bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing Attentional Bias in Secondary Cleft Lip Deformities: An Eye-Tracking Study
Authors: Morzycki Alexander , Wong Alison , Hong Paul , Bezuhly Michael
Published: May 2018

Objective:

Using a well-established measure of attention, we aimed to objectively identify differences in severity between types of simulated secondary cleft lip deformities.

Design:

Volunteer participants viewed a series of images of a child digitally modified to simulate different secondary unilateral cleft lip deformities (long lip, short lip, white roll/vermilion disjunction, and vermilion excess), a lip scar with no secondary deformity, or a normal lip. Eye movements were recorded using a table-mounted eye-tracking device. Dwell times for 7 facial regions (eyes, nose, mouth, left ear, right ear, scar, and entire face) were compared.

Participants:

Forty-six naive adults (25 male; mean age 25.5 years) were recruited from our local university community.

Main Outcome:

The primary outcome of the study was cumulative dwell time between facial regions (eyes, nose, mouth, left ear, right ear, scar, and entire face).

Results:

Participants spent significantly more time focused on the upper lip regions in patients with simulated secondary deformities relative to those who did not ( P < .01). Severe short lip deformities resulted in longer fixation times than severe long lips ( P < .05). Participants spent less time focused on the eye region in the presence of a secondary lip deformity ( P < .05). When total facial fixation time was assessed, short lip deformities resulted in the greatest duration dwell time ( P < .001).

Conclusions:

This study presents objective data to support the concept that observers show varying degrees of attentional bias to the lip region depending on the type and severity of the simulated secondary cleft lip deformity.
Relationship between self-reported and performance-based tests in assessment of patients with total hip arthroplasty
Authors: Elibol Nuray , Unver Bayram , Karatosun Vasfi , Gunal Izge
Published: May 2018

Purpose:

The aim of our study was to investigate the relationship between self-reported and performance-based tests in the assessment of patients with total hip arthroplasty (THA).

Methods:

Ninety four patients (35 males, 59 females) were included in the study with mean age 57.1 ± 14.6 years. Patients performed four performance tests (Timed “Up & Go” Test, Sit to Stand Test, Self-paced Walk Test and Stair Test) and two self-reported measurements (Harris Hip Score [HHS] and SF-36 [36-Item Short Form Health Survey]) were preferred to assess patients.

Results:

There were varying correlations between performance tests and subscales of the SF-36 including physical function, energy/fatigue, pain, general health. Strong correlation was found between HHS and Timed “Up and Go”( r = −0.59, p < 0.001), self-paced walk test ( r = −0.58, p < 0.001). Moderate correlation was found between HHS and sit to stand test ( r = −0.406, p < 0.001), stair test ( r = 0.32, p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

There were especially moderate-to-strong correlations between self-reported measurements and performance-based tests in the evaluation of patients with THA. Therefore, outcomes assessment after THA may include self-reported measurements or performance-based tests.
Obtuse triangle screw configuration for optimal internal fixation of femoral neck fracture: an anatomical analysis
Authors: Zhu Qiuliang , Shi Bengong , Xu Bin , Yuan Jianfeng
Published: May 2018

Objectives:

To identify the optimal screw configuration for internal fixation of femoral neck fractures based on anatomic analysis on radiologic imaging.

Methods:

30 proximal femurs of 15 adults were constructed by CT. 3 femoral neck sections (FNS), the subcapital, medial, and the fundus, were projected on to the lateral femoral trochanteric wall. The simulated 3 screw configurations in the projection of FNS include: 2 inverted equilateral triangles symmetrised to the axis of the FNS (IET-FNS group) or the coronal axis of the proximal femur (IET-PR group) and an obtuse triangle (OT group). The distance between the screws, the distance between the centre of the FNS and the screws, and the area ratio of the triangle/FNS were calculated.

Results:

The projection of the FNS on to the lateral femoral trochanteric wall is displayed as a rotating forward ellipse. Measurements of distance between screws, distance between the centre of the FNS to the screws, and the area ratio of triangle/FNS were significantly larger in the OT group than in the IET-FNS and IET-PF groups ( p < 0.05). The values of the 3 parameters in the IET-FNS group were also larger than those in the IET-PF group ( p < 0.05).

Conclusions:

The obtuse triangle screw configuration displayed advantages with respect to the parameters of distance between screws, distance between the centre of FNS to screws, and the triangle area. Therefore, the obtuse triangle screw configuration may be the ideal pattern for internal fixation of femoral neck fractures (Pauwels I and II). This needs to be corroborated with biomechanics testing.
Enthusiasm for Making a Difference: Adapting Data Journalism Skills for Digital Campaigning
Authors: Fuller Glen
Published: May 2018

Journalism is conventionally taught through a ‘teaching hospital’ type model involving a set of tacit professional skills largely developed through experience (Anderson, Glaisyer, Smith, & Rothfeld, 2011). This article reports on the approach taken to adapt data journalism pedagogy for a digital campaigning unit in a journalism course. The main focus is building confidence with developing relevant technical skills in what Davies and Cullen (2016) describe as ‘quantitative literacy’. Although there is a range of ways to approach the turn to ‘data journalism’ (Coddington, 2015), teaching aspects of data and computational journalism with students can be difficult as the focus on technical and math skills contravenes the self-identity of journalism students as writers or similar (Nguyen & Lugo-Ocando, 2015). Meyer and Land’s (2005) pedagogical theory of the ‘threshold concept’ is used to think through the affective aspects of a practical exercise for developing ‘data confidence’. Journalism has long attracted students with a social justice orientation and who want to ‘make a difference’ (Vromen, 2016), and challenging students to appreciate the social change context of online engagement is often sufficient to enthuse a student into developing technical skills. The example explored here should be useful for journalism educators in other contexts approaching the common challenge of working with students to develop ‘data confidence’.
Automation and Adaptation: Reshaping journalistic labor in the newsroom library
Authors: Boyles Jan Lauren , Meisinger Jared
Published: May 2018

In the digital transition within American newspapers, newsroom librarians were among the first newsworkers to have their labor automated. In response, these practitioners operating in converged newsrooms shifted their on-the-job routines and roles to align with the increasing centrality of machines in journalistic production. Using an actor-network approach, this research integrates in-depth interviews to explore how American newsroom librarians interface with machines in acting as guardians of institutional knowledge within news organizations. Examining the modern duties of newsroom librarians can provide broader context for the next generation of industry automation in journalistic practice.
Russia against Europe: A clash of interpretations of modernity?
Authors: Maslovskiy Mikhail
Published: May 2018

This article argues that combining elements of the sociological theories of Johann Arnason and Peter Wagner can contribute to an understanding of the causes of the ‘new Cold War’ on the European continent. Comparisons of today’s confrontation between Russia and the West with the original Cold War are largely misleading since the Soviet model of modernity represented a radical alternative to its liberal western version. Unlike the original Cold War, the current ideological confrontation is not connected with a clash of different forms of modernity. Today’s Russia lacks a clear civilizational identity and does not follow an alternative project of modernity. The recent ‘conservative turn’ in Russian politics largely draws on a specific interpretation of European modernity.
Could information about herd immunity help us achieve herd immunity? Evidence from a population representative survey experiment
Authors: Arnesen Sveinung , Bærøe Kristine , Cappelen Cornelius , Carlsen Benedicte
Published: May 2018

Aims: Immunisation causes dramatic reductions in morbidity and mortality from infectious diseases; however, resistance to vaccination is nonetheless widespread. An understudied issue – explored here – is whether appeals to collective as opposed to individual benefits of vaccination encourage people to vaccinate. Knowledge of this is important not least with respect to the design of public health campaigns, which often lack information about the collective benefits of vaccination. Methods: Using a between-subjects experimental survey design, we test whether information about the effects of herd immunity influences people’s decision to vaccinate. A representative sample of Norwegians was confronted with a hypothetical scenario in which a new and infectious disease is on its way to Norway. The sample was split in three – a control group and two treatment groups. The one treatment group was provided information about collective benefits of vaccination; the other was provided information about the individual benefits of vaccination. Results: Both treatments positively affect people’s decision to vaccinate; however, informing about the collective benefits has an even stronger effect than informing about the individual benefits. Conclusions: Our results suggest that people’s decision about whether to vaccinate and thus contribute to herd immunity is influenced by concern for others. Thus, stressing the collective benefits of vaccination could increase the effectiveness of health campaigns.
‘We are all friends’: Disrupting friendship play discourses in inclusive early childhood education
Authors: Watson Karen
Published: May 2018

In early childhood education, playing with friends has long been considered developmentally appropriate and an indicator of a child’s growing social competency. ‘We are all friends’ is a familiar mantra heard in classrooms and playgrounds. For children with a diagnosed disability and their families, inclusive settings offer the promise of play experiences with children without a diagnosed disability. However, the expectation of building friendships and the opportunity to play with friends is not always realised. This article problematises and questions the way friendship play for children is discursively produced and normalised. For the most part, it remains unchallenged, leading to exclusions that are often overlooked. As the friendship play discourse is appreciated as legitimate and taken up by children, it produces a marginal Other. Examining data created during a six-month post-structural ethnography, the power of friendship play discourses comes into focus, making visible exclusionary effects that raise questions about the persistent and pervasive use of the statement ‘We are all friends’.
Gender equality, norms and practices: Post-script to special issue on new actors, old donors and gender equality norms in international development cooperation
Authors: Barnett Michael
Published: May 2018

The contributions raise several important issues regarding the norm of gender equality in development organizations, and I want to raise the following points for further consideration. Does it matter if we treat gender equality as a norm or practice? The articles suggest that there is general movement toward the norm, but what it means to do gender equality is quite fractured. Who decides what gender equality means? Why do organizations feel the need to adopt this norm? Organizations have different motives, and these motives are probably important for understanding whether these norms have any impact. Impact refers to effects, and there are various kinds of effects raised by the articles, though focused mainly on the norm’s institutionalization rather than its impact.
Development of a pressure control algorithm without a pressure sensor for a four-wheel drive unit
Authors: Lee Kangneoung , Ha Hyunjong , Ahn Sunghyun , Hong Sungwha , Kang Heon , Heo Seungjoon , Kim Hyunsoo
Published: May 2018

This article proposes a pressure control algorithm without a pressure sensor for a four-wheel-drive unit. To develop the control algorithm, dynamic models of the four-wheel-drive unit were obtained, including the motor, pump, and clutch. For feedback control, a first-order adaptive transfer function of the modified motor speed was proposed to fulfill the transient response characteristics, and the motor input voltage generated the demanded pressure at steady state in the feedforward control. The coefficient [Formula: see text] of the adaptive transfer function was obtained with weight factors [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] considering the pressure difference and temperature. The performance of the proposed pressure control algorithm without a pressure sensor was evaluated by experiments at various operating temperatures. It was found that the actual pressure closely followed the demanded pressure with an acceptable error at steady state and within an acceptable rising time in a transient state.
Applying a health action model to predict and improve healthy behaviors in coal miners
Authors: Vahedian-Shahroodi Mohammad , Tehrani Hadi , Mohammadi Faeze , Gholian-Aval Mahdi , Peyman Nooshin
Published: May 2018

Introduction:

One of the most important ways to prevent work-related diseases in occupations such as mining is to promote healthy behaviors among miners. This study aimed to predict and promote healthy behaviors among coal miners by using a health action model (HAM).

Method:

The study was conducted on 200 coal miners in Iran in two steps. In the first step, a descriptive study was implemented to determine predictive constructs and effectiveness of HAM on behavioral intention. The second step involved a quasi-experimental study to determine the effect of an HAM-based education intervention. This intervention was implemented by the researcher and the head of the safety unit based on the predictive construct specified in the first step over 12 sessions of 60 min. The data was collected using an HAM questionnaire and a checklist of healthy behavior.

Results:

The results of the first step of the study showed that attitude, belief, and normative constructs were meaningful predictors of behavioral intention. Also, the results of the second step revealed that the mean score of attitude and behavioral intention increased significantly after conducting the intervention in the experimental group, while the mean score of these constructs decreased significantly in the control group.

Conclusion:

The findings of this study showed that HAM-based educational intervention could improve the healthy behaviors of mine workers. Therefore, it is recommended to extend the application of this model to other working groups to improve healthy behaviors.
Collaborative Care Management Associated With Improved Depression Outcomes in Patients With Personality Disorders, Compared to Usual Primary Care
Authors: Solberg Jeremy J. , Deyo-Svendsen Mark E. , Nylander Kelsey R. , Bruhl Elliot J. , Heredia Dagoberto , Angstman Kurt B.
Published: May 2018

Background: The use of a collaborative care management (CCM) model can dramatically improve short- and long-term treatment outcomes for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Patients with comorbid personality disorder (PD) may experience poorer treatment outcomes for MDD. Our study seeks to examine the differences in MDD treatment outcomes for patients with comorbid PD when using a CCM approach rather than usual care (UC). Methods: In our retrospective cohort study, we reviewed the records of 9614 adult patients enrolled in our depression registry with the clinical diagnosis MDD and the diagnosis of PD (Yes/No). Clinical outcomes for depression were measured with Patient Health Questionnaire–9 (PHQ-9) scores at 6 months. Results: In our study cohort, 59.4% of patients (7.1% of which had comorbid PD) were treated with CCM, as compared with 40.6% (6.8% with PD) treated with UC. We found that the presence of a PD adversely affected clinical outcomes of remission within both groups, however, at 6 months patients with PD had significantly lower MDD remission rates when treated with UC as compared with those treated with CCM (11.5% vs 25.2%, P = .002). Patients with PD in the UC group were also noted to have an increased rate of persistent depressive symptoms (PHQ-9 score ≥10) at 6 months as compared with those in the CCM group (67.7% vs 51.7%, P = .004). Conclusions: In patients with comorbid MDD and PD, clinical outcomes at 6 months were significantly improved when treated with CCM compared with UC. This finding is encouraging and supports the idea that CCM is an effective model for caring for patients with behavioral concerns, and it may be of even greater benefit for those patients being treated for comorbid behavioral health conditions.
Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Relationship Between Educational Mobility and Crime
Authors: Dennison Christopher R.
Published: May 2018

Increases in postsecondary enrollment among minorities, decreases among Whites, and the growing concern of downward intergenerational mobility in the United States suggest potentially meaningful variation in the role of education on well-being across the life course. Using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, the present study examines the relationship between intergenerational educational mobility (i.e., a comparison of one’s educational achievements to those of one’s parents’) and crime, as well as the degree to which this association is moderated by race and ethnicity. Results suggest that upward mobility particularly when one completes a 4-year degree is associated with decreases in crime. Downward mobility, however, is associated with increases in crime only among Whites. Moreover, and consistent with theories of social mobility, strain, and social control, these associations are partially mediated by familial and socioeconomic attainments as well as social–psychological measures. Findings are discussed as they relate to the subjective and objective meaning of education across generations for Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics.
Phenotypic analysis of hemochromatosis subtypes reveals variations in severity of iron overload and clinical disease
Authors: Sandhu Kam , Flintoff Kaledas , Chatfield Mark D. , Dixon Jeannette L. , Ramm Louise E. , Ramm Grant A. , Powell Lawrie W. , Subramaniam V. Nathan , Wallace Daniel F.
Published: May 2018

Key Points

This comprehensive comparison of the genetic subtypes of hemochromatosis reveals more severe iron overload and disease in non-HFE forms. Arthropathy is more common in HFE-related hemochromatosis, suggesting that joint disease may not be associated with iron.
Regulation of Hepatic Lipid Accumulation and Distribution by Agouti-Related Protein in Male Mice
Authors: Maier Matthew T , Vilhelmsson Anna , Louie Sharon M , Vagena Eirini , Nomura Daniel K , Koliwad Suneil K , Xu Allison W
Published: May 2018

Proper regulation of energy metabolism requires neurons in the central nervous system to respond dynamically to signals that reflect the body’s energy reserve, and one such signal is leptin. Agouti-related protein (AgRP) is a hypothalamic neuropeptide that is markedly upregulated in leptin deficiency, a condition that is associated with severe obesity, diabetes, and hepatic steatosis. Because deleting AgRP in mice does not alter energy balance, we sought to determine whether AgRP plays an indispensable role in regulating energy and hepatic lipid metabolism in the sensitized background of leptin deficiency. We generated male mice that are deficient for both leptin and AgRP [double-knockout (DKO)]. DKO mice and ob/ob littermates had similar body weights, food intake, energy expenditure, and plasma insulin levels, although DKO mice surprisingly developed heightened hyperglycemia with advancing age. Overall hepatic lipid content was reduced in young prediabetic DKO mice, but not in the older diabetic counterparts. Intriguingly, however, both young and older DKO mice had an altered zonal distribution of hepatic lipids with reduced periportal lipid deposition. Moreover, leptin stimulated, whereas AgRP inhibited, hepatic sympathetic activity. Ablating sympathetic nerves to the liver, which primarily innervate the portal regions, produced periportal lipid accumulation in wild-type mice. Collectively, our results highlight AgRP as a regulator of hepatic sympathetic activity and metabolic zonation.
Thyroid Hormone Receptor β Suppression of RUNX2 Is Mediated by Brahma-Related Gene 1–Dependent Chromatin Remodeling
Authors: Gillis Noelle E , Taber Thomas H , Bolf Eric L , Beaudet Caitlin M , Tomczak Jennifer A , White Jeffrey H , Stein Janet L , Stein Gary S , Lian Jane B , Frietze Seth , Carr Frances E
Published: May 2018

Thyroid hormone receptor β (TRβ) suppresses tumor growth through regulation of gene expression, yet the associated TRβ-mediated changes in chromatin assembly are not known. The chromatin ATPase brahma-related gene 1 (BRG1; SMARCA4), a key component of chromatin-remodeling complexes, is altered in many cancers, but its role in thyroid tumorigenesis and TRβ-mediated gene expression is unknown. We previously identified the oncogene runt-related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) as a repressive target of TRβ. Here, we report differential expression of BRG1 in nonmalignant and malignant thyroid cells concordant with TRβ. BRG1 and TRβ have similar nuclear distribution patterns and significant colocalization. BRG1 interacts with TRβ, and together, they are part of the regulatory complex at the RUNX2 promoter. Loss of BRG1 increases RUNX2 levels, whereas reintroduction of TRβ and BRG1 synergistically decreases RUNX2 expression. RUNX2 promoter accessibility corresponded to RUNX2 expression levels. Inhibition of BRG1 activity increased accessibility of the RUNX2 promoter and corresponding expression. Our results reveal a mechanism of TRβ repression of oncogenic gene expression: TRβ recruitment of BRG1 induces chromatin compaction and diminishes RUNX2 expression. Therefore, BRG1-mediated chromatin remodeling may be obligatory for TRβ transcriptional repression and tumor suppressor function in thyroid tumorigenesis.
The Dead are Coming
Authors: Stümer Jenny
Published: May 2018

The escalating death tolls of migrants seeking to enter Europe are a dramatic testimony to the cynical, dehumanizing, and violent fortification of the European Union, whereby refugees and asylum seekers have become the emblematic figures of contemporary political exclusion. Rather than emerge as a peaceful, open, and postnational community, fortress Europe increasingly relies on a process of (re)walling, evoking the legacy of the camp and redrawing colonial boundaries. Europe’s borders serve as expressions of “necropower” and contemporary biopolitical attempts at subjugating and distinguishing forms of “bare life,” as they regulate forms of life, death, and living death. At the same time, these “necropolitics” remain hidden by the necrogeography of the borderscape. The author argues that this deathscape escalates bare life into bare death as a form of nonrelational death enabled by the constructed otherness of the Muslim refugee. Reading this politics of bare death against Sophocles’s Antigone, this article considers how Europe’s deathscape is mediated and challenged. The author examines the art collective Center for Political Beauty and its controversial project of transporting the bodies of deceased migrants from Italy to Berlin in order to give the dead “dignified burials.” The author suggests that the artists engage a form of “corpse politics” using the ritual of the burial as a way to reintegrate the death of the other. This opening of the European soil enables a reimagining of European sovereignty, acknowledging the relations denied by bare death. The nomos of the earth is reinterpreted as a nomos of the soil, reenvisioning a Europe beyond borders and welcoming “difference” as the grounds for responsible politics.
Phylogeny and systematics of the tribe Thlaspideae (Brassicaceae) and the recognition of two new genera
Authors: Esmailbegi Shokouh , Al-Shehbaz Ihsan A. , Pouch Milan , Mandáková Terezie , Mummenhoff Klaus , Rahiminejad Mohammad Reza , Mirtadzadini Mansour , Lysak Martin A.
Published: May 2018

Thlaspideae is an Old World tribe of Brassicaceae centered in SW Asia. Thirty–seven of 42 species (ca. 88%) in 13 genera of the tribe were analyzed using nuclear ITS and chloroplast trnL–F markers in a family–wide context. Both single–marker and concatenated phylogenies corroborated Thlaspideae as a well–supported monophyletic clade. With the exception of polyphyletic Alliaria and Parlatoria and paraphyletic Thlaspi and Didymophysa, the remaining genera were monophyletic. Alliaria petiolata comprised diploid and hexaploid populations in two well–resolved clades. The non–weedy diploid and hexaploid populations are restricted to SW Asia, and together with diploid A. taurica (formerly P. taurica), formed a sister clade to well–resolved Sobolewskia (3 spp.) and P. rostrata (now treated as the new monospecific genus Lysakia) clades. By contrast, the European and North American weedy and invasive hexaploid A. petiolata populations clustered with the diploid P. cakiloidea. Polyphyletic Thlaspi formed two distinct clades easily distinguished morphologically, and two of its six species are segregated into the new genus Mummenhoffia. Elburzia is reduced to synonymy of Didymophysa, and the new combinations D. fenestrata, Lysakia rostrata, Mummenhoffia alliacea, and M. oliveri are proposed and a diagnostic key for determination of Thlaspideae genera is presented. Age estimations based only on calibration by the controversial fossil Thlaspi primeavum resulted in unrealistic old age estimates. Chromosome counts are reported for 16 species.
Phylogenetics of Datureae (Solanaceae), including description of the new genus Trompettia and re–circumscription of the tribe
Authors: Dupin Julia , Smith Stacey D.
Published: May 2018

Datureae is a tribe in the Solanaceae known for its charismatic large–flowered species (jimsonweeds and angel trumpets). The monophyly of the tribe is well established, but the recent finding that a species previously described in Iochroma (also Solanaceae) belongs in Datureae calls for a reassessment of the tribe's circumscription. Here we estimated the phylogeny of Datureae, including all of its 18 species, using three nuclear regions, and incorporated fossil information to estimate divergence times. Based on this phylogeny, we reconstructed the evolution of key aspects of reproductive morphology and life history to identify diagnostic features. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses suggest that the diversification of Datureae began roughly ca. 35 Ma, around the beginning of the Andean uplift. Within the tribe, Datura and Brugmansia are monophyletic sister taxa and the misplaced species of Iochroma is sister to the remaining species. Based on our morphological analysis, we describe the latter as a new monotypic genus Trompettia. Ancestral state reconstructions identify diagnostic features for each of the three genera and show a large suite of changes along the Datura branch, including the evolution of erect flowers, capsular fruit, and annual life history. Using these features, we formally re–circumscribe Datureae to include all genera and their species and provide a taxonomic key for the tribe.
Typification of Chlorophytum (Asparagaceae) taxon names from Angola: A critical reappraisal and new combinations
Authors: Meerts Pierre
Published: May 2018

Fifty–one names of plants now recognised as Chlorophytum that are based on type materials from Angola are reviewed. Twenty–three of these names are based on Welwitsch's collections for which there is generally no holotype. All the original materials have been critically reviewed. For eight names, some of the original materials did not match the protologue or comprised several taxa. For nine names, erroneous application of the term holotype is corrected to lectotype ("inadvertent lectotypifications"). For twenty–one names, lectotypifications are provided, including a new lectotype for Chlorophytum limosum and three second–step lectotypifications. A lectotype is also designated for Chlorophytum subpetiolatum based on materials from Mozambique. Eleven new synonyms and six new combinations are proposed (Chlorophytum benguellense, Chlorophytum fernandesii, Chlorophytum molle, Chlorophytum orchideum, Chlorophytum sphacelatum var. arenarium, Chlorophytum ustulatum. Current accepted names are provided for all taxa. Seven accepted taxa are endemic to Angola. Ten names remain unplaced because no material was found.
A Framework for Increasing Sustainability in Services
Authors: Davis Mark M. , Stavrulaki Euthemia , Wolfson Adi
Published: May 2018

Environmental sustainability is a growing concern that has not been examined in depth in the service literature. We propose a strategic framework for introducing or increasing sustainability activities in service organizations that acknowledges the role of the customer in the service delivery process. In so doing, the ability to increase an organization’s sustainability is accomplished by both the service provider and the customer. Based on the degree of importance of sustainability to customers as well as the degree of sustainability of its current service delivery processes, service organizations can focus their efforts on customer-enabled or provider-enabled sustainability. To move to the highest degree of sustainability, services need to not only design their operations and supply chain processes to align with their sustainability objectives, but also to educate and/or incentivize their customers to be active participants for sustainable value co-creation.
Care and creativity: the care worker in Sweden
Authors: Hurtley Rosemary
Published: May 2018

Loneliness and a loss of hope affect many older people who are living independently. Rosemary Hurtley visited a care home in Sweden that adopted a different care model: staff and residents work together on art projects
Maintaining staffing levels during religious holidays
Authors: Themistocleous Chloe
Published: May 2018

Staffing is always a concern in care homes, but especially so during religious holidays, when many employees want to take leave at the same time. Chloe Themistocleous advises homes how to avoid legal action when it comes to holiday requests
A Validated Quantitative HPLC Method for Proanthocyanidin A2 in Pometia pinnata Leaves
Authors: Suedee Areerat , Tewtrakul Supinya , Panichayupakaranant Pharkphoom
Published: May 2018

A reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was described for the determination of proanthocyanidin A2 in Pometia pinnata leaf extracts. The method utilized a Phenominex® Luna 5u Hilic column with a mixture of 2% acetic acid and acetonitrile (step gradient elution as follows: 0-4 min, 5:95; 5-9 min, 10:90; 10-14 min, 80:20 v/v) as the mobile phase at a flow rate of 1 mL/min, and UV detection at 280 nm. The parameters of linearity, precision, accuracy, specificity and sensitivity of the method were evaluated. The extraction methods for proanthocyanidin A2 were also examined. Proanthocyanidin A2 was eluted within 7 min with a satisfactory peak resolution. The recovery of the HPLC method was 96-98% with a good linearity (r2≥ 0.9999) for proanthocyanidin A2 in the concentration range of 7.7 - 250 µg/mL. A high degree of specificity as well as repeatability and reproducibility (RSD values less than 5%) were also achieved. The limits of detection and quantification were 1.25 and 2.50 µg/mL, respectively. This eatablished specific, precise, accurate, rapid and reproducible HPLC method was successfully used to quantify the active principle, proanthocyanidin A2 in P. pinnata leaf extracts. Proanthocyanidin A2 was found to be a major constituent in the crude methanol extract of P. pinnata leaves, at 33.8 ± 0.4 mg/g dried extract. Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was selected as the best extraction method for proanthocyanidin A2. The optimized MAE method increased the amount of proanthocyanidin A2 extracted from the dried leaf powder up to 36.6 %w/w.
Improving In Vitro Somatic Embryos Production of Medjool and Khalas Date Palm Cultivars via Modification of Ammonium and Potassium Nitrate
Authors: A. Ibrahim Ibrahim , M. Badr-Elden Awatef , A. Emara Hamdy , F. Gabr Mahdia , A. Nower Ahmed , M. Abd Elaziem Tamer
Published: May 2018

Date palm is one of the most economically powerful fruit tree grown in Egypt. Although Egypt tops the list of date's product in the world. Egyptian date palm industry suffers from many constraints. Low-quality varieties and limited conventional propagation methods are the main obstacles. Extension of date palm plantations in various areas of Egypt and replanting trees to compensate loss due to diseases or human factors are reduced expected to lack adequate planting materials. The knowledge of the interplay between some fundamental medium parameters allows not only the optimization of the micropropagation system but also gives models to investigate and rationalize the process of induction and development of somatic embryogenesis itself. In vitro growth and development of produced embryos and plantlets has been improved by using of full MS salt strength. MS medium modification of some nutrients concentrations, i.e. NH4NO3(1237.5 mg/l) which recorded (13.20 and 9.60 embryos/explant for Medjool and Khalas respectively) at the end of three subculture. KNO3 which gave a higher score of mature somatic embryos (14.40 and 10.00 embryo/culture for Medjool and Khalas respectively) was obtained with 1425 mg/l KNO3 after three subcultures as compared to those obtained from any other treatment combination. The morphological response of somatic embryos production is controlled by some internal factors that fall under the influence of the genetic make-up of the plant and specialized for each genotype that is responsible for the production of somatic embryos (Medjool and Khalas cultivars). The genetic make-up is a decisive factor during somatic embryos production. There are differences between the two cultivars named, Medjool and Khalas. The produced somatic embryos at germination stage were transferred from the two experiments namely ammonium nitrate and potassium nitrate to multiplication and rooting stages for more in vitro growth for 12 weeks at three re-cultures. Individual shoots were cultured on modified MS basal medium in addition to IBA (1.0 mg/l), sucrose (30 g/l) and solidified with phyto-agar (8.0 g/l) for more in vitro growth and development. In vitro plantlets were transferred to acclimatization stage in plastic pots 5*18 cm diameter containing peatmoss, perlite and washed sand at equal volume. In vitro date palm plantlets produced from rooting stage grow well in the greenhouse during acclimatization stage without morphological abnormality. The growth and development of Medjool cultivar were better than Khalas during in vitro culture and ex vitro acclimatization.
Effects of Oxaliplatin Treatment on the Myenteric Plexus Innervation and Glia in the Murine Distal Colon
Authors: Stojanovska Vanesa , McQuade Rachel M. , Miller Sarah , Nurgali Kulmira
Published: May 2018

Oxaliplatin (platinum-based chemotherapeutic agent) is a first-line treatment of colorectal malignancies; its use associates with peripheral neuropathies and gastrointestinal side effects. These gastrointestinal dysfunctions might be due to toxic effects of oxaliplatin on the intestinal innervation and glia. Male Balb/c mice received intraperitoneal injections of sterile water or oxaliplatin (3 mg/kg/d) triweekly for 2 weeks. Colon tissues were collected for immunohistochemical assessment at day 14. The density of sensory, adrenergic, and cholinergic nerve fibers labeled with calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), and vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT), respectively, was assessed within the myenteric plexus of the distal colon. The number and proportion of excitatory neurons immunoreactive (IR) against choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) were counted, and the density of glial subpopulations was determined by using antibodies specific for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and s100β protein. Oxaliplatin treatment induced significant reduction of sensory and adrenergic innervations, as well as the total number and proportion of ChAT-IR neurons, and GFAP-IR glia, but increased s100β expression within the myenteric plexus of the distal colon. Treatment with oxaliplatin significantly alters nerve fibers and glial cells in the colonic myenteric plexus, which could contribute to long-term gastrointestinal side effects following chemotherapeutic treatment.
La interacción de las audiencias con las noticias en los portales digitales de los principales diarios de Perú
Authors: Zeta-de-Pozo Rosa , Atarama-Rojas Tomás
Published: May 2018

El consumo digital de las noticias y la interacción de los usuarios con el contenido periodístico digital son dos cuestiones de gran interés en el nuevo contexto en el que se busca alcanzar un periodismo solvente que responda a sus grandes valores tradicionales y a las exigencias de inmediatez e interactividad del actual ecosistema de medios. En este escenario, esta investigación presenta el comportamiento de las audiencias de los tres diarios más relevantes del Perú respecto al contenido publicado en sus portadas digitales y en su sección de los más vistos. Los resultados muestran que en la mayoría de casos no existe correspondencia entre las noticias en portada y las más leídas. Asimismo, se encontró que las noticias que generaron mayor interacción (comentarios) no se publicaron en la portada, sino que provenían de la sección las más vistas y se correspondían con temas variados.
STABILITY OF SYNTHESIZED SILVER NANOPARTICLES IN CITRATE AND MIXED GELATIN/CITRATE SOLUTION
Authors: Kavuličová Jana , Mražíková Anna , Velgosová Oksana , Ivánová Dana , Kubovčíková Martina
Published: May 2018

The study focuses on an investigation of the influence of both citrate and mixed gelatin/citrate as a reductant and stabilizer on the colloidal stability of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)synthesized by a chemical reduction of Ag+ ions after a short - (7th day) - and long - (118th day) - term storage. Formed AgNPs were characterized by a UV–vis Spectroscopy, Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Zeta-potential (ZP). The obtained results revealed that a short-term stability of the synthesized AgNPs was greatly influenced by a citrate stabilizer with the absence of gelatin. Smaller-sized AgNPs (average particle diameter of 3 nm), roughly spherical in a shape, were obtained with a narrow size distribution. The very negative value of the Zeta-potential confirmed a strong stability of the citrate capped AgNPs. However, a surface coating of the AgNPs by a gelatin/citrate stabilizer was found to be a dominant contributor in improving a long-term stability of the AgNPs (average particle diameter of 26 nm). The use of gelatin in mixed stabilizer solution provided the AgNPs with higher monodispersity and a controllable size after both the short and long-term storage.
APPLICATION OF THE TEMPERATURE OSCILLATION METHOD IN HEAT TRANSFER MEASUREMENTS AT THE WALL OF AN AGITATED VESSEL
Authors: Solnař Stanislav , Dostál Martin , Petera Karel , Jirout Tomáš
Published: May 2018

The Temperature Oscillation Infra-Red Thermography (TOIRT) was used to measure convective heat transfer coefficients at the inner vertical wall of an agitated and baffled vessel. Two impellers were used: an axial six-blade impeller with pitched blades and the Rushton turbine. The TOIRT method represents an indirect method based on measuring the phase shift between the oscillating heat flux applied to one side of the heat transfer surface and the wall temperature response monitored by a contactless infra-red camera at the same side. On the basis of this phase shift, the TOIRT method can indirectly evaluate the heat transfer coefficient on the other side of the heat transfer surface. Two forms of experimental results are presented in this paper. The first one describes graphical dependencies of the local Nusselt number on the dimensionless distance from the vessel bottom for various Reynolds numbers. The second form describes the mean Nusselt number along the wall as a function of the Reynolds number.
Order of the canonical vector bundle over configuration spaces of spheres
Authors: Ren Shiquan
Published: May 2018

Given a vector bundle, its (stable) order is the smallest positive integer t such that the t-fold self-Whitney sum is (stably) trivial.
So far, the order and the stable order of the canonical vector bundle over configuration spaces of Euclidean spaces have been studied in
[F. R. Cohen, R. L. Cohen, N. J. Kuhn and J. A. Neisendorfer, Bundles over configuration spaces, Pacific J. Math. 104 1983, 1, 47–54],
[F. R. Cohen, M. E. Mahowald and R. J. Milgram, The stable decomposition for the double loop space of a sphere, Algebraic and Geometric Topology (Stanford 1976), Proc. Sympos. Pure Math. 32 Part 2, American Mathematical Society, Providence 1978, 225–228],
and
[S.-W. Yang, Order of the Canonical Vector Bundle on

C
n

⁢

(
k
)

/

Σ
k

{C_{n}(k)/\Sigma_{k}}

, ProQuest LLC, Ann Arbor, 1978].
Moreover, the order and the stable order of the canonical vector bundle over configuration spaces of closed orientable Riemann surfaces with genus greater than or equal to one have been studied in
[F. R. Cohen, R. L. Cohen, N. J. Kuhn and J. A. Neisendorfer, Bundles over configuration spaces, Pacific J. Math. 104 1983, 1, 47–54].
In this paper, we mainly study the order and the stable order of the canonical vector bundle over configuration spaces of spheres and disjoint unions of spheres.
Wer hat das bessere Bild?
Authors: Vogl Andreas
Published: May 2018

Big Data in der Astronomie ist die Folge systematischen Sammelns von Informationen, die durch neue Möglichkeiten digitaler Bilderfassung gewonnen werden. Durch aufwendige Bildverarbeitungsprozesse entstehen so imposante astronomische Bilder mit hoher Informationsdichte. Mit der Zeit haben diese Bilder das Feld der Wissenschaftscommunity in zunehmendem Maße verlassen und Einzug in populäre Massenmedien gehalten. Neben ihrer ursprünglich rein epistemischen Funktion wird offenbar, welch hohen Authentizitätsanspruch und Faszinationsgehalt diese bisweilen aufsehenerregenden Bilder bei einem breiten Laienpublikum auslösen können. Zeigen sich in Originalaufnahmen noch komplexe visuelle Informationen wissenschaftlicher Relevanz, so werden diese nicht selten mit dem Argument der „besseren Verständlichkeit“ in den PR-Abteilungen der Forschungszentren stark vereinfacht und modifiziert, um den kulturellen Sehgewohnheiten einer wissenschaftsaffinen Öffentlichkeit zu entsprechen. In Zeiten knapper Forschungsbudgets werden wiederholt diese digital aufgeputzten Bilder einem staunenden Laien-Publikum präsentiert, um so die eigene Forschungsarbeit besser legitimieren zu können. Bei der Analyse dieser Bildmedien wird ein überstrapazierter Einsatz von Falschfarbendarstellungen, Kontrastverstärkungen und fragwürdigen Kontextualisierungen offenkundig, der das ungeschulte Auge in die Irre führt. Um medienethischen Anforderungen gerecht zu werden, ist es daher angebracht, in Publikationen diese verborgenen Bildentstehungsprozesse deutlicher als bisher zu kommunizieren und von rein illustrativen und unwissenschaftlichen Darstellungsformen mit fotorealistischem Anmutungscharakter Abstand zu nehmen.
Efficacy of forced right nostril breathing and selected yogasanas on female obese college students
Authors: Kasturi B. K. , Deo Guru
Published: May 2018

Background

Overweight and obesity are the accumulation of high body adiposity, which can have detrimental health effects and contribute to the developments of numerous non communicable diseases.

Aim

To study the psycho-physiological changes after the practice of forced right nostril breathing and selected yogasanas on obese college students.

Methods

To carry out this study, 32 female subjects aged 18–25 years of age were recruited with informed consent from Priyanka degree college, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The design was a single group pre-post. Height and weight were recorded and the body mass index (BMI) was calculated using standard procedures and equation. The students were given the practice of forced right nostril breathing for 10 min daily four times a day and some selected yogasanas. The assessments were taken before start of intervention and at the last day after 30 days. The intervention was for 6 days per week which consists of forced right nostril breathing and some selected asanas.

Conclusions

The study exhibited that forced right nostril breathing and selected yogasanas reduces the physiological risk factors. These yogic practices are effective to overcome complications arise due to obesity and are helpful to induce positive psychological changes in obese individual.
Impact of Low Frequency Electromagnetic Field Exposure on the Candida Albicans
Authors: Malíková Ivona , Janoušek Ladislav , Fantova Vladyslava , Jíra Jaroslav , Kříha Vítĕzslav
Published: May 2018

Effect of low frequency electromagnetic field on growth of selected microorganism is studied in the article. The diploid fungus that grows both as yeast and filamentous cell was chosen for this research. The theory of ion parametric resonance was taken as the base for studying the influence of electromagnetic field on biological structures. We tested the hypothesis, whether it is possible to observe the change in growth properties of Candida albicans with an AC electromagnetic field tuned to resonance with calcium ions cyclotron frequency.
Prospects for Use of Synchronous Reluctance Motors in Low-Power Electrical Devices
Authors: Dirba J. , Lavrinovicha L. , Dobriyan R.
Published: May 2018

This paper focuses on studying the synchronous reluctance motors as an alternative to low-power commutator motors. Analysis is done for the improved design of synchronous reluctance motor with a segmental external rotor. Relevant equations and a suitable method are proposed for calculating characteristics of the synchronous reluctance motors operating in a specific mode with electronic commutation as switched reluctance motors. It is concluded that synchronous reluctance motors in this mode can provide a wide range of characteristics and are quite competitive with commutator motors used in low-power devices.
The Application of Corporate Social Responsibility in European Agriculture
Authors: Mazur-Wierzbicka Ewa
Published: May 2018

The aim of this article is to show that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) can be applied in agriculture as a sustainable development tool. This paper shows the connections between CSR and the Common Agricultural Policy; opinions on socially responsible agriculture expressed by EU citizens are mentioned, and the application of the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility in agriculture is described.

Both CSR and the Common Agricultural Policy are included in the Europe 2020 Strategy. Farmers should take the CSR concept into account when running their farms, a practice that would be welcomed by European citizens. Applying Corporate Social Responsibility in agriculture would contribute to improving the image of farmers as perceived by stakeholders, as well as bringing notable economic, social and environmental benefits. This article is based on the available literature and the results of European public opinion surveys.