different from that of conventional teaching.
Sequencing and Transcriptional Analysis of the Biosynthesis Gene Cluster of Abscisic Acid-Producing Botrytis cinerea
Authors: Gong Tao , Shu Dan , Yang Jie , Ding Zhong-Tao , Tan Hong
Published: September 2014

Botrytis cinerea is a model species with great importance as a pathogen of plants and has become used for biotechnological production of ABA. The ABA cluster of B. cinerea is composed of an open reading frame without significant similarities (bcaba3), followed by the genes (bcaba1 and bcaba2) encoding P450 monooxygenases and a gene probably coding for a short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (bcaba4). In B. cinerea ATCC58025, targeted inactivation of the genes in the cluster suggested at least three genes responsible for the hydroxylation at carbon atom C-1' and C-4' or oxidation at C-4' of ABA. Our group has identified an ABA-overproducing strain, B. cinerea TB-3-H8. To differentiate TB-3-H8 from other B. cinerea strains with the functional ABA cluster, the DNA sequence of the 12.11-kb region containing the cluster of B. cinerea TB-3-H8 was determined. Full-length cDNAs were also isolated for bcaba1, bcaba2, bcaba3 and bcaba4 from B. cinerea TB-3-H8. Sequence comparison of the four genes and their flanking regions respectively derived from B. cinerea TB-3-H8, B05.10 and T4 revealed that major variations were located in intergenic sequences. In B. cinerea TB-3-H8, the expression profiles of the four function genes under ABA high-yield conditions were also analyzed by real-time PCR.
The Protective Effect of MicroRNA-320 on Left Ventricular Remodeling after Myocardial Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in the Rat Model
Authors: Song Chun-Li , Liu Bin , Diao Hong-Ying , Shi Yong-Feng , Li Yang-Xue , Zhang Ji-Chang , Lu Yang , Wang Guan , Liu Jia , Yu Yun-Peng , Guo Zi-Yuan , Wang Jin-Peng , Zhao Zhuo , Liu Jian-Gen , Liu Yi-Hang , Liu Zhi-Xian , Cai Dan , Li Qian
Published: September 2014

The primary objective of this study investigated the role of microRNA-320 (miR-320) on left ventricular remodeling in the rat model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury, and we intended to explore the myocardial mechanism of miR-320-mediated myocardium protection. We collected 120 male Wistar rats (240–280 g) in this study and then randomly divided them into three groups: (1) sham surgery group (sham group: n = 40); (2) ischemia-reperfusion model group (I/R group: n = 40); and (3) I/R model with antagomir-320 group (I/R + antagomir-320 group: n = 40). Value changes of heart function in transesophageal echocardiography were recorded at various time points (day 1, day 3, day 7, day 15 and day 30) after surgery in each group. Myocardial sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and examined with optical microscope. The degree of myocardial fibrosis was assessed by Sirius Red staining. Terminal dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) and qRT-PCR methods were used to measure the apoptosis rate and to determine the miR-320 expression levels in myocardial tissues. Transesophageal echocardiography showed that the values of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular fractional shortening (LVFS), left ventricular systolic pressure (LVSP) and ±dp/dtmax in the I/R group were obviously lower than those in the sham group, while the left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) value was higher than that in the sham group. The values of LVEF, LVFS, LVSP and ±dp/dtmax showed a gradual decrease in the I/R group, while the LVEDP value showed an up tendency along with the extension of reperfusion time. The H&E staining revealed that rat myocardial tissue in the I/R group presented extensive myocardial damage; for the I/R + antagomir-320 group, however, the degree of damage in myocardial cells was obviously better than that of the I/R group. The Sirius Red staining results showed that the degree of myocardial fibrosis in the I/R group was more severe along with the extension of the time of reperfusion. For the I/R + antagomir-320 group, the degree of myocardial fibrosis was less severe than that in the I/R group. Tissues samples in both the sham and I/R + antagomir-320 groups showed a lower apoptosis rate compared to I/R group. The qRT-PCR results indicated that miR-320 expression in the I/R group was significantly higher than that in both the sham and I/R + antagomir-320 groups. The expression level of miR-320 is significantly up-regulated in the rat model of myocardial I/R injury, and it may be implicated in the prevention of myocardial I/R injury-triggered left ventricular remodeling.
Discovery and in Vivo Evaluation of Novel RGD-Modified Lipid-Polymer Hybrid Nanoparticles for Targeted Drug Delivery
Authors: Zhao Yinbo , Lin Dayong , Wu Fengbo , Guo Li , He Gu , Ouyang Liang , Song Xiangrong , Huang Wei , Li Xiang
Published: September 2014

In the current study, the lipid-shell and polymer-core hybrid nanoparticles (lpNPs) modified by Arg–Gly–Asp(RGD) peptide, loaded with curcumin (Cur), were developed by emulsification-solvent volatilization method. The RGD-modified hybrid nanoparticles (RGD–lpNPs) could overcome the poor water solubility of Cur to meet the requirement of intravenous administration and tumor active targeting. The obtained optimal RGD-lpNPs, composed of PLGA (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid))–mPEG (methoxyl poly(ethylene- glycol)), RGD–polyethylene glycol (PEG)–cholesterol (Chol) copolymers and lipids, had good entrapment efficiency, submicron size and negatively neutral surface charge. The core-shell structure of RGD–lpNPs was verified by TEM. Cytotoxicity analysis demonstrated that the RGD–lpNPs encapsulated Cur retained potent anti-tumor effects. Flow cytometry analysis revealed the cellular uptake of Cur encapsulated in the RGD–lpNPs was increased for human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Furthermore, Cur loaded RGD–lpNPs were more effective in inhibiting tumor growth in a subcutaneous B16 melanoma tumor model. The results of immunofluorescent and immunohistochemical studies by Cur loaded RGD–lpNPs therapies indicated that more apoptotic cells, fewer microvessels, and fewer proliferation-positive cells were observed. In conclusion, RGD–lpNPs encapsulating Cur were developed with enhanced anti-tumor activity in melanoma, and Cur loaded RGD–lpNPs represent an excellent tumor targeted formulation of Cur which might be an attractive candidate for cancer therapy.
Design, Synthesis and SAR Studies of NAD Analogues as Potent Inhibitors towards CD38 NADase
Authors: Wang Shengjun , Zhu Wenjie , Wang Xuan , Li Jianguo , Zhang Kehui , Zhang Liangren , Zhao Yong-Juan , Lee Hon , Zhang Lihe
Published: September 2014

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD), one of the most important coenzymes in the cells, is a substrate of the signaling enzyme CD38, by which NAD is converted to a second messenger, cyclic ADP-ribose, which releases calcium from intracellular calcium stores. Starting with 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoroarabinosyl-β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (ara-F NAD), a series of NAD analogues were synthesized and their activities to inhibit CD38 NAD glycohydrolase (NADase) were evaluated. The adenosine-modified analogues showed potent inhibitory activities, among which 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoroarabinosyl-β-nicotinamide guanine dinucleotide (ara-F NGD) was the most effective one. The structure-activity relationship of NAD analogues was also discussed.
Leucine Supplementation Accelerates Connective Tissue Repair of Injured Tibialis Anterior Muscle
Authors: Pereira Marcelo , Silva Meiricris , Carlassara Eduardo , Gonçalves Dawit , Abrahamsohn Paulo , Kettelhut Isis , Moriscot Anselmo , Aoki Marcelo , Miyabara Elen
Published: September 2014

This study investigated the effect of leucine supplementation on the skeletal muscle regenerative process, focusing on the remodeling of connective tissue of the fast twitch muscle tibialis anterior (TA). Young male Wistar rats were supplemented with leucine (1.35 g/kg per day); then, TA muscles from the left hind limb were cryolesioned and examined after 10 days. Although leucine supplementation induced increased protein synthesis, it was not sufficient to promote an increase in the cross-sectional area (CSA) of regenerating myofibers (p > 0.05) from TA muscles. However, leucine supplementation reduced the amount of collagen and the activation of phosphorylated transforming growth factor-β receptor type I (TβR-I) and Smad2/3 in regenerating muscles (p < 0.05). Leucine also reduced neonatal myosin heavy chain (MyHC-n) (p < 0.05), increased adult MyHC-II expression (p < 0.05) and prevented the decrease in maximum tetanic strength in regenerating TA muscles (p < 0.05). Our results suggest that leucine supplementation accelerates connective tissue repair and consequent function of regenerating TA through the attenuation of TβR-I and Smad2/3 activation. Therefore, future studies are warranted to investigate leucine supplementation as a nutritional strategy to prevent or attenuate muscle fibrosis in patients with several muscle diseases.
Earth Observation-Based Dwelling Detection Approaches in a Highly Complex Refugee Camp Environment — A Comparative Study
Authors: Spröhnle Kristin , Tiede Dirk , Schoepfer Elisabeth , Füreder Petra , Svanberg Anna , Rost Torbjörn
Published: September 2014

For effective management of refugee camps or camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) relief organizations need up-to-date information on the camp situation. In cases where detailed field assessments are not available, Earth observation (EO) data can provide important information to get a better overview about the general situation on the ground. In this study, different approaches for dwelling detection were tested using the example of a highly complex camp site in Somalia. On the basis of GeoEye-1 imagery, semi-automatic object-based and manual image analysis approaches were applied, compared and evaluated regarding their analysis results (absolute numbers, population estimation, spatial pattern), statistical correlations and production time. Although even the results of the visual image interpretation vary considerably between the interpreters, there is a similar pattern resulting from all methods, which shows same tendencies for dense and sparse populated areas. The statistical analyses revealed that all approaches have problems in the more complex areas, whereas there is a higher variance in manual interpretations with increasing complexity. The application of advanced rule sets in an object-based environment allowed a more consistent feature extraction in the area under investigation that can be obtained at a fraction of the time compared to visual image interpretation if large areas have to be observed.
Study of the Penetration Bias of ENVISAT Altimeter Observations over Antarctica in Comparison to ICESat Observations
Authors: Michel Aurélie , Flament Thomas , Rémy Frédérique
Published: September 2014

The aim of this article is to characterize the penetration bias of the ENVIronmental SATellite (ENVISAT) radar altimeter over the Antarctic ice sheet through comparison with the more accurate measurements of the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) altimeter at crossover points. We studied the difference between ENVISAT and ICESat fluctuations over six years. We observed the same patterns between the leading edge width and the elevation difference. Both parameters are linked, and the major bias is due to the lengthening of the leading edge width due to the radar penetration. We show that the elevation difference between both altimeters and the leading edge width are linearly well-linked with a 0.8 Pearson correlation coefficient, whereas the slope effect over the coasts is difficult to analyze. When we analyze each crossover point temporal evolution locally, the linear correlation between the leading edge width and the elevation difference is between −0.6 and −1. Fitting a linear model between them, we find a reliability index greater than 0.7 for the Antarctic Plateau and Dronning Maud Land, which confirms that the penetration effect has a linear influence on the retrieved height. Moreover, we present results from SARAL/AltiKa (launched in February 2013) that confirm SARAL/AltiKa accuracy and the promising information it will provide.
Single-Molecule Study of Proteins by Biological Nanopore Sensors
Authors: Wu Dongmei , Bi Sheng , Zhang Liyu , Yang Jun
Published: September 2014

Nanopore technology has been developed for detecting properties of proteins through monitoring of ionic current modulations as protein passes via a nanosize pore. As a real-time, sensitive, selective and stable technology, biological nanopores are of widespread concern. Here, we introduce the background of nanopore researches in the area of α-hemolysin (α-HL) nanopores in protein conformation detections and protein–ligand interactions. Moreover, several original biological nanopores are also introduced with various features and functions.
Green Transformational Leadership and Green Performance: The Mediation Effects of Green Mindfulness and Green Self-Efficacy
Authors: Chen Yu-Shan , Chang Ching-Hsun , Lin Yu-Hsien
Published: September 2014

No prior literature explores the influence of green transformational leadership on green performance, thus, this study develops a novel research framework to fill the research gap. This study investigates the influence of green transformational leadership on green performance and discusses the mediation effects of green mindfulness and green self-efficacy by means of structural equation modeling (SEM). The results indicate that green transformational leadership positively influences green mindfulness, green self-efficacy, and green performance. Moreover, this study demonstrates that the positive relationship between green transformational leadership and green performance is partially mediated by the two mediators: green mindfulness and green self-efficacy. It means that green transformational leadership can not only directly affect green performance positively but also indirectly affect it positively through green mindfulness and green self-efficacy. Therefore, firms need to raise their green transformational leadership, green mindfulness, and green self-efficacy to increase their green performance.
Sustainable and Resilient Supply Chain Network Design under Disruption Risks
Authors: Mari Sonia , Lee Young , Memon Muhammad
Published: September 2014

Sustainable supply chain network design is a rich area for academic research that is still in its infancy and has potential to affect supply chain performance. Increasing regulations for carbon and waste management are forcing firms to consider their supply chains from ecological and social objectives, but in reality, however, facilities and the links connecting them are disrupted from time to time, due to poor weather, natural or manmade disasters or a combination of any other factors. Supply chain systems drop their sustainability objectives while coping with these unexpected disruptions. Hence, the new challenges for supply chain managers are to design an efficient and effective supply chain network that will be resilient enough to bounce back from any disruption and that also should have sufficient vigilance to offer same sustainability under a disruption state. This paper focuses on ecological sustainability, because an environmental focus in a supply chain system is more important and also links with other pillars of sustainability, as the products need to be produced, packed and transported in an ethical way, which should not harm social balance and the environment. Owing to importance of the considered issue, this paper attempts to introduce a network optimization model for a sustainable and resilient supply chain network by incorporating (1) sustainability via carbon emissions and embodied carbon footprints and (2) resilience by incorporating location-specific risks. The proposed goal programming (GP) model optimizes the total cost, while considering the resilience and sustainability of the supply chain network.
Environmental Sustainability and Economic Benefits of Dairy Farm Biogas Energy Production: A Case Study in Umbria
Authors: Torquati Biancamaria , Venanzi Sonia , Ciani Adriano , Diotallevi Francesco , Tamburi Vincenzo
Published: September 2014

Accelerating demand to reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuels has been driving widespread attention to renewable fuels, such as biogas. In fact, in the last decade numerous policy guidelines and laws regarding energy, the environment and agriculture have been issued to encourage the use of animal sewage as a raw material for the production of biogas. The production of energy from biogas in a dairy farm can provide a good opportunity for sustainable rural development, augmenting the farm’s income from traditional sources and helping to reduce the overall environmental impact of the energy sector. This paper investigates the trade-off between the environmental and economic benefits of an agro-energy farm in the Umbria region of Italy that employs livestock sewage and manure, dedicated energy crops (corn and triticale silage) and olive waste. The environmental analysis was performed using the LCA methodology, while the economic investigation was carried out by reconstructing the economic balance of the agro-energetic supply chain based on the budgets of each activity performed. The LCA results show, on the one hand, the predominant weight of producing dedicated crops compared to all other processes in the supply chain and, on the other hand, a significant reduction in environmental impact compared to that caused by energy production from fossil fuels. Economic analysis revealed that the results depend significantly on what rate per kWh the government incentives guarantee to agricultural producers of renewable energy.
Determinants of Farmers’ Willingness to Pay and Its Level for Ecological Compensation of Poyang Lake Wetland, China: A Household-Level Survey
Authors: Kong Fanbin , Xiong Kai , Zhang Ning
Published: September 2014

This study examines the determinants of farmers’ willingness to pay (WTP) and their payment levels for ecological compensation of the Poyang Lake Wetland in China. We developed a farmer household survey and gathered 292 effective responses. The contingent valuation method (CVM) and Heckman’s two-step model were employed for the empirical study. Results show that 46.58% of farmers are willing to pay ecological compensation, with an average price of $64.39/household per year. The influencing factors that significantly influence farmers’ WTP include household income, residential location, emphasis on improvement of wetland resources, arable land area, and contracted water area. In addition, household income, residential location, arable land area, and contracted water area are significantly related to their payment levels. The results of this empirical study inform important policy implications and recommendations.
A Novel Bradykinin-Related Dodecapeptide (RVALPPGFTPLR) from the Skin Secretion of the Fujian Large-Headed Frog (Limnonectes fujianensis) Exhibiting Unusual Structural and Functional Features
Authors: Shi Daning , Luo Yu , Du Qiang , Wang Lei , Zhou Mei , Ma Jie , Li Renjie , Chen Tianbao , Shaw Chris
Published: September 2014

Bradykinin-related peptides (BRPs) are significant components of the defensive skin secretions of many anuran amphibians, and these secretions represent the source of the most diverse spectrum of such peptides so far encountered in nature. Of the many families of bioactive peptides that have been identified from this source, the BRPs uniquely appear to represent homologues of counterparts that have specific distributions and receptor targets within discrete vertebrate taxa, ranging from fishes through mammals. Their broad spectra of actions, including pain and inflammation induction and smooth muscle effects, make these peptides ideal weapons in predator deterrence. Here, we describe a novel 12-mer BRP (RVALPPGFTPLR-RVAL-(L1, T6, L8)-bradykinin) from the skin secretion of the Fujian large-headed frog (Limnonectes fujianensis). The C-terminal 9 residues of this BRP (-LPPGFTPLR) exhibit three amino acid substitutions (L/R at Position 1, T/S at Position 6 and L/F at Position 8) when compared to canonical mammalian bradykinin (BK), but are identical to the kinin sequence present within the cloned kininogen-2 from the Chinese soft-shelled turtle (Pelodiscus sinensis) and differ from that encoded by kininogen-2 of the Tibetan ground tit (Pseudopodoces humilis) at just a single site (F/L at Position 8). These data would imply that the novel BRP is an amphibian defensive agent against predation by sympatric turtles and also that the primary structure of the avian BK, ornithokinin (RPPGFTPLR), is not invariant within this taxon. Synthetic RVAL-(L1, T6, L8)-bradykinin was found to be an antagonist of BK-induced rat tail artery smooth muscle relaxation acting via the B2-receptor.
The influence of molecular mobility on the properties of networks of gold nanoparticles and organic ligands
Authors: Devid Edwin J , Martinho Paulo N , Kamalakar M Venkata , Prendergast Úna , Kübel Christian , Lemma Tibebe , Dayen Jean-François , Keyes Tia E , Doudin Bernard , Ruben Mario , van der Molen Sense Jan
Published: September 2014

We prepare and investigate two-dimensional (2D) single-layer arrays and multilayered networks of gold nanoparticles derivatized with conjugated hetero-aromatic molecules, i.e., S-(4-{[2,6-bipyrazol-1-yl)pyrid-4-yl]ethynyl}phenyl)thiolate (herein S-BPP), as capping ligands. These structures are fabricated by a combination of self-assembly and microcontact printing techniques, and are characterized by electron microscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Selective binding of the S-BPP molecules to the gold nanoparticles through Au–S bonds is found, with no evidence for the formation of N–Au bonds between the pyridine or pyrazole groups of BPP and the gold surface. Subtle, but significant shifts with temperature of specific Raman S-BPP modes are also observed. We attribute these to dynamic changes in the orientation and/or increased mobility of the molecules on the gold nanoparticle facets. As for their conductance, the temperature-dependence for S-BPP networks differs significantly from standard alkanethiol-capped networks, especially above 220 K. Relating the latter two observations, we propose that dynamic changes in the molecular layers effectively lower the molecular tunnel barrier for BPP-based arrays at higher temperatures.
Evaluating the Impact of Palliative or Hospice Care Provided in Nursing Homes
Authors: Cimino Nina M. , McPherson Mary Lynn
Published: September 2014

Palliative and hospice care are increasingly being provided in nursing home settings. The current article reviews the existing evidence relevant to nursing homes to provide practitioners with a greater understanding of the impact of palliative and hospice care on clinical care outcomes (e.g., pain, symptom management), processes of care outcomes (e.g., hospitalizations, cost of care), and family member or health care proxy perceptions of care. Overall, the provision of hospice or palliative care in nursing facilities can improve the clinical care residents receive, reduce hospitalizations, and improve family members’ perception of care. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 40(10), 10–14.]

Dr. Cimino is Assistant Professor, and Dr. McPherson is Professor and Vice Chair for Education, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Baltimore, Maryland.

The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.

Address correspondence to Nina M. Cimino, PharmD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, 20 North Pine Street, Room S415, Baltimore, MD 21201; e-mail:
ncimino@rx.umaryland.edu.

 Posted Online: October 03, 2014
Evaluation of an Integrated Simulation Courseware in a Pediatric Nursing Practicum
Authors: Shin Hyunsook , Kim Mi Ja
Published: September 2014

This study examined the effect of integrated pediatric nursing simulation courseware on students’ critical thinking and clinical judgment. Ninety-five senior nursing students participated in this study. Every student followed the established courseware schedule, as well as the regular pediatric nursing practicum. The courseware schedule included two simple simulation scenarios and one comprehensive scenario on the first day of the first, second, and third weeks of the practicum. Students’ critical thinking scores showed significant improvement after the use of simulation courseware using high-fidelity simulators and standardized patients. No significant predictors were found for improvement in critical thinking, but bivariate transformation of upper and lower groups in critical thinking achievement revealed a significant difference in the clinical judgment ability between the two groups. Simulation courseware supplementation is an innovative learning strategy for improving nursing students’ critical thinking and clinical judgment during clinical practicum. Clinical judgment may play a role in facilitating nursing student improvement in critical thinking ability. [
J Nurs Educ.
2014;53(10):589–594.]
Cyberbullying
Authors: Reychav Iris , Sukenik Shraga
Published: September 2014

In the 21st century, thus far, we have seen a growing dependence on and usage of the Internet and communications technology. This has been especially true for youth who spend much of their time communicating in cyber space. This allows for developing and maintaining relationships. At the same time, an ugly and dangerous phenomenon called cyber bullying has reared its head. In this chapter, the authors discuss various aspects of this phenomenon, including, but not limited to, incidence rates, comparison to traditional bullying, risk factors for being involved either as a bully or a victim, how it affects its victims, relevant legal aspects, and most importantly, how to defend against it. The discussion of coping strategies is especially detailed and provide suggestions for schools, parents, bystanders, victims, and broader society.
Composition of the Top Management Team and Information Security Breaches
Authors: Hsu Carol , Wang Tawei
Published: September 2014

Given the multifaceted problems and complexities of information security, the manner in which top management teams make investment and management decisions regarding security technologies, policy initiatives, and employee education could have a significant impact on the likelihood of information security breaches in organizations. In the context of information security management, it is not clear from management literature regarding how the characteristics of the top management team are associated with the possibility of information security breaches. The results demonstrate that the average length and heterogeneity of tenure could increase the possibility of breaches. However, age heterogeneity and the size of the top management team are negatively related to such a possibility. In addition, the findings suggest a nonlinear association between average age and tenure and the possibility of security breaches. The authors conclude the chapter with theoretical and practical implications on the organizational and managerial aspects of information security management.
Privacy Compliance Requirements in Workflow Environments
Authors: Koukovini Maria N. , Papagiannakopoulou Eugenia I. , Lioudakis Georgios V. , Dellas Nikolaos L. , Kaklamani Dimitra I. , Venieris Iakovos S.
Published: September 2014

Workflow management systems are used to run day-to-day applications in numerous domains, often including exchange and processing of sensitive data. Their native “leakage-proneness,” being the consequence of their distributed and collaborative nature, calls for sophisticated mechanisms able to guarantee proper enforcement of the necessary privacy protection measures. Motivated by the principles of Privacy by Design and its potential for workflow environments, this chapter investigates the associated issues, challenges, and requirements. With the legal and regulatory provisions regarding privacy in information systems as a baseline, the chapter elaborates on the challenges and derived requirements in the context of workflow environments, taking into account the particular needs and implications of the latter. Further, it highlights important aspects that need to be considered regarding, on the one hand, the incorporation of privacy-enhancing features in the workflow models themselves and, on the other, the evaluation of the latter against privacy provisions.
Can Total Quality Management Exist in Cyber Security
Authors: Raisinghani Mahesh S.
Published: September 2014

This chapter examines the threats in cyber security. It identifies the risk of cyber attacks and argues the inability to defend against those threats in a cyber security program. The introduction provides a brief history of cyber security and how the information highway arrived at this point in cyber security. The first analysis examines the threats in cyber security in personal, private, and government computer systems. The second analysis examines the approaches to attacking those systems. The third analysis examines threats against private companies and government agencies. The final analysis examines major threats to cyber security.
A Study of Green Marketing Practices in Indian Companies
Authors: Ghodeswar Bhimrao , Kumar Prashant
Published: September 2014

The article aims to study green marketing practices and to identify what determines green marketing orientation for a company. A questionnaire-based survey method was adopted for the data collection from 220 companies in India. The data were analyzed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Further, the proposed hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. Product design innovations, responsible sourcing, recycling practices, price setting behaviour, ethical standards, responsible advertising, green communication practices, building green product credibility and consumer engagement practices were identified as core green marketing practices that determine green marketing orientation. Results of the study offer the elements of green marketing mix and a broad understanding of green marketing orientation. The study is limited for not making substantial inferences between different industries or specific company types. Results of the study enable green marketers to understand the ways of developing environmental orientation of their marketing activities aimed to produce profitable exchanges through increased levels of adaptation to the market. The study makes significant contribution in developing multi-disciplinary approach for conceptual development in green marketing and is one of its own kinds to study green marketing orientation.
Integration of Web 2.0 Tools into Non-Formal Learning Practices
Authors: Kok Ayse
Published: September 2014

This research identified the specific benefits of online collaboration tools, and explored how their usage has been appropriated by employee volunteers for their practice of volunteering and how they influenced the process of their meaning-making. By doing so, it raised an awareness of the digital tools that provide collections of traits through which individuals can get involved in non-formal learning practices by having digital interactions with others.
Mobile ICTs in Government Field Operations
Authors: Scholl Hans J.
Published: September 2014

The authors investigated the unfolding of an innovation project in field operations of City government, which introduced mobile information and communication technologies (ICTs) for field crews. The implementation of mobile technology had to overcome several serious socio-technical challenges, the lessons learned from which were instrumental for the project's ultimate success. The authors collected data using a seven-layer framework and interpreted the rich data from multiple field cases from a structurationist perspective. The authors found this approach, which is referred to as situated action analysis, particularly useful for elucidating the observed feedbacks between human action/interaction (human agency), the shaping of the information technology (IT) artifact, and the organizational structure within their socio-technical context.
Cost Effective for Erlang Traffic of Mobile Learning Over the Clouds
Authors: Htun Khaing Sandar
Published: September 2014

The progression of technology in this up-to-the-minute era keeps on booming rapidly from time to time (Aljabre, 2012). Cloud computing is the today's latest trend which offers unlimited and flexible shared storage server in a computer system. It can be used by any organizations and institutions. It provides services anytime anywhere. It gives user satisfaction because it enhances efficiency, preserves resource utilization, and improves information sharing. This technology is very beneficial to mobile learners as it helps eliminate problems of distance barrier and the access to education in different geographical locations. Software licensing and manpower training are no longer needed with this latest technology. However real-time applications have constraint with their response time. This paper investigates the cost effective for Erlang traffic of Mobile Learning over the clouds. Throughputs over cost are analyzed. The analysis results that although Google Cloud offers a poor performance but it is the most cost effective compared to the other four clouds.
Schema Change Operations for Full Support of Schema Versioning in the τXSchema Framework
Authors: Brahmia Zouhaier , Grandi Fabio , Oliboni Barbara , Bouaziz Rafik
Published: September 2014

tXSchema (Currim et al., 2004) is a framework (a language and a suite of tools) for the creation and validation of time-varying XML documents. A tXSchema schema is composed of a conventional XML Schema annotated with physical and logical annotations. All components of a tXSchema schema can evolve over time to reflect changes in the real-world. Since many applications need to keep track of both data and schema evolution, schema versioning has been long advocated to be the best solution to do this. In this paper, we complete the tXSchema framework, which is predisposed from the origin to support schema versioning, with the definition of the operations which are necessary to exploit such feature and make schema versioning functionalities available to final users. Moreover, we propose a new technique for schema versioning in tXSchema, allowing a complete and safe management of schema changes. It supports both versioning of conventional schema and versioning of annotations, in an integrated manner. For each component of a tXSchema schema, our approach provides a complete and sound set of change primitives and a set of high-level change operations, for the maintenance of such a component and defines their operational semantics.
An Efficient and Accurate Discovery of Frequent Patterns Using Improved WARM to Handle Large Web Log Data
Authors: Mary Sahaaya Arul , Malarvizhi M.
Published: September 2014

In the booming era of Internet, web search is inevitable to everyone. In web search, mining frequent pattern is a challenging one, particularly when handling tera byte size databases. Finding solution for these issues have primarily started attracting the key researchers. Due to high the demand in finding the best search methods, it is very important and interesting to predict the user's next request. The number of frequent item sets and the database scanning time should be reduced for fast generating frequent pattern mining. It fulfills user's accurate need in a magic of time and offers a customized navigation. Association Rule mining plays key role in discovering associated web pages and many researchers are using Apriori algorithm with binary representation in this area. But it does not provide best solution for finding navigation order of web pages. To overcome this, weighted Apriori was introduced. But still, it is difficult to produce most favorable results especially in large databases. In the effort of finding best solution, the authors have proposed a novel approach which combines weighted Apriori and dynamic programming. The conducted experiments so far, shows' better tracking of maintaining navigation order and gives the confidence of making the best possible results. The proposed approach enriches the web site effectiveness, raises the knowledge in surfing, ensures prediction accuracies and achieves less complexity in computing with very large databases.
CMAC Based Hybrid Control System for Solving Electrohydraulic System Nonlinearities
Authors: Shafik Amro , Abdelhameed Magdy , Kassem Ahmed
Published: September 2014

Automation based electrohydraulic servo systems have a wide range of applications in nowadays industry. However, they still suffer from several nonlinearities like deadband in electrohydraulic valves, hysteresis, stick-slip friction in valves and cylinders. In addition, all hydraulic system parameters have uncertainties in their values due to the change of temperature while working. This paper addresses these problems by designing a suitable intelligent control system that has the ability to deal with the system nonlinearities and parameters uncertainties using a fast and online learning algorithm. A novel hybrid control system based on Cerebellar Model Articulation Controller (CMAC) neural network is presented. The proposed controller is composed of two parallel controllers. The first is a conventional Proportional-Velocity (PV) servo type controller which is used to decrease the large initial error of the closed-loop system. The second is a CMAC neural network which is used as an intelligent controller to overcome nonlinear characteristics of the electrohydraulic system. A fourth order model for the electrohydraulic system is introduced. PV controller parameters are tuned to get optimal values. Simulation and experimental results show a good tracking performance obtained using the proposed controller. The controller shows its robustness in two working environments. The first is by adding different inertia loads and the second is working with noisy level input signals.
Educational Innovation Successful Cases: Part 1
Authors: García-Peñalvo Francisco J.
Published: September 2014

Educational innovation is a key factor to improve educational goals and learning outcomes. There are very good practices in different contexts that may be reused and adapted in other ones, however these good practices are difficult to find and share, this means teachers repeat again and again the same “innovative” practices with local results and an overall idea of reinventing the wheel than produce a valuable improvement or adaptation of an existing practice. This special issue (organized in two parts) tries to share some interesting teaching practices that may be adopted and adapted in other different contexts and subjects.