bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minimum Alcohol Prices and Outlet Densities in British Columbia, Canada: Estimated Impacts on Alcohol-Attributable Hospital Admissions
Authors: Stockwell Tim , Zhao Jinhui , Martin Gina , Macdonald Scott , Vallance Kate , Treno Andrew , Ponicki William , Tu Andrew , Buxton Jane
Published: April 2013

Objectives. We investigated whether periodic increases in minimum alcohol prices were associated with reduced alcohol-attributable hospital admissions in British Columbia.

Methods. The longitudinal panel study (2002–2009) incorporated minimum alcohol prices, density of alcohol outlets, and age- and gender-standardized rates of acute, chronic, and 100% alcohol-attributable admissions. We applied mixed-method regression models to data from 89 geographic areas of British Columbia across 32 time periods, adjusting for spatial and temporal autocorrelation, moving average effects, season, and a range of economic and social variables.

Results. A 10% increase in the average minimum price of all alcoholic beverages was associated with an 8.95% decrease in acute alcohol-attributable admissions and a 9.22% reduction in chronic alcohol-attributable admissions 2 years later. A Can$ 0.10 increase in average minimum price would prevent 166 acute admissions in the 1st year and 275 chronic admissions 2 years later. We also estimated significant, though smaller, adverse impacts of increased private liquor store density on hospital admission rates for all types of alcohol-attributable admissions.

Conclusions. Significant health benefits were observed when minimum alcohol prices in British Columbia were increased. By contrast, adverse health outcomes were associated with an expansion of private liquor stores.
How Followers' Unethical Behavior is Triggered by Leader-member Exchange: the Mediating Effect of Job Satisfaction
Authors: Liu Songbo , Lin Xiaoshuang , Hu Wei
Published: April 2013

In previous studies (see e.g., Liden, Sparrowe, & Wayne, 1997; Schyns & Croon, 2006; Volmer, Niessen, Spurk, Linz, & Abele, 2011), leader-member exchange (LMX) has been shown to be related to positive outcomes. However, little attention has been paid to the relationship
between LMX and negative organizational behaviors such as unethical behavior. In this study we investigated 249 Chinese managers in 4 different finance companies in China, and found that there is a mediating effect of job satisfaction on the negative relationship between LMX and unethical
behavior.
Examining Chinese Undergraduates' Attitudes Toward Their Parents with the Implicit Association Test
Authors: Yang Ye
Published: April 2013

I used the Implicit Association Test (IAT) to examine Chinese undergraduates' implicit attitudes towards their parents, with the aim of establishing whether or not these attitudes differed according to whether the parent was the father or the mother and also whether the young person
was male or female. Significant differences were found between participants' implicit attitudes towards their fathers, compared with their attitudes towards their mothers, regardless of whether self-reference or other-reference was used. Participants perceived that they had greater intimacy
with their mothers than with their fathers. There was evidence for gender dissociation under both other-reference and self-reference conditions.
Impact of Psychological Contract Violation on Interpersonal Trust During Mergers and Acquisitions
Authors: Yan Shimei , Zhu Yaodong
Published: April 2013

We explored the relationship between knowledge workers' perceptions of psychological contract violation and their interpersonal trust during mergers and acquisitions (M&As) to determine whether or not perceived commitment human resource (HR) practices can moderate the relationship
between psychological contract violation and interpersonal trust. We collected 210 questionnaire responses from enterprises that were in the process of M&As in China, and structural equation modeling and regression analyses were used to analyze the data. We found that in certain contexts
organizational trust (or distrust) can transfer to interpersonal trust (or distrust). This issue merits further discussion.
Gender Diversity: How Can We Facilitate Its Positive Effects on Teams?
Authors: Seong Jee Young , Hong Doo-Seung
Published: April 2013

We examined the relationship between gender diversity and team commitment, in association with cooperative group norms and transformational leadership. Forty-eight work teams in an IT firm located in Seoul, South Korea participated in the study. We hypothesized, based on social identity
theory and self-categorization theory, that cooperative group norms and transformational leadership would moderate the relationship between gender diversity and team commitment. The results indicated that the negative effects produced by gender diversity in teams may be reduced by cooperative
group norms but not by transformational leadership. Implications of these findings are discussed and future research directions outlined.
Trait emotional intelligence and somatic complaints with reference to positive and negative mood
Authors: Andrei Federica , Petrides K.V.
Published: April 2013

This study examined the relationship between trait emotional intelligence
(trait EI) and somatic complaints after controlling for positive and negative
affect (PA and NA). 362 volunteers (222 males) completed the Trait Emotional
Intelligence Questionnaire-Short Form (TEIQue-SF), the Somatic Complaint List
(SCL), and the Positive Affect and Negative Affect Scales (PANAS). Results
showed that high trait EI is positively correlated to PA and negatively
correlated to NA and somatic complaints, but that it can predict somatic
complaints over and above PA and NA. These findings highlight the protective
role of trait EI in mental and physical health.
The role of sign language in enhancement of communicating skills and academic achievement of hearing impaired children
Authors: Radoman Vesna , Nikolic Gordana
Published: April 2013

Controverse about the effects which the Sign Language of deaf has on their
communicative and educational achievement is the subject of actual research.
For the first time the effects of Serbian Sign Language are investigated. The
sample was made of 60 subjects. The subjects were children with severe
hearing impairments - more than 80 dB - aged 8 to 12 years and divided into a
control and an experimental group. Before the beginning, the experimental and
the control group were made equal in terms of the degree of hearing loss,
communication abilities, IQ, age, sex and school achievement, and after the
experiment their communicative ability was retested by means of the
Communication Competence Scale and their school achievement was compared. The
research scheme applied in the study is an experiment with parallel groups.
The experimental group participated in a communication workshop on a daily
basis for five months and learned Serbian sign language through various tasks
and games. No activities were carried out with the control group. The data
were statistically interpreted by means of the repeated measures two-factor
analysis of variance. The results confirm that learning and improving Serbian
Sign Language has positive effects on the promotion of verbal competence
(receptive and expressive), global communicative competence and school
achievement. The study has also confirmed that the Communication Competence
Scale is valid, reliable and discriminative.
Quality assessment of total parenteral nutrition admixtures by the use of fractional factorial design
Authors: Mirkovic Dusica , Ibric Svetlana , Antunovic Mirjana
Published: April 2013

Background/Aim. Parenteral nutrition as a specific aspect of providing
nutritients still remains a permanent topic of both theoretical and
experimental research. Total parenteral nutrition (TPN) admixtures have
complex contents making difficult to maintain their stability. The most
critical parameter is the diameter of a lipid droplet, i.e. droplet size
distribution. It is recommended that droplet size should not be more than 5
??m and that the presence of greater droplets should not exceede the value of
0.05%. Lipid droplets size is affected particularly by electrolyte addition,
especially polyvalent cations. There is a danger of the added electrolytes
interaction with lipid droplets which leads to their aggregation and negative
effects upon the admixtures stability. The aim of this study was to assess
the effect of added electrolyte and lipid phase quantity on the admixture
stability. Methods. Electrolytes were added to the studied admixture of a
defined basic formulation contents in accordance with recommendations from
the literature. Droplets size measurements were performed using the method of
laser diffraction with a laser particles analyzer. Effects of independent
variables were calculated and evaluated using commercial software. Na+, K+,
Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations, as well as the quantity of fat phase were
chosen as studied factors, i.e. independed variables. The system response, or
dependent variable was the median of droplets size. Each of the factors was
varied at two levels, higher (+1) and lower (-1), according to the 25-2
fractional factorial design. Results. The study suggested the presence of
relative uniformity of the results of all the measurements regardless of the
quantity of added electrolytes and lipid phase. It was shown that undoubtedly
there is the influence of 2- valent cations (calcium and magnesium) upon
lipid droplets size, which is in a direct correlation with theoretical
assumption. Conclusion. Within a 72-hour testing period there was no
significant increase in droplet size, i.e. the studied admixtures remained
stable considering droplet size median as the criterion of stability.
Effect of pretreatment with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on hematological parameters and platelets aggregation in patients during elective coronary artery bypass grafting
Authors: Veljovic Milic , Mihajlovic Ivana , Subota Vesna , Antunovic Mirjana , Jevdjic Jasna , Udovicic Ivo , Popadic Ana , Vulovic Tatjana
Published: April 2013

Bacground/Aim. Using omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in coronary
artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) could provide protection against
ischemicreperfusion damage, prevention of postoperative arrhythmia and
attenuation of inflammatory response. However, omega-3 PUFAs inhibit
cyclooxygenase (and thus decrease the synthesis of thromboxane A2 from
arachidonic acid in platelets), which leads to decreased platelet
aggregation. In cardiac surgery it is necessary to achieve a balance between
inhibition and full platelets function. It is as well as important to
closely follow hematological parameters, impaired by CABG itself. Therefore,
the aim of the study was to establish the effects of pretreatment with
omega- PUFAs on hematological parameters and plateletes aggregation in
patients with elective CABG. Methods. This prospective, randomized,
placebo-controlled, single-center trial was performed on parallel groups.
The patients (n = 40) undergoing elective CABG were randomized receiving
preoperative intravenous omega-3 PUFAs (Omegaven? 10%) infusion (the PUFAs
group) or the same volume of 0.9% saline solution infusion (the control
group). Infusion was given a day before surgery and repeated four hours
before starting extracorporeal circulation (CPB) via the peripheral vein at
single doses of 100 mL (25 mL/h). Platelet function analysis was performed
using multiple electrode aggregometry (MEA, multiplate-analyzer) before
starting CPB and 2 h postoperatively for the patients of both groups.
Results. There were no clinically relevant differences in baseline
characteristics between the groups. Hematological parameters were not
significantly different between the groups pre-, intra- and postoperatively.
During the first 24 h after surgery, the loss of blood was similar in the
PUFAs and the control group (680 ? 274 mL and 608 ? 210 mL, respectively; p
= 0.356). Postoperatively, platelet aggregation was not significantly
different between the PUFAs and the control group in adenosine diphosphate
(ADP) test (39 ? 11 and 42 ? 15, respectively; p = 0.701), arachidonic acid
(ASPI) test (64 ? 24 and 70 ? 27, respectively; p = 0.525) and trombin
receptor-activating peptide (TRAP) test (68 ? 25 and 75 ? 26, respectively;
p = 0.396), while their aggregation in collagen (COL) test was statistically
significantly lower in the PUFAs related to the control group (32 ? 15 and
47 ? 20, respectively; p = 0.009). Conclusion. Acute pretreatment with
omega-3 PUFAs insignificantly affected the activity of platelets and did not
influence postoperative blood loss.
Ambulatory phlebectomy under tumescent local anesthesia in a kidney-transplant patient
Authors: Bjelanovic Zoran , Lekovic Ivan , Draskovic Miroljub , Tomic Aleksandar , Veljovic Milic , Stamenkovic Dusica , Stankovic Nebojsa
Published: April 2013

Introduction. Tumescent local anesthesia (TLA) is widely used for ambulatory
surgery. Patients with transplanted organs are on immunosuppressive therapy
and with risk for organ rejection or severe infection. Case report.
Saphenectomy with phlebectomy on the left leg under TLA was performed in a
patient with kidney transplantation performed four years ago. A combination
of 35 mg of 1% prilocaine-hydrochloride, 5 mL of 8.4% sodium bicarbonate and
500 ?g of epinephrine in 460 mL of normal saline was used for TLA. Overall
750 mL of the solution was used. The patient had satisfactory postoperative
analgesia and was discharged home on the same day. Blood levels of urea,
creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and tacrolimus
concentration, measured preoperatively and on the second postoperative day,
were in a regular range. Prilocaine blood concentrations determined on the
4th, 10th and 16th postoperative hours, were below toxic levels. Conclusion.
TLA in a kidney-transplanted patient performed for saphenectomy with
phlebectomy proved to be a safe and reliable anesthesia method.
Nephrogenic Adenomas in Pediatric Patients: A Morphologic and Immunohistochemical Study of 21 Cases
Authors: Kao Chia-Sui , Kum Jennifer B. , Fan Rong , Grignon David J. , Eble John N. , Idrees Muhammad T.
Published: April 2013

Similar to nephrogenic adenomas in adults, those in children are rare benign lesions that often occur in the setting of previous surgery or chronic irritation of the urinary tract. These lesions often present with hematuria and/or as polypoid or papillary lesions on cystoscopy, which may indicate malignancy. We sought to evaluate the various patterns of nephrogenic adenoma occurring in the pediatric population and better characterize the immunophenotype of these lesions. We reviewed 21 cases of nephrogenic adenomas from urinary bladder biopsies of 16 patients. Most patients had a history of urinary bladder augmentation with recurrent urinary stones and urinary tract infections. Many cases presented as a papillary or polypoid mass on cystoscopy. The most common morphologic patterns are papillary, tubulocystic, and a mixed pattern of papillary and tubulocystic, followed by cystic and tubular. On immunostaining, PAX-2, PAX-8, CK7, and MUC-1 provided the most diffuse and intense positive reactivity for nephrogenic adenoma, whereas CD10 and P504S were focal and lesser in intensity when positive. p63 and PAX-5 were consistently negative. We conclude that, although rare in children, nephrogenic adenoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of papillary/polypoid lesions in the urinary tract, especially in the context of previous surgery, chronic irritation from recurrent urinary tract infections, or stones. The immunohistochemistry profile of nephrogenic adenomas in our study also provides evidence that these are derived from distal renal tubular cells. In difficult cases, an immunohistochemical panel consisting of cytokeratin 7, PAX-2, PAX-8, and MUC-1 may be useful.
Ecology of Sundarban, Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman MR , Asaduzzaman M
Published: April 2013

Sundarban is the largest mangrove wetland in the world. It covers an area of about 1mha, of which 60% is located in Bangladesh and the remaining western portion, comprising 40%, lies in India. Mangrove ecosystems are of great ecological significance in the tropical and sub-tropical coast. They protect our coast from heavy wind, tidal waves, coastal erosion and sea water intrusion, generate substantial quantities of fishery resources and provide many useful forestry products. The Sundarban ecosystem supports rich fisheries diversity. This ecosystem support 27 families and 53 species of pelagic fish, 49 families 124 species of demersal fish, 5 families and 24 species of shrimps, 3 families and 7 species of crabs, 8 species of lobster. A total 334 plants, 165 algal, 13 special orchids, 17 fern, 87 monocotyledon and 230 dicotyledon belonging to 245 genera and 75 families from the sundarbans and adjacent area are found available. The principal tree species is Sundry (Heritiera fomes) which covers about 73% to total landmass and the second species is Gewa (Excoecaria agallocha) which covers about 16% of total forest area. The plant species include 35 legumes, 29 grasses, 19 sedges, and 18 euphorbias. Of the 50 true mangrove plant species recorded throughout the globe, the Sundarbans alone contain 35 species. The magnificent among the animals on land is Royal Bengal Tiger, Spotted deer, barking deer and wild boars are there in plenty. Besides those jungle cats, fishing cat, civet cat, monkey, bengal fox, jackle, water monitor, monitor lizard and snakes are important faunal spp. Moreover, abundant of the Sundarbans are purple heron, pond heron, cattle egret, little egret, open billed stork, smaller adjutant stork, brahmini kite, spotted dove, rose ringed parakeet, crow pheasant, wood pecker, bee eater, drongo, pide myna, jungle myna, bulbul, tailor bird, magpie robin, sparrow etc., Otherwise, recorded that wild Buffalo, 2 species of deer, javan rhinoceros extinct and presently 2 species of amphibians, 14 species of reptiles 25 species of birds and 5 species of mammals are considered as endangered species. This paper is to produce a new assessment of the mangroves ecology of Sundarbans. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v8i1-2.14618 J. Sci. Foundation, 8(1&2): 35-47, June-December 2010
Agro-Climatic Characterization of Two Selected Stations in the Southern West Bengal, India
Authors: Banerjee Saon , Mukherj Asis , Mukhopadhayal Apurba , Saikia B , Bandyaopadhaya S , Chatterjee Sudeep
Published: April 2013

Maximum temperature, minimum temperature and rainfall data of Bankura (1992-2007) and Canning (1960-2006) were analyzed for assessing climatic trend and agro-climatic characterization of red-lateritic and coastal Zones of West Bengal respectively. These two zones are the most vulnerable regions to climate change in West Bengal, hence selected for the present study. While average values of annual maximum temperature and annual minimum temperature were used for climatic trend analysis, no definite trend was observed. So, maximum temperature of the hottest month and minimum temperature of the coldest month were used for detecting climatic trend. The maximum temperature shows positive trend for both the stations. An increasing trend of annual rainfall was also observed. In case of agro-climatic characterization the agricultural draught, meteorological draught, seasonal rainfall and rainfall probability using Markov-chain model were analyzed for the said two stations. Kharif crops of Bankura encountered two years (2000 & 2005) agricultural draught within 2000 -2007, whereas kharif crops of Canning encountered agricultural draught in 2006 within the said period. Likewise, the deviation of seasonal rainfall and probability of two consecutive wet weeks with different levels (10, 20,30,40,50 and 60 mm) of weekly total rainfall was worked out. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v8i1-2.14619 J. Sci. Foundation, 8(1&2): 49-54, June-December 2010
Comparison between Public and Private Pay Structures in Bangladesh
Authors: Sultana N , Modak PC
Published: April 2013

A survey was carried out during the period from July to December 2002 to see comparison between public and private pay structures in Bangladesh. To evaluate the public pay structure 120 respondents of Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) were interviewed through semi-structured questionnaire. The respondents were categorized in 8 different categories. Information of their monthly salary, income tax etc. were checked against their pay-bills and income tax information as supplier by the employer. The secondary data on also collected personally by researcher himselves Pay-structure of different organizations, National pay scales and Price indices. It was found that almost all employees including teachers and officers are facing constraints to maintain their families with income from their job. About 65.5% of their expenditure is getting from their salaries. More than 36% of the employees (including teachers and officers) failed to manage their family expenditure with income from job and extra job. National Pay scale 1997 reduced sufficiently the disparity between the highest and the lowest salary to 10:1 whereas in 1991 the ratio was 11.11:1. In private sectors like Pubali Bank Limited (PBL), Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited (IBL) and Uttara Bank Limited (UBL) the disparity between the highest and the lowest salary were found 21.1:1, 25.29:1 and 26:1 respectively. But disparity in NPS does not ensure the equity, fairness and justice to the civil servants or employees because salaries were not sufficient to cover the cost of as well as livelihood. The maximum salary one can draw is TK.23800 when a person is in the highest grade according to NPS 1997. On the other hand, in private organizations one can draw the highest amount of TK. 90500 which is more than 3.80 times of the highest amount drawn as per NPS 1997. House rent of private sectors varies from 65.4% to 104% (including house maintenance) where as in public sectors it varies from 40% to 55% of basic salary. Consequently, the living conditions of the service holders of lower income groups have been drastically reducing. The minimum salary ratio is to be suggested between the highest and the lowest position should be 5:1. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v8i1-2.14631 J. Sci. Foundation, 8(1&2): 89-96, June-December 2010
Effect of Freezing Time on the Nutritional Value of Mystus gulio (Nuna tengra), Mystus tengra (Bazari tengra) and Mystus cavasius (Ghulsha tengra)
Authors: Siddiqui MN , Biswas PK , Ray S , Hasan MJ , Reza MF
Published: April 2013

Three different species of tengra; Nuna tengra (Mystus gulio), Bazri tengra (Mystus tengara), Gholsha tengra (Mystus cavasius) were kept in freezing condition for 20 days to investigate the effect of freezing (-5°C) time on the nutrient composition (protein, lipid, moisture). The average weight of the sample was 46.5gm, 23.94gm, and 15.48gm for Nuna tengra, Gholsha tengra and Bazri tengra respectively. Samples were collected from Gollamari, Khulna. The amount of protein and lipid reduced while amount of moisture increased with prolongation of freezing time. The amount of moisture for Mystus tengara, Mystus cavasius, Mystus gulio increased from 76.12% to78.02%, 75.35% to 77.25%and 76.03% to 78.23% respectively. At fresh condition the protein content of Mystus tengara, Mystus cavasius, Mystus gulio were 16.26%, 15.52% and 14.80% and at the end of the experiment protein were 14.97%, 13.91% and 13.43%. At fresh condition the lipid content of Mystus tengara, Mystus cavasius, Mystus gulio were 6.15%, 5.98% and 6.20% and after twenty days of its freezing the observed lipid content were 4.9%, 5.37% and 4.86%. However, at the end of the study, no significant (p>0.5) difference was observed among different nutrient level due to increasing freezing time. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v8i1-2.14634 J. Sci. Foundation, 8(1&2): 119-122, June-December 2010
Incubation Studies on Exchangable Zn for Varying Levels of added Zn Under Aerobic and Anaerobic Conditions in Grey Terrace Soils, Non Calcarious Floodplain Soils and Calcarious Floodplain Soils
Authors: Talukder KH , Ahmed IU , Islam MS , Islam MS , Asaduzzaman M , Hossain MD
Published: April 2013

Fractions studies were done to know how the zinc applied to different soils was distributed in to various fractions when the soils incubated under aerobic and anaerobic condition. The added zinc provided significant increase in exchangeable Zn both under aerobic and anaerobic conditions although anaerobic condition gave lower results than aerobic condition. The higher results were obtained at early stage of incubation and it gradually reduced as the incubation period proceeded to 90 days. These results showed all most similar trends for all the soils under study. In general, added zinc showed significantly higher results to the different fractions of soil Zn both under anaerobic and aerobic incubation with very few exceptions. The highest amount of added Zn (12 kg/ha) always produced greater results than the lower doses. Only exchangeable Zn was found higher in the 1st measurement at 15 DAI then gradually decreased but in other cases, gradual increase in zinc fractions was seen as the incubation study proceed to longer duration provided with very few exceptions. In many cases, the exchangeable-Zn found higher only at 15 DAI but sharply reduced at 30 DAI. In general, the Gray Terrace Soil produced the highest results followed by Non Calcareous Gray Floodplain and the lowest results were observed in Dark Grey Floodplain & Brown Floodplain Soil. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v9i1-2.14643 J. Sci. Foundation, 9(1&2): 9-15, June-December 2011
A Country Scenarioes of Food Security and Governance in Bangladesh
Authors: Kashem MA , Faroque MAA
Published: April 2013

The Government of Bangladesh has identified food security as an important factor contributing to its socio-economic stabilization and development. Bangladesh has made a steady progress in the expansion of food production. But because of the increasing population pressure there has been an extensive use of land to meet the growing demand for food. Despite the growth in food production and its availability, food insecurity is still a major problem mainly because of the lack of purchasing power and thus of access to food, especially for the ultra poor community. This paper focuses on the availability of food as an essential element of the concept of food security and role of government to get food sufficiency. In addition to rice and wheat that constitute the staple food of Bangladesh, the paper deals with the production and availability issues of other major food commodities, such as potato, pulses, oilseeds, vegetables and fruits, and fisheries and livestock products. The food production of the country both rice and wheat, was 10.46 million metric tons in the 1971-72. Bangladesh attained self sufficiency in food production in 2010-2011 with a gross production of rice and wheat of 35.3 million metric tons which marginally met the countrys requirement of 23.64 million metric tones for the population of 148.69 million, taking 453.6 g per capita per day requirement. Production of vegetables and fruits has increased, from 1.5 million tons and 1.46 million tons in 2001-02 to 7.19 million tons and 3.56 million tons in 2009-10 respectively. Fish production increase from 2.0 million tons in 2001-02 to 3.0 million tons in 2010-11. Livestock product (meat, milk and egg) has also increase 50% over that last ten years. Of these, domestic production is critical in ensuring food availability at both national and household levels. Government of Bangladesh is trying to integrate and address all the elements associated with food security to achieve touch the MDG setting for the country. However, in recent years, the Government is putting additional efforts to increase production of important food crops as well as fisheries and livestock. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v9i1-2.14646 J. Sci. Foundation, 9(1&2): 41-50, June-December 2011
Results of the Puti-Platt Operation for Recurrent Anterior Dislocation of the Shoulder
Authors: Islam MS , Kairy RR , Islam M , Manzur RM , Islam NF
Published: April 2013

This was a prospective clinical trial carried out at NITOR, Dhaka from July 2004 to June 2006 involving 18 patients with recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder. All the cases were managed by Putti-Platt operative procedure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Putti-Platt procedure in the management of recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder. In this study, purposing sampling methods were followed irrespective of sex. Most common age group in this series was 21-30 years. This prospective clinical study comprised with 18 patients, 16 cases (88.88%) showed excellent and good results and 2 cases (11.11%) showed fair results. Therefore, Putti-Platt procedure can be considered as an effective procedure in the treatment of recurrent anterior dislocation of shoulder. Less tissue handling, close postoperative follow-up and active muscle exercise is essential for producing good result. The long-term result is beyond the scope of this study. Long-term follow up is needed to evaluate the final out come of these patients. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v9i1-2.14647 J. Sci. Foundation, 9(1&2): 51-57, June-December 2011
Status and Decline Causes of Fishing Activities of the Baral River, Natore, Bangladesh
Authors: Flowra FA , Islam MA , Jahan SN , Samad MA , Alam MM
Published: April 2013

The present investigation is a humble attempt to explore fishing techniques of the River Baral from November 2010 to May 2011. Different fish capture methods, fishing gears and crafts that were usually used in the study area have been provided. Hand fishing, cloth fishing, bait fishing and fishing by dewatering were also observed. Causes of habitat degradation and changes of natural habitat and declination of fishes were also observed. Some problems of the fishing community of the study area were also identified. A few policy recommendations have been given in the concluding chapter which may have some positive implication on the life and living of the fishermen in Bangladesh in general and the Baral basin in particular. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v9i1-2.14654 J. Sci. Foundation, 9(1&2): 115-124, June-December 2011
Environmental Impact Assessment of Fish Diseases on Fish Production
Authors: Hossain MK , Islam KT , Hossain MD , Rahman MH
Published: April 2013

The present research work was conducted from July 2008 to June 2009 to investigate intensity of infestation of parasites in freshwater fishes and the impact of fish diseases on fish production in northern region of Bangladesh. Possibility of out break of diseases due to deterioration of environmental factors of water bodies was included in this study. The diseases identified were ulcer diseases, EUS (Epizootic Ulcerative Syndrome), Ichthyophthiriasis, Trichodiniasis, Chilodoneliasis, Myxoboliasis, Dactylogyrosis, Gyrodactylosis, Argulosis, Pernicious anaemia, Red spot disease, Red Pest of freshwater eel, Mouth fungus, Branchiomysis, Abdominal dropsy and whirling disease. The infestation more occurred in young fishes than in adult fishes. The overall water qualities of water bodies fluctuated from July 2008 to June 2009. Physicochemical parameters have more or less significant combined effect on the deterioration of water quality as well as fish diseases. Gills were the most affected sites and parasites damaged gill filaments by rupturing blood capillaries, causing necrosis, coagulation and hemorrhage. The present study revealed the prevalence of different organisms in fishes, which are potential pathogen for them. Fishes were infested by parasites and other pathogens. From overall study it was observed that the parasites, bacteria and fungus were most important pathogen for outbreak of diseases. It was also observed that there was a direct relation between disease outbreak among fishes and environmental factors. Low alkalinity reduces the buffer capacity of water and badly affects the pond ecosystem, which in turn cause stress to the fish and become more susceptible to diseases. In case of low aquatic environmental temperature fish reduces metabolic activities, which in turn makes the fish more susceptible during the winter period towards parasitic infection. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v9i1-2.14655 J. Sci. Foundation, 9(1&2): 125-131, June-December 2011
A New Two-Stage Approach to Short Term Electrical Load Forecasting
Authors: Božić Miloš , Stojanović Miloš , Stajić Zoran , Tasić Dragan
Published: April 2013

In the deregulated energy market, the accuracy of load forecasting has a significant effect on the planning and operational decision making of utility companies. Electric load is a random non-stationary process influenced by a number of factors which make it difficult to model. To achieve better forecasting accuracy, a wide variety of models have been proposed. These models are based on different mathematical methods and offer different features. This paper presents a new two-stage approach for short-term electrical load forecasting based on least-squares support vector machines. With the aim of improving forecasting accuracy, one more feature was added to the model feature set, the next day average load demand. As this feature is unknown for one day ahead, in the first stage, forecasting of the next day average load demand is done and then used in the model in the second stage for next day hourly load forecasting. The effectiveness of the presented model is shown on the real data of the ISO New England electricity market. The obtained results confirm the validity advantage of the proposed approach.
Exercise Therapy Augments the Ischemia-Induced Proangiogenic State and Results in Sustained Improvement after Stroke
Authors: Ma Yuewen , Qiang Lin , He Man
Published: April 2013

The induction of angiogenesis will stimulate endogenous recovery mechanisms, which are involved in the long-term repair and restoration process of the brain after an ischemic event. Here, we tested whether exercise influences the pro-angiogenic factors and outcomes after cerebral infarction in rats. Wistar rats were exposed to two hours of middle-cerebral artery occlusion and reperfusion. Different durations of treadmill training were performed on the rats. The expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP2) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-related genes and proteins were higher over time post-ischemia, and exercise enhanced their expression. Sixteen days post-ischemia, the regional cerebral blood flow in the ischemic striatum was significantly increased in the running group over the sedentary. Although no difference was seen in infarct size between the running and sedentary groups, running evidently improved the neurobehavioral score. The effects of running on MMP2 expression, regional cerebral blood flow and outcome were abolished when animals were treated with bevacizumab (BEV), a VEGF-targeting antibody. Exercise therapy improves long-term stroke outcome by MMP2-VEGF-dependent mechanisms related to improved cerebral blood flow.
Amino Acid Biosynthesis Pathways in Diatoms
Authors: Bromke Mariusz
Published: April 2013

Amino acids are not only building blocks for proteins but serve as precursors for the synthesis of many metabolites with multiple functions in growth and other biological processes of a living organism. The biosynthesis of amino acids is tightly connected with central carbon, nitrogen and sulfur metabolism. Recent publication of genome sequences for two diatoms Thalassiosira pseudonana and Phaeodactylum tricornutum created an opportunity for extensive studies on the structure of these metabolic pathways. Based on sequence homology found in the analyzed diatomal genes, the biosynthesis of amino acids in diatoms seems to be similar to higher plants. However, one of the most striking differences between the pathways in plants and in diatomas is that the latter possess and utilize the urea cycle. It serves as an important anaplerotic pathway for carbon fixation into amino acids and other N-containing compounds, which are essential for diatom growth and contribute to their high productivity.
Performance Evaluation of a Modular Detector Unit for X-Ray Computed Tomography
Authors: Guo Zhe , Tang Zhiwei , Wang Xinzeng , Deng Mingliang , Hu Guangshu , Zhang Hui
Published: April 2013

A research prototype CT scanner is currently under development in our lab. One of the key components in this project is the CT detector. This paper describes the design and performance evaluation of the modular CT detector unit for our proposed scanner. It consists of a Photodiode Array Assembly which captures irradiating X-ray photons and converts the energy into electrical current, and a mini Data Acquisition System which performs current integration and converts the analog signal into digital samples. The detector unit can be easily tiled together to form a CT detector. Experiments were conducted to characterize the detector performance both at the single unit level and system level. The noise level, linearity and uniformity of the proposed detector unit were reported and initial imaging studies were also presented which demonstrated the potential application of the proposed detector unit in actual CT scanners.
Towards Systems Biology of Mycotoxin Regulation
Authors: Subramaniam Rajagopal , Rampitsch Christof
Published: April 2013

Systems biology is a scientific approach that integrates many scientific disciplines to develop a comprehensive understanding of biological phenomena, thus allowing the prediction and accurate simulation of complex biological behaviors. It may be presumptuous to write about toxin regulation at the level of systems biology, but the last decade of research is leading us closer than ever to this approach. Past research has delineated multiple levels of regulation in the pathways leading to the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, including mycotoxins. At the top of this hierarchy, the global or master transcriptional regulators perceive various environmental cues such as climatic conditions, the availability of nutrients, and the developmental stages of the organism. Information accumulated from various inputs is integrated through a complex web of signalling networks to generate the eventual outcome. This review will focus on adapting techniques such as chemical and other genetic tools available in the model system Saccharomyces cerevisiae, to disentangle the various biological networks involved in the biosynthesis of mycotoxins in the Fusarium spp.
Water Quality Improvement Performance of Geotextiles Within Permeable Pavement Systems: A Critical Review
Authors: Scholz Miklas
Published: April 2013

Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS; or best management practices) are increasingly being used as ecological engineering techniques to prevent the contamination of receiving watercourses and groundwater. Permeable paving is a SuDS technique, which is commonplace in car parks, driveways and minor roads where one of their functions is to improve the quality of urban runoff. However, little is known about the water quality benefits of incorporating an upper geotextile within the paving structure. The review focuses on five different categories of pollutants: organic matter, nutrients, heavy metals, motor oils, suspended solids originating from street dust, and chloride. The paper critically assesses results from previous international tests and draws conclusions on the scientific rigour and significance of the data. Findings indicate that only very few studies have been undertaken to address the role of geotextiles directly. All indications are that the presence of a geotextile leads only to minor water quality improvements. For example, suspended solids are being held back by the geotextile and these solids sometimes contain organic matter, nutrients and heavy metals. However, most studies were inconclusive and data were often unsuitable for further statistical analysis. Further long-term research on industry-relevant, and statistically and scientifically sound, experimental set-ups is recommended.
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Tourism: A Differential Passage Out of a Sociocultural Bubble to the "Open Space"
Authors: Mansfeld Yoel , Cahaner Lee
Published: April 2013

This study looks at travel expectations, requirements, and consumer behavior of three groups of ultra-Orthodox Jews known as "Haredim," who are trapped between their own motivations and travel needs and those of the secular society surrounding them. This study postulated that since
each subgroup within this unique community is different in its socioeconomic, cultural, and religious characteristics, it will reveal a significantly different set of travel expectations and consumer behavior patterns. The study made use of the Value Stretch methodology integrated into three
focus groups, which were conducted with three haredi subgroups, namely, Sefaradim, Lithuanians, and Hasidim. These focus groups were accompanied by in-depth interviews with tour operators and some individual participants of the focus groups. Findings show that travel motivations, needs, and
prerequisite travel expectations of these three subgroups are differential. Apparently, geographical proximity to secular communities and level of conformity to the haredi lifestyle are the leading factors that shape this differential pattern.
DESIGN AND PILOT RUN OF FUZZY SYNTHETIC MODEL (FSM) FOR RISK EVALUATION IN CIVIL ENGINEERING
Authors: Abdul-Rahman Hamzah , Wang Chen , Lee Yee Lin
Published: April 2013

Most of the current construction risk assessment tools deliver unsatisfactory results because the prerequisite for their effective applications rely on the availability of high quality data especially during the early stage of a project. Unfortunately, such data are limited, ambiguous or even not exist due to the great uncertainty inherent in construction projects. Based on Fuzzy Synthetic Analysis (FSA), a model development team was formed among construction engineers, IT professionals, and Mathematicians in developing a holistic risk assessment model to estimate the construction risks especially for the situations with incomplete data and vague environments. Through qualitative scales defined by triangular fuzzy numbers used in pairwise comparisons to capture the vagueness in the linguistic variables, a risk assessment model using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) was developed. The Pilot Run revealed the developed Fuzzy Synthetic Model (FSM) could accelerate the decision-making process and provide optimal allocation of project resources to mitigate possible risks detrimental to the success of a project in terms of time, cost, and quality.
CONVECTION IN MINERAL WOOL USED AS INSULATION FOR BUILDINGS
Authors: Stankevičius Vytautas , Paukštys Valdas , Bliužius Raimondas , Šadauskienė Jolanta , Turskis Zenonas , Samajauskas Rolandas
Published: April 2013

The paper considers the velocities of air movement in the ventilated air gaps of walls and focuses on pressure fields in both wall models arranged in a climatic chamber and exploited houses. The article investigates the influence of air movement on heat transfer through walls applying numerical modelling methods and conducting experiments in the climatic chamber. The thermal effects of air flows have been described with reference to the Nusselt number defined as the ratio of average convective and conductive heat fluxes and heat flux through still air
GREEN LUXURY: A CASE STUDY OF TWO GREEN HOTELS
Authors: Ahn Yong Han , Pearce Annie R.
Published: April 2013

The hotel industry is beginning to implement green design and construction practices, saving energy, water, and resources and thus helping to preserve the environment. In addition, green building practices also can provide healthy and comfortable indoor environments to hotel occupants including guests and employees. However, there is the potential for conflict between green building practices and hotel guests' satisfaction and comfort, as the conservation of resources could detract from the quality of a guest's visitor experience. This study adopted a case study approach to identify and analyze green design and construction practices that create a green and luxurious environment without damaging the hotels' financial position. An in-depth literature review was conducted to identify green design and construction practices, design features of premium hotels, and major design conflicts between the twin goals of green building and a luxurious hotel environment. Two LEED platinum hotels (the Proximity Hotel and the Bardessono Hotel, both in the United States) were selected and data collected on their green design and construction practices, luxurious design features, and operation and maintenance practices from multiple sources, including the owner, designer, contractor, engineer, and LEED consultant. From the perspective of the entire lifecycle of the building, this data was analyzed to identify green design and construction practices that not only provide a green, luxurious environment but also enhance the hotels' financial strength.
Language variations across genres: Quantifiers and worlds of reference in (and around) economics textbooks
Authors: Bondi-Paganelli Marina
Published: April 2013

L’étude ici présentée a pour objet les variations linguistiques à travers les genres dans le domaine du discours économique. L’investigation des relations entre quantificateurs et mondes de référence (monde de fait/monde d’hypothèse) est conduit sur deux corpora. Le premier corpus est constitué de trente chapitres extraits de manuels anglais et anglo-américains ; le second corpus, plus limité, regroupe des travaux de Samuelson et comprend des chapitres de manuels, des articles de recherche et des commentaires publiés sur la presse. L’ensemble des textes rend possible une analyse des traits linguistiques caractéristiques ainsi que des structures typiques relevées dans les chapitres des manuels pour l’économique. La comparaison des données met en évidence des variations quantitatives et fonctionnelles dans l’utilisation des quantificateurs à l’intérieur des différents genres. Une particulière attention a été accordée à l’utilisation de quantificateurs exacts dans des actes hypothétiques. Les conclusions considèrent enfin les implications d’une analyse fondée sur le concept de genre, conduite à partir des supports pédagogiques en anglais de spécialité.
Students’ perceptions regarding the objective, structured, clinical evaluation as an assessment approach
Authors: Small Louis F. , Pretorius Louise , Walters Althea , Ackerman Maria , Tshifugula Pandeni
Published: April 2013

The nursing profession is characterised by the fact that a significant amount of time is spent on competency-related activities. The assessment of clinical competence is therefore an important issue in nursing education and the utilisation of objective structured clinical evaluation for that purpose was considered to be very important in this study. The objective of this research was to explore and describe the perceptions of first- and third-year student nurses with regard to the objective structured clinical evaluation assessment approach. A quantitative, cross-sectional, analytical research design was used. The instrument was a questionnaire (ordinal). This questionnaire focused on the perceptions of student nurses with regard to the objective structured clinical evaluation approach in particular, and with regard to aspects such as reality, execution, time allocation and student and assessor variables. The findings indicated that, as an assessment tool, the objective structured clinical evaluation approach was perceived as not being totally realistic, especially by the more senior nursing students (third-year) as compared with the first-year nursing students. Varying degrees of stress were experienced by the nursing students in their first and third years but, in general, the overall perception appeared to be that the approach was well organised and that the respective students would be able to perform equally well in the clinical field. It may be concluded that the majority of students appreciate the format of the objective structured clinical evaluation approach. However, the study further highlighted the fact that more extensive training of students on time management and the relief of emotional stress is necessary during the implementation of this approach.