bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CAMELS-based Determinants for the Credit Rating of Turkish Deposit Banks
Authors: Yuksel Serhat , Dincer Hasan , Hacioglu Umit
Published: March 2016

This paper demonstrates the relationship between CAMELS ratios and credit ratings of deposit banks in Turkey. Annual data was used for the period between 2004 and 2014 in this study. Moreover, 20 deposit banks of Turkey were analyzed and 21 different ratios of CAMELS components were used. In addition to that, credit ratings of these banks were provided from Moody’s corporation or annual activity reports of the banks. After that, we created multi nominal logistic regression analysis in order to illustrate the relationship. The major finding in this study is that three components (Asset Quality, Management Quality, and Sensitivity to Market Risk) of CAMELS have effects on credit ratings whereas the ratios related to Capital Adequacy and Earnings are not effective. As a result, it was recommended that Turkish deposit banks should concentrate on the percentage of fixed assets and interest income to have a better rating. Moreover, having high market share with respect to total assets and lower interest expense are also other important points for this purpose. On the other hand, Turkish deposit banks should control the proportion of financial assets and increase the amount of FX liquid assets to prevent credit ratings to decrease. Additionally, market share of banks for loans should not reach at high level for this objective.
Random Walk Investigation in Indian Market with special reference to S&P Nifty – Fifty Stocks
Authors: Manickam Tamilselvan , Madhumitha R
Published: March 2016

The competence of a financial system is entirely depending upon the stock market efficiency. The gradual growth of equity investor’s participation is inevitable to enrich the overall growth of emerging economies.Hence the necessity is felt to provide an empirical support to the investing community. For the purpose, this study attempts to examine the weak-form efficiency of Indian stock market – National Stock Exchange (NSE). The study has used the daily closing price of the Nifty fifty stocks from 3rdJanuary 2011 to 24thApril 2015. To test the weak form efficiency both parametric and non-parametric tests called Autocorrelation, Augmented Dicky Fuller test, and Runs Test were performed.  The study reveals that 39 stocks of NSE-Nifty Fifty are found to be weak form inefficient, so that the investors can formulate trading strategies to gain abnormal returns. The Index and 10 stocks are found to be weak form efficient during the study period since the price series found to be autocorrelation existence.
An Empirical Study of the Reasons for Resistance to Green Innovations
Authors: Bakhit Wael
Published: March 2016

Energy efficient technologies contributed substantially to reducing greenhouse gases emissions and contribute to economic growth. Lebanon is facing a serious problem in meeting the population’s excessive demand of electricity this fact urged consumers to lower electricity consumption and seriously rely on alternative energy sources. One of the mature technologies is the Solar Water Heater (SWH), which is considered a key element in shaping households’ demand for electricity and reducing electricity bills. In this paper, SWHs are considered as an environmental innovation. In the Lebanese market, SWH have received considerable attention through implementation of various national initiatives to boost the up-take of this type of micro-generation technology. Regardless of various initiatives, adoption of this technology still has low levels in several Lebanese regions. The aim of this study is to identify and analyze consumers’ resistance to green innovations; particularly studying SWH. The paper relies on the Innovation Resistance Theory to better identify the resistance process that consumers pass through. Data were collected from 150 households in the North region of Lebanon through self-administered questionnaire. The results were analyzed using Cronbach’s alpha for reliability and linear regression analysis. The current study indicated that value and tradition factors had significant impact on consumers’ resistance to innovations. Finally, the author calls for research on resistance of other kinds of green innovations in order to validate the ability of Innovation Resistance Theory to explain resistance of energy efficient technologies.Economic growth; Consumers; Innovation Resistance Theory; Green innovations; Solar Water Heaters.
Competition and Concentration in Bangladeshi Banking Sector
Authors: Repon Anwar Hossain , Islam Zahidul
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the market structure and degree of concentration of Bangladeshi banking industry. The study measured market concentration by using widely recognized measures like k-bank concentration ratio and Herfindahl-Hirchman Index (HHI). It evaluates market structure by applying Panzar-Rosse Model over 8 years period from 2006 to 2013. The result of concentration measures indicates a decreasing trend and low level of market concentration in Bangladeshi banking industry over the sample period. The panzer-Rosse “H-Statistic” suggests that banks in Bangladesh are operating under monopolistic competition. Present paper contributes to a burgeoning literature on banking competition that has evolved significantly over the past periods on a developing country perspective like Bangladesh.
Analysis of FDA-Approved Orthopaedic Devices and Their Recalls
Authors: Day Charles S. , Park David J. , Rozenshteyn Frederick S. , Owusu-Sarpong Nana , Gonzalez Aldebarani
Published: March 2016

Background:

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) evaluates medical devices by two main pathways. The more stringent Premarket Approval (PMA) review requires clinical trials, and the Premarket Notification 510(k) process generally exempts devices from clinical trials if they prove to be substantially equivalent to existing devices. We hypothesized that orthopaedic devices are more likely to be cleared through the 510(k) process and thus are more susceptible to being recalled.

Methods:

Using the FDA’s public database, we searched for the following: PMA and 510(k) clearances for orthopaedics and non-orthopaedic specialties, including General & Plastic Surgery, Gastroenterology/Urology, Obstetrics/Gynecology, and Ear Nose & Throat, from 1992 to 2012. Additionally, we searched for all device recall events from 2002 to 2012. For the top-twenty recall companies, we calculated the odds ratio that compares the likelihood of recall for 510(k)-approved devices with that for PMA-approved devices.

Results:

From 1992 to 2012, the proportion of non-orthopaedic devices cleared via the 510(k) process decreased from 91% to 53%. However, that of orthopaedic devices decreased only from 94% to 88%. Furthermore, we found that from 2002 to 2012, the percentage of recalled devices was 17.8% for 510(k)-cleared devices and 1.6% for PMA-approved devices. When stratified on the basis of recall class, the odds ratios were 3.5 for class-I devices, 13.2 for class-II devices, and 8.5 for class-III devices.

Conclusions:

Given that 510(k)-cleared devices were 11.5 times more likely to be recalled than PMA-approved devices, it is concerning that most orthopaedic devices are cleared through the 510(k) process with limited clinical trials data.

Clinical Relevance:

When orthopaedic surgeons are considering using a new device clinically in their patients, it is important for them to consider how the new device was approved by the FDA. If the device was approved by the 510(k) pathway, then it may have been approved without additional clinical studies confirming efficacy or safety.
A Vessel-Preserving Surgical Hip Dislocation Through a Modified Posterior Approach
Authors: Sculco Peter K. , Lazaro Lionel E. , Su Edwin P. , Klinger Craig E. , Dyke Jonathan P. , Helfet David L. , Lorich Dean G.
Published: March 2016

Background:

Surgical hip dislocation allows circumferential access to the femoral head and acetabulum and is utilized in the treatment of intra-articular hip disorders. Surgical hip dislocation is currently performed with a trochanteric osteotomy that reliably preserves the femoral head arterial supply; however, trochanteric nonunion or painful hardware requiring removal may occur. In a cadaveric model, using gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and gross dissection, we evaluated whether modifications to the posterior approach preserve the femoral head arterial supply after a posterior surgical hip dislocation.

Methods:

In eight fresh-frozen pelvic specimens, a surgical hip dislocation was performed through the posterolateral approach with modifications in the tenotomy of the short external rotators and a capsulotomy designed to preserve the medial femoral circumflex artery (MFCA). Modifications included tenotomies of the quadratus femoris, conjoined tendon of the short external rotators, and obturator externus made 2.5 cm medial to their insertion on the greater trochanter and a T-type capsulotomy originating below the cut edge of the obturator externus tendon and continuing circumferentially along the acetabular rim. After hip dislocation, the MFCA was cannulated and MRI scans were acquired before and after gadolinium enhancement for evaluation of femoral head perfusion, with the contralateral hip, which was left intact, used as a control. Anatomic gross dissection was performed after the injection of polyurethane in the MFCA and confirmed MFCA vessel integrity.

Results:

Quantitative MRI showed that the operatively treated hip retained a mean perfusion (and standard deviation) of 95.6% ± 9.7% in the femoral head and 94.7% ± 21.5% in the femoral head-neck junction compared with the control hip (p = 0.66 and p = 0.85, respectively). Dissection after polyurethane injection confirmed that the superior retinacular and inferior retinacular arteries entering the femoral head were intact in all specimens.

Conclusions:

In a cadaveric model using gadolinium-enhanced MRI, we found that standardized modifications to the posterior approach, specifically with regard to the location of the short external rotator tenotomy and capsulotomy, successfully preserved the femoral head arterial supply after posterior surgical hip dislocation.

Clinical Relevance:

While further research is necessary before these modifications can be recommended for widespread clinical use, the results of this study suggest the extracapsular vascular anatomy can be safely preserved during posterior surgical hip dislocation.
Quality Measures in Upper Limb Surgery
Authors: Kamal Robin N. , Ring David , Akelman Edward , Yao Jeffrey , Ruch David S. , Richard Marc , Ladd Amy , Got Christopher , Blazar Philip , Kakar Sanjeev
Published: March 2016

Background:

Quality measures are now commonplace and are increasingly tied to financial incentives. We reviewed the existing quality measures that address the upper limb and tested the null hypothesis that structure (capacity to deliver care), process (appropriate care), and outcome (the result of care) measures are equally represented.

Methods:

We systematically reviewed MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Clinical Practice Guidelines, the National Quality Forum, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and the Physician Quality Reporting System for quality measures addressing upper limb surgery. Measures were characterized as structure, process, or outcome measures and were categorized according to their developer and their National Strategy for Quality Improvement in Health Care (National Quality Strategy) priority as articulated by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Results:

We identified 134 quality measures addressing the upper limb: 131 (98%) process and three (2%) outcome measures. The majority of the process measures address the National Quality Strategy priority of effective clinical care (90%), with the remainder addressing communication and care coordination (5%), person and caregiver-centered experience and outcomes (4%), and community/population health (1%).

Conclusions:

Our review identified opportunities to develop more measures in the structure and outcome domains as well as measures addressing patient and family engagement, public health, safety, care coordination, and efficient use of resources. The most common existing measures—process measures addressing care—might not be the best measures of upper limb surgery quality given the relative lack of evidence for their use in care improvement.
OP-1 Compared with Iliac Crest Autograft in Instrumented Posterolateral Fusion
Authors: Delawi Diyar , Jacobs Wilco , van Susante Job L.C. , Rillardon Ludovic , Prestamburgo Domenico , Specchia Nicola , Gay Emmanuel , Verschoor Nico , Garcia-Fernandez Carlos , Guerado Enrique , Quarles van Ufford Henriette , Kruyt Moyo C. , Dhert Wouter J.A. , Oner F. Cumhur
Published: March 2016

Background:

Spinal fusion with the use of autograft is a commonly performed procedure. However, harvesting of bone from the iliac crest is associated with complications. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are extensively used as alternatives, often without sufficient evidence of safety and efficacy. The purpose of this study was to investigate non-inferiority of osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1, also known as BMP-7) in comparison with iliac crest bone graft in posterolateral fusions.

Methods:

This study was a randomized, controlled multicenter trial. Patients who underwent a single-level instrumented posterolateral fusion of the lumbar spine for degenerative or isthmic spondylolisthesis with symptoms of neurological compression were randomized to receive OP-1 combined with local bone (OP-1 group) or autologous bone graft from the iliac crest combined with local bone (autograft group). The primary outcome was overall success, defined as a combination of clinical success and evidence of fusion on computed tomography (CT) scans, at one year postoperatively.

Results:

One hundred and nineteen patients were included in the study, and analysis of the overall outcome was performed for 113. Non-inferiority of OP-1 compared with iliac crest autograft was not found at one year, with a success rate of 40% in the OP-1 group versus 54% in the autograft group (risk difference = −13.3%, 90% confidence interval [CI] = −28.6% to +2.10%). This was due to the lower rate of fusion (the primary aim of OP-1 application) seen on the CT scans in the OP-1 group (54% versus 74% in the autograft group, p = 0.03). There were no adverse events that could be directly related to the use of OP-1.

Conclusions:

OP-1 with a collagen carrier was not as effective as autologous iliac crest bone for achieving fusion and cannot be recommended in instrumented posterolateral lumbar fusion procedures.

Level of Evidence:

Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Relative Permeability of Foamy Oil for Different Types of Dissolved Gases
Authors: Bera Achinta , Babadagli Tayfun
Published: March 2016

Foamy-oil flow is encountered not only during the primary stage of the cold-heavy-oil-production (CHOP) process through evolving methane originally in the oil but also in the post-CHOP enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) applications in which different gases are injected and dissolved in heavy oil. Despite remarkable efforts on the physics of foamy oil flow, the mechanics of its flow through porous media is not properly understood yet. This is mainly because of lack of detailed experimental studies at the core scale to clarify the physics of the process and to support numerical-modeling studies. One also should test foamy-oil flow for different types of EOR gases dissolved and evolved at different conditions under pressure depletion.

The objective of the present work is to perform detailed laboratory experiments on foamy-oil flow through porous media. Pressure/volume/temperature (PVT) studies were conducted to determine the actual pressure ranges in the coreflooding experiments in the beginning. After dissolving different gases in dead oil at 400 psi for methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and 112 psi for propane, the oil was injected into a sandpack to saturate it. The solution-gas-drive test was started by opening the outlet valve of the coreholder after reaching equilibrium. To mimic typical post-CHOP EOR conditions with methane, propane, or CO2 injection, the pressure was kept high (400 psi for CO2 and CH4 and 112 psi for propane). The produced oil by solution-gas drive and the gas evolved were monitored by collecting them in a graduated cylinder and a gas cylinder, respectively, while the pressure was recorded by an automatic data-acquisition system. The experimental data provided information about the effect of initial pressure of the depletion test in the amount of oil and gas measured as well as the visual observations of bubble characteristics of the foamy oil. Results showed that, among the three gases, CO2 is a good candidate for foamy oil. Maximum oil recovery [more than 50% of original oil in place (OIP) (OOIP)] was obtained in case of CO2.
Kinetics of soybean oil epoxidation with peracetic acid formed in situ in the presence of an ion exchange resin: Pseudo-homogeneous model
Authors: Jankovic Milovan , Sinadinovic-Fiser Snezana , Govedarica Olga , Pavlicevic Jelena , Budinski-Simendic Jaroslava
Published: March 2016

A kinetic model was proposed for the epoxidation of vegetable oils with peracetic acid formed in situ from acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide in the presence of an acidic ion exchange resin as a catalyst. The model is pseudo-homogeneous with respect to the catalyst. Besides the main reactions of peracetic acid and epoxy ring formation, the model takes into account the side reaction of epoxy ring opening with acetic acid. The partitioning of acetic acid and peracetic acid between the aqueous and organic phases and the change in the phases? volumes during the process were considered. The temperature dependency of the apparent reaction rate coefficients is described by a reparameterized Arrhenius equation. The constants in the proposed model were estimated by fitting the experimental data obtained for the epoxidations of soybean oil conducted under defined reaction conditions. The highest epoxy yield of 87.73% was obtained at 338 K when the mole ratio of oil unsaturation:acetic acid:hydrogen peroxide was 1:0.5:1.35 and when the amount of the catalyst Amberlite IR-120H was 4.04 wt.% of oil. Compared to the other reported pseudo-homogeneous models, the model proposed in this study better correlates the change of double bond and epoxy group contents during the epoxidation process.
LC/DAD determination of biogenic amines in serum of patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic urticaria or Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Authors: Trifunovic-Macedoljan Jelena , Pantelic Nebojsa , Damjanovic Ana , Raskovic Sanvila , Nikolic-Djurovic Marina , Pudar Georgina , Jadranin Milka , Juranic Ivan , Juranic Zorica
Published: March 2016

Biogenic amines are integral part of nearly every cell. In present study, we
used method of acidic extraction of histamine (His), of polyamines putrescine
(Put), spermidine (Spd) and catecholamines epinephrine (Epi) and
norepinephrine (NE) from human serum; precolumn derivatization with dansyl
chloride, and LC/DAD analysis of the biogenic amines, in aim to monitor
differences of their levels in patients with diabetes mellitus, chronic
urticaria, and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, compared to healthy subjects, and to
observe them as possible markers for immune mediated diseases. Method of
retention times was used for determination of serum biogenic amines. We found
statistically significant differences in putrescine and histamine levels in
diabetes mellitus patients; putrescine, histamine, spermidine and epinephrine
levels in chronic urticaria patients compared to healthy controls, and
putrescine and spermidine levels in Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients,
compared to controls. Norepinephrine was found only in serum of patients with
chronic urticaria. The values of recovery, evaluated in controls, varied
between 85.7% and 106.7%. The statistically significant changes in
putrescine, histamine, spermidine and epinephrine levels in patients compared
to healthy people reflects the existence of biochemical disturbances in
mentioned immune-mediated diseases.
Supporting Veterinary Preceptors in a Distributed Model of Education: A Faculty Development Needs Assessment
Authors: Hashizume Cary T. , Hecker Kent G. , Myhre Douglas L. , Bailey Jeremy V. , Lockyer Jocelyn M.
Published: March 2016

Effective faculty development for veterinary preceptors requires knowledge about their learning needs and delivery preferences. Veterinary preceptors at community practice locations in Alberta, Canada, were surveyed to determine their confidence in teaching ability and interest in nine faculty development topics. The study included 101 veterinarians (48.5% female). Of these, 43 (42.6%) practiced veterinary medicine in a rural location and 54 (53.5%) worked in mixed-animal or food-animal practice. Participants reported they were more likely to attend an in-person faculty development event than to participate in an online presentation. The likelihood of attending an in-person event differed with the demographics of the respondent. Teaching clinical reasoning, assessing student performance, engaging and motivating students, and providing constructive feedback were topics in which preceptors had great interest and high confidence. Preceptors were least confident in the areas of student learning styles, balancing clinical workload with teaching, and resolving conflict involving the student. Disparities between preceptors' interest and confidence in faculty development topics exist, in that topics with the lowest confidence scores were not rated as those of greatest interest. While the content and format of clinical teaching faculty development events should be informed by the interests of preceptors, consideration of preceptors' confidence in teaching ability may be warranted when developing a faculty development curriculum.
New compact and singularity free formulations for the magnetic field produced by a finite cylinder considering linearly varying current density
Authors: Díaz Guillermo A. , Mombello Enrique E.
Published: March 2016

This paper presents new compact analytical expressions for the magnetic field calculation produced by a finite cylindrical sheet. A linearly varying surface current density between the ends of the cylindrical sheet has been assumed as current source. The expressions presented in this work are substantially more compact if compared with the ones currently available in the literature. Since the solutions are given in terms of complete elliptic integrals of the first, second and third kind, and the last two ones diverge at certain arguments, the field expressions also diverge at these critical points, even though the field solution is finite. These singular points are located at the ends of the current sheet cylinder. New analytical expressions are also presented for these critical points avoiding the singularities in an elegant way. The radial component of the magnetic field strength is separately discussed, and it has been proven that its solution at singular points diverges. To improve the computational performance on the evaluation of magnetic field at critical points, an alternative formulation is presented, where complete elliptic integrals of the second and third kind are replaced with alternative functions. Numerical algorithms for the computation of these functions are also presented.
Betydningen av ekstern praksis i tannteknikerstudiet
Authors: Haugen Hilde Kjærnet , Haugli Ketil Hegerstrøm
Published: March 2016

Dental technology is a health profession that manufactures individualized dental prostheses. Production primarily takes place in privately run dental technology laboratories. The Bachelor’s degree program and professional identity link to a scientific and craftsmanship tradition. The program organizes a period of 16 weeks internships undertaken at external workplaces. To obtain internships is challenging, specifically because the companies receive no compensation for lost production while supervising the students. This also hampers requirements of formal competence for teaching guidance in the industry. In 2014 lecturers from the program conducted interviews at former training businesses. The aim of this study was to evaluate the profession relevance of external business practices in the study program, and how the supervisors in the companies perceived their training responsibilities. The results indicate that external practical internships give students a real life experience in a daily professional practice that can’t be imitated on the educational institution. Recruitment of potential labour is a clear motivating factor among dental companies for accepting student interns. The educational institute must continuously secure the relevance of the program, and the students’ prerequisites to utilize external practices. Some mutuality in cost-benefit perspective stimulates the professional field.
Reconfiguration for the Maximum Dynamic Wrench Capability of a Parallel Robot
Authors: Lin Chih-Jer , Chen Chun-Ta
Published: March 2016

In this paper, a Stewart-platform robot with sliding lockable base joints is proposed for reconfiguration, and it addresses the determination of the optimal configuration for the prescribed motion with maximum allowable dynamic wrench capability subject to the constraints imposed by the kinematics and dynamics of the proposed reconfigurable architecture. The numerical results from the hierarchical optimization process allow us to investigate the effects of the base point locations on the maximum dynamic wrench capability. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is demonstrated in the improvement of the maximum allowable dynamic wrench capability of the reconfigurable Stewart-platform robot.
Proteomics Analysis Reveals Novel RASSF2 Interaction Partners
Authors: Barnoud Thibaut , Wilkey Daniel , Merchant Michael , Clark Jennifer , Donninger Howard
Published: March 2016

RASSF2 is a tumor suppressor that shares homology with other Ras-association domain (RASSF) family members. It is a powerful pro-apoptotic K-Ras effector that is frequently inactivated in many human tumors. The exact mechanism by which RASSF2 functions is not clearly defined, but it likely acts as a scaffolding protein, modulating the activity of other pro-apoptotic effectors, thereby regulating and integrating tumor suppressor pathways. However, only a limited number of RASSF2 interacting partners have been identified to date. We used a proteomics based approach to identify additional RASSF2 interactions, and thereby gain a better insight into the mechanism of action of RASSF2. We identified several proteins, including C1QBP, Vimentin, Protein phosphatase 1G and Ribonuclease inhibitor that function in diverse biological processes, including protein post-translational modifications, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cell migration and redox homeostasis, which have not previously been reported to interact with RASSF2. We independently validated two of these novel interactions, C1QBP and Vimentin and found that the interaction with C1QBP was enhanced by K-Ras whereas, interestingly, the Vimentin interaction was reduced by K-Ras. Additionally, RASSF2/K-Ras regulated the acetylation of Vimentin. Our data thus reveal novel mechanisms by which RASSF2 may exert its functions, several of which may be Ras-regulated.
Constrained Inference When the Sampled and Target Populations Differ
Authors: Yi Huijun , Bhattacharya Bhaskar
Published: March 2016

In the analysis of contingency tables, often one faces two difficult criteria: sampled and target populations are not identical and prior information translates to the presence of general linear inequality restrictions. Under these situations, we present new models of estimating cell probabilities related to four well-known methods of estimation. We prove that each model yields maximum likelihood estimators under those restrictions. The performance ranking of these methods under equality restrictions is known. We compare these methods under inequality restrictions in a simulation study. It reveals that these methods may rank differently under inequality restriction than with equality. These four methods are also compared while US census data are analyzed.
Riemannian Laplace Distribution on the Space of Symmetric Positive Definite Matrices
Authors: Hajri Hatem , Ilea Ioana , Said Salem , Bombrun Lionel , Berthoumieu Yannick
Published: March 2016

The Riemannian geometry of the space Pm, of m × m symmetric positive definite matrices, has provided effective tools to the fields of medical imaging, computer vision and radar signal processing. Still, an open challenge remains, which consists of extending these tools to correctly handle the presence of outliers (or abnormal data), arising from excessive noise or faulty measurements. The present paper tackles this challenge by introducing new probability distributions, called Riemannian Laplace distributions on the space Pm. First, it shows that these distributions provide a statistical foundation for the concept of the Riemannian median, which offers improved robustness in dealing with outliers (in comparison to the more popular concept of the Riemannian center of mass). Second, it describes an original expectation-maximization algorithm, for estimating mixtures of Riemannian Laplace distributions. This algorithm is applied to the problem of texture classification, in computer vision, which is considered in the presence of outliers. It is shown to give significantly better performance with respect to other recently-proposed approaches.
Postmenopausal Women Have Higher HDL and Decreased Incidence of Low HDL than Premenopausal Women with Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Fernandez Maria , Murillo Ana
Published: March 2016

It is well known that plasma lipids, waist circumference (WC) and blood pressure (BP) increase following menopause. In addition, there is a perceived notion that plasma high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) concentrations also decrease in postmenopausal women. In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated plasma lipids, fasting glucose, anthropometrics and BP in 88 post and 100 pre-menopausal women diagnosed with metabolic syndrome. No differences were observed in plasma low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol cholesterol, triglycerides, fasting glucose or systolic and diastolic BP between groups. However, plasma HDL-C was higher (p < 0.01) in postmenopausal women and the percentage of women who had low HDL (<50 mg/dL) was higher (p < 0.01) among premenopausal women. In addition, negative correlations were found between WC and HDL-C (r = −0.148, p < 0.05) and BMI and HDL-C (r = −0.258, p < 0.01) for all subjects indicating that increases in weight and abdominal fat have a deleterious effect on plasma HDL-C. Interestingly, there was a positive correlation between age and plasma HDL-C (r = 0.237 p < 0.01). The results from this study suggest that although HDL is decreased by visceral fat and overall weight, low HDL is not a main characteristic of metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women. Further, HDL appears to increase, not decrease, with age.
Agroecology: A Global Paradigm to Challenge Mainstream Industrial Agriculture
Authors: Valenzuela Hector
Published: March 2016

Considerable controversy continues to exist in scientific and policy circles about how to tackle issues of global hunger, malnutrition, and rural economic decline, as well as environmental issues, such as biodiversity loss and climate change adaptation. On the one hand, powerful vested interests, with close ties to government, media, and academic institutions, propose high-input technology-based solutions, speculative and neoliberal “market-based” solutions, and export-oriented agricultural models. On the other hand, an international scientific and grassroots Food Movement has emerged, calling for a redesign of the Global Food System in support of small-scale agroecological farming systems. A call to re-evaluate our current Food Systems was made in 2008 by the International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD). Here, using the IAASTD study as a backdrop, we review the recent literature to outline key contentious points in the controversy between the need for high-input and “techno-based” versus agroecological farming models. A critical assessment is made of proposed strategies to protect soil resources, improve nutrient and energy cycles, protect agrobiodiversity, and promote social well-being in rural communities. With an increase in the number of affluent consumers (i.e., the middle class) in the developing world, and with the continued problem of extreme and chronic poverty with other larger sectors of society, Organic Farming and Agroecology models are put forward as a sound social, scientific, and rural development strategy.
Dose-Response Relationship between Cumulative Occupational Lead Exposure and the Associated Health Damages: A 20-Year Cohort Study of a Smelter in China
Authors: Wu Yue , Gu Jun-Ming , Huang Yun , Duan Yan-Ying , Huang Rui-Xue , Hu Jian-An
Published: March 2016

Long-term airborne lead exposure, even below official occupational limits, has been found to cause lead poisoning at higher frequencies than expected, which suggests that China’s existing occupational exposure limits should be reexamined. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 1832 smelting workers from 1988 to 2008 in China. These were individuals who entered the plant and came into continuous contact with lead at work for longer than 3 months. The dose-response relationship between occupational cumulative lead exposure and lead poisoning, abnormal blood lead, urinary lead and erythrocyte zinc protoporphyrin (ZPP) were analyzed and the benchmark dose lower bound confidence limits (BMDLs) were calculated. Statistically significant positive correlations were found between cumulative lead dust and lead fumes exposures and workplace seniority, blood lead, urinary lead and ZPP values. A dose-response relationship was observed between cumulative lead dust or lead fumes exposure and lead poisoning (p < 0.01). The BMDLs of the cumulative occupational lead dust and fumes doses were 0.68 mg-year/m3 and 0.30 mg-year/m3 for lead poisoning, respectively. The BMDLs of workplace airborne lead concentrations associated with lead poisoning were 0.02 mg/m3 and 0.01 mg/m3 for occupational exposure lead dust and lead fume, respectively. In conclusion, BMDLs for airborne lead were lower than occupational exposure limits, suggesting that the occupational lead exposure limits need re-examination and adjustment. Occupational cumulative exposure limits (OCELs) should be established to better prevent occupational lead poisoning.
Ionogels Based on Poly(methyl methacrylate) and Metal-Containing Ionic Liquids: Correlation between Structure and Mechanical and Electrical Properties
Authors: Zehbe Kerstin , Kollosche Matthias , Lardong Sebastian , Kelling Alexandra , Schilde Uwe , Taubert Andreas
Published: March 2016

Ionogels (IGs) based on poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and the metal-containing ionic liquids (ILs) bis-1-butyl-3-methlimidazolium tetrachloridocuprate(II), tetrachloride cobaltate(II), and tetrachlorido manganate(II) have been synthesized and their mechanical and electrical properties have been correlated with their microstructure. Unlike many previous examples, the current IGs show a decreasing stability in stress-strain experiments on increasing IL fractions. The conductivities of the current IGs are lower than those observed in similar examples in the literature. Both effects are caused by a two-phase structure with micrometer-sized IL-rich domains homogeneously dispersed an IL-deficient continuous PMMA phase. This study demonstrates that the IL-polymer miscibility and the morphology of the IGs are key parameters to control the (macroscopic) properties of IGs.
Validity of the Worst Performance Rule as a Function of Task Complexity and Psychometric g: On the Crucial Role of g Saturation
Authors: Rammsayer Thomas , Troche Stefan
Published: March 2016

Within the mental speed approach to intelligence, the worst performance rule (WPR) states that the slower trials of a reaction time (RT) task reveal more about intelligence than do faster trials. There is some evidence that the validity of the WPR may depend on high g saturation of both the RT task and the intelligence test applied. To directly assess the concomitant influence of task complexity, as an indicator of task-related g load, and g saturation of the psychometric measure of intelligence on the WPR, data from 245 younger adults were analyzed. To obtain a highly g-loaded measure of intelligence, psychometric g was derived from 12 intelligence scales. This g factor was contrasted with the mental ability scale that showed the smallest factor loading on g. For experimental manipulation of g saturation of the mental speed task, three versions of a Hick RT task with increasing levels of task complexity were applied. While there was no indication for a general WPR effect when a low g-saturated measure of intelligence was used, the WPR could be confirmed for the highly g-loaded measure of intelligence. In this latter condition, the correlation between worst performance and psychometric g was also significantly higher for the more complex 1-bit and 2-bit conditions than for the 0-bit condition of the Hick task. Our findings clearly indicate that the WPR depends primarily on the g factor and, thus, only holds for the highly g-loaded measure of psychometric intelligence.
Aspergillus Sydowii Marine Fungal Bloom in Australian Coastal Waters, Its Metabolites and Potential Impact on Symbiodinium Dinoflagellates
Authors: Hayashi Aiko , Crombie Andrew , Lacey Ernest , Richardson Anthony , Vuong Daniel , Piggott Andrew , Hallegraeff Gustaaf
Published: March 2016

Dust has been widely recognised as an important source of nutrients in the marine environment and as a vector for transporting pathogenic microorganisms. Disturbingly, in the wake of a dust storm event along the eastern Australian coast line in 2009, the Continuous Plankton Recorder collected masses of fungal spores and mycelia (~150,000 spores/m3) forming a floating raft that covered a coastal area equivalent to 25 times the surface of England. Cultured A. sydowii strains exhibited varying metabolite profiles, but all produced sydonic acid, a chemotaxonomic marker for A. sydowii. The Australian marine fungal strains share major metabolites and display comparable metabolic diversity to Australian terrestrial strains and to strains pathogenic to Caribbean coral. Secondary colonisation of the rafts by other fungi, including strains of Cladosporium, Penicillium and other Aspergillus species with distinct secondary metabolite profiles, was also encountered. Our bioassays revealed that the dust-derived marine fungal extracts and known A. sydowii metabolites such as sydowic acid, sydowinol and sydowinin A adversely affect photophysiological performance (Fv/Fm) of the coral reef dinoflagellate endosymbiont Symbiodinium. Different Symbiodinium clades exhibited varying sensitivities, mimicking sensitivity to coral bleaching phenomena. The detection of such large amounts of A. sydowii following this dust storm event has potential implications for the health of coral environments such as the Great Barrier Reef.
Azidation in the Difunctionalization of Olefins
Authors: Wu Kai , Liang Yujie , Jiao Ning
Published: March 2016

Organic azides are key motifs in compounds of relevance to chemical biology, medicinal chemistry and materials science. In addition, they also serve as useful building blocks due to their remarkable reactivity. Therefore, the development of efficient protocols to synthesize these compounds is of great significance. This paper reviews the major applications and development of azidation in difunctionalization of olefins using azide reagents.
A Two-Source Model for Estimating Evaporative Fraction (TMEF) Coupling Priestley-Taylor Formula and Two-Stage Trapezoid
Authors: Sun Hao
Published: March 2016

Remotely sensed land surface temperature and fractional vegetation coverage (LST/FVC) space has been widely used in modeling and partitioning land surface evaporative fraction (EF) which is important in managing water resources. However, most of such models are based on conventional trapezoid and simply determine the wet edge as air temperature (Ta) or the lowest LST value in an image. We develop a new Two-source Model for estimating EF (TMEF) based on a two-stage trapezoid coupling with an extension of the Priestly-Taylor formula. Latent heat flux on the wet edge is calculated with the Priestly-Taylor formula, whereas that on the dry edge is set to 0. The wet and dry edges are then determined by solving radiation budget and energy balance equations. The model was evaluated by comparing with other two models that based on conventional trapezoid (i.e., the Two-source Trapezoid Model for Evapotranspiration (TTME) and a One-source Trapezoid model for EF (OTEF)) in how well they simulate and partition EF using MODIS products and field observations from HiWATER-MUSOEXE in 2012. Results show that the TMEF outperforms the other two models, where EF mean absolute relative deviations are 9.57% (TMEF), 15.03% (TTME), and 30.49% (OTEF).
Developing an Efficient and General Strategy for Immobilization of Small Molecules onto Microarrays Using Isocyanate Chemistry
Authors: Zhu Chenggang , Zhu Xiangdong , Landry James , Cui Zhaomeng , Li Quanfu , Dang Yongjun , Mi Lan , Zheng Fengyun , Fei Yiyan
Published: March 2016

Small-molecule microarray (SMM) is an effective platform for identifying lead compounds from large collections of small molecules in drug discovery, and efficient immobilization of molecular compounds is a pre-requisite for the success of such a platform. On an isocyanate functionalized surface, we studied the dependence of immobilization efficiency on chemical residues on molecular compounds, terminal residues on isocyanate functionalized surface, lengths of spacer molecules, and post-printing treatment conditions, and we identified a set of optimized conditions that enable us to immobilize small molecules with significantly improved efficiencies, particularly for those molecules with carboxylic acid residues that are known to have low isocyanate reactivity. We fabricated microarrays of 3375 bioactive compounds on isocyanate functionalized glass slides under these optimized conditions and confirmed that immobilization percentage is over 73%.
Dual-Phase Lock-In Amplifier Based on FPGA for Low-Frequencies Experiments
Authors: Macias-Bobadilla Gonzalo , Rodríguez-Reséndiz Juvenal , Mota-Valtierra Georgina , Soto-Zarazúa Genaro , Méndez-Loyola Maurino , Garduño-Aparicio Mariano
Published: March 2016

Photothermal techniques allow the detection of characteristics of material without invading it. Researchers have developed hardware for some specific Phase and Amplitude detection (Lock-In Function) applications, eliminating space and unnecessary electronic functions, among others. This work shows the development of a Digital Lock-In Amplifier based on a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) for low-frequency applications. This system allows selecting and generating the appropriated frequency depending on the kind of experiment or material studied. The results show good frequency stability in the order of 1.0 × 10−9 Hz, which is considered good linearity and repeatability response for the most common Laboratory Amplitude and Phase Shift detection devices, with a low error and standard deviation.
The Effects of National Cultural Traits on BOP Consumer Behavior
Authors: Kuo Tsai , Hanafi Jessica , Sun Wan , Robielos Rex
Published: March 2016

Scholars who aim to solve problems with poverty and a lack of resources often focus on bottom of pyramid (BOP) consumer groups. They propose that the traditional TOP (top of pyramid) business strategies are not suitable for BOP populations, and that it is crucial to determine and satisfy BOP consumption demands. The purpose of this study is to find out which factors influence BOP consumption, and to explore BOP integrated products. The concepts of “national cultural traits” and sustainable product design are also used. The findings will help enterprises learn how to make profits in BOP markets (addressing economic goals), while helping the poor get out of poverty (addressing social goals). Two different areas concerning BOP consumers are used to illustrate the results.
Using the Sustainability Monitoring and Assessment Routine (SMART) for the Systematic Analysis of Trade-Offs and Synergies between Sustainability Dimensions and Themes at Farm Level
Authors: Schader Christian , Baumgart Lukas , Landert Jan , Muller Adrian , Ssebunya Brian , Blockeel Johan , Weisshaidinger Rainer , Petrasek Richard , Mészáros Dóra , Padel Susanne , Gerrard Catherine , Smith Laurence , Lindenthal Thomas , Niggli Urs , Stolze Matthias
Published: March 2016

When trying to optimize the sustainability performance of farms and farming systems, a consideration of trade-offs and synergies between different themes and dimensions is required. The aim of this paper is to perform a systematic analysis of trade-offs and synergies across all dimensions and themes. To achieve this aim we used the Sustainability Monitoring and Assessment Routine (SMART)-Farm Tool which operationalizes the Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture Systems (SAFA) Guidelines by defining science-based indicator sets and assessment procedures. It identifies the degree of goal achievement with respect to the 58 themes defined in the SAFA Guidelines using an impact matrix that defines 327 indicators and 1769 relations between sustainability themes and indicators. We illustrate how the SMART-Farm Tool can be successfully applied to assess the sustainability performance of farms of different types and in different geographic regions. Our analysis revealed important synergies between themes within a sustainability dimension and across dimensions. We found major trade-offs within the environmental dimension and between the environmental and economic dimension. The trade-offs within the environmental dimension were even larger than the trade-offs with other dimensions. The study also underlines the importance of the governance dimension with regard to achieving a good level of performance in the other dimensions.
Road Safety Education in the Context of the Sustainable Development of Society: The Romanian Case
Authors: Brătucu Gabriel , Madar Anca , Boşcor Dana , Băltescu Codruţa , Neacşu Nicoleta
Published: March 2016

The increased number of road accidents, leading to deaths and serious injuries is a social problem facing most of the world countries, which can affect the sustainable development of a society. This has economic implications, because it impacts the increase of expenditure on hospitalization and the recovery costs of those injured. The current article is based on a quantitative research, coordinated by the authors, conducted among traffic participants from Romania. The major objective of the study was to quantify the main aspects of seatbelt wearing behavior. The research was carried out at national level and used a systematic probabilistic sampling. The sample contains 4346 subjects, of which 3120 were from the automobile section, representing the topic of this article, and being representative of the Romanian adult population. The main research results showed that the percentage of women always wearing seatbelts (76.4%) is higher than the percentage of men (69.9%). Additionally, the highest percentage of people always wearing seatbelts is found at the age group over 55 years (85.2%). The percentage decreases with age—the age group 18–25 are the least likely to wear seatbelts.