bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Publicity on Demand: The Case of Anti-Cholesterol Drugs
Authors: Ching Andrew T. , Clark Robert , Horstmann Ignatius , Lim Hyunwoo
Published: August 2015

Over the past 10 years there has been increased recognition of the importance of publicity as a means of generating product awareness. Despite this, previous research has seldom investigated the impact of publicity on demand. We contribute to the literature by (i) proposing a new method for the interpretation of publicity data, one that maps the information in news articles (or broadcasts) to a multidimensional attribute space; (ii) investigating how different types of publicity affect demand; and (iii) investigating how different types of publicity interact with firms’ own marketing communication efforts. We study these issues for statins. We find that publicity plays an important role both for expanding the market for statins and for determining which statins patients or physicians choose. We also find evidence that publicity can serve as either a substitute or a complement for traditional marketing channels depending on the complexity of the information type. We argue that the interaction results are driven by the relative strengths of the corroborative and rational inattention functions in publicity. These results suggest that managers should be aware of the interactions between publicity and traditional marketing channels to better determine how to allocate their marketing expenditures.
Conflict Resolution, Public Goods, and Patent Thickets
Authors: Harhoff Dietmar , von Graevenitz Georg , Wagner Stefan
Published: August 2015

Postgrant validity challenges at patent offices rely on the private initiative of third parties to correct mistakes made by patent offices. We hypothesize that incentives to bring postgrant validity challenges are reduced when many firms benefit from revocation of a patent and when firms are caught up in patent thickets. Using data on opposition to patents at the European Patent Office we show that opposition decreases in fields in which many others profit from patent revocations. Moreover, in fields with a large number of mutually blocking patents, the incidence of opposition is sharply reduced, particularly among large firms and firms that are caught up directly in patent thickets. These findings indicate that postgrant patent review may not constitute an effective correction device for erroneous patent grants in technologies affected by either patent thickets or highly dispersed patent ownership.

This paper was accepted by Lee Fleming, entrepreneurship and innovation.
Incomplete-Information Models of Guilt Aversion in the Trust Game
Authors: Attanasi Giuseppe , Battigalli Pierpaolo , Manzoni Elena
Published: August 2015

In the theory of psychological games it is assumed that players’ preferences on material consequences depend on endogenous beliefs. Most of the applications of this theoretical framework assume that the psychological utility functions representing such preferences are common knowledge. However, this is often unrealistic. In particular, it cannot be true in experimental games where players are subjects drawn at random from a population. Therefore, an incomplete-information methodology is needed. We take a first step in this direction, focusing on guilt aversion in the Trust Game. In our models, agents have heterogeneous belief hierarchies. We characterize equilibria where trust occurs with positive probability. Our analysis illustrates the incomplete-information approach to psychological games and can help to organize experimental results in the Trust Game.

This paper was accepted by Uri Gneezy, behavioral economics.
The Impact of Negatively Reciprocal Inclinations on Worker Behavior: Evidence from a Retrenchment of Pension Rights
Authors: Montizaan Raymond , de Grip Andries , Cörvers Frank , Dohmen Thomas
Published: August 2015

We document that the strength of negatively reciprocal inclinations affects workers’ reaction to unfair treatment. We exploit unique matched survey and administrative data on male public sector employees in the Netherlands and compare the job motivation of employees born in 1950, who faced a substantial retrenchment of their pension rights resulting from a pension reform in 2006, to that of slightly older employees who remained entitled to more generous pension benefits. Job motivation is significantly lower among negatively reciprocal employees who were affected by the reform. The adverse effect on job motivation is stronger for negative reciprocal employees born very shortly after the cutoff date of January 1, 1950, as well as for those with many unaffected colleagues, who perceive the policy change as being more unfair. The treatment effect is stronger among workers who are more likely to hold their employer accountable for the drop in their pension rights.

Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2015.2157 .

This paper was accepted by Uri Gneezy, behavioral economics.
Unbiased Estimation with Square Root Convergence for SDE Models
Authors: Rhee Chang-Han , Glynn Peter W.
Published: August 2015

In many settings in which Monte Carlo methods are applied, there may be no known algorithm for exactly generating the random object for which an expectation is to be computed. Frequently, however, one can generate arbitrarily close approximations to the random object. We introduce a simple randomization idea for creating unbiased estimators in such a setting based on a sequence of approximations. Applying this idea to computing expectations of path functionals associated with stochastic differential equations (SDEs), we construct finite variance unbiased estimators with a “square root convergence rate” for a general class of multidimensional SDEs. We then identify the optimal randomization distribution. Numerical experiments with various path functionals of continuous-time processes that often arise in finance illustrate the effectiveness of our new approach.
Unified Optimization of Traffic Flows Through Airports
Authors: Bertsimas Dimitris , Frankovich Michael
Published: August 2015

We present a novel integer optimization approach to optimize, in a tractable and unified manner, the airport operations optimization problem. This includes solving the entirety of key air traffic flow management problems faced at an airport: (a) selecting a runway configuration sequence, i.e., determining which runways are open at which times and in which mode they operate; (b) assigning flights to runways and determining the sequence in which flights are processed (i.e., when they take off or land); (c) determining the gate-holding duration of departures; and (d) routing flights to their assigned runway and onward within the terminal area and the near-terminal airspace. The key contribution of this paper is the modeling of these problems, which until present have been studied in isolation, under a framework that is both unified and tractable. This allows the possibility of obtaining system-optimal solutions in a practical amount of time. Furthermore, the approach is implemented on historic data sets from both Boston Logan International and Dallas/Fort Worth International airports. Computational experience indicates that significant reductions in delays, fuel use, and emissions can be achieved from this optimization and that computational tractability is such that real-world instances can be solved within five to 10 minutes.
The International Day of Peace
Authors: Neville Sarah
Published: August 2015

The government has asked early years settings to promote British values; these lend themselves well to activities based on a need to promote peace and understanding.
Fruit & Veg: S is for Swede…
Authors: Hammond Paula , Lillie Stephen
Published: August 2015

This month, we continue our extended adventure around the alphabetical vegetables and fruits of the world, by looking at a vegetable made popular in the UK by a king!
Latest developments
Authors: Helme Tina
Published: August 2015

Send your letters, news stories or latest developments to: The Editor, Child Care, St Jude's Church, Dulwich Road, Herne Hill, London, SE24 0PB email: childcare@markallengroup.com
Take to the ice with a polar bear
Authors: Garner Lynne
Published: August 2015

This is the fifth article in a series exploring the world of apex animals, their lifestyles, and their place in storytelling, helping to bring these animals a little bit closer to our children.
Windows leading to other worlds
Authors: Chalmers Debbie
Published: August 2015

Taking a closer look at how windows are made, how they work and how they are used will offer learning activities across all seven areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Research roundup: August 2015
Authors: Odd Dawn , Brook Judy , Lally Sheila
Published: August 2015

In this section, a range of brief synopses of articles that may be of interest to health visitors is presented. The aim is to provide an overview of the papers selected. Should you wish to look at any of the papers in more detail, a full reference is provided.
Managing scarlet fever in children
Authors: Duncan Deborah
Published: August 2015

Scarlet fever is a common infectious disease in children, usually caused by Streptococcus pyogenes. It is a notifiable disease and Public Health England is involved in the recording of outbreaks and monitoring of characteristics of strains of the disease. The 2013–14 season had the highest number of notifications for a quarter of a century, and there has been a great deal of media interest in the rise of the disease. Most mild cases of scarlet fever will clear up on their own, but the child may be infectious for up to 2 weeks post-infection. In other cases, antibiotics will be prescribed. Health visitors should have an understanding of the signs and symptoms of scarlet fever and when to refer children to general practice, and should be able to support parents in managing their child's illness.
Breastfeeding survey results released
Authors: Murphy Madeleine
Published: August 2015

A global survey has revealed how some mothers feel about breastfeeding support, and some of the reasons they may choose to initiate, sustain or discontinue breastfeeding.
Fully Automated Ultrasensitive Digital Immunoassay for Cardiac Troponin I Based on Single Molecule Array Technology
Authors: Jarolim Petr , Patel Purvish P , Conrad Michael J , Chang Lei , Melenovsky Vojtech , Wilson David H
Published: August 2015

BACKGROUND

The association between increases in cardiac troponin and adverse cardiac outcomes is well established. There is a growing interest in exploring routine cardiac troponin monitoring as a potential early indicator of adverse heart health trends. Prognostic use of cardiac troponin measurements requires an assay with very high sensitivity and outstanding analytical performance. We report development and preliminary validation of an investigational assay meeting these requirements and demonstrate its applicability to cohorts of healthy individuals and patients with heart failure.

METHODS

On the basis of single molecule array technology, we developed a 45-min immunoassay for cardiac troponin I (cTnI) for use on a novel, fully automated digital analyzer. We characterized its analytical performance and measured cTnI in healthy individuals and heart failure patients in a preliminary study of assay analytical efficacy.

RESULTS

The assay exhibited a limit of detection of 0.01 ng/L, a limit of quantification of 0.08 ng/L, and a total CV of 10% at 2.0 ng/L. cTnI concentrations were well above the assay limit of detection for all samples tested, including samples from healthy individuals. cTnI was significantly higher in heart failure patients, and exhibited increasing median and interquartile concentrations with increasing New York Heart Association classification of heart failure severity.

CONCLUSIONS

The robust 2-log increase in sensitivity relative to contemporary high-sensitivity cardiac troponin immunoassays, combined with full automation, make this assay suitable for exploring cTnI concentrations in cohorts of healthy individuals and for the potential prognostic application of serial cardiac troponin measurements in both apparently healthy and diseased individuals.
An investigation of the effects of the mathematics sources of self-efficacy on talented students' mathematics anxiety
Authors: Yurt Eyüp , Kurnaz Ahmet
Published: August 2015

This study aims to investigate the effects of the sources of self-efficacy in mathematics on gifted students' mathematics anxiety. The participants of this study are 260 seventh grade gifted students, who attend science and art centers located in Adana, Bursa, Çorum, Elazığ, İzmir, İzmit, Kayseri, Konya, Manisa and Salihli. Of all the participants, 51.50 % were female (n=134) and 48.50 % were male (n=126). The Sources of Self-Efficacy in Mathematics Scale was used to determine students' sources of self-efficacy in mathematics and the Mathematics Anxiety Scale was used to determine their levels of mathematics anxiety. The data were analyzed through multiple linear regressions. The results showed that of all the sources of self-efficacy in mathematics, namely personal experiences, vicarious experiences, social persuasions and physiological states, only personal experiences had a significant effect on gifted students' levels of mathematics anxiety. The sources of self-efficacy in mathematics were found to account for about 48% of variance in gifted students' levels of mathematics anxiety. The findings were discussed in the light of theoretical framework.
Harmful Upward Line Extensions: Can the Launch of Premium Products Result in Competitive Disadvantages?
Authors: Caldieraro Fabio , Kao Ling-Jing , Cunha Marcus
Published: August 2015

Companies often extend product lines with the goal of increasing demand for their products and responding to competitive threats. Although line extensions may lead to cannibalization and reduction of overall profit, the bulk of theoretical and empirical research has suggested that product line extensions result in a net gain of overall demand and market share. To mitigate cannibalization, the extant literature prescribes the addition of premium versions of products, or “upward line extensions,” with the intention of achieving gains not only in demand and market share but also in overall profit. In this research, the authors employ analytical and empirical methods to make the case that upward line extensions aimed at matching a competing product's attribute may lead consumers to reassess their perceptions about the brand and the attributes of products in the market in a way that erodes the advantages of the extending firm. Ultimately, this can result in a loss of demand, market share, and profit for the extending firm.
The Effect of Electronic Word of Mouth on Sales: A Meta-Analytic Review of Platform, Product, and Metric Factors
Authors: Babić Rosario Ana , Sotgiu Francesca , De Valck Kristine , Bijmolt Tammo H.A.
Published: August 2015

The increasing amount of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) has significantly affected the way consumers make purchase decisions. Empirical studies have established an effect of eWOM on sales but disagree on which online platforms, products, and eWOM metrics moderate this effect. The authors conduct a meta-analysis of 1,532 effect sizes across 96 studies covering 40 platforms and 26 product categories. On average, eWOM is positively correlated with sales (.091), but its effectiveness differs across platform, product, and metric factors. For example, the effectiveness of eWOM on social media platforms is stronger when eWOM receivers can assess their own similarity to eWOM senders, whereas these homophily details do not influence the effectiveness of eWOM for e-commerce platforms. In addition, whereas eWOM has a stronger effect on sales for tangible goods new to the market, the product life cycle does not moderate the eWOM effectiveness for services. With respect to the eWOM metrics, eWOM volume has a stronger impact on sales than eWOM valence. In addition, negative eWOM does not always jeopardize sales, but high variability does.
Health Creates Wealth? The use of Nutrition Claims and Firm Financial Performance
Authors: Cao Zixia , Yan Ruiliang
Published: August 2015

Prior research has investigated consumers’ perceptions of nutritional information but does not detail how the use of nutrition claims on product packages maybe associated with a manufacturer's financial performance. Using data from 38 firms, the authors find evidence that a firm's stock market performance and sales relate significantly and positively to both the degree of nutritional emphasis and the specificity of nutrition claims on product packages but relate negatively to the diversity of nutrition claims the company uses across its products. The findings provide important managerial implications to help businesses obtain financial gains through the use of nutrition claims. They also suggest that aligning the labeling policy could be a profitable long-term route for marketers, and it is necessary for policy makers to pay attention to firm performance. The insights regarding the economic benefits of using nutrition claims from a marketing–finance perspective provide further implications for policy makers to encourage firms to offer nutritious products and make nutrition information more accessible for consumers.
Some Fine Properties of BV Functions on Wiener Spaces
Authors: Ambrosio Luigi , Miranda Jr. Michele , Pallara Diego
Published: August 2015

In this paper we define jump set and approximate limits for BV functions on Wiener spaces and
show that the weak gradient admits a decomposition similar to the finite dimensional case. We also define
the SBV class of functions of special bounded variation and give a characterisation of SBV via a chain rule and
a closure theorem. We also provide a characterisation of BV functions in terms of the short-time behaviour
of the Ornstein-Uhlenbeck semigroup following an approach due to Ledoux.
Regularity of stable solutions to semilinear elliptic equations on Riemannian models
Authors: Castorina Daniele , Sanchón Manel
Published: August 2015

We consider the reaction-diffusion problem -Δ
g

u = f(u) in ℬ
R
with zero
Dirichlet boundary condition, posed in a geodesic ball ℬ
R
with radius
R of a Riemannian model (M,g). This class of Riemannian manifolds includes the
classical space forms, i.e., the Euclidean, elliptic, and hyperbolic spaces.
For the class of semistable solutions we prove radial symmetry and monotonicity.
Furthermore, we establish L
∞, Lp
, and W
1,p
estimates which are optimal and do not
depend on the nonlinearity f. As an application, under standard assumptions on the nonlinearity
λf(u), we prove that the corresponding extremal solution u*
is bounded whenever
n ≤ 9. To establish the optimality of our regularity results we find the extremal solution
for some exponential and power nonlinearities using an improved weighted Hardy inequality.
Solvable subclasses of a class of nonlinear second-order difference equations
Authors: Stević Stevo
Published: August 2015

We present some solvable subclasses of the class of nonlinear second-order difference equations of the form
A
x

n+1 + B
x

n+1
xn
+ C
xn

x

n-1 + G
x

n+1
x

n-1 + D
xn
+ E
x

n-1 + F = 0, n ∈ ℕ0,
where the parameters A, B, C, D, E, F, G and the initial values x
-1,x
0 are real numbers. This difference equation is a natural extension of the nonhomogeneous linear second-order difference equation with constant coefficients as well as of the bilinear difference equation with constant coefficients.
Hydrogen effects on fracture of high-strength steels with different micro-alloying
Authors: Todoshchenko Olga , Yagodzinskyy Yuriy , Yagodzinska Valentina , Saukkonen Tapio , Hänninen Hannu
Published: August 2015

Constant load tests of high-strength carbon steels with different micro-alloying using strengths in the range of 1000–1400 MPa were performed at ambient temperature under continuous electrochemical hydrogen charging. Hydrogen markedly affects delayed fracture of all the studied steels. Fractography of the studied steels shows that fracture mechanism depends on the chemical composition of the studied steels and hydrogen-induced cracking exhibits intergranular or transgranular character occurring often in the form of hydrogen flakes. The size and chemical composition of non-metallic inclusions are analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Hydrogen-induced cracking initiates at TiN/TiC particles in steels with Ti alloying. Crack paths are studied with electron backscatter diffraction mapping to analyze crack initiation and growth. The thermal desorption spectroscopy method is used to analyze the distribution of hydrogen in the trapping sites. The mechanisms of hydrogen effects on fracture of high-strength steels are discussed.
Research on mechanical properties of a polymer membrane with a void based on the finite deformation theory
Authors: Sang Jianbing , Xing Sufang , Tian Hongyan , Wang Jingyuan , Zhou Jing
Published: August 2015

Polymer membrane structures with voids can be fractured due to larger deformation and stress concentration with the effect of an externally applied load, which can lead to failure localization and crack propagation. With the modified constitutive model from Gao, finite deformation analysis of a polymer membrane containing a void has been researched. By deducing the basic governing equation for solving the problem, the paper figures out the stress distribution of different constitutive parameters and discusses the effects on membrane deformation by different parameters and the reasons for the failure of the membrane. The results show that the constitutive parameter n has a major impact on the mechanical properties of a polymer membrane with a void, which provides a reference for the design of polymer membranes.
Simultaneous utilization of soju industrial waste for silica production and its residue ash as effective cationic dye adsorbent
Authors: Bhima Arun Naidu , Park Jung-Hee , Cho Min , Yi Young-Joo , Oh Sae-Gang , Park Yool-Jin , Lovanh Nanh , Kamala-Kannan Seralathan , Oh Byung-Taek
Published: August 2015

Soju industrial waste is an important biomass resource. The present study aimed to utilize soju industrial waste for silica extraction, and residual ash (RA) as a low cost adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. A high percentage of pure amorphous nanosilica was obtained from soju industrial waste ash by the acid dissolution-precipitation process. The synthesized nanosilica and the RA were characterized well using various techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and field-emission electron microscopy with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The amorphous nature of nanosilica and its 99% purity were confirmed by XRD and EDS profiles, respectively. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) micrographs show the nano range (14–18 nm) of synthesized silica. The adsorption capacity of RA was evaluated as a function of initial dye concentration, pH, and contact time. The sorption equilibrium data were modeled with isotherms; the Langmuir isotherm model fits well with maximum monolayer adsorption capacity of 232.5 mg/g at 30°C. The adsorption kinetics was best fitted with the pseudo-second-order model, suggesting that chemisorption plays a significant role in the adsorption process. The results showed that soju industrial waste is a potential waste for silica extraction and that its byproducts are effective adsorbents.
Composite materials derived from biodegradable starch polymer and Atriplex halimus fibers
Authors: Boudjema Hayet Latifa , Bendaikha Hayet
Published: August 2015

Biocomposites from starch and cellulose fibers have gained renewed interest as environmentally friendly materials and as biodegradable renewable resources for a sustainable development. In this study, natural fibers were extracted from a Mediterranean saltbush (Atriplex halimus) plant found abundantly in North Africa. The composites were prepared by a solution casting method from corn starch using 0–15 wt.% of micro-cellulose fibers as a filler. The structure of the composites was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The physical properties of the composites were determined by mechanical tensile tests, thermogravimetric analysis and water absorption. The results showed that higher fiber content raised the elastic modulus by 92% and the temperature of degradation by up to 355°C. Optical microscopy revealed a good adhesion between the matrix and the fibers owing to their chemical similarities. Water uptake measurements showed that the composites had a much better water resistance and a more hydrophobic character than pure thermoplastic starch films. Biodegradability tests confirmed that the prepared composites are an environmentally safe material suited for different applications.
n-dimensional quintic and sextic functional equations and their stabilities in Felbin type spaces
Authors: Narasimman Pasupathi , Rassias John M. , Ravi Krishnan
Published: August 2015

In this paper, we derive general solution of new n-dimensional quintic and sextic functional equations and investigate the Hyers–Ulam stability, Hyers–Ulam–Rassias stability and generalized Hyers–Ulam–Rassias stability for quintic and sextic functional equations in Felbin type fuzzy normed linear spaces. Also, we give the counter examples for the Hyers–Ulam–Rassias stability of quintic and sextic functional equations for some cases.
Physical self-esteem and personality traits in Swedish physically inactive female high school students: an intervention study
Authors: Kahlin Yvonne , Werner Suzanne , Edman Gunnar , Raustorp Anders , Alricsson Marie
Published: August 2015

Background:

Physical activity provides fundamental health benefits and plays a positive role in physical well-being. The aim of this present study was to investigate whether a 6-month physical activity program could influence physical self-esteem and frequency of physical activity in physically inactive female high school students in short- and long-term periods and whether personality traits were related to physical activity behaviour and compliance with the program.

Methods:

The study was a cluster-randomised controlled intervention study including 104 physically inactive female high school students aged 16–19 years, 60 females in an intervention group and 44 females in a control group. The intervention group exercised at sport centres at least once per week during a 6-month period. Questionnaires were used for evaluation.

Results:

At a 6-month follow up, the intervention group improved physical self-perception in all subdomains and significantly improved physical condition, physical self-worth and self-related health compared to the control group. At 1-year follow up, 25 females out of 53 females were still physically active, and all ratings remained almost the same as at the 6-month follow up. There were no particular personality traits that were dominant in the groups.

Conclusion:

A 6-month physical activity program can positively influence physical self-esteem and the frequency of physical activity, both from a short- and long-term perspective.
Health concerns of adolescents in Tehran, Iran
Authors: Baheiraei Azam , Khoori Elham , Weiler Robert M. , Ahmadi Fazlollah , Foroshani Abbas Rahimi , Ghofranipour Fazlollah
Published: August 2015

Background:

Adolescent health concerns are an important source of information that should be considered when planning school and community health promotion policies, programs and services. Adolescence is a critical period of human development and the health concerns of adolescents can point to important issues that may be eclipsed by epidemiologic and other clinical sources of information. This study aimed to assess the health concerns of adolescents living in Tehran, Iran and to examine associations between selected demographics and the health concerns reported by participants.

Methods:

This study was a population-based cross-sectional survey in 2011. Data were collected from a stratified random cluster sample of 915 adolescents, aged 14–18 years, living in Tehran, using the Persian version of the Adolescent Health Concern Inventory (AHCI-P). The data were analyzed using the χ2, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests and logistic regression analysis.

Results:

The mean numbers of health concerns in girls and boys were 48 (±27.6) and 44.5 (±27.4) respectively. The highest ranking health concern subscale for both girls and boys was The Future, and “being successful” was endorsed as the most prominent concern in the subscale. Female (OR: 1.42, CI 95%: 1.08–1.87), mother’s educational level (OR: 2.23, CI 95%: 1.07–4.65) and living in northern (OR: 1.76, CI 95%: 1.13–2.74) and western (OR: 2.02, CI 95%: 1.30–3.16) regions of Tehran were significant predictors of a higher level of health concerns.

Conclusion:

Findings can be used to inform school and public health promotion policies, programs and supportive services designed to improve the overall health and well-being of adolescents.
Diet quality and physical activity in relation to childhood obesity
Authors: An Ruopeng
Published: August 2015

Objective:

Healthy lifestyles such as being physically active and eating a healthy diet help reduce the childhood obesity risk. However, population-level studies on the relationship between lifestyles and childhood obesity typically focus on either physical activity or diet but seldom both. This study examined physical activity and diet quality in relation to obesity in a nationally representative sample of U.S. children and adolescents.

Methods:

The study sample of 2818 children 6–17 years old came from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2006 waves. A healthy eating index (HEI)-2010 was constructed based on two nonconsecutive 24-h dietary recalls. Participants at or above the 60th percentile of the HEI-2010 score were classified as consuming a healthy diet. Participants engaging in at least 60 min of moderate-vigorous physical activity daily measured by accelerometer were classified as being physically active. Adjusted average marginal effect of diet quality and physical activity on obesity was calculated based on estimates from logistic regressions.

Results:

Compared with those consuming a healthy diet who are physically active, the estimated probabilities for overweight and obesity were 19.03 (95% confidence interval: 11.31, 26.74) and 15.84 (10.48, 21.21) percentage points higher among children consuming an unhealthy diet and who are physically inactive, 16.53 (7.58, 25.48) and 13.48 (5.68, 21.29) percentage points higher among children consuming a healthy diet but who are physically inactive and 3.22 (−3.43, 9.88) and 3.10 (−3.08, 9.29) percentage points higher among children consuming an unhealthy diet but physically active, respectively.

Conclusion:

Healthy habit formation at an early age is essential in obesity prevention.
Neuroprotective effect of hydroxy safflor yellow A against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats: putative role of mPTP
Authors: Ramagiri Sruthi , Taliyan Rajeev
Published: August 2015

Background: Hydroxy safflor yellow A (HSYA) has been translated clinically for cardiovascular diseases. HSYA is also greatly acknowledged for its protective effects against cerebral ischemic-reperfusion (I/R) injury. Although the precise mechanism of cerebral I/R injury is not fully understood, oxygen-derived free radicals and mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) opening during I/R injury are widely recognized as an important contributor to neuronal injury. Thus, we speculated that the neuroprotective effects of HSYA against cerebral I/R injury may be associated with mPTP modulation.

Methods: Induction of I/R injury was achieved by 60 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion, followed by reperfusion for 24 h. For behavior and cognitive assessment, neurological scoring (NSS), rotarod, and Y-maze task were performed. Oxidative damage was measured in terms of markers such as malondialdehyde, reduced glutathione, and catalase levels and cerebral infarct volumes were quantified using 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolinium chloride staining. I/R injury-induced inflammation was determined using tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels.

Results: Animals exposed to I/R injury showed neurological severity, functional and cognitive disability, elevated oxidative markers, and TNF-α levels along with large infarct volumes. HSYA treatment during onset of reperfusion ameliorated performance in NSS, rotarod and Y-maze attenuated oxidative damage, TNF-α levels, and infarction rate. However, treatment with carboxyatractyloside, an mPTP opener, 20 min before HSYA, attenuated the protective effect of HSYA.

Conclusions: Our study confirmed that protective effect of HSYA may be conferred through its free radical scavenger action followed by inhibiting the opening of mPTP during reperfusion and HSYA might act as a promising therapeutic agent against cerebral I/R injury.
Immune response modulatory effect of Emilia sonchifolia (L.) DC: an in vivo experimental study
Authors: Gilcy George K. , Kuttan Girija
Published: August 2015

Background: This study was performed in order to provide a scientific basis for the conventional use of Emilia sonchifolia in the traditional Indian Ayurvedic medicine possibly through modulation of the host immune defense.

Methods:
Emilia sonchifolia methanolic extract (25 mg/kg body weight) was administered intraperitoneally in mice, and hematological parameters, relative organ weights, bone marrow cellularity, and α-esterase activity were assessed. Humoral immune response was evaluated by hemagglutinating antibody (HA) titer and plaque forming cell (PFC) assay. Blastogenesis assays of lymphoid organs were done in the presence and absence of various mitogens such as phytohemagglutinin, concanavalin A, pokeweed mitogen, and lipopolysaccharide. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) production was assessed by Winn’s neutralization test. The levels of cytokines interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) were evaluated by ELISA.

Results:
Emilia sonchifolia significantly enhanced the total white blood cell count (9995±535 cells/mm3), bone marrow cellularity, α-esterase activity, and weight of lymphoid organs (p<0.001). The effect on humoral immune response was evident from the enhanced HA titer and increased number of PFCs (p<0.001). The blastogenic effects of mitogens were also stimulated to significant levels by E. sonchifolia treatment. Emilia sonchifolia treatment augmented cell-mediated immune response by enhancing the killing activity of CTLs and by enhanced production of IL-2 and IFN-γ.

Conclusions: From these results, it was very evident that E. sonchifolia, an indigenous medicinal plant, is a potent immune response modulator, and the present report is so far the first study to demonstrate the immunoregulatory activity of E. sonchifolia.
Land Use/Cover Change at Infraz Watershed, Northwestren Ethiopia
Authors: Sewnet Amare
Published: August 2015

Land cover is the physical and biological cover of the surface whereas land use covers the results of human activities for the exploitation of it. The land cover and landuse change is caused by both, natural and anthropogenic factors. The objective of this study was to detect land cover/use changes in Infraz Watershed. The study has used ArcGIS10 and ERDAS IMAGINE10, landsat images of 1973, 1986, 1995 and 2011 and socio-economic data to analyze land cover and landuse changes of Infraz watershed. The study has found that due to the population increase and improper agricultural activity bush and wetlands have declined where as farm and settlement lands expanded between the study years. About 1044 wetlands and 6338.7 ha of bush lands were lost and converted to cultivated and farm lands, grass lands and forest covers which were increased by 6685.3, 357.7 and 338.3 ha between the study periods respectively. There is an urgent need to limit the population growth rate and implementing land use policy in the Infraz watershed.
Effects of methylphenidate on appetite and growth in children diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Gurbuz Fatih , Gurbuz Berrak Bilginer , Celik Gonca Gul , Yildirim Veli , Ucakturk Seyit Ahmet , Seydaoglu Gulsah , Ucakturk Eda Mengen , Topaloglu Ali Kemal , Yuksel Bilgin
Published: August 2015

The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of leptin, ghrelin, and nesfatin-1 to elucidate the causes of poor appetite and growth retardation in patients receiving methylphenidate therapy for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The study was performed on 89 male subjects; 48 patients and 41 healthy controls, aged 7–14 years. Following treatment, patients’ leptin levels increased and ghrelin levels decreased while no significant change was found in nesfatin-1 levels. Of the 48 patients, 34 developed lack of appetite. In patients who developed lack of appetite, body weight SDS, body mass index (BMI), and BMI SDS were statistically significantly reduced; moreover, height SDS was reduced, though not to a statistically significant extent. This study attempted to elucidate the mechanisms that mediate the association between methylphenidate and appetite and growth, for which no studies have yet to be published.
Topical dihydrotestosterone to treat micropenis secondary to partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS) before, during, and after puberty – a case series
Authors: Becker David , Wain Lisa M. , Chong Yih Harng , Gosai Sonal J. , Henderson Nina K. , Milburn Jacqui , Stott Victoria , Wheeler Benjamin J.
Published: August 2015

X-linked partial androgen insensitivity syndrome (PAIS) causes under-virilization at all stages of development. In two thirds of males, this results in micropenis. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a potent androgen that is critical for male genital development, which when applied topically, has been shown to increase penile length with micropenis of varying etiologies. We present the first case series using topical DHT gel to treat micropenis in 46,XY males with PAIS, before, during, and after puberty.

Three related 46,XY males with confirmed p.L712F androgen receptor mutations exhibited varying degrees of micropenis post-surgical correction. They were of pre-pubertal, peri-pubertal and adult ages, respectively. Following baseline clinical and laboratory assessments all completed a 4-month course of daily DHT gel 2.5% (androstanolone) topically to penis (0.3 mg/kg body weight), with monitoring for adverse effects. Primary outcome was change in stretched penile length (SPL) following treatment.

Mixed results were obtained following topical DHT therapy. In the pre- and peri- pubertal patients, SPL changed from 2.5 cm to 3.5 cm (+40%), and 3.5 cm to 5.7 cm (+63%), respectively. In the adult patient with 1 year of prior high-dose weekly testosterone therapy, no additional change in SPL was seen. No adverse effects of topical DHT were reported or observed throughout the 4 months of treatment.

Topical DHT treatment appears to be a safe and well-tolerated method of virilising micropenis both prior to and during puberty in children with PAIS. Questions remain about long-term outcomes into adulthood, and efficacy in adults with prior lengthy exposure to high-dose testosterone.
The performance and morphology of PMMA/SAN/ABS blends
Authors: Chen Dan , Zhu Fupeng , Zhou Tingting , Zhang Mingyao , Zhang Huixuan
Published: August 2015

Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) graft copolymers were synthesized via seeded emulsion polymerization techniques by grafting styrene (St) and acrylonitrile (AN) on polybutadiene (PB) particles. Poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)/styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN)/ABS blends were prepared by melt blending ABS graft copolymers with PMMA and SAN resins. The properties, morphology and grafted chains behaviors of PMMA/SAN/ABS blends were investigated. The results showed that with the increase of the ratio of PMMA/SAN, the toughness of PMMA/SAN/ABS blends slightly decreased, the transmittance first increased and then decreased, and tensile strength was not dependent on the ratio of PMMA/SAN. The evolution of impact strength of the blends was similar with the tendency of grafted degree (GD) with the increase of cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) and tert-dodecyl mercaptan (TDDM). From transmission electron microscopy (TEM), it was found that ABS graft copolymers were uniformly dispersed in PMMA/SAN matrix.
Possible application of lead sulfide quantum dot in memory device
Authors: Sarma Sweety
Published: August 2015

Unipolar resistive switching behavior was observed in the as-fabricated Al/PVA/PbS QD/ITO device with R
OFF/R
ON ratio of 3.15×103 with retentivity for prolonged time and repeatability of hysteresis loops. Schottky emission mechanism dominates conduction mechanism in low-resistance state and high-resistance state of the device. Unipolar resistive switching behavior observed in the device is attributed to Coulomb blockade. The observed characteristic in the device points toward possible application of PbS QDs in memory device.
Studies on the structural, thermal, and dielectric properties of fabricated Nylon 6,9/CaCu3Ti4O12 nanocomposites
Authors: Ernest Ravindran Ramaswami Sachidanandan , Thomas Paramanandam , Renganathan Sahadevan
Published: August 2015

Nylon 6,9/CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO) nanocrystal composites with relatively high dielectric permittivity (220 at 100 Hz) were fabricated by melt mixing followed by hot pressing. The CCTO nanoceramics were synthesized using the oxalate precursor route, and the transmission electron microscopy studies exhibited that the crystallites are in the range of 20–200 nm. The nanocomposites were characterized using X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, and impedance analyzer to study their structural, thermal, and dielectric properties. The introduction of CCTO nanoparticles into the matrix had influenced the thermal properties. The effective dielectric permittivity of the nanocomposite increased by the augmentation of CCTO content in the Nylon 6,9. Our experimental outcomes showed that the fixed dielectric permittivity of such two-phase composite was established above 200 when the CCTO concentration was closer to its percolation threshold. The room temperature dielectric permittivity as high as 220 at 100 Hz has been achieved when the CCTO content increased to 58 vol% in the polymer and this was increased to 3845 at 150°C. The increase in AC conductivity with the increase in the CCTO content in the polymer matrix supported the hopping of the charge carrier conduction mechanism.
Construction of polypropylene composite multifilaments filled with sodium perborate trihydrate-treated jute microparticles
Authors: Seki Yasemin , Akşit Aysun , Erdoğan Umit Halis
Published: August 2015

Polypropylene composite multifilaments filled with surface-treated jute microparticles were successfully spun by melt spinning. To enhance the particle distribution, jute particleos were treated with 5–20% (w/v) aqueous solutions of sodium perborate trihydrate (SP). X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to confirm the surface treatment. XPS analysis indicated that the treatments improved the hydrophobicity of the jute by means of increasing the carbon/oxygen ratio of the surface; thus, the maximum increment was achieved after 10% (w/v) SP treatment. After determining the optimum SP concentration, the spinning of polypropylene composite multifilaments containing 0.3–1.4 wt% jute particles was employed. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) revealed the nucleating agent effect of the particles during crystallization in the filaments. The addition of fillers did not result in significant changes in the functional groups of polypropylene. The main output of this research is that polypropylene multifilaments incorporating 1.4 wt% jute particles presented the highest moisture absorption and hydrophilic character as determined by TGA, moisture content, and vertical wicking tests. It was concluded that particle content >0.3 wt% showed a tendency to agglomerate in the filament. Consequently, this study provided a new polypropylene filament having moisture absorbability performance, which can create potential applications in the textile industry.
Surface modification of diamond and its effect on the mechanical properties of diamond/epoxy composites
Authors: Wang Junsha , Wan Long , Hao Suye , Chen Jing
Published: August 2015

This work contributes to the extant literature by providing experimental results showing an improvement in the interfacial adhesion between diamond and epoxy resin by modifying the surface properties of diamond using KH550 silane coupling agent in (i) aqueous alcohol solvent (KH550:H2O:C2H5OH=1:1:8) and (ii) toluene solvent (KH550:C7H8=1:9), and the weight ratio of diamond to the above-mixed solution was 1:4. This in turn has been demonstrated to provide improved mechanical properties of the corresponding diamond/resin composite material synthesized from this study. The results obtained from this study were analyzed by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectra, field emission scanning electron microscopy. and scanning electron microscopy. Besides these examinations, bend strength and hardness tests were also conducted, which lend further credence to this study. Finally, toluene solvent was observed to provide better adhesion at the interface of diamond and epoxy resin, and consequently, this resulted in improved bend strength of the corresponding diamond/resin composite by 14.3%.
The superior ductility of fine SiCp/Al2014 composites after extrusion
Authors: Zhang Long-Jiang , Qiu Feng , Wang Jin-Guo , Jiang Qi-Chuan
Published: August 2015

This paper studied the effect of extrusion on the microstructures and tensile properties of 4 vol.% 5 μm SiCp/Al2014 composites fabricated by stir casting. It has been found that extrusion could refine the α-Al grains, increase the distributed homogeneity of SiC particles, decrease the porosity of the composites, and improve the interfacial bonding strength. The tensile properties, especially the ductility, of the fine SiCp/Al2014 composites were significantly improved by extrusion. Compared with the as-cast 4 vol.% 5 μm SiCp/Al2014 composites, the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and fracture strain of the extruded composites increased from 242 MPa, 367 MPa, and 3.8% to 304 MPa, 530 MPa, and 11.2%, which were increased by 25.6%, 44.4%, and 195%, respectively.
The effect of hydroxyapatite reinforcement and preparation methods on the structure and mechanical properties of Mg-HA composites
Authors: Kubásek Jiří , Vojtěch Dalibor , Maixner Jaroslav , Dvorský Drahomír
Published: August 2015

Magnesium composites with suitable reinforcement such as hydroxyapatite (HA) or tricalcium phosphate can offer improved mechanical and also biological properties, which points to them as possible candidates in medicine as biodegradable materials. The present paper deals with structure and mechanical properties of Mg-xHA (x=0, 2, 5, 10 wt.%) composites prepared from coarse Mg powder and nanoparticles of HA. Different preparation methods (milling, stamping, extrusion, spark plasma sintering) and process temperatures are combined to avoid the creation of agglomerates in structure and to reach improved mechanical properties. Hardness, compressive and three-point bending tests are performed for material characterization. On the basis of these results, authors confirm the clear effect of the volume fraction of reinforcement in composite on final properties, but authors also show even stronger effect of the preparation method on the mechanical properties of Mg-HA composites. Measured properties of selected final products, which reached about 500 MPa in ultimate compressive strength and flexural strength, slightly exceed values reported in literature and fulfil general requirements on mechanical properties for applications in medicine such as bone fixations.