bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP)-Based Overexpression Screening and Characterization of AgrC, a Receptor Protein of Quorum Sensing in Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Wang Lina , Quan Chunshan , Liu Baoquan , Xu Yongbin , Zhao Pengchao , Xiong Wen , Fan Shengdi
Published: September 2013

Staphylococcus aureus AgrC is an important component of the agr quorum-sensing system. AgrC is a membrane-embedded histidine kinase that is thought to act as a sensor for the recognition of environmental signals and the transduction of signals into the cytoplasm. However, the difficulty of expressing and purifying functional membrane proteins has drastically hindered in-depth understanding of the molecular structures and physiological functions of these proteins. Here, we describe the high-yield expression and purification of AgrC, and analyze its kinase activity. A C-terminal green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion to AgrC served as a reporter for monitoring protein expression levels in real time. Protein expression levels were analyzed by the microscopic assessment of the whole-cell fluorescence. The expressed AgrC-GFP protein with a C-terminal His-tagged was purified using immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) and size exclusion chromatography (SEC) at yields of ≥10 mg/L, following optimization. We also assessed the effects of different detergents on membrane solubilization and AgrC kinase activity, and polyoxyethylene-(23)-lauryl-ether (Brij-35) was identified as the most suitable detergent. Furthermore, the secondary structural stability of purified AgrC was analyzed using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. This study may serve as a general guide for improving the yields of other membrane protein preparations and selecting the appropriate detergent to stabilize membrane proteins for biophysical and biochemical analyses.
Hippuristanol Reduces the Viability of Primary Effusion Lymphoma Cells both in Vitro and in Vivo
Authors: Ishikawa Chie , Tanaka Junichi , Katano Harutaka , Senba Masachika , Mori Naoki
Published: September 2013

Primary effusion lymphoma (PEL) caused by Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (also known as human herpesvirus-8) shows serious lymphomatous effusion in body cavities. PEL is difficult to treat and there is no standard treatment strategy. Hippuristanol is extracted from Okinawan coral Isis hippuris, and inhibits translational initiation by blocking eukaryotic initiation factor 4A, an ATP-dependent RNA helicase, binding to mRNA. Recently, there has been much interest in targeting translation initiation as an anticancer therapy. Here, we show that treatment of PEL cell lines with hippuristanol resulted in cell cycle arrest at G1 phase, and induced caspases activation and apoptosis. Hippuristanol also reduced the expression of cyclin D2, CDK2, CDK4, CDK6 and prosurvival XIAP and Mcl-1 proteins. Activation of activator protein-1, signal transducers and activators of transcription protein 3 and Akt pathways plays a critical role in the survival and growth of PEL cells. Hippuristanol suppressed the activities of these three pathways by inhibiting the expression of JunB, JunD, c-Fos, signal transducers and activators of transcription protein 3 and Akt proteins. In a xenograft mouse model that showed ascites and diffused organ invasion of PEL cells, treatment with hippuristanol significantly inhibited the growth and invasion of PEL cells compared with untreated mice. The results of the in vitro and in vivo experiments underline the potential usefulness of hippuristanol in the treatment of PEL.
Recent Trends on Micro/Nanofluidic Single Cell Electroporation
Authors: Santra Tuhin , Tseng Fang
Published: September 2013

The behaviors of cell to cell or cell to environment with their organelles and their intracellular physical or biochemical effects are still not fully understood. Analyzing millions of cells together cannot provide detailed information, such as cell proliferation, differentiation or different responses to external stimuli and intracellular reaction. Thus, single cell level research is becoming a pioneering research area that unveils the interaction details in high temporal and spatial resolution among cells. To analyze the cellular function, single cell electroporation can be conducted by employing a miniaturized device, whose dimension should be similar to that of a single cell. Micro/nanofluidic devices can fulfill this requirement for single cell electroporation. This device is not only useful for cell lysis, cell to cell fusion or separation, insertion of drug, DNA and antibodies inside single cell, but also it can control biochemical, electrical and mechanical parameters using electroporation technique. This device provides better performance such as high transfection efficiency, high cell viability, lower Joule heating effect, less sample contamination, lower toxicity during electroporation experiment when compared to bulk electroporation process. In addition, single organelles within a cell can be analyzed selectively by reducing the electrode size and gap at nanoscale level. This advanced technique can deliver (in/out) biomolecules precisely through a small membrane area (micro to nanoscale area) of the single cell, known as localized single cell membrane electroporation (LSCMEP). These articles emphasize the recent progress in micro/nanofluidic single cell electroporation, which is potentially beneficial for high-efficient therapeutic and delivery applications or understanding cell to cell interaction.
Landslide Investigation with Remote Sensing and Sensor Network: From Susceptibility Mapping and Scaled-down Simulation towards in situ Sensor Network Design
Authors: Qiao Gang , Lu Ping , Scaioni Marco , Xu Shuying , Tong Xiaohua , Feng Tiantian , Wu Hangbin , Chen Wen , Tian Yixiang , Wang Weian , Li Rongxing
Published: September 2013

This paper presents an integrated approach to landslide research based on remote sensing and sensor networks. This approach is composed of three important parts: (i) landslide susceptibility mapping using remote-sensing techniques for susceptible determination of landslide spots; (ii) scaled-down landslide simulation experiments for validation of sensor network for landslide monitoring, and (iii) in situ sensor network deployment for intensified landslide monitoring. The study site is the Taziping landslide located in Hongkou Town (Sichuan, China). The landslide features generated by landslides triggered by the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake were first extracted by means of object-oriented methods from the remote-sensing images before and after the landslides events. On the basis of correlations derived between spatial distribution of landslides and control factors, the landslide susceptibility mapping was carried out using the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) technique. Then the Taziping landslide, located in the above mentioned study area, was taken as an example to design and implement a scaled-down landslide simulation platform in Tongji University (Shanghai, China). The landslide monitoring sensors were carefully investigated and deployed for rainfall induced landslide simulation experiments. Finally, outcomes from the simulation experiments were adopted and employed to design the future in situ sensor network in Taziping landslide site where the sensor deployment is being implemented.
Human-Computer Interaction Based on Hand Gestures Using RGB-D Sensors
Authors: Palacios José , Sagüés Carlos , Montijano Eduardo , Llorente Sergio
Published: September 2013

In this paper we present a new method for hand gesture recognition based on an RGB-D sensor. The proposed approach takes advantage of depth information to cope with the most common problems of traditional video-based hand segmentation methods: cluttered backgrounds and occlusions. The algorithm also uses colour and semantic information to accurately identify any number of hands present in the image. Ten different static hand gestures are recognised, including all different combinations of spread fingers. Additionally, movements of an open hand are followed and 6 dynamic gestures are identified. The main advantage of our approach is the freedom of the user’s hands to be at any position of the image without the need of wearing any specific clothing or additional devices. Besides, the whole method can be executed without any initial training or calibration. Experiments carried out with different users and in different environments prove the accuracy and robustness of the method which, additionally, can be run in real-time.
Application of a Novel Tool for Diagnosing Bile Acid Diarrhoea
Authors: Covington James , Westenbrink Eric , Ouaret Nathalie , Harbord Ruth , Bailey Catherine , O'Connell Nicola , Cullis James , Williams Nigel , Nwokolo Chuka , Bardhan Karna , Arasaradnam Ramesh
Published: September 2013

Bile acid diarrhoea (BAD) is a common disease that requires expensive imaging to diagnose. We have tested the efficacy of a new method to identify BAD, based on the detection of differences in volatile organic compounds (VOC) in urine headspace of BAD vs. ulcerative colitis and healthy controls. A total of 110 patients were recruited; 23 with BAD, 42 with ulcerative colitis (UC) and 45 controls. Patients with BAD also received standard imaging (Se75HCAT) for confirmation. Urine samples were collected and the headspace analysed using an AlphaMOS Fox 4000 electronic nose in combination with an Owlstone Lonestar Field Asymmetric Ion Mobility Spectrometer (FAIMS). A subset was also tested by gas chromatography, mass spectrometry (GCMS). Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA) was used to explore both the electronic nose and FAIMS data. LDA showed statistical differences between the groups, with reclassification success rates (using an n-1 approach) at typically 83%. GCMS experiments confirmed these results and showed that patients with BAD had two chemical compounds, 2-propanol and acetamide, that were either not present or were in much reduced quantities in the ulcerative colitis and control samples. We believe that this work may lead to a new tool to diagnose BAD, which is cheaper, quicker and easier that current methods.
Buffer Capacity, Ecosystem Feedbacks, and Seawater Chemistry under Global Change
Authors: Jury Christopher , Thomas Florence , Atkinson Marlin , Toonen Robert
Published: September 2013

Ocean acidification (OA) results in reduced seawater pH and aragonite saturation state (Ωarag), but also reduced seawater buffer capacity. As buffer capacity decreases, diel variation in seawater chemistry increases. However, a variety of ecosystem feedbacks can modulate changes in both average seawater chemistry and diel seawater chemistry variation. Here we model these effects for a coastal, reef flat ecosystem. We show that an increase in offshore pCO2 and temperature (to 900 µatm and + 3 °C) can increase diel pH variation by as much as a factor of 2.5 and can increase diel pCO2 variation by a factor of 4.6, depending on ecosystem feedbacks and seawater residence time. Importantly, these effects are different between day and night. With increasing seawater residence time and increasing feedback intensity, daytime seawater chemistry becomes more similar to present-day conditions while nighttime seawater chemistry becomes less similar to present-day conditions. Recent studies suggest that carbonate chemistry variation itself, independent of the average chemistry conditions, can have important effects on marine organisms and ecosystem processes. Better constraining ecosystem feedbacks under global change will improve projections of coastal water chemistry, but this study shows the importance of considering changes in both average carbonate chemistry and diel chemistry variation for organisms and ecosystems.
An Observation Tool for Studying Patient-oriented Workflow in Hospital Emergency Departments
Authors: Brennan P. , Ozkaynak M.
Published: September 2013

Background: Studying workflow is a critical step in designing, implementing and evalu -ating informatics interventions in complex sociotechnical settings, such as hospital emergency departments (EDs). Known approaches to studying workflow in clinical settings attend to the activities of individual clinicians, thus being inadequate to characterize patient care as a cooperative work.

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, we introduce a novel, theory-driven patient-oriented workflow method -ology, which better addresses the complex, multiple-provider nature of patient care.

Second, we report the development of an observational tool and protocol for use in studies of this type, and the results of an evaluation study.

Methods: We created a tablet computer implementation of an instrument to efficiently capture patient-oriented workflow, and evaluated it through a field study in three EDs. We focused on activities occurring over time during a single patient care episode as well as the roles of the ED staff members who conducted the activities.

Results: The evidence generated supports the validity, viability, and reliability of the tool. The coverage of the tool in terms of ac -tivities and roles was satisfactory. The tool was able to capture the sequence of activity-role pairs for 108 patient care episodes. The inter-rater reliability assessment yielded a high kappa value (0.79).

Discussion: The patient-oriented workflow methodology has the potential to facilitate modeling patient care in EDs by character -izing both roles and activities in sequence. The methodology also provides researchers and practitioners a more realistic and comprehensive workflow perspective that can inform the design, implementation and evaluation of health information technology interventions.
Complications of lateral plate fixation compared with tension band wiring and pin or lag screw fixation for calcaneoquartal arthrodesis
Authors: Knudsen C. S. , Gosling M. , McKee M. , Whitelock R. G. , Arthurs G. I. , Ness M. G. , Radke H. , Langley-Hobbs S. J. , Barnes D. C.
Published: September 2013

Objective: To compare complication rates and the outcomes of these complications after lateral plate fixation with figure-ofeight tension-band-wire and pin or lag screw fixation for arthrodesis of the calcaneoquartal joint, following non-traumatic disruption of the plantar tarsal ligament in dogs.

Methods: Data were collected retrospectively from five UK referral centres. Diplomate specialists and their residents performed all procedures. Referring veterinarians were contacted for long-term follow-up.

Results: Seventy-four procedures were undertaken in 61 dogs. There were 58 arthrodeses in the lateral plate group (Plate), nine in the pin and tension-band-wire group (Pin), and seven in the lag screw and tension-band wire-group (Screw). Compared to Plate (17%), further surgical intervention was required more frequently following Pin (56%, OR = 3.2) or Screw (43%, OR = 2.5) fixation. Clinical failure of arthrodesis occurred less frequently with Plate (5%) compared with Screw (43%, OR = 8.6) and Pin fixation (22%, OR = 4.4). Cases managed with external coaptation postoperatively were more likely to suffer from postoperative complications (OR = 2.2).

Clinical significance: Lateral plating was associated with fewer postoperative complications than pin and tension-band-wire fixation for arthrodesis of the calcaneoquartal joint in dogs with non-traumatic disruption of the plantar tarsal ligament.
Hemilaminectomy and vertebral stabilization for thoracolumbar intervertebral disc associated dynamic compression in 11 dogs
Authors: Shibata M. , Sadahiro S. , Aikawa T.
Published: September 2013

Objective: To describe the diagnostic findings, surgical technique and outcome in dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disc-associated dynamic compression.

Study design: Retrospective case series.

Animals: Client owned dogs (n = 11).

Methods: Medical records (2005–2010) of dogs with a stress myelographic diagnosis of spinal cord injury due to thoracolumbar intervertebral disc-associated dynamic compression with inconclusive compression in the neutral myelographic views that had hemilaminectomy and vertebral stabilization were reviewed. Data on pre- and postoperative neurologic status, diagnostic findings, surgical techniques and outcomes were retrieved. Follow-up clinical and radiographic evaluations were performed immediately, and at approximately one, two, and six months postoperatively as well as at annual followup examinations.

Results: The stress myelography demonstrated distinct ventral dynamic compression due to bulging of the disc and additional dorsal compression due to infolding of the ligamentum flavum in some cases. The median percentage of post-stress reduction in spinal cord height on the lateral view was 18.0% (9.8-27.2%). All dogs recovered after surgery and at follow-up examinations were still ambulatory (median: 45 months, range: 7 to 94 months).

Conclusions and clinical relevance: Thoracolumbar intervertebral disc degeneration may result in disc-associated dynamic compression. Stress myelography was an effective means of diagnosing this condition and hemilaminectomy with vertebral stabilization was an effective treatment resulting in longterm neurological improvement in all dogs.
Androecial evolution in Caryophyllales in light of a paraphyletic Molluginaceae
Authors: Brockington Samuel , Dos Santos Patricia , Glover Beverley , De Craene Louis Ronse
Published: September 2013

• Premise of the study: Caryophyllales are highly diverse in the structure of the perianth and androecium and show a mode of floral development unique in eudicots, reflecting the continuous interplay of gynoecium and perianth and their influence on position, number, and identity of the androecial whorls. The floral development of five species from four genera of a paraphyletic Molluginaceae (Limeum, Hypertelis, Glinus, Corbichonia), representing three distinct evolutionary lineages, was investigated to interpret the evolution of the androecium across Caryophyllales.

• Methods: Floral buds were dissected, critical‐point dried and imaged with SEM. The genera studied are good representatives of the diversity of development of stamens and staminodial petaloids in Caryophyllales.

• Key results: Sepals show evidence of petaloid differentiation via marginal hyaline expansion. Corbichonia, Glinus, and Limeum also show perianth differentiation via sterilization of outer stamen tiers. In all four genera, stamens initiate with the carpels and develop centrifugally, but subsequently variation is significant. With the exception of Limeum, the upper whorl is complete and alternisepalous, while a second antesepalous whorl arises more or less sequentially, starting opposite the inner sepals. Loss or sterilization of antesepalous stamens occurs in Glinus and Limeum and is caused by altered carpel merism and inhibition by sepal pressures.

• Conclusions: Outer stamens of Hypertelis correspond with petaloids of Caryophyllaceae and suggest that staminodial petaloids and outer alternisepalous stamens are interchangeable in the Caryophyllales. We emphasize a switch in the position of first formed stamens from antesepalous to alternisepalous following the divergence of Limeum; thus stamen position is an important synapomorphy for the globular inclusion clade.
The root microbiome influences scales from molecules to ecosystems: The unseen majority1
Authors: Rout Marnie E. , Southworth Darlene
Published: September 2013

Plants are teeming with microbial organisms including those that colonize internal tissues as well as those that adhere to external surfaces. In the rhizosphere, the plant‐associated microbiome is intricately involved in plant health and serves as a reservoir of additional genes that plants can access when needed. Microbiome regulation of plant trait expression affects plant performance, which in turn influences various ecosystem functions, such as primary productivity and soil health. Understanding these plant‐ and microbe‐driven interactions requires a study of the nature and effects of the plant microbiome. Conceptualizing the microbiome requires a synthesis of microbial ecology, physiology, and bioinformatics, integrated with insight into host biology and ecology. Microbiome structure and function analyses are recognized as essential components to understand the genetic and functional capacity of the host (previously assigned solely to the host) and include vital aspects of metabolism and physiology. Here, as a special section, we present a set of papers that address the complex interactions between plants and root microbiomes in the rhizosphere. This unseen majority spans scales; with its microorganisms numerically dominant in terrestrial ecosystems, the root microbiome is also involved in plant genetics through integral roles in plant trait expression that can effect community composition and ecosystem functions, such as soil health.
Patrimonio local, turismo e identidad nacional en una ciudad de provincias: Toledo a principios del siglo XX
Authors: Storm Eric
Published: September 2013

Fomentar el turismo parece una manera muy neutra para mejorar la economía local, y de paso estimular la conciencia nacional. En Toledo, sin embargo, a principios del siglo XX los debates para definir la aportación local al patrimonio nacional eran muy agrios. Muchos representantes de la derecha toledana defendían el derecho de la Iglesia de vender las obras maestras de El Greco e incluso se opusieron a la conmemoración de El Greco de 1914. Los liberales y republicanos locales, por su parte, consideraban sus retablos como parte del patrimonio que no debería de ningún modo salir del recinto de la ciudad. Lo mismo ocurrió con la herencia medieval de Toledo como ciudad de las tres culturas. La prensa católica quería sustituir el barrio judío por casas modernas e higiénicas, mientras que la izquierda quería que la ciudad entera fuese declarada monumento nacional. En este artículo analizamos detalladamente el desarrollo y las consecuencias de estos debates toledanos sobre el patrimonio artístico, la identidad local y nacional y el turismo.
Paisaje, memoria histórica e identidad nacional en los inicios de la política de conservación de la naturaleza en España: de Covadonga a San Juan de la Peña
Authors: García Álvarez Jacobo
Published: September 2013

Este artículo indaga en el concepto de «paisaje nacional» y en la importancia de los valores simbólicos de carácter identitario en los inicios de la conservación de la naturaleza y del paisaje y en la declaración de algunos de los primeros espacios protegidos en España, deteniéndose, de manera particular, en uno de los casos más relevantes y emblemáticos en este sentido: la creación del Parque Nacional de la Montaña de Covadonga. El trabajo se articula en tres partes: en la primera se plantean algunas consideraciones teóricas y generales sobre el papel de los valores simbólicos y, en particular, identitarios en los inicios de la conservación de la naturaleza y del paisaje en España; en la segunda se examina el proceso de patrimonialización del paisaje de la Montaña de Covadonga como lugar de memoria e identidad nacional, culminado, en lo sustancial, por la declaración del Parque Nacional, en 1918; y en la tercera y última se estudian las disputas y polémicas identitarias vinculadas a la declaración de dicho Parque y, en relación con ellas, los argumentos que condujeron a la declaración del Sitio Nacional del Monte de San Juan de la Peña en 1920. El artículo aborda la creación de los primeros parques naturales en España como parte de las políticas de nacionalización inspiradas en las inquietudes regeneracionistas y en los esfuerzos de ciertas élites y clases dirigentes por institucionalizar nuevos espacios de identidad colectiva en torno al paisaje y la naturaleza (y, más particularmente, en torno a ciertos paisajes naturales impregnados de historia y considerados fundacionales para la historia de nación). En este sentido, las controversias ideológicas suscitadas respecto a tales espacios reflejan la pluralidad de concepciones nacionales existentes en la España de la época, así como las dificultades por consensuar unos símbolos nacionales compartidos.
España fuera de España. El patriotismo español en la emigración argentina: una aproximación
Authors: García Sebastiani Marcela
Published: September 2013

Durante el primer tercio del siglo XX los emigrantes españoles en Argentina impulsaron, desde ámbitos concretos de la sociedad civil y la esfera pública, empresas de identidad con fines políticos. Fue un patriotismo residual y condenado desde su origen. Se activó en coyunturas concretas y en relación con el devenir político español, las políticas locales proyectadas hacia el colectivo migratorio, y el reconocimiento de genealogías sociopolíticas y culturales compartidas. Desde la perspectiva de la historia cultural de la política, y basado en fuentes primarias y secundarias, este artículo aborda los imaginarios construidos, la movilización social que generaron, y sus resultados entre 1885 y 1920. Durante ese período, a la distancia, la emigración también construyó ideas sobre España y elaboró mitos nacionales en la versión cultural del liberalismo que finalmente derivaron en un nacionalismo conservador, católico y –por momentos– fascista.
Biomedical Engineering and Elderly Support
Authors: Billis Antonis S. , Konstantinidis Evdokimos I. , Zilidou Vicky , Wadhwa Kush , Ladas Aristea Kyriaki , Bamidis Panagiotis D.
Published: September 2013

The undoubted growing percentage of senior population (age 65+) has been obvious in the modern society during the last few decades. Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies arise as a promising means of elderly care, thereby reducing both carers’ workload and public health services costs. LongLastingMemories, an EU funded project, aimed at alleviating senior people mental and physical health problems by integrating state of the art computer-aided technology and prolonging their independent living by providing a smart home solution. Five rounds of multicentric pilots were planned and conducted in order to test that objectives such as accessibility, user acceptance and perceived effectiveness of the service were met by the final LLM prototype. A questionnaire survey was conducted after each pilot with several stakeholders, such as senior subjects and formal careers, proving the wide acceptance of our service and its applicability in the domain of elderly healthcare.
The Use of Static Telemedical Applications of Cytopathology for Proficiency Testing
Authors: Archondakis Stavros
Published: September 2013

The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of developing an external quality control program for cytopathology labs wishing to be accredited according to ISO 15189:2007, by using low cost telemedical applications and solutions. One hundred twenty four fine-needle aspiration specimens from patients preoperatively aspirated under ultrasonographic guidance and on 104 pap smears with histological confirmation were retrospectively selected from the department’s registry. Three diagnostic categories of cytological reports were used. Ten characteristic images from each case were transferred via file transfer protocol to password-protected accounts for re-mote review by five independent cytopathologists. In addition to diagnosis, reviewers also commented on overall digital image quality. Contributor’s and reviewer’s diagnoses were collected, recorded and statistically evaluated. No significant difference in diagnostic accuracy could be detected between the diagnoses proffered on the basis of digitized images and conventional slides.
Development of an E-Healthcare Information Security Risk Assessment Method
Authors: Wei June , Lin Binshan , Loho-Noya Meiga
Published: September 2013

This paper developed a method to assess information security risks in e-healthcare. Specifically, it first developed a static E-Healthcare Information Security Risk (EHISR) model to present thirty-three security risk factors by identifying information security threats and their sources in e-healthcare. Second, a dynamic E-Healthcare Information Flow (EHIF) model was developed to logically link these information risk factors in the EHISR model. Pattern analysis showed that information security risks could be classified into two levels, and versatility analysis showed that the overall security risks for eight information flows were close with a range from 55% to 86%. Third, one quantifiable approach based on a relative-weighted assessment model was developed to demonstrate how to assess the information security risks in e-healthcare. This quantitative security risk measurement establishes a reference point for assessing e-healthcare security risks and assists managers in selecting a reliable information flow infrastructure with a lower security risk level.
The Development of Social E-Enterprises, Mobile Communication and Social Networks
Authors: Ratten Vanessa
Published: September 2013

As technological innovations have progressed, the ability of social enterprises to find creative solutions to social problems in the global economy has increased. Social electronic enterprises (e-enterprises) contribute to the well-being of society by utilizing information and communications technology that has a financial component in addition to social and environmental objectives. Social e-entrepreneurship is an effective dynamic way that organizations can achieve social objectives that facilitate change in the international environment. More recently, innovation in information and communications technology has increased the ability of individuals to establish social e-enterprises. This paper discusses the role of technological innovations in providing opportunities for social e-enterprises to develop based on mobile online services. The influence of mobile online communities in developing social e-enterprises is investigated along with how mobile communication has encouraged individuals and organisations to be involved in social e-enterprises. The changing mobile social software communications devices that have allowed individuals to build social e-enterprises using technological innovations from the internet are stated. Recommendations for the continued development of social e-enterprises that utilize emerging technological innovations are included in the paper with suggestions for future research.
Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Cadaba indica lam leaf extract and its larvicidal and pupicidal activity against Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus
Authors: Kalimuthu K. , Panneerselvam C. , Murugan K. , Hwang J.- S.
Published: September 2013

Green nanoparticle synthesis was achieved using environmentally acceptable plant extracts and eco-friendly reducing and capping agents. In the present study, activity of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using Cadaba indica lam plant against Anopheles stephensi and Culex quinquefasciatus was determined. A range of concentrations of synthesized AgNPs (3.125, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50 ppm) and crude extract (50, 100, 150, 200, 250 ppm) were tested against A. stephensi and C. quinquefasciatus. The synthesized AgNPs from C. indica lam were much more toxic than crude extract in both mosquito species. The cured extract high mortality values were 50% lethal concentration (LC50)=88.22, 90.84 ppm; 90% lethal concentration (LC90)=172.94, 178.55 ppm, and the AgNPs high mortality values were LC50=3.90, 4.39 ppm; LC90=19.04, 17.35 ppm against A. stephensi and C. quinquefasciatus, respectively. The results recorded from ultraviolet-visible spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray and Fourier transformed infrared support the biosynthesis and characterization of silver nanoparticles. These results suggest that the leaf cured extracts of C. indica lam and green synthesis of silver nanoparticles have the potential to be used as an ideal eco-friendly approach for the control of A. stephensi and C. quinquefasciatus.
Chironomid (Diptera) species recorded from UK lakes as pupal exuviae
Authors: Ruse L.P.
Published: September 2013

An inventory of chironomid species (Diptera, Chironomidae) data collected from 221 lake basins or reservoirs is detailed together with major physical and chemical characteristics of these waterbodies. Aquatic species of Chironomidae must rise to the water surface for adult emergence. Floating exuviae are transported by wind and water currents to lakeshores. Species data were obtained by collecting lake marginal floating pupal exuviae representing juvenile stages dwelling from across the lake. Among the 450 species found, several were new records for the British Isles.
Host generated cues alter the foraging behavior of Cabbage butterfly, Pieris brassicae and its larval parasitoids, Cotesia glomerata and Hyposoter ebeninus
Authors: Debarma M. , Firake D.M.
Published: September 2013

Effect of host-generated cues on foraging speed of herbivore as well as its natural enemies was studied under net house conditions in Meghalaya, India. Foraging speed of P. brassicae was significantly higher towards the healthy plants, whereas it was lowest towards the damaged plants along with herbivore cues. In contrast foraging speed of parasitoids H. ebeninus and C. glomerata was highest towards damaged plants along with herbivore cues and lowest towards healthy plants. It indicates that herbivore and its parasitoids respond to the volatiles generated by their host. In addition to host plants natural enemies also utilize herbivore-generated cues for their detection.
Seismic interpretation of the Windsor-Kennetcook Basin
Authors: Bianco E
Published: September 2013

We examine the Carboniferous stratigraphy in the Windsor-Kennetcook sub-basin of Nova Scotia with a regard for evaluating the petroleum system potential of the organic source rocks within the Horton Formation. A variety of geologic information was synthesized
including geologic maps, logs and tops from 10 petroleum exploration wells, 18 seismic lines, and airborne gravity and magnetic surveys. Timeto-depth relationships and synthetic seismograms were computed to correlate the major stratigraphic units and seismic reflection patterns. Additionally, a
so-called data quality attribute was computed along the seismic lines, serving not only as a quality indicator, but also facilitating structural interpretation at length scales larger than individual fault traces. Interpretation of these data was done using open-source tools; OpendTectTM for seismic
interpretation, and QGISTM for geo-spatial analysis and visualization. Cross-section interpretations and time-structure maps of the Horton Bluff intervals suggest the presence of a dextral strike-slip flower structure encompassing the entirety of the sub-basin. Due to the sparse seismic line spacing
relative to the structural complexity, interpretations in map view remain rather cursory. The structural framework and deformation history have implications for the present day state of stress and geomechanical behaviour, which is inherently linked to the prospectivity for petroleum
development.
Compliance or non-compliance of hypertensive adults to hypertension management at three primary healthcare day clinics in Tshwane
Authors: Mafutha Gloria N. , Wright Susana C.D.
Published: September 2013

The objective of this article was to report on the rate of compliance to medication, sodiumuse and appointment keeping of hypertensive adults who are attending primary healthcare clinics in Tshwane. Despite the availability of effective management of hypertension globally,non-compliance to management still exists. This article reports on the hypertensive adult’s compliance to medication, sodium use and appointment keeping. The design was a crosssectional descriptive study. The sample was n = 101 hypertensive patients from three primary healthcare clinics. Structured interviews were used to gather the data. The results indicated avariation in compliance rate depending on the question asked. When investigating whether the participants received enough medication on their last visit to the clinic, 98% said that they received enough medication to last them a month (Nkosi 2008:130). However, the appointment-keeping scale revealed that 23% of the participants reported that they left the clinic without prescribed medication or missed an appointment. When, using the Hill-Bone Compliance Scale, individuals were asked a question using the verb forgetting, 9 out of 10 would answer ‘no’, but when the verb decide was used to determine compliance, 6 out of 10 would admit to deciding not to take their medication sometimes. In terms of sodium use,33% showed good compliance and 44% low compliance (Nkosi 2008:138). Compliance with regard to taking hypertension medication was 70%, which is good. This study recommends that compliance to hypertension management be assessed by asking questions specifically for sodium use, medication and appointment keeping as it was clear from the findings of this study that a person would comply with appointment keeping but not take medication daily as prescribed or not use sodium as recommended.
Reading the rhetor in postcolonial African fiction: Armah’s Two thousand seasons as an illustration
Authors: Samiselo George
Published: September 2013

For some time now, rhetors have steadily gained a firm hold on postcolonial African fiction in various versions of what narratologists designate as extradiegetic narrators. One such guise is the communal voice because of the rhetorical advantages these rhetors enjoy as the centre of social, historical, and political consciousness. Yet, in spite of the rhetors’ pervasiveness in postcolonial African prose, little has been said in African critical practice about these fascinating narrative agents since most of the emphasis has been on canonical African texts – what Lindfors designates as the ‘long drums and canons’. Happily, the end of the twentieth century saw a shift in the concerns of African criticism, bringing narratological criteria to bear on postcolonial African fiction. This article theorises the deployment of the rhetor in Two thousand seasons, arguing that the rhetor is privileged because of the ideological force he assumes and his authoritative point of view. It is intended as a contribution to the study of narratology in the African novel, revealing the significance of the rhetorical strategies that guarantee the future of the rhetor as an agency in postcolonial African fiction. For these reasons, this discussion supports a critical discourse of African texts that is, in Culler’s words,‘a poetics, a study of the conditions of meaning’ in postcolonial African fiction.
Shape flax
Authors: Duguid S. D. , Rashid K. Y. , Kenaschuk E. O.
Published: September 2013

Duguid, S. D., Rashid, K. Y. and Kenaschuk, E. O. 2014. Shape flax. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 157–160. Shape, a medium maturing oilseed flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), was released in 2007 by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Morden Research Station, Morden, Manitoba. Developed from the cross M4684/FP1043 made in 1997, Shape was evaluated in the Flax Cooperative Trials in (2004–2006) before being registered in 2007. Shape's desirable combination of agronomic traits and seed quality, particularly its significantly improved oil and protein content, oil quality profile and disease resistance, should make it a useful and unique cultivar for producers and the flax industry.
Teaching Resident Physicians Chronic Disease Management: Simulating a 10-Year Longitudinal Clinical Experience With a Standardized Dementia Patient and Caregiver
Authors: Schlaudecker Jeffrey D. , Lewis Timothy J. , Moore Irene , Pallerla Harini , Stecher Anna M. , Wiebracht Nathan D. , Warshaw Gregg A.
Published: September 2013

Background

Education for all physicians should include specialty-specific geriatrics-related and chronic disease-related topics.

Objective

We describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a chronic disease/geriatric medicine curriculum designed to teach Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education core competencies and geriatric medicine competencies to residents by using longitudinal encounters with a standardized dementia patient and her caregiver daughter.

Intervention

Over 3 half-day sessions, the unfolding standardized patient (SP) case portrays the progressive course of dementia and simulates a 10-year longitudinal clinical experience between residents and a patient with dementia and her daughter. A total of 134 residents participated in the University of Cincinnati-based curriculum during 2007–2010, 72% of whom were from internal medicine (79) or family medicine (17) residency programs. Seventy-five percent of participants (100) said they intended to provide primary care to older adults in future practice, yet 54% (73) had little or no experience providing medical care to older adults with dementia.

Results

Significant improvements in resident proficiency were observed for all self-reported skill items. SPs' evaluations revealed that residents' use of patient-centered language and professionalism significantly improved over the 3 weekly visits. Nearly all participants agreed that the experience enhanced clinical competency in the care of older adults and rated the program as “excellent” or “above average” compared to other learning activities.

Conclusions

Residents found this SP-based curriculum using a longitudinal dementia case realistic and valuable. Residents improved in both self-perceived knowledge of dementia and the use of patient-centered language and professionalism.
Toward Defining and Measuring Social Accountability in Graduate Medical Education: A Stakeholder Study
Authors: Reddy Anjani T. , Lazreg Sonia A. , Phillips Robert L. , Bazemore Andrew W. , Lucan Sean C.
Published: September 2013

Background

Since 1965, Medicare has publically financed graduate medical education (GME) in the United States. Given public financing, various advisory groups have argued that GME should be more socially accountable. Several efforts are underway to develop accountability measures for GME that could be tied to Medicare payments, but it is not clear how to measure or even define social accountability.

Objective

We explored how GME stakeholders perceive, define, and measure social accountability.

Methods

Through purposive and snowball sampling, we completed semistructured interviews with 18 GME stakeholders from GME training sites, government agencies, and health care organizations. We analyzed interview field notes and audiorecordings using a flexible, iterative, qualitative group process to identify themes.

Results

Three themes emerged in regards to defining social accountability: (1) creating a diverse physician workforce to address regional needs and primary care and specialty shortages; (2) ensuring quality in training and care to best serve patients; and (3) providing service to surrounding communities and the general public. All but 1 stakeholder believed GME institutions have a responsibility to be socially accountable. Reported barriers to achieving social accountability included training time constraints, financial limitations, and institutional resistance. Suggestions for measuring social accountability included reviewing graduates' specialties and practice locations, evaluating curricular content, and reviewing program services to surrounding communities.

Conclusions

Most stakeholders endorsed the concept of social accountability in GME, suggesting definitions and possible measures that could inform policy makers calls for increased accountability despite recognized barriers.
Global sea-to-air flux climatology for bromoform, dibromomethane and methyl iodide
Authors: Ziska F. , Quack B. , Abrahamsson K. , Archer S. D. , Atlas E. , Bell T. , Butler J. H. , Carpenter L. J. , Jones C. E. , Harris N. R. P. , Hepach H. , Heumann K. G. , Hughes C. , Kuss J. , Krüger K. , Liss P. , Moore R. M. , Orlikowska A. , Raimund S. , Reeves C. E. , Reifenhäuser W. , Robinson A. D. , Schall C. , Tanhua T. , Tegtmeier S. , Turner S. , Wang L. , Wallace D. , Williams J. , Yamamoto H. , Yvon-Lewis S. , Yokouchi Y.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. Volatile halogenated organic compounds containing bromine and iodine, which are naturally produced in the ocean, are involved in ozone depletion in both the troposphere and stratosphere. Three prominent compounds transporting large amounts of marine halogens into the atmosphere are bromoform (CHBr3), dibromomethane (CH2Br2) and methyl iodide (CH3I). The input of marine halogens to the stratosphere has been estimated from observations and modelling studies using low-resolution oceanic emission scenarios derived from top-down approaches. In order to improve emission inventory estimates, we calculate data-based high resolution global sea-to-air flux estimates of these compounds from surface observations within the HalOcAt (Halocarbons in the Ocean and Atmosphere) database (https://halocat.geomar.de/). Global maps of marine and atmospheric surface concentrations are derived from the data which are divided into coastal, shelf and open ocean regions. Considering physical and biogeochemical characteristics of ocean and atmosphere, the open ocean water and atmosphere data are classified into 21 regions. The available data are interpolated onto a 1°×1° grid while missing grid values are interpolated with latitudinal and longitudinal dependent regression techniques reflecting the compounds' distributions. With the generated surface concentration climatologies for the ocean and atmosphere, global sea-to-air concentration gradients and sea-to-air fluxes are calculated. Based on these calculations we estimate a total global flux of 1.5/2.5 Gmol Br yr−1 for CHBr3, 0.78/0.98 Gmol Br yr−1 for CH2Br2 and 1.24/1.45 Gmol Br yr−1 for CH3I (robust fit/ordinary least squares regression techniques). Contrary to recent studies, negative fluxes occur in each sea-to-air flux climatology, mainly in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. "Hot spots" for global polybromomethane emissions are located in the equatorial region, whereas methyl iodide emissions are enhanced in the subtropical gyre regions. Inter-annual and seasonal variation is contained within our flux calculations for all three compounds. Compared to earlier studies, our global fluxes are at the lower end of estimates, especially for bromoform. An under-representation of coastal emissions and of extreme events in our estimate might explain the mismatch between our bottom-up emission estimate and top-down approaches.
Separating mixtures of aerosol types in airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar data
Authors: Burton S. P. , Vaughan M. A. , Ferrare R. A. , Hostetler C. A.
Published: September 2013

Abstract. Knowledge of aerosol type is important for source attribution and for determining the magnitude and assessing the consequences of aerosol radiative forcing. However, atmospheric aerosol is frequently not a single pure type, but instead occurs as a mixture of types, and this mixing affects the optical and radiative properties of the aerosol. This paper extends the work of earlier researchers by using the aerosol intensive parameters measured by the NASA Langley Research Center airborne High Spectral Resolution Lidar (HSRL-1) to develop a comprehensive and unified set of rules for characterizing the external mixing of several key aerosol intensive parameters: extinction-to-backscatter ratio (i.e. lidar ratio), backscatter color ratio, and depolarization ratio. We present the mixing rules in a particularly simple form that leads easily to mixing rules for the covariance matrices that describe aerosol distributions, rather than just scalar values of measured parameters. These rules can be applied to infer mixing ratios from the lidar-observed aerosol parameters, even for cases without significant depolarization. We demonstrate our technique with measurement curtains from three HSRL-1 flights which exhibit mixing between two aerosol types, urban pollution plus dust, marine plus dust, and smoke plus marine. For these cases, we infer a time-height cross-section of mixing ratio along the flight track, and partition aerosol extinction into portions attributed to the two pure types.