bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imaging amide proton transfer and nuclear overhauser enhancement using chemical exchange rotation transfer (CERT)
Authors: Zu Zhongliang , Xu Junzhong , Li Hua , Chekmenev Eduard Y. , Quarles C. Chad , Does Mark D. , Gore John C. , Gochberg Daniel F.
Published: December 2013

Purpose

This study investigates amide proton transfer (APT) and nuclear overhauser enhancement (NOE) in phantoms and 9L tumors in rat brains at 9.4 Tesla, using a recently developed method that can isolate different contributions to exchange.

Methods

Chemical exchange rotation transfer (CERT) was used to quantify APT and NOEs through subtraction of signals acquired at two irradiation flip angles, but with the same average irradiation power.

Results

CERT separates and quantifies specific APT and NOE signals without contamination from other proton pools, and thus overcomes a key shortcoming of conventional CEST asymmetry approaches. CERT thus has increased specificity, though at the cost of decreased signal strength. In vivo experiments show that the APT effect acquired with CERT in 9L rat tumors (3.1%) is relatively greater than that in normal tissue (2.5%), which is consistent with previous CEST asymmetry analysis. The NOE effect centered at −1.6 ppm shows substantial image contrast within the tumor and between the tumor and the surrounding tissue, while the NOE effect centered at −3.5 ppm shows little contrast.

Conclusion

CERT provides an image contrast that is more specific to chemical exchange than conventional APT by means of asymmetric CEST Z‐spectra analysis. Magn Reson Med 72:471–476, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Information theoretic ranking of four models of diffusion attenuation in fresh and fixed prostate tissue ex vivo
Authors: Bourne Roger M. , Panagiotaki Eleftheria , Bongers Andre , Sved Paul , Watson Geoffrey , Alexander Daniel C.
Published: December 2013

Purpose

To compare the theoretical information content of four popular models of diffusion‐weighted signal attenuation.

Method

Four whole prostates were imaged fresh unfixed and fixed at 9.4T. Biexponential, kurtosis, stretched exponential, and monoexponential models were ranked using Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) with validation by a leave‐one‐out test of model prediction error.

Results

For unfixed tissue measurements (b‐value range: 17–2104 s/mm2) the biexponential and kurtosis models had similar information content to each other and this was distinctly higher than for the stretched and monoexponential models. In fixed‐tissue measurements (b‐value range: 17–8252 s/mm2), the biexponential model had much higher information content than the three other models.

Conclusion

AIC‐based model ranking is consistent with an independent prediction accuracy test. Biexponential and kurtosis models consistently perform better than stretched and monoexponential models. The biexponential model has increasing superiority over all three other models as maximum b‐value increases above ∼2000 s/mm2. Magn Reson Med 72:1418–1426, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders and childhood cancer: A concise review of case reports and future research considerations
Authors: Burd Larry , Peterson Leah , Kobrinsky Nathan
Published: November 2013

We reviewed the published literature on the relationship between childhood cancer and fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). A Pub Med search identified 12 subjects with the co‐occurrence of FASD and cancer. We included an additional case from the author's institution. Neuroblastomas comprised 6 of the 13 (46%) case reports, yet neuroblastomas comprise only about 10% of childhood cancers (z = 4.1; P < 0.001). Other than rhabdomyosarcoma, no other cancer was reported more than once. Few cases of childhood cancer associated with FASD were identified likely due to under ascertainment of FASD. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014;61:768–770. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Treatment of two cases with refractory, metastatic intermediate‐risk neuroblastoma with isotretenoin alone or observation
Authors: Pinto Navin , Cipkala Douglas A. , Ladd Patricia E. , Pu Yonglin , Cohn Susan L.
Published: November 2013

Patients <12 months with favorable biology, metastatic neuroblastoma have >90% overall survival following treatment with chemotherapy and surgery. We report two infants with favorable biology, stage 4 neuroblastoma with refractory disease after standard intermediate‐risk chemotherapy and additional retrieval chemotherapy. One patient was treated with six additional cycles of isotretinoin and the other observed. Both remain clinically well with persistent disease but no evidence of tumor progression for 28 and 13 months following completion of cytotoxic treatment. Similar to residual tumor in primary sites, refractory metastatic disease may not portend a poor outcome in patients with favorable biology, intermediate‐risk neuroblastoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2014;61:1104–1106. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Sample Preparation for Liquid Chromatographic Analysis of Phytochemicals in Biological Fluids
Authors: Oh Ju‐Hee , Lee Young‐Joo
Published: December 2013

Introduction

Natural products have been used traditionally for the treatment and prevention of diseases for thousands of years and are nowadays consumed as dietary supplements and herbal medicine. To ensure the safe and effective use of these herbal products, information about bioavailability of active compounds in plasma or target tissues should be provided via validated analytical methods combined with appropriate sampling methods.

Objective

To provide comprehensive and abridged information about sample preparation methods for the quantification of phytochemicals in biological samples using liquid chromatography analysis.

Methods

Sample pre‐treatment procedures used in analytical methods for in vivo pharmacokinetic studies of natural compounds or herbal medicines were reviewed. These were categorised according to the biological matrices (plasma, bile, urine, faeces and tissues) and sample clean‐up processes (protein precipitation, liquid–liquid extraction and solid‐phase extraction).

Results

Although various kinds of sample pre‐treatment methods have been developed, liquid–liquid extraction is still widely used and solid‐phase extraction is becoming increasingly popular because of its efficiency for extensive clean up of complex matrix samples. However, protein precipitation is still favoured due to its simplicity.

Conclusion

Sample treatment for phytochemical analysis in biological fluids is an indispensable and critical step to obtain high quality results. This step could dominate the overall analytical process because both the duration of the process as well as the reliability of the data depend in large part on its efficiency. Thus, special attention should be given to the choice of a proper sample treatment method that targets analytes and their biomatrix. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reducing insulin prescription errors in hospital: more stick than carrot?
Authors: Hamilton P , Nation M , Penfold S , Kerr D , Richardson T
Published: December 2013

People with diabetes are more likely to be admitted to hospital and have longer stays in hospital than people without diabetes. Data from the National Diabetes Inpatient Audit suggest that people with diabetes experience avoidable prescription errors such as wrong insulin, incorrect doses and omitted doses. These errors result in increased length of stay and harm to the patient. Many of the errors occur due to deficiencies in knowledge.

Our aim was to reduce prescription errors and improve health care professionals' knowledge by introducing the following initiatives: (1) redesign of the diabetes prescription chart; and (2) implementing a root cause analysis prescription error pathway which involves a targeted approach to education for the individual who made the error.

Following introduction of the changes to the insulin prescription chart, data from our participation in the National Diabetes Inpatient Audit reported that prescription errors were reduced from 65% to 14% and management errors from 40% to 14% from 2009 to the beginning of 2012. The results of the internal audit during 2012–2013 demonstrated a further reduction in prescription/management errors to 2% following the introduction of the root cause analysis pathway.

The changes have demonstrated a significant reduction in prescription errors and an increased awareness of diabetes following the targeted approach to education. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons.
Effect of Aluminum Fiber Content on the Underwater Explosion Performance of RDX‐based Explosives
Authors: Lin Mou‐Jin , Ma Hong‐Hao , Shen Zhao‐Wu , Wan Xiao‐Zhi
Published: December 2013

In order to analyze the effect of aluminum fiber contents on the underwater explosion performance of RDX‐based explosives, the pressure‐time curves of composite explosives with different aluminum fiber contents are measured by underwater explosion experiments. Peak pressure, impulse, shock energy, and bubble energy were obtained by analyzing the curves. The results show that the peak pressures of composite explosives decrease with increasing aluminum fiber contents. The shock impulse of the 30 % aluminum fiber composite explosive is the highest in all composite explosives. The effects of the 20 % and 40 % composite explosives are nearly equal to that of the 30 % explosive, and the different values of shock impulse among them do not exceed 5 %. The specific shock energy of the 20 % aluminum fiber composite explosive is the highest in all composite explosives. The bubble energy and explosion energy of composite explosives increase with increasing aluminum fiber contents.
Global perspective of herbicide‐resistant weeds
Authors: Heap Ian
Published: December 2013

Two hundred and twenty weed species have evolved resistance to one or more herbicides, and there are now 404 unique cases (species × site of action) of herbicide‐resistant weeds globally. ALS inhibitor‐resistant weeds account for about a third of all cases (133/404) and are particularly troublesome in rice and cereals. Although 71 weed species have been identified with triazine resistance, their importance has dwindled with the shift towards Roundup Ready® crops in the USA and the reduction of triazine usage in Europe. Forty‐three grasses have evolved resistance to ACCase inhibitors, with the most serious cases being Avena spp., Lolium spp., Phalaris spp., Setaria spp. and Alopecurus myosuroides, infesting more than 25 million hectares of cereal production globally. Of the 24 weed species with glyphosate resistance, 16 have been found in Roundup Ready® cropping systems. Although Conyza canadensis is the most widespread glyphosate‐resistant weed, Amaranthus palmeri and Amaranthus tuberculartus are the two most economically important glyphosate‐resistant weeds because of the area they infest and the fact that these species have evolved resistance to numerous other herbicide sites of action, leaving growers with few herbicidal options for their control. The agricultural chemical industry has not brought any new herbicides with novel sites of action to market in over 30 years, making growers reliant on using existing herbicides in new ways. In addition, tougher registration and environmental regulations on herbicides have resulted in a loss of some herbicides, particularly in Europe. The lack of novel herbicide chemistries being brought to market combined with the rapid increase in multiple resistance in weeds threatens crop production worldwide. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Degradation of three benzonitrile herbicides by AminobacterMSH1 versus soil microbial communities: pathways and kinetics
Authors: Frková Zuzana , Badawi Nora , Johansen Anders , Schultz‐Jensen Nadja , Bester Kai , Sørensen Sebastian Reinhold , Karlson Ulrich Gosewinkel
Published: December 2013

BACKGROUND

The herbicide dichlobenil was banned in the European Union after its metabolite 2,6‐dichlorobenzamide (BAM) was encountered in groundwater. Owing to structural similarities, bromoxynil and ioxynil might be converted to persistent metabolites in a similar manner. To examine this, we used an indigenous soil bacterium Aminobacter sp. MSH1 which is capable of mineralizing dichlobenil via BAM and 2,6‐dichlorobenzoic acid (2,6‐DCBA).

RESULTS

Strain MSH1 converted bromoxynil and ioxynil to the corresponding aromatic metabolites, 3,5‐dibromo‐4‐hydroxybenzoic acid (BrAC) and 3,5‐diiodo‐4‐hydroxybenzoic acid (IAC) following Michaelis–Menten kinetics (adjusted R2 between 0.907 and 0.999). However, in contrast to 2,6‐DCBA, degradation of these metabolites was not detected in the pure‐culture studies, suggesting that they might pose an environmental risk if similar partial degradation occurred in soil. By contrast, experiments with natural soils indicated 20–30% mineralization of ioxynil and bromoxynil within the first week.

CONCLUSION

The degradation pathway of the three benzonitriles is initially driven by similar enzymes, after which more specific enzymes are responsible for further degradation. Ioxynil and bromoxynil mineralization in soil is not dependent on previous benzonitrile exposure. The accumulation of dead‐end metabolites, as seen for dichlobenil, is not a major problem. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Atomic layer deposition of functional films for Li‐ion microbatteries
Authors: Nilsen Ola , Miikkulainen Ville , Gandrud Knut B. , Østreng Erik , Ruud Amund , Fjellvåg Helmer
Published: December 2013

The lithium ion battery concept is a promising energy storage system, both for larger automotive systems and smaller mobile devices. The smallest of these, the microbatteries, are commonly based on the all‐solid state concept consisting of thin layers of electroactive materials separated by a solid state electrolyte. The fact that solid state electrolytes are required puts rather severe constraints on the materials in terms of electronic and ionic conductivity, as well as lack of pinholes otherwise leading to self‐discharge. The atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology is especially suitable for realization of such microbatteries for the Li‐ion technology. ALD has an inherent nature to deposit conformal and pinhole free layers on complex geometrical shapes, an architecture most commonly adopted for microbattery designs. The current paper gives an overview of ALD‐type deposition processes of functional battery materials, including cathodes, electrolytes, and anodes with the aim of developing all‐solid‐state batteries. Deposition of Li‐containing materials by the ALD technique appears challenging and the status of current efforts is discussed.
Surface passivation of crystalline silicon by sputter deposited hydrogenated amorphous silicon
Authors: Zhang Xinyu , Hargreaves Stuart , Wan Yimao , Cuevas Andres
Published: December 2013

This letter shows that intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a‐Si:H) films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering can provide outstanding passivation of crystalline silicon surfaces, similar to that achieved by plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD). By using a 2% hydrogen and 98% argon gas mixture as the plasma source, 1.5 Ω cm n‐type FZ silicon wafers coated with sputtered a‐Si:H films achieved an effective lifetime of 3.5 ms, comparable to the 3 ms achieved by PECVD (RF and microwave dual‐mode). This is despite the fact that Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy measurements show that sputtering and PECVD deposited films have very different chemical bonding configurations. We have found that film thickness and deposition temperature have a significant impact on the passivation results. Self‐annealing and hydrogen plasma treatment during deposition are likely driving forces for the observed changes in surface passivation. These experimental results open the way for the application of sputtered a‐Si:H to silicon heterojunction solar cells. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Imager‐assisted cloud detection for assimilation of Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer radiances
Authors: Eresmaa Reima
Published: November 2013

The operational assimilation of Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) radiances at the European Centre for Medium‐range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) relies primarily on the use of clear data, either in completely cloud‐free locations or restricting the assimilation to channels that are insensitive to underlying cloud. Prior to the data assimilation, cloud‐contaminated channels are identified and rejected in cloud detection, i.e. in a screening process based on observation minus background departure data. Background errors have the potential to confuse the cloud detection. On the one hand, a false alarm occurs when a background error is incorrectly interpreted as a cloud. On the other hand, cloud is missed if the background error compensates for the cloud radiative effect.

This article outlines a method to improve the cloud detection by making additional use of collocated imager data from the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). An independent cloud‐detection scheme, based only on the AVHRR data, is formulated and compared with the departure‐based scheme currently in operational use at ECMWF. The intercomparison reveals a considerable number of discrepancies, with only one of the two schemes suggesting the presence of cloud. Combining the two schemes results in an imager‐assisted scheme, where the AVHRR data are used to set an additional requirement before allowing an IASI field of view to be diagnosed completely clear of clouds. In data assimilation experiments, using the imager‐assisted scheme results in systematic lower tropospheric warming in the winter hemispheres, particularly over the Arctic sea ice. The modified cloud detection is shown to have a modestly positive impact on independent observation departure statistics and forecast scores.
Incomplete contingency tables with censored cells with application to estimating the number of people who inject drugs in Scotland
Authors: Overstall Antony M. , King Ruth , Bird Sheila M. , Hutchinson Sharon J. , Hay Gordon
Published: December 2013

Estimating the size of hidden or difficult to reach populations is often of interest for economic, sociological or public health reasons. In order to estimate such populations, administrative data lists are often collated to form multi‐list cross‐counts and displayed in the form of an incomplete contingency table. Log‐linear models are typically fitted to such data to obtain an estimate of the total population size by estimating the number of individuals not observed by any of the data‐sources. This approach has been taken to estimate the current number of people who inject drugs (PWID) in Scotland, with the Hepatitis C virus diagnosis database used as one of the data‐sources to identify PWID. However, the Hepatitis C virus diagnosis data‐source does not distinguish between current and former PWID, which, if ignored, will lead to overestimation of the total population size of current PWID. We extend the standard model‐fitting approach to allow for a data‐source, which contains a mixture of target and non‐target individuals (i.e. in this case, current and former PWID). We apply the proposed approach to data for PWID in Scotland in 2003, 2006 and 2009 and compare with the results from standard log‐linear models. © 2013 The Authors.Statistics in Medicinepublished by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
‘In case of emergency press here’: framing geoengineering as a response to dangerous climate change
Authors: Markusson Nils , Ginn Franklin , Singh Ghaleigh Navraj , Scott Vivian
Published: December 2013

Geoengineering, especially its potentially fast and high‐leverage versions, is often justified as a necessary response to possible future climate emergencies. In this article, we take the notion of ‘necessity’ in international law as a starting point in assessing how rapid, high‐leverage geoengineering might be justified legally. The need to specify reliably ‘grave and imminent peril’ makes such a justification difficult because our scientific ability to predict abrupt climate change, for example, as tipping elements, is limited. The time it takes to establish scientific consensus as well as policy acceptance restricts the scope for effective forewarning and so pre‐emptive justifications for geoengineering become more tempting. While recognizing that dangerous, large‐scale impacts of climate change is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid, the pre‐emptive, emergency frame is problematic. We suggest that arguments from emergency operate on a high level of uncertainty and tend toward hubristic attempts to shape the future, as well as tending to close down rather than open up space for deliberation. We conclude that the emergency frame is not likely to go away, that ignoring or repressing it is a dangerous response, and that more effort is required to defuse and disarm emergency rhetoric. WIREs Clim Change 2014, 5:281–290. doi: 10.1002/wcc.263

This article is categorized under:

Policy and Governance > Multilevel and Transnational Climate Change Governance

Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Climate Science and Decision Making
Persistence and management of spatially distributed populations
Authors: Hastings Alan
Published: December 2013

The management of populations that are distributed in space is an important problem, both for ensuring the persistence of threatened populations and for the eradication or prevention of spread of invasive species. I provide an overview of conditions for persistence which underlie management in both scenarios. The idea that persistence essentially depends on two aspects, local dynamics and connectivity, provides a way to organize management approaches and leads to rules of thumb for management. This can guide management or suggest what additional information would be needed. Examples from a variety of systems and taxa illustrate the results.
Bevacizumab and fotemustine for recurrent glioblastoma: a phase II study of AINO (Italian Association of Neuro-Oncology)
Authors: Soffietti Riccardo , Trevisan Elisa , Bertero Luca , Cassoni Paola , Morra Isabella , Fabrini Maria Grazia , Pasqualetti Francesco , Lolli Ivan , Castiglione Anna , Ciccone Giovannino , Rudà Roberta
Published: November 2013

The optimal combination of bevacizumab with cytotoxic or cytostatic drugs in recurrent glioblastoma is unknown. We performed a phase 2 trial of combined bevacizumab and fotemustine for patients with glioblastoma at first relapse after radiotherapy and temozolomide. The primary endpoint was 6-month progression-free survival (PFS), while secondary endpoints were overall survival (OS), response rate based on RANO criteria and toxicity. Fifty-four patients with recurrent GBM were enrolled. The authors observed a 6-month PFS rate of 42.6 % (95 % CI 29.3–55.2) and a median PFS of 5.2 months (95 % CI 3.8–6.6). The median OS was 9.1 months (95 % CI 7.3–10.3). Twenty-eight patients (52 %) had a radiographic response, and a significant neurological improvement with steroid reduction was observed in 25/42 symptomatic patients (60 %). MGMT promoter methylation was significantly associated with improved PFS in univariate analysis. Most unifocal tumors at baseline had a focal enhancing progression (76 %), while the diffuse non-enhancing progression accounted for 9.5 %. Response or survival were not associated with any pattern of progression. Survival after failure of treatment was short. Twelve out of 54 patients (22 %) discontinued fotemustine for grade 3/4 myelotoxicity, while 4/54 (7.4 %) discontinued bevacizumab. This study failed to demonstrate a superiority of the combination of bevacizumab and fotemustine over either bevacizumab or fotemustine alone as historical controls. Future studies should explore alternative regimens of combination of the two drugs.
A Penalty Approach to Differential Item Functioning in Rasch Models
Authors: Tutz Gerhard , Schauberger Gunther
Published: December 2013

A new diagnostic tool for the identification of differential item functioning (DIF) is proposed. Classical approaches to DIF allow to consider only few subpopulations like ethnic groups when investigating if the solution of items depends on the membership to a subpopulation. We propose an explicit model for differential item functioning that includes a set of variables, containing metric as well as categorical components, as potential candidates for inducing DIF. The ability to include a set of covariates entails that the model contains a large number of parameters. Regularized estimators, in particular penalized maximum likelihood estimators, are used to solve the estimation problem and to identify the items that induce DIF. It is shown that the method is able to detect items with DIF. Simulations and two applications demonstrate the applicability of the method.
Hierarchical Approximate Bayesian Computation
Authors: Turner Brandon M. , Van Zandt Trisha
Published: December 2013

Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) is a powerful technique for estimating the posterior distribution of a model’s parameters. It is especially important when the model to be fit has no explicit likelihood function, which happens for computational (or simulation-based) models such as those that are popular in cognitive neuroscience and other areas in psychology. However, ABC is usually applied only to models with few parameters. Extending ABC to hierarchical models has been difficult because high-dimensional hierarchical models add computational complexity that conventional ABC cannot accommodate. In this paper, we summarize some current approaches for performing hierarchical ABC and introduce a new algorithm called Gibbs ABC. This new algorithm incorporates well-known Bayesian techniques to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the ABC approach for estimation of hierarchical models. We then use the Gibbs ABC algorithm to estimate the parameters of two models of signal detection, one with and one without a tractable likelihood function.
Cubitus Valgus and Tardy Ulnar Nerve Palsy Due to an Intracapsular Ulnar Nerve
Authors: Sharma Manish S. , Skinner John A. , Spinner Robert J.
Published: December 2013

Background

We describe a patient with tardy ulnar neuropathy and cubitus valgus deformity found to have an intracapsular ulnar nerve.

Methods

An 89-year-old woman presented with severe neuropathic pain in the ulnar digits of the hand, advanced degenerative arthritis of the elbow, and tardy ulnar nerve palsy. Her pain was exacerbated with elbow movement, particularly flexion. She had paralysis of ulnar nerve innervated muscles, hypersensitivity with absence of two-point discrimination in her ulnar 1–1/2 digits, and a fixed ulnar claw deformity. She also had a grossly unstable elbow.

Results

Plain films revealed a cubitus valgus deformity (38°), an absent radial head, a dislocated proximal radioulnar joint and advanced arthritic changes. Ultrasonography revealed an indistinct ulnar nerve within the cubital tunnel which penetrated the joint. Electrophysiological studies revealed evidence of a severe ulnar neuropathy at the level of the elbow. Intraoperatively, an attenuated 2 cm length of the retrocondylar ulnar nerve was observed to be incorporated into the joint capsule tethered by a fibrous/synovial band which was released. A large effusion was drained. The ulnar nerve was transposed subcutaneously. The capsular rent was repaired in layers. She noted immediate and sustained (2 year follow-up) pain relief and regained moderate function in her interossei.

Conclusions

We believe that the chronic cubitus valgus deformity and secondary degenerative elbow joint changes led to an altered course of the nerve and attenuation of the medial joint capsule such that the ulnar nerve spontaneously buttonholed itself intra-articularly.
Synthesis, Characterization and Effect of a Solvent Mixture on the CMC of a Thio‐Based Novel Cationic Surfactant Using a UV–Visible Spectroscopic Technique
Authors: Ullah Imdad , Ahmad Khurshid , Shah Afzal , Badshah Amin , Ali Rana Usman , Shakir Imran , Zia‐ur‐Rehman  , Khan Shahan Zeb
Published: November 2013

A novel thio‐based cationic surfactant has been synthesized by a new method. It was characterized by different techniques such as NMR, FTIR and its critical micelle concentration was determined by a UV–Visible spectroscopic technique. It is soluble in polar solvents like ethanol and partially soluble in water due to its thio‐based functionality. The detailed study of the compound 4‐chloro‐N‐((dodecanoyl(ethyl)ammonio)carbonothioyl)‐N‐ethylbenzenaminium bromide (4CDTB) was done using a UV–Visible spectrophotometric technique. The effect of solvent mixtures of different ratios was investigated. On the basis of solvent–solvent interaction the compound showed different results. The critical micelle concentration varied with solvent mixture ratios. The CMC of 4CDTB decreased as the ratio of water increased in the mixture of the ethanol–water system. The decrease in critical micelle concentration with the solvent mixture ratio has been discussed on the basis of solvent properties, structures, and their hydrophilic and hydrophobic interactions.
Acid Value, Polar Compounds and Polymers as Determinants of the Efficient Conversion of Waste Frying Oils to Biodiesel
Authors: Vieitez Ignacio , Callejas Nicolas , Irigaray Bruno , Pinchak Yenny , Merlinski Natalie , Jachmanián Iván , Grompone Maria A.
Published: November 2013

The cost of starting materials for the production of biodiesel is typically 75 % of the final retail price. Oils previously used for frying, waste frying oils (WFO), are a very suitable resource. Repetitive use of oil for frying foods involves high temperature, moisture and aeration for extended periods. The most important deterioration processes triggered by these conditions are hydrolysis and oxidation. In this study, 24 WFO samples of different origins were analyzed and classified as potential starting materials for biodiesel production using three quality parameters representing the main factors that affect the conversion of WFO. These parameters were: acid value, content of polar compounds and content of polymers, which varied in the ranges from 0.2 to 7.6, 14.9 to 43.2 and 0.9 to 15.2 %, respectively. Ester content obtained using conventional transesterification (TE) for WFO conversion decreased with increased levels of WFO deterioration determined by any of the three parameters noted above. TE products obtained had ester content between 81.4 and 95.7 %. Total ester content of a WFO sample with relatively low %AV could be increased to 96.5 % using a two‐stage base catalysis TE. Finally, conversion of WFO samples resulted in ester contents of 89.0 and 91.3 %, respectively, when transesterified by conventional TE. After blending up to 10 % with refined oil, the ester content achieved was near 96.5 %. Thus, the blending represents an alternative for obtaining a product with suitable ester content.
Young people, social media and engagement
Authors: Vesnic-Alujevic Lucia
Published: December 2013

After the initial wave of optimism about the role of the Internet in societal and social changes, many scholars are gradually becoming less positive in their appraisals. Popular discussion, however, is still firmly optimistic and gives a great deal of attention to this issue. Some even consider social media a deus ex machina that will resolve the majority of contemporary societal problems. This paper reconsiders the role of the Internet in citizens’ lives, with a special focus on young people and their use of the Internet in political communication.
The Culture of Entrepreneurship: Creating Your Own Job
Authors: Gerosa Andrea , Tirapani Alessandro Niccolò
Published: December 2013

It is time that Europe took another look at entrepreneurs, as it did between the First Industrial Revolution and the Second World War, and enabled them to help solve our problems and to make our society better. When it comes to entrepreneurship, however, the problem with Europe is not only the lack of early-stage entrepreneurs, but also the lack of growth among start-up companies. In the quest for new ways to tackle the big issues, entrepreneurship-friendly policies are an almost-zero-cost path that may reinvigorate the stagnant economic system without increasing deficits. ThinkYoung highlights three main problems with tackling youth unemployment through higher rates of entrepreneurship: the lack of entrepreneurship education, the imperfect and incomplete single market, and the stigma of failure. We are in the midst of the Third Industrial Revolution: Europe can decide to embrace it, be open and focus on its competitive advantage in order to provide a future for its youth, or it can decide to do nothing and be left behind.
Emotional Connections to Objects as Shown through Collecting Behaviour: The Role of Ardour
Authors: Zonneveld Lydia , Biggemann Sergio
Published: December 2013

Above and beyond the casual relationships that are present with everyday consumption, collected objects that are consciously and purposely chosen indicate that a relationship exists between individuals and the objects. Drawing on in-depth interviews conducted with collectors who share a strong interest in what could be considered, in a monetary sense, low value objects, this research finds that culture and its presence in society play a strong role on influencing collecting decisions and can determine what objects hold more meaning than others.

Compared to a framework consisting of four retro-branding constructs of allegory (brand story), aura (brand essence), arcadia (idealised community), and antinomy (brand paradox) ( Brown et al., 2003 ), data reveal that an additional construct, which is termed ardour, could be added. Ardour greater construes the passion and enthusiasm that collectors feel for a brand, principally because of its relation to their own country, through the symbolism of the designs, and essentially the brand's ethos.
Reprint of: Mapping connectivity in the developing brain
Authors: Dennis Emily L. , Thompson Paul M.
Published: December 2013

Recently, there has been a wealth of research into structural and functional brain connectivity, and how they change over development. While we are far from a complete understanding, these studies have yielded important insights into human brain development. There is an ever growing variety of methods for assessing connectivity, each with its own advantages. Here we review research on the development of structural and/or functional brain connectivity in both typically developing subjects and subjects with neurodevelopmental disorders. Space limitations preclude an exhaustive review of brain connectivity across all developmental disorders, so we review a representative selection of recent findings on brain connectivity in autism, Fragile X, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, Williams syndrome, Turner syndrome, and ADHD. Major strides have been made in understanding the developmental trajectory of the human connectome, offering insight into characteristic features of brain development and biological processes involved in developmental brain disorders. We also discuss some common themes, including hemispheric specialization – or asymmetry – and sex differences. We conclude by discussing some promising future directions in connectomics, including the merger of imaging and genetics, and a deeper investigation of the relationships between structural and functional connectivity.
Vein Measurement by Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter Nurses Using Ultrasound: A Reliability Study
Authors: Sharp Rebecca , Gordon Andrea , Mikocka-Walus Antonina , Childs Jessie , Grech Carol , Cummings Melita , Esterman Adrian
Published: November 2013

Background: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are increasingly inserted by trained registered nurses, necessitating the development of specialized skills such as the use of ultrasound. The selection of an adequately sized vein is an important factor in reducing adverse events such as deep vein thrombosis. However, PICC nurses may receive minimal training in the use of ultrasound for vein measurement.

Objective: We aimed to demonstrate the reliability of a vein measurement protocol using ultrasound by a PICC nurse trained in sonography.

Methods: The diameter of the basilic, brachial, and cephalic veins in the left arms of healthy participants (n =12) were measured using ultrasound by a PICC nurse and a sonographer. A PICC nurse performed the measurement twice and the sonographer once; the PICC nurse's results were compared for intra-rater reliability and compared with the sonographer for inter-rater reliability. The results were analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs).

Results: Inter-rater reliability between the PICC nurse and the sonographer was adequate, the ICC for the brachial vein was 0.60 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.06–0.87), basilic vein ICC was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.58–0.96) and cephalic vein ICC was 0.77 (95% CI, 0.39–0.93). Intra-rater reliability of the PICC nurse was higher; the ICC for the brachial vein was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.44–0.94), basilic vein ICC was 0.92 (95% CI, 0.67–0.98), and cephalic vein ICC was 0.78 (95% CI, 0.40–0.93).

Conclusions: Using a suitable protocol, a PICC nurse was able to measure vein diameter reliably when compared with a sonographer and consistently replicate these results.
Causes of Accidents in Terrain Parks: An Exploratory Factor Analysis of Recreational Freestylers’ Views
Authors: Carús Luis
Published: December 2013

Objective

This study examines ski and snowboard terrain park users’ views on aspects associated with accidents by identifying and assessing variables that may influence the occurrence of accidents and the resulting injuries.

Methods

The research was conducted in a major resort in the Spanish Pyrenees, using information gathered from freestyle skiers and snowboarders aged 6 or older. To identify interrelationships among variables and to group the variables belonging to unified concepts, an exploratory factor analysis was performed using varimax rotation.

Results

The results revealed 5 factors that grouped the measured variables that may influence the occurrence of accidents while freestyling in terrain parks. The park features, conditions of the activity, and the user’s personal conditions were found to have the most substantial influence on the freestylers’ perceptions.

Conclusions

Variables identified as components of the main factors of accident risk in terrain parks should be incorporated into resort management communication and policies.
The Reinvention of Tradition: Form, Meaning, and Local Identity in Modern Cologne Carnival
Authors: DeWaal Jeremy
Published: December 2013

Over the past few decades, a flood of historical scholarship has been spawned by the groundbreaking works of Eric Hobsbawm, Terence Ranger, and others who have illustrated how a host of traditions were creations invented in the recent past to inform modern identities. The rituals of the British monarchy, the trappings of Scottish Highland culture, and many other traditions were revealed to have anything but ancient origins. Examination of such inventions, Hobsbawm argued, provided, among other things, a means to observe broader historical shifts. The intention of this article is not to illustrate another example of a tradition invented in the recent past. Rather, it seeks to examine how longer-standing traditions have been subject to related processes ofreinvention. Some recent work, even if not written to theorize on reinvention, could be read through such a lens. Work in memory studies, for example, has shown how broad notions of national, regional, or local “tradition” could be reshaped based on how and which historical events were remembered. Works on “sites of memory” have similarly shown how conceptions of traditional objects and places can shift due to the fluctuation of memories attached to them. Beyond memory studies, scholars of theological traditions, often confronted with themes of universal truth and intergenerational change, have also produced works that could be viewed through the prism of reinvention. Kurt Schori demonstrates, for example, how the transmission of theological tradition through the written word could lead to submerged reformulation as different generations constructed linguistic meanings according to temporally specific circumstances. While such work could be read through the lens of reinvention, I would argue that more explicit consideration of the dynamics of reinvention is needed both to expand our knowledge of such processes and to develop theoretical models that characterize its diverse occurrences. I would also suggest, as Hobsbawm does with invented traditions, that examination of reinvention provides a means to lay bare symptoms of broader historical shifts.
Ernst Keil vs. Prussia: Censorship and Compromise in theAmazonAffair
Authors: Richards Chase
Published: December 2013

Recent scholarship has cautioned us that censorship does not require a censor, nor can it be described merely as the repression of information by power. Censorship can be discursively productive, and historically it has worn many guises. This article treats a case in which state censorship practices were unstable, their execution uncertain, and their target cunning, if ultimately open to compromise. Sparked by an antiaristocratic short story in Ernst Keil'sGartenlaube(arbor, bower), the most widely read German periodical of the era, theAmazonaffair involved not only its namesake ship—the Prussian S.M.S.Amazon(Amazone), a wooden corvette that sank in a storm off the coast of Holland in 1861—but an extraordinary confrontation between the conservative Prussian state and the liberal popular press. From the misstep of a weekly family magazine arose a multiyear press ban and a struggle over liberal-democratic public opinion in Germany. If no clear winner emerged from theAmazonaffair, the episode nonetheless speaks to the malleability of German political culture at a moment of profound transition, as well as to the ability of the state to shape it.
The Science of History, Inaugural Address
Authors: Zerffi Gustavus George
Published: December 2013

Six years ago I had the pleasure of reading a paper “On the Possibility of a strictly Scientific Treatment of Universal History,” and that which was at that time a mere aiggestion, has since become a firm conviction, based on indefatigable study, and the collection of innumerable facts.

When called upon at the first meeting of the Council of the Royal Historical Society this session, to read an inaugural paper before the Fellows, I thought I could not do better than bring this conviction before you, so as, if possible, to make it your own.
Presidential Address
Authors: Cunningham Ven. W.
Published: December 2013

Besides the programme of. interesting works which we hope to issue to our members as part of the Camden Society Publications, there are two undertakings that specially concern this Society, when we look forward to coming years: the great Bibliography which has been carefully planned and which we hope to carry through by the co-operation of English and American scholars, and the International Historical Congress, which will take place in a: little more than two years' time in London. At the last; Congress in Berlin this Society was represented, and an invitation was given by the British Academy to the members to meet in London in four years' time, and we must as a society do our best to see that the gathering is rendered as successful as possible.
Side-Lights upon the Assessment and Collection of the Mediæval Subsidies
Authors: Willard James F.
Published: December 2013

One of the most striking phenomena of the financial history of the thirteenth century was the introduction and the rapid increase in use of the principle of national direct taxation of personal property. In the first half of that century the successor of the danegeld, the carucage, was dropped from the financial system; scutages as well as the other feudal dues were proving to be difficult to collect; and it remained to develop new methods of raising a revenue. The new principle of direct taxation of personal property was shown to be both workable and remunerative during the reign of Henry III, and it was seized upon with avidity by Edward I during the financial strain caused by his wars with Wales and France. During the fourteenth century the lay subsidies, as such taxes may be called, were levied frequently whenever there was a special need.
Presidential Address
Authors: Hunt William
Published: December 2013

It is pleasant to be able to record that the year which has passed since our last anniversary meeting has seen our Society make satisfactory progress in all respects. Our numbers have increased. Our losses by death have been nine, and by resignation nine, and four names have been removed from our roll for non-payment of subscription. On the other hand, forty-two new Fellows have been elected, among them some whom we have special reason to welcome, so that we have a net increase in subscribing and life Fellows of twenty, a far larger number than usual. We must, each one of us, do our best to keep up this rate of increase, remembering always the responsibility resting on the proposer and seconder of a candidate not to lay before the Council the name of anyone who will not be a credit to the Society. Our list of subscribing Libraries, British, colonial, and foreign, shows a net increase of eight, and a total of about 200. This we owe to the energy and influence of our Hon. Treasurer, though we certainly give Libraries a generous return for their subscriptions. We have to thank Mr. Tedder also for his skilful management of our finances, which, as you may see by the Report of the Council, are in a healthy condition. The average attendance at our meetings has been good; our Library has received munificent gifts, and our publications have been issued with even more than usual promptitude. We are much indebted to our Director and to our Hon. Secretary for the time and labour which they—both of them busy men—devote to the furtherance of our interests.
An Insular fragment of Bede's Historia ecclesiastica
Authors: Sparks Nicholas A.
Published: December 2013

What remains of a single fragmentary folio, consisting of a vision from Bede's Historia ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum, is discussed from the palaeographical and philological points of view. The writing of the fragment is placed within the context of Insular books written on the Continent, probably Werden, in the first half of the ninth century. Visual identification of script is made with another contemporary half-leaf. The three fragments are regarded as débris of a book of excerpts gathered from various writers. The formation of the collection as a whole is considered as reaching back behind the extant fragments to a lost eighth-century Insular source.
Discretio spirituum and The Whale
Authors: DeAngelo Jeremy
Published: December 2013

This piece identifies an extension to the lesson of the Exeter Book poem The Whale. The work not only admonishes its audience to guard against temptation masquerading as virtue, but also indicates how one may go about doing so. The selection of the whale as a subject places the poem within an extensive biblical and patristic tradition concerning sea creatures that was well represented in Anglo-Saxon England. Specifically, the allusions present in The Whale identify discretio spirituum as the essential skill needed to avoid disguised temptation, and point to Pride as the weakness most capable of leading Christians astray.