bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determinants of Target Costing Adoption: A Research Note
Authors: Navissi Farshid , Sridharan VG
Published: June 2016

The objective of this paper is to advance the theory relating to the determinants of target costing (TC) system adoption by firms. Although the existing literature identifies several factors, it mainly clarifies the circumstances under which TC adoption will add firm value, which refers to a benefit orientation. This paper uses Miles and Snow's (1978) strategy typology to examine the cost orientation of TC adoption, which answers the question as to why firms do not adopt TC even when the existing literature alludes to the benefits of adoption. The paper argues that prospector managers possess the scope to take advantage of the high information asymmetry to avoid TC adoption, because their stock-based compensation increases with volatility in earnings and stock returns. In contrast, defender managers gain increased cash-based compensation with the adoption of TC, which helps achieve greater firm profits. The paper concludes with specific sources of agency problems and several avenues for future research.
Structural properties of Sn-doped CdTe thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition using powder as target
Authors: Quiñones-Galván J. G. , Guillén-Cervantes A. , Campos-González E. , Santos-Cruz J. , Mayén-Hernández S. A. , Olvera M. de la L. , Zelaya-Angel O. , Contreras-Puente G. , de Moure-Flores F.
Published: June 2016

Undoped and Sn-doped CdTe thin films were grown by a pulsed laser deposition on glass substrates at 300 °C using a powder as target. CdTe films were grown using CdTe and Sn powders, varying the tin concentration in the range of 1–7 wt. %. The structural properties were analyzed as a function of the Sn amount in the target. The x-ray diffraction shows that the undoped CdTe film has a cubic phase, while Sn-doped CdTe films have a mixture of cubic and hexagonal phases. The compositional analysis showed that the undoped CdTe film has Te excess, while Sn-doped CdTe films have Te deficiencies.
Investigating the Role of Instructional Rounds in the Development of Social Networks and District-Wide Improvement
Authors: Hatch Thomas , Hill Kathryn , Roegman Rachel
Published: June 2016

In this article, we explore how organizational routines involving instructional rounds—collective, structured observations and reflections on classroom practice—might contribute to the development of social networks among administrators and support a common, district-wide focus on instruction. Building on work on communities of practice, we consider some of the mechanisms through which rounds might contribute to the development of the relationships, common language, and shared understanding integral to building social capital. Our analysis focuses on the evolution of social networks among administrators in three districts. While this initial analysis does not find a consistent association between engagement in rounds and the development of social networks that have the characteristics of communities of practice, it points to several key factors that need to be taken into account in order to use rounds strategically to support the development of connections among administrators who may not normally come into contact with one another.
Association between Body Composition and Sport Injury in Canadian Adolescents
Authors: Ezzat Allison M. , Schneeberg Amy , Koehoorn Mieke , Emery Carolyn A.
Published: June 2016

Purpose: To examine the association between overweight or obesity and sport injury in a population-based sample of Canadian adolescents. Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were performed using the Canadian Community Health Survey (2009–2010), a nationally representative sample (n=12,407) of adolescents aged 12–19 years. Body composition was quantified using BMI, grouping participants into healthy weight, overweight, or obese. The outcome of interest was acute or repetitive strain injury sustained during sport in the previous year. We examined the relationship between sport injury and overweight or obesity compared with healthy weight using multivariate logistic regression, controlling for sex, ethnicity, physical activity, and socio-economic status. We also examined the interaction between physical activity and body composition in a secondary analysis with a subset of active adolescents. Results: No significant relationship was found between being overweight and sport injury (odds ratio [OR]=1.04, 95% CI: 0.92, 1.17); however, a protective effect was seen between obesity and sport injury (OR=0.67, 95% CI: 0.53, 0.84). Secondary analysis revealed that overweight youths with the highest activity level (quartile 4) did have increased odds of sport injury (OR=1.38, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.83), yet obese youths with a moderate activity level (quartile 2) were protected compared with healthy-weight youths (OR=0.46, 95% CI: 0.24, 0.91). Conclusions: Further examination of active adolescents is warranted. Studies should consider sport-specific differences and comprehensive measurement of exposure to sport.
An experimental investigation on dynamics and heat transfer associated with a single droplet impacting on a hot surface above the Leidenfrost point temperature
Authors: Park J. , Kim H.
Published: June 2016

During large loss-of-coolant accidents in nuclear reactors, water splatters as the quench front propagates at the quenching surface, and many droplets of different sizes and velocities are generated and carried with the steam in the cooling channel. Heat transfer due to droplets striking an overheated fuel rod above the Leidenfrost point temperature is important for predicting the peak cladding temperature. This study investigated the dynamics and heat transfer characteristics when a single droplet at room temperature collided with a surface at 425 °C experimentally, using synchronized high-speed video and infrared cameras. Various physical parameters related to heat transfer model development were measured, including the residence time, spreading diameter, local heat flux distribution, effective heat transfer area, average vapor film thickness, and total heat transfer per collision. The measured data were compared with the values of the physical parameters predicted by existing mechanistic models.
The effect of spacer grid critical component on pressure drop under both single and two phase flow conditions
Authors: Han B. , Yang B.-W. , Zhang H. , Mao H. , Zha Y.
Published: June 2016

As pressure drop is one of the most critical thermal hydraulic parameters for spacer grids the accurate estimation of it is the key to the design and development of spacer grids. Most of the available correlations for pressure drop do not contain any real geometrical parameters that characterize the grid effect. The main functions for spacer grid are structural support and flow mixing. Once the boundary sublayer near the rod bundle is disturbed, the liquid forms swirls or flow separation that affect pressure drop. However, under two phase flow conditions, due to the existence of steam bubble, the complexity for spacer grid are multiplied and pressure drop calculation becomes much more challenging. The influence of the dimple location, distance of mixing vane to the nearest strip, and the effect of inter-subchannel mixing among neighboring subchannels on pressure drop and downstream flow fields are analyzed in this paper. Based on this study, more detailed space grid geometry parameters are recommended for adding into the correlation when predicting pressure drop.
Synthesis, Anticancer Activity and Cytotoxicity of Novel Double Schiff-Base Condensed α,β-Unsaturated Keto Derivatives
Authors: Chen Qin , Hou Yun , Hou Guige , Li Ning , Cong Wei , Zhao Feng , Li Hongjuan , Wang Chunhua , Sun Jufeng
Published: June 2016

Five double Schiff-base condensed α,β-unsaturated keto derivatives, as curcumin analogues, were synthesised in three steps. Cyclohexanone, or N-methyl-4-pyridone, and 3-nitrobenzaldehyde (2 equiv.) were subjected to Claisen-Schmidt condensation under acid conditions to yield tricyclic dinitro compounds which were reduced to the corresponding diamines and then derivatised at their amino groups with 1-aryl(alkyl)-butan-1,3-diones (MeCOCH2COR). Anticancer activities of the five compounds against four human carcinoma cell lines and their cytotoxicities for LO2 cell lines were evaluated by the MTT method. All compounds showed moderate anticancer activity and low cytotoxicity. The single N-methyl-4-piperidinone-derived compound that was synthesised displayed the highest anticancer activity toward THP-1 and the lowest cytotoxicity.
A Novel Strategy for the Synthesis of Bromo-Substituted Cholestenone and its New Application to a Synthesis of 1α-Hydroxycholesterol
Authors: Sun Bin , Jin Can , Su Weike
Published: June 2016

A novel and efficient method was developed for the preparation of bromo-substituted cholestenone, including 6β-bromocholestenone and 2 α,6 β-dibromocholestenone. The key step in this synthesis is a very mild method for the transformation of 5 α,6 β-dibromocholesterol into the 6 β-bromocholestenone by treatment with NaClO/NaBr/TEMPO, followed by dehydro-bromination with Et3N. Bromination at C-2 with NBS/BPO (benzoyl peroxide) gave the 2 α,6 β-dibromo cholestenone. This was used in a synthesis of 1 α-hydroxycholesterol.
Investigation on Palladium-Catalysed α-Oxidation of Aromatic Ketones
Authors: Chen Tianbao , Ren Hexiang , Zhang Ming , Zhang Ai Qin
Published: June 2016

A variety of 2-(2-methylphenyl)-2-oxoethyl acetates were prepared from aromatic ketones by α-oxidation in acetic acid, using palladium acetate as catalyst and (diacetoxyiodo)benzene as oxidant. The X-ray crystal structure of 5-acetyl-2-hydroxy-4-methylphenyl acetate was determined.
Red raspberries can improve motor function in aged rats
Authors: Galli Rachel L. , Carey Amanda N. , Luskin Katharine A. , Bielinski Donna F. , Shukitt-Hale Barbara
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND: Many foods rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds have been shown to increase health and reduce markers of aging. A number of berry fruits high in polyphenols are known to ameliorate age-related declines in cellular, cognitive and behavioral function in rats.

OBJECTIVES: This study evaluated the effectiveness of a red raspberry-supplemented diet on age-sensitive measures of learning, memory and motor performance in aged (19 mo) F344 rats.

METHODS: Red raspberry extract was prepared from fresh whole fruit and incorporated in standard rodent chow to create a 2% diet. Following ten weeks on a control or 2% raspberry diet, cognitive and motor performance was assessed using the Morris Water Maze (MWM) and a battery of five psychomotor tasks.

RESULTS: The supplemented diet significantly improved performance on three of the five motor tasks, but did not affect MWM performance. Specifically, old rats fed the 2% raspberry diet had significantly better performance on the rod and plank walks, which measure psychomotor coordination and balance, and on the inclined screen, which measures muscle tone, strength, stamina and balance.

CONCLUSIONS: Given that falls are the number one health hazard for otherwise healthy older adults, these results may have important implications for increasing healthy aging.
The in vitro evaluation of isolated procyanidins as modulators of cytokine-induced eotaxin production in human alveolar epithelial cells
Authors: Coleman Sara L. , Hurst Roger D. , Sawyer Gregory M. , Kruger Marlena C.
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND: Populations that consume procyanidin-rich diets are less susceptible to inflammatory disease. Allergic asthma is an inflammatory lung disease perpetuated by a hyperreactive airway epithelium and eosinophil infiltration into the lung. Eotaxin-1 (CCL11) mediates eosinophil migration into tissues and its modulation could represent a means to assist the management of airway inflammation.

OBJECTIVE: Here we evaluated procyanidins as a means of modulating CCL11 production in vitro.

METHODS: We used human lung epithelial cells (A549) and optimized the conditions to induce CCL11 production in vitro. Cells were exposed to procyanidins for 6 h prior to an inflammatory insult of 5 ng/mL IL-4 with 5 ng/mL TNF α for 48 h. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to measure CCL11 production.

RESULTS: Cells exposed to 5 μM procyanidin A2 prior to the inflammatory challenge showed significantly inhibited (36%) CCL11 production. Under the same conditions, procyanidins B1 and B2 elicited no effect. Furthermore, combinations of procyanidins A2 and B2 (5 μM total) demonstrated no evidence of a synergistic interaction.

CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate that the regulation of CCL11 by lung epithelial cells is not ubiquitous among the three investigated procyanidins. We demonstrate a differential inhibition of CCL11 by A-type and B-type procyanidins. This evidence supports further studies into procyanidins, specifically A-type, for managing inappropriate airway inflammation.
Multi-radical (ORACMR5) antioxidant capacity of selected berries and effects of food processing
Authors: Prior R.L. , Sintara M. , Chang T.
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND: Fruits and berries are known to contain relatively high amounts of antioxidant/bioactive compounds. Several methods have been used for measurement of antioxidant capacity (AC), but not all methods have direct relevance to in vivo antioxidant status.

OBJECTIVE: Determine AC in berry/fruit samples, processed berry products, and purified compounds by utilizing 5 different biologically relevant free radical/oxidant sources.

METHODS: Samples were assayed for AC capacity using 5 different free radical/oxidant sources: peroxyl radical (ORAC), hydroxyl radical (HORAC), peroxynitrite (NORAC), superoxide anion (SORAC) and singlet oxygen (SOAC)]. Total AC (sum of AC with 5 individual radicals) was expressed as Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity using Multiple Radicals (ORACMR5).

RESULTS: SOAC contributed more than 60% of ORACMR5 in blackberries, sweet and tart cherries; and no detectable levels of SOAC were found in strawberries, black currants and raspberries. Whole fruit purees of mango, wild blueberry and cherry contained 95, 85 and 67% respectively of total ORACMR5 from SOAC. However, freeze dried wild blueberry powder from same production season had only 28% as SOAC and 42 and 22% as ORAC and HORAC. Blueberry/Pomegranate and Mango/Pineapple smoothies had 67% and 77% of ORACMR5 as SOAC.

CONCLUSIONS: The antioxidant quenching potential using 5 different radical/oxidant sources of different berries and fruits varied widely and understanding this variation may be helpful in understanding health benefits of different berries and foods.
Effect of Aronia melanocarpa (Black Chokeberry) supplementation on the development of obesity in mice fed a high-fat diet
Authors: Baum Jamie I. , Howard Luke R. , Prior Ronald L. , Lee Sun-Ok
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND: Products derived from black chokeberry are claimed to be beneficial in treating chronic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine if supplementation with Aronia melanocarpa (black chokeberry) juice concentrate (AJC) has anti-obesity properties in mice fed obesogenic diets.

METHODS: Male C57BL/6J mice ( n = 10/dietary treatment) were placed on either a low-fat, high-sucrose (LFHS; 5% fat), LFHS+AJC (1.44 g AJC/kg diet), high-fat (HF; 30% fat), or HF+AJC for 12-weeks.

RESULTS: Final body weight was lower in LFHS+AJC compared to LFHS, HF and HF+AJC (∼14, 20% and ∼16%, respectively; P < 0.05). Mice receiving LFHS and LFHS+AJC had significantly higher ( P = 0.001) energy intake than HF and HF+AJC. LFHS-fed mice had less (–30%) epididymal fat ( p < 0.05) than HF-fed mice, however mice on the LFHS+AJC had less epididymal fat per gram body weight than LFHS controls. There was no effect of diet or AJC on adipose tissue gene expression. There was no difference in plasma insulin, glucose or triglycerides between groups, however there was a positive effect of AJC on adiponectin ( P = 0.059). There was also a significant effect of diet (LFHS versus HF) on HOMA-IR ( P = 0.004) and HOMA-BCF ( P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS: The results from this study demonstrate that AJC supplementation has the potential to prevent weight gain and markers of obesity. Further research is needed to determine mechanisms of action.
Development of obesity is reduced in high-fat fed mice fed whole raspberries, raspberry juice concentrate, and a combination of the raspberry phytochemicals ellagic acid and raspberry ketone
Authors: Luo T. , Miranda-Garcia O. , Adamson A. , Sasaki G. , Shay N.F.
Published: June 2016

BACKGROUND: A significant body of research demonstrates that intake of berries and berry phytochemicals favorably influence metabolism via a number of different biological mechanisms. However, raspberries and select phytochemicals present in raspberries have been less studied than several other berry fruits.

OBJECTIVE: The current study tested the relative effect of whole raspberry products or raspberry phytochemicals using the C57BL/6J mouse fed a high-fat, high-sucrose diet as a model for the obesigenic Western diet. The development of obesity and related metabolic complications were measured.

METHODS: C57BL/6J mice were fed experimental diets for ten weeks. Diets were formulated to include a typical dietary level of whole raspberry food products, or for the case of ellagic acid (EA) and raspberry ketone (RK), levels that could be reasonably achieved with typical dietary supplement use. In week nine, a glucose tolerance test was conducted. After ten weeks, animals were sacrificed, serum collected, and liver tissue saved for histology and lipid accumulation measurements.

RESULTS: Addition of raspberry food products and phytochemicals to high-fat diet reduced body weight gain significantly when raspberry juice and puree concentrates (RJC and RPC), and the EA+RK combination were added. Food efficiency values reflected these weight changes, with the same three groups having food efficiencies similar to normal-weighted low-fat fed mice. Serum insulin and resistin levels were measured and resistin levels were reduced in the two groups fed high fat diets with RPC or RJC added. A histological evaluation of liver tissue was completed and some differences were impacted by diet.

CONCLUSIONS: When added to a high-fat diet, raspberry juice and puree concentrates and the combination of EA+RK decreased weight gain and food efficiency obesity associated with consumption of the obesigenic high-fat, high-calorie diet. Future studies are required to determine mechanisms that may be responsible for these changes.
Effect of drought stress on agro-morphological traits of lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) recombinant inbred lines
Authors: Rahimi MH , Houshmand S , Khodambashi M , Shiran B , Mohammady S
Published: June 2016

To evaluate the effect of drought stress on agro-morphological traits of lentil, an experiment was conducted using 168 F6:7 inbred lines along with their parents in RCB design with three replications. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among lines in terms of all studied characters in both normal and stress conditions. Comparing with non-stress condition, drought stress reduced pod weight per plant, seed yield and pod number per plant to 54%, 45.3% and 42.2%, respectively. Correlation coefficient of biological yield, pod number per plant, pod weight per plant and harvest index (HI) with seed yield was positive and significant. Stepwise regression analysis showed that biological yield, HI, pod weights per plant and leaf length determined 87.6% of seed yield variations and biological yield had the most function. Maximum values of genotypic and phenotypic coefficient of variations were observed for seed yield, pod weight per plant and pod number per plant. The highest values of heritability found in leaf width (h2= 0.77), seed diameter (h2= 0.69) and plant height (h2= 0.66). Evaluation of stress tolerance index (STI) showed that lines 125 and 160 were the most tolerant lines, which could be recommended for cultivation in areas that subject to terminal drought stress.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 41(2): 207-219, June 2016
Influence of sucrose and aluminium sulphate vase life of cut Hippeastrum flower (Hippeastrum hybridum Hort.) as influenced
Authors: Jamil MK , Rahman MM , Hossain MM , Hossain MT , Karim AJM S
Published: June 2016

An experiment with Hippeastrum flower (Hippeastrum hybridum Hort.) cv. Apple Blossom comprising three sucrose concentrations viz. 0 (control), 2 and 4 % and five aluminium sulphate concentrations viz. 0 (control), 0.25, 0.50, 0.75 and 1.0 mM at the Horticulture Laboratory of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Bangladesh during the period from April 01 to April 30, 2009. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with three replications. Sucrose, aluminium sulphate and their combinations had significant influence on most of the parameters studied. Transpiration loss and water uptake ratio decreased significantly with the increased sugar levels and aluminium sulphate upto 0.75 mM beyond which they were increased. Transpiration loss and water uptake ratio was found minimum in the vase solution containing 4% sucrose (0.78) and 0.75 mM aluminium sulphate (0.80), which ultimately resulted in an enhanced vase life (9.2 days for sucrose and 9.11 days for aluminium sulphate) of cut Hippeastrum flower. A linear relationship between water uptake and vase life of flowers was found (y = 0.056x + 5.791). Sucrose 4% and aluminium sulphate 0.75 mM in combination gave maximum total water uptake, maximum days to onset of deterioration, the highest average fresh weight of single scape at 6th and 10th day after setting the trial. Transpiration loss and solution uptake ratio was found maximum in the combination of 4% sucrose and 0.75 mM aluminium sulphate (0.48) with the longest vase life of 10.33 days of cut Hippeastrum flower cv. Apple Blossom.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 41(2): 221-234, June 2016
Effect of honey bee pollination and curd scooping on seed yield of cauliflower
Authors: Rouf MA , Rahim MA , Siddique MA , Meah MB
Published: June 2016

The experiment was conducted to study the effect of honey bee pollination and curd scooping on seed production of cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis L.) cv. Poushali. Eighteen combinations of treatments comprising three types of pollination viz., open pollination (natural pollination), using bees for pollination inside net (planned pollination) and plants inside net without bees (control) and six kinds of curd scooping viz., 25%, 50% and 75% of curd cutting, cross curd cutting, central curd cutting and no curd cutting (control). Honey bee (Apis cerana L.) was used as pollinator. Seed yield and yield attributes were significantly influenced by both factors and their combinations. Central curd cutting influenced early flowering and siliqua maturity compared to other curd cutting treatments. Planned honey bee pollination was found to inflict maximum impact on the seed production of cauliflower with an increase in seed yield of 45.46% and 23.17% higher over plants grown inside net without bees and open pollination, respectively. Central curd scooping increased 26.52% higher yield than that of no curd cutting treatment. Planned bee pollination and central curd cutting independently as well as in combination gave the maximum yield attributes of seed viz., primary and secondary flower stalks/plant, number of siliquas/plant, length of siliqua, number of seeds/siliqua,1000 seed weight, seed yield and seed germination percent of cauliflower. Planned pollination coupled with central curd cutting gave the maximum seed yield of 607.43 kg/ha in cauliflower.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 41(2): 251-258, June 2016
Effect of foliar application of zinc on yield of wheat grown by avoiding irrigation at different growth stages
Authors: Sultana S , Naser HM , Shil NC , Akhter S , Begum RA
Published: June 2016

A field experiment was carried out at micronutrient experimental field of Soil Science Division, BARI, Joydebpur, Gazipur to study the effect of foliar application of zinc on yield of wheat (BARI gom-25) grown by skipping irrigation at different growth stages of the crop. The experiment was designed in a split plot design on sixteen treatments comprising four irrigation treatments (regular irrigation, skipped irrigation at crown root initiation, skipped irrigation at booting stage and skipped irrigation at grain filling stages of wheat growth) and four foliar application of zinc (0.0%, 0.02%, 0.04% and 0.06% of zinc). Zinc Sulphate Monohydrate (ZnSO4. H2O) was used as a source of Zn. The interaction effect of irrigation and foliar application of zinc significantly influenced the yield and yield components of wheat. The highest yield (5.59 t ha-1) was recorded in normal irrigation which was identical with skipping irrigation at flowering and heading stage with 0.06% foliar application of zinc. Skipping irrigation at crown root initiation stage had the most negative effect on growth and yield. Skipping irrigation at flowering and heading stage of wheat with 0.04% foliar application of zinc gave the identical yield in regular irrigation with 0.04% and 0.06% foliar application of zinc. Thus, foliar application of zinc played a major role on yield and yield components of wheat at later stages of growth. The response of foliar application of Zn was positive and quadrate in nature. The optimum dose was appeared as 0.04% foliar application of zinc for grain yield of wheat in the study area of Joydebpur, Gazipur (AEZ-28).Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 41(2): 323-334, June 2016
Effect of fertilizer on coriander seed production
Authors: Kamrozzaman MM , Ahmed S , Quddus AFMR
Published: June 2016

A field experiment on coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) was carried out during rabi seasons of 2011-12 and 2012-13 in Low Ganges River Flood Plain Soil under AEZ-12 at Farming System Research and Development Site, Hatgobindapur, Faridpur to find out optimum and economic doses of fertilizers for coriander (var. BARI Dhania 1) for sustainable higher yield and to update balanced fertilizer recommendation for target yield. The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design with 8 treatments viz. T1=N118P47K26S10Zn2.2B0.8 Kgha-1, T2= N147P47K26S10Zn2.2B0.8 Kg ha-1, T3= N147P59K26S10Zn2.2B0.8 Kg ha-1, T4= N147P47K32S10Zn2.2B0.8 Kgha-1, T5= N118P59K32S10Zn2.2B0.8 Kgha-1, T6= N147P59K32S10Zn2.2B0.8 Kgha-1, T7= N88P35K19S8Zn1.6B0.6 Kgha-1 and T8= Native nutrient (Control). The highest seed yield (1373 kg ha-1) was obtained from the treatment T3 which was statistically similar with T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 treatments. The soil test based treatment T1 produced 1311 kg yield ha-1 and yield difference of ther added fertilizer treatment with T1 was only 5%. The fertilizer added treatments didnt exert the significant difference with soil based treatment (T1) on yield and yield contributing characters. However, T1 treatment appeared to be the best suited combination because of its higher gross margin Tk 41,769 ha-1, capability in reducing nutrient cost Tk 13106 ha-1 and the highest marginal rate of return (MRR) (108%) whereas treatment T3 covered 21% MRR and the highest nutrient cost among the treatments and hence treatment, N118P47K26S10Zn2.2B0.8 Kg ha-1 (100% NPKSZnB from STB dose) may be recommended for coriander seed production in the study area.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 41(2): 345-352, June 2016
Screening of mungbean (Vigna radiata L. Wilczek) genotypes under nutrient stress in soil
Authors: Razzaque MA , Haque MM , Rahman MM , Bazzaz MM , Khan MSA
Published: June 2016

A pot experiment was conducted at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur during kharif season of 2010 to investigate the genetic divergence of some mungbean genotypes under nutrient stress condition using Mahalanobis statistic (D2) and principal component analysis. Analysis of variance showed significant difference for all the characters. Results of multivariate analysis revealed that 200 mungbean genotypes formed five clusters at nutrient stress condition where cluster II had the maximum genotypes (83) followed by cluster I (65), cluster III (30), cluster IV (9) and then cluster V (13). The highest intra-cluster distance was observed between cluster IV containing lowest 9 genotype and cluster V containing 13 genotypes. The highest inter-cluster distance was observed between cluster IV and III and lowest was observed between cluster V and Cluster I. Cluster III had the highest cluster mean for total dry matter, root dry mass, pods per plant, seeds per pod, 1000 seed weight and seed yield. Considering cluster distance and other agronomic performance the genotypes IPSA 1, IPSA 12, IPSA 5 and others genotypes from cluster III may be considered for better performance under nutrient stress condition.Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 41(2): 377-386, June 2016
Estimation of aflatoxins in peanut or maize by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay
Authors: Shukla Shruti
Published: June 2016

Aflatoxin are potentially toxic metabolites produced by microscopic fungi when grow on food. Hence, determining content of mycotoxins such as aflatoxin has significant pharmaceutical value. This study reports step-by-step visual demonstration of determination of aflatoxin contents in peanut and maize (corn)-based food samples through employing enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The method is based on direct competitive ELISA in a micro-well format which allows determination of exact amount of aflatoxin in food samples as parts per billion (ppb), and the results are calculated using Neogen’s Veratox data reduction software that converts the absorbance values into quantities. This visual experiment will certainly contribute knowledge regarding importance and applicability of the ELISA method for determining aflatoxin content in variety of food samples avoided of analytical issues such as sampling, laborious sample preparation, and critical selection of analytical methods.

Video Clip

Test sample preparation: 7 min 12 sec
Assay procedure: 5 min 23 sec
Measurement of absorbance by Tecan ELISA microtiter plate reader: 2 min 57 sec

 
Keats and the Double Life of Poetry
Authors: Cronin Richard
Published: June 2016

Keats, unlike the other Romantics, has prompted not just a dispute as to the character of his political allegiances, but a dispute about whether he is appropriately regarded as a political poet at all. Keats's recent critics are more familiar with the Poems of 1817 in which Keats emphatically and repeatedly identifies himself as an admiring associate of the editor of The Examiner, Leigh Hunt, but even in these poems the ambition to write a poetry that makes its impact on the non-poetic world alternates with a contrary tendency to define the world of the poem by its distance from the world outside it. In the Poems of 1820 the two tendencies persist, but, instead of working against one another, they allow Keats to resolve his contradictory ambitions and write poems that achieve a formal perfection that releases them from the contingent and yet continue to speak to the contingent world in which we all of us live our lives.
Keats, Sextus Empiricus, and Medicine
Authors: Ou Li
Published: June 2016

This essay discusses Keats's affinity with Pyrrhonian scepticism as recorded by Sextus Empiricus in Outlines of Scepticism in the following aspects: the investigative, non-dogmatic attitude towards the truth, the ability to set out oppositions and to realise the equipollence in opposed accounts of the truth, suspension of judgement, and the goal of tranquility. It also speculates on the implication of the common medical background Sextus and Keats shared by linking the ethical values of ancient scepticism to the humanitarian concerns of medicine that might have shaped Keats's scepticism. Although the connection between Keats, Sextus, and medicine is speculative, Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy – carefully studied by Keats – mentions Sextus, from which we can assume Keats's exposure to Sextan scepticism. The Renaissance revival of Pyrrhonian scepticism provides us with stronger evidence about its indirect influence on Keats through Montaigne and Shakespeare as its important inheritors.
Sage, humanist, and physician to all men: Keats and Romantic Conceptualisations of the Poet
Authors: O'Halloran Meiko
Published: June 2016

In the aftermath of the French Revolution which failed to give birth to a hoped-for new egalitarian age in Britain, radically-minded poets were forced to confront the question of what their role was in a post-Revolutionary age. This article examines Keats's distinctive contribution to the debates of his day by exploring his crafting of the figure of the poet in Hyperion and The Fall of Hyperion. What do Keats's sympathetic portraits of the fallen Titans and the unrealised perfection of Apollo have to tell us about his conceptions of the poet? I begin by looking back to influential models of the epic poet by Dante, Milton, and Macpherson which Keats and his contemporaries inherited, before examining the extraordinary debate with Moneta in The Fall of Hyperion in which the poet-narrator defends the poet as ‘a sage, / A humanist, physician to all men’, only to destabilise his own claim to the title.
Bureaucracy, Pedagogy, Surgery: Keats, Guy's, and the ‘Institution’ of Medicine
Authors: Robert Allard James
Published: June 2016

John Keats's time as a medical student provided much fodder for the imagination of readers of all persuasions. In particular, ‘Z’, in the fourth installment of the ‘Cockney School’ essays, took pains to ensure that readers knew of his time training to be an apothecary, working to frame Keats, first, as connected to the lowest branch of medical practice, and, second, as having failed as badly at that unworthy pursuit as he did at poetry. But what would ‘Z’, or any of his readers, have known about the training of an apothecary, about medical pedagogy, about the internal workings of the profession? As outsiders, what could they have known, beyond perception, conjecture, and opinion? And on what were those opinions based? This essay reads ‘Z’'s comments in the context of first-hand accounts of the state of contemporary medical pedagogy, seeking to account both for ‘Z’'s dismissal of Keats to ‘the shops’ and for the continuing fascination with his connections to medicine in these terms.
‘Precision Instruments for Dreaming’: Anatomizing Keats in Pauline Stainer's The Wound-dresser's Dream
Authors: John Stefanie
Published: June 2016

This essay examines allusions to Keats in the collection The Wound-dresser's Dream (1996) by the contemporary British poet Pauline Stainer. Drawing on the Keatsian notion of dreaming as a metaphor for poetic creativity and responding to Keats as both poet and physician, Stainer explores the interface between sense experience and imagination. As dreams seem to encode hidden meanings, so Stainer's writing evokes the impression that the textual riddles of her poems symbolize greater truths – while the nature of these truths is mostly left unclear. Through extensive use of allusion and surreal, sometimes opaque imagery she foregrounds the status of the poetic work as a linguistic construct. Yet she also maintains a Keatsian belief that poetry's ability to embrace uncertainties and mysteries affords it a unique grasp on actuality.
Combining Unsteady Blade Pressure Measurements and a Free-Wake Vortex Model to Investigate the Cycle-to-Cycle Variations in Wind Turbine Aerodynamic Blade Loads in Yaw
Authors: Elgammi Moutaz , Sant Tonio
Published: June 2016

Prediction of the unsteady aerodynamic flow phenomenon on wind turbines is challenging and still subject to considerable uncertainty. Under yawed rotor conditions, the wind turbine blades are subjected to unsteady flow conditions as a result of the blade advancing and retreating effect and the development of a skewed vortical wake created downstream of the rotor plane. Blade surface pressure measurements conducted on the NREL Phase VI rotor in yawed conditions have shown that dynamic stall causes the wind turbine blades to experience significant cycle-to-cycle variations in aerodynamic loading. These effects were observed even though the rotor was subjected to a fixed speed and a uniform and steady wind flow. This phenomenon is not normally predicted by existing dynamic stall models integrated in wind turbine design codes. This paper couples blade pressure measurements from the NREL Phase VI rotor to a free-wake vortex model to derive the angle of attack time series at the different blade sections over multiple rotor rotations and three different yaw angles. Through the adopted approach it was possible to investigate how the rotor self-induced aerodynamic load fluctuations influence the unsteady variations in the blade angles of attack and induced velocities. The hysteresis loops for the normal and tangential load coefficients plotted against the angle of attack were plotted over multiple rotor revolutions. Although cycle-to-cycle variations in the angles of attack at the different blade radial locations and azimuth positions are found to be relatively small, the corresponding variations in the normal and tangential load coefficients may be significant. Following a statistical analysis, it was concluded that the load coefficients follow a normal distribution at the majority of blade azimuth angles and radial locations. The results of this study provide further insight on how existing engineering models for dynamic stall may be improved through the integration of stochastic models to be able to account for the cycle-to-cycle variability in the unsteady wind turbine blade loads under yawed conditions.
Is Catchment Classification Possible by Means of Multiple Model Structures? A Case Study Based on 99 Catchments in Germany
Authors: Ley Rita , Hellebrand Hugo , Casper Markus , Fenicia Fabrizio
Published: June 2016

This study investigates how the performance of a set of models depends on the catchments to which these models are applied. It examines (i) whether it is possible to identify a single best model for each of the catchments, or whether results are dominated by equifinality; and (ii) whether the ranking of model performance can be related to a set of predictors, such as climate and catchment characteristics. In order to explore these questions, we applied 12 model structures to 99 catchments in Germany, ranging in size from 10 km2 to 1826 km2. We examined model performance in terms of streamflow predictions, based on various indices. Our results indicate that for some catchments many structures perform equally well, whereas for other catchments a single structure clearly outperforms the others. We could not identify clear relationships between relative model performance and catchment characteristics. This result led us to conclude that for the spatial scales considered, it is difficult to base the selection of a lumped conceptual model based on a priori assessment, and we recommend a posteriori selection based on model comparisons.
Multidrug-Resistant Bacteria Isolated from Surface Water in Bassaseachic Falls National Park, Mexico
Authors: Delgado-Gardea Ma. , Tamez-Guerra Patricia , Gomez-Flores Ricardo , Zavala-Díaz de la Serna Francisco , Eroza-de la Vega Gilberto , Nevárez-Moorillón Guadalupe , Pérez-Recoder María , Sánchez-Ramírez Blanca , González-Horta María , Infante-Ramírez Rocío
Published: June 2016

Bacterial pathogens are a leading cause of waterborne disease, and may result in gastrointestinal outbreaks worldwide. Inhabitants of the Bassaseachic Falls National Park in Chihuahua, Mexico show seasonal gastroenteritis problems. This aim of this study was to detect enteropathogenic microorganisms responsible for diarrheal outbreaks in this area. In 2013, 49 surface water samples from 13 selected sampling sites along the Basaseachi waterfall and its main rivers, were collected during the spring, summer, autumn, and winter seasons. Fecal and total coliform counts were determined using standard methods; the AutoScan-4 system was used for identification of isolates and the antibiotic resistance profile by challenging each organism using 21 antibiotics. Significant differences among seasons were detected, where autumn samples resulted in the highest total (p < 0.05) and fecal (p < 0.001) coliform counts, whereas the lowest total coliform counts were recorded in spring. Significant differences between sampling sites were observed, where samples from sites 6, 8, and 11 had the highest total coliform counts (p < 0.009), whereas samples from site 9 exhibited the lowest one. From the microbiological analysis, 33 bacterial isolates from 13 different sites and four sampling seasons were selected; 53% of isolates were resistant to at least one antibiotic, and 15% exhibited a multidrug resistance (MDB) phenotype. MDB were identified as Klebsiella oxytoca (two out of four identified isolates), Escherichia coli (2/7), and Enterobacter cloacae (1/3). In addition, some water-borne microorganisms exhibited resistance to cefazoline, cefuroxime, ampicillin, and ampicillin-sulbactam. The presence of these microorganisms near rural settlements suggests that wastewater is the contamination source, providing one possible transmission mechanism for diarrheal outbreaks.
Measurement of Reduced Gingival Melanosis after Smoking Cessation: A Novel Analysis of Gingival Pigmentation Using Clinical Oral Photographs
Authors: Kato Tomotaka , Takiuchi Hiroya , Sugiyama Seiichi , Makino Michiko , Noguchi Satoshi , Katayama-Ono Tomoko , Hanioka Takashi , Naito Toru
Published: June 2016

Background: Due to moisture and the anatomical complexity of the oral mucosa, it is difficult to measure the extent of gingival melanosis in an optical manner. Therefore, we developed a new quantitative method using clinical oral photographs and compared the extent of gingival melanosis before and after smoking cessation. Methods: A new analysis method, which we named the gingival melanosis record (GMR), is a quantitative analysis method using clinical oral photographs. We obtained 659 clinical photographs from 263 patients from 16 general dental offices in Japan. Standardized measuring sites were automatically spotted on the screen, and the presence of gingival melanosis was determined at the measuring sites. We assessed the validity of the GMR with the previously reported Hedin’s classification using Spearman’s rank correlation and intraclass correlation coefficients. Results: The GMR showed a significant association with Hedin’s classification (p < 0.01, correlation coefficient = 0.94). The GMR also showed excellent reproducibility of the substantial repeated agreement intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) (1,1) and ICC (2,1), p > 0.61). The longitudinal loss of gingival melanosis was confirmed by a change in the GMR among patients who successfully achieved smoking cessation for a mean of 4.5 years. Conclusion: The GMR is an effective method to assess gingival melanosis. The loss of gingival melanosis after smoking cessation can be objectively confirmed with the use of the GMR.
Temporal Patterns in Bacterioplankton Community Composition in Three Reservoirs of Similar Trophic Status in Shenzhen, China
Authors: Li Jiancheng , Chen Cheng , Lu Jun , Lei Anping , Hu Zhangli
Published: June 2016

The bacterioplankton community composition’s (BCC) spatial and temporal variation patterns in three reservoirs (Shiyan, Xikeng, and LuoTian Reservoir) of similar trophic status in Bao’an District, Shenzhen (China), were investigated using PCR amplification of the 16S rDNA gene and the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) techniques. Water samples were collected monthly in each reservoir during 12 consecutive months. Distinct differences were detected in band number, pattern, and density of DGGE at different sampling sites and time points. Analysis of the DGGE fingerprints showed that changes in the bacterial community structure mainly varied with seasons, and the patterns of change indicated that seasonal forces might have a more significant impact on the BCC than eutrophic status in the reservoirs, despite the similar Shannon-Weiner index among the three reservoirs. The sequences obtained from excised bands were affiliated with Cyanobacteria, Firmicutes, Bacteriodetes, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Planctomycetes, and Proteobacteria.
Ecological Niche Modeling of Risk Factors for H7N9 Human Infection in China
Authors: Xu Min , Cao Chunxiang , Li Qun , Jia Peng , Zhao Jian
Published: June 2016

China was attacked by a serious influenza A (H7N9) virus in 2013. The first human infection case was confirmed in Shanghai City and soon spread across most of eastern China. Using the methods of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and ecological niche modeling (ENM), this research quantitatively analyzed the relationships between the H7N9 occurrence and the main environmental factors, including meteorological variables, human population density, bird migratory routes, wetland distribution, and live poultry farms, markets, and processing factories. Based on these relationships the probability of the presence of H7N9 was predicted. Results indicated that the distribution of live poultry processing factories, farms, and human population density were the top three most important determinants of the H7N9 human infection. The relative contributions to the model of live poultry processing factories, farms and human population density were 39.9%, 17.7% and 17.7%, respectively, while the maximum temperature of the warmest month and mean relative humidity had nearly no contribution to the model. The paper has developed an ecological niche model (ENM) that predicts the spatial distribution of H7N9 cases in China using environmental variables. The area under the curve (AUC) values of the model were greater than 0.9 (0.992 for the training samples and 0.961 for the test data). The findings indicated that most of the high risk areas were distributed in the Yangtze River Delta. These findings have important significance for the Chinese government to enhance the environmental surveillance at multiple human poultry interfaces in the high risk area.
Theoretical Studies on Structures, Properties and Dominant Debromination Pathways for Selected Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers
Authors: Li Lingyun , Hu Jiwei , Shi Xuedan , Ruan Wenqian , Luo Jin , Wei Xionghui
Published: June 2016

The B3LYP/6-311+G(d)-SDD method, which considers the relativistic effect of bromine, was adopted for the calculations of the selected polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the present study, in which the B3LYP/6-311+G(d) method was also applied. The calculated values and experimental data for structural parameters of the selected PBDEs were compared to find the suitable theoretical methods for their structural optimization. The results show that the B3LYP/6-311+G(d) method can give the better results (with the root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 0.0268 for the C–Br bond and 0.0161 for the C–O bond) than the B3LYP/6-311+G(d)-SDD method. Then, the B3LYP/6-311+G(d) method was applied to predict the structures for the other selected PBDEs (both neutral and anionic species). The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and the electron affinity are of a close relationship. The electron affinities (vertical electron affinity and adiabatic electron affinity) were discussed to study their electron capture abilities. To better estimate the conversion of configuration for PBDEs, the configuration transition states for BDE-5, BDE-22 and BDE-47 were calculated at the B3LYP/ 6-311+G(d) level in both gas phase and solution. The possible debromination pathway for BDE-22 were also studied, which have bromine substituents on two phenyl rings and the bromine on meta-position prefers to depart from the phenyl ring. The reaction profile of the electron-induced reductive debromination for BDE-22 were also shown in order to study its degradation mechanism.