bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Overview of Peer-Assessment: The Benefits and Importance
Authors: Karami Amirreza , Rezaei Amir
Published: June 2015

Learner’s language proficiency and knowledge need to be evaluated based on different methods (Orsmond, Merry & Reiling (2000); Pope 2005). Authentic assessment attained by using real evidence is also achievable (Barbera 2009 and Barrett 2007). This authentic assessment can be achieved through cooperation between teachers and learners. Peer- assessment as one of these alternative assessments seeks a new way for authentic assessment. Importance of peer-assessment is also reported in previous studies. Although there are some unrecognized aspects, peer-assessment is considered to be effective (Shepard 2000 and Topping 1998).
An Overview of Language Engagement: The Importance of Student Engagement for Second Language Acquisition
Authors: Mahdikhani Zahra , Rezaei Amir
Published: June 2015

Student engagement has become a frequently used term in the vocabulary of Higher Education, and particularly among those involved in research associated with teaching and learning. It has been shown that despite the passage of time, the importance of engaging all students in their education continues to resonate strongly with families, students, educators, and researchers (Appleton, 2008). Student engagement in education has been gathering more and more attention; however, most of the studies in this field focus on the school engagement in general. It is currently argued among educators that student engagement is very significant concept, where individual differences between students in terms of their ability, cultural background and motivation are more considerable (Brown, 2005; Biggs, 2003; Prosser and Trigwell, 1999). 

This study investigates the importance of language engagement in second language acquisition. One of the significant roles of engagement in language acquisition is its perspective on reading. Much research has focused on engagement and it is clear from these studies that as students are more engaged academic performance is hence improved.
Aristotle on “Steering the Young by Pleasure and Pain”
Authors: Jimenez Marta
Published: June 2015

At least since Burnyeat's “Aristotle on Learning to Be Good,” one of the most popular ways of explaining moral development in Aristotle is by appealing to mechanisms of pleasure and pain. Aristotle himself suggests this kind of explanation when he says that “in educating the young we steer them by the rudders of pleasure and pain” (Nicomachean Ethics X.1, 1172a21). However, I argue that, contrary to the dominant view, Aristotle's view on moral development in the Nicomachean Ethics is not mainly about learning to feel pleasures and pains in relation to the right kinds of objects and activities. I show that given Aristotle's account of the relationships between pleasure and virtuous actions, on the one hand, and between pleasure and virtuous dispositions, on the other, pleasure can only have a supporting role in our learning to be good, and not a guiding one.
Making Direct Potable Reuse a Reality
Authors: Nagel Richard
Published: June 2015

Direct potable reuse (DPR) is no longer just a good idea; it's a necessity. Reliable technologies and systems are in place to make DPR a reality, continued research refines the process, and the water industry is working to encourage public acceptance of DPR.
Direct Potable Reuse —Australian Style
Authors: Matthews Ken
Published: June 2015

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth. Effective water management has been and remains a critical issue for Australian communities. Conversations around this issue have reached a new intensity particularly over the past two decades, driven primarily by severe drought and the consequent pressure on drinking water supplies in Australia's towns and cities. Australia needed a thorough and authoritative assessment of the potential for direct potable reuse as an option for drinking water supply.
Os Processos Verbais Presentes nos Artigos Científicos da Revista Gestão e Secretariado: Uma Análise com Base na Linguística Sistêmico-Funcional
Authors: Portela Keyla Christina Almeida , Nin Brauer Karin Claudia , Schumacher Alexandre José
Published: June 2015

RESUMO: Este trabalho está inserido no Projeto SAL (Systemics across Languages) que tem por objetivo apoiar pesquisas linguísticas que investigam a relação entre gramática e discurso em termos sistêmico-funcionais. O trabalho tem como objetivo analisar os processos verbais em 23 artigos científicos da revista Gestão e Secretariado, publicados online. Os processos verbais quando empregados, ratificam, esclarecem e explicam fatos ou situações, desempenhando um papel imprescindível na sustentação dos argumentos apresentados por autores frente à temática do texto. Como fundamentação teórica será utilizada a Linguística Sistêmico-Funcional (LSF), que estuda a língua em uso em diferentes contextos, desenvolvida por M.A.K Halliday (1985, 1994) e revista por Halliday e Matthiessen e outros. A pesquisa basearse-á na metafunção ideacional da Linguística Sistêmico-Funcional – que compreende a língua como atividade social, avaliando seus contextos de uso (HALLIDAY,1994 e HALLIDAY & MATTHIESSEN, 2004). No que se refere aos estudos sobre gêneros científicos, a pesquisa estará fundamentada em Bhatia (1993), Swales (1989, 1990), Swales & Feak (1999), Motta-Roth (1995, 2006) e outros. O gênero artigo científico é um gênero que serve como uma via de comunicação entre pesquisador, profissionais, professores e alunos de graduação e pós-graduação. Na análise dos dados, será observada a frequência dos processos do dizer e a sua relação com os participantes da oração (dizente e verbiagem). A metodologia utilizada será subsidiada pelo programa de Linguística de Corpus Wordsmith Tools 5.0 (Scott, 2009), mais especificamente as ferramentas wordList e concordance. Esta pesquisa pretende auxiliar o melhor entendimento de como os autores que publicam na revista Gestão e Secretariado utilizam dos processos do dizer.DOI: 10.7769/gesec.v5i2.142
Estágio Supervisionado em Secretariado Executivo: A Visão do Graduando Concluinte
Authors: Lima de Barros Bruno Henrique , Alves Eraldete Carneiro , Araújo Richard Medeiros de
Published: June 2015

Este trabalho objetivou compreender a visão do graduando em Secretariado Executivo a respeito da prática do estágio supervisionado nas organizações. Metodologicamente foi realizada uma pesquisa descritiva com 26 alunos do curso de Bacharelado em Secretariado Executivo, estagiários, que estão cursando o último período do curso de uma Instituição Privada, no período 2013.2. Aplicou-se um questionário com questões fechadas dividido em dois blocos de perguntas, uma parte de múltiplas escolhas e a outra com escala de likert de cinco pontos onde se abordava o grau de concordância. A análise dos dados foi realizada por meio da estatística descritiva. Os principais resultados foram: o valor agregador do estágio supervisionado como atividade didático-pedagógica para o graduando, a busca pelo estagiário do curso de Secretariado Executivo por organizações do setor público e a alocação de estagiários para setores mais específicos, permitindo que o estagiário agregue conhecimentos pertinentes à sua área de formação.  Conclui-se que a prática do campo e a formação pedagógica se mostram convergentes, bem como os graduados se mostras satisfeitos com a atuação supervisionada.DOI: 10.7769/gesec.v5i2.267
Produção Acadêmica em Secretariado: Análise dos Artigos da Revista de Gestão e Secretariado – Gesec e da Revista Secretariado Executivo em Revist@ entre 2005 E 2012
Authors: Iizuka Edson Sadao , Gomes de Almeida Walkiria Aparecida
Published: June 2015

Trata-se de um artigo que busca analisar a produção acadêmica na área de Secretariado, especificamente o que foi produzido no âmbito dos periódicos “Revista de Gestão e Secretariado – GESEC” e “Revista Secretariado Executivo em Revist@”, ambos presentes na lista Qualis-Capes. Após 8 anos de produção acadêmica em periódicos científicos sobre a temática do Secretariado, acredita-se na relevância da análise do que já foi produzido. Para isso, procedeu-se uma pesquisa bibliométrica a partir dos artigos aprovados nos periódicos mencionados. Adotou-se a pesquisa exploratória, de cunho misto, qualitativo quanto à parte bibliográfica e análise de conteúdo para categorização das unidades de significado, e quantitativo na parte correspondente à estatística descritiva. Foi analisado um total de 98 artigos. Utilizou-se como base de investigação todos os artigos produzidos entre 2005 e 2012 e que foram publicados na GESEC (2010 a 2012) e na Revista Secretariado Executivo em Revist@ (2005 a 2011). Os principais resultados da pesquisa foram: a produção científica na temática do Secretariado concentra-se em 11 Instituições de Ensino Superior (78 artigos, ou seja, 79,6% do total), os Estados do Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo e Paraná apresentaram o maior número de trabalhos: 49, 18 e 10, respectivamente; por outro lado, não se verificou nenhum artigo de um Estado da região Centro-Oeste. Após a análise das 1.466 referências (livros, artigos, teses, dissertações e outras) utilizadas nos 98 artigos foi possível verificar que 18 autores foram os mais utilizados (acima de seis menções); selecionaram-se as 11 referências mais citadas (acima de 5 menções). Quanto à metodologia de pesquisa verificou-se que em 78,6% dos trabalhos a metodologia utilizada foi a qualitativa e 21,4% adotaram a metodologia mista (qualitativa e quantitativa). Os artigos focalizaram 7 temáticas principais: (i) Contexto e Atuação Profissional (37 artigos); (ii) Formação Acadêmica, Ensino e Aprendizagem (16 artigos); (iii) Línguas Estrangeiras, Tradução, Domínios de Idiomas (13 artigos); (iv) Comunicação, Gêneros Discursivos (6 artigos); (v) Arquivística, Gestão de Documentos (6 artigos), (vi) Questões relacionados ao Gênero (5 artigos), (vii) Temáticas Diversas (15 artigos). Acredita-se que os resultados contribuam com os pesquisadores interessados neste campo, assim como possibilitam reflexões acerca de pesquisas futuras em Secretariado no Brasil.DOI: 10.7769/gesec.v5i3.273
Análise das competências secretariais requeridas pela Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina em comparação ao perfil profissiográfico do secretário executivo
Authors: Leal Fernanda Geremias , Dalmau Marcos Baptista Lopez
Published: June 2015

As Instituições Federais de Ensino Superior (IFES) realizam concursos públicos para o cargo de Secretário Executivo desde 2006. Apesar da quantidade significativa de profissionais da área atuando nesse contexto (1.478 cargos ocupados) (Brasil, 2013) e das múltiplas contribuições que a flexibilidade do seu perfil e suas competências lhes permitem oferecer, poucos estudos demonstram como suas atribuições foram adequadas às IFES. Este estudo tem o objetivo de analisar as competências secretariais requeridas pela UFSC em comparação ao perfil profissiográfico do Secretário Executivo, no contexto da Gestão por Competência. O perfil profissiográfico foi levantado por pesquisa bibliográfica e documental, entrevistas semiestruturadas com representantes dos órgãos de classe e com a coordenação do curso de Secretariado Executivo da UFSC. As competências secretariais requeridas pela UFSC foram identificadas por entrevista semiestruturada com a Secretaria de Gestão de Pessoas e aplicação de questionário em 91,30% dos ocupantes do cargo. Os dados foram sistematizados e analisados por análise de conteúdo qualitativa e quantitativa. Foi caracterizado o panorama do profissional no âmbito da UFSC, bem como os campos do conhecimento imprescindíveis para o bom desempenho de suas funções: princípios administrativos e organizacionais; gestão secretarial; psicologia organizacional; língua vernácula (redação de documentos); tecnologia da informação e comunicação. Os principais resultados apontam que, apesar das dificuldades, a perspectiva de atuação para esses profissionais no contexto da UFSC é altamente promissora, devido ao aumento do nível de complexidade dos processos organizacionais e do perfil profissiográfico do secretário executivo, assim como do alto nível de formação e capacitação dos atuais ocupantes do cargo. O estudo permitiu ampliar a compreensão acerca das competências requeridas dos secretários executivos pela UFSC e poderá fomentar discussões que favoreçam o estabelecimento de políticas voltadas ao desenvolvimento de competências secretariais.DOI: 10.7769/gesec.v5i3.289
Lacrimal Stents and Intubation Systems: An Insight
Authors: Singh Manpreet , Kamal Saurabh , Sowmya V
Published: June 2015

Lacrimal stents and intubation systems have been used in past to keep the lacrimal pathways patent after surgery, trauma, reconstruction etc. Recently, its physiological role for functional epiphora has been highlighted. Over the years materials, surgical techniques and various designs have evolved. The precise knowledge about design and proper technique of insertion provides the best possible outcomes in terms of anatomical and functional success for various disorders. The present review aims to provide a comprehensive knowledge of various available lacrimal stents and their role in management of lacrimal disorders.
Comparative Study Of Probing Done with and without Endoscopic Assistance
Authors: Acharya Ishan , Jethani Jitendra , Jethani Monika
Published: June 2015

Aims:

The aims of our study were (1) to compare success of probing done blindly and probing done under endoscopic assistance (2) to correlate the findings of blind probing with endoscopic examination findings.

Materials and Methods:

Retrospective comparative interventional case study. Total 98 eyes of 84 children were included in the study. The probing was performed under brief inhalational anaesthesia with a laryngeal mask. All probings, secondary and in children older than 24 months, were performed under endoscopic assistance only.

Results:

Total 111 probings were done out of which, ninety-eight (88.29%) were primary and 13 (11.71%) secondary. Seventy-six (68.4%) probings were done without and thirty-five(31.53%) probings were done with nasal endoscopic assistance. Out of 35, 22 (19.81%) probings were primary and 13 (11.71%) secondary. The mean age for probing was 18.2 +/- 12.5 months. Thirty eight (45.23%) were females and 46 (54.77%) were males. Out of 76 primary probings, 13 (17.10%) probings failed. The mean age of failed primary probing was 15.2 +/- 6.7 months. All 22 primary probings done under endoscopic guidance had successful outcome. Out of the total 111 probings, 2 (1.80%) probings failed who underwent endonasal dacryocystorhinostomy in the same sitting.

Conclusion:

Use of simultaneous nasal endoscopy during probing increases the success rate, minimizes secondary procedures and isof prognostic value for children with Congenital nasolacrimal duct obstruction (CNLDO).
Viscoelastic Assisted Bubble Formation in Pre Descemet’s Endothelial Keratoplasty (PDEK)
Authors: Agarwal Amar , Kumar Dhivya Ashok
Published: June 2015

We describe a technical modification of predescemet's endothelial keratoplasty (PDEK) bubble formation during graft harvesting. In donor graft harvesting, cases in which big bubble (BB) is not formed by initial air injection, viscoelastic can be used to form the BB. With 30G needle attached to the syringe containing viscoelastic 2% hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose, the needle is advanced into the corneal stroma. Small bubble is initiated and enlarged by controlled injection of viscoelastic into it. The PDEK graft is then dissected and injected into the anterior chamber via an injector. The graft is subsequently unfolded by air or saline and then apposed with the overlying stroma in correct orientation by air. The principle advantages of the technique are easy BB formation when pneumatic dissection has failed and less endothelial injury to the donor graft.
Pharmacogenomics & its Application in Ophthalmology
Authors: Gupta Surabhi , Kumar Sanjiv , Garg Prafful
Published: June 2015

Drug reactions in some individuals may be qualitatively different from the effects usually observed in the majority of subjects. The mechanisms underlying such unusual responses to drugs have been shown to be of genetic origin. Pharmacogenetic variations in drug responses maybe seen in various conditions including cancer and some heart diseases. Pharmacogenomics makes use of the genome of an individual so as to choose a particular drug therapy for responders only and avoiding it in non-responders i.e. tailoring the drug therapy based on the individual's genotype. However this field is still in its infancy since multiple genes, environmental factors and multiple single nucleotide polymorphisms may also contribute to a disease. Also, ethical, legal and social issues add to the limitations. At present its application in ophthalmology is in experimental stage and researches are ongoing to find genetic basis of altered drug responses in ocular diseases. This article briefly elucidates pharmacogenomic basis of variation in drug responses in two ocular diseases glaucoma and age related macular degeneration.
Modeling photosynthesis in sea ice‐covered waters
Authors: Long Matthew C. , Lindsay Keith , Holland Marika M.
Published: June 2015

The lower trophic levels of marine ecosystems play a critical role in the Earth System mediating fluxes of carbon to the ocean interior. Many of the functional relationships describing biological rate processes, such as primary productivity, in marine ecosystem models are nonlinear functions of environmental state variables. As a result of nonlinearity, rate processes computed from mean fields at coarse resolution will differ from similar computations that incorporate small‐scale heterogeneity. Here we examine how subgrid‐scale variability in sea ice thickness impacts simulated net primary productivity (NPP) in a
configuration of the Community Earth System Model (CESM). CESM simulates a subgrid‐scale ice thickness distribution and computes shortwave penetration independently for each ice thickness category. However, the default model formulation uses grid‐cell mean irradiance to compute NPP. We demonstrate that accounting for subgrid‐scale shortwave heterogeneity by computing light limitation terms under each ice category then averaging the result is a more accurate invocation of the photosynthesis equations. Moreover, this change delays seasonal bloom onset and increases interannual variability in NPP in the sea ice zone in the model. The new treatment reduces annual production by about 32% in the Arctic and 19% in the Antarctic. Our results highlight the importance of considering heterogeneity in physical fields when integrating nonlinear biogeochemical reactions.
Stimulation by Pearl of Mineralization and Biocompatibility of PLA
Authors: Dai Jiamu , Bai Jingjing , Jin Junhong , Yang Shenglin , Li Guang
Published: June 2015

Biodegradable materials used for bone repair have recently gained greater attention. The improvement of the mineralization rate and the biocompatibility of are critical. In this study, natural pearl powder is added to polylactic acid (PLA) to accelerate both two properties of PLA. The results show that the amount of hydroxyapatite (HA) deposition on PLA/pearl composite increased with pearl content increasing up to 15 wt%, especially at the beginning of mineralization. The HA is a poorly crystallized calcium‐deficient type as indicated by FTIR, EDS, and XRD. Osteoblasts are used to evaluate cellular proliferation. An MTT assay reveals that composites are non‐toxic and show better proliferation than pristine PLA. It is concluded that PLA/pearl could be more appropriate for bone repairs than PLA.
Self‐Immolative Linkers Literally Bridge Disulfide Chemistry and the Realm of Thiol‐Free Drugs
Authors: Riber Camilla Frich , Smith Anton A. A. , Zelikin Alexander N.
Published: June 2015

The ultimate goal of controlled, intracellulardrug delivery is to get the drug to the target cell without spilling the contents in transit and then release the entire payload upon cell entry. One of the most powerful platforms to achieve this relies on the intracellular disulfide reshuffling as a trigger for drug release form the engineered prodrugs. However, utility of disulfide reshuffling for drug release is naturally applicable only to the thiol containing molecules—ultimately leaving nearly all commercialized drugs beyond the scope of this platform. This is a drastic limitation. A cunning new tool of organic chemistry is fast entering the mainstream of prodrug design: the self‐immolative linkers. This platform allows overcoming the natural chemical barrier and makes it possible to link virtually any drug to its carrier via a disulfide bond and engineer a specific intracellular release. It is a game‐changing accomplishment of modern organic chemistry. The scope and limitations of this novel opportunity for medicinal chemistry and nanomedicine are outlined.
Ultrafast Charge Dynamics in Trap‐Free and Surface‐Trapping Colloidal Quantum Dots
Authors: Smith Charles T. , Leontiadou Marina A. , Page Robert , O'Brien Paul , Binks David J.
Published: June 2015

Ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy is used to study subnanosecond charge dynamics in CdTe colloidal quantum dots. After treatment with chloride ions, these can become free of surface traps that produce nonradiative recombination. A comparison between these dots and the same dots before treatment enables new insights into the effect of surface trapping on ultrafast charge dynamics. The surface traps typically increase the rate of electron cooling by 70% and introduce a recombination pathway that depopulates the conduction band minimum of single excitons on a subnanosecond timescale, regardless of whether the sample is stirred or flowed. It is also shown that surface trapping significantly reduces the peak bleach obtained for a particular pump fluence, which has important implications for the interpretation of transient absorption data, including the estimation of absorption cross‐sections and multiple exciton generation yields.
Dandy–Walker malformation, genitourinary abnormalities, and intellectual disability in two families
Authors: Zaki Maha S. , Masri Amira , Gregor Anne , Gleeson Joseph G. , Rosti Rasim Ozgur
Published: June 2015

We report on two families, each with documented consanguinity and two affected with overlapping features of Dandy–Walker malformation, genitourinary abnormalities, intellectual disability, and hearing deficit. This phenotype shares similar findings with many well‐known syndromes. However, the clinical findings of this syndrome categorize this as a new syndrome as compared with the phenotype of already established syndromes. Due to parental consanguinity, occurrence in siblings of both genders and the absence of manifestations in obligate carrier parents, an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance is more likely. The authors believe that these families suggest a novel autosomal recessive cerebello–genital syndrome. Array CGH analyses of an affected did not show pathological deletions or duplications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis and characterization of fluorinated organic–inorganic hybrid coatings on tinplate
Authors: Fang Yongqin , Wang Di , Jing Xin , Xue Bosong
Published: June 2015

Fluorinated organic–inorganic hybrid coatings with interpenetrating network for corrosion protection of tinplate were prepared by hydrolysis and condensation reaction of tetraethoxysilane and 3‐methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, followed by radical polymerization of trimethylolpropane triacrylate dodecafluoroheptyl methacrylate. The highly crosslinked organic network was developed and attached to the inorganic moieties through covalent Si–C bonds. The hybrid coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscope, water contact angle, Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. Their anticorrosion performances were evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and salt spray test. The results indicated that the fluorinated hybrid coatings exhibited excellent anticorrosion ability by forming a hydrophobic physical barrier between tinplate substrate and its external environment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42428.
Disappearance of the filler—An interesting interfacial evolution during the photooxidative aging of polypropylene composites
Authors: Zhao Jiaohong , Liu Xuan , Yang Rui , Yu Jian
Published: June 2015

The interface between the matrix and filler in polyolefin composites plays an important role in their photooxidative aging processes. An interesting phenomenon, the gradual disappearance of filler particles was observed during the early natural aging of polypropylene (PP)/CaCO3 composites. Similar phenomena were also observed in a PP/SiO2 composite and PP/poly(methyl methacrylate) blend. The morphological observation and tensile and chemical analyses indicated that the photooxidized groups of the PP chain interacted strongly with the filler particles; this increased the tensile strength during the early aging stage. The PP matrix was entangled in the filler particles. Therefore, the filler particles were embedded in the matrix, and the fracture occurred in the PP matrix instead of at the interface between them. On the basis of these results, a “disappearing” filler mechanism for the PP composites was proposed. This work provides a possible way for improving the mechanical properties of PP composites with appropriate aging. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42546.
A double‐tailed acrylamide hydrophobically associating polymer: Synthesis, characterization, and solution properties
Authors: Jiang Feng , Pu Wanfen , Li Yibo , Du Daijun
Published: June 2015

In order to improve the salt resistant, temperature tolerance, and stability of the acrylamide‐based copolymer, the double‐tailed hydrophobically associating copolymer (DTHAP) was synthesized. The chemical and spatial network structures of the copolymer were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), and environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM). The salt, temperature, aging resistance, and rheological behavior of the copolymer were investigated in detail. The experimental results showed that the performance of DTHAP were influenced by the amount of AA, PETMAM, SDS, and NaCl in the reaction system. Compared with HPAM, DTHAP solution showed excellent temperature resistance and salt tolerance. No matter in the solution varying NaCl or CaCl2 concentration from 8 to 80 and 1 to 1.8 g/L, respectively, DTHAP behaved an obvious salt‐thickening phenomenon. The simulative tertiary oil recovery tests at 80°C indicated that DTHAP can remarkably enhance 16.9% of the oil recovery ratio. Even at 100 g/L salt solution, DTHAP exhibited an excellent performance which can also enhance 9.9% of oil recovery ratio. The experiment results indicated that DTHAP was superior to HPAM as a kind of oil displacement agent for enhanced oil recovery, especially in high‐temperature and high‐mineralization oil fields. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42569.
Dual drug release from CO2‐infused nanofibers via hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions
Authors: Geiger Brett C. , Nelson Mark Tyler , Munj Hrishikesh R. , Tomasko David L. , Lannutti John J.
Published: June 2015

This study investigated the effects of hydrophobic–hydrophilic interactions on dual drug release from CO2‐infused nanofibers scaffolds (PCL, PCL–gelatin, and PCL “core” PCL–gelatin “shell”) using BODIPY 493/503 and Rhodamine B fluorescent dyes as drug models. Favorable dye–scaffold interactions increased total dye loading and promoted steady, more linear release. Unfavorable dye–scaffold interactions reduced overall loading and led to a greater burst release of dye. However, when CO2 was used to infuse dye into an unfavorable scaffold, the changes in loading and release were less pronounced. When two dyes were infused, these behaviors were accentuated due to interactions between the dissolved forms of the dyes. Core–shell composite nanofibers displayed radically different release properties versus pure PCL–gelatin fibers when treated with dyes via CO2 infusion. Dye release from core–shell scaffolds was highly sensitive to both interactions with scaffolds and the phase of CO2 used to infuse the compounds of interest. By using different phases of CO2 to partition dyes into hydrophobic and hydrophilic sections of core–shell nanofibers, such interactions can be manipulated to develop a bimodal drug release system with potential application in drug delivery or tissue engineering. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42571.
Incorporation of postconsumer polyurethane foam into a polymer/clay aerogel matrix
Authors: Viggiano Rocco P. , Ball Edward E. , Park Ronald E. , Haider Karl W. , Schiraldi David A.
Published: June 2015

The feasibility of incorporating ground recycled polyurethane (PU) foam into clay/polymer aerogels was demonstrated, and a range of compositions were prepared and characterized to determine the effect of variation in the formulations on density and mechanical properties of the resulting materials. This study followed a modified combinatorial approach. Initially, experiments were performed in water using either sodium exchanged montmorillonite or laponite clay, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVOH) solution as the polymer binder, and the recycled PU foam. Freezing and freeze‐drying the aqueous gels produced aerogels, which were characterized through density and mechanical testing, scanning electron microscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The study was expanded by exploring alternative binder chemistries, including the use of an alginate polymer in place of the PVOH or adding a polyisocyanate as a crosslinking agent for PVOH. The effect of recycled PU foam content, clay type and level, and binder type and level on the mechanical properties of the aerogels were determined and will be discussed herein. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 42586.
Printing of reactive silicones for surface modification of textile material
Authors: Turalija Marina , Bechtold Thomas
Published: June 2015

For outdoor sports, waterproof breathable materials are widely used to provide protection from environmental factors like rain and wind. The most important techniques to achieve excellent performance use perfluorinated organic substances, which must be replaced in the near future due to health concerns and their environmental persistency. Printing of textile materials with reactive silicone pastes could be an alternative to introduce water repellency without fluorocarbon finishing. In this work, production of barrier textiles through one‐step silicon printing was studied, using a two‐component paste with long pot life and a thermal fixation step. Three different knitted fabrics made from micromodal, polyamide/elastin, and cotton/polyester were used as substrates for the printing. The achieved hydrophobic modification of the fabric was analyzed by determination of water shedding angle, water resistance, water retention values, moisture content, air permeability, tensile properties, and infrared spectroscopy. The results indicate several areas of technical application for the modified fabric, such as barrier textiles with permeability control, localized modification of mechanical properties of fabric and garment. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2015,132, 42594.
Brief Report: Nonsteroidal Antiinflammatory Drug–Sparing Effect of Tumor Necrosis Factor Inhibitors in Early Axial Spondyloarthritis: Results From the DESIR Cohort
Authors: Moltó Anna , Granger Benjamin , Wendling Daniel , Breban Maxime , Dougados Maxime , Gossec Laure
Published: June 2015

Objective

To evaluate the effect of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors on nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug (NSAID) intake in a cohort of patients with early axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) over the first 2 years of followup.

Methods

The Devenir des Spondylarthropathies Indifférenciées Récentes (DESIR) cohort is a prospective, multicenter, observational study cohort of patients with early inflammatory back pain. The management and treatment of these patients were decided by their treating rheumatologists. Data regarding NSAID intake (yes/no) and the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society NSAID score were collected at each visit over 2 years of followup. Patients receiving a TNF inhibitor were matched with those receiving usual care, based on a propensity score. The NSAID‐sparing effect of TNF inhibitors was estimated by comparing the percentage of patients reaching several end points (e.g., a decrease in the NSAID score to <10 over 2 years) and by modeling NSAID intake using mixed models.

Results

Among the 627 patients who were followed up, 181 (28.9%) received a TNF inhibitor, and these patients were matched to 181 patients who received usual care. The baseline characteristics of the patients in the 2 groups were comparable (∼40% of the patients were male, and the mean age was 34 years). Initially, 90.2% of patients receiving TNF inhibitors and 90.0% of those receiving usual care had been treated with NSAIDs during the previous 6 months. The number of patients who received an NSAID decreased over time in both groups, but the decrease was greater in the group receiving TNF inhibitors (P = 0.04). The decrease in the median NSAID score was significantly greater in the TNF inhibitor group (54.9 versus 41.9), and the percentage of patients in whom the NSAID score decreased by >50% or to <10 or in whom NSAID treatment was discontinued was greater in the TNF inhibitor group (67.6% versus 46.2%).

Conclusion

Treatment with TNF inhibitors was associated with a decrease in the proportion of patients taking NSAIDs and with a rapid and sustained decrease in NSAID intake. This study is the first to confirm the NSAID‐sparing effect of TNF inhibitors in patients with early axial SpA in a real‐life clinical setting.
Determining Pathways to Improvements in Fatigue in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results From the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Druce Katie L. , Jones Gareth T. , Macfarlane Gary J. , Basu Neil
Published: June 2015

Objective

There is debate as to the role of inflammatory disease activity in the etiology of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)–related fatigue. We undertook this study to determine the relationship of fatigue to disease activity by examining pathways associated with change in fatigue in subjects starting anti–tumor necrosis factor (anti‐TNF) therapy for the first time.

Methods

Participants who had been recruited to the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register for RA provided information on fatigue (Short Form 36 [SF‐36] vitality scale) and other health status variables at the start of anti‐TNF therapy and 6 months later. The Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) and inflammation (erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR]/C‐reactive protein [CRP] level) were also reported. A path analysis model comprising changes in fatigue, pain, disease activity, disability, and mental health, along with effects of sex and a history of depression, was used to examine those with high levels of fatigue at baseline (score of ≤12.5 units on the SF‐36 vitality scale). The DAS28 was substituted for ESR/CRP to delineate the specific role of inflammation.

Results

With a total of 2,652 participants, we identified a well‐fitting model (χ2 = 0.18, P = 0.98) accounting for 40% of the variance in fatigue change. There was no direct pathway from change in inflammation to change in fatigue; instead, significant pathways to change in fatigue were observed from changes in disease activity, pain, mental health, and disability, along with effects of sex and a history of depression. A total of 82% of the effect of change in disease activity was indirect, of which ∼50% was mediated through a change in pain.

Conclusion

Improvements in fatigue do not appear to be driven by inflammatory disease activity; instead, they appear to result indirectly from improvements in pain. Additional significant pathways through disability and mental health suggest potentially modifiable factors that could be targeted to improve clinically important levels of fatigue.
Exploiting heterogeneous scientific literature networks to combat ranking bias: Evidence from the computational linguistics area
Authors: Jiang Xiaorui , Sun Xiaoping , Yang Zhe , Zhuge Hai , Yao Jianmin
Published: June 2015

It is important to help researchers find valuable papers from a large literature collection. To this end, many graph‐based ranking algorithms have been proposed. However, most of these algorithms suffer from the problem of ranking bias. Ranking bias hurts the usefulness of a ranking algorithm because it returns a ranking list with an undesirable time distribution. This paper is a focused study on how to alleviate ranking bias by leveraging the heterogeneous network structure of the literature collection. We propose a new graph‐based ranking algorithm, MutualRank, that integrates mutual reinforcement relationships among networks of papers, researchers, and venues to achieve a more synthetic, accurate, and less‐biased ranking than previous methods. MutualRank provides a unified model that involves both intra‐ and inter‐network information for ranking papers, researchers, and venues simultaneously. We use the ACL Anthology Network as the benchmark data set and construct the gold standard from computer linguistics course websites of well‐known universities and two well‐known textbooks. The experimental results show that MutualRank greatly outperforms the state‐of‐the‐art competitors, including PageRank, HITS, CoRank, Future Rank, and P‐Rank, in ranking papers in both improving ranking effectiveness and alleviating ranking bias. Rankings of researchers and venues by MutualRank are also quite reasonable.
Understanding central carbon metabolism of rapidly proliferating mammalian cells based on analysis of key enzymatic activities in GS‐CHO cell lines
Authors: Zou Wu , Al‐Rubeai Mohamed
Published: June 2015

The central carbon metabolism (glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway [PPP], and the tricarboxylic acid [TCA] cycle) plays an essential role in the supply of biosynthetic precursors and energy. How the central carbon metabolism changes with the varying growth rates in the in vitro cultivation of rapidly proliferating mammalian cells, such as cancer cells and continuous cell lines for recombinant protein production, remains elusive. Based on relationships between the growth rate and the activity of seven key enzymes from six cell clones, this work reports finding an important metabolic characteristic in rapidly proliferating glutamine synthetase‐Chinese hamster ovary cells. The key enzymatic activity involved in the TCA cycle that is responsible for the supply of energy became elevated as the growth rate exhibited increases, while the activity of key enzymes in metabolic pathways (glycolysis and the PPP), responsible for the supply of biosynthetic precursors, tended to decrease—suggesting that rapidly proliferating cells still depended predominantly on the TCA cycle rather than on aerobic glycolysis for their energetic demands. Meanwhile, the growth‐limiting resource was most likely biosynthetic substrates rather than energy provision. In addition, the multifaceted role of glucose‐6‐phosphate isomerase (PGI) was confirmed, based on a significant correlation between PGI activity and the percentage of G2/M‐phase cells.
An electrochemical biosensor based on cobalt nanoparticles synthesized in iron storage protein molecules to determine ascorbic acid
Authors: Rafipour Ronak , Kashanian Soheila , Hashemi Sadegh , Shahabadi Nahid , Omidfar Kobra
Published: June 2015

The electrochemical detection of ascorbic acid (AA) was investigated using a cobalt(III)–ferritin immobilized on a self‐assembled monolayer modified gold electrode in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.5). The modified electrode showed excellent electrochemical activity for oxidation of AA. The response to AA on the modified electrode was examined using cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry techniques. The resulting biosensor showed a linear response to AA in a concentration range from 6.25×10−6 to 2.31×10−5 M with sensitivity of 86,437 μAM−1 and detection limit of 4.65 × 10−6 M based on a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 3. Electrochemical parameters including the charge transfer coefficient (α) and the apparent heterogeneous electron transfer rate constant (ks) for AA were found to be 0.52 and 1.054 Sec−1, respectively. It has been shown that, using this modified electrode, AA can be determined with high sensitivity, low detection limit, and high selectivity.
Potassium permanganate–glutaraldehyde chemiluminescence system catalyzed by gold nanoprisms toward selective determination of fluoride
Authors: Abolhasani Jafar , Hassanzadeh Javad , Ghorbani‐Kalhor Ebrahim
Published: June 2015

Gold and silver nanoparticles (NPs) are shown to exert a positive effect on the chemiluminescence (CL) reaction of permanganate aldehydes. Interestingly, between various shapes examined, Au nanoprisms have the highest beneficial effect. This effect is even more notable in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant. UV‐vis spectra and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the NP shapes and sizes. Furthermore, it was observed that iron(III) ions can slightly increase CL emission of this system. This intensification is very effective in the presence of fluoride ions (F–). These observations form the basis of the method for the high sensitive determination of F– in the 6–1200 nmol L–1 concentration range, with a detection limit of 2.1 nmol L–1. The proposed method has good precision and was satisfactorily used in the selective determination of low concentrations of fluoride ion in real samples. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis, characterization and thermoluminescence studies of Mn‐doped ZnS nanoparticles
Authors: Chandrakar Raju Kumar , Baghel R. N. , Chandra B. P.
Published: June 2015

ZnS:Mn nanoparticles were prepared by a chemical precipitation method and characterized by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), field emission gun scanning electron microscope (FEGSEM), and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Capping agent (mercaptoethanol) concentrations used were 0 M, 0.005 M, 0.01 M, 0.015 M, 0.025 M, 0.040 M, and 0.060 M, and resulted in nanoparticles sizes of 2.98 nm, 2.9 nm, 2.8 nm, 2.7 nm, 2.61 nm, 2.2 nm and 2.1 nm, respectively. The thermoluminescence (TL) glow curve was recorded by heating the sample exposed to UV‐radiation, at a fixed heating rate 1°C sec–1. The TL intensity initially increased with temperature, attained a peak value Im for a particular temperature, and then decreased with further increase in temperature. The peak TL intensity increased with decreasing nanoparticle size, whereas the temperature corresponding to the peak TL intensity decreased slightly with reducing nanocrystal size. As a consequence of increase in surface‐to‐volume ratio and increased carrier recombination rates, the TL intensity increased with decreasing nanoparticle size. It was found that, whereas activation energy slightly decreased with decreasing nanoparticle size, the frequency factor decreased significantly with reduction in nanoparticle size. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Systematic review and critical appraisal of the impact of acellular dermal matrix use on the outcomes of implant-based breast reconstruction
Authors: Potter S , Browning D , Savović J , Holcombe C , Blazeby J M
Published: June 2015

Background

Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) may improve outcomes in implant-based breast reconstruction (IBBR). The aim of this study was critically to appraise and evaluate the current evidence for ADM-assisted IBBR.

Methods

Comprehensive electronic searches identified complete papers published in English between January 2000 and August 2013, reporting any outcome of ADM-assisted IBBR. All systematic reviews, randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and non-randomized studies (NRSs) with more than 20 ADM recipients were included. Studies were critically appraised using AMSTAR for systematic reviews, the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool for RCTs and its adaptation for NRSs. Characteristics and results of identified studies were summarized.

Results

A total of 69 papers (8 systematic reviews, 1 RCT, 40 comparative studies and 20 case series) were identified, all of which were considered at high risk of bias, mostly due to patient selection and selective outcome reporting. The median ADM group sample size was 51.0 (i.q.r. 33.0–127.0). Most studies were single-centre (54), and they were often single-surgeon (16). ADM was most commonly used for immediate (40) two-stage IBBR (36) using human ADM (47), with few studies evaluating ADM-assisted single-stage procedures (10). All reported clinical outcomes (for example implant loss) and more than half of the papers (33) assessed process outcomes, but few evaluated cosmesis (16) or patient-reported outcomes (10). Heterogeneity between study design and, especially, outcome measurement precluded meaningful data synthesis.

Conclusion

Current evidence for the value of ADMs in IBBR is limited. Use in practice should therefore be considered experimental, and evaluation within registries or well designed and conducted studies, ideally RCTs, is recommended to prevent widespread adoption of a potentially inferior intervention.
Mechanistic Analysis of an Engineered Enzyme that Catalyzes the Formose Reaction
Authors: Poust Sean , Piety James , Bar‐Even Arren , Louw Catherine , Baker David , Keasling Jay D. , Siegel Justin B.
Published: June 2015

An enzyme that catalyzes the formose reaction, termed “formolase”, was recently engineered through a combination of computational protein design and directed evolution. We have investigated the kinetic role of the computationally designed residues and further characterized the enzyme's product profile. Kinetic studies illustrated that the computationally designed mutations were synergistic in their contributions towards enhancing activity. Mass spectrometry revealed that the engineered enzyme produces two products of the formose reaction—dihydroxyacetone and glycolaldehyde—with the product profile dependent on the formaldehyde concentration. We further explored the effects of this product profile on the thermodynamics and yield of the overall carbon assimilation from the formolase pathway to help guide future efforts to engineer this pathway.
Endovascular revascularization of a surgically ligated superficial femoral artery: A case report
Authors: Bishu Kalkidan , Armstrong Ehrin J.
Published: June 2015

We present a case of a patient with left lower extremity ischemic rest pain who initially underwent surgical profundaplasty requiring ligation of his superficial femoral artery (SFA). The patient developed continued rest pain due to diffuse disease of his profunda and inadequate collaterals. Endovascular intervention was therefore performed to the oversewn SFA. Retrograde left SFA access was obtained and the origin of the SFA was recanalized with true lumen re‐entry using an ultrasound guided re‐entry catheter. Angioplasty was performed at the origin of the SFA and self‐expanding stents were deployed in the proximal and mid left SFA. Hemostasis at the distal left SFA access site was obtained by balloon inflation at the access site and manual compression. This case illustrates the feasibility of endovascular repair of a ligated SFA. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The future of hepatology: Embrace change
Authors: Friedman Scott L. , Friedman Yael L.
Published: June 2015

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Host‐microbiome interactions in health and disease
Authors: O'Mahony Liam
Published: June 2015

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