bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of extended closing times of alcohol outlets on alcohol‐related injuries in the nightlife areas of Amsterdam: a controlled before‐and‐after evaluation
Authors: de Goeij Moniek C.M. , Veldhuizen Eleonore M. , Buster Marcel C.A. , Kunst Anton E.
Published: February 2015

Background and aims

The municipality of Amsterdam implemented a new alcohol policy allowing alcohol outlets in two of the five nightlife areas to extend their closing times from 1 April 2009 onwards. We investigated how levels and trends of alcohol‐related injuries changed after implementation of this alcohol policy, by comparing areas with extended closing times to those without.

Design

A controlled before‐and‐after evaluation to compare changes in alcohol‐related injuries between intervention and control areas.

Setting

Central district of Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Participants

Alcohol‐related ambulance attendances for control and intervention areas between 1 April 2006 and 1 April 2009 (respectively, n = 544 and n = 499) and between 1 April 2009 and 1 April 2011 (respectively, n = 357 and n = 480).

Measurements

Alcohol‐related injuries were defined as ambulance attendances for people who suffered from direct or indirect consequences of alcohol consumption. Injuries were counted per month in two intervention and three control nightlife areas. We used Poisson regression to assess changes in injuries.

Findings

After 1 April 2009, intervention areas showed a larger change in the level of alcohol‐related injuries than control areas [incidence rate ratio 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.12, 1.61], but trends remained stable in all areas. This increase was only statistically significant for the following subgroups: 2.00–5.59 a.m., weekend days, men, individuals aged 25–34 years, and people transported to a hospital. However, the increase did not differ between subgroups with statistical significance.

Conclusions

A 1‐hour extension of alcohol outlet closing times in some of Amsterdam's nightlife areas was associated with 34% more alcohol‐related injuries.
Heterogeneous dose–response and college student drinking: examining problem risks related to low drinking levels
Authors: Gruenewald Paul J. , Mair Christina
Published: February 2015

Background and aims

Previous research demonstrates that the number of problems related to each additional drink consumed on any drinking occasion, dose–response, varies non‐linearly across average drinking quantities. We test predictions from a dynamic model of drinking behavior that locates this heterogeneity in drinkers’ efforts to equilibrate between costs and benefits of use.

Design

Equations derived from the theoretical model are used to assess dose–response across drinking quantity subgroups using censored regressions.

Setting

Fourteen California, USA, college campuses surveyed from 2003 to 2011.

Participants

A total of 37 762 undergraduate college students 18 years of age and older.

Measurements

Drinking patterns, five physiological problems related to alcohol use (hangover, memory loss, medical treatment for overdose, nausea/vomiting, passing out) and student demographics.

Findings

The number of physiological problems related to each additional drink consumed was an inverse function of average drinking quantities (b = 0.2947, Z = 21.92, P<0.001), differed by drinker age (of‐age drinker b = –0.1144, Z = –3.95, P < 0.001) and gender (male b = –0.3379, Z = –18.56, P<0.001) and, at the population level, drinking three drinks per occasion was associated with the greatest number of problems.

Conclusions

Among US college students, all drinkers exhibit greater risks for physiological problems related to alcohol use (hangover, memory loss, medical treatment for overdose, nausea/vomiting, passing out) when drinking greater amounts of alcohol, but heavier drinkers (those who consume more on average) exhibit fewer problems for each additional drink consumed (less dose–response) than light and moderate drinkers. Light and moderate drinkers exhibit greater dose–response, with three drinks per occasion associated with the greatest number of problems.
Epidemiology of uveitis in a Western urban multiethnic population. The challenge of globalization
Authors: Llorenç Victor , Mesquida Marina , Sainz de la Maza Maite , Keller Johannes , Molins Blanca , Espinosa Gerard , Hernandez María V. , Gonzalez‐Martín Julian , Adán Alfredo
Published: February 2015

Purpose

To report the anatomical pattern and etiological spectrum of uveitis in an urban multi‐ethnic population from Barcelona, Spain. General and specific epidemiological data for the most prevalent aetiologies are also calculated.

Methods

A cross‐sectional study of consecutive uveitis cases was performed between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2012. Exogenous endophthalmitis, surgery‐related, post‐traumatic and toxic uveitis along with masquerade syndromes were excluded. Anatomical (Standard Uveitis Nomenclature criteria) and aetiological patterns (by tailored tests), age, sex, geographical origin and laterality were analysed. Mean incidence and prevalence were calculated for a mid‐period reference population.

Results

From 1022 patients included, 52% were anterior uveitis (AU), 23% posterior, 15% panuveitis and 9% intermediate uveitis. Aetiologically, 26% were unclassifiable, 29% infectious, 25% associated with systemic immune diseases, and 20% corresponded to ocular‐specific syndromes. Among classified causes, herpesvirus (12%), toxoplasma (7%), Behçet's disease (BD) (5%), HLA‐B27‐isolated AU (5%), ankylosing spondylitis (5%), tuberculosis‐related uveitis (TRU) (5%), birdshot chorioretinopathy (3%) and sarcoidosis (3%) were the most frequent. Non‐Spanish origin was recorded in 22%, with 47% of Vogt‐Koyanagi‐Harada and 36% of toxoplasma cases coming from South America, 10% of BD and 11% of TRU from Africa and 24% of TRU cases from Asia. A mean annual incidence of 51.91 cases/100 000 inhabitants was found for the referral population.

Conclusion

In our referral area, 74% of the uveitis cases can be correctly classified. A large myriad of uveitis aetiologies with a strong geographical origin burden are found in Western urban multi‐ethnic populations.
Limitations to the use of facilitation as a restoration tool in arid grazed savanna: a case study
Authors: Noumi Zouhaier , Chaieb Mohamed , Michalet Richard , Touzard Blaise
Published: February 2015

Question

There is increasing interest in using facilitation by nurse plants for restoring dry degraded ecosystems. However, most studies concern semi‐arid areas, and the efficiency and importance of facilitation in arid grazed areas is still poorly understood. The goal of this study was to determine to what extent positive interactions among plants could be used as a restoration tool in an arid grazed region (southern Tunisia). In particular, we examined variations in plant interactions, along with water stress, grazing intensity and the type of nurse plant (grass vs chenopod shrub).

Location

Acacia tortilis open woodland community of the National Park of Bou‐Hedma, Tunisia (33°30′ N, 9°38′ E).

Methods

Survival of transplants of Acacia was monitored during two growing seasons, with and without herbivores, in the presence/absence of a chenopod shrub and a perennial grass, and in three communities of contrasting water availability. We quantified the importance of biotic interactions and their variation across the community, grazing and neighbour type treatments.

Results

Competition was the only statistically significant interaction occurring between Acacia seedlings and both neighbours in all water and grazing conditions. The negative effect of neighbours was mostly for light and water. However, competition was important only at the start of the experiment during a relatively wet period, in the wettest community and in the absence of herbivores. Drought stress and disturbance were the most important drivers of target tree survival.

Conclusions

Facilitation cannot be used as a tool for ecological restoration in this arid system, mainly because the only available target tree species is too shade‐intolerant and drought‐tolerant to benefit from neighbours. In addition, the importance of plant–plant interactions vanished due to the overwhelming importance of stress and disturbance. Our study highlights the fact that nurse‐based ecological restoration should not be an automatic process, but must be tailored to the species and environment in question.
Combination of multiparametric MRI and transperineal template‐guided mapping biopsy of the prostate to identify candidates for hemi‐ablative focal therapy
Authors: Tran Minh , Thompson James , Böhm Maret , Pulbrook Marley , Moses Daniel , Shnier Ron , Brenner Phillip , Delprado Warick , Haynes Anne‐Maree , Savdie Richard , Stricker Phillip D.
Published: February 2015

Objective

To evaluate the accuracy of combined multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and transperineal template‐guided mapping biopsy (TTMB) for identifying lobes with significant prostate cancer (PCa) for the application of hemi‐ablative focal therapy (FT).

Patients and Methods

From January 2012 to January 2014, 89 consecutive patients, aged ≥40 years, with a PSA level ≤15 ng/mL, underwent in sequential order: mpMRI, TTMB and radical prostatectomy (RP) at a single centre. Analysis was performed on 50 patients who met consensus guidelines for FT. Lobes were stratified into lobes with significant cancer (LSC), lobes with insignificant cancer and lobes with no cancer. Using histopathology at RP, the predictive performance of combined mpMRI + TTMB in identifying LSC was evaluated.

Results

The sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value for mpMRI + TTMB for LSC were 97, 61 and 83%, respectively. The negative predictive value (NPV), the primary variable of interest, for mpMRI + TTMB for LSC was 91%. Of the 50 patients, 21 had significant unilateral disease on mpMRI + TTMB. Two of these 21 patients had significant bilateral disease on RP not identified on mpMRI + TTMB.

Conclusions

In the selection of candidates for FT, a combination of mpMRI and TTMB provides a high NPV in the detection of LSC.
Peer Mental Health Stigmatization Scale: psychometric properties of a questionnaire for children and adolescents
Authors: McKeague Lynn , Hennessy Eilis , O'Driscoll Claire , Heary Caroline
Published: February 2015

Background

The nature of stigmatizing attitudes towards children and adolescents with mental health problems has received little empirical attention, despite consensus that such attitudes are widespread. As a consequence, much less is known about stigma in childhood and adolescence and methods of stigma measurement are frequently borrowed from the adult literature. For research on this topic to develop, a theoretically based and developmentally appropriate measure is needed. This study aimed to develop a theory‐based peer stigma questionnaire suitable for children and adolescents.

Method

Participants were 562 children and adolescents aged 9–16 years (M = 12.99 years;SD = 1.6 years) in the Republic of Ireland, 316 female, all were White. The Peer Mental Health Stigmatization Scale (PMHSS) contains 24 statements (negative and positive) about peers with mental health problems that are rated on a 5‐point scale. Participants also completed the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Re‐test data was collected after 2 weeks from 109 participants.

Results

Principal Components Analysis on the negative statements indicate the presence of two components:Stigma Agreement, personal endorsement of stigmatising statements andStigma Awareness: awareness of prevailing societal stigma towards youth with mental health problems. The positive statements include three components:Intellectual Ability,RecoveryandFriendship.

Conclusions

ThePMHSSis a psychometrically sound instrument with good retest reliability suitable for use with older children and teenagers. Initial use of the scale suggests that personal endorsement of stigma is lower than perceptions of public stigma.
Left Ventricular Septolateral Mechanical Delay Is Associated with Reduced Long‐Term Survival in Systolic Heart Failure with Narrow QRS Duration: Nine‐Year Outcome in 109 Patients
Authors: Krishnan Srikanth , Verma Sanjay , Cheng Michael , Krishnan Rajagopal , Pai Ramdas G.
Published: February 2015

Background

The long‐term prognostic importance of left ventricular (LV) dyssynchrony in patients with systolic heart failure is not known. We investigated this question in 109 consecutive patients with systolic heart failure with an LV ejection fraction (EF) ≤35% and QRS duration <130 ms.

Methods

The cohort is a prospective series of 109 patients with EF ≤35% and QRS duration <130 ms who did not receive a defibrillator. Onset to onset septolateral and anteroposterior mechanical delays were computed from tissue Doppler velocity signals of the four quadrants of the mitral annulus and related to mortality.

Results

Patient characteristics included age 53 ± 12 years, 73% male, 23% with coronary artery disease, LVEF 24 ± 7%, LV end‐diastolic dimension 64 ± 9 mm, LV end‐systolic dimension 55 ± 9 mm, QRS duration 107 ± 30 ms, and 92 with QRS duration <120 ms. Over a follow‐up of 9 years, there were 51 deaths. Univariate predictors of mortality included LV septolateral delay (HR 1.01 per ms, P < 0.0001), anteroposterior delay (P = 0.003), and age (P = 0.005), but not EF, LV size, or QRS duration. Using Cox regression analysis, LV septolateral delay was an independent predictor of higher mortality (P = 0.0005) after adjusting for age, gender, EF, LV size, QRS duration, coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and use of beta blockers or angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibitors.

Conclusion

In patients with heart failure, LVEF ≤35% and QRSd < 130 ms, LV mechanical dyssynchrony is a strong and independent predictor of long‐term mortality.
Masked, diluted and drowned out: how global seafood trade weakens signals from marine ecosystems
Authors: Crona Beatrice I , Daw Tim M , Swartz Wilf , Norström Albert V , Nyström Magnus , Thyresson Matilda , Folke Carl , Hentati‐Sundberg Jonas , Österblom Henrik , Deutsch Lisa , Troell Max
Published: February 2015

Nearly 40% of seafood is traded internationally and an even bigger proportion is affected by international trade, yet scholarship on marine fisheries has focused on global trends in stocks and catches, or on dynamics of individual fisheries, with limited attention to the link between individual fisheries, global trade and distant consumers. This paper examines the usefulness of fish price as a feedback signal to consumers about the state of fisheries and marine ecosystems. We suggest that the current nature of fisheries systems and global markets prevent transmission of such price signals from source fisheries to consumers. We propose several mechanisms that combine to weaken price signals, and present one example – the North Sea cod – to show how these mechanisms can be tested. The lack of a reliable price feedback to consumers represents a challenge for sustainable fisheries governance. We therefore propose three complimentary approaches to address the missing feedback: (i) strengthening information flow through improved traceability and visibility of individual fishers to consumers, (ii) capitalizing on the changing seafood trade structures and (iii) bypassing and complementing market mechanisms by directly targeting citizens and political actors regarding marine environmental issues through publicity and information campaigns. These strategies each have limitations and thus need to be pursued together to address the challenge of sustainability in global marine fisheries.
Diagnoses, Relational Processes and Resourceful Dialogs: Tensions for Families and Family Therapy
Authors: Strong Tom
Published: February 2015

TheDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition(DSM‐5), given its psychiatric focus on mental disordersinindividuals, presents families and family therapists with challenges. Despite considerable controversies over its adoption, theDSM‐5extends a process of standardizing a language for human and relational concerns. No longer a diagnostic language of professionals alone, its use is medicalizing how mental health funders and administrators, as well as clients, respond to human concerns. For family therapists who practice systemically, particularly from poststructuralist and strengths‐based orientations, many tensions can follow when use of theDSM‐5is expected by mental health administrators and funders, or by clients who present concerns about themselves or a diagnosed family member. In this paper, I explore how suchDSM‐5related tensions might be recognized, navigated, and negotiated in the practice of family therapy with clients, and with administrators and funders.
Structure and proposed mechanism of l‐α‐glycerophosphate oxidase from Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Authors: Elkhal Callia K. , Kean Kelsey M. , Parsonage Derek , Maenpuen Somchart , Chaiyen Pimchai , Claiborne Al , Karplus P. Andrew
Published: February 2015

The formation of H2O2 by the FAD‐dependent l‐α‐glycerophosphate oxidase (GlpO) is important for the pathogenesis of Streptococcus pneumoniae and Mycoplasma pneumoniae. The structurally known GlpO from Streptococcus sp. (SspGlpO) is similar to the pneumococcal protein (SpGlpO) and provides a guide for drug design against that target. However, M. pneumoniae GlpO (MpGlpO), having < 20% sequence identity with structurally known GlpOs, appears to represent a second type of GlpO that we designate as type II GlpOs. In the present study, the recombinant His‐tagged MpGlpO structure is described at an approximate resolution of 2.5 Å, solved by molecular replacement using, as a search model, the Bordetella pertussis protein 3253 (Bp3253), comprising a protein of unknown function solved by structural genomics efforts. Recombinant MpGlpO is an active oxidase with a turnover number of approximately 580 min−1, whereas Bp3253 showed no GlpO activity. No substantial differences exist between the oxidized and dithionite‐reduced MpGlpO structures. Although, no liganded structures were determined, a comparison with the tartrate‐bound Bp3253 structure and consideration of residue conservation patterns guided the construction of a model for l‐α‐glycerophosphate (Glp) recognition and turnover by MpGlpO. The predicted binding mode also appears relevant for the type I GlpOs (such as SspGlpO) despite differences in substrate recognition residues, and it implicates a histidine conserved in type I and II Glp oxidases and dehydrogenases as the catalytic acid/base. The present study provides a solid foundation for guiding further studies of the mitochondrial Glp dehydrogenases, as well as for continued studies of M. pneumoniae and S. pneumoniae glycerol metabolism and the development of novel therapeutics targeting MpGlpO and SpGlpO.

Database

Structural data have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under accession numbers 4X9M (oxidized) and 4X9N (reduced).
Debates about African urbanisation, migration and economic growth: what can we learn from Zimbabwe and Zambia?
Authors: Potts Deborah
Published: February 2015

There has been much debate about whether patterns of urbanisation in sub‐Saharan Africa defy the usually accepted links between migration flows and economic geographies. In the 1980s and 1990s African urban economies were weak and increasingly informalised. The livelihoods of the majority of urban households became intensely vulnerable. However, the most widely accepted narrative was that rural–urban migration remained strong and rates of urban growth were unaffected, suggesting that African migrants ignored economic signals and that explanations of migrant behaviour must primarily be non‐economic. A new angle on this debate has now arisen: whether urbanisation in Africa generates economic growth or vice versa. This has been triggered by the much improved GDP growth rates which many African countries have experienced in the twenty‐first century, driven in large part by a commodity boom and increased demand for their natural resources. This paper seeks to contribute to these debates through a detailed analysis of the contrasting experiences of Zimbabwe and Zambia from the 1960s to today. Rates of urbanisation waxed and waned in both and were evidently affected by national economic development patterns which have been highly variable – to a significant extent the experience of each country in each decade has been the mirror image of the other. From this it is argued that, as elsewhere in the world, migration flows have been strongly influenced by economic opportunity. The evidence from these countries also supports the view that it is economic development that drives urbanisation, and not the other way round.
Factor VIII alloantibody inhibitors: cost analysis of immune tolerance induction vs. prophylaxis and on‐demand with bypass treatment
Authors: Earnshaw S. R. , Graham C. N. , McDade C. L. , Spears J. B. , Kessler C. M.
Published: February 2015

Development of inhibitors (alloantibodies to exogenous factor VIII) is the most significant treatment complication in patients with haemophilia A. The only proven way to eradicate inhibitors is through immune tolerance induction (ITI), while bypassing agents are typically employed to treat or prevent bleeds in patients with high titre inhibitors. Costs of these approaches have not been well studied. The aim of this study was to compare lifetime costs of treating patients with severe haemophilia A with inhibitors using on‐demand or prophylaxis treatment with bypassing agents and ITI. A decision‐analytic model was developed to compare the treatment costs and outcomes. Quantitation of the reduction in bleeding events for patients on prophylaxis and after eradication of inhibitors when on ITI and relapse of inhibitors was derived from published studies. Costs were obtained from standard US costing sources and are reported in 2014 US dollars. Costs and outcomes were discounted 3% per annum. Lifetime costs of treating patients with inhibitors are lower for ITI vs. on‐demand or prophylaxis. Patients are also projected to live longer, have greater quality‐adjusted life‐years, and have fewer bleeding events than patients treated on‐demand. Treating patients via ITI to eradicate inhibitors may result in lower lifetime costs and greater life‐years and quality‐adjusted life‐years than treating with bypassing agents.
High incidence of the hepatitis C virus recombinant 2k/1b in Georgia: Recommendations for testing and treatment
Authors: Karchava Marine , Waldenström Jesper , Parker Monica , Hallack Renee , Sharvadze Lali , Gatserelia Lana , Chkhartishvili Nikoloz , Dvali Natia , Dzigua Lela , Dolmazashvili Ekaterine , Norder Helene , Tsertsvadze Tengiz
Published: February 2015

Aim

The first hepatitis C virus (HCV) recombinant, RF2k/1b, was initially described from Russia and has since then been identified from patients in Ireland, Estonia, Uzbekistan and Cyprus. Many of these patients originated from Georgia; however, there is no information on its prevalence in Georgia or its susceptibility to antiviral treatment.

Methods

We retrospectively sequenced the non‐structural region 5B (NS5B) of the HCV genome in samples from 72 Georgian patients, 36 of whom had been treated with pegylated interferon and ribavirin.

Results

The HCV genotype was determined using the Versant HCV Genotype v2 kit. Based on this typing, 32 patients (44.4%) were infected with genotype 1, 21 (29.1%) genotype 2 and 19 (26.3%) genotype 3. Partial NS5B of these strains was sequenced and analyzed for type, with concordant genotype results for all type 1 and 3 strains. Discrepant results were observed for genotyped 2 strains, with 16 (76%) having NS5B of subtype 1b. On phylogenetic analysis, 15 NS5B sequences of these strains were found in a clade formed by recombinant RF2k/1b strains. The remaining discordant sequence was found within a clade formed by 1b strains.

Conclusion

Our findings show that the RF2k/1b recombinant strain is common among Georgian patients previously assumed to be infected with genotype 2. Because genotyping is mainly performed to decide treatment strategies, there is a need to determine the genotype by analysis of at least two genomic regions in strains from Georgian patients considered infected with genotype 2 based on standard HCV genotyping methods.
Are acinic cell carcinomas of the breast and salivary glands distinct diseases?
Authors: Piscuoglio Salvatore , Hodi Zsolt , Katabi Nora , Guerini‐Rocco Elena , Macedo Gabriel S , Ng Charlotte K Y , Edelweiss Marcia , De Mattos‐Arruda Leticia , Wen Hannah Y , Rakha Emad A , Ellis Ian O , Rubin Brian P , Weigelt Britta , Reis‐Filho Jorge S
Published: February 2015

Aims

Acinic cell carcinomas (AcCC) of the breast have been reported to constitute the breast counterpart of salivary gland AcCCs, based on the similarities of their histological and immunohistochemical features. Breast AcCC is a vanishingly rare form of triple‐negative breast cancer (TNBC). Recent studies have demonstrated that in TNBCs, the two driver genes most frequently mutated are TP53 (82%) and PIK3CA (10%). We sought to define whether breast AcCCs would harbour TP53 and PIK3CA somatic mutations, and if so, whether these would be present in salivary gland AcCCs.

Methods and results

Sanger sequencing of the entire coding region of TP53 and of PIK3CA hotspot mutation sites of 10 breast and 20 salivary gland microdissected AcCCs revealed eight TP53 (80%) and one PIK3CA (10%) somatic mutations in breast AcCCs. No somatic mutations affecting these genes were found in the 20 salivary gland AcCCs analysed.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that breast AcCCs display TP53 and PIK3CA mutations at frequencies similar to those of common types of TNBCs, whereas these genes appear not to be altered in salivary gland AcCCs, suggesting that despite their similar histological appearances, AcCCs of the breast and salivary glands probably constitute unrelated diseases.
A Raman spectroscopic study of meat protein/lipid interactions at protein/oil or protein/fat interfaces
Authors: Shao Jun‐Hua , Deng Ya‐Min , Zhou Guang‐Hong , Xu Xing‐Lian , Liu Deng‐Yong
Published: February 2015

Structural changes in proteins of meat, FC (fat cream layers) and OC (soya bean oil cream layers) were studied by Raman spectroscopy. Results revealed that adsorption of proteins to the cream layers resulted in a maximum scattering change from 1657 to 1661 cm−1, the intensity of amide I was significantly increased (P < 0.05), the percentages of secondary structures of proteins in the raw meat and meat cream layers were significantly different (P < 0.05), the bands near 540 and 475 cm−1 were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in intensities in the soya bean oil cream layer samples compared to raw meat alone, the normalised intensity of the tryptophan band near 758 cm−1, from 0.52 in the raw meat to 1.11 (fat cream layer) or 0.72 (soya bean oil cream layer). These results indicated that disulphide bonds, hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding were of the main interactions observed in proteins and lipids at the emulsion interface.
Hydroxypropylated microcrystalline pea starch: optimisation, functional characterisation
Authors: Hongbo Tang , Haibo Lin , Yanping Li , Siqing Dong
Published: February 2015

Pea starch (PS) appears to be very attractive for the peculiar physicochemical characteristics, which is used for the vermicelli, film‐forming material due to the high amylose content. The aim of this study was to optimise the hydroxypropylation technology parameters of the microcrystalline pea starch based on pea starch as a raw material, hydrochloric acid as an hydrolysis reagent, epoxy propane as an etherisation reagent by the Box–Behnken method. The thermal properties of hydroxypropylated microcrystalline pea starch were characterised by the thermogravimetric analyser and differential scanning calorimeter, respectively. Through the analysis of Design‐Expert software, the regression model and corresponding variances were obtained. In this case, the determination coefficient (R2) was 0.9631. This implied that 96.31% of the variation could be explained by the regression model. The best reaction conditions for preparing the hydroxypropylated microcrystalline pea starch were as follows: reaction temperature 40 °C, reaction time 16 h, amount of epoxy propane 14%, amount of sodium hydroxide 1.2% and amount of anhydrous sodium sulphate 12%. After the microcrystalline pea starch was hydroxypropylated, its peak temperature, melting enthalpy, temperature range of the endothermic peak increased, but its the thermal stability, onset temperature decreased.
Purification and characterisation of β‐mannanase from Lactobacillus plantarum (M24) and its applications in some fruit juices
Authors: Nadaroglu Hayrunnisa , Adiguzel Ahmet , Adiguzel Gulsah
Published: February 2015

β‐Mannanase was purified 2619.05‐fold from the Lactobacillus plantarum (M24) bacterium by ammonium sulphate precipitation and ion exchange chromatography (DEAE‐Sephadex). The purified enzyme gave two protein bands at a level of approximately 36.4 and 55.3 kDa in the SDS‐PAGE. The purified mannanase enzyme has shown its maximum activity at 50 °C and pH 8, and it has been also determined that the enzyme was stable at 5–11 pH range and over 50 °C. The Vmax and Km values have been identified as 82 mg mannan mL−1 and 0.178 mm, respectively. The effects of some metal ions such as Fe2+, Ca2+, Co2+, Ni2+, Mn2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ on the mannanase enzyme have been also investigated, and it has been determined that all metal ions had significant effects on the activation of the mannanase enzyme. In addition, the effectiveness of the purified mannanase enzyme on the clarification of some fruit juices such as orange, apricot, grape and apple has been investigated. During the clarification processes, the enzyme was more effective than crude extracts on the clarification of the peach juice with a ratio of 223.1% at most.
The effects of consumer's subjective and objective knowledge on perceptions and attitude towards genetically modified foods: objective knowledge as a determinant
Authors: Zhang Meng , Liu Guo‐Liang
Published: February 2015

Consumer's knowledge and perceptions are suspected of playing key roles in the formation of consumer's attitudes to genetically modified foods (GM foods). Specifically, the study distinguishes between consumer's objective and subjective knowledge and also distinguishes between risk and benefit perceptions. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact paths from consumer's different types of knowledge to consumer's attitudes towards GM foods purchase. A structural equation model (SEM) is constructed, and an empirical test is done using data from 570 consumer respondents collected from five representative cities in China. Interestingly, the paths from subjective knowledge to benefit perceptions (βH1 = −0.098, P = 0.085) and risk perceptions (βH2 = 0.098, P = 0.113) indicate that both the two paths are not significant, while the paths from objective knowledge to benefit receptions (βH3 = 0.769, P < 0.001) and risk perceptions (βH4 = −0.578, P < 0.001) imply that objective knowledge exerts great influence both on benefit and risk perceptions. That is to say, consumers’ objective knowledge rather than subjective knowledge plays an important role in the formation of consumer's attitudes to GM foods in urban China. This result is very different from (AgBioForum, 7, 2004 and 113). At the same time, the results show that in urban China, consumer's attitude towards GM Foods is significantly influenced both by benefit perceptions (βH5 = 0.649, P < 0.001) and risk perceptions (βH6 = −0.286, P < 0.001) but is mainly determined by benefit perceptions, and consumer's attitude towards GM foods is significantly related to his or her attitude towards GM foods purchase. Finally, recommendations for relevant industries and regulating agencies in the GM foods area and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Evaluation of the effects of different thawing methods on texture, colour and ascorbic acid retention of frozen hami melon (Cucumis melo var. saccharinus)
Authors: Wen Xin , Hu Rui , Zhao Jin‐Hong , Peng Yu , Ni Yuan‐Ying
Published: February 2015

The effects of different thawing methods (room temperature thawing, running water thawing, microwave thawing at 300 W, 500 W, 700 W and high‐pressure thawing at 100 MPa, 150 MPa, 200 MPa) on quality (drip loss, texture, colour, ascorbic acid contents and sensory quality) of frozen hami melon were investigated. The results showed that different thawing treatments affected the quality of hami melon significantly (P < 0.05). Samples thawed by microwave at 500 W best preserved ascorbic acid for nearly half of fresh hami melon. Less drip loss, texture damage and discolouring were observed for the samples thawed by microwave at 700 W than other thawed samples; however, serious ascorbic acid loss was detected. High‐pressure‐thawed samples exhibited shorter thawing time but severe quality losses. The results suggested that microwave thawing at 500 W was an appropriate method to thaw frozen hami melon with the highest sensory score (6.7).
Preparation and use of apple skin polyphenol extracts in milk: enhancement of the viability and adhesion of probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus (ATCC 1643) bacteria
Authors: Shinde Tanvi S. , Brooks John D. , Sun‐Waterhouse Dongxiao
Published: February 2015

This study explored the feasibility of using apple skin as a source for generating antioxidant extracts, that is ethanolic or aqueous apple skin polyphenol extract (ASPE) and examined the effects of such ASPEs and six purified polyphenols (PPs), that is rutin, epicatechin, phlorizin, cholorogenic acid, quercetin and p‐coumaric acid on the viability of probiotic bacteria (PB) Lactobacillus acidophilus in a PP‐enhanced milk drink at 4 °C and the in vitroPB adhesion to hydrophilic tissue culture microtitre plates (TCMPs) at 4 °C or 37 °C. The two ASPEs differed slightly in antioxidant activity, PP composition and total extracted PP, vitamin C and uronic acid contents. PB. had over 10× better viability in milk with added PPs than without over a 50‐day storage at 4 °C, while the aqueous extract was more effective than any of the pure PPs, except rutin. PB exhibited significantly greater potential adhesion to intestinal cells in the presence of the aqueous ASPE than the ethanolic ASPE or purified PP, while temperature (4 °C or 37 °C) had a negligible effect on adhesion. Use of apple skin as a source of PPs for enhancing PB functionality in dairy foods may offer a means of deriving value from this waste stream.
Role of decompressive hemicraniectomy in extensive middle cerebral artery strokes: a meta‐analysis of randomised trials
Authors: Back L. , Nagaraja V. , Kapur A. , Eslick G. D.
Published: February 2015

Background

Prognosis for patients with ‘malignant’ or space‐occupying oedema post middle cerebral artery infarct remains poor despite maximal medical therapy delivered in the intensive care setting.

Aim

We performed a meta‐analysis to evaluate the value of surgical decompression versus medical management alone in patients suffering from malignant middle cerebral artery infarct.

Methods

A systematic search was conducted using MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, Current Contents Connect, Cochrane library, Google Scholar, Science Direct and Web of Science. Original data was abstracted from each study and used to calculate a pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI).

Results

The overall OR for mRS 6 (death) at 6 months for decompressive surgery as compared with standard medical management revealed a statistically significant reduction with OR of 0.19 (95% CI: 0.10–0.37). The frequency of patients with mRS 2, 3 and 5 outcomes was higher in the decompressive surgery cohort; however, these outcomes did not reach statistical significance. On the other hand, the number of patients with a mRS score of 4 was significantly higher in the decompressive surgery cohort with an OR of 3.29 (95% CI: 1.76–6.13). The overall OR for mRS 6 (death) at 12 months for decompressive surgery as compared with standard medical management revealed a statistically significant reduction with OR of 0.17 (95% CI: 0.10–0.29). The frequency of patients with mRS 3 and 5 outcomes was higher in the decompressive surgery cohort; however, these outcomes did not reach statistical significance. On the other hand, the number of patients with a mRS score of 4 was significantly higher in the decompressive surgery cohort with an OR of 4.43 (95% CI: 2.27–8.66). In the long run it was also observed that the number of patients with a mRS score of 2 was significantly higher in the decompressive surgery cohort an OR of 4.51 (95% CI: 1.06–19.24).

Conclusions

Our results imply that surgical intervention decreased mortality of patients with fatal middle cerebral artery infarct at the expense of increasing the proportion suffering from substantial disability at the conclusion of follow up.
Assessing the use of initial oxygen therapy in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: a retrospective audit of pre‐hospital and hospital emergency management
Authors: Susanto C. , Thomas P. S.
Published: February 2015

Background

Carbon dioxide retention in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations can be a complication of oxygen therapy. Current recommendations suggest an inspired oxygen level (FiO2) < 0.28, aiming for saturation (SpO2) of 88–92% until arterial blood gas analysis is available.

Aims

This study aims to assess the use of O2 therapy and FiO2 in the emergency management of patients with a known diagnosis of COPD.

Methods

Retrospective audit of 150 COPD patients admitted over 18 months, data being extracted from the hospital records.

Results

Of the records reviewed, 57% were male, mean age 75 years. COPD was recognised in 53%. SpO2 recorded in 124 patients, with SpO2 < 88% seen in 40 patients. Oxygen was administered in 123 patients in ambulances; high flow in 111 patients, and only 12 patients received O2 therapy in line with the recommended FiO2 < 0.28. In the emergency department (ED), 112 patients received O2 supplementation; high flow given in 68 patients. Hypercapnia was seen in 71 patients; FiO2 > 0.28 given in 54 patients in ambulances and in 35 patients in ED. Non‐invasive ventilation was required in 53 patients; FiO2 > 0.28 given in 29 patients in the ED. Seven patients were admitted to intensive care unit, and 10 patients died.

Conclusion

High‐flow oxygen is used for the initial treatment of COPD exacerbations, but only 53% are recognised as having COPD. A FiO2 > 0.28 is often initiated before admission and continued in the ED. A larger study would be required to assess any possible harm of this approach, but education of those involved in the care of COPD patients may reduce the risk of complications of hypercapnia.
Relied upon for the heavy lifting: can employment protection legislation reforms lead the EU out of the jobs crisis?
Authors: Heyes Jason , Lewis Paul
Published: February 2015

This article examines the current drive within the European Union to weaken employment protection legislation. It subjects the case for reform to critical scrutiny and argues that labour market deregulation and the erosion of employment and social protections are reducing workers' security while failing to stimulate economic recovery.
Magnetoelectric Response in (1−x)PbZr0.65Ti0.35O3–xBaFe12O19 Multiferroic Ceramic Composites
Authors: Guerra José D. S. , Betal Soutik , Pal Madhuparna , Garcia José E. , Oliveira Adilson J. A. , M'Peko Jean‐Claude , Hernandes Antonio C. , Guo Ruyan , Bhalla Amar S.
Published: February 2015

The magnetoelectric (ME) properties of PbZr0.65Ti0.35O3–BaFe12O19 (PZT–BaM) multiferroic ceramic composites have been investigated in this work. These materials, containing both the ferroelectric PZT and ferrimagnetic BaM phases, were prepared from the conventional solid‐state reaction method, and their main (micro)structural characteristics are provided. The ME measurements were performed over wide frequency and temperature ranges, and the influence of the BaM content was appraised. An enhanced ME coefficient (α) was obtained for the applied magnetic field of 0.8 kOe, at 97 kHz. In addition, the results reveal a high thermal stability of α in the whole analyzed temperature range, showing that the studied PZT‐based ceramic composites have great potential for practical applications.
Artistic Understanding and Motivational Characteristics
Authors: Lekue Pablo
Published: February 2015

This study aims to analyse artistic understanding in primary and secondary education and the relationship between this understanding and motivational characteristics such as goal orientation, engagement in art activities and attitude to art education at school, which determine (according to prior research) learners' academic achievement, in this case the achievement of a group of young students aged between 10 and 17. A positive relationship was hypothesised between artistic understanding and achievement goals, engagement in art activities and attitudes towards art education, respectively. The results obtained partially support this hypothesis, since a statistically significant relationship was observed between artistic understanding and achievement goals, and the significant relationships hypothesised between artistic understanding and both engagement in art activities and attitudes to art education are largely supported by the findings of this study.
Of All Studies, Study Your Present Condition: Essay Review of Denis Dutton'sThe Art Instinct: Beauty, Pleasure, and Human Evolution(Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009)
Authors: McAleavey David
Published: February 2015

In this review I will assess the validity of Denis Dutton's provocative argument for Darwinian aesthetics. InThe Art InstinctDutton draws on the insights of Darwin and the evolutionary psychologists Geoffrey Miller and Steven Pinker to analyse art as the product of evolution. Pinker asserts on the dust cover that ‘this book marks out the future of the humanities – connecting aesthetics and criticism to an understanding of human nature from the cognitive and biological sciences' and that ‘Dutton has made a bold and original contribution to this exciting new field’. Miller's opinion ofThe Art Instinctis noticeable by its absence. In his review ofThe Art Instinct, arts academic Richard Hickman concludes: ‘for educators, if we accept that young people have an “art instinct”, then it is incumbent upon us to ensure that this instinct is nurtured and developed’. I agree. My aim is to critically assess Dutton's contribution and speculate about how it might inform future directions in educational research.
The Thesis, the Pendulum and the Battlefield
Authors: Ameri Amir
Published: February 2015

The debate over the design thesis is often entangled in the dialectics of the practical and the theoretical. Whether the argument is waged and weighted in favour of a practical emphasis or a theoretical emphasis, or more insidious, a judicious balance between the two, what is inevitably assumed in the debate is the possibility of drawing and/or locating a dividing line between the practical and the theoretical. This article explores the inherent contradictions of this dichotomy, that make the traditional definition of thesis – a theorem or a hypothesis regarding the nature of the phenomenon under investigation – a problematic definition for architecture. Inasmuch as architecture is, in each iteration, a cultural construct, it is always and already the formal expression or embodiment of a theory. To avoid the tautology of positing a theorem about a theorem or a hypothesis regarding a hypothesis, the design thesis may be defined, not as a theorem or a hypothesis, but as an analytical posture assumed or a critical stance taken on the theorem that is or should be the phenomenon under investigation. In this case, the question to ask at the outset of a design thesis is not what patent ‘theory’ should the proposed building speak of, but what arcane theory does its type historically hide under the rubrics of ‘function’ or ‘practical’ requirements? It must begin, in other words, by de‐familiarising the familiar.
Improving Student Engagement in Commercial Art and Design Programmes
Authors:   Rutherford
Published: February 2015

The continued viability of art and design programmes depends on our ability to produce graduates able to contribute successfully and confidently to the future of the creative industries. This in turn depends on our ability to lead students to develop both the ability and the motivation to learn. A significant proportion of our students however, are not adequately prepared or inclined to engage with the learning environment. Based on a review of the literature on student engagement, this article attempts to identify the origins and examine the impact of the perceptions and attitudes (the ‘mental pictures’) that currently limit our students' ability and inclination to engage as well as those factors (including the features of our programmes) through which these ‘mental pictures’ may be inadvertently reinforced. It then proposes a number of practical suggestions to make more effective use of the learning outcomes of art and design programmes in order to mitigate their influence and thereby improve both our graduates' capacity and inclination to become more competent professionals, as well as self‐directed learners.
Investigating the Role of Cultural Capital and Organisational Habitus in Architectural Education: A Case Study Approach
Authors: Payne Jennifer Chamberlin
Published: February 2015

Compared to other professions in recent years, architecture has lagged woefully behind in attracting and retaining a diverse population, as defined by class, race and gender. This research investigates the extent to which architecture culturally reproduces itself, specifically examining the socialisation process of students into the subculture of architecture during formal education. The work of French sociologist and anthropologist Pierre Bourdieu, who has written extensively on the subject of socialisation in education, serves as a theoretical framework for this research. Specifically, two factors are examined in this study: a student's level of cultural capital and the organisational habitus of the architecture programme. Using a comparative case study research strategy of two US schools of architecture, both quantitative and qualitative tactics are employed to provide a rich description of architecture students' and faculties' experiences. Building upon cultural reproduction and cultural mobility theories, findings from this research present a more nuanced understanding of students' backgrounds, beyond the typical dichotomous definition of high vs low cultural capital. Recommendations are made for architectural education to consider meaningful curricular reform in an effort to attract and engage a more diverse student population.