bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mental Health of Muslim Nursing Students in Thailand
Authors: Ratanasiripong Paul
Published: July 2012

The purpose of this research was to explore the mental health and well-being of Muslim nursing students in Thailand. Specifically, the study investigated the factors that impact anxiety and depression among Muslim nursing students. This cross-sectional research was conducted with a half sampling method of Muslim undergraduate students who were studying at a public nursing college in Thailand. From the 220 self-identified Muslim nursing students, 110 were sampled for this study, representing 14% of the total nursing students at this college. Results indicated a moderate prevalence of anxiety and high prevalence of depression among Muslim nursing students. Stress () was positively associated with anxiety, while self-esteem () was negatively associated with anxiety; together this model accounted for 46% of the variance in anxiety. Self-esteem () and social support () were negatively associated with depression, while stress () was positively correlated with depression; together this model accounted for 57% of the variance in depression. Recommendations were given to help train Muslim nursing students to be competent nurses with good mental health and well-being who will succeed and contribute to the nursing profession.
Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases: Review and Update
Authors: Jawairia Mahreema , Shahzad Ghulamullah , Mustacchia Paul
Published: July 2012

Eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders (EGIDs) are a progressively more frequent diverse group of intestinal diseases. The intention of this paper is to present the newest developments in the care of patients with EGIDs and to sum up a rising literature defining the clinical features and mechanistic elements of eosinophils and their intricate associations with the gastrointestinal tract. Clinicians ought to stay sensitive to EGIDs as a diagnostic likelihood for patients with general gastrointestinal symptoms. Further research is warranted to establish various methods leading to dysfunction coupled with eosinophilic gastrointestinal inflammation.
Nurses’ Role in Caring for Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence in the Sri Lankan Context
Authors: Guruge Sepali
Published: July 2012

Intimate partner violence has short- and long-term physical and mental health consequences. As the largest healthcare workforce globally, nurses are well positioned to care for abused women. However, their role in this regard has not been researched in some countries. This paper is based on a qualitative study that explored how Sri Lankan nurses perceive their role in caring for women who have experienced partner violence. Interviews with 30 nurses who worked in diverse clinical and geographical settings in Sri Lanka revealed that nurses’ role involved: identifying abuse, taking care of patients’ physical needs, attending to their safety, providing support and advice, and making referrals. Barriers to providing care included lack of knowledge; heavy workload; language barriers; threats to personal safety; nurses’ status within the healthcare hierarchy; and lack of communication and collaboration between various stakeholder groups within the healthcare system. Nurses also identified a lack of appropriate services and support within hospitals and in the community. The findings reveal an urgent need for the healthcare system to respond to nurses’ educational and training needs and help them function autonomously within multidisciplinary teams when caring for abused women. The findings also point to a need to address institutional barriers including the lack of appropriate services for abused women.
Effect of Drying on Selected Physical Properties of “Asontem” Cowpea Variety
Authors: Bart-Plange Ato , Dzisi Komla Agbeko , Ampah Jonathan
Published: July 2012

Storage, handling, processing, and other postharvest operations of agricultural products require information about their physical properties for the design of related machinery. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of drying on some physical properties of “asontem” cowpea variety within the moisture content range of 19.00% wb and 9.58% wb using standard techniques. Four levels of moisture content were used namely, 19.00%, 15.13%, 11.50%, and 9.58% wb. The average length, width, and thickness decreased with decreasing moisture content from 8.16 to 7.11 mm, 6.36 to 6.28 mm and 4.77 to 4.61 mm respectively. The geometric mean diameter, surface area, and volume decreased nonlinearly with decreasing moisture content from 6.27 to 5.89 mm, 123.88 to 109.46 mm2, and 130.23 to 108.02 mm3, respectively. 1000 grain mass decreased non-linearly from 132.85 to 120.92 g and true density increased non-linearly with decreasing moisture content from 1063.80 to 1185.92 kg/m3. The filling angle of repose decreased non-linearly from 29.34 to 27.92°, while the coefficient of static friction also decreased non-linearly from 0.36 to 0.29, 0.35 to 0.28, and 0.31 to 0.21 for plywood, mild steel, and rubber, respectively.
An Algorithm for the Preclinical Screening of Anticancer Drugs
Effective against Brain Tumors
Authors: Yakisich Juan Sebastian
Published: July 2012

The anticancer drugs screening program is a long and expensive process. It is estimated that only 5% of drugs entering clinical trials are approved by the FDA. Moreover, many of the drugs that enter clinical trials are often of limited use in clinical practice, and most cancers remain untreatable. Brain tumors are particularly difficult to treat due to the presence of the blood brain barrier that limits the penetration of anticancer drugs. Additionally the isolation from most brain tumors of putative cancer stem cells and novel models of cancer stem cell biology suggest that anticancer drugs should be delivered for prolonged time and at higher concentrations to deplete any potential tumorigenic cell. In this paper, current concepts of cancer stem cell biology and novel concepts of anticancer drugs screening are integrated to develop a seven-steps algorithm as a guideline for the preclinical evaluation of active compounds for the treatment of brain tumors. The flexibility of the algorithm allows the inclusion of alternative studies to exhaustively investigate anticancer drugs and creates multiple opportunities where decisions to engage or not in early clinical trials can be made providing a useful tool for translational research in neurooncology.
HPV Type Distribution and Cervical Cytology among HIV-Positive Tanzanian and South African Women
Authors: Dols Joke A. M. , Reid Gregor , Brown Joelle M. , Tempelman Hugo , Bontekoe Tj. Romke , Quint Wim G. V. , Boon Mathilde E.
Published: July 2012

Background. There are limited data on high-risk human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) genotypes among HIV-positive women in Africa, and little is known about their relationship with cervical cytology in these populations. Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional study among 194 HIV-positive women (143 from Tanzania, and 51 from South Africa) to evaluate HPV genotypes among HIV-positive women with normal and abnormal cytology. Cervical samples were genotyped for HPV types, and slides were evaluated for atypical squamous cell changes according to the Bethesda classification system. Results. Prevalence of high grade squamous intraepithelial dysplasia (HSIL) was 9%. Overall, more than half (56%) of women were infected with an hr-HPV type; 94% of women with HSIL (n=16), 90% of women with LSIL (n=35), and 42% of women within normal limits (WNL) (n=58) tested positive for hr-HPV. Overall, the most prevalent hr-HPV subtypes were HPV16 (26%) and HPV52 (30%). Regional differences in the prevalence of HPV18 and HPV35 were found. Conclusion. Regional differences in HPV genotypes among African women warrant the need to consider different monitoring programmes for cervical preneoplasia. HPV-based screening tests for cervical preneoplasia would be highly inefficient unless coupled with cytology screening of the HPV-positive sample, especially in HIV-positive women.
Implementation and Validation of Dynamical Downscaling in a Microscale Simulation of a Lake Michigan Land Breeze
Authors: de Boer Gijs , Tripoli Gregory J. , Eloranta Edwin W.
Published: July 2012

A nested numerical simulation of a land breeze observed over the western Lake Michigan shoreline was completed using the University of Wisconsin Nonhydrostatic Modeling System. This simulation was compared against observations obtained using a variety of instrumentation, most notably a scanning lidar system. The simulated land breeze is shown to closely represent the observations. Most notably, the influence of synoptic scale evolution on the strength and extent of the land breeze is illustrated to be a critical factor in accurately simulating the lifetime of the land breeze. Additionally, model resolution is shown to impact the ability of the simulation to accurately portray the fine scale features of the land breeze circulation, including the depth of the land breeze front and interactions between the land breeze and prevailing synoptic scale flow.
Effect of Salt-Bromide-Iodine Thermal Water Inhalation on Functional and Biochemical Lung Parameters
Authors: Corradi Massimo , Folesani Giuseppina , Gergelova Petra , Goldoni Matteo , Pinelli Silvana , Gainotti Gianfranco , De Palma Giuseppe , Mutti Antonio
Published: July 2012

Background. Inhalation of thermal water has been used empirically in the treatment of chronic diseases of upper and lower respiratory tract. This study investigates biomarkers of effect in exhaled breath (nitric oxide (NO)) and in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) (hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), anions, toxic heavy metals of tobacco smoke) for patients with lung diseases inhaling salt-bromide-iodine thermal water. Methods. This study enrolled two groups of patients, twenty with alveolar pulmonary diseases—pneumoconiosis—twenty-two with bronchial diseases. Patients received 12 days inhalation treatment with thermal water in Terme of Monticelli (Parma), Italy. Results. No statistically significant differences were found for NO at different flow rates in both groups of patients before and after thermal water inhalation. Also in EBC no statistically significant differences were present for H2O2 concentrations, toxic heavy metals concentrations, and anion concentrations before and after treatment. Nitrates in EBC were found to be significantly higher in patients before inhalation than in controls as well as in patients after inhalation versus controls. Conclusions. This study contributes to better quantify functional and biochemical changes in airways before and after thermal water treatment.
Geometric Realization of Some Triangle-Free Combinatorial Configurations
Authors: Grünbaum Branko
Published: July 2012

The main purpose of this paper is to illustrate the mutual benefit to combinatorics and geometry by considering a topic from both sides. Al-Azemi and Betten enumerate the distinct combinatorial (223) configurations that are triangle free. They find a very large number of such configurations, but when taking into account the automorphism group of each, they find two cases in which there is only a single configuration. On the heuristic assumption that an object that is unique in some sense may well have other interesting properties, the geometric counterparts of these configurations were studied. Several unexpected results and problems were encountered. One is that the combinatorially unique (223) configuration with automorphisms group of order 22 has three distinct geometric realizations by astral configurations.
In Situ Determination of Thermal Resistivity of Soil: Case Study of Olorunsogo Power Plant, Southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Oladunjoye Michael Adeyinka , Sanuade Oluseun Adetola
Published: July 2012

This study measured in situ the thermal resistivity of soils at Olorunsogo Gas Turbine Power Station (335 MW Phase 1) which is located in Ogun State, Southwestern Nigeria. Ten pits, each of about 1.5 m below the ground surface, were established in and around the power plant in order to measure the thermal resistivity of soils in situ. A KD 2-Pro was used for the in situ measurement of thermal properties. Samples were also collected from the ten pits for laboratory determination of the physical parameters that influence thermal resistivity. The samples were subjected to grain size distribution analysis, compaction, specific gravity and porosity tests, moisture content determination, and XRD analysis. Also, thermal resistivity values were calculated by an algorithm using grain size distribution, dry density, and moisture content for comparison with the in situ values. The results show that thermal resistivity values range from 34.07 to 71.88°C-cm/W with an average of 56.43°C-cm/W which falls below the permissible value of 90°C-cm/W for geomaterials. Also, the physical parameters such as moisture content, porosity, degree of saturation, and dry density vary from 13.00 to 16.20%, 39.74 to 45.64%, 40.72 to 63.52%, and 1725.05 to 1930.00 Kg/m3, respectively. The temperature ranges from 28.92 to 35.39°C with an average of 32.11°C in the study area. The calculated thermal resistivity from an algorithm was found to vary from 48.43 to 81.22°C-cm/W with an average of 65.56°C-cm/W which is close to the thermal resistivity values measured in situ. Good correlation exists between the in situ thermal resistivity and calculated thermal resistivity with suggesting that both methods are reliable.
An Overview on Nanocrystalline ZnFe2O4, MnFe2O4, and CoFe2O4 Synthesized by a Thermal Treatment Method
Authors: Goodarz Naseri Mahmoud , Saion Elias B. , Kamali Ahmad
Published: July 2012

This study reports the simple synthesis of MFe2O4 (where M=Zn, Mn, and Co) nanoparticles by a thermal treatment method, followed by calcination at various temperatures from 723 to 873 K. Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) was used as a capping agent to stabilize the particles and prevent them from agglomeration. The characterization studies were conducted by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The average particle sizes were obtained by TEM images, which were in good agreement with the XRD results. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) confirmed the presence of metal oxide bands for all the calcined samples. Magnetic properties were demonstrated by a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), which displayed that the calcined samples exhibited superparamagnetic and ferromagnetic behaviors.
Spatial and Temporal Heterogeneity Creates a “Brown Tide” in Root Phenology and Nutrition
Authors: Coogan Sean C. P. , Nielsen Scott E. , Stenhouse Gordon B.
Published: July 2012

Spatial and temporal heterogeneity in plant phenology and nutrition benefits herbivores by prolonging the period in which they can forage on nutritious plants. Landscape heterogeneity can therefore enhance population performance of herbivores and may be a critically important feature of their habitat. The benefits of resource heterogeneity over space and time should extend not only to large herbivores using above-ground vegetation but also to omnivores that utilize below-ground resources. We used generalized linear models to evaluate whether spatial heterogeneity influenced temporal variation in the crude protein content of alpine sweetvetch (Hedysarum alpinum) roots in west-central Alberta, Canada, thereby potentially offering nutritional benefits to grizzly bears (Ursus arctos). We demonstrated that temporal patterns in the crude protein content of alpine sweetvetch roots were influenced by spatial heterogeneity in annual growing season temperatures and soil moisture and nutrients. Spatial heterogeneity and asynchrony in the protein content of alpine sweetvetch roots likely benefit grizzly bears by prolonging the period they can forage on high quality resources. Therefore, we have presented evidence of what we termed a “brown wave” or “brown tide” in the phenology and nutrition of a below-ground plant resource, which is analogous to the previously described “green wave” in above-ground resources.
Design of Competitive Processing Plants for Hemp Fibre Production
Authors: Pecenka Ralf , Lühr Carsten , Gusovius Hans-Jörg
Published: July 2012

Despite an annually growing demand for natural fibres accompanied by worldwide increasing fibre prices as well as long tradition and experience in fibre processing, the production facilities for hemp and flax fibres are very limited in Europe. At present, the lack of modern harvesting and economic processing technologies seem to be the greatest obstacles for hemp fibre producers under the changing conditions of international raw material markets. Therefore, detailed investigations of all process stages of hemp fibre processing have been carried out at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering (ATB). A novel hemp processing line has been developed, installed, and tested at industrial scale in the last 3 years. Investigations regarding optimum plant layout have shown that a straw throughput of approximately 4 t h−1 is required for economic fibre production for all new processing lines at currently high straw prices of more than 150 € t−1. Throughputs in the range from 4 to 6 t h−1 showed a favourable relation between profit and investment cost. At throughputs higher than 6 t h−1, the profit per ton processed straw can be further increased. But investment and straw logistic cost increase at these high-throughput levels often much faster.
Gender Disparity in Structured Physical Activity and Overall Activity Level in Adolescence: Evaluation of Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Data
Authors: Lenhart Clare M. , Hanlon Alexandra , Kang Youjeong , Daly Brian P. , Brown Michael D. , Patterson Freda
Published: July 2012

Background. Adolescent girls are less likely to meet physical activity recommendations than boys. This study examined the relative contribution of structured physical activity opportunities including physical education (PE) class and sports teams to overall activity levels for girls and boys. Methods. Data from 591 9th–12th grade students who completed the 2009 Philadelphia Youth Risk Behavior Survey were examined. Logistic regression was used to estimate the relationship between PE and sports teams and physical activity levels. Models were stratified by gender to estimate gender differences. Results. Girls were less likely to be active than boys: 27.9% of girls were sedentary as compared to 10.6% of boys. PE class was not related to activity levels among boys, while highly active girls were seven times more likely to participate in daily PE than were sedentary girls. Playing on one or more sports teams was associated with low-moderate and high activity in girls; among boys, sports team participation was only associated with high activity. Conclusions. The structured physical activity opportunities of PE and sports teams may contribute more to overall activity levels in girls than boys. A more rigorous assessment of this hypothesis is warranted to inform efforts to promote activity levels in girls.
Cutaneous Manifestations in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease on Maintenance Hemodialysis
Authors: Kolla Praveen Kumar , Desai Madhav , Pathapati Ram Mohan , Mastan Valli B. , Pentyala Suneetha , Madhusudhan Reddy G. , Vijaya Mohan Rao A.
Published: July 2012

Cutaneous disorders can precede or follow the initiation of hemodialysis treatment. We evaluated the prevalence of various dermatological manifestations in patients undergoing hemodialysis at least twice a week for minimum of three months at our center. Patients were excluded if they were undergoing hemodialysis less than twice a week or on hemodialysis secondary to ESRD following graft dysfunction. One hundred and forty-three patients were evaluated. Among them, there were 113 male and 30 females. Among the skin changes, pruritus accounted for 56%, Xerosis was observed in 52%, Diffuse blackish hyper pigmentation was seen in 40%. Skin infections was seen in 53% of patients, of these fungal, bacterial and viral infections were 27.2%, 14.6%, and 11.2%, respectively. Kyrle’s disease was observed only in 6.9%. Other skin manifestations include eczema 4.8%, psoriasis 2.7%, and drug rash 2.1%. Nail changes were observed in 46 patients of whom 27 patients had onychomycosis. Other changes include discoloration, onycholysis, and splinter hemorrhages. Hair changes were observed in 21.7%. Mucosal changes were seen in 27.3%. In our study, pruritus, xerosis, and pigmentation were higher among skin changes. Recognition and management of some of these dermatological manifestations vastly reduce the morbidity and improve the quality of life.
On-Line Real-Time Service-Oriented Task Scheduling Using TUF
Authors: Liu Shuo , Quan Gang , Ren Shangping
Published: July 2012

We present our approach to real-time
service-oriented scheduling problems with the objective of
maximizing the total system utility. Different from the traditional
utility accrual scheduling problems that each task is associated
with only a single time utility function (TUF), we associate two
different TUFs—a profit TUF and a penalty TUF—with each
task, to model the real-time services that not only need to reward
the early completions but also need to penalize the abortions or
deadline misses. The scheduling heuristics we proposed in this
paper judiciously accept, schedule, and abort real-time services
when necessary to maximize the accrued utility. Our extensive
experimental results show that our proposed algorithms can
significantly outperform the traditional scheduling algorithms
such as the Earliest Deadline First (EDF), the traditional utility
accrual (UA) scheduling algorithms, and an earlier scheduling
approach based on a similar model.
Regional Variation on Rates of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia and Associated Risk Factors
Authors: Rojas María Ximena , Rojas Mario Augusto , Lozano Juan Manuel , Rondón Martín Alonso , Charry Laura Patricia
Published: July 2012

Background. An abnormally high incidence (44%) of bronchopulmonary dysplasia with variations in rates among cities was observed in Colombia among premature infants. Objective. To identify risk factors that could explain the observed high incidence and regional variations of bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Study Design. A case-control study was designed for testing the hypothesis that differences in the disease rates were not explained by differences in city-of-birth specific population characteristics or by differences in respiratory management practices in the first 7 days of life, among cities. Results. Multivariate analysis showed that premature rupture of membranes, exposure to mechanical ventilation after received nasal CPAP, no surfactant exposure, use of rescue surfactant (instead of early surfactant), PDA, sepsis and the median daily FIO2, were associated with a higher risk of dysplasia. Significant differences between cases and controls were found among cities. Models exploring for associations between city of birth and dysplasia showed that being born in the highest altitude city (Bogotá) was associated with a higher risk of dysplasia (OR 1.82 95% CI 1.31–2.53). Conclusions. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia was manly explained by traditional risk factors. Findings suggest that altitude may play an important role in the development of this disease. Prenatal steroids did not appear to be protective at high altitude.
The Effect of Three Different Disinfection Materials on Alginate Impression by Spray Method
Authors: Badrian Hamid , Ghasemi Ehsan , Khalighinejad Navid , Hosseini Nafiseh
Published: July 2012

Introduction. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of three different types of disinfectant agents on alginate impression material after 5 and 10 minutes. Method and Materials. In this in vitro experimental study, 66 circular samples of alginate impression material were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Candida albicans fungus. Except for control samples, all of them were disinfected with sodium hypochlorite 0.525, Deconex, and Epimax by way of spraying. Afterwards, they were kept in plastic bags with humid rolled cotton for 5 and 10 minutes. The number of colonies was counted after 24 and 48 hours for bacteria and after 72 hours for fungus. Statistical Mann-Whitney test was used for data analysis (α = 0.05). Results. After 5 minutes, Epimax showed the highest disinfection action on Staphylococcus aureus as it completely eradicated the bacteria. The disinfection capacity of different agents can be increased as time elapses except for Pseudomonas aeruginosa which was eradicated completely in both 5 and 10 minutes. Conclusion. This study revealed that alginate can be effectively disinfected by three types of disinfecting agents by spraying method, although Epimax showed the highest disinfection action after 10 minutes compared to other agents.
Reduction of Oxygen-Carrying Capacity Weakens the Effects of Increased Plasma Viscosity on Cardiac Performance in Anesthetized Hemodilution Model
Authors: Chatpun Surapong , Cabrales Pedro
Published: July 2012

We investigated the effects of reduced oxygen-carrying capacity on cardiac function during acute hemodilution, while the plasma viscosity was increased in anesthetized animals. Two levels of oxygen-carrying capacity were created by 1-step and 2-step hemodilution in male golden Syrian hamsters. In the 1-step hemodilution (1-HD), 40% of the animals' blood volume (BV) was exchanged with 6% dextran 70 kDa (Dx70) or dextran 2000 kDa (Dx2M). In the 2-step hemodilution (2-HD), 25% of the animals' BV was exchanged with Dx70 followed by 40% BV exchanged with Dx70 or Dx2M after 30 minutes of first hemodilution. Oxygen delivery in the 2-HD group consequently decreased by 17% and 38% compared to that in the 1-HD group hemodiluted with Dx70 and Dx2M, respectively. End-systolic pressure and maximum rate of pressure change in the 2-HD group significantly lowered compared with that in the 1-HD group for both Dx70 and Dx2M. Cardiac output in the 2-HD group hemodiluted with Dx2M was significantly higher compared with that hemodiluted with Dx70. In conclusion, increasing plasma viscosity associated with lowering oxygen-carrying capacity should be considerably balanced to maintain the cardiac performance, especially in the state of anesthesia.
Comprehensive Simple Model on Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
Authors: Arteaga-Pérez Luis E. , Peralta-Suárez Luis M. , Casas-Ledón Yannay , Prieto-García Julio O.
Published: July 2012

The mathematical, multiphysic, multidimensional, and electrochemical modelation of a high temperature solid oxide fuel cell system (planar electrolyte-supported configuration) is discussed in the present paper. The mass transport within the cell is studied using the Stefan-Maxwel model, and the momentum balance is solved by means of Navier-Stokes and Brinkman equations, respectively. On the other hand, the energy balance includes the generation term coupled with the convection and conduction equations. It was demonstrated that the diffusion resistances play an important role in the cell performance, and the oxidant concentration is enough high to work at fuel utilization coefficient of 0.8. The current density suffers a reduction (10 A/m2 to  A/m2) due to the variation of reactants concentration at the cell outlet and the diffusive flux resistances. The developed models can be used to further analyses and to study a solid oxide fuel cell working with other fuels but hydrogen.
Technoeconomic and Carbon Emission Analysis for a Grid-Connected Photovoltaic System in Malacca
Authors: Teoh Wei Yee , Khu Say Yen , Tan Chee Wei , Hii Ing Hui , Cheu Kai Wee
Published: July 2012

A 1 MW grid-connected PV system is studied and analyzed in this project using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s HOMER simulation software. The economic feasibility of the system in a small industry area of Malacca, Rembia in Malaysia, is investigated. The aim of the proposed PV system is to reduce the grid energy consumption and promote the use of renewable energy. In this paper, the emphasis is placed on the reduction of greenhouse gases emission. HOMER is capable of performing simulation on renewable energy systems as well as system optimization, in which, the optimization is based on the available usage data and the renewable energy data, such as solar irradiance and temperature. In addition, HOMER can perform sensitivity analysis according to different assumptions of uncertainty factors to determine its impact on the studied system and also the per unit energy cost. Finally, the most suitable or the best configuration system can be identified based on the requirements and constraints.
Active Thrust on an Inclined Retaining Wall with Inclined Cohesionless Backfill due to Surcharge Effect
Authors: Dewaikar D. M. , Pandey S. R. , Dixit Jagabandhu
Published: July 2012

A method based on the application of Kötter’s equation is proposed for the complete analysis of active thrust on an inclined wall with inclined cohesionless backfill under surcharge effect. Coulomb’s failure mechanism is considered in the analysis. The point of application of active thrust is determined from the condition of moment equilibrium. The coefficient of active pressure and the point of application of the active thrust are computed and presented in nondimensional form. One distinguishing feature of the proposed method is its ability to determine the point of application of active thrust on the retaining wall. A fairly good comparison is obtained with the existing solutions.
Study on the Microstructure of the Pinctada martensii Pearls and Its Significance
Authors: Wu Wenlong , Zhang Liping , Yang Zhijun , Hou Weisheng
Published: July 2012

The results of a microscopy, SEM-EDS, XRD, FTIR, and Raman spectra study of the nacres of the Pinctada martensii pearls from Zhanjiang city, China shows that they can be classified as the high-quality, medium-quality, and inferior-quality pearls. Aragonite, the main inorganic mineralogy in the nacres, was crystallized and grown up in the compartments formed by the silk and radial organic sheets originating from organic matters secreted by the mantle of mollusks. The crystalline orientations of aragonite tablets were changed from the (002), (012) and (102) crystalline plane nets in the early to the (002) crystalline plane net only in the later. The formation processes of the microstructure of the nacres could be divided into three stages. In the early stage, the precursor particles of aragonite nucleated and grew up fast; then, porous aragonite aggregates consisting of the fine aragonite crystals were formed. In the middle stage, the aragonite crystals directionally grew up to form the aragonite tablets and microlayers. The surface of the aragonite tablets and microlayers are rough and few porous, and the edges of the crystals were serrated. In the last stage, the aragonite tablets in the aragonite microlayer mixed perfectly together to form high-quality aragonite layer whose surface was smooth and perfect.
In Vitro and In Vivo Evaluation of pH-Sensitive Hydrogels of Carboxymethyl Chitosan for Intestinal Delivery of Theophylline
Authors: Kumar Singh Yadav Hemant , Shivakumar H. G.
Published: July 2012

Chitosan is a natural polymer which has limited solubility. Chitosan gets solubilized at acidic pH but is insoluble at basic pH. In the present study, carboxymethyl chitosan (CMC) was prepared which shows high swelling in basic pH and thus can delay the drug release and can act as matrix for extended release formulation. CMC was characterized by FTIR and NMR. pH-sensitive hydrogels of theophylline were formulated using CMC and carbopol 934. Hydrogels were evaluated for swelling, drug content in vitro drug release studies, and in vivo studies on rabbit. The swelling studies have shown little swelling in acidic pH 432% at the end of two hours and 1631% in basic pH at the end of 12 hours. The release profile of the formulation I containing CMC and carbopol in 1 : 1 ratio showed sustained release. In vivo studies showed that the release of theophylline from the prepared hydrogel formulation (Test) exhibit better prolonged action when compared to (standard) marketed sustained release formulation. The studies showed that the pH-sensitive hydrogel of CMC can be used for extended release of theophylline in intestine and can be highly useful in treating symptoms of nocturnal asthma.
Military Wives' Transition and Coping: Deployment and the Return Home
Authors: Marnocha Suzanne
Published: July 2012

The objective of this qualitative study is to explore the experiences of wives of deployed soldiers. Semistructured interviews were used to answer the research questions. Meleis' Transitions Theory was used to guide the understanding of the wives' experiences. Phase One: news of deployment, property of awareness, themes of emotional chaos and making preparations. Phase Two: during deployment, property of engagement, themes of taking the reins and placing focus elsewhere, along with the property of change and difference, with themes of emotional and physical turmoil, staying strong, and reaching out. Phase Three: after deployment, property of time span, themes of absence makes the heart grow fonder and reestablishing roles. The study concluded that the wife often feels forgotten during deployment. Nurses can give better care by understanding how the different phases of deployment and separation affect the wife's coping ability and her physical and emotional health.
Biofeedback Intervention for Stress and Anxiety among Nursing Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Ratanasiripong Paul , Ratanasiripong Nop , Kathalae Duangrat
Published: July 2012

Purpose.It has been well documented that nursing students across the world experience stress and anxiety throughout their education and training. The purpose of this randomized controlled study is to investigate the impact of biofeedback intervention program on nursing students' levels of stress and anxiety during their first clinical training.Methods.Participants consisted of 60 second-year baccalaureate nursing students. The 30 participants in the biofeedback group received training on how to use the biofeedback device to assist in stress and anxiety management for 5 weeks while the 30 in the control group did not receive any training.Findings.Results indicated that the biofeedback group was able to maintain the stress level while the control group had a significant increase in the stress level over the 5-week period of clinical training. Additionally, the biofeedback group had a significant reduction in anxiety, while the control group had a moderate increase in anxiety.Conclusions.The better the nursing students can manage their stress and anxiety, the more successful they can be in their clinical training. Ultimately, the more psychologically healthy the nursing students are, the more likely they will flourish and graduate to become productive and contributing members of the nursing profession.
A Joint Channel-Network Coding Based on Product Codes for the Multiple-Access Relay Channel
Authors: Ahsin Tafzeel ur Rehman , Ben Slimane Slimane
Published: July 2012

The multiple access relay channel with network coding has the potential to achieve diversity and improve coverage of wireless networks. Its network coding scheme provides an extra redundancy that can be used at the receiver to improve the performance of the cooperating users. This paper shows that the combination of channel coding and network coding, in the multiple access relay channel, can be seen as a product code with rows formed by the code-words of the individual channel codes of the users and columns formed by the network coding code-words. This new representation allows the use of any decoding algorithm of product codes at the receiver to decode the information data of the cooperating users. This decoding process is a complete joint channel-network decoding algorithm as it sees the combination of the two coding schemes as a single coding scheme. It also gives the possibility to use network coding schemes more powerful than conventional XOR-based network coding. The obtained results show that the proposed product-based network coding structure can improve the performance of the multiple-access relay channel without reducing its efficiency and allow a very flexible cooperation between the involved users.
Symptom Distress Associated with Biopsy in Women with Suspect Breast Lesions
Authors: Kamath Jayesh , Cruess Dean G. , Claffey Kevin , Wilson Lori , Phoenix Natalie , Tannenbaum Susan
Published: July 2012

Purpose. To investigate symptom distress, quality of life, affective states, and inflammatory biomarkers before and after breast biopsy in women undergoing breast biopsy.
Methods. A convenience sample of 47 women undergoing breast biopsy was assessed at the pre- and post-biopsy visits. The assessments included evaluation of fatigue, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, positive and negative affect, quality of life using validated self report measures, and a blood draw to determine markers of inflammation.
Results. At the postbiopsy visit, a total of 15 participants were diagnosed with breast cancer, and 32 participants received negative biopsy result. The mean anxiety and sleep disturbances scores were in the clinically significant range for the total sample and for the biopsy positive (BC+) and biopsy negative (BC−) subgroups at both time points. For both subgroups, anxiety and sleep disturbances scores did not change significantly from pre- to post-biopsy. A subpopulation of participants in both groups reported moderate-to-severe anxiety, depression and fatigue levels at both time points. The inflammatory markers did not show consistent associations with psychosocial symptoms.
Conclusions. A subset of participants in BC+ and BC− subgroups experience heightened symptom distress and negative impact on quality of life at both pre- and post-biopsy time points.
Development and Validation of a HPLC-UV Method for Simultaneous Determination of Five Sulfonylurea Herbicide Residues in Groundnut Oil Followed by Matrix Solid-Phase Dispersion
Authors: Nageswara Rao T. , Ramesh A. , Parvathamma T.
Published: July 2012

A simple, sensitive, and inexpensive method was developed using matrix solid-phase dispersion (MSPD), together with high performance liquid chromatographic method for determination of sulfonylurea herbicide residues (nicosulfuron, pyrazosulfuron ethyl, metsulfuron methyl, chlorsulfuron and azimsulfuron) in groundnut oil. The evaluated parameters included the type and amount of sorbent (silica gel, C 18 and florisil) and the nature of eluent (ethyl acetate, dichloromethane, and acetonitrile). The best results were obtained using 1.0 g of groundnut oil sample, 1.0 g of C 18 as sorbent, and 20 mL of ethyl acetate-dichloromethane (1 : 1, (v/v)). The method was validated using groundnut oil samples spiked with sulfonylurea herbicides at different concentration levels (0.05 and 0.5 g/mL). Average recoveries (using each concentration six replicates) ranged 90–97%, with relative standard deviations less than 3%, the concentration of calibration solutions was in the range 0.01–2.0 g/mL and limits of detection (LOD) as well as limits of quantification (LOQ) were 0.01 g/mL and 0.05 g/mL, respectively.
Cognition, Behavior, and Respiratory Function in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Authors: Strutt Adriana M. , Palcic Jennette , Wager John G. , Titus Courtney , MacAdam Claire , Brown Jeffrey , Scott Bonnie M. , Harati Yadollah , Schulz Paul E. , York Michele K.
Published: July 2012

Objective. To examine the relationship between respiratory functioning and neuropsychological performance, mood, and frontal-lobe-mediated behaviors in ALS patients. Methods. Forty-four patients with probable or definite ALS (El Escorial criteria) completed comprehensive pulmonary and neuropsychological assessments as part of their baseline neurological evaluation. Based on their full vital respiratory capacity, 24 and 20 patients were classified as having impaired or intact respiration, respectively. Results. Comparable demographic characteristics, neuropsychological performance, and self-reported mood symptoms were found between ALS patients with intact versus impaired respiration. However, more respiratory-impaired patients were reported by their caregivers as having clinically significant impairments in frontal-lobe-mediated behaviors. Nevertheless, declines in behavior were evidenced from pre- to post-ALS symptom onset for both respiratory groups, and exploratory analyses revealed greater executive functioning deficits in patients with bulbar versus limb onset as well as respiratory-impaired patients not receiving pulmonary interventions versus those utilizing such interventions at the time of testing. Conclusions. Results suggest that the respiratory insufficiency of ALS patients may potentially produce irreversible deficits in executive functioning; yet once treated, impairments in more basic cognitive abilities may be less evident.
Effect of Acute Mental Stress on Heart Rate and QT Variability in Postmyocardial Infarction Patients
Authors: Magrì Damiano , Piccirillo Gianfranco , Quaglione Raffaele , Dell’Armi Annalaura , Mitra Marilena , Velitti Stefania , Di Barba Daniele , Lizio Andrea , Maisto Damiana , Barillà Francesco
Published: July 2012

Emotionally charged events are associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD). In this study we assessed RR and QT variability index (QTVI) at baseline during anger recall test (AR). We calculated QTVI from a 5-min ECG recording and from a 10-beats segment around the presumed maximum sympathetic activation in thirty post-myocardial infarction patients under β-blocker therapy and 10 controls underwent. In all groups, the low-frequency component of RR and SBP increased during AR. In all recordings, the QTVI calculated on a 5-min ECG recording and the were higher in patients than in controls (P < 0.05). The QTVI during AR remained unchanged from baseline within each group. Conversely, during AR, the in controls diminished significantly (P < 0.05) from baseline whereas in patients remained unchanged. The inability to buffer an acute stress-induced increase in sympathetic activity could explain why events charged with acute stress are associated with an increased risk of ventricular arrhythmias in this setting of patients and support the role of cognitive behavior stress management strategies.
Assessment of Toxicity of Cdse/Cds/Zns/S,S-Dihydrolipoic Acid/Polyacrylic Acid Quantum Dots at Danio rerio Embryos and Larvae
Authors: Zolotarev Konstantin V. , Kashirtseva Valentina N. , Mishin Alexey V. , Belyaeva Natalya F. , Medvedeva Natalya V. , Ipatova Olga M.
Published: July 2012

Quantum dots (QDs) are nanosized semiconductor crystals. They are currently applied in different science fields such as medicine, namely, cancer diagnostics and treatment. QD toxicity is caused by the toxicity of their components. In vivo application of QDs requires their toxicity assessment, so the purpose of this work has been the estimation of acute and chronic toxicity of the QDs at Danio rerio embryos and larvae, QDs being composed of CdSe/CdS/ZnS/S,S-dihydrolipoic acid/polyacrylic acid. We have found no QD acute toxicity during 48 hours of QDs action at the embryo up to the concentration of 185 μM Cd. QDs have been found to be toxic only at 5–7 days of action, it shows that QDs act accumulatively. Beside lethality, we have observed different larval development defects, that is, differently localized edemas, lag of development, tail curvature, and swimming bladder malformation. Our experimental data as well as literature data show that toxicity of the quantum dots at Danio rerio embryos and larvae is primarily caused by toxic action of Cd2+ ion which arises from partial dissociation of CdSe and CdS molecules.
Ultrasound Reference Chart Based on IVF Dates to Estimate Gestational Age at 6–9 weeks’ Gestation
Authors: Delpachitra Pavitra , Palmer Kirsten , Onwude Joseph , Meagher Simon , Rombauts Luk , Waalwyk Karen , Bethune Michael , Tong Stephen
Published: July 2012

Accurate determination of gestational age underpins good obstetric care. We assessed the performance of six existing ultrasound reference charts to determine gestational age in 1268 singleton IVF pregnancies, where “true” gestational age could be precisely calculated from date of fertilisation. All charts generated dates significantly different to IVF dates (P<0.0001 all comparisons). Thus we generated a new reference chart, The Monash Chart, based on a line of best fit describing crown-rump length across 6 + 1 to 9 + 0 weeks of gestation (true gestational age) in the IVF singleton cohort. The Monash Chart, but none of the existing charts, accurately determined gestational age among an independent IVF twin cohort (185 twin pairs). When applied to 3052 naturally-conceived singletons scans, The Monash Chart generated estimated due dates that were different to all existing charts (P≤0.004 all comparisons). We conclude that commonly used ultrasound reference charts have inaccuracies. We have generated a CRL reference chart based on true gestational age in an IVF cohort that can accurately determine gestational age at 6–9 weeks of gestation.
Global Attractor for Doubly Nonlinear Parabolic Equation
Authors: Li Yongjun , Wang Suyun , Zhang Yanhong
Published: July 2012

Our aim in this paper is to study the long-time behavior for a class of doubly nonlinear parabolic equations. First we show that the problem has a unique solution. Then we prove that the semigroup corresponding to the problem is norm-to-weak continuous in Lq and H01. Finally we establish the existence of global attractor of the problem in Lq and H01.
Business Ethics: The Law of Rules
Authors: Michael Michael L.
Published: July 2012

Despite the recent rash of corporate scandals and the resulting rush to address the problem by adding more laws and regulations, seemingly little attention has been paid to how the nature (not the substance) of rules may or may not affect ethical decision-making. Drawing on work in law, ethics, management, psychology, and other social sciences, this article explores how several characteristics of rules may interfere with the process of reaching and implementing ethical decisions. Such a relationship would have practical implications for regulatory policy and managers of organizations, and the article concludes by suggesting how regulations and corporate ethics programs should be able to improve the ethical culture of business and enhance the ethical decision-making skills of employees.

One might suppose that where law is largely absent, behavior is pretty bad. Yet it turns out to be nearly the other way around. The two areas where law is arguably the largest presence in ordinary life—driving cars and paying taxes—are probably the two areas where there is the largest amount of self-conscious cheating.

NASA’s culture of bureaucratic accountability emphasized chain of command, procedure, following the rules, and going by the book. While rules and procedures were essential for coordination, they had an unintended but negative effect. Allegiance to hierarchy and procedure had replaced deference to NASA engineers’ technical expertise.
Relationships between Authentic Leadership, Moral Courage, and Ethical and Pro-Social Behaviors
Authors: Hannah Sean T. , Avolio Bruce J. , Walumbwa Fred O.
Published: July 2012

Organizations constitute morally-complex environments, requiring organization members to possess levels of moral courage sufficient to promote their ethical action, while refraining from unethical actions when faced with temptations or pressures. Using a sample drawn from a military context, we explored the antecedents and consequences of moral courage. Results from this four-month field study demonstrated that authentic leadership was positively related to followers’ displays of moral courage. Further, followers’ moral courage fully mediated the effects of authentic leadership on followers’ ethical and pro-social behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications for further integrating the work on moral courage, authentic leadership and ethics are discussed.