bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Comprehensive Study on the Automation Potentials and Complexities of Advanced and Alternative Die-Attach Technologies for Power Electronic Applications
Authors: Syed-Khaja Aarief , Kaestle Christopher , Mueller Martin , Franke Jörg
Published: October 2015

The field of power electronics packaging presents intricate and interdisciplinary challenges. System costs, reliability and performance are strongly determined by various aspects such as mechanical design, materials, thermal management and interconnect technologies. The overall costs of the product depend mainly on the complete process chain in the module development. Automation as well plays an important role and facilitates higher production rates, efficient use of materials, better product quality, and reduced factory lead times. This paper focuses on emerging interconnection technologies of bonding semiconductor components to power electronic substrates like diffusion soldering, conductive adhesive bonding and reactive multi-layer bonding. An overview on the automation potentials and complexities in individual technologies for the manufacturing of reliable and cost-effective power modules is given and discussed. Thus, a basis is created for choosing optimal die-attach technology depending on economic and technologic demand by comparing the state-of-the-art and advanced technologies.
Management with Computer Support in the Study of Maps Stability in TOYOTA Process
Authors: Olejnik Roman
Published: October 2015

The subjects of the study presented in this Chapter are production process phenomena occurring in the world of analyses, referred to as the stability and quality map in the Toyota systems – the analysis of the map in terms of the resource of result points belonging to the rings of surroundings – creation of the rings using circular surroundings of a technically selected centre by using different types of topological metrics – analysis of the coefficient of variation in respect of the percentage distribution of the belonging of result points – an attempt to interpret the practicality of the result. Epitome of computer support in respect of the same processes and computer aided statistical calculations, generating decisions.
Cloud Computing Systems in Information Society - The European Enterprises towards Technological Advancement - Comparative Rough Set Analysis
Authors: Ptak Aleksandra
Published: October 2015

Cloud computing systems usage in enterprises has become very popular in recent years. On the world market there is an increasing number of cloud computing services providers with more or less complex solutions in their offer. Thanks to cloud computing services SMEs have the chance to compete with big corporations. The article presents the usage of cloud computing in the European enterprises in comparison with enterprises from the United States, the use of cloud computing solutions in enterprises of the EU countries in 2014 and prognosis on the use of cloud technologies in Eastern European countries between 2014 and 2017. The aim of the article is to present the current state of cloud systems adoption in European enterprises and to conduct the comparative analysis of the data structure based on the rough sets theory.
ERP – Specific Form of Integrated Applications
Authors: Sorin Mihai Radu , Grabara Janusz , Okwiet Bartłomiej , Nowak Stefan
Published: October 2015

The integrated ERP system includes in a unitary whole that is performed in an enterprise, production, distribution, accounting, finance, stocks, service and maintenance, logistics and provides information accessibility, visibility and consistency for the entire enterprise. The ERP system enables the integration of all information applications into a global information solution, occupying all organizational elements in an enterprise, which are in a close mutual interdependency. Thus, the delimitations between the departments and divisions of the enterprise, including those between the enterprise and its environment are removed, thus providing the enterprise with multiuser, multipurpose and multispace working possibilities. The main purpose of this article is to present the very wide and deep overview of ERP systems, together with its applications, structure, opinions and algorithms of ERP functioning.
Study on Use of Information Technologies in Manufacturing Processes
Authors: Tabor Joanna
Published: October 2015

This paper contains analysis and assessment of use of information technologies in manufacturing processes performed over the years 2010-2013 by manufacturing companies that employ at least 10 employees. Although companies use many different information technology automation devices and tools, this paper is only focused upon manufacturing process automation devices, since these automation devices exert a significant impact upon improvement of work safety levels. As a result of this study, industrial processing sector’s divisions were identified with the highest level of use of determined automation devices in relation to the adopted average value for the industrial processing sector as a whole, and directions of changes were identified in the area of use of the particular automation devices in the analysed groups of manufacturing companies being active in Poland.
The Role of E-Government Tools in the Business Activation of Regions
Authors: Chluski Andrzej , Jelonek Dorota , Stępniak Cezary , Turek Tomasz , Ziora Leszek
Published: October 2015

In the contemporary economy the more and more greater role is played by state and local government institutions. Offices of public administration not only create law, but more and more often become initiators of the different type of investments undertaken on the ground of their jurisdiction. Often neighbouring administrative units begin to compete between themselves in gaining of investments and resources for the purpose of its own development. In the functionality of mentioned offices the greater role is performed by IT systems building the architecture of a given unit, clearly expressed among other things in the idea of intelligent city. Applied by offices of public administration IT systems are more often opened for suppliants creating e-government tools [1]. In this paper was presented the role of e-government tools in the business activation of the region on the basis of IT systems made available by Czestochowa Municipal Office. The review of potential directions of the e-government tools usage in different areas of social-economic life of the city will be presented
The Use of Spatial Information to Create E-Public Services - Experiences from the Project "E-Services for Residents of Czestochowa”
Authors: Wyslocka Elzbieta , Biadacz Renata
Published: October 2015

Progress in the field of information and communication technologies has created unprecedented opportunities to deliver services in both developing and developed countries. E-services sector is one of the fastest growing areas of the economy. Supply of electronic services contributes to creating value by reducing the number of barriers to entry. Also a growing use of the Internet and related opportunities in the area of public e-services can be observed. This paper focuses on the use of Geographic Information Systems in the implementation of e-government services on the example of Częstochowa. The paper presents technical and functional assumptions and experience with implementation of the project "E-services for residents of Czestochowa".
IT Tool for Aiding Assessment of Safety Culture Level in an Organization
Authors: Gabryelewicz Izabela , Krupa Patryk , Sadłowska-Wrzesińska Joanna
Published: October 2015

The following paper presents an IT tool for aiding assessment of a safety culture level in an organization in a form of an application, providing fast and easy way to analyze data obtained from questionnaires. Traditional data analysis often turns out to be time-consuming and labor-intensive. To make the process faster, more detailed and to find all the possible links among all the available data there is a need for an IT tool. The presented application has been developed with publicly available and completely free tools and technologies. It is a complete piece of software, fully flexible which can be modified or equipped with new functions (modules). The presented solution eliminates the time consuming process of “copying” data from paper questionnaires, and allows to get information about the safety culture level right after adding a questionnaire to a questionnaire database. The presented tool can function as a mobile questionnaire which can be used in any place with Internet access and to fill it in only a browser is required.
African traditional widowhood rites and their benefits and/or detrimental effects on widows in a context of African Christianity
Authors: Manala Matsobane
Published: October 2015

Traditional Africans teach ubuntu principles of communality, mutual respect, caring and so forth, but they do not walk the talk with regard to the treatment of widows. In the footsteps of Jesus of Nazareth, Christian communities preach unconditional love, especially for the poor, marginalised and vulnerable. Implementation is, however, grossly lacking in respect of the treatment of widows. There is thus an apparent deliberate uncaring, disrespectful, discriminatory, impolite and unjust treatment of widows in African communities in spite of the ubuntu values and Christian teaching that emphasise love and caring, especially towards the grieving and thus vulnerable widows. Widows seem to be neglected and even oppressed in our time. The aim of this research is to critically examine African traditional widowhood rites and practices with special reference to the comfort or pain to which they subject African widows. The research further aims to examine the behaviour of some African Christians belonging to three congregations of one mainline church to determine whether their treatment of widows resonates with Jesus’ teaching regarding the requisite care of widows. The issue of widowhood in Africa, in terms of the apparent plight of these bereaved and grieving women, needs to be urgently addressed for change in the 21st century. A critical literature study of relevant sources and a newspaper article will be used for this research. My personal experiences and continuing observation as an insider will also inform the research in useful ways.
Ameloblastoma: A Review of Recent Molecular Pathogenetic Discoveries
Authors: Brown Noah A. , Betz Bryan L.
Published: October 2015

Ameloblastoma is an odontogenic neoplasm whose molecular pathogenesis has only recently been elucidated. The discovery of recurrent activating mutations in FGFR2, BRAF, and RAS in a large majority of ameloblastomas has implicated dysregulation of MAPK pathway signaling as a critical step in the pathogenesis of this tumor. Some degree of controversy exists regarding the role of mutations affecting the sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway, specifically Smoothened (SMO), which have been postulated to serve as either an alternative pathogenetic mechanism or secondary mutations. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of ameloblastoma as well as the diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic implications of these discoveries.
Genomics and Evolution in Traditional Medicinal Plants: Road to a Healthier Life
Authors: Hao Da-Cheng , Xiao Pei-Gen
Published: October 2015

Medicinal plants have long been utilized in traditional medicine and ethnomedicine worldwide. This review presents a glimpse of the current status of and future trends in medicinal plant genomics, evolution, and phylogeny. These dynamic fields are at the intersection of phytochemistry and plant biology and are concerned with the evolution mechanisms and systematics of medicinal plant genomes, origin and evolution of the plant genotype and metabolic phenotype, interaction between medicinal plant genomes and their environment, the correlation between genomic diversity and metabolite diversity, and so on. Use of the emerging high-end genomic technologies can be expanded from crop plants to traditional medicinal plants, in order to expedite medicinal plant breeding and transform them into living factories of medicinal compounds. The utility of molecular phylogeny and phylogenomics in predicting chemodiversity and bioprospecting is also highlighted within the context of natural-product-based drug discovery and development. Representative case studies of medicinal plant genome, phylogeny, and evolution are summarized to exemplify the expansion of knowledge pedigree and the paradigm shift to the omics-based approaches, which update our awareness about plant genome evolution and enable the molecular breeding of medicinal plants and the sustainable utilization of plant pharmaceutical resources.
Adapting a Fourier pseudospectral method to Dirichlet boundary conditions for Rayleigh-Bénard convection
Authors: Ramos I. C. , Briozzo Carlos B.
Published: October 2015

We present the adaptation to non-free boundary conditions of a pseudospectral method based on the (complex) Fourier transform. The method is applied to the numerical integration of the Oberbeck-Boussinesq equations in a Rayleigh-Bénard cell with no-slip boundary conditions for velocity and Dirichlet boundary conditions for temperature. We show the first results of a 2D numerical simulation of dry air convection at high Rayleigh number ($$R\sim10^9$$). These results are the basis for the later study, by the same method, of wet convection in a solar still.Received: 20 Novembre 2014,  Accepted: 15 September 2015; Edited by: C. A. Condat, G. J. Sibona; DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.4279/PIP.070015Cite as: I C Ramos, C B Briozzo, Papers in Physics 7, 070015 (2015)This paper, by I C Ramos, C B Briozzo, is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0.
Simultaneous Penetrating Keratoplasty with Crescentic Inferior Keratoplasty in Advanced Pellucid Marginal Degeneration
Authors: Smadja David , Touboul David , Saunier Valentine
Published: October 2015

Purpose

To describe and report long-term outcomes of a surgical technique in advanced pellucid marginal degeneration (PMD) combining conventional central penetrating keratoplasty (PK) with an additional crescentic inferior keratoplasty, using a single corneal transplant.

Results

We report the case of a 55-year-old male patient, who underwent a customized sizing PK in his right eye for an advanced PMD, which combined a central PK with an additional crescentic inferior keratoplasty. The 1 year postoperative results show very good clinical outcomes, including visual acuity and biomechanical parameters, as well as tectonic outcomes, documented with high resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) at the junction site between the two grafts.

Conclusion

Advanced PMD is a specifically challenging condition for keratoplasty due to an extreme peripheral corneal thinning. This surgical technique may facilitate inferior suturing and optimize the postoperative tectonic outcomes.

How to cite this article

Saunier V, Smadja D, Touboul D. Simultaneous Penetrating Keratoplasty with Crescentic Inferior Keratoplasty in Advanced Pellucid Marginal Degeneration. Int J Kerat Ect Cor Dis 2015;4(2):60-62.
Cultures unfolding: experiences of Chinese-Hungarian mixed couples in Hungary
Authors: Kovács Nóra
Published: October 2015

Background

The research outlined in this paper focuses on a subfield related to Chinese migrants’ integration in Hungary: Chinese-Hungarian mixed partner relationships. I present some findings of an anthropological study on Chinese-Hungarian couples in Hungary, although other localities may also be involved in some of these couples’ lives.

Participants and procedure

Based on interviews conducted with members of Chinese-Hungarian married, cohabiting and dating, separated or divorced couples, and on data gathered through predominantly online fieldwork, this research explores notions and values that are at play in shaping the dynamics of these relations.

Results

The sample of thirty-seven couples features two characteristically different types of relationships: those referred to as “student love”, and the relationships of “typical” Chinese migrants with Hungarians. The former tend to be much more successful and persistent in time, with two cases of divorce or separation out of sixteen, whereas the latter are considerably less persistent, with eight cases of divorce or separation and two cases of crises out of thirteen bonds. Another notable finding is that Chinese-Hungarian marriages are much more persistent in time if the Chinese partner is female.

Conclusions

The paper consists of the following consecutive parts: an introduction to the Chinese migrant context and inter-ethnic partner relations in Hungary; a review of relevant literature; presentation of research methods and fieldwork; presentation and discussion of the research sample; presentation of some results from the interviews; and conclusions.
Experiencing and the realization of motherhood by teenage mothers
Authors: Rzechowska Ewa , Dacka Monika
Published: October 2015

Background

Early motherhood constitutes a difficult challenge for girls, and the level of their performance in that role is varied. In this article, teenage motherhood as a process is considered. The objective of the research was to determine the paths by which teenage girls enter the mother role. Particular attention was paid to the nature of individual differences in the ways of experiencing and the realization of the successive steps of teenage motherhood: how the girls reacted to the fact of being a mother, what they experienced and how they behaved during pregnancy and performed child care.

Participants and procedure

In the research, 166 mothers who had given birth to their children between the 15th and 19th year of life were included (at the moment of giving birth to the child, the age of the mother was M = 17.22). A follower interview was used. It was directed towards recreating the course of their lives from the period preceding becoming pregnant to the period of pregnancy and looking after the child, taking into consideration the complex situations connected with life and development of the female teenagers.

Results

In the research, we applied the Reconstruction Strategy of the Process Transformation, setting the direction of qualitative analyses: (1) the level of single cases (case study), and (2) the level of the collection of cases (extracting groups of girls with common characteristics using the artificial intelligence algorithm C4.5). The analysis revealed the diversity and the internal structure of paths of the experience and realization of early motherhood: from negating oneself as a responsible mother to accepting the role of mother.

Conclusions

The final result is constituted by the model revealing the transformation of teenage motherhood and mechanisms underlying it.
Stock Price Adjustment to Corporate Accounting Disclosure: A Quantitative Study on Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE), Bangladesh.
Authors: Ghosh Protap Kumar , Ghosh Sutap Kumar
Published: October 2015

This study has been designed to detect whether corporate accounting disclosures through annual report influence stock price movement in Dhaka Stock Exchange. To conduct our study, we gathered a series of panel data from 2010 through 2014 of 25 private commercial banks. Least square regression analysis has been done by incorporating fixed effect and random effect models and six models have been developed through Hausman Test. The resulting output revealed that “Earning per share”, “Return on equity” and “Net asset value per share” (book value) positively influenced stock price movement during our study period but “Earning per share” and “Net asset value per share” jointly can explain highest variation in stock price movement in DSE. Although past few studies showed weak form of market efficiency in DSE , this study conveys a positive movement of  Banglidesh stock market from weak form towards strong form of efficiency.
Challenges of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) In Vietnam during the Process of Integration into the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC)
Authors: Tran Hai Thi Thanh
Published: October 2015

This paper analyzes the economic obstacles faced by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam during the process of integration into ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). It also examines the level of awareness of those obstacles within SMEs and the preparation they made, if any, to overcome those obstacles. To achieve the research objectives, quantitative methods are used. With surveyed data that covered 2,575 SMEs in Vietnam from the Central Institute of Economic Management (CIEM)  and the data from the Asian Kenan Institute (OSMEP),  the results showed that Vietnamese SMEs are facing major obstacles, such as: (1) intense competition from domestic as well as foreign businesses (2) difficulty in consumer markets, (3) lack of capital, and (4) limited understanding of relevant laws. Lastly, the study provides some suggestions to help Vietnamese SMEs overcome these obstacles and  prepare to actively integrate into regional markets.
Do Common Features Exist Among Countries That Locally Adopt IFRS?
Authors: Felski Elizabeth
Published: October 2015

Although International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) have clearly emerged as the preferred global accounting standard, previous studies of IFRS have mainly focused on post-adoption outcomes. The few IFRS adoption-focused studies are either limited in scope or are based on outdated versions of IFRS.  This paper fills these holes in the literature by offering a comprehensive analysis of IFRS adoption: first, through an expanded classification system which includes local adoption as a distinct form of IFRS adoption and then through ANOVA, discriminant analyses and regression analyses. Several variables were identified as significant drivers of adoption status, one being the Asian region which consistently emerged as a powerful driver of adoption type suggesting previous analysis of IFRS diffusion is incomplete, missing this key region variable. This expanded typology suggests that the system of country classification of required/not required currently used is inadequate in capturing how IFRS is adopted in practice.
The Effect of Text Summarization as a Cognitive Strategy on the Achievement of Male and Female Language Learners' Reading Comprehension
Authors: Khoshnevis Iraj , Parvinnejad Sorour
Published: October 2015

This study aims at investigating the effect of teaching the summarization of text as a cognitive strategy on achievement of male and female students’ reading comprehension. 60 English undergraduates studying at the University of Tonekabon participated in this study. The participants were randomly assigned into the experimental and control groups. A series of treatment were provided for the participants in the experimental group. Two reading comprehension tests, as the pretest and posttest, were given to the students of both groups to observe their reading comprehension ability at the beginning and at the end of the treatment sessions. A Two-way ANOVA was run on the obtained data. The results revealed that the instruction of summarization strategy had a significant effect on the participants reading comprehension. Finally, the findings of this study suggest that teaching summarization strategy empowers students’ reading comprehension ability.
Keywords: Reading comprehension strategies, Cognitive strategy, Summarization
The Impact of Principals’ Knowledge of the Objectives of High Schools and the Influence on Their Managerial Practices
Authors: Ghadiri Bayekolaee Mohammad , Abdi Sarkami Omolbanin , Vahedi Moakher Seyed Ali , Razaghi Shani Hassan , Taheri Darkahi Seyed Majid , Delavari Mehrdad
Published: October 2015

<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;">This study aims to assess the knowledge of the principals and educational assistants with high schools’ objectives and determines its impact on the performance of their managerial courses (case study: the city of Sari). This is a descriptive study and different questionnaires were used to collect the data. The study population consisted of all managers and educational assistants of both sexes. In this study, a multi-stage cluster sampling method was used, based on Yamane formula, sample size was calculated 150. For processing and data analysis, SPSS software and descriptive statistics with central indexes, distribution, frequency tables and charts and to rule out or prove the research hypothesis, inferential statistics (T) are used for two independent groups. The result shows that in high schools the impact of principals and educational assistants’ knowledge toward their managerial function are meaningful and decisive. The deeper the information, knowledge and skills of principals and educational assistants of the goals of high school, their managerial performance will be better.
Nota de la editora
Authors: Dooly Melinda
Published: October 2015

Blah blah
Utilisation du dessin d’enfant dans la recherche d’orientation psychanalytique à l’université
Authors: Krymko-Bleton Irène
Published: October 2015

L’article présente une méthode de recherche universitaire qui utilise les dessins d’enfants faits en groupe comme matériel à analyser. Sont présentés les principes sur lesquels reposent les analyses et les exemples de procédés interprétatifs mis en oeuvre. L’article fait aussi ressortir les liens entre la formation à la recherche et la formation clinique des étudiants qui participent à une telle recherche.
L’éthique de l’intégration
Authors: Ammicht Quinn Regina , Roy Raymond
Published: October 2015

Pourquoi est-ce que l’intégration — et on entend par là le fait de vivre dans des sociétés pluralistes, le plus souvent occidentales — connaît-elle tant d’échecs ? Le texte explore deux avenues. La première s’attache à l’infrastructure de cécité et de surdité propres à la politique occidentale, cécité à l’égard de la critique postcoloniale, et surdité à l’endroit des récits qui tissent l’Histoire. La seconde examine le concept de « culture », et son recadrage autour de la notion de « race ». La pensée européenne des Lumières a préparé le terrain aux notions et pratiques sociales d’universalisme et de justice, et elle détermine nos outils moraux jusqu’à l’heure actuelle. La pensée européenne des Lumières a en même temps engendré le concept de race. De nos jours, nous devons nous définir par rapport à ce fondement ambivalent de la pensée (morale) : nous nous en remettons à un concept de raison (occidentale) qui permet à la science et à la société de classer et de trier. Et aussi d’exclure. Quelles sont les tâches qui incombent aux différents « joueurs », c’est-à-dire les politiques, les sociétés, les sciences et les religions ?
Créer des relations justes. Analyse de pratiques innovatrices, féministes et interculturelles dans le contexte canadien
Authors: Couture Denise
Published: October 2015

Dans un temps où l’on cherche à vivre autrement la différence, sans une dévaluation de « l’autre », cet article présente des résultats d’une recherche réalisée sur le terrain à Montréal (Québec, Canada) dans le cadre de laquelle on a écouté le récit autobiographique spirituel de femmes féministes engagées dans des pratiques interculturelles ou interreligieuses. La recherche se situe dans le contexte canadien et québécois où des féministes antiracistes de la base distinguent différents groupes géopolitiques entre lesquelles se jouent des relations inégalitaires et postcoloniales, dont les Autochtones, les personnes immigrantes, les Anglais et les Français. Sur le plan théorique, le travail s’inscrit dans le champ d’une théologie féministe interculturelle et multireligieuse. On a écouté les récits de femmes qui appartiennent à diverses traditions religieuses ou spirituelles. Quelles stratégies mettent-elles en oeuvre pour créer une justice relationnelle ? On a retenu quatre dimensions de leurs actions : la critique des hiérarchies pour instaurer l’égalité, un désapprentissage des propres préjugés, la construction d’une estime de soi qui intègre les histoires de souffrance de soi et des autres, et la force transformatrice du groupe d’affinité.
Les églises canadiennes se repentent de leur identification avec le colonialisme
Authors: Baum Gregory , Houle Jacques-André
Published: October 2015

Cet article explore une question fondamentale pour le contexte canadien, celle du rapport aux premiers peuples canadiens ou peuple fondateurs. Il rappelle que malgré sa rhétorique multiculturelle, le colonialisme, tel que sanctionné par les Nations Unies, est solidement établi au Canada, même si la culture dominante du pays l’ignore largement. Les conséquences culturelles du régime colonial ont été dévastatrices pour les peuples aborigènes du Canada. Historiquement enfermés dans leur réserves, souvent incapables de s’adonner à la chasse traditionnelle, les Premières Nations ont connu une détérioration de leur culture. Très récemment, pendant les années 1990, les Églises ont joint leurs voix au processus vital de réconciliation et l’on peut trouver une théologie implicite qui mérite d’être étudiée, parmi les multiples excuses et récits qu’elles ont élaborés.
The Influences of Event Centrality in Memory Models of PTSD
Authors: Fitzgerald Joseph M. , Berntsen Dorthe , Broadbridge Carissa L.
Published: October 2015

The consequences of events for well‐being are influenced by individual and situational factors that are often studied in isolation. In the research reported here, a large (N = 489) nonclinical sample of college students reported their most traumatic event, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depressive symptoms, personality traits, and characteristics of their event memory. This study achieved three major goals. First, we identified the highest types of stress event types in this population as disruptions of interpersonal relationships, homicides/assaults on others, and assaults/accidents involving themselves. Second, we established that the effects of memory characteristics such as vividness, belief, and impact on PTSD symptoms are mediated by the centrality of the event to identity. Third, we affirmed the hypothesis that a structural model of the influence of personality factors on PTSD symptoms has a higher level of concurrent validity if event centrality is included as a mediator of those influences. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Palladium‐Catalyzed Thioetherification of Quinolone Derivatives via Decarboxylative C−S Cross‐Couplings
Authors: Xia Chengcai , Wei Zhenjiang , Yang Yong , Yu Wenbo , Liao Hanxiao , Shen Chao , Zhang Pengfei
Published: October 2015

A highly efficient and practical procedure for palladium‐catalyzed direct thioetherification of quinolone derivatives with diaryl disulfides through decarboxylative C−S coupling has been established. The reaction could proceed smoothly under air in the presence of Pd(OAc)2 and Ag2CO3 in DMSO. This protocol provides an appealing alternative to existing approaches to construct aryl sulfides of quinolone derivatives, which may be used as key intermediates in the synthesis of drug candidates.
Characterization of antioxidant phenolics in Syringa vulgaris L. flowers and fruits by HPLC‐DAD‐ESI‐MS
Authors: Tóth Gergő , Barabás Csenge , Tóth Anita , Kéry Ágnes , Béni Szabolcs , Boldizsár Imre , Varga Erzsébet , Noszál Béla
Published: October 2015

In this study the polyphenolic composition of lilac flowers and fruits was determined for the first time. For the identification of compounds, accurate molecular masses and formulas, acquired by LC and ESI‐TOF‐MS and fragmentation pattern given by LC‐ESI/MS/MS analyses, were used. Our chromatographic system in conjunction with tandem MS was found to be valuable in the rapid separation and determination of the multiple constituents in methanolic extracts of lilac flowers and fruits. Altogether 34 phenolics, comprising 18 secoiridoids, seven phenylpropanoids, four flavonoids and five low‐molecular‐weight phenols, were identified. As marker compounds two secoiridoids (oleuropein and nuzhenide), two phenylpropanoids (acteoside and echinacoside) and rutin were quantified by validated methods. As a result of quantitative analysis, it was confirmed that flowers contain significant amounts of phenylpropanoids (acteoside, 2.48%; echinacoside, 0.75%) and oleuropein (0.95%), while in fruits secoiridoid oleuropein (1.09%) and nuzhenide (0.42%) are the major secondary metabolites. The radical scavenging activities of the extracts and the constituents were investigated by DPPH (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS [2,2′‐azino‐bis‐(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid)] assays. Both extracts show remarkable antioxidant activities. Our results clearly show that lilac flowers and fruits are inexpensive, readily available natural sources of phenolic compounds with pharmacological and cosmetic applications. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of a high‐performance liquid chromatography method for quantification of carbamazepine with chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay
Authors: Guerrero Garduño Óscar , González‐Esquivel Dinora F. , Escalante‐Membrillo Carmen , Fernández Ángeles , Rojas‐Tomé Irma Susana , Jung Cook Helgi , Castro Nelly
Published: October 2015

Carbamazepine is an antiepileptic drug widely used for the treatment of epilepsy. In the National Institute of Neurology, monitoring has been performed using the technique chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) in an automated way during the last five years. The aim of this study was to develop a simple and rapid HPLC analytical method coupled to DAD‐UV detection for the determination of plasma concentrations of carbamazepine and compare its feasibility with those used in routine analysis. The developed HPLC method was fully validated and the applicability of the proposed method was verified through the analysis of plasma samples of patients and later compared with the quantification of the same plasma samples with the CMIA method. The limit of quantification obtained was 0.5 μg/mL. The mean value for recovery was 99.05% and the coefficient of variation (CV) was 5.6%. The precision and accuracy of this method were within the acceptable limits; inter‐ and intraday CV values were <10%. The correlation between the CMIA method and the developed HPLC method was very good (r ≈ 0.999). A Bland–Altman plot showed no significant bias between the results. The HPLC‐DAD method may be an alternative to determine and monitoring the carbamazepine levels in human plasma or serum. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Outcomes of both abbreviated hyper‐CVAD induction followed by autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation and conventional chemotherapy for mantle cell lymphoma: a 10‐year single‐centre experience with literature review
Authors: Alwasaidi Turki Abdulaziz , Hamadah Abdulaziz , Altouri Sultan , Tay Jason , McDiarmid Sheryl , Faught Carolyn , Allan David , Huebsch Lothar , Bredeson Christopher , Bence‐Bruckler Isabelle
Published: October 2015

We retrospectively evaluated consecutive patients diagnosed with Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) between 01 January 2000 and 31 December 2009. Eighty eight patients with MCL were included in the analysis of whom 46 (52%) received abbreviated Hyper‐CVAD (a total of two cycles; with addition of Rituximab since 2005) with an intention of proceeding to autologous hematopoietic cell transplantation (auto‐HCT), with a median age of 58 years. Response rate to induction at auto‐HCT time was 89% and complete response was 61%. Forty four patients received an auto‐HCT with a 5‐year progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 31.2% and 62.5%, respectively. There were 42 nontransplant eligible patients with a median age of 72 years, and 5‐year PFS and OS were 0.0% and 39.9%, respectively. The median survival and PFS in the auto‐HCT eligible group were 68 and 33 months, compared to 32 and 12 months in nontransplant eligible group, without a plateauing of the survival curves in either group. Treatment‐related mortality in the auto‐HCT eligible group was 10.9% (n = 5); two patients died during R‐Hyper‐CVAD and 3 (6.8%) experienced transplant‐related mortality. An abbreviated R‐Hyper‐CVAD‐based induction strategy followed by consolidative auto‐HCT is feasible and provides moderate potential of long‐term survival. Further research to define risk‐adapted strategies; to optimize disease control, is required.
β‐Carotene Revisited by Transient Absorption and Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Quick Martin , Kasper Marc‐André , Richter Celin , Mahrwald Rainer , Dobryakov Alexander L. , Kovalenko Sergey A. , Ernsting Nikolaus P.
Published: October 2015

β‐Carotene in n‐hexane was examined by femtosecond transient absorption and stimulated Raman spectroscopy. Electronic change is separated from vibrational relaxation with the help of band integrals. Overlaid on the decay of S1 excited‐state absorption, a picosecond process is found that is absent when the C9‐methyl group is replaced by ethyl or isopropyl. It is attributed to reorganization on the S1 potential energy surface, involving dihedral angles between C6 and C9. In Raman studies, electronic states S2 or S1 were selected through resonance conditions. We observe a broad vibrational band at 1770 cm−1 in S2 already. With 200 fs it decays and transforms into the well‐known S1 Raman line for an asymmetric C=C stretching mode. Low‐frequency activity (<800 cm−1) in S2 and S1 is also seen. A dependence of solvent lines on solute dynamics implies intermolecular coupling between β‐carotene and nearby n‐hexane molecules.
Short‐term and long‐term effects of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitors in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with renal impairment: a meta‐analysis of randomized controlled trials
Authors: Li Ruifei , Wang Rui , Li Haixia , Sun Sihao , Zou Meijuan , Cheng Gang
Published: October 2015

To assess the short‐term and long‐term effects of dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 (DPP‐4) inhibitors in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with renal impairment, a meta‐analysis of randomized clinical trials of DPP‐4 inhibitor interventions in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with renal impairment was performed. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and ClinicalTrials.gov were searched through the end of March 2015. Randomized clinical trials were selected if (1) DPP‐4 inhibitors were compared with a placebo or other active‐comparators, (2) the treatment duration was ≥12 weeks and (3) data regarding changes in haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), changes in fasting plasma glucose or hypoglycaemia and other adverse events were reported. Of 790 studies, ten studies on eight randomized clinical trials were included. Compared with the control group, DPP‐4 inhibitors were associated with a greater HbA1c reduction in both the short‐term [mean differences (MD) = −0.45, 95% confidence intervals (−0.57, −0.33), p < 0.0001] and long‐term [MD = −0.33, 95% confidence intervals (−0.63, −0.03), p = 0.03] treatments. However, the long‐term greater reduction in HbA1c with DPP‐4 inhibitor treatment was only significant when the control treatment comprised placebo plus stable background treatment, but not glipizide plus stable background treatment. DPP‐4 inhibitors were associated with a greater fasting plasma glucose reduction [MD = −12.59, 95% confidence intervals (−22.01, −3.17), p = 0.009] over the short‐term; however, this effect was not present over the long‐term. Regarding the hypoglycaemia adverse events assessment, the long‐term treatment data indicated there was no increased risk of hypoglycaemia compared with placebo or active‐controlled anti‐diabetic drugs. The present meta‐analysis confirms that DPP‐4 inhibitors are effective and equivalent to other agents in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with renal impairment. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antioxidant treatment ameliorates experimental diabetes‐induced depressive‐like behaviour and reduces oxidative stress in brain and pancreas
Authors: Réus Gislaine Z. , dos Santos Maria Augusta B. , Abelaira Helena M. , Titus Stephanie E. , Carlessi Anelise S. , Matias Beatriz I. , Bruchchen Livia , Florentino Drielly , Vieira Andriele , Petronilho Fabricia , Ceretta Luciane B. , Zugno Alexandra I. , Quevedo João
Published: October 2015

Studies have shown a relationship between diabetes mellitus (DM) and the development of major depressive disorder. Alterations in oxidative stress are associated with the pathophysiology of both diabetes mellitus and major depressive disorder. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of antioxidants N‐acetylcysteine and deferoxamine on behaviour and oxidative stress parameters in diabetic rats. To this aim, after induction of diabetes by a single dose of alloxan, Wistar rats were treated with N‐acetylcysteine or deferoxamine for 14 days, and then depressive‐like behaviour was evaluated. Oxidative stress parameters were assessed in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala, nucleus accumbens and pancreas. Diabetic rats displayed depressive‐like behaviour, and treatment with N‐acetylcysteine reversed this alteration. Carbonyl protein levels were increased in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and pancreas of diabetic rats, and both N‐acetylcysteine and deferoxamine reversed these alterations. Lipid damage was increased in the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, amygdala and pancreas; however, treatment with N‐acetylcysteine or deferoxamine reversed lipid damage only in the hippocampus and pancreas. Superoxide dismutase activity was decreased in the amygdala, nucleus accumbens and pancreas of diabetic rats. In diabetic rats, there was a decrease in catalase enzyme activity in the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, nucleus accumbens and pancreas, but an increase in the hippocampus. Treatment with antioxidants did not have an effect on the activity of antioxidant enzymes. In conclusion, animal model of diabetes produced depressive‐like behaviour and oxidative stress in the brain and periphery. Treatment with antioxidants could be a viable alternative to treat behavioural and biochemical alterations induced by diabetes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluating the dual‐boundary forcing concept in subsurface–land surface interactions of the hydrological cycle
Authors: Rahman M. , Sulis M. , Kollet S. J.
Published: October 2015

Subsurface and land surface processes (e.g. groundwater flow, evapotranspiration) of the hydrological cycle are connected via complex feedback mechanisms, which are difficult to analyze and quantify. In this study, the dual‐boundary forcing concept that reveals space–time coherence between groundwater dynamics and land surface processes is evaluated. The underlying hypothesis is that a simplified representation of groundwater dynamics may alter the variability of land surface processes, which may eventually affect the prognostic capability of a numerical model. A coupled subsurface–land surface model ParFlow.CLM is applied over the Rur catchment, Germany, and the mass and energy fluxes of the coupled water and energy cycles are simulated over three consecutive years considering three different lower boundary conditions (dynamic, constant, and free‐drainage) based on groundwater dynamics to substantiate the aforementioned hypothesis. Continuous wavelet transform technique is applied to analyze scale‐dependent variability of the simulated mass and energy fluxes. The results show clear differences in temporal variability of latent heat flux simulated by the model configurations with different lower boundary conditions at monthly to multi‐month time scales (~32–91 days) especially under soil moisture limited conditions. The results also suggest that temporal variability of latent heat flux is affected at even smaller time scales (~1–3 days) if a simple gravity drainage lower boundary condition is considered in the coupled model. This study demonstrates the importance of a physically consistent representation of groundwater dynamics in a numerical model, which may be important to consider in local weather prediction models and water resources assessments, e.g. drought prediction. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Drawing on What We Do as Readers
Authors: Gilles Carol , Wang Yang , Johnson Danielle
Published: October 2015

The debate between content area and disciplinary literacy continues. Should content teachers adopt more general strategies, as often suggested by language arts teachers, or learn more discipline‐specific strategies? Neither choice positions content teachers as expert. In this inquiry, a team of middle school teachers uncovered their reading strategies in their disciplines and embedded the most useful ones in their classrooms. In this descriptive case study, field notes of team meetings, classroom observations, interviews of teachers and students, and student work samples were collected and analyzed. Results indicated that teachers were metacognitive and used both discipline‐specific and general strategies in their teaching. Learning was most powerful when the entire team collaborated to work on content connections and to give students specific ways to overcome confusion. Implications point to rethinking the divide between discipline‐specific and general strategies and promoting authentic collaboration of content area and language arts teachers.
Successful treatment of hepatic oligometastases with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy and radiofrequency ablation in an anaplastic lymphoma kinase fusion‐positive lung cancer patient
Authors: Weber Britta , Liu Mitchell , Sobkin Paul , Morris Stephan W. , Hout David , van der Westhuizen Nicholas , Tonseth R. Petter , Saltman David L.
Published: October 2015

Local ablative therapy with stereotactic ablative radiotherapy may improve survival in oncogene‐addicted lung cancer patients with extracranial oligometastatic disease treated with targeted therapies. There is limited data on the use of radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in this same setting. We present a case of an anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)‐positive lung cancer patient with hepatic oligometastatic progression who was successfully treated with both stereotactic ablative radiation and RFA while continuing with an ALK inhibitor.
Photo‐aligned photonic ferroelectric liquid crystal fibers
Authors: Budaszewski Daniel , Srivastava Abhishek K. , Woliński Tomasz R. , Chigrinov Vladimir G.
Published: October 2015

Preliminary studies of photonic crystal fibers (PCFs) partially infiltrated with photo‐aligned ferroelectric liquid crystals (FLCs) under the influence of external electric field are reported. The proper alignment of the FLC molecules is achieved by generating a photo‐aligning layer on the inner side of the PCF microcavities. The sulfonic azo dye, which is used as an alignment layer, offers a variable anchoring energy depending on the irradiation energy, and thus, a good control on the FLC alignment inside microchannels is possible. Moreover, a state of polarization of the light being guided inside the PCF infiltrated selectively with FLC changes under the influence of external electric field.
Arbitrary pretilt and azimuth angles generation by stacked photoalignment layers
Authors: Lee Chung‐Yung , Li Yuet‐Wing , Tseng Man‐Chun , Chigrinov Vladimir G. , Kwok Hoi‐Sing
Published: October 2015

We report a method of fabricating a nano‐sized stack alignment layer. The stacked alignment layer consists of nano‐domains of vertical and planar alignment materials. Experiments reveal that photoalignment thin film can undergo dewetting and form discrete nano‐sized domains. Such self‐organized structure creates a discontinuous layer stacked on top of a continuous layer and hence produces an inhomogeneous alignment surface. With two or more different principle alignment directions, this new alignment layer is capable of producing multiple pretilt and azimuth angle domains on a single substrate.