bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Refilling medications through an online patient portal: consistent improvements in adherence across racial/ethnic groups
Authors: Lyles Courtney R. , Sarkar Urmimala , Schillinger Dean , Ralston James D. , Allen Jill Y. , Nguyen Robert , Karter Andrew J.
Published: September 2015

Objective Online patient portals are being widely implemented; however, no studies have examined whether portals influence health behaviors or outcomes similarly across patient racial/ethnic subgroups. We evaluated longitudinal changes in statin adherence to determine whether racial/ethnic minorities initiating use of the online refill function in patient portals had similar changes over time compared with Whites.

Methods We examined a retrospective cohort of diabetes patients who were existing patient portal users. The primary exposure was initiating online refill use (either exclusively for all statin refills or occasionally for some refills), compared with using the portal for other tasks (eg, exchanging secure messages with providers). The primary outcome was change in statin adherence, measured as the percentage of time a patient was without a supply of statins. Adjusted generalized estimating equation models controlled for race/ethnicity as a primary interaction term.

Results Fifty-eight percent of patient portal users were white, and all racial/ethnic minority groups had poorer baseline statin adherence compared with Whites. In adjusted difference-in-difference models, statin adherence improved significantly over time among patients who exclusively refilled prescriptions online, even after comparing changes over time with other portal users (4% absolute decrease in percentage of time without medication). This improvement was statistically similar across all racial/ethnic groups.

Discussion Patient portals may encourage or improve key health behaviors, such as medication adherence, for engaged patients, but further research will likely be required to reduce underlying racial/ethnic differences in adherence.

Conclusion In a well-controlled examination of diabetes patients’ behavior when using a new online feature for their healthcare management, patient portals were linked to better medication adherence across all racial/ethnic groups.
The spatially-resolved star formation history of the M31 outer disc
Authors: Bernard Edouard J. , Ferguson Annette M. N. , Chapman Scott C. , Ibata Rodrigo A. , Irwin Mike J. , Lewis Geraint F. , McConnachie Alan W.
Published: September 2015

We present deep Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys observations of the stellar populations in two fields lying at 20 and 23 kpc from the centre of M31 along the south-west semimajor axis. These data enable the construction of colour–magnitude diagrams reaching the oldest main-sequence turn-offs (∼13 Gyr) which, when combined with another field at 25 kpc from our previous work, we use to derive the first precision constraints on the spatially-resolved star formation history of the M31 disc. The star formation rates exhibit temporal as well as field-to-field variations, but are generally always within a factor of 2 of their time average. There is no evidence of inside-out growth over the radial range probed. We find a median age of ∼7.5 Gyr, indicating that roughly half of the stellar mass in the M31 outer disc was formed before z ∼ 1. We also find that the age–metallicity relations (AMRs) are smoothly increasing from [Fe/H] ≃ −0.4 to solar metallicity between 10 and 3 Gyr ago, contrary to the flat AMR of the Milky Way disc at a similar number of scalelengths. Our findings provide insight on the roles of stellar feedback and radial migration in the formation and evolution of large disc galaxies.
The Big Rust and the Red Queen: Long-Term Perspectives on Coffee Rust Research
Authors: McCook Stuart , Vandermeer John
Published: September 2015

Since 2008, there has been a cluster of outbreaks of the coffee rust (Hemileia vastatrix) across the coffee-growing regions of the Americas, which have been collectively described as the Big Rust. These outbreaks have caused significant hardship to coffee producers and laborers. This essay situates the Big Rust in a broader historical context. Over the past two centuries, coffee farmers have had to deal with the “curse of the Red Queen”—the need to constantly innovate in the face of an increasing range of threats, which includes the rust. Over the 20th century, particularly after World War II, national governments and international organizations developed a network of national, regional, and international coffee research institutions. These public institutions played a vital role in helping coffee farmers manage the rust. Coffee farmers have pursued four major strategies for managing the rust: bioprospecting for resistant coffee plants, breeding resistant coffee plants, chemical control, and agroecological control. Currently, the main challenge for researchers is to develop rust control strategies that are both ecologically and economically viable for coffee farmers, in the context of a volatile, deregulated coffee industry and the emergent challenges of climate change.
The High Risk of Infection With Delayed Treatment of Open Seymour Fractures: Salter-Harris I/II or Juxta-epiphyseal Fractures of the Distal Phalanx With Associated Nailbed Laceration
Authors: Reyes Bryan A. , Ho Christine A.
Published: September 2015

Background:

To describe treatment methods and complication rates of all open Seymour fractures (Salter-Harris I/II or juxta-epiphyseal fractures of the distal phalanx of the hand with associated nailbed laceration) treated at or referred to a pediatric level 1 trauma center over a 10-year time period. We hypothesized that delayed treatment of Seymour fractures results in higher infectious complication rates.

Methods:

We identified all patients treated for open Seymour fractures at the orthopaedic hand clinic at our level 1 pediatric trauma center between August 2002 and December 2012. All charts were reviewed retrospectively. Patients were divided into groups based on timing and completeness of treatment. “Appropriate” treatment was defined as irrigation and debridement, fracture reduction, and antibiotic administration. “Partial” treatment was defined as any type of incomplete treatment; “Acute” treatment was defined as management within 24 hours of the injury; and “Delayed” as having received treatment after 24 hours from the time of injury. Statistical comparisons were performed using the Fisher exact test.

Results:

A total of 34 patients treated for 35 Seymour fractures met the inclusion criteria. In total, 31% (11/35) received acute, appropriate treatment, 37% (13/35) received acute, partial treatment, and 31% (11/35) received delayed treatment. There were 7 infectious complications: 2 superficial and 5 osteomyelitis. No infections occurred in the acutely, appropriately treated group (infection rate 0%, 0/11), 2 occurred in the acutely, partially treated group (15%, 2/13), and 5 occurred in the delayed treatment group (45%, 5/11).

Conclusions:

The timing and quality of treatment of open Seymour fractures significantly influences infection rates. This study highlights the importance of timely and appropriate treatment of this seemingly innocuous fracture.

Level of Evidence:

Level III—retrospective study, therapeutic.
Transforming Primary Care Practice and Education
Authors: Koch Ursula , Bitton Asaf , Landon Bruce E. , Phillips Russell S.
Published: September 2015

Adoption of new primary care models has been slow in academic teaching practices. We describe a common framework that academic learning collaboratives are using to transform primary care practice based on our analysis of 6 collaboratives nationally. We show that the work of the collaboratives could be divided into 3 phases and provide detail on the phases of work and a road map for those who seek to emulate this work. We found that learning collaboratives foster transformation, even in complex academic practices, but need specific support adapted to their unique challenges.
Induction of Colon Cancer in Mice with 1,2-Dimethylhydrazine
Authors: Gurley Kay E. , Moser Russell D. , Kemp Christopher J.
Published: September 2015

In this protocol, colon cancer is induced in mice through a series of injections with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine. Mice will develop primarily colon tumors starting at about 3 mo after the first injection. Tumors in the lung, uterus, and small intestine may also be seen, as well as lymphomas.
Generation of Tissue Sections for Screening Thy1 Mouse Lines
Authors: Marinković Petar , Godinho Leanne , Misgeld Thomas
Published: September 2015

New generations of Thy1-XFP transgenic mice (where XFP stands for any fluorescent protein) can now be readily generated, given the availability of core facilities or commercial providers of Thy1 pronuclear injections. Here, we provide a protocol for screening founder progeny. Transcardial perfusion is performed on 3-wk-old F1 mice that have been produced by crossing Thy1 transgenic founders and commercially obtained inbred mice. Cryosections are generated, and Thy1-driven expression is detected by histological characterization.
Imaging Acute Neuromuscular Explants from Thy1 Mouse Lines
Authors: Marinković Petar , Godinho Leanne , Misgeld Thomas
Published: September 2015

Because core facilities that generate transgenic founder mice for a reasonable fee are now available at most major research institutions, generating new Thy1-XFP transgenic animals (in which XFP stands for any fluorescent protein) is an option even for relatively small laboratories. Here, we provide a protocol for screening offspring of Thy1 transgenic founders. Acute neuromuscular explants are obtained from 3-wk-old F1 mice that have been produced by crossing Thy1 transgenic founders and commercially obtained inbred mice. Thy1-driven expression is detected by fluorescence microscopy.
How to enhance the impact of training on service quality?
Authors: Zumrah Abdul Rahim
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to highlight the importance role of transfer of training as a mediator in the relationship between training and service quality.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data of this study were collected from three sources: the employees of public sector organizations in Malaysia who participated in a Basic Financial Management training program, their supervisors and their colleagues through surveys. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

– The findings reveal that transfer of training mediated the relationship between training and service quality.

Research limitations/implications

– The finding illustrate that management in public sector need to ensure that their employees apply the new learned knowledge and skills at the workplace following the training to maximize the return of training investment.

Originality/value

– This study extends the literature by providing empirical evidence that transfer of training has a mediating effects on the relationship between training and employee service quality in the context of public sector organizations in Malaysia, a non-Western context that located in Southeast Asia.
Employees’ perceptions of barriers to participation in training and development in small engineering businesses
Authors: Susomrith Pattanee , Coetzer Alan
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate barriers to employee participation in voluntary formal training and development opportunities from the perspective of employees in small engineering businesses.

Design/methodology/approach

– An exploratory qualitative methodology involving data collection via site visits and in-depth semi-structured interviews with 20 employees in five small engineering businesses was used. Interviews explored the role of developmental proactivity and employees’ perceptions of conditions in the immediate work environment and industry sector that represent barriers to their participation in formal training and development. Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

– Three key findings are as follows. First, proactive behaviour regarding access to external training and development is muted in small business settings because of strong resource allocation norms. Second, factors in the internal work environment rather than the industry sector constitute the major barriers to training and development. Third, owner-managers and employees appear to have significantly differing perspectives of barriers to training and development.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings suggest avenues for future research. These include examining how workplace norms influence employee behaviour with regard to accessing formal training and development and investigating the learning strategies that employees use to compensate for a lack of access to training and development.

Originality/value

– Research into relatively low levels of employee participation in formal training and development in small businesses is deficient because it predominantly involves surveys of owner-managers’ opinions. This study is novel because it seeks to generate new insights not previously articulated by employees. The study yielded four propositions that have practical and research implications.
A new golden age for libraries
Authors: Massis Bruce
Published: September 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe and provide several examples of evidence to support the estimation that libraries have entered a new “golden age”.

Design/methodology/approach

– Literature review and commentary on this topic that has been addressed by professionals, researchers and practitioners.

Findings

– Flexibility in the face of change has always been a hallmark of an exceptional service-minded organization and the library is no different. To maintain its reputation as a forward-looking service that appeals to an expansive and diverse audience, libraries must always be forward-thinking and forward-seeking in their ability to satisfy. Such a continual evolution can result in the conviction that the library is recognized as an institution whose golden age will not reside in the past, but fully in the present, and that its growth into the future remains persistent, evident and fully embraced by its customers and supporters.

Originality/value

– The value in addressing this issue is to demonstrate that there are ready examples of libraries leading the way in supporting the opinion that we are in a “golden age” for libraries.
Insulin promotes vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and apoptosis via differential regulation of tumor necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand
Authors: Harith Hanis H. , Di Bartolo Belinda A. , Cartland Siân P. , Genner Scott , Kavurma Mary M.
Published: September 2015

Background

Insulin regulates glucose homeostasis but can also promote vascular smooth muscle (VSMC) proliferation, important in atherogenesis. Recently, we showed that tumor necrosis factor‐related apoptosis‐inducing ligand (TRAIL) stimulates intimal thickening via accelerated growth of VSMCs. The aim of the present study was to determine whether insulin‐induced effects on VSMCs occur via TRAIL.

Methods

Expression of TRAIL and TRAIL receptor in response to insulin and glucose was determined by polymerase chain reaction. Transcriptional activity was assessed using wild‐type and site‐specific mutations of the TRAIL promoter. Chromatin immunoprecipitation studies were performed. VSMC proliferation and apoptosis was measured.

Results

Insulin and glucose exposure to VSMC for 24 h stimulated TRAIL mRNA expression. This was also evident at the transcriptional level. Both insulin‐ and glucose‐inducible TRAIL transcriptional activity was blocked by dominant‐negative specificity protein‐1 (Sp1) overexpression. There are five functional Sp1‐binding elements (Sp1‐1, Sp1‐2, Sp‐5/6 and Sp1‐7) on the TRAIL promoter. Insulin required the Sp1‐1 and Sp1‐2 sites, but glucose needed all Sp1‐binding sites to induce transcription. Furthermore, insulin (but not glucose) was able to promote VSMC proliferation over time, associated with increased decoy receptor‐2 (DcR2) expression. In contrast, chronic 5‐day exposure of VSMC to 1 µg/mL insulin repressed TRAIL and DcR2 expression, and reduced Sp1 enrichment on the TRAIL promoter. This was associated with increased cell death.

Conclusions

The findings of the present study provide a new mechanistic insight into how TRAIL is regulated by insulin. This may have significant implications at different stages of diabetes‐associated cardiovascular disease. Thus, TRAIL may offer a novel therapeutic solution to combat insulin‐induced vascular pathologies.
Sodium Nitrite Prevents both Reductions in Circulating Nitric Oxide and Hypertension in 7‐Day Lead‐Treated Rats
Authors: Gonçalves‐Rizzi Victor Hugo , Nascimento Regina Aparecida , Possomato‐Vieira Jose Sergio , Dias‐Junior Carlos A.
Published: September 2015

Hypotensive effects of oral sodium nitrite have been reported as alternative sources of nitric oxide (NO) formation in animals and human beings. Reductions in NO bioavailability were observed in lead‐induced hypertension. However, no previous study has examined whether a single daily dose of sodium nitrite prevents the reductions in the NO bioavailability in lead‐induced hypertension. Then, we expanded previous reports and evaluated the effects of sodium nitrite in 7‐day lead‐treated rats. Wistar rats were divided into four experimental groups: Pb+sodium nitrite group received intraperitoneally (i.p.) 1st dose 8 µg/100 g of lead acetate and a subsequent dose of 0.1 µg/100 g, and daily treatment with sodium nitrite (45 mg/kg/day) or water (Pb group) by gavage for 7 days; Sodium nitrite group received i.p. 1st dose 8 µg/100 g of sodium acetate and a subsequent dose of 0.1 µg/100 g, and daily treatment with sodium nitrite (45 mg/kg/day) or water (saline group) by gavage for 7 days. Similar and higher whole‐blood lead levels (11.5 ± 1.2 and 13.2 ± 0.7 µg/dL) were found in lead‐exposed rats treated with either water or sodium nitrite (Pb or Pb+sodium nitrite, respectively; both p  <  0.05 versus control groups). We found lower NO markers such as plasma nitrite and nitrite + nitrate (NOx) levels (both p < 0.05 versus controls) in lead‐exposed rats compared with normotensive (sodium acetate)‐treated controls (Pb group versus saline group; p  <  0.05). Lead induced increases in systolic blood pressure (from 130 ± 2 to 164 ± 6 mmHg in Pb group; p  <  0.05); however, both lead‐induced decreases in NO markers and hypertension (Pb+sodium nitrite group versus Pb group; both p  <  0.05) were prevented by a single daily dose of sodium nitrite. In conclusion, these findings are consistent with the idea that impaired NO bioavailability contributes to the maintenance of elevated blood pressure in lead‐induced hypertension. Additionally, our results show that sodium nitrite exerts antihypertensive effects in lead‐induced hypertension and provide evidence that sodium nitrite prevents the impairment of NO, thus, reaffirming the relevance of nitrite as alternative source of recycling back to NO.
The first to arrive and the last to leave: colonisation and extinction dynamics of common and rare fishes in intermittent prairie streams
Authors: Whitney James E. , Gido Keith B. , Martin Erika C. , Hase Kristen J.
Published: September 2015

The objectives of our research were to examine commonness–rarity patterns in fish communities in networks of intermittent streams. We quantified species abundance distributions and the importance of nestedness and turnover to community dissimilarity and then related commonness to colonisation, extinction and physiological tolerance. Patterns and relationships were evaluated spatially among sites and temporally within sites during non‐drought and drought periods in tallgrass prairie streams of eastern Kansas, U.S.A.

Supra‐seasonal drought during 2011–2013 resulted in complete or partial drying of some sites and provided an opportunity to evaluate whether commonness was predictive of rather than predicted by colonisation and extinction. Abundance was used to predict re‐colonisation in desiccated reaches and persistence in drying pools.

Few species were common, while most were rare regardless of drought, and nestedness drove community dissimilarity across sites. Common species had higher colonisation and lower extinction than rarer species, but physiological tolerance was unrelated to commonness.

Abundant species were generally the first to re‐colonise desiccated reaches, but pre‐drought abundance did not predict persistence in partially desiccated reaches.

Although common species were the first to colonise and the last to go extinct, we were unable to determine whether commonness was predictive of rather than predicted by colonisation and extinction. Regardless, our study demonstrates linkages among commonness, colonisation and extinction.
Genomewide identification of target genes of histone methyltransferase dG9a during Drosophila embryogenesis
Authors: Shimaji Kouhei , Konishi Takahiro , Tanaka Shintaro , Yoshida Hideki , Kato Yasuko , Ohkawa Yasuyuki , Sato Tetsuya , Suyama Mikita , Kimura Hiroshi , Yamaguchi Masamitsu
Published: September 2015

Post‐translational modification of the histone plays important roles in epigenetic regulation of various biological processes. Among the identified histone methyltransferases (HMTases), G9a is a histone H3 Lys 9 (H3K9)‐specific example active in euchromatic regions. Drosophila G9a (dG9a) has been reported to feature H3K9 dimethylation activity in vivo. Here, we show that the time required for hatching of a homozygous dG9a null mutant and heteroallelic combination of dG9a null mutants is delayed, suggesting that dG9a is at least partially responsible for progression of embryogenesis. Immunocytochemical analyses of the wild‐type and the dG9a null mutant flies indicated that dG9a localizes in cytoplasm up to nuclear division cycle 7 where it is likely responsible for di‐methylation of nucleosome‐free H3K9. From cycles 8–11, dG9a moves into the nucleus and is responsible for di‐methylating H3K9 in nucleosomes. RNA‐sequence analysis utilizing early wild‐type and dG9a mutant embryos showed that dG9a down‐regulates expression of genes responsible for embryogenesis. RNA fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis further showed temporal and spatial expression patterns of these mRNAs did not significantly change in the dG9a mutant. These results indicate that dG9a controls transcription levels of some zygotic genes without changing temporal and spatial expression patterns of the transcripts of these genes.
Novel genetic factors involved in resistance to Bacillus thuringiensis in Plutella xylostella
Authors: Ayra‐Pardo C. , Raymond B. , Gulzar A. , Rodríguez‐Cabrera L. , Morán‐Bertot I. , Crickmore N. , Wright D. J.
Published: September 2015

The widespread and sustainable exploitation of the entomopathogen Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) in pest control is threatened by the evolution of resistance. Although resistance is often associated with loss of binding of the Bt toxins to the insect midgut cells, other factors have been implicated. Here we used suppressive subtractive hybridization and gene expression suppression to identify additional molecular components involved in Bt‐resistance in Plutella xylostella. We isolated transcripts from genes that were differentially expressed in the midgut of larvae from a resistant population, following ingestion of a Bt kurstaki HD1 strain‐based commercial formulation (DiPel), and compared with a genetically similar susceptible population. Quantitative real‐time polymerase‐chain reaction (RT‐PCR) analysis confirmed the differential basal expression of a subset of these genes. Gene expression suppression of three of these genes (P. xylostella cyclin‐dependent kinase 5 regulatory subunit associated protein 1‐like 1, stromal cell‐derived factor 2‐like 1 and hatching enzyme‐like 1) significantly increased the pathogenicity of HD1 to the resistant population. In an attempt to link the multitude of factors reportedly influencing resistance to Bt with the well‐characterized loss of toxin binding, we also considered Bt‐resistance models in P. xylostella and other insects.
The Nanocrystalline SnO2–TiO2 System—Part I: Structural Features
Authors: Miagava Joice , Rubbens Annick , Roussel Pascal , Navrotsky Alexandra , Castro Ricardo H. R. , Gouvêa Douglas
Published: September 2015

The phases present and their crystal structure and microstructure in the nanocrystalline SnO2–TiO2 system were studied in the compositional range Sn1−xTixO2 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.9). There is an apparent increase in the solubility limits in the solid solution compared to bulk crystalline SnO2–TiO2. No two phase region was observed with increasing TiO2 content. Electron energy loss spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X‐ray diffraction (XRD) of the nanopowders showed that the apparent increase in solubility is related to the systematic Ti4+ segregation on the particle surface (surface excess) at the SnO2‐rich side, avoiding the nucleation of a second phase even at high Ti4+ contents. Is this finding in accord with Raman spectra, which suggest localized Ti‐rich sites in the absence of a second crystalline phase. Ti4+ surface excess is also lead to a modification of the surface hydroxyls and a decrease in the crystallite size of the nanoparticles (with a concomitant increase in surface area), with expected implications to catalytic and sensorial properties of these nanoparticles.
Monitoring of Wine Process and Prediction of Its Parameters with Mid‐Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Canal Canan , Ozen Banu
Published: September 2015

It was aimed to predict the chemical (ethanol, glycerol, organic acids, titratable acidity, °Brix, sugars, total phenolic and anthocyanin content) and microbiological parameters of red, rose and white wines during their processing from must to bottling using mid‐infrared (IR) spectroscopy in combination with one of the multivariate statistical analysis techniques, partial least square (PLS) regression. Various spectral filtering techniques were employed before PLS regression analysis of mid‐IR data. The best results were obtained from the second‐order derivation for the chemical parameters except for alcohols. PLS models developed for the prediction of some of the chemical parameters have R2 values greater than 0.9, with low root mean square error values; however, prediction of microbial population from mid‐IR spectroscopy did not provide accurate results. IR spectroscopic and chemical–chromatographic data were also used to investigate the differences between processing steps, and principal component analysis allowed clear separation of the beginning of the process from the rest.

Practical Applications

Monitoring of the wine process from must to final product is necessary for better control of the process and the quality. As a rapid and a minimum waste‐producing technique, mid‐IR spectroscopy in combination with chemometric methods could allow prediction of several chemical parameters simultaneously. Therefore, any problems that could be encountered during wine processing could be determined and interfered in a short time.
Effects of a Starter Culture on Histamine Reduction, Nitrite Depletion and Oxidative Stability of Fermented Sausages
Authors: Wang Xinhui , Ren Hongyang , Wang Wei , Xie Zhen Jian
Published: September 2015

A starter culture composed of Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus sakei and Staphylococcus xylosus isolated from Chinese‐fermented sausages was used to manufacture fermented sausages. The effects of the starter culture on histamine accumulation, nitrite depletion, lipid oxidation and quality parameters including pH, water activity and total volatile base nitrogen (TVB‐N), as well as the color and texture properties, were evaluated. The histamine accumulations were 0.32 and 8.85 mg/kg in fermented sausages inoculated with the starter culture and by a spontaneous fermentation, respectively. The levels of residual nitrite were 4.32 and 26.72 mg/kg in fermented sausages inoculated with the starter culture and by a spontaneous fermentation, respectively. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances test values reached up to 2.64 and 13.92 mg MDA/kg in fermented sausages inoculated with the starter culture and by a spontaneous fermentation, respectively. Additionally, the fermented sausages inoculated with the starter culture showed a stronger acidification and lower (P < 0.05) level of the TVB‐N than that of spontaneous fermentation. The starter culture made a great contribution to histamine reduction, nitrite depletion and oxidative stability in fermented sausages and was beneficial to improving hygienic quality and food safety of fermented sausages.

Practical Applications

High levels of histamine, residual nitrite and lipid oxidation have been described in fermented sausages, which are major problems for public health and food safety. Thus, it is worthwhile to select favorable conditions to strict control histamine accumulation, residual nitrite content and lipid oxidation in fermented sausages. In this study, to meet the requirements of high‐quality safe products, a starter culture composed of Pediococcus pentosaceus, Lactobacillus sakei and Staphylococcus xylosus isolated from Chinese‐fermented sausages was used to manufacture fermented sausages. The effects of the starter culture on histamine accumulation, nitrite depletion, lipid oxidation and quality parameters including pH, water activity and total volatile base nitrogen (TVB‐N), as well as the color and texture properties, were evaluated. These results indicate that addition of the starter culture was beneficial for histamine reduction, nitrite depletion and oxidative stability. Additionally, the batch inoculated with the starter culture showed a stronger acidification and lower level of TVB‐N than that of the control. In conclusion, the starter culture contributes to histamine reduction, nitrite depletion and oxidative stability of traditional fermented sausages.
Dynamics of anterior pituitary immunoreactive gonadotrophs in moulted hens supplemented with protein, symbiotic and probiotics
Authors: Anwar H. , Rahman Z. U.
Published: September 2015

The present work delineates redistribution patterns of the hormone‐producing cells of the anterior pituitary, after the phase of moulting. Two hundred single comb White Leghorn hens at the end of their first production cycle (Age = 70 week) were purchased from the commercial poultry farm and were induced to moult by high‐dietary zinc (3 g/kg feed/day) after 1 week of acclimatization, at the experimental research station, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad. The moulted birds were equally (n = 50) and randomly allocated to their respective groups as G1 (control; CP (Crude protein) 16%, no supplement), G2 (CP18%, no other supplement), G3 (CP16%, symbiotic at does rate of 85 mg/l in drinking water daily) and G4 (CP16%, probiotic at dose rate of 85 mg/l in drinking water daily). Ten birds were slaughtered in each group at 5% and at peak of post‐moult production stage to collect their pituitary glands. An earlier post‐moult production recovery, sustained and lengthier production span was seen in the G2 as compared to all other groups. The lowest production and an earlier production decline were seen in G1. The cell diameter and area of follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) gonadotroph increased (p ≤ 0.01) in G2 and G3 as compared to G1. The FSH gonadotroph nucleus diameter and area did increase (p ≤ 0.01) in G2 and G3, while LH gonadotroph nucleus diameter and area decreased (p ≤ 0.01) in G2 and G3 as compared to G1. The increased FSH and LH gonadotroph diameter in protein and symbiotic supplemented birds is accountable for the increased egg production in these groups.
Social network structure in wintering golden‐crowned sparrows is not correlated with kinship
Authors: Arnberg Nina N. , Shizuka Daizaburo , Chaine Alexis S. , Lyon Bruce E.
Published: September 2015

Stable social organization in a wide variety of organisms has been linked to kinship, which can minimize conflict due to the indirect fitness benefits from cooperating with relatives. In birds, kin selection has been mostly studied in the context of reproduction or in species that are social year round. Many birds however are migratory, and the role of kinship in the winter societies of these species is virtually unexplored. In a previous study, we discovered striking social complexity and stability in a wintering population of migratory golden‐crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia atricapilla) – individuals repeatedly form close associations with the same social partners, including across multiple winters. Here, we test the possibility that kinship might be involved in these close and stable social affiliations. We examine the relationship between kinship and social structure for two of the consecutive wintering seasons from the previous study. We found no evidence that social structure was influenced by kinship. Relatedness between most pairs of individuals was at most that of first cousins (and mostly far lower). Genetic networks based on relatedness do not correspond to the social networks, and Mantel tests revealed no relationship between kinship and pairwise interaction frequency. Kinship also failed to predict social structure in more fine‐grained analyses, including analyses of each sex separately (in the event that sex‐biased migration might limit kin selection to one sex), and separate analyses for each social community. The complex winter societies of golden‐crowned sparrows appear to be based on cooperative benefits unrelated to kin selection.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT COLLABORATION IN TURKEY: ASSESSING PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES OF HYBRID NETWORK GOVERNANCE
Authors: HERMANSSON HELENA M.L.
Published: September 2015

Managing disasters generally demands multiorganizational collaboration and collaborative skills. In Turkey, observed shortcomings in disaster management collaboration prompted a reorganization of the disaster management system that led to the emergence of a centralized hybrid network. The network governance literature generally heralds decentralized organization and shared network governance, which facilitate collaboration by maximizing trust and legitimacy and minimizing power imbalances. Through the use of 24 semi‐structured interviews, this article's objective is to assess the applicability of prior theoretical assumptions regarding interorganizational collaboration in a political‐administrative context different from that in which they were originally developed. The study contributes to the theoretical discussion about how political‐administrative system attributes might influence interorganizational disaster management collaboration. The results suggest that ‘tailor‐fitting’ interorganizational network designs to the political‐administrative culture can be beneficial for collaborative disaster management. Furthermore, results suggest that more effort should be devoted to examining cases where actors manage to overcome barriers to collaboration despite challenging institutional and political‐administrative landscapes.
What Was the Syntax‐Semantics Debate in the Philosophy of Science About?
Authors: Lutz Sebastian
Published: September 2015

The debate between critics of syntactic and semantic approaches to the formalization of scientific theories has been going on for over 50 years. I structure the debate in light of a recent exchange between Hans Halvorson, Clark Glymour, and Bas van Fraassen and argue that the only remaining disagreement concerns the alleged difference in the dependence of syntactic and semantic approaches on languages of predicate logic. This difference turns out to be illusory.
Hardware Development of Electrical Capacitance Tomography (ECT) System with Capacitance Sensor for Liquid Measurements
Authors: Kok Seong Chan , Pusppanathan Jaysuman , Abdul Rahim Ruzairi , Chiew Loon Goh , Susiapan Yvette Shaan-Li , Aliah Phang Fatin , Fazalul Rahiman Mohd Hafiz
Published: September 2015

Electrical capacitance tomography system is useful for obtaining information about the spatial distribution of a mixture of dielectric materials inside a vessel. This research aims to obtain real-time monitoring on the composition for liquid mixture in conveying pipeline. ECT is a non-invasive, non-intrusive and non-destructive technique that can measure the flow level inside a pipeline. In order to increase the image resolution and accuracy of current tomography research, a study on 16 electrodes sensor ECT system has been developed. The developed system has the flexibility to be assembled and moved from a pipeline to another. The intelligent on-board flexibility and mobility sensor technique is a new technique for ECT system. The system can be assembled in different diameter sizes of pipeline, and numbers of electrodes sensor can be reduced accordingly depending on the pipeline sizes without the need to redesign the electrodes sensor. The new design is equipped with high speed data processing rate data acquisition system and high speed data reconstruction. A microcontroller that support full-speed USB data transfer rate has been designed as the centralization control unit. In order to improve data result, iterative algorithm has been implemented in this system in order to obtain a precise image of the flow in the pipeline. As a result, the ECT system is able to reconstruct various multiphase flow images.
Intracellular Thermal Sensor for Single Cell Analysis -Short review
Authors: Abdullah Binslem Salma , Ahmad Mohd Ridzuan , Awang Zubaidah
Published: September 2015

Temperature is a key environmental variable that affects almost all natural and engineered systems from the system level down to the molecular level. The first attempt to measure temperature goes back to 1592 when Galileo Galilei tried to develop a thermometer. Since then having accurate temperature measurements has been a challenging research topic. Recently, in single cell analysis, internal temperature and heat generation inside a living cell has proven to have important roles in the survival of cells, controls many cellular activities for instance; cell division and gene expression. Moreover, cancerous cells are identified with excessive heat production. Studies have been done by researchers from different fields in the attempt to develop sensors that can accurately report the temperature inside living cells. This short review presents the most recent developments in nanoscale thermometry for biological applications, highlighting the recent advances in the near field and the far field methods. The far field thermometry cover sensors that depend on the luminescence’s of the material, for example: quantum dots, nanoparticles, and fluorescents based compounds. While, near field thermometry is based on different principles depending on the sensing mechanism used. Some of the examples mentioned are thermocouple thermometry, RNA thermometry, resonant thermometry, photoacoustic thermometry and carbon nanotubes thermometry.
A Review of Multi-Car Elevator System
Authors: Cherng Liew Yeong , Siong Lim Cheng , Loong Peng Tan Michael , Wei Tan Chee
Published: September 2015

This paper presents a review of a new generation of elevator system, the Multi-Car Elevator System. It is an elevator system which contains more than one elevator car in the elevator shaft. In the introduction, it explains why the Multi-Car Elevator System is a new trend elevator system based on its structural design, cost saving and efficiency in elevator system. Different types of Multi-Car Elevator System such as circulation or loop-type, non-circulation and bifurcate circulation are described in section 2. In section 3, researches on dispatch strategies, control strategies and avoidance of car collision strategies of Multi-Car Elevator System since 2002 are reviewed. In the discussion section, it reveals some drawbacks of the Multi-Car Elevator System in transport capability and the risk of car collision. There are recommendations to the future work as well.
Comparison of Decision Tree Methods in Classification of Researcher’s Cognitive styles in Academic Environment
Authors: Nematzadeh Balagatabi Zahra , Ibrahim Roliana , Nematzadeh Balagatabi Hossein
Published: September 2015

In today's internet world, providing feedbacks to users based on what they need and their knowledge is essential. Classification is one of the data mining methods used to mine large data. There are several classification techniques used to solve classification problems. In this article, classification techniques are used to classify researchers as "Expert" and "Novice" based on cognitive styles factors in academic settings using several Decision Tree techniques. Decision Tree is the suitable technique to choose for classification in order to categorize researchers as "Expert" and "Novice" because it produces high accuracy. Environment Waikato Knowledge Analysis (WEKA) is an open source tool used for classification. Using WEKA, the Random Forest technique was selected as the best method because it provides accuracy of 92.72728. Based on these studies, most researchers have a better knowledge of their own domain and their problems and show more competencies in their information seeking behavior compared to novice researchers. This is because the "experts" have a clear understanding of their research problems and is more efficient in information searching activities. Classification techniques are implemented as a digital library search engine because it can help researchers to have the best response according to their demand.
Assessing the Service Quality of Air Transport for Domestic Flights in Libya
Authors: Abdulasalm Miskeen Manssour A. , Mohamed Alhodairi Ahmed , Borhan Muhamad Nazri , O.K. Rahmat Riza Atiq Abdullah
Published: September 2015

The Libyan air transport system plays a crucial role in the transportation of people across the nation; it also contributes in minimizing traffic congestion and accidents on intercity highways. The air system seems to deliver secured and comfortable transportation, as against the other alternative means, such as bus. Nevertheless, still the Libyan air transport system needs to improve in certain aspects to better serve the needs of its consumers. In this context, we believe that, it is essential to pay attention to 'service quality', which could make this mode of travel the preferred choice to local, as well as international travelers. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to assess service quality of the air transport system, measure the levels of service quality, and also gauge the quality of the factors, impacting the current service delivery in the air transport in Libya, using Importance-Satisfaction Analysis (ISA). It is noteworthy that, this study is the first of its kind in Libya, as it has examined the satisfaction of customers with the service delivery of the domestic airline. For this purpose, the self-administered questionnaire was personally distributed to the target population of domestic air travelers within Libya. We have used a stratified sampling procedure in this research; the final research sample consisted of 312 participants. Ultimately, several possible corrective actions to improve the quality of services of the airline, with each critical item were highlighted.
VoIP Based Tele-medicine Call Center–Issues, Challenges and Proposed Solution
Authors: Mamoon Ishtiak Al , Islam A. K. M Muzahidul , Baharun Sabariah
Published: September 2015

In recent years, medical call centers have started using IP telephony services to minimize the overhead telecom expenses. However, the advent of Voice-Over-IP (VoIP) technology has also created a major discontinuity in telecommunication sector due to illegal VoIP or gray calls, causing a great impact on the voice market. This brought few challenges to the countries’ regulatory bodies. In this paper, we spell out one of the key challenges: in order to mitigate illegal VoIP calls, whether the regulatory body should allow IP telephony to be practiced for both domestic and international voice driven tele-medical consultation  center operation combined or separately. We propose architecture and schemes for a medical call center. We also propose some guidelines and/or policies for both call center operator and the telecom regulatory authority. The proposed architecture and schemes are implemented in a pilot project basis in two phases and the test bed result is presented in this article.
Elephant Tracking with Seismic Sensors: A Technical Perceptive Review
Authors: Sheebha Anni Jerline , Sangaiah Arun Kumar
Published: September 2015

This paper presents a systematic literature review of elephant tracking approaches via seismic sensors. Elephant tracking is broadly divided into two categories: technical approach and non technical approach. Among these two research directions technical approach has proved to be risk-free. It helps accumulation of the life of both human and elephants in the Human-Elephant Conflict (HEC) scenario. In the technical approach, seismic sensors have been preferred as an effective methodology for elephant tracking as reported in the literature. Seismic scenarios address research gap in the existing methodologies through their efficiency and precision in monitoring elephant movements without causing any harm to them while, at the same time, helping humans to solve their problems and saving environment from hazards. The main contribution of this paper is review of and address to the technical approaches that are employed for elephant tracking using seismic sensors which also include seismic communication through sensor devices and encourage future research on this topic.
Effect of Silica Fume and Wood Ash Additions on Flexural and Splitting Tensile Strength of Lightweight Foamed Concrete
Authors: Othuman Mydin M. A.
Published: September 2015

Reducing building material costs by identifying sustainable and green construction materials is desirable for economic reasons and environmental responsibility. This study examines ways to enhance strength of foamed concrete by adding wood ash (WA) and silica fume (SF). The effect of different percentage combinations is investigated, to understand the effect on the flexural and splitting tensile strengths. The supplementary binders replace a percentage by weight of the cement and are blended with foamed concrete. The WA–SF mixes at 5%–15%, 10%–10%, and 15%–5%, were compared to standard foamed concrete. The microstructures show evidence of novel densification and there was an improvement in the flexural and tensile strengths. The 5% WA–15% SF mix has the most significant effect on the foamed concrete compared to the control. The binder matrix also prolonged the setting time of the cement paste.