bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Management of haemangioma neck using sclerosing agent- a case report
Authors: Bhadoria S , Saxena R , Lavania A
Published: September 2012

Although hemangiomas are common in infancy and childhood, they are probably developmental abnormalities rather than true neoplasms. In present case we have treated a child aged 10 years with haemangioma of the right side of the Neck. After thorough investigation we posted this for intralesional infiltration of Sclerosing agent (Inj. Polidocanol 3%) in 1:3 dilution with normal saline. Approximately 2 ml Inj. Polidocanol diluted with saline was injected into the lesion. And the same procedure was repeated in three sittings after one week interval. The size and vascularity was reduced dramatically after single procedure. Patient was followed up after one and two months interval. There was no sign of any recurrence. This Procedure was chosen as it is cosmetically more acceptable, can be used for the haemangiomas at inaccessible areas where surgery is difficult, day care procedure and cost effective. Journal of College of Medical Sciences-Nepal,2012,Vol-8,No-1, 56-59 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jcmsn.v8i1.6828
Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Dna Binding Properties of a New Member of the [Mn3Zn2]13+ Complex Family
Authors: Luo Yang-Hui , Zhou Qian , Sun Bai-Wang
Published: September 2012

The complex [N(CH3)4]3[Mn3Zn2(3,5-dibromosalox)3O(N3)6Cl2] has been synthesised and characterised. It crystallises as two independent molecules and exhibits a planar [MnIII3-(μ3-oxo)] core as well as μ2-η1:η1-azide bridging geometry. DNA binding studies show that the complex binds with DNA through intercalation.
Studies on the Synthesis of a Chiral Salen Mn (III) Complex Immobilised onto Zirconium Aminophosphonates and Catalytic Asymmetric Epoxidation of α–methylstyrene
Authors: Zhou Liang
Published: September 2012

A chiral salen Mn (III) complex has been immobilised onto zirconium aminophosphonates by axial coordination with different linkage arm lengths (CH2) n ( n = 2–6), to give a series of heterogeneous catalysts. The catalysts exhibited good to excellent catalytic efficiency in the asymmetric epoxidation of α–methylstyrene. One heterogeneous catalyst, with n = 6, gave higher catalytic properties than the original chiral salen Mn (III) complex in the NaClO/PPNO system. It can be easily recovered and reused several times without significant loss of activity.
Serrin D, a New Ent-Kaurane Diterpenoid from Isodon serra
Authors: Yan Fu-Lin , Xie Rui-Jie , Yin Yan-Yan , Zhang Qing
Published: September 2012

A new ent-kaurane diterpenoid named serrin D and seven known compounds were isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon serra. The structure of the new compound was elucidated by various spectroscopic techniques. Five of the compounds were tested for their cytotoxicity towards HL60, SMMC-7721 and Hela cells.
Alumina-Supported Manganese Catalysts for Soot Combustion Prepared by Thermal Decomposition of KMnO4
Authors: Becerra Maria-Eugenia , Arias Nayda-Patricia , Giraldo Oscar-Hernan , López-Suárez Franz-Edwin , Illán-Gómez Maria-Jose , Bueno-López Agustin
Published: September 2012

Alumina-supported manganese catalysts with cryptomelane and/or birnessite structure have been prepared using a simple method based on the thermal decomposition of potassium permanganate. The samples have been characterized by XRD, FTIR, TGA, DSC, N2 adsorption at −196 °C, SEM, H2-TPR and XPS, and their catalytic activity for soot combustion has been tested and compared to that of a reference Pt/alumina catalyst. The thermal decomposition of alumina-supported KMnO4 yields a mixture of supported birnessite and potassium manganate which is the most effective, among those prepared, to lower the soot combustion temperature. However, this material is not useful for soot combustion because the accelerating effect is not based on a catalytic process but on the oxidation of soot by potassium manganate. A suitable soot combustion catalyst is obtained after potassium manganate is removed by water washing, yielding only the birnessite phase on the γ-Al2O3 support. This birnessite phase can be transformed into cryptomelane by calcination at 600 °C. These two samples, γ-Al2O3-supported birnessite and cryptomelane are suitable catalysts for soot combustion in NOx/O2 mixtures, as their catalytic activity is based on the NO2-assited mechanism, that is, both catalysts accelerate the oxidation of NO to NO2 and NO2 promotes soot oxidation. The soot combustion temperatures obtained with these birnessite/cryptomelane alumina-supported catalysts are similar to that obtained with the reference Pt/alumina catalyst.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Clathrate Hydrates on Specialised Hardware Platforms
Authors: Varini Nicola , English Niall J. , Trott Christian R.
Published: September 2012

Classical equilibrium molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed to investigate the computational performance of the Simple Point Charge (SPC) and TIP4P water models applied to simulation of methane hydrates, and also of liquid water, on a variety of specialised hardware platforms, in addition to estimation of various equilibrium properties of clathrate hydrates. The FPGA-based accelerator MD-GRAPE 3 was used to accelerate substantially the computation of non-bonded forces, while GPU-based platforms were also used in conjunction with CUDA-enabled versions of the LAMMPS MD software packages to reduce computational time dramatically. The dependence of molecular system size and scaling with number of processors was also investigated. Considering performance relative to power consumption, it is seen that GPU-based computing is quite attractive.
Organophosphorus and Carbamate Pesticide Residues Detected in Water Samples Collected from Paddy and Vegetable Fields of the Savar and Dhamrai Upazilas in Bangladesh
Authors: Chowdhury Md. Alamgir Zaman , Banik Sanjoy , Uddin Borhan , Moniruzzaman Mohammed , Karim Nurul , Gan Siew Hua
Published: September 2012

Several types of organophosphorous and carbamate pesticides have been used extensively by the farmers in Bangladesh during the last few decades. Twenty seven water samples collected from both paddy and vegetable fields in the Savar and Dhamrai Upazilas in Bangladesh were analyzed to determine the occurrence and distribution of organo-phosphorus (chlorpyrifos, malathion and diazinon) and carbamate (carbaryl and carbofuran) pesticide residues. A high performance liquid chromatograph instrument equipped with a photodiode array detector was used to determine the concentrations of these pesticide residues. Diazinon and carbofuran were detected in water samples collected from Savar Upazila at 0.9 μg/L and 198.7 μg/L, respectively. Malathion was also detected in a single water sample at 105.2 μg/L from Dhamrai Upazila. Carbaryl was the most common pesticide detected in Dhamrai Upazila at 14.1 and 18.1 μg/L, while another water sample from Dhamrai Upazila was contaminated with carbofuran at 105.2 μg/L. Chlorpyrifos was not detected in any sample. Overall, the pesticide residues detected were well above the maximum acceptable levels of total and individual pesticide contamination, at 0.5 and 0.1 μg/L, respectively, in water samples recommended by the European Economic Community (Directive 98/83/EC). The presence of these pesticide residues may be attributed by their intense use by the farmers living in these areas. Proper handling of these pesticides should be ensured to avoid direct or indirect exposure to these pesticides.
Changes in Vegetation Cover in Reforested Areas in the State of São Paulo, Brazil and the Implication for Landslide Processes
Authors: Canavesi Vanessa , Alvalá Regina Célia dos Santos
Published: September 2012

In Brazil, plantations of exotic species such as Eucalyptus have expanded substantially in recent years, due in large part to the great demand for cellulose and wood. The combination of the steep slopes in some of these regions, such as the municipalities located close to the Serra do Mar and Serra da Mantiqueira, and the soil exposure that occurs in some stages in the Eucalyptus cultivation cycle, can cause landslides. The use of a geographic information system (GIS) assists with the identification of areas that are susceptible to landslides, and one of the GIS tools used is the spatial inference technique. In this work, the landslide susceptibility of areas occupied by Eucalyptus plantations in different stages of development in municipalities in the state of São Paulo was examined. Eight thematic maps were used, and, the fuzzy gamma technique was used for data integration and the generation of susceptibility maps, in which scenarios were created with different gamma values for the dry and rainy seasons. The results for areas planted with Eucalyptus were compared with those obtained for other land uses and covers. In the moderate and high susceptibility classes, the pasture is the land use type that presented the greatest susceptibility, followed by new Eucalyptus plantations and urban areas.
Optimization of Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Fish Oil from Viscera of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus)
Authors: Sarker Mohamed Zaidul Islam , Selamat Jinap , Habib Abu Sayem Md. Ahsan , Ferdosh Sahena , Akanda Mohamed Jahurul Haque , Jaffri Juliana Mohamed
Published: September 2012

Fish oil was extracted from the viscera of African Catfish using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2). A Central Composite Design of Response Surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the SC-CO2 extraction parameters. The oil yield (Y) as response variable was executed against the four independent variables, namely pressure, temperature, flow rate and soaking time. The oil yield varied with the linear, quadratic and interaction of pressure, temperature, flow rate and soaking time. Optimum points were observed within the variables of temperature from 35 °C to 80 °C, pressure from 10 MPa to 40 MPa, flow rate from 1 mL/min to 3 mL/min and soaking time from 1 h to 4 h. However, the extraction parameters were found to be optimized at temperature 57.5 °C, pressure 40 MPa, flow rate 2.0 mL/min and soaking time 2.5 h. At this optimized condition, the highest oil yields were found to be 67.0% (g oil/100 g sample on dry basis) in the viscera of catfish which was reasonable to the yields of 78.0% extracted using the Soxhlet method.
Antinociceptive Action of Isolated Mitragynine from Mitragyna Speciosa through Activation of Opioid Receptor System
Authors: Shamima Abdul Rahman , Fakurazi Sharida , Hidayat Mohamad Taufik , Hairuszah Ithnin , Moklas Mohamad Aris Mohd , Arulselvan Palanisamy
Published: September 2012

Cannabinoids and opioids systems share numerous pharmacological properties and antinociception is one of them. Previous findings have shown that mitragynine (MG), a major indole alkaloid found in Mitragyna speciosa (MS) can exert its antinociceptive effects through the opioids system. In the present study, the action of MG was investigated as the antinociceptive agent acting on Cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) and effects on the opioids receptor. The latency time was recorded until the mice showed pain responses such as shaking, licking or jumping and the duration of latency was measured for 2 h at every 15 min interval by hot plate analysis. To investigate the beneficial effects of MG as antinociceptive agent, it was administered intraperitoneally 15 min prior to pain induction with a single dosage (3, 10, 15, 30, and 35 mg/kg b.wt). In this investigation, 35 mg/kg of MG showed significant increase in the latency time and this dosage was used in the antagonist receptor study. The treated groups were administered with AM251 (cannabinoid receptor-1 antagonist), naloxone (non-selective opioid antagonist), naltrindole (δ-opioid antagonist) naloxonazine (µ1-receptor antagonist) and norbinaltorpimine (κ-opioid antagonist) respectively, prior to administration of MG (35 mg/kg). The results showed that the antinociceptive effect of MG was not antagonized by AM251; naloxone and naltrindole were effectively blocked; and norbinaltorpimine partially blocked the antinociceptive effect of MG. Naloxonazine did inhibit the effect of MG, but it was not statistically significant. These results demonstrate that CB1 does not directly have a role in the antinociceptive action of MG where the effect was observed with the activation of opioid receptor.
Metabolic and Pharmacokinetic Differentiation of STX209 and Racemic Baclofen in Humans
Authors: Sanchez-Ponce Raymundo , Wang Li-Quan , Lu Wei , Von Hehn Jana , Cherubini Maryann , Rush Roger
Published: September 2012

STX209 is an exploratory drug comprising the single, active R-enantiomer of baclofen which is in later stage clinical trials for the treatment of fragile x syndrome (FXS) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). New clinical data in this article on the metabolism and pharmacokinetics of the R- and S-enantiomers of baclofen presents scientific evidence for stereoselective metabolism of only S-baclofen to an abundant oxidative deamination metabolite that is sterically resolved as the S-enantiomeric configuration. This metabolite undergoes some further metabolism by glucuronide conjugation. Consequences of this metabolic difference are a lower Cmax and lower early plasma exposure of S-baclofen compared to R-baclofen and marginally lower urinary excretion of S-baclofen after racemic baclofen administration. These differences introduce compound-related exposure variances in humans in which subjects dosed with racemic baclofen are exposed to a prominent metabolite of baclofen whilst subjects dosed with STX209 are not. For potential clinical use, our findings suggest that STX209 has the advantage of being a biologically defined and active enantiomer.
Applied Biological and Physicochemical Activity of Isoquinoline Alkaloids: Oxoisoaporphine and Boldine
Authors: Sobarzo-Sánchez Eduardo , Soto Patricio González , Valdés Rivera Cristóbal , Sánchez Georgina , Hidalgo María Eliana
Published: September 2012

The aim of this study was to determine the electronic influence of substituent groups and annelated rings such as oxazole-oxazinone on the physicochemical and photoprotection, antioxidant capacity, toxicity and singlet oxygen photosensitization biological properties of isoquinoline alkaloid frameworks. Thus, oxoisoaporphine derivatives 1–5 and 3-azaoxoisoaporphine (6), some of them with phenolic structures, did not present any antioxidant capacity, possibly either by formation of keto-enol tautomerism species or the formation of unstable free radicals. Due to the singlet oxygen quantum yields (FD) near to unity, and greater photostability than phenalenone, oxoisoaporphines 4–6 may be considered as photosensitizers for singlet oxygen production and can be used as new universal study tools. The biological application as antibacterial agents is an important and possible tool in the study of compounds with low cytotoxicity and high reactivity in antineoplastic chemotherapy. On the other hand, when boldine and its annelated derivatives B1–4 are irradiated, a photoprotector effect is observed (SPF = 2.35), even after 30 minutes of irradiation. They also act as photoprotectors in cell fibroblast cultures. No hemolysis was detected for boldine hydrochloride and its salts without irradiation. In solutions irradiated before incubation (at concentrations over 200 ppm) photoproducts were toxic to the nauplii of Artemia salina.
Low Zinc Status and Absorption Exist in Infants with Jejunostomies or Ileostomies Which Persists after Intestinal Repair
Authors: Balay Kimberly S. , Hawthorne Keli M. , Hicks Penni D. , Chen Zhensheng , Griffin Ian J. , Abrams Steven A.
Published: September 2012

There is very little data regarding trace mineral nutrition in infants with small intestinal ostomies. Here we evaluated 14 infants with jejunal or ileal ostomies to measure their zinc absorption and retention and biochemical zinc and copper status. Zinc absorption was measured using a dual-tracer stable isotope technique at two different time points when possible. The first study was conducted when the subject was receiving maximal tolerated feeds enterally while the ostomy remained in place. A second study was performed as soon as feasible after full feeds were achieved after intestinal repair. We found biochemical evidence of deficiencies of both zinc and copper in infants with small intestinal ostomies at both time points. Fractional zinc absorption with an ostomy in place was 10.9% ± 5.3%. After reanastamosis, fractional zinc absorption was 9.4% ± 5.7%. Net zinc balance was negative prior to reanastamosis. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that infants with a jejunostomy or ileostomy are at high risk for zinc and copper deficiency before and after intestinal reanastamosis. Additional supplementation, especially of zinc, should be considered during this time period.
Diclofenac Salts, VIII. Effect of the Counterions on the Permeation through Porcine Membrane from Aqueous Saturated Solutions
Authors: Fini Adamo , Bassini Glenda , Monastero Annamaria , Cavallari Cristina
Published: September 2012

The following bases: monoethylamine (EtA), diethylamine (DEtA), triethylamine (TEtA), monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA), triethanolamine (TEA), pyrrolidine (Py), piperidine (Pp), morpholine (M), piperazine (Pz) and their N-2-hydroxyethyl (HE) analogs were employed to prepare 14 diclofenac salts. The salts were re-crystallized from water in order to obtain forms that are stable in the presence of water. Vertical Franz-type cells with a diffusional surface area of 9.62 cm2 were used to study the permeation of these diclofenac salts from their saturated solutions through an internal pig ear membrane. The receptor compartments of the cells contained 100 mL of phosphate buffer (pH 7.4); a saturated solution (5 mL) of each salt was placed in the donor compartment, thermostated at 37 °C. Aliquots were withdrawn at predetermined time intervals over 8 h and then immediately analyzed by HPLC. Fluxes were determined by plotting the permeated amount, normalized for the membrane surface area versus time. Permeation coefficients were obtained dividing the flux values J by the concentration of the releasing phase—that is, water solubility of each salt. Experimental results show that fluxes could be measured when diclofenac salts with aliphatic amines are released from a saturated aqueous solution. Different chemical species (acid, anion, ion pairs) contribute to permeation of the anti-inflammatory agent even though ion-pairs could be hypothesized to operate to a greater extent. Permeation coefficients were found higher when the counterion contains a ring; while hydroxy groups alone do not appear to play an important role, the ring could sustain permeation, disrupting the organized domains of the membrane.
Design of a Multi-Sensor Cooperation Travel Environment Perception System for Autonomous Vehicle
Authors: Chen Long , Li Qingquan , Li Ming , Zhang Liang , Mao Qingzhou
Published: September 2012

This paper describes the environment perception system designed for intelligent vehicle SmartV-II, which won the 2010 Future Challenge. This system utilizes the cooperation of multiple lasers and cameras to realize several necessary functions of autonomous navigation: road curb detection, lane detection and traffic sign recognition. Multiple single scan lasers are integrated to detect the road curb based on Z-variance method. Vision based lane detection is realized by two scans method combining with image model. Haar-like feature based method is applied for traffic sign detection and SURF matching method is used for sign classification. The results of experiments validate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms and the whole system.
A Nonlinear Adaptive Beamforming Algorithm Based on Least Squares Support Vector Regression
Authors: Wang Lutao , Jin Gang , Li Zhengzhou , Xu Hongbin
Published: September 2012

To overcome the performance degradation in the presence of steering vector mismatches, strict restrictions on the number of available snapshots, and numerous interferences, a novel beamforming approach based on nonlinear least-square support vector regression machine (LS-SVR) is derived in this paper. In this approach, the conventional linearly constrained minimum variance cost function used by minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer is replaced by a squared-loss function to increase robustness in complex scenarios and provide additional control over the sidelobe level. Gaussian kernels are also used to obtain better generalization capacity. This novel approach has two highlights, one is a recursive regression procedure to estimate the weight vectors on real-time, the other is a sparse model with novelty criterion to reduce the final size of the beamformer. The analysis and simulation tests show that the proposed approach offers better noise suppression capability and achieve near optimal signal-to-interference-and-noise ratio (SINR) with a low computational burden, as compared to other recently proposed robust beamforming techniques.
A Method for Application of Classification Tree Models to Map Aquatic Vegetation Using Remotely Sensed Images from Different Sensors and Dates
Authors: Jiang Hao , Zhao Dehua , Cai Ying , An Shuqing
Published: September 2012

In previous attempts to identify aquatic vegetation from remotely-sensed images using classification trees (CT), the images used to apply CT models to different times or locations necessarily originated from the same satellite sensor as that from which the original images used in model development came, greatly limiting the application of CT. We have developed an effective normalization method to improve the robustness of CT models when applied to images originating from different sensors and dates. A total of 965 ground-truth samples of aquatic vegetation types were obtained in 2009 and 2010 in Taihu Lake, China. Using relevant spectral indices (SI) as classifiers, we manually developed a stable CT model structure and then applied a standard CT algorithm to obtain quantitative (optimal) thresholds from 2009 ground-truth data and images from Landsat7-ETM+, HJ-1B-CCD, Landsat5-TM and ALOS-AVNIR-2 sensors. Optimal CT thresholds produced average classification accuracies of 78.1%, 84.7% and 74.0% for emergent vegetation, floating-leaf vegetation and submerged vegetation, respectively. However, the optimal CT thresholds for different sensor images differed from each other, with an average relative variation (RV) of 6.40%. We developed and evaluated three new approaches to normalizing the images. The best-performing method (Method of 0.1% index scaling) normalized the SI images using tailored percentages of extreme pixel values. Using the images normalized by Method of 0.1% index scaling, CT models for a particular sensor in which thresholds were replaced by those from the models developed for images originating from other sensors provided average classification accuracies of 76.0%, 82.8% and 68.9% for emergent vegetation, floating-leaf vegetation and submerged vegetation, respectively. Applying the CT models developed for normalized 2009 images to 2010 images resulted in high classification (78.0%–93.3%) and overall (92.0%–93.1%) accuracies. Our results suggest that Method of 0.1% index scaling provides a feasible way to apply CT models directly to images from sensors or time periods that differ from those of the images used to develop the original models.
Does Migration Lead to Development? Or is it Contributing to a Global Divide?
Authors: Zoomers Annelies , Nijenhuis Gery
Published: September 2012

This article aims to show that the benefits of international migration (often presented as a ‘global flow’) very much depend on the positionality of the areas involved, as well as the regional particularities. It is argued that countries producing south-north migration or diasporic states are in a more favorable position to benefit from international migration than countries that are mainly involved in south-south migration. In addition, the opportunity to benefit from international migration very much depends on geographical particularities. For example, international migration in the context of Latin America/USA is in many respects not comparable to what is happening in Africa, Asia, the EU and the Gulf States. Even though international migration is often described in terms of a growing connectedness in the age of globalization, it progresses also hand in hand with new gaps and regional divides.
Empowering the Citizen-Consumer: Re-Regulating Consumer Information to Support the Transition to Sustainable and Health Promoting Food Systems in Canada
Authors: MacRae Rod , Szabo Michelle , Anderson Kalli , Louden Fiona , Trillo Sandi
Published: September 2012

Both health and sustainability are stated public policy objectives in Canada, but food information rules and practices may not be optimal to support their achievement. In the absence of a stated consensus on the purposes of public information about food, the information provided is frequently determined by the marketers of product. No institution or agency has responsibility for determining the overall coherence of consumer food messages relative to these broader social goals of health and sustainability. Individual firms provide information that shows their products to best advantage, which may contradict what is provided about the product by another firm or government agency. Individual consumers do not have the resources to determine easily the completeness of any firm's messages, particularly in light of the size of food industry advertising budgets. Government rules confound this problem because there is also little coherence between the parts of government that have responsibility for point of purchase, advertising rules, and labelling. The healthy eating messages of health departments are often competing with contradictory messages permitted by the regulatory framework of other arms of government. Investments in programs that successfully promote environmental stewardship in agriculture are undercut in the market because consumers cannot support those efforts with their dollars. This problem exists despite the emergence of “citizen-consumers” who have a broader approach to food purchasing than individual maximization. Only recently have some health professionals and sustainable agriculture proponents turned their attention to these factors and designed interventions that take them into account. In this paper, which builds upon earlier work by MacRae [1], we outline key short, medium and long term initiatives to facilitate the citizen-consumer phenomenon and better support consumers in their efforts to promote health and sustainability in the Canadian food system.
Does Apoptosis Play a Role in Varicella Zoster Virus Latency and Reactivation?
Authors: James Stephanie F. , Mahalingam Ravi , Gilden Don
Published: September 2012

Varicella zoster virus (VZV) is an exclusively human highly neurotropic alphaherpesvirus. To date, VZV has been shown to induce apoptosis, primarily through the intrinsic pathway in different cell types, except for neurons in which the virus becomes latent. This review summarizes current studies of varicella-induced apoptosis in non‑neuronal cells. Future studies are proposed to determine whether apoptosis is terminated prematurely or even begins in neurons that are non-productively infected with VZV.
The crystal structure of the Dess–Martin periodinane
Authors: Schröckeneder Albert , Stichnoth Desiree , Mayer Peter , Trauner Dirk
Published: September 2012

We report the elusive X-ray structure of the Dess–Martin periodinane (DMP), a hypervalent iodine reagent popular amongst synthetic chemists. In the solid state, the highly crystalline compound forms an intricate coordination polymer held together by intermolecular halogen and hydrogen bonds.
AN EMPIRICAL STUDY TO DIAGNOSE THE OUTCOMES OF CUSTOMERS’ EXPERIENCES IN TRENDY COFFEE SHOPS
Authors: Nadi̇ri̇ Halil , Gunay G. Nazan
Published: September 2012

The purpose of this study is to analyse the influence of experiential marketing on young customers’ experiential values and respectively on their satisfaction and word of mouth and revisit intentions. An instrument was developed to measure how the strategic experiential module (Schmitt 1999) and service quality perceptions of customers influence their experiential values. Data were gathered through questionnaires conducted with 450 respondents to diagnose young customers’ experiences in Gloria Jean's Coffees shops in North Cyprus. The structural equation modelling through partial least square (PLS) method results were acceptable in terms of reliability and validity. The empirical results revealed that, some of the strategic experiential modules and service quality perceptions have positive influences on customer experiences (functional and emotional). Results also show that customers’ satisfaction can induce positive post purchase behaviour. The results, managerial implications, and suggestions for future research are discussed in detail.
DOES FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT HAMPER ECONOMIC GROWTH: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM BANGLADESH
Authors: Hye Qazi Muhammad Adnan , Islam Faridul
Published: September 2012

The objective of this study is twofold. (a) Construct the first ever financial development index (FDI) for Bangladesh using the principal component method (PCM). (b) Use the FDI to explore the existence of a long run relationship between FDI and economic growth. The Augmented Dickey Fuller and the Ng-Perron unit root tests have been applied to examine the stationarity properties of the series. To explore a long run relation, the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach to cointegration; and to assess the stability of the parameters, the rolling window regression approach have been used. The results show that the impact of real interest rate (RIR) and FDI on economic growth is negative. Estimates from rolling window method show that FDI and RIR are negatively related to economic growth for the years 1987–1988, 1992–1999, 2002–2006, 2008 and 2009; and 1986–1998, 2006 and 2007, respectively. The results may help policymakers formulate effective financial sector policies as a tool to promote economic growth in Bangladesh.
REQUIREMENTS ON THE COMPETENCE OF ICT MANAGERS AND THEIR COVERAGE BY THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM – EXPERIENCE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Authors: González-Benito Óscar , Martos-Partal Mercedes
Published: September 2012

Global developments in the information society are placing ever greater emphasis on professionals in the area of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) and especially on managers of ICT companies. This article provides a comparison of the trends in the requirements of business practice on ICT managers in 2006 and 2010 and simultaneously draws attention to the coverage of these requirements by fields of study with ICT specialization, on the example of the Czech Republic. The presented results of the obtained data indicate quite good coverage of the requirements on knowledge and skills for the role of ICT manager in the Czech education market. In addition, the article encompasses methodology that can be employed to compare qualitative quantities of the potential of the educational process with the requirements imposed on it.
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATIONAL INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL AND CORRUPTION: A CROSS-NATIONAL STUDY
Authors: Stachowicz-Stanusch Agata
Published: September 2012

The main objective of this paper is to examine the relationship between the National Intellectual Capital and the Corruption Perception Index. The analysis of the relationship between the NIC and the CPI was conducted for 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom and was based on NIC data extracted from two sources (Carol Yeh-Yun Lin and Leif Edvinsson (2010), and the generational approach to the National Intellectual Capital measurement presented in the Report on the Intellectual Capital of Poland). Determination of the strength of the correlation between NIC and CPI represents the first step in evaluating intellectual capital as the factor which may reduce the scale of corruption. Evidence of a strong relationship between NIC and CPI confirms the author's hypothesis that a strong relationship exists, at the same time proving that further studies must be carried out to determine the direction of this relationship. Based on the results of such research (providing that NIC is confirmed to have an effect on CPI), it will then be possible to recommend new methods of preventing corruption through the development of NIC.
Des pratiques internationales en counselling scolaire centré sur la personne
Authors: Cornelius-White Jeffrey H. D. , Coleman Teresa K. , Behr Michael , Ducroux-Biass Françoise
Published: September 2012

Résumé Le counselling centré sur la personne est pratiqué dans un certain nombre d’écoles dans beaucoup de pays. Cet article, écrit en 2008, passe en revue les rapports actuels de telles pratiques au Royaume-Uni comme au Japon. Il comprend des descriptions de certaines pratiques, une recherche empirique sur l’efficacité de telles approches ainsi que des études de cas exploratoires. En conclusion, il fait état de quelques conséquences pour les counsellors d’école de l’Etat du Missouri, aux États-Unis.
La psychothérapie centrée sur la personne appliquée aux personnes âgées
Authors: Swildens Hans , Zeller Odile
Published: September 2012

Résumé Avant d’aborder les conditions générales et les particularités de la psychothérapie centrée sur la personne âgée, l’auteur propose un survol depuis l’Antiquité jusqu’à l’époque postmoderne. Il décrit la valeur accordée d’un point de vue subjectif à la vieillesse selon les époques. Il en vient à conclure qu’actuellement, comme durant l’Antiquité déjà, la vieillesse est abordée en regard du modèle hédoniste ambiant. Swildens aborde ensuite le vieillissement de manière phénoménologico-existentielle en partant de ses effets physiques pour passer ensuite aux modifications des perceptions spatio-temporelles de la personne âgée, à la conscience personnelle et au sentiment de sa valeur. Il ne se contente pas de proposer une réflexion théorique, mais défend des positions critiques de manière percutante. Il expose également comment l’état d’esprit postmoderne travaille en faveur d’une dépersonnalisation de la vieille personne, qui se retrouve presque entièrement dépossédée des choses qui lui étaient habituelles. Dans cette contribution, il retourne en somme de la question de la finitude et de la fragilité, des valeurs ainsi que de la signification de la vieillesse pour les contemporains et vice-versa. Swildens énumère les chances et les conditions particulières de la psychothérapie des personnes âgées. Pour conclure, il apporte un éclairage au sujet de la dimension spirituelle, présentée à partir des exemples de Sigmund Freud et de Carl R. Rogers.
Dietary sugar utilisation by putative oral probiotics
Authors: Stamatova I. , Kari K. , Hervonen L. , Meurman J.H.
Published: September 2012

Probiotic consumption and repeated probiotic intake have shown promising results as adjunct therapies in prevention and alleviation of some chronic disease conditions in the gastrointestinal tract. Recent evidence suggests that probiotics may also be beneficial in preventing oral diseases. An efficient probiotic candidate in the mouth, however, should not impose any risk to oral tissues, such as acid demineralisation of tooth enamel because of sugar fermentation. The aim of the present in vitro study was to evaluate the utilisation of some sugars and sugar alcohols by yogurt starter Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strains and to assess the influence of these carbohydrate sources on cell surface properties. For comparsion, a commercially available probiotic, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, was used. The results showed that lactose, glucose and fructose were readily metabolised by all strains tested. However, strain-specific metabolic patterns were observed when other sugars and sugar alcohols were used as sole carbohydrate source in the growth medium. Surface properties of the bacteria such as hydrophobicity and surface-associated proteins appeared to vary with the carbohydrate content of the growth medium. Based on these results it can be concluded that among the L. delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus strains probiotic candidate strains are available that warrant further studies due to their inability to ferment sugars with pronounced cariogenic properties.
Nurses’ Perceived Benefits, Barriers, and Educational Recommendations for Using Family Pedigrees in Clinical Practice
Authors: Pestka Elizabeth L. , Meiers Sonja J. , Shah Lisa L. , Junglen Laura M. , Delgado Adriana
Published: September 2012

Background:

There is growing emphasis on the use of genetics and genomics, including family pedigrees, in nursing education. This study explored nurses’ perceptions of the benefits, barriers, and educational recommendations related to family pedigrees.

Methods:

A qualitative design using focus group methods was used to gather data from a convenience sample of 28 nurses working at a large medical center in the Midwestern United States.

Results:

Nurses believed that factors supporting the use of family pedigrees are clearly identified patient benefits, an electronic tool initiated in primary care, and use by multiple disciplines. Barriers include lack of ongoing support and possible ethical, legal, social, and cultural issues. Educational recommendations include clinically relevant patient and family decision making regarding care.

Conclusion:

These nurses had positive perceptions of the use of family pedigrees in clinical nursing practice. They identified a need for education and stressed the importance of specialty-specific case examples to maximize relevance.
Relationship of Inflammation and Autoimmunity to Psychiatric Sequelae in Lyme Disease
Authors: Bransfield Robert C.
Published: September 2012

CME Educational Objectives

1.

Gain a better understanding of the pathophysiology of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.

2.

Learn to understand how a sequence of immune-mediated events in Lyme disease and other tick-borne disease can result in psychiatric symptoms.

3.

Recognize that infection and immune reactions in the body can affect the brain.

The causative spirochete of Lyme disease,
Borrelia burgdorferi
, is the most common human tick-borne pathogen in the Northern hemisphere. It is also probably the most complex bacteria known, as it has 132 genes and 21 plasmids, with 90% of this genetic material unrelated to any known bacteria.
Immune Response and Inflammation in Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Antar Laura N. , Ferretti Casara Jean , Hollander Eric
Published: September 2012

CME Educational Objectives

1.

Become familiar with the concept of “susceptibility genes” and the interplay of genetic and environmental factors in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

2.

Understand the interplay between neurologic and immunologic systems in ASD; and know that rates of autoimmunity and allergies are higher in some children with ASD.

3.

Recognize that neuro-inflammation may be a primary or secondary process in ASD.

Autism spectrum disorders include patients who display a triad of impaired social interactions, deficits in communication, and restricted/repetitive interests and behaviors. However, the syndrome is clinically heterogeneous, likely a result of the diverse origins of autism spectrum disorder.
Posaconazole for the Treatment of Oropharyngeal Candidiasis, Including Triazole-Resistant Disease, in HIV-positive patients
Authors: Woolery Joseph E. , Wombwell Eric , Green Myke R.
Published: September 2012

Oropharyngeal candidiasis is a common affliction in HIV-positive patients worldwide. Although the incidence has decreased with the advent of potent antiviral combinations, it continues to be a cause of significant morbidity. Historically, fluconazole or itraconazole was the treatment of choice for oropharyngeal candidiasis, but increasing incidence of resistance and high recurrence rates mandate the use of alternative therapies. Posaconazole, a broad-spectrum second-generation triazole antifungal agent, has been studied in both first-line and salvage settings for treatment of oropharyngeal candidiasis. Posaconazole is well-tolerated, yields high response rates and demonstrates durable response rates with long-term use. This review will provide state-of-the-art knowledge of pharmacology and therapeutics of posaconazole focusing on the indication for oropharyngeal candidiasis in HIV-positive patients.
A compact, fast UV photometer for measurement of ozone from research aircraft
Authors: Gao R. S. , Ballard J. , Watts L. A. , Thornberry T. D. , Ciciora S. J. , McLaughlin R. J. , Fahey D. W.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. In situ measurements of atmospheric ozone (O3) are performed routinely from many research aircraft platforms. The most common technique depends on the strong absorption of ultraviolet (UV) light by ozone. As atmospheric science advances to the widespread use of unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), there is an increasing requirement for minimizing instrument space, weight, and power while maintaining instrument accuracy, precision and time response. The design and use of a new, dual-beam, UV photometer instrument for in situ O3 measurements is described. A polarization optical-isolator configuration is utilized to fold the UV beam inside the absorption cells, yielding a 60-cm absorption length with a 30-cm cell. The instrument has a fast sampling rate (2 Hz at <200 hPa, 1 Hz at 200–500 hPa, and 0.5 Hz at ≥ 500 hPa), high accuracy (3% excluding operation in the 300–450 hPa range, where the accuracy may be degraded to about 5%), and excellent precision (1.1 × 1010 O3 molecules cm−3 at 2 Hz, which corresponds to 3.0 ppb at 200 K and 100 hPa, or 0.41 ppb at 273 K and 1013 hPa). The size (36 l), weight (18 kg), and power (50–200 W) make the instrument suitable for many UASs and other airborne platforms. Inlet and exhaust configurations are also described for ambient sampling in the troposphere and lower stratosphere (1000–50 hPa) that control the sample flow rate to maximize time response while minimizing loss of precision due to induced turbulence in the sample cell. In-flight and laboratory intercomparisons with existing O3 instruments show that measurement accuracy is maintained in flight.
On the problem of Plasma Sheet Boundary Layer identification from plasma moments in Earth's magnetotail
Authors: Grigorenko E. E. , Koleva R. , Sauvaud J.-A.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. The problem of identification of the interface region between the lobe and the Plasma Sheet (PS) – the Plasma Sheet Boundary Layer (PSBL) – using ion moments and magnetic field data often arises in works devoted to statistical studies of various PSBL phenomena. Our experience in the identification of this region based on the analysis of ion velocity distribution functions demonstrated that plasma parameters, such as the ion density and bulk velocity, the plasma beta or the dynamic pressure vary widely depending on the state of magnetotail activity. For example, while field-aligned beams of accelerated ions are often observed propagating along the lobeward edge of the PSBL there are times when no signatures of these beams could be observed. In the last case, a spacecraft moving from the lobe region to the PS registers almost isotropic PS-like ion velocity distribution. Such events may be classified as observations of the outer PS region. In this paper, we attempt to identify ion parameter ranges or their combinations that result in a clear distinction between the lobe, the PSBL and the adjacent PS or the outer PS regions. For this we used 100 crossings of the lobe-PSBL-PS regions by Cluster spacecraft (s/c) made in different periods of magnetotail activity. By eye inspection of the ion distribution functions we first identify and separate the lobe, the PSBL and the adjacent PS or outer PS regions and then perform a statistical study of plasma and magnetic field parameters in these regions. We found that the best results in the identification of the lobe-PSBL boundary are reached when one uses plasma moments, namely the ion bulk velocity and density calculated not for the entire energy range, but for the energies higher than 2 keV. In addition, we demonstrate that in many cases the plasma beta fails to correctly identify and separate the PSBL and the adjacent PS or the outer PS regions.
Organic matter composition and stabilization in a polygonal tundra soil of the Lena-Delta
Authors: Höfle S. , Rethemeyer J. , Mueller C. W. , John S.
Published: September 2012

Abstract. This study investigated soil organic matter (OM) composition of differently stabilized soil OM fractions in the active layer of a polygonal tundra soil in the Lena-Delta, Russia by applying density and particle-size fractionation combined with qualitative OM analysis using solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and lipid analysis combined with 14C analysis. Bulk soil OM was mainly composed of plant-derived, little decomposed material with surprisingly low and strongly increasing apparent 14C ages with active layer depth suggesting slow microbial OM transformation in cold climate. Most soil organic carbon was stored in clay and fine silt fractions (< 6.3 μm), which were composed of little decomposed plant material indicated by the dominance of long n-alkane and n-fatty acid compounds and low alkyl/O-alkyl C ratios. Organo-mineral associations, which are suggested to be a key mechanism of OM stabilization in temperate soils, seem to be less important in the active layer as the mainly plant-derived clay and fine silt sized OM was surprisingly "young" with 14C contents similar to the bulk soil values. Furthermore these fractions contained less organic carbon compared to density fractionated OM occluded in soil aggregates – a further important OM stabilization mechanism in temperate soils restricting accessibility of microorganisms. This process seems to be important at greater active layer depth where particulate OM, occluded in soil aggregates, was "older" than free particulate OM.