bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implications of Practice Setting on Clinical Outcomes and Efficiency of Care in the Delivery of Physical Therapy Services
Authors: Childs John D. , Harman Jeffrey S. , Rodeghero Jason R. , Horn Maggie , George Steven Z.
Published: October 2014

Study Design

Retrospective analysis of episodes of care.

Objective

To assess the implications of practice setting (hospital outpatient settings versus private practice) on clinical outcomes and efficiency of care in the delivery of physical therapy services.

Background

Many patients with musculoskeletal conditions benefit from care provided by physical therapists. The majority of physical therapists deliver services in either a private practice setting or in a hospital outpatient setting. There have not been any recent studies comparing whether clinical outcomes or efficiency of care differ based on practice setting.

Methods

Practices that use the Focus On Therapeutic Outcomes, Inc system were surveyed to determine the specific type of setting in which outcomes were collected in patients with musculoskeletal impairments. Patient outcome data over 12 months (2011–2012) were extracted from the database and analyzed to identify differences in the functional status achieved and the efficiency of the care delivery process between private practices and hospital outpatient settings.

Results

The data suggest that patients experience more efficient care when receiving physical therapy in hospital outpatient settings compared to private practice settings, as demonstrated by 3.1 points of greater improvement in functional status over 2.9 fewer physical therapy visits. However, the difference in improvement between settings is less than the minimum clinically important difference of 9 points in functional status outcome score.

Conclusion

In this cohort, our data suggest that more efficient care was delivered in the hospital outpatient setting compared to the private practice setting. However, we cannot conclude that care delivered in the hospital setting is more cost-effective, because it is possible that any difference in efficiency of care favoring the hospital outpatient setting is more than offset by higher costs of care. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2014;44(12):955–963. Epub 28 October 2014. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.5224
Human visual identification of individual Andean bearsTremarctos ornatus
Authors: Horn Russell C. Van , Zug Becky , LaCombe Corrin , Velez‐Liendo Ximena , Paisley Susanna
Published: October 2014

It is often challenging to use invasive methods of individual animal identification for population estimation, demographic analyses, and other ecological and behavioral analyses focused on individual‐level processes. Recent improvements in camera traps make it possible to collect many photographic samples yet most investigators either leap from photographic sampling to assignment of individual identity without considering identification errors, or else to avoid those errors they develop computerized methods that produce accurate data with the unintended cost of excluding participation by local citizens. To assess human ability to visually identify Andean bearsTremarctos ornatusfrom their pelage markings we used surveys and experimental testing of 381 observers viewing photographs of 70 Andean bears of known identity. Neither observer experience nor confidence predicted their initial success rate at identifying individuals. However, after gaining experience observers were able to achieve an average success at identifying adult bears of 73.2%, and brief simple training further improved the ability of observers such that 24.8% of them achieved 100% success. Interestingly, observers who were initially more likely to falsely identify two photos of the same bear as two different bears than vice versa were likely to continue making errors and their bias became stronger, not weaker. Such biases would lead to inaccurate population estimates, invalid assessments of the bears involved in conflict situations, and underestimates of bear movements. We thus illustrate that in some systems accurate data on individual identity can be generated without the use of computerized algorithms, allowing for community engagement and citizen science. In addition, we show that when using observers to collect data on animal identity it is important to consider not only the overall frequency of observer error, but also observer biases and error types, which are rarely reported in field studies.
STATUS OF AVIFAUNA IN CURZON HALL PREMISES UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA, BANGLADESH
Authors: Akash Muntasir , Hossain Anwar , Chowdhury Gawsia Wahidunnessa , Mahmud Humayra , Islam Anwarul
Published: October 2014

In order to estimate the diversity and status of avian species of Curzon Hall premises, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, a study was conducted from January 2012 to January 2014. A total of 50 species of birds belonging to 30 families under 12 orders were recorded of which, regarding the relative abundance, 29 were common and 21 were uncommon. Twenty five species, in total, were identified as breeding residents, 13 as non-breeding residents and 12 as migrants. Of all the species identified from the study site, one was Critically Endangered (Alexandrine Parakeet Psittacula eupatria) and six were new for the campus (Taiga Flycatcher Ficedula albicilla, Indian Silverbill Lonchura malabarica, Ashy Drongo Dicrurus leucophaeus, Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla, Pied Cuckoo Clamator jacobinus, Lesser Whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica). Passerines were the dominating group as represented by 27 species from 16 different families. Species richness was in the highest peak in the late winter and early spring and comparatively less in other seasons.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/eco.v20i0.11324Ecoprint: An International Journal of EcologyVol. 20, 2013Page : 1-8
ALGAL DYNAMICS OF RIVER PANDU IN RELATION TO AMBIENT ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Verma Sunita , Tiwari Divya , Verma Ajay
Published: October 2014

An investigation on river Pandu in the year 2009-2010 was carried out to explore its current status in terms of physico-chemical and phycological profile. The study revealed that algal spectrum of the river was connected with the intensity of pollution in the river. River, at present is a perturbed ecosystem due to heavy anthropogenic stress on it. Despite abundant nutrients and other factors responsible for propping algal growth, river had a meak algal population and low diversity as compared to other perennial rivers indicating the grossly polluted unhealthy condition of the river. Algae are natural inhabitants of aquatic environment; and act as natural purifiers due to their nutrient gleaning and oxygenating capabilities; they are more sensitive than animals to industrial and municipal wastes. Maximum number of species existed at station-1 followed by stations-4 and 6 and then at station-5. Lowest species representation has been noticed at stations-2 and 3. Species number and algal population too declined sharply at stations-2 and 3 as compared to station-I. Sharp decline in algal population at stations-2 and 3 may be attributed to certain obvious reasons such as low transparency and reduced illumination as a consequence of residual fly ash discharged by PTPP drain at station-2. Except station-1, all downstream stations show grossly polluted condition of the river.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/eco.v20i0.11325Ecoprint: An International Journal of EcologyVol. 20, 2013Page : 9-17
PEZIZA FIMETI (PEZIZALES: PEZIZACEAE): NEW RECORD OF A CUP FUNGUS FROM NEPAL
Authors: Adhikari M. K.
Published: October 2014

Peziza fimeti (Fuckel) Seaver, a member of wild coprophilus cup fungi belonging to the family Pezizaceae, has been recently collected growing on cow dung at Bhanimandal, Lalitpur. This species is reported here as a new record from Nepal.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/eco.v20i0.11328Ecoprint: An International Journal of EcologyVol. 20, 2013Page : 37-39
Should We Move the Whitebark Pine? Assisted Migration, Ethics and Global Environmental Change
Authors: Palmer Clare , Larson Brendon M.H.
Published: November 2014

Some species face extinction if they are unable to keep pace with climate change. Yet proposals to assist threatened species’ poleward or uphill migration (‘assisted migration’) have caused significant controversy among conservationists, not least because assisted migration seems to threaten some values, even as it protects others. To date, however, analysis of ethical and value questions about assisted migration has largely remained abstract, removed from the ultimately pragmatic decision about whether or not to move a particular species. This paper uses the case study of the whitebark pine, a keystone species of sub-alpine habitats in western North America, to consider how particular cases of assisted migration may be ethically approached. After taking into account the value of species, wildness, place, ecosystems, culture and sentient animals, we conclude that, on balance, there appear to be good reasons to move the whitebark pine.
The Blind Hens’ Challenge: Does it Undermine the View that Only Welfare Matters in Our Dealings with Animals?
Authors: Sandøe Peter , Hocking Paul M. , Förkman Bjorn , Haldane Kirsty , Kristensen Helle H. , Palmer Clare
Published: November 2014

Animal ethicists have recently debated the ethical questions raised by disen-hancing animals to improve their welfare. Here, we focus on the particular case of breeding blind hens for commercial egg-laying systems, in order to benefit their welfare. Many people find breeding blind hens intuitively repellent, yet ‘welfare-only’ positions appear to be committed to endorsing this possibility if it produces welfare gains. We call this the ‘Blind Hens’ Challenge’. In this paper, we argue that there are both empirical and theoretical reasons why even those adopting ‘welfare-only’ views should be concerned about breeding blind hens. But we also argue that alternative views, which (for example) claim that it is important to respect the telos or rights of an animal, do not offer a more convincing solution to questions raised by the possibility of disenhancing animals for their own benefit.
Yeats, Vendler, and Byzantium
Authors: Meihuizen Nicholas
Published: October 2014

Helen Vendler, in her magisterial Our Secret Discipline: Yeats and Lyric Form (2007), provides us with the tools with which to register the traditional formal elements of poetry, and she does so for the most part with her usual subtlety, clarity and thoroughness. However, as some of the first reviewers of the book note, her approach is not without its problems. The reviewers perceive, in general terms, an ‘enactment fallacy’ in some of her readings, where certain metrical patterns, say, are associated with specific responses. I believe that to force meaning onto form is symptomatic of a bigger problem in Vendler's readings (though it is one which appears less often), that of a ‘semantic fallacy’. In this case meaning derived from form is forced upon the content of a poem. My example in this essay is her very subjective reading of ‘Sailing to Byzantium’, which she conducts in the name of an objective analysis. The essay shows that it is unwise, certainly in the case of Yeats, not to take into account surrounding factors concerning form, such as manuscript and publication evidence, as well as tendencies in the author himself.
‘Mildly Eccentric’: Brian Friel's Writings for the Irish Times and the New Yorker
Authors: Boltwood Scott
Published: October 2014

The conventional view of Brian Friel's career portrays him as a struggling writer whose first stories appeared in the New Yorker in late 1959. After briefly producing a small body of finely crafted, albeit conventional, short stories, he devoted himself to writing plays full-time after the phenomenal success of Philadelphia, Here I Come! (1964). This traditional interpretation of Friel's career also relies upon the assertion that the young writer also turned away from prose because of his inability to break free of the genre's constricting conventions, which were imposed both by foreign editors demanding nostalgic portrayals of rural Ireland and, as first argued by Ulf Dantanus, by Friel's own ‘failure to free himself’ from the influence of Frank O'Connor. This article challenges our view of Friel's early career in several ways. First and foremost, it uncovers a trove of seventy six previously unknown ‘essay/stories’ that he wrote for The Irish Times between September 1957 and May 1962, short experimental pieces that force the reader to question her/his assumptions about the form and content of Friel's early career. Second, when contextualized among his uncollected stories for the New Yorker and the Irish Press, we recognize a radically different story writer than previously described in the criticism.
An Umbrella, a Pair of Boots, and a ‘Spacious Nothing’: McGahern and Beckett
Authors: Robinson Richard
Published: October 2014

This essay argues that an assessment of the Beckettian qualities of McGahern's work should take into account the recent scholarship which has explored Beckett's absorption in philosophy. I follow Husserl's injunction ‘go back to the things themselves’: first, to the significance of the umbrella, an over-determined sexual signified, in ‘My Love, My Umbrella’; and second to the extended representation of the father's boots in The Dark. These objects of ridicule and affect have their own obliquely Beckettian lineage as the ‘presence between’ (Watt) the post-Cartesian body and the uncaring object world, though they do not attain the ideal of epidermal ‘impermeability’ mentioned in Beckett's Proust. McGahern also shares Beckett's interest in the Democritean idea that ‘Nothing is more real than nothing’ (Malone Dies), though under such conditions McGahern clings more tenaciously to the materiality of the memory-image, whereas to Beckett the image may be sullied by memory (Deleuze) or simply ‘done’ in the present. However, McGahern is aware that his aesthetic cannot be fully mastered by a transcendent Mnemosyne, and that the recalcitrant present may refuse to budge. Finally, a strange contemporaneity is shown to emerge between ‘The Wine Breath’ and the Shades of Beckett's late televisual work, both of which are revisited by Yeatsian ghosts.
A Season in Hell: Paradox and Violence in the Poetry of Padraic Fiacc
Authors: Tynan Aidan
Published: October 2014

The work of Belfast poet Padraic Fiacc is an important but critically neglected contribution to the canon of Northern Irish poetry. This article explores Fiacc's work, giving particular attention to the collections published during the bloodiest years of the Northern Ireland conflict and to the anthology of poems on the subject of the conflict which he edited and published in 1974 with the Blackstaff Press. Beyond the intrinsic value of Fiacc's poems themselves, his work has the benefit of causing us to reconsider issues of canonicity in the Irish poetic tradition and to revisit some of the assumptions about the relationships between poetry, history, and politics which have become dominant in our understanding of this tradition. Fiacc's poetry, while located in a distinctly Irish cultural context, bears important resemblances to the work of continental figures such as Rimbaud and Celan. In addition, Fiacc's work raises crucial questions about the relationship between violence, poetry, and language at a more general level. The article addresses some of these questions through the insights of philosophers such as Slavoj Žižek, Theodor Adorno, and Walter Benjamin.
Paul Durcan's Ekphrasis: The Political Aesthetics of Hybridity
Authors: Kim Yeonmin
Published: October 2014

An ekphrasis refers to a poem in which works of visual art serve as the basis for poetic creation. In discussing two collections of ekphrases, Crazy About Women and Give Me Your Hand, this essay illuminates the manner in which Durcan politically appropriates hybridity in terms of the temporal and the spatial, the public and the private, and the real and the surreal. By reinterpreting and rearranging the figures and events in a specific personal or Irish situation, Durcan undermines a chronologically recognized public history, which has long defined the politics of Irish identity. In addition, his attempt to find a way out of Irish identity politics culminates in Durcanesque metamorphosis. By becoming woman, animal, art, or the imperceptible, Durcan's speakers cast doubt on any single unified human identity and can be read as radical experiments to search for alternatives to the identities typically associated with both hypermasculine Irish culture and totalitarian politics.
Eight-Scale Image Contrast Enhancement Based on Adaptive Inverse Hyperbolic Tangent Algorithm
Authors: Yu Cheng-Yi , Lin Chi-Yuan , Yang Sheng-Chih , Lin Hsueh-Yi
Published: October 2014

The Eight-Scale parameter adjustment is a natural extension of Adaptive Inverse Hyperbolic Tangent (AIHT) algorithm. It has long been known that the Human Vision System (HVS) heavily depends on detail and edge in the understanding and perception of scenes. The main goal of this study is to produce a contrast enhancement technique to recover an image from blurring and darkness, and at the same time to improve visual quality. Eight-scale coefficient adjustments can provide a further local refinement in detail under the AIHT algorithm. The proposed Eight-Scale Adaptive Inverse Hyperbolic Tangent (8SAIHT) method uses the sub-band to calculate the local mean and local variance before the AIHT algorithm is applied. This study also shows that this approach is convenient and effective in the enhancement processes for various types of images. The 8SAIHT is also capable of adaptively enhancing the local contrast of the original image while simultaneously extruding more on object details.
Polyclonal Antibody Therapies for Clostridium difficile Infection
Authors: Simon Michael , Chervin Stephanie , Brown Stephen
Published: October 2014

Clostridium difficile infection has emerged as a growing worldwide health problem. The colitis of Clostridium difficile infection results from the synergistic action of C. difficile secreted toxins A and B upon the colon mucosa. A human monoclonal IgG anti-toxin has demonstrated the ability in combination therapy to reduce mortality in C. difficile challenged hamsters. This antibody is currently in a clinical trial for the treatment of human Clostridium difficile infection. More than one group of investigators has considered using polyclonal bovine colostral antibodies to toxins A and B as an oral passive immunization. A significant proportion of the healthy human population possesses polyclonal antibodies to the Clostridium difficile toxins. We have demonstrated that polyclonal IgA derived from the pooled plasma of healthy donors possesses specificity to toxins A and B and can neutralize these toxins in a cell-based assay. This suggests that secretory IgA prepared from such pooled plasma IgA may be able to be used as an oral treatment for Clostridium difficile infection.
Characteristics and Sources of Metals in TSP and PM2.5 in an Urban Forest Park at Guangzhou
Authors: Xiao Yi-Hua , Liu Shi-Rong , Tong Fu-Chun , Kuang Yuan-Wen , Chen Bu-Feng , Guo Yue-Dong
Published: October 2014

Urban forest parks play important roles in improving environments, protecting biodiversity and even public welfare. Aerosols, including total suspended particles (TSP) and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5), were simultaneously collected in an urban forest park (Dafushan) at Guangzhou, southern China, from January 2012 to December 2013. The concentrations of 12 metals (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn) in both TSP and PM2.5 were quantified using an inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer. The origins and possible sources of the studied metals in the PM2.5 and TSP were evaluated using the crustal enrichment factors and the principal component analysis, respectively. The results showed that Dafushan urban forest park was polluted by PM2.5 rather than by TSP. The PM2.5 and TSP in the forest park exhibited seasonal patterns with significantly higher contents in the dry season compared with the rainy season. The metals Al, Zn, Pb were the most abundant, while Hg was the lowest metals in the aerosols. The ratios of PM2.5/TSP ratio indicated that the metals were predominant in the finer particles (PM2.5). The crustal enrichment factors indicated that Cd, Cu, Mo, Pb, Se and Zn in the aerosols originated from anthropogenic sources, while Al and Mn were mainly of crustal origin. The principal component analysis implied that industrial activities, traffic-related emissions, and soil dust were the main possible sources of the metals in both PM2.5 and TSP in Dafushan forest park.
Consumer Evaluation of Processing Variants of Pomegranate Juice
Authors: Anderson Erika , Koppel Kadri , IV Edgar
Published: November 2014

Increasing evidence of their health benefits has boosted the popularity of pomegranates. The effects of processing (e.g., pasteurization, drying) on pomegranate juice characteristics (e.g., color, phenolic content) and sensory attributes have been studied by several authors. The objectives of this study were to (1) understand if processing, such as pasteurization or drying, has an effect on pomegranate juice acceptance, and (2) if acceptance is related to healthy eating habits or variety seeking tendencies. Arils were removed from fresh Wonderful pomegranates for juicing or drying. Four treatments were prepared: fresh, fresh frozen, pasteurized, and reconstituted juice from dried arils. Fresh frozen, pasteurized, and reconstituted juices were evaluated by consumers for acceptance. Cluster analysis was conducted and four consumer clusters were found from evaluation of these juice treatments. Each juice was individually disliked by one of three clusters, demonstrating the effect of processing on acceptance. The fourth and largest cluster liked all three treatments. In addition, the consumers were asked to fill in Stage of Change and Variety Seeking scales. Liking scores were not found to be highly associated with healthy eating habits or variety seeking tendencies. This information is beneficial for the fruit processing industry, showing that processing can influence consumer acceptance.
Simplified Analysis of the Electric Power Losses for On-Shore Wind Farms Considering Weibull Distribution Parameters
Authors: Colmenar-Santos Antonio , Campíez-Romero Severo , Enríquez-Garcia Lorenzo , Pérez-Molina Clara
Published: October 2014

Electric power losses are constantly present during the service life of wind farms and must be considered in the calculation of the income arising from selling the produced electricity. It is typical to estimate the electrical losses in the design stage as those occurring when the wind farm operates at rated power, nevertheless, it is necessary to determine a method for checking if the actual losses meet the design requirements during the operation period. In this paper, we prove that the electric losses at rated power should not be considered as a reference level and a simple methodology will be developed to analyse and foresee the actual losses in a set period as a function of the wind resource in such period, defined according to the Weibull distribution, and the characteristics of the wind farm electrical infrastructure. This methodology facilitates a simple way, to determine in the design phase and to check during operation, the actual electricity losses.
Incumbent Decisions about Succession Transitions in Family Firms: A Conceptual Model
Authors: Boyd Britta , Botero Isabel , Fediuk Tomasz
Published: November 2014

In the family business literature, succession research has focused on the family member as they enter the leadership role or on the different issues that affect the succession process. Although researchers have acknowledged that succession in family businesses is “punctuated” by decision making events, less attention has been given to understanding how incumbents make decisions about ownership and management transitions. In an effort to continue to understand the succession process it is important to understand how incumbents make decisions about the type of transitions they intend to engage in (i.e., intra-family succession, out of family succession, or no succession). Building on the theory of planned behavior and the socioemotional wealth framework (SEW), this manuscript presents a conceptual framework to understand the factors that influence succession transitions and the role that contextual factors can play in this decision-making process. We present theory driven propositions and discuss the implications for understanding and evaluation of the succession process.
Effects of Hyponatremia on the Brain
Authors: Giuliani Corinna , Peri Alessandro
Published: October 2014

Hyponatremia is a very common electrolyte disorder, especially in the elderly, and is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and disability. In particular, the consequences of acute hyponatremia on the brain may be severe, including permanent disability and death. Also chronic hyponatremia can affect the health status, causing attention deficit, gait instability, increased risk of falls and fractures, and osteoporosis. Furthermore, an overly rapid correction of hyponatremia can be associated with irreversible brain damage, which may be the result of the osmotic demyelination syndrome. This review analyzes the detrimental consequences of acute and chronic hyponatremia and its inappropriate correction on the brain and the underlying physiopathological mechanisms, with a particular attention to the less known in vivo and in vitro effects of chronic hyponatremia.
Mechanism for Tuning the Hydrophobicity of Microfibrillated Cellulose Films by Controlled Thermal Release of Encapsulated Wax
Authors: Rastogi Vibhore , Stanssens Dirk , Samyn Pieter
Published: October 2014

Although films of microfibrillated cellulose (MFC) have good oxygen barrier properties due to its fine network structure, properties strongly deteriorate after absorption of water. In this work, a new approach has been followed for actively tuning the water resistance of a MFC fiber network by the inclusion of dispersed organic nanoparticles with encapsulated plant wax. The modified pulp suspensions have been casted into films and were subsequently cured at 40 to 220 °C. As such, static water contact angles can be specifically tuned from 120 to 150° by selection of the curing temperature in relation with the intrinsic transition temperatures of the modified pulp, as determined by thermal analysis. The appearance of encapsulated wax after curing was followed by a combination of morphological analysis, infrared spectroscopy and Raman mapping, showing balanced mechanisms of progressive release and migration of wax into the fiber network controlling the surface properties and water contact angles. Finally, the appearance of nanoparticles covered with a thin wax layer after complete thermal release provides highest hydrophobicity.
Triphlorethol-A from Ecklonia cava Up-Regulates the Oxidant Sensitive 8-Oxoguanine DNA Glycosylase 1
Authors: Kim Ki , Lee In , Kang Kyoung , Piao Mei , Ryu Min , Kim Jeong , Lee Nam , Hyun Jin
Published: October 2014

This study investigated the protective mechanisms of triphlorethol-A, isolated from Ecklonia cava, against oxidative stress-induced DNA base damage, especially 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoG), in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast V79-4 cells. 8-Oxoguanine DNA glycosylase-1 (OGG1) plays an important role in the removal of 8-oxoG during the cellular response to DNA base damage. Triphlorethol-A significantly decreased the levels of 8-oxoG induced by H2O2, and this correlated with increases in OGG1 mRNA and OGG1 protein levels. Furthermore, siOGG1-transfected cell attenuated the protective effect of triphlorethol-A against H2O2 treatment. Nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) is a transcription factor for OGG1, and Nrf2 combines with small Maf proteins in the nucleus to bind to antioxidant response elements (ARE) in the upstream promoter region of the OGG1 gene. Triphlorethol-A restored the expression of nuclear Nrf2, small Maf protein, and the Nrf2-Maf complex, all of which were reduced by oxidative stress. Furthermore, triphlorethol-A increased Nrf2 binding to ARE sequences and the resulting OGG1 promoter activity, both of which were also reduced by oxidative stress. The levels of the phosphorylated forms of Akt kinase, downstream of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and Erk, which are regulators of OGG1, were sharply decreased by oxidative stress, but these decreases were prevented by triphlorethol-A. Specific PI3K, Akt, and Erk inhibitors abolished the cytoprotective effects of triphlorethol-A, suggesting that OGG1 induction by triphlorethol-A involves the PI3K/Akt and Erk pathways. Taken together, these data indicate that by activating the DNA repair system, triphlorethol-A exerts protective effects against DNA base damage induced by oxidative stress.
Particle-Based Microarrays of Oligonucleotides and Oligopeptides
Authors: Nesterov-Mueller Alexander , Maerkle Frieder , Hahn Lothar , Foertsch Tobias , Schillo Sebastian , Bykovskaya Valentina , Sedlmayr Martyna , Weber Laura , Ridder Barbara , Soehindrijo Miriam , Muenster Bastian , Striffler Jakob , Bischoff F. , Breitling Frank , Loeffler Felix
Published: October 2014

In this review, we describe different methods of microarray fabrication based on the use of micro-particles/-beads and point out future tendencies in the development of particle-based arrays. First, we consider oligonucleotide bead arrays, where each bead is a carrier of one specific sequence of oligonucleotides. This bead-based array approach, appearing in the late 1990s, enabled high-throughput oligonucleotide analysis and had a large impact on genome research. Furthermore, we consider particle-based peptide array fabrication using combinatorial chemistry. In this approach, particles can directly participate in both the synthesis and the transfer of synthesized combinatorial molecules to a substrate. Subsequently, we describe in more detail the synthesis of peptide arrays with amino acid polymer particles, which imbed the amino acids inside their polymer matrix. By heating these particles, the polymer matrix is transformed into a highly viscous gel, and thereby, imbedded monomers are allowed to participate in the coupling reaction. Finally, we focus on combinatorial laser fusing of particles for the synthesis of high-density peptide arrays. This method combines the advantages of particles and combinatorial lithographic approaches.
Radical Intermediates in Photoinduced Reactions on TiO2 (An EPR Spin Trapping Study)
Authors: Dvoranová Dana , Barbieriková Zuzana , Brezová Vlasta
Published: October 2014

The radical intermediates formed upon UVA irradiation of titanium dioxide suspensions in aqueous and non-aqueous environments were investigated applying the EPR spin trapping technique. The results showed that the generation of reactive species and their consecutive reactions are influenced by the solvent properties (e.g., polarity, solubility of molecular oxygen, rate constant for the reaction of hydroxyl radicals with the solvent). The formation of hydroxyl radicals, evidenced as the corresponding spin-adducts, dominated in the irradiated TiO2 aqueous suspensions. The addition of 17O-enriched water caused changes in the EPR spectra reflecting the interaction of an unpaired electron with the 17O nucleus. The photoexcitation of TiO2 in non-aqueous solvents (dimethylsulfoxide, acetonitrile, methanol and ethanol) in the presence of 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide spin trap displayed a stabilization of the superoxide radical anions generated via electron transfer reaction to molecular oxygen, and various oxygen- and carbon-centered radicals from the solvents were generated. The character and origin of the carbon-centered spin-adducts was confirmed using nitroso spin trapping agents.
Comparison of Flavonoid Compounds in the Flavedo and Juice of Two Pummelo Cultivars (Citrus grandis L. Osbeck) from Different Cultivation Regions in China
Authors: Zhang Mingxia , Nan Haijuan , Wang Yanjie , Jiang Xiaoying , Li Zheng
Published: October 2014

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different cultivation regions on the pattern and content of flavonoids in two pummelo cultivars (C. grandis L. Osbeck) in China. Results showed that similar patterns of flavonoids were observed in the flavedo or juice of each pummelo cultivar from these cultivation regions, whereas the individual flavonoid content showed unique characteristics. Naringin, the predominant flavanone glycoside, showed the highest content in both flavedo and juice of C. grandis “Guanximiyu” from the Pinghe of Fujian (FJ) cultivation region compared with the Dapu of Guangdong (GD) and Nanbu of Sichuan (SC) regions. However, its content in the flavedo of C. grandis “Shatianyu” from the Pingle of Guangxi (GX) was significantly lower than in the GD and SC regions. Vicenin-2 appeared to be the dominant flavone C-glycoside in the flavedo of both cultivars, and the lowest content was observed in the flavedo of C. grandis “Guanximiyu” from the SC region. However, C. grandis “Shatianyu” contained the highest content of vicenin-2 in the flavedo from SC region. Similarly, the predominant flavone O-glucoside, rhoifolin, showed the highest content in C. grandis “Guanximiyu” from the GD and FJ regions, whereas C. grandis “Shatianyu” in SC region showed the highest content of rhoifolin. Cluster analysis suggested that genotype played a primary role in determining the flavonoid profiles of pummelo cultivars, whereas regional differences significantly affected the flavonoid distribution of pummelo cultivars potentially via affecting the direction of flavonoid accumulation in pummelo.
4-Amino-substituted Benzenesulfonamides as Inhibitors of Human Carbonic Anhydrases
Authors: Rutkauskas Kęstutis , Zubrienė Asta , Tumosienė Ingrida , Kantminienė Kristina , Kažemėkaitė Marytė , Smirnov Alexey , Kazokaitė Justina , Morkūnaitė Vaida , Čapkauskaitė Edita , Manakova Elena , Gražulis Saulius , Beresnevičius Zigmuntas , Matulis Daumantas
Published: October 2014

A series of N-aryl-β-alanine derivatives and diazobenzenesulfonamides containing aliphatic rings were designed, synthesized, and their binding to carbonic anhydrases (CA) I, II, VI, VII, XII, and XIII was studied by the fluorescent thermal shift assay and isothermal titration calorimetry. The results showed that 4-substituted diazobenzenesulfonamides were more potent CA binders than N-aryl-β-alanine derivatives. Most of the N-aryl-β-alanine derivatives showed better affinity for CA II while diazobenzenesulfonamides possessed nanomolar affinities towards CA I isozyme. X-ray crystallographic structures showed the modes of binding of both compound groups.
Support for a Photoprotective Function of Winter Leaf Reddening in Nitrogen-Deficient Individuals of Lonicera japonica
Authors: Carpenter Kaylyn , Keidel Timothy , Pihl Melissa , Hughes Nicole
Published: November 2014

Plants growing in high-light environments during winter often exhibit leaf reddening due to synthesis of anthocyanin pigments, which are thought to alleviate photooxidative stress associated with low-temperature photoinhibition through light attenuation and/or antioxidant activity. Seasonal high-light stress can be further exacerbated by a limited photosynthetic capacity, such as nitrogen-deficiency. In the present study, we test the following hypotheses using three populations of the semi-evergreen vine Lonicera japonica: (1) nitrogen deficiency corresponds with reduced photosynthetic capacity; (2) individuals with reduced photosynthetic capacity synthesize anthocyanin pigments in leaves during winter; and (3) anthocyanin pigments help alleviate high-light stress by attenuating green light. All populations featured co-occurring winter-green and winter-red leafed individuals on fully-exposed (high-light), south-facing slopes in the Piedmont of North Carolina, USA. Consistent with our hypotheses, red leaves consistently exhibited significantly lower foliar nitrogen than green leaves, as well as lower total chlorophyll, quantum yield efficiency, carboxylation efficiency, and photosynthesis at saturating irradiance (Asat). Light-response curves measured using ambient sunlight versus red-blue LED (i.e., lacking green wavelengths) demonstrated significantly reduced quantum yield efficiency and a higher light compensation point under sunlight relative to red-blue LED in red leaves, but not in green leaves, consistent with a (green) light-attenuating function of anthocyanin pigments. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that intraspecific anthocyanin synthesis corresponds with nitrogen deficiency and reduced photosynthetic capacity within populations, and support a light-attenuating function of anthocyanin pigments.
Green Tea Consumption and Risk of Pancreatic Cancer: A Meta-analysis
Authors: Zeng Jin-Long , Li Zhi-Hua , Wang Zhi-Chao , Zhang Hai-Liang
Published: October 2014

Emerging laboratory and animal studies indicate that green tea inhibits development and progression of pancreatic cancer, but evidence from epidemiologic studies appears inconsistent and inconclusive. A meta-analysis summarizing published case-control and cohort studies was performed to evaluate the association of green tea consumption with risk of pancreatic cancer. Pertinent studies were identified by a search of PubMed and EMBASE up to April 2014. A random-effects model was assigned to compute summary risk estimates. A total of three case-control studies and five prospective studies were included, comprising 2317 incident cases and 288209 subjects. Of them, three studies were from China and the reminders were conducted in Japan. Overall, neither high vs. low green consumption (odds ratio (OR) = 0.99, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.78–1.25), nor an increase in green tea consumption of two cups/day (OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.85–1.06) was associated with risk of pancreatic cancer. The null association persisted when the analysis was stratified by sex or restricted to non-smokers. In the stratification by study location, the summary OR for the studies from China and for those from Japan was 0.77 (95% CI = 0.60–0.99) and 1.21 (95% CI = 0.94–1.54), respectively (P for differences = 0.04). Cumulative epidemiologic evidence suggests that green tea consumption is not associated with pancreatic cancer.
Adaptive Activity and Environment Recognition for Mobile Phones
Authors: Parviainen Jussi , Bojja Jayaprasad , Collin Jussi , Leppänen Jussi , Eronen Antti
Published: November 2014

In this paper, an adaptive activity and environment recognition algorithm running on a mobile phone is presented. The algorithm makes inferences based on sensor and radio receiver data provided by the phone. A wide set of features that can be extracted from these data sources were investigated, and a Bayesian maximum a posteriori classifier was used for classifying between several user activities and environments. The accuracy of the method was evaluated on a dataset collected in a real-life trial. In addition, comparison to other state-of-the-art classifiers, namely support vector machines and decision trees, was performed. To make the system adaptive for individual user characteristics, an adaptation algorithm for context model parameters was designed. Moreover, a confidence measure for the classification correctness was designed. The proposed adaptation algorithm and confidence measure were evaluated on a second dataset obtained from another real-life trial, where the users were requested to provide binary feedback on the classification correctness. The results show that the proposed adaptation algorithm is effective at improving the classification accuracy.
Evolving Corporate Social Responsibility in China
Authors: Zhang Dongyong , Morse Stephen , Kambhamptati Uma , Li Bingjun
Published: November 2014

With a unique cultural background and fast economic development, China’s adoption of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become the center of discussion worldwide, and its successful implementation will have great significance for global sustainability. This paper aims to explore how CSR has given way to economic growth in China since the start of economic transition and its cultural, historical and political background, and how this has affected or been affected by the economic performance of firms. Thus, the recent calls for China to adopt CSR in its industries follow a period where the country arguably had one of the strongest implementations of CSR approaches in the world. This transition is considered in the context of a case study of a Chinese state-owned enterprise (SOE) and a group of small private firms in the same industrial sector in Zhengzhou City, Henan Province over a time span of eight years. While the CSR of the SOE has been steadily decreasing along with the change of ownership structure, its economic performance did not improve as expected. On the other hand, with a steady improvement in economic performance, the small private firms are showing a great reluctance to engage in CSR. The results indicate that implementation of CSR in China needs both the manager’s ethical awareness and the change of institutional framework. The results also raise the question as to whether CSR is a universal concept with a desired means of implementation across the developed and developing world.
Identification and Characterization of Particulate Matter Concentrations at Construction Jobsites
Authors: Araújo Ingrid , Costa Dayana , De Moraes Rita
Published: November 2014

The identification and characterization of particulate matter (PM) concentrations from construction site activities pose major challenges due to the diverse characteristics related to different aspects, such as concentration, particle size and particle composition. Moreover, the characterization of particulate matter is influenced by meteorological conditions, including temperature, humidity, rainfall and wind speed. This paper is part of a broader investigation that aims to develop a methodology for assessing the environmental impacts caused by the PM emissions that arise from construction activities. The objective of this paper is to identify and characterize the PM emissions on a construction site with different aerodynamic diameters (PM2.5, PM10, total suspended particulates (TSP)), based on an exploratory study. Initially, a protocol was developed to standardize the construction site selection criteria, laboratory procedures, field sample collection and laboratory analysis. This protocol was applied on a multifamily residential building construction site during three different construction phases (earthworks, superstructure and finishings) aimed at measuring and monitoring PM concentrations arising from construction activities. The particulate matter was characterized in different particle sizes. Results showed that the higher TSP emissions arising from construction activities provoked environmental impacts. Some limitations to the results were identified, especially with regards the need for a detailed investigation about the influence of different construction phases on PM emissions. The findings provided significant knowledge about various situations, serving as a basis for improving the existing methodology for particulate material collection on construction sites and the development of future studies on the specific construction site phases.
A Pathway to Linking Risk and Sustainability Assessments
Authors: Linder Stephen , Sexton Ken
Published: October 2014

The US National Research Council recently released a report promoting sustainability assessment as the future of environmental regulation. Thirty years earlier, this organization (under the same senior author) had issued a similar report promoting risk assessment as a new method for improving the science behind regulatory decisions. Tools for risk assessment were subsequently developed and adopted in state and federal agencies throughout the US. Since then, limitations of the traditional forms of risk assessment have prompted some dramatic modifications toward cumulative assessments that combine multiple chemical and non-chemical stressors in community settings. At present, however, there is little momentum within the risk assessment community for abandoning this evolved system in favor of a new sustainability-based one. The key question is, how best to proceed? Should sustainability principles be incorporated into current risk assessment procedures, or vice versa? Widespread recognition of the importance of sustainability offers no clear guidance for the risk assessment community, especially in light of institutional commitments to sustainability tools and definitions that appear to have little in common with cumulative risk notions. The purpose of this paper is to reframe the sustainability challenge for risk assessors by offering analytical guidance to chart a way out. We adopt a decision analysis framework to overcome some conceptual barriers separating these two forms of assessment, and thereby, both escape the either/or choice and accept the inevitability of sustainability as a central regulatory concern in the U.S.
Effects of Commercially Available Ultrasound on the Zooplankton Grazer Daphnia and Consequent Water Greening in Laboratory Experiments
Authors: Lürling Miquel , Tolman Yora
Published: October 2014

We tested the hypothesis that ultrasound in controlling cyanobacteria and algal blooms is “environmental friendly” by exposing the non-target zooplankton grazer Daphnia magna to ultrasound produced by commercially available ultrasound transducers. In populations of 15 Daphnia (~2 mm body size) exposed in 800 mL of water to ultrasound supplied at 20 kHz, 28 kHz, 36 kHz or 44 kHz, all animals were killed between 10 min (44 kHz) and 135 min (20 kHz). Differently sized Daphnia (0.7–3.2 mm) were all killed between 4 and 30 min when exposed to 44 kHz. Increasing water volumes up to 3.2 L and thus lowering the ultrasound intensity did not markedly increase survival of Daphnia exposed to 44 kHz ultrasound. A tank experiment with six 85 L tanks containing a mixture of green algae, cyanobacteria and D. magna was performed to study the effect of ultrasound over a longer time period (25 d). In controls, when Daphnia flourished, algal biomass dropped and the water became clear. In contrast, in ultrasound treatments, Daphnia abundance was extremely low releasing phytoplankton from grazing control, which resulted in high phytoplankton biomass. Hence, we conclude that ultrasound from commercially available transducers sold to clear ponds, aquaria and small reservoirs, should not be considered environmentally friendly and cannot be viewed as efficient in controlling phytoplankton.
Spin annihilations of and spin sifters for transverse electric and transverse magnetic waves in co- and counter-rotations
Authors: Lee Hyoung-In , Mok Jinsik
Published: October 2014

This study is motivated in part to better understand multiplexing in wireless communications, which employs photons carrying varying angular momenta. In particular, we examine both transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) waves in either co-rotations or counter-rotations. To this goal, we analyze both Poynting-vector flows and orbital and spin parts of the energy flow density for the combined fields. Consequently, we find not only enhancements but also cancellations between the two modes. To our surprise, the photon spins in the azimuthal direction exhibit a complete annihilation for the counter-rotational case even if the intensities of the colliding waves are of different magnitudes. In contrast, the orbital flow density disappears only if the two intensities satisfy a certain ratio. In addition, the concepts of spin sifters and enantiomer sorting are illustrated.