bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Models and Insights for Hospital Inpatient Operations: Time-Dependent ED Boarding Time
Authors: Shi Pengyi , Chou Mabel C. , Dai J. G. , Ding Ding , Sim Joe
Published: April 2015

One key factor contributing to emergency department (ED) overcrowding is prolonged waiting time for admission to inpatient wards, also known as ED boarding time. To gain insights into reducing this waiting time, we study operations in the inpatient wards and their interface with the ED. We focus on understanding the effect of inpatient discharge policies and other operational policies on the time-of-day waiting time performance, such as the fraction of patients waiting longer than six hours in the ED before being admitted. Based on an empirical study at a Singaporean hospital, we propose a novel stochastic processing network with the following characteristics to model inpatient operations: (1) A patient’s service time in the inpatient wards depends on that patient’s admission and discharge times and length of stay. The service times capture a two-time-scale phenomenon and are not independent and identically distributed. (2) Pre- and post-allocation delays model the extra amount of waiting caused by secondary bottlenecks other than bed unavailability, such as nurse shortage. (3) Patients waiting for a bed can overflow to a nonprimary ward when the waiting time reaches a threshold, where the threshold is time dependent. We show, via simulation studies, that our model is able to capture the inpatient flow dynamics at hourly resolution and can evaluate the impact of operational policies on both the daily and time-of-day waiting time performance. In particular, our model predicts that implementing a hypothetical policy can eliminate excessive waiting for those patients who request beds in mornings. This policy incorporates the following components: a discharge distribution with the first discharge peak between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and 26% of patients discharging before noon, and constant-mean allocation delays throughout the day. The insights gained from our model can help hospital managers to choose among different policies to implement depending on the choice of objective, such as to reduce the peak waiting in the morning or to reduce daily waiting time statistics.

This paper was accepted by Assaf Zeevi, stochastic models and simulation.
Robust Queueing Theory
Authors: Bandi Chaithanya , Bertsimas Dimitris , Youssef Nataly
Published: April 2015

We propose an alternative approach for studying queues based on robust optimization. We model the uncertainty in the arrivals and services via polyhedral uncertainty sets, which are inspired from the limit laws of probability. Using the generalized central limit theorem, this framework allows us to model heavy-tailed behavior characterized by bursts of rapidly occurring arrivals and long service times. We take a worst-case approach and obtain closed-form upper bounds on the system time in a multi-server queue. These expressions provide qualitative insights that mirror the conclusions obtained in the probabilistic setting for light-tailed arrivals and services and generalize them to the case of heavy-tailed behavior. We also develop a calculus for analyzing a network of queues based on the following key principles: (a) the departure from a queue, (b) the superposition, and (c) the thinning of arrival processes have the same uncertainty set representation as the original arrival processes. The proposed approach (a) yields results with error percentages in single digits relative to simulation, and (b) is to a large extent insensitive to the number of servers per queue, network size, degree of feedback, and traffic intensity; it is somewhat sensitive to the degree of diversity of external arrival distributions in the network.
Embracing, Passing, Revealing, and the Ideal Worker Image: How People Navigate Expected and Experienced Professional Identities
Authors: Reid Erin
Published: April 2015

This paper examines how people navigate organizational pressures to embrace a professional identity that—like the ideal worker image—centers on devotion to work. My field study of a consulting firm demonstrated that although some people easily embrace this expected identity, for others, it conflicts with their experienced professional identity. I found that people cope with this conflict by straying from the expected identity while passing as having embraced it or revealing their deviance. Analyzing 115 interviews, performance evaluations, and turnover data, I trace how and why people manage their deviance differently across audiences within the organization, show the interdependence of these efforts, and illuminate consequences for how they are perceived and evaluated. In the firm I studied, although both men and women strayed, men were more likely than women to pass. Together, these findings highlight the importance of deviance and its management to people’s professional identities, offer new insights regarding the ideal worker image’s relationship to gender inequality, and enrich theory on passing and revealing.
Can school nurses identify mental health needs early and provide effective advice and support?
Authors: Bartlett Heather
Published: April 2015

Aim:

This article aims to explore and analyse primary research regarding the role of the school nurse in providing care for children and young people with mental health needs.

Background:

Children and young people have unique mental health needs that can affect their emotional, educational and physical development. Early identification and support for mental health needs are advocated to improve health and wellbeing outcomes. There are few UK-based primary research papers that address what role the school nurse may have in providing mental health care.

Methods:

A database search was conducted to identify research papers that discuss ‘school nurse’, ‘mental health’ with ‘children and young people’. Eight UK-based papers were identified, on which a thematic analysis was carried out.

Results:

Four themes were identified as important indicators for school nurses working with children and young people with mental health needs: help seeking preferences of children and young people, training and support needs of school nurses, service provision and capacity, and wider socio-economic determinants.

Conclusions:

School nurses can be effective when working with children and young people with mental health needs. As specialist public health nurses their primary area of work should be on the promotion of good mental health and the early identification and support for those who have poor mental health. To ensure effective support is given school nurses require further post-graduate training and regular supervision from a mental health specialist. However, workload structures would need to be managed to allow school nurses to be more visible and accessible within schools in order to build effective and trusting relationships.

Implications for practice:

As the public health role of the school nurse begins to encompass mental health needs it will be increasingly important to reflect upon collaborative working practices to deliver care, which meets the need of children and young people. This may include the use of modern technology, a work schedule that allows for needs to be met year round and improved communication and discussion between health, education and social care professionals.
Parasite communities of the elongate tigerfish Hydrocynus forskahlii (Cuvier 1819) and redbelly tilapia Tilapia zillii (Gervais 1848) from Lake Turkana, Kenya: influence of host sex and size
Authors: Otachi Elick O. , Szostakowska Beata , Jirsa Franz , Fellner-Frank Christine
Published: April 2015

Fish is an important food source for an estimated 300,000 people inhabiting the shores of Lake Turkana, Kenya. Despite its large size (7560 km2) and importance, the lake remains one of the least studied in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. This study describes the parasite community of the elongate tigerfish Hydrocynus forskahlii (Cuvier, 1819) and the redbelly tilapia Tilapia zillii (Gervais, 1848). A total of 87 individuals (43 H. forskahlii and 44 T. zillii) were dissected and examined for parasites. Two taxa infected H. forskahlii, the dominant one being an anisakid nematode Contracaecum sp. (L3) (P = 83.7%, mean intensity (MI) = 46.0, abundance (A) = 38.5). Twelve parasite taxa were recovered from T. zillii, with metacestodes of the gryporhynchid cestode Amirthalingamia macracantha being dominant (P = 79.5, MI = 10.3, A = 8.2). This was the first report of a mixture of merocercoids and plerocercoids in the same host. Fish size was positively correlated with the major parasite infection levels, but, the prevalence of Contracaecum sp. in H. forskahlii was negatively correlated with size, probably reflecting ontogenetic shifts in habitats and diets with age. Fish sex was not a significant influencing factor, with the exception of Contracaecum sp. in H. forskahlii, where prevalence differed significantly between sexes (p<0.05), with the females having a higher prevalence than the males. We conclude that H. forskahlii had a poor parasitic community but that the infection levels with Contracaecum sp. were high. T. zillii had a rich parasite fauna, although, most parasites occurred at low intensities.
Larval cestodes infecting the deep-water fish, Cataetyx laticeps (Pisces: Bythitidae) from Madeira Archipelago, Atlantic Ocean
Authors: Costa Graça , Khadem Mahnaz , Dellinger Thomas , Biscoito Manuel , Melo-Moreira Egberto
Published: April 2015

Parasites of deep-water fishes are less known in comparison to the parasites of fishes living in the demersal and epipelagic ocean zones. In the present research note we report the occurrence of larval trypanorhynch cestodes in a rare deep-water fish, the deep-water brotula, Cataetyx laticeps. Based on the 28S rDNA (region D1-D3) sequence homology and the phylogenetic analysis, the larval cestodes are putatively assigned to the genus Grillotia. It is suggested that the definitive host of this trypanorhynch is a batoid.
Antiparasitic DNA vaccines in 21st century
Authors: Wedrychowicz Halina
Published: April 2015

Demands for effective vaccines to control parasitic diseases of humans and livestock have been recently exacerbated by the development of resistance of most pathogenic parasites to anti-parasitic drugs. Novel genomic and proteomic technologies have provided opportunities for the discovery and improvement of DNA vaccines which are relatively easy as well as cheap to fabricate and stable at room temperatures. However, their main limitation is rather poor immunogenicity, which makes it necessary to couple the antigens with adjuvant molecules. This paper review recent advances in the development of DNA vaccines to some pathogenic protozoa and helminths. Numerous studies were conducted over the past 14 years of 21
Ultrastructural characterization of Acarispora falculifera n.gen., n.sp., a new microsporidium (Opisthokonta: Chytridiopsida) from the feather mite Falculifer rostratus (Astigmata: Pterolichoidea)
Authors: Radek Renate , Kariton Madlen , Dabert Jacek , Alberti Gerd
Published: April 2015

Only about 20 species of microsporidia have been described from mites. All except one species produce typical spores with a long polar filament and a polaroplast. This paper is the first study of an atypical microsporidium infection in a feather mite (Falculifer rostratus). The infection of the pigeon feather mite is restricted to the colon epithelium where it leads to hypertrophy of the concerned cells. During sporogony, a multinucleate plasmodial aggregate is formed within a sporont (endogenous sporogony resulting in a polysporophorous vesicle). The cisterns delimiting the single sporoblasts later form the spore walls. Sporogonial stages are in direct contact to the host cell cytoplasm. Merogonial stages were not present. Spores are tiny (3.6 μm × 2.6 μm), broad oval in form and monokaryotic. The spore wall of mature spores consists of a three-layered endospore and a thin, electron-dense, wavy exospore. The polar filament is anisofilar and completely coiled in 3-4 turns. In cross-sections, it has a star-like appearance because the electron-dense core forms rounded compartments of lucent material at its surface. In superficial sections, this results in a honeycomb-like pattern. A polaroplast is missing. The polar filament arises subapically at a polar sac that lacks an internal anchoring disk. These atypical spore structures clearly classify the species from the feather mite as a member of the order Chytridiopsida. It could not be clearly affiliated to one of the known genera, so we created a new genus, Acarispora, with the species A. falculifera.
Phyllodistomum spinopapillatum sp. nov. (Digenea: Gorgoderidae), from the Oaxaca killifish Profundulus balsanus (Osteichthyes: Profundulidae) in Mexico, with new host and locality records of P. inecoli: Morphology, ultrastructure and molecular evidence
Authors: León Gerardo Pérez-Ponce de , Pinacho-Pinacho Carlos D. , Mendoza-Garfias Berenit , García-Varela Martin
Published: April 2015

Phyllodistomum spinopapillatum sp. nov. is described from the urinary bladder of the Oaxaca killifish, Profundulus balsanus Ahl (Profundulidae) in Rio Pueblo Viejo and Rio Santa Cruz, Oaxaca, southwestern Mexico. The new species is described based on evidence gathered from morphology, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and partial sequences of the 28S rRNA gene. Diagnostic characters of the new species of Phyllodistomum Braun 1899 are the presence of spines on the entire body surface and having a ventral sucker almost half the size of oral sucker. The new species possess a large number of dome-like papillae on the body surface with scattered distribution along the hindbody, and these papillae are characteristically spinulated. Phyllodistomum spinopapillatum sp. nov. most closely resembles P. inecoli Razo-Mendivil, Perez-Ponce de Leon and Rubio- Godoy, 2013, a parasite of the twospot livebearer Pseudoxiphophorus bimaculatus (Heckel) from Veracruz, in the Atlantic slope of Mexico. In addition to the new species, specimens of P. inecoli were also found parasitising the urinary bladder of cyprinodontiforms such as the Mexican molly Poecilia sphenops Valencienes in a pond at Santa Maria Coyotepec, and in Profundulus sp. in Rio Templo, both in Oaxaca, and in the Porthole livebearer Poeciliopsis gracilis (Heckel) in Rio San Juan, as well as in Profundulus punctatus (Gunter) from Rio Nueva Francia, both in Chiapas. The distribution and host range of P. inecoli is extended to freshwaters of the Pacific slope of Mexico, and to other cyprynodontiforms.
Diphyllidean cestodes from the bigeye houndshark Iago omanensis (Norman) (Carcharhiniformes: Triakidae) in the Gulf of Oman, with the description of Coronocestus ehsanentezarii sp. nov. (Echinobothriidae)
Authors: Haseli Mohammad , Azad Samira
Published: April 2015

A new species of Coronocestus Caira, Marques, Jensen, Kuchta and Ivanov, 2013 is described from Iago omanensis (Norman) from the Gulf of Oman. Coronocestus ehsanentezarii sp. nov. differs from C. musteli (Pintner, 1889) Caira, Marques, Jensen, Kuchta and Ivanov, 2013 in that its ovary is H- rather than U-shape. The new species is easily distinguished from C. diamanti (Ivanov and Lipshitz, 2006) Caira, Marques, Jensen, Kuchta and Ivanov, 2013 by the number of spines per column on the cephalic peduncle (24-36 vs 95-118). It differs from C. hormozganiense (Haseli, Malek, Palm and Ivanov, 2012) Caira, Marques, Jensen, Kuchta and Ivanov, 2013 based on a greater number of spines per column on the cephalic peduncle (24-36 vs 18-21). The new species differs from C. notoguidoi (Ivanov 1997) Caira, Marques, Jensen, Kuchta and Ivanov, 2013 in that of its scolex is craspedote rather than acraspedote. Unlike C. coronatum (Robinson 1959) Caira, Marques, Jensen, Kuchta and Ivanov, 2013, C. ehsanentezarii sp. nov. possesses 29-35 rather than 20 apical hooks in each dorso-ventral group. The new species possesses lateral hooklets with two rows (a and b designations) in each cluster. This character had been presented earlier only for Andocadoncum Abbott and Caira, 2014. Furthermore, a new locality record is presented for C. diamanti from Iago omanensis in the Gulf of Oman. Thus, I. omanensis certainly hosts two diphyllidean species simultaneously in the Gulf of Oman. The generic diagnosis of Coronocestus is also revised to include new data.
Efavirenz–eudragit E-100 nanoparticle-loaded aerosol foam for sustained release: in-vitro and ex-vivo evaluation
Authors: Vedha Hari B. N. , Narayanan N. , Dhevedaran K.
Published: April 2015

The control of HIV infection using antiretroviral agents, especially through targeted delivery, has attracted extensive attention in the last decade. Recently, the vaginal route of administration has become the one most recommended for HIV infections during pregnancy. Efavirenz is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor anti-HIV drug and its prolonged half-life helps achieve long-term preexposure prophylaxis of HIV-1 infections; it is used as a first-line drug in the treatment using combination therapy. Nanotechnology has received attention as a major area of research into drug delivery in recent years. The aerosol foam formulation is packed under pressure and contains therapeutically active ingredients that are released as foam on the activation of an appropriate valve system. The objective of this study was to develop an aerosol foam formulation of efavirenz nanoparticles for vaginal drug delivery. The nanoparticles were prepared using the emulsion solvent evaporation method and converted into an aerosol foam formulation with the addition of 0.1 mass % of sodium lauryl sulphate as a foaming agent and pressurised with 1,1,1,2-tetrafluroethane. The nanoparticles containing the formulation and aerosol foam formulation were individually characterised by applying various tests such as particle size, zeta potential, pH, viscosity, drug content, entrapment efficiency, drug release studies and release kinetics. The compatibility of the materials was evaluated using FT-IR, polymorphic changes by TGA-DSC and also the morphological properties using SEM study. Foam density, bubble size and collapse time were evaluated in the aerosol-foam formulation; in addition, the drug content and release studies were compared with nanoparticle formulation. The results revealed that the nanoparticle-containing formulation and aerosol formulations were stable and the foam emerged as grade one with fine bubbles and became coarser over time.
Can voltammetry distinguish glycan isomers?
Authors: Trefulka Mojmír , Paleček Emil
Published: April 2015

The analysis of glycan isomers is an important task in glycomics. This study reveals for the first time that two oligosaccharide pentamers can be distinguished electrochemically. 3α,6α-mannopentaose (MPO) and verbascose (VBS) were modified using Os(VI)-temed and the carbohydrate adducts measured directly in the reaction mixture using cyclic voltammetric (CV) and square wave voltammetric (SWV) stripping at the hanging mercury drop electrode. Some CV and SWV responses of MPO were found to differ from those of VBS at full electrode coverage, requiring μM concentrations at short accumulation time-intervals. Similar results were obtained at partial electrode coverage at nM concentrations. These results afford an opportunity for the development of a new simple and inexpensive glycan analysis.
Assessment of non-standard reaction conditions for asymmetric 1,3-dipolar organocatalytic cycloaddition of nitrone with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes
Authors: Mojzesová Melinda , Mečiarová Mária , Almássy Ambroz , Marti Roger , Šebesta Radovan
Published: April 2015

Non-standard experimental conditions can often enhance organocatalytic reactions considerably. The current study explores the effectiveness of a range of non-standard reaction conditions for the asymmetric organocatalytic 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a nitrone with α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. The influence of ionic liquids, high-pressure conditions, ultrasound, microwave irradiation and ballmilling was tested as well as the flow process. Because of the low reactivity of the nitrone and unsaturated aldehydes in the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, cycloadducts were isolated in only moderate yields from the majority of experiments. However, high diastereo- and enantioselectivities were observed in ionic liquids under solvent-free conditions and in the flow reactor.
Synthesis of corn rootworm pheromones from commercial diols
Authors: Nguyen Thanh-Danh , Nguyen Cong-Hao , Im Chan , Dang Chi-Hien
Published: April 2015

A mixture of stereoisomers of the corn rootworm pheromones was synthesised via the Grignard coupling of protected bromohydrins with alkylcuprate as a key step. The synthesis of 8-methyldec-2- yl propanoate (I ), the northern corn rootworm Diabrotica longicornis Say pheromone, was achieved from pentane-1,5-diol in four steps with an overall yield of 35.1 % and 10-methyltridecan-2-one (II ), the southern corn rootworm Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber pheromone, was synthesised from octane-1,8-diol as commercially available starting material in five steps with an overall yield of 28.7 %.
Analytical procedure for steroid profiling valid for Athlete Biological Passport
Authors: Jarek Anna , Kowalczyk Katarzyna , Chołbiński Piotr , Chajewska Katarzyna , Turek-Lepa Ewa , Pokrywka Andrzej , Bulska Ewa , Kwiatkowska Dorota
Published: April 2015

Although various attempts have been made to eliminate doping in sport, hitherto they all have proved futile. Moreover, the main class of substances that jeopardises the fair play rule remains the same - anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS). To date, longitudinal monitoring of the fluctuations of the endogenous steroids content for a given athlete is regardeded as the most effective approach to the detection of AAS abuse. This is based on the fact that the activity of the steroid biosynthesis pathway may undergo significant changes in response to the AAS administration. This paper presents the entire analytical procedure for quantification of steroids crucial for the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP): testosterone, epitestosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, androsterone, etiocholanolone, 5-α-androstandiol and 5-β-androstandiol. The procedure consists of a four-step sample preparation process followed by analysis by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. The limits of quantification for the substances listed above were; 0.44 ng mL
One-step preparation of porous copper nanowires electrode for highly sensitive and stable amperometric detection of glyphosate
Authors: Poorahong Sujittra , Thammakhet Chongdee , Thavarungkul Panote , Kanatharana Proespichaya
Published: April 2015

A simple and sensitive amperometric method for the detection of glyphosate based on a porous copper nanowire electrode is presented. The porous nanowires were fabricated simply by a one-step electrodeposition using hydrogen bubbles generated during the deposition to produce pores. These porous nanowires provided a 1.4 times larger surface area than a porous copper film. After the fabrication process the porous copper nanowires can be applied directly as a working electrode with the same custom-built flow cell. The detection was carried out by measuring the oxidation signal of copper; this increased with the concentration of glyphosate due to dissolution of the copper from the electrode. Under optimal conditions, the responses of the sensor were linear between 0.010-5.0 μmol L
Gluconobacter sp. cells for manufacturing of effective electrochemical biosensors and biofuel cells
Authors: Bertokova Aniko , Bertok Tomas , Filip Jaroslav , Tkac Jan
Published: April 2015

Gluconobacter oxydans bacteria exhibit a unique metabolism for quick and incomplete oxidation of a wide range of different compounds (aldoses, ketoses, mono- and poly-alcohols, etc.). Such biotransformation efficiency with simple biomass production led to the industrial applications of these bacteria in the production of several important commodities. Their respiratory activity can also be successfully studied and used in the field of bioelectrochemistry. The main aim of this review is to present various strategies to improve selectivity of assays using intact/treated cells of G. oxydans, to introduce the application of G. oxydans-based biosensors in selective monitoring of analytes during biotransformation processes and to provide information about utilizable sugars in fermentation media or in biological oxygen demand value determination. The final part of the review describes potential application of G. oxydans cells in the generation of electricity from complex fuels within microbial fuel cells by advanced direct electron transfer route between bacterial cells and electrodes.
Aptamer-based detection of thrombin by acoustic method using DNA tetrahedrons as immobilisation platform
Authors: Poturnayová Alexandra , Šnejdárková Maja , Castillo Gabriela , Rybár Peter , Leitner Michael , Ebner Andreas , Hianik Tibor
Published: April 2015

The thickness shear mode acoustic method was used to study the binding of thrombin to DNA aptamers immobilised on the gold surface covered by DNA tetrahedrons. The binding of thrombin to conventional aptamers sensitive to fibrinogen (FBT) and heparin (HPT) exosites as well as to HPT in a loop configuration (HPTloop) made it possible to determine the constant of dissociation (K
Physicochemical aspects of Trichosporon cutaneum CCY 30-5-10 adhesion and biofilm formation potential on cellophane
Authors: Dostálková Jitka , Procházková Gita , Jirků Vladimír , Křiklavová Lucie , Lederer Tomáš , Suchánek Miloslav , Brányik Tomáš
Published: April 2015

This paper focuses on the adhesion and biofilm formation potential of cellulolytic yeast Trichosporon cutaneum CCY 30-5-10 on solid cellophane from a novel perspective. First, physicochemical characterisation of the cells and carrier (cellophane) was performed to evaluate the effect of different culture media (complex vs mineral) on yeast cell adhesion. (Un)favourable adhesion conditions were predicted using the thermodynamic approach. Next, the ability of the cells to colonise the carrier under the above conditions was quantified and the biofilm structure was characterised using image analysis. The approaches described were found suitable to predict and experimentally verify favourable (cell-solid) adhesion, i.e. the hydrophobic and low electron-donor nature of cellophane together with hydrophobic cells (obtained when cultivated in a complex culture medium) were found to have a major impact in defining successful yeast adhesion with subsequent biofilm formation.
Sensitive and selective determination of peptides, PG and PGP, using a novel fluorogenic reagent 4-chlorobenzene-1,2-diol
Authors: Yasmin Hasina , Rahman Mohammed Shafikur , Shibata Takayuki , Kabashima Tsutomu , Kai Masaaki
Published: April 2015

A novel fluorometric method was developed for the sensitive and selective detection of Pro-Gly (PG) and Pro-Gly-Pro (PGP) using 4-chlorobenzene-1,2-diol (4-CBD) as a fluorogenic reagent. The reaction was performed at 37°C for 30 min in the presence of a borate buffer (pH 7.0) and sodium periodate. The resulting fluorescence intensity was measured using a spectrofluorometer with excitation and emission wavelengths of 450 nm and 535 nm. To obtain a stable fluorescent signal and maximise its intensity, different reaction conditions such as the concentrations of the reagents, the reaction time, and the pH were optimised. Under the optimised conditions, a linear relationship was obtained between fluorescence intensity and peptide concentrations from 1.0-40.0 μmol L
Heterocyclisation of substituted ylidenethiocarbonohydrazides using dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate
Authors: Hassan Alaa A. , Abdel-Latif Fathy F. , Abdel Aziz Mohamed , Mostafa Sara M. , Bräse Stefan , Nieger Martin
Published: April 2015

A facile and rapid procedure for the synthesis of dimethyl-2-[3-amino-5-(2-methoxy-2-oxoethylidene)- 4-oxothiazolidin-2-ylidenehydrazono]succinate, dimethyl {[2-alkylidenehydrazono)-5-(2-methoxy- 2-oxoethylidene)-4-oxothiazolidin-3-yl)amino]succinate and methyl (4-amino-5-oxo-3- thioxo-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1,2,4-triazine-6-yl)acetate affording yields of 61-54 %, 22-18 % and 14- 11 %, respectively, via a condensation reaction of dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) with (substituted ylidene)thiocarbonohydrazides. One of the products was conclusively confirmed by single-crystal X-ray analysis. A mechanism for the formation of the products is presented.
Evaluation of oxidative stability of vegetable oils enriched with herb extracts by EPR spectroscopy
Authors: Kozłowska Mariola , Zawada Katarzyna
Published: April 2015

Vegetable oils are important constituents of a healthy diet. Still, unsaturated fatty acids present in vegetable oils are susceptible to oxidation, which leads to undesirable changes in sensory, chemical and nutritional properties of oils. To prevent this problem, antioxidants are applied with herbs and spices being one of the most important sources of natural antioxidants. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) can be used to detect free radicals, which are the short-lived intermediates of lipid oxidation, and to monitor changes in oxidation susceptibility. In this study, the ESR spin trapping technique was used as a potential method for the evaluation of the resistance to free radical formation in rapeseed and sunflower oils enriched with herb extracts. The antioxidant effect of herb extracts on vegetable oils was also investigated by measuring their ability to scavenge DPPH free radical using EPR spectroscopy. The herb extracts generally improved the radical scavenging properties of sunflower and rapeseed oils but their influence on the onset of rapid lipid oxidation as measured by spin-trapping EPR depended on the type of oil and on the extract concentration.
Tropical mirror symmetry for elliptic curves
Authors: Böhm Janko , Bringmann Kathrin , Buchholz Arne , Markwig Hannah
Published: April 2015

Mirror symmetry relates Gromov–Witten invariants of an elliptic curve with certain integrals over Feynman graphs [10]. We prove a tropical generalization of mirror symmetry for elliptic curves, i.e., a statement relating certain labeled Gromov–Witten invariants of a tropical elliptic curve to more refined Feynman integrals. This result easily implies the tropical analogue of the mirror symmetry statement mentioned above and, using the necessary Correspondence Theorem, also the mirror symmetry statement itself. In this way, our tropical generalization leads to an alternative proof of mirror symmetry for elliptic curves. We believe that our approach via tropical mirror symmetry naturally carries the potential of being generalized to more adventurous situations of mirror symmetry. Moreover, our tropical approach has the advantage that all involved invariants are easy to compute. Furthermore, we can use the techniques for computing Feynman integrals to prove that they are quasimodular forms. Also, as a side product, we can give a combinatorial characterization of Feynman graphs for which the corresponding integrals are zero. More generally, the tropical mirror symmetry theorem gives a natural interpretation of the A-model side (i.e., the generating function of Gromov–Witten invariants) in terms of a sum over Feynman graphs. Hence our quasimodularity result becomes meaningful on the A-model side as well. Our theoretical results are complemented by a Singular package including several procedures that can be used to compute Hurwitz numbers of the elliptic curve as integrals over Feynman graphs.
Is Sustainable Development an Issue for Quality Management?
Authors: Jasiulewicz-Kaczmarek Małgorzata
Published: April 2015

In recent years, sustainable development strategy for enterprises has become an important issue around the globe. This requires the organization to review its current systems to improve the overall triple bottom-line performance (i.e. economic, environmental, and social). Rising to these challenges requires transforming management system towards sustainable management. Assuming quality management (QM) impact on organisations will continue, what types of QM-based improvement initiatives will develop in the future to meet the anticipated organizational and market changes?
Positive solutions of nth-order m-point impulsive boundary value problems
Authors: Karaca Ilkay Yaslan , Tokmak Fen Fatma
Published: April 2015

This paper is concerned with the existence of positive solutions of an nth-order m-point impulsive boundary value problem. Existence results of at least three positive solutions are established via a fixed point theorem in a cone due to Avery–Peterson. Also, an example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of our result.
Is there a correlation between body proportion and choice of profession?
Authors: Cingi Can Cemal , Muluk Nuray Bayar , Hanci Deniz , Güngör Elvin Onarıcı , Cingi Cemal
Published: April 2015

Objective: We made anthropometric measurements to compare body proportions of university students and to investigate the tendency of the students with more developed bodies in choosing profession for university education.

Methods: A total of 204 male students [group 1: students of School of Physical Education and Sports” (SPESp) (n=88), group 2: students of Faculty of Fine Arts (FFArts) (n=59), and group 3: students of Faculty of Medicine (FMed) (n=57)] were included, and anthropometric measurements were performed.

Results: “Height”; “chest circumference”; “difference of inspiration and expiration of chest circumference” values of the SPESp students were higher than the others (FFArts and FMed). In the SPESp students, chest circumference and chest expansion capacity by inspiration developed more. This shows the positive impact of sport on respiratory functions. Additionally, the legs are longer in students engaged in regular sports.

Conclusion: Exercise is important for all subjects in terms of body development, growth, and oxygenization and to decrease cardiovascular risk factors. For the development of the ideal body anthropometric rates, obesity prevention, and for the growth of healthy generations, governments should give importance to sports and take incentive measures to increase children and young people’s interest in the sport.
Structural Optimization of Box Wing Aircraft
Authors: Kalinowski Miłosz J.
Published: April 2015

The box wing system is an unconventional way to connect the lifting surfaces that the designers willingly to use in prototypes of new aircrafts. The article present a way to quickly optimize the wing structure of box wing airplane that can be useful during conceptual design. At the beginning, there is presented theory and methods used to code optimization program. Structure analysis is based on FEM beam model, which is sufficient in conceptual design. Optimization is performed using hybrid method, connection of simple iteration and gradient descent methods. Finally, the program is validated by case study.
Influence of restoration methods on the longevity of changes in the thermal and oxygen dynamics of a degraded lake
Authors: Grochowska Jolanta , Brzozowska Renata , Łopata Michał , Dunalska Julita
Published: April 2015

The study was conducted on Lake Długie, located in the city of Olsztyn, which for 20 years received raw domestic sewage (400 m3 per day). After preliminary conservation operations, the lake was restored by artificial circulation and phosphorus inactivation methods. During artificial circulation, water temperature in the whole lake volume was equalized. The disconnection of the compressor stimulated the return to typical thermal parameters in the lake. Phosphorus inactivation did not affect the thermal regime in the lake. Artificial circulation caused an increase in the oxygen content in the whole lake, lowered the oxygen-depletion rate during stagnation, and shortened the duration of anaerobic conditions in the near-bottom waters. Phosphorus inactivation did not directly affect the content of oxygen. However, after the coagulant was added to the lake, the oxygenation of the water was further improved owing to the depressed photosynthesis caused by drastically reduced availability of phosphate for primary producers.
Petroleum in coastal seawater of Gdańsk Bay
Authors: Stelmaszewski Adam
Published: April 2015

The paper presents petroleum concentration in coastal waters of Gdańsk Bay, which was measured in 2006 - 2012. The oil concentration ranges from below the detection limit, i.e. 1 μg kg-1 to almost 120 μg kg-1. The concentration does not usually exceed 60 μg kg-1 and its average value is 11.7 μg kg-1. The presence of petroleum in coastal water is characterized by seasonality, with the lowest values in summer and the highest in winter. The conducted research showed that the coastal zone is not the source of petroleum contamination of the sea. The main reason for the presence of petroleum in the coastal water is the migration of polluted water within the bay. The inflow of pollutants from the mainland is yet another source of the contamination in the sea.
Diverse feeding ecology and habitat use in coral reef fishes in the Malaysian South China Sea, as revealed by liver fatty acid composition
Authors: Arai Takaomi , Amalina Razikin , Bachok Zainudin
Published: April 2015

Fatty acid analysis was used to understand feeding ecology and habitat use of coral reef fishes in six families: Lutjanidae (Lutjanus lutjanus), Labridae (Thalassoma lunare), Nemipteridae (Scolopsis affinis, S. monogramma), Pomacentridae (Abudefduf bengalensis, A. sexfasciatus, A. viagiensis), Scaridae (Scarus quoyi, S. quoyi, S. rivulatus, S. ghobban) and Serrandae (Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, Cephalopholis cyanostigma, C. boenak) collected on the Bidong Island of the Malaysian South China Sea. The percentage of saturated fatty acids (ΣSAFA) ranged from 58.0% to 62.5%, with the highest values in fatty acids, the second highest percentage values were those of monounsaturated fatty acids (ΣMUFA) and they ranged from 25.7% to 38.9%, and the percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (ΣPUFA) had the lowest values, i.e. from 2.7% to 13.2%. ΣMUFA and ΣPUFA were significantly different between families, while ΣSAFA did not differ. These results indicate diverse feeding ecology and habitat use during the fish life history in relation to physiological condition, sexual development, and recent feeding events in the coral reef habitats in the Malaysian South China Sea.
Soft Biometrics for a Socially Assistive Robotic Platform
Authors: Carcagnì Pierluigi , Cazzato Dario , Del Coco Marco , Mazzeo Pier Luigi , Leo Marco , Distante Cosimo
Published: April 2015

In thiswork, a real-time system able to automatically recognize soft-biometric traits is introduced and used to improve the capability of a humanoid robot to interact with humans. In particular the proposed system is able to estimate gender and age of humans in images acquired from the embedded camera of the robot. This knowledge allows the robot to properly react with customized behaviors related to the gender/age of the interacting individuals. The system is able to handle multiple persons in the same acquired image, recognizing the age and gender of each person in the robot’s field of view. These features make the robot particularly suitable to be used in socially assistive applications.
A comparative structural analysis of sepiapterin reductase from Drosophila by homology modeling
Authors: Kim Kiyoung , Song Keon-Hyoung , Yim Jeongbin
Published: April 2015

Sepiapterin reductase (SR) catalyzes the final steps of BH4 biosynthesis. Previously, a gene encoding SR has been cloned and characterized from a Drosophila cDNA library in vitro. The present study reports the identification of another SR gene in the Drosophila genome and the structural characteristics and differences of the two Drosophila SRs, using homology modeling analysis. Homology modeling of SRs for protein structure and function prediction showed that the two SRs have different surface electrostatic distributions and different shapes of the substrate (sepiapterin)-binding sites. These results provide valuable insight into the possibility of diverse functions of Drosophila SRs in vivo.
Inschriftliche Wunderheilungsberichte aus Epidauros
Authors: Solin Heikki
Published: April 2015

The four great inscriptions from the late 4th century B.C. found at Epidauros (IG 4
Once More on Mani’s Epistles and Manichaean Letter-Writing
Authors: Gardner Iain
Published: April 2015

The
Aufsätze / Essays: Apollinaris of Laodicea in the Catenae as a Source of Hexaplaric Readings
Authors: Ceulemans Reinhart
Published: April 2015

Der vorliegende Artikel sucht zu beweisen, dass die Fragmente der verlorengegangenen Kommentare des Apollinaris von Laodizea (ca. 315-391), die in den Katenen erhalten sind, eine Quelle für die hexaplarischen (dass heisst Aquila-, Symmachus- und Theodotion-) Lesarten sind, die reicher ist, als es der Apparat der modernen hexaplarischen Editionen vermuten lässt. Die Analyse einiger Katenen-Fragmente der Kommentare des Apollinaris zu Genesis, den Psalmen und dem Römerbrief, in denen er verschiedene Aquila- und Symmachus-Lesarten geboten hat, macht deutlich, warum sein Zeugnis nicht in der Edition von Field und in der Göttinger Reihe vermerkt wird. Die folgenden Ursachen lassen sich aufzeigen: (1) auf Grund (stillschweigender) editorischer Prinzipen hat man sich dafür entschieden, andere Zeugen als Apollinaris zu nennen; (2) in Ermangelung kritischer Editionen der Katenen wurde Apollinaris nicht immer als die Quelle der hexaplarischen Lesarten erkannt; (3) manche Lesarten sind schlichtweg nicht bemerkt worden, da die Katenen, in denen sie zu fi nden sind, nicht herangezogen wurden. Die Erkenntnis, dass Apollinaris ein wertvoller Zeuge der hexaplarischen Lesarten ist, macht ihn zu einem wichtigen Studienobjekt für das Nachleben der Hexapla in der antiochenischen Schule.
Are Striatal Tyrosine Hydroxylase Interneurons Dopaminergic?
Authors: Xenias Harry S. , Ibáñez-Sandoval Osvaldo , Koós Tibor , Tepper James M.
Published: April 2015

Striatal GABAergic interneurons that express the gene for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) have been identified previously by several methods. Although generally assumed to be dopaminergic, possibly serving as a compensatory source of dopamine (DA) in Parkinson's disease, this assumption has never been tested directly. In TH–Cre mice whose nigrostriatal pathway had been eliminated unilaterally with 6-hydroxydopamine, we injected a Cre-dependent virus coding for channelrhodopsin-2 and enhanced yellow fluorescent protein unilaterally into the unlesioned midbrain or bilaterally into the striatum. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry in striatal slices revealed that both optical and electrical stimulation readily elicited DA release in control striata but not from contralateral striata when nigrostriatal neurons were transduced. In contrast, neither optical nor electrical stimulation could elicit striatal DA release in either the control or lesioned striata when the virus was injected directly into the striatum transducing only striatal TH interneurons. This demonstrates that striatal TH interneurons do not release DA. Fluorescence immunocytochemistry in enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)–TH mice revealed colocalization of DA,l-amino acid decarboxylase, the DA transporter, and vesicular monoamine transporter-2 with EGFP in midbrain dopaminergic neurons but not in any of the striatal EGFP–TH interneurons. Optogenetic activation of striatal EGFP–TH interneurons produced strong GABAergic inhibition in all spiny neurons tested. These results indicate that striatal TH interneurons are not dopaminergic but rather are a type of GABAergic interneuron that expresses TH but none of the other enzymes or transporters necessary to operate as dopaminergic neurons and exert widespread GABAergic inhibition onto direct and indirect spiny neurons.
Closed Head Injury in an Age-Related Alzheimer Mouse Model Leads to an Altered Neuroinflammatory Response and Persistent Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Webster Scott J. , Van Eldik Linda J. , Watterson D. Martin , Bachstetter Adam D.
Published: April 2015

Epidemiological studies have associated increased risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD)-related clinical symptoms with a medical history of head injury. Currently, little is known about pathophysiology mechanisms linked to this association. Persistent neuroinflammation is one outcome observed in patients after a single head injury. Neuroinflammation is also present early in relevant brain regions during AD pathology progression. In addition, previous mechanistic studies in animal models link neuroinflammation as a contributor to neuropathology and cognitive impairment in traumatic brain injury (TBI) or AD-related models. Therefore, we explored the potential interplay of neuroinflammatory responses in TBI and AD by analysis of the temporal neuroinflammatory changes after TBI in an AD model, the APP/PS1 knock-in (KI) mouse. Discrete temporal aspects of astrocyte, cytokine, and chemokine responses in the injured KI mice were delayed compared with the injured wild-type mice, with a peak neuroinflammatory response in the injured KI mice occurring at 7 d after injury. The neuroinflammatory responses were more persistent in the injured KI mice, leading to a chronic neuroinflammation. At late time points after injury, KI mice exhibited a significant impairment in radial arm water maze performance compared with sham KI mice or injured wild-type mice. Intervention with a small-molecule experimental therapeutic (MW151) that selectively attenuates proinflammatory cytokine production yielded improved cognitive behavior outcomes, consistent with a link between neuroinflammatory responses and altered risk for AD-associated pathology changes with head injury.
Epac2 Mediates cAMP-Dependent Potentiation of Neurotransmission in the Hippocampus
Authors: Fernandes Herman B. , Riordan Sean , Nomura Toshihiro , Remmers Christine L. , Kraniotis Stephen , Marshall John J. , Kukreja Lokesh , Vassar Robert , Contractor Anis
Published: April 2015

Presynaptic terminal cAMP elevation plays a central role in plasticity at the mossy fiber-CA3 synapse of the hippocampus. Prior studies have identified protein kinase A as a downstream effector of cAMP that contributes to mossy fiber LTP (MF-LTP), but the potential contribution of Epac2, another cAMP effector expressed in the MF synapse, has not been considered. We investigated the role of Epac2 in MF-CA3 neurotransmission using Epac2−/−mice. The deletion of Epac2 did not cause gross alterations in hippocampal neuroanatomy or basal synaptic transmission. Synaptic facilitation during short trains was not affected by loss of Epac2 activity; however, both long-term plasticity and forskolin-mediated potentiation of MFs were impaired, demonstrating that Epac2 contributes to cAMP-dependent potentiation of transmitter release. Examination of synaptic transmission during long sustained trains of activity suggested that the readily releasable pool of vesicles is reduced in Epac2−/−mice. These data suggest that cAMP elevation uses an Epac2-dependent pathway to promote transmitter release, and that Epac2 is required to maintain the readily releasable pool at MF synapses in the hippocampus.