bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microphytobenthic extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in intertidal sediments fuel both generalist and specialist EPS‐degrading bacteria
Authors: Taylor Joe D. , McKew Boyd A. , Kuhl Alison , McGenity Terry J. , Underwood Graham J. C.
Published: August 2016

Microphytobenthic biofilms contain high concentrations of carbohydrate‐rich extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that are important in sediment carbon cycling. Field measurements at two locations in the Colne Estuary, U.K., showed that a significant curvilinear relationship explained 50% of the variability in chlorophyll a and EPS content. Estimates of EPS production, based on field data and published rates of production by diatoms, revealed that EPS turnover of 52% to 369% over the tidal cycle was required to account for field standing stocks. We investigated EPS degradation in sediment slurries using purified 13C‐EPS produced by the diatom Nitzschia tubicola. Although EPS constituted only 5% of the sediment dissolved organic carbon (DOC) pool, 100% of the added EPS was utilized within 30 h, before decreases in other sediment‐carbohydrate fractions and DOC concentrations. A general 13C enrichment of phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs), representative of Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria, occurred within 6 h, with the PLFAs a15:0, i15:0, and 18:1ω7c being highly enriched. The diatom PLFA 20:5ω3 had relatively low but significant 13C enrichment. Stable isotope probing of 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid (RNA‐SIP) at 30 h revealed 13C‐enriched sequences from the diatom genus Navicula; further evidence that diatoms assimilated the EPS, or EPS‐breakdown products, from other diatom taxa. RNA‐SIP also demonstrated a diverse range of highly 13C‐enriched bacterial taxa, including a distinct subset (Alphaproteobacteria and Gammaproteobacteria) found only in the heavily labeled microbial assemblages. Thus, cycling of diatom EPS is rapid, and involves a wide range of microbial taxa, including some apparent specialists.
Off Congo waters (Angola Basin, Atlantic Ocean): A hot spot for cadmium‐phosphate fractionation
Authors: Waeles Matthieu , Maguer Jean-François , Baurand François , Riso Ricardo D.
Published: August 2016

We report the distribution of cadmium at 13 stations along 5.83°S in the Angola Basin. The studied area (which is influenced by the plume of the Congo River, doming, and relatively high primary production) is characterized by relatively low‐circulation regime, which results in a strong oxygen minimum. In subsurface, very low cadmium : phosphate (Cd : P) ratios (0.05–0.10 nmol L−1 : µmol L−1) were observed below the euphotic zone (depth range = 50–200 m), indicating that mineralization is the main process explaining the Cd‐P fractionation. Cd‐P decoupling is not restricted to subsurface waters, but occurs also throughout the oxygen minimum zone. An isopycnal analysis of the Cd : P ratio throughout the Atlantic Ocean shows that upper and intermediate waters in the South‐east Atlantic are highly altered in terms of Cd‐P properties. Benthic inputs at 4000 m were associated with degradation of organic matter with an important siliceous component, but were not accompanied by substantial changes in the Cd : P ratio.
Differential remineralization of major and trace elements in sinking diatoms
Authors: Twining Benjamin S. , Nodder Scott D. , King Andrew L. , Hutchins David A. , LeCleir Gary R. , DeBruyn Jennifer M. , Maas Elizabeth W. , Vogt Stefan , Wilhelm Steven W. , Boyd Philip W.
Published: August 2016

Macronutrients in sinking phytoplankton are typically remineralized at different rates, but less is known about the fate of micronutrient metals associated with sinking cells. Scavenging, the presence of co‐occurring abiotic particles, and inadvertent contamination limit the utility of bulk analytical approaches to study remineralization of trace metals in sinking phytoplankton. We used synchrotron x‐ray fluorescence mapping to measure macronutrients (P, S, and Si) and trace metals (Fe, Ni, and Zn) in individual cells of the diatom Asterionellopsis glacialis during a spring bloom in subtropical waters off New Zealand. P, S, Zn, and Ni were released significantly faster than Fe and Si from sinking cells in the upper 200 m. Bulk particulate element fluxes to sediment traps indicated similar trends, but biogenic silica flux was attenuated much faster than Si was lost from intact sinking cells collected in the traps. The metals were spatially co‐located with P and S in upper ocean cells, but this association with P and S (based on a spatial resolution of 450 nm) was largely absent in sinking cells. In contrast, Fe retained a weak spatial association with Si, suggesting that remineralized Fe may be re‐scavenged onto cell surfaces. As a result, dissolved Fe : macronutrient stoichiometries in the water column likely underestimate stoichiometries in sinking cells. We propose linkages between the selective loss of diatom cellular components (e.g., ribosomes or phospholipid membranes, Zn‐finger proteins, and urease) and the observed recycling of specific elements (P, Zn, and Ni, respectively), which set the stoichiometry of macro‐ and micronutrient supply to surface waters.
Comparison of land–atmosphere interaction at different surface types in the
mid- to lower reaches of the Yangtze River valley
Authors: Guo Weidong , Wang Xueqian , Sun Jianning , Ding Aijun , Zou Jun
Published: August 2016

Abstract. The mid- to lower reaches of the Yangtze River valley are located within the typical East Asian monsoon zone. Rapid urbanization, industrialization, and development of agriculture have led to fast and complicated land use and land cover change in this region. To investigate land–atmosphere interaction in this region where human activities and monsoon climate have considerable interaction with each other, micrometeorological elements over four sites with different surface types around Nanjing, including urban surface at Dangxiao (hereafter DX-urban), suburban surface at Xianling (XL-suburb), and grassland and farmland at Lishui County (LS-grass and LS-crop), are analyzed and their differences are revealed. The impacts of surface parameters of different surface types on the radiation budget and land surface–atmosphere heat, water, and mass exchanges are investigated and compared. The results indicate the following. (1) The largest differences in daily average surface air temperature (Ta), surface skin temperature (Ts), and relative humidity (RH), which are found during the dry periods between DX-urban and LS-crop, can be up to 3.21 °C, 7.26 °C, and 22.79 %, respectively. The diurnal ranges of the above three elements are the smallest at DX-urban and the largest at LS-grass, XL-suburb, and LS-crop. (2) Differences in radiative fluxes are mainly reflected in upward shortwave radiation (USR) that is related to surface albedo and upward longwave radiation (ULR) that is related to Ts. When comparing four sites, it can be found that both the smallest USR and the largest ULR occur at the DX-urban site. The diurnal variation in ULR is same as that of Ts at all four sites. (3) The differences in daily average sensible heat (H) and latent heat (LE) between DX-urban and LS-crop are larger than 45 and 95 Wm−2, respectively. The proportion of latent heat flux in the net radiation (LE/Rn) keeps increasing with the change in season from the spring to summer. (4) Human activities have obvious effects on microclimate. The urban heat island (UHI) effect results in a Ta 2 °C higher at the urban site than other sites in the nighttime. At the crop site, LE is dominant due to irrigation, and negative H is observed since evaporation cooling leads to low Ts. Although Ts is higher at XL-suburb than that at LS-grass, there is no large difference in Ta between the two sites due to the distinct effects of the planted forest.
Intercomparison of in situ NDIR and column FTIR measurements of CO2 at
Jungfraujoch
Authors: Schibig Michael F. , Mahieu Emmanuel , Henne Stephan , Lejeune Bernard , Leuenberger Markus C.
Published: August 2016

Abstract. We compare two CO2 time series measured at the High Alpine Research Station Jungfraujoch, Switzerland (3580 m a.s.l.), in the period from 2005 to 2013 with an in situ surface measurement system using a nondispersive infrared analyzer (NDIR) and a ground-based remote sensing system using solar absorption Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry. Although the two data sets show an absolute shift of about 13 ppm, the slopes of the annual CO2 increase are in good agreement within their uncertainties. They are 2.04 ± 0.07 and 1.97 ± 0.05 ppm yr−1 for the FTIR and the NDIR systems, respectively. The seasonality of the FTIR and the NDIR systems is 4.46 ± 1.11 and 10.10 ± 0.73 ppm, respectively. The difference is caused by a dampening of the CO2 signal with increasing altitude due to mixing processes. Whereas the minima of both data series occur in the middle of August, the maxima of the two data sets differ by about 10 weeks; the maximum of the FTIR measurements is in the middle of January, and the maximum of the NDIR measurements is found at the end of March. Sensitivity analyses revealed that the air masses measured by the NDIR system at the surface of Jungfraujoch are mainly influenced by central Europe, whereas the air masses measured by the FTIR system in the column above Jungfraujoch are influenced by regions as far west as the Caribbean and the USA.The correlation between the hourly averaged CO2 values of the NDIR system and the individual FTIR CO2 measurements is 0.820, which is very encouraging given the largely different sampling volumes. Further correlation analyses showed, that the correlation is mainly driven by the annual CO2 increase and to a lesser degree by the seasonality. Both systems are suitable to monitor the long-term CO2 increase, because this signal is represented in the whole atmosphere due to mixing.
Planetary boundary layer height from CALIOP compared to radiosonde over
China
Authors: Zhang Wanchun , Guo Jianping , Miao Yucong , Liu Huan , Zhang Yong , Li Zhengqiang , Zhai Panmao
Published: August 2016

Abstract. Accurate estimation of planetary boundary layer height (PBLH) is key to air quality prediction, weather forecast, and assessment of regional climate change. The PBLH retrieval from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) is expected to complement ground-based measurements due to the broad spatial coverage of satellites. In this study, CALIOP PBLHs are derived from combination of Haar wavelet and maximum variance techniques, and are further validated against PBLHs estimated from ground-based lidar at Beijing and Jinhua. Correlation coefficients between PBLHs from ground- and satellite-based lidars are 0.59 at Beijing and 0.65 at Jinhua. Also, the PBLH climatology from CALIOP and radiosonde are compiled over China during the period from 2011 to 2014. Maximum CALIOP-derived PBLH can be seen in summer as compared to lower values in other seasons. Three matchup scenarios are proposed according to the position of each radiosonde site relative to its closest CALIPSO ground tracks. For each scenario, intercomparisons were performed between CALIOP- and radiosonde-derived PBLHs, and scenario 2 is found to be better than other scenarios using difference as the criteria. In early summer afternoon over 70 % of the total radiosonde sites have PBLH values ranging from 1.6 to 2.0 km. Overall, CALIOP-derived PBLHs are well consistent with radiosonde-derived PBLHs. To our knowledge, this study is the first intercomparison of PBLH on a large scale using the radiosonde network of China, shedding important light on the data quality of initial CALIOP-derived PBLH results.
Modeling Biogenic and Anthropogenic Secondary Organic Aerosol in
China
Authors: Hu Jianlin , Wang Peng , Ying Qi , Zhang Hongliang , Chen Jianjun , Ge Xinlei , Li Xinghua , Jiang Jingkun , Wang Shuxiao , Zhang Jie , Zhao Yu , Zhang Yingyi
Published: August 2016

Abstract. A revised Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model with updated secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yields and more detailed description of SOA formation from isoprene oxidation was applied to study the spatial and temporal distribution of SOA in China in the entire year of 2013. Predicted organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon and volatile organic compounds agreed favorably with observations at several urban areas, although the high OC concentrations in wintertime in Beijing were under-predicted. Predicted summer SOA was generally higher (10–15 µg m−3) due to large contributions of isoprene (country average, 61 %). Wintertime SOA was slightly lower and was mostly due to emissions of alkane and aromatic compounds (51 %). Contributions of monoterpenes SOA were relatively constant (8–10 %). Overall, biogenic SOA accounted for approximately 75 % of total SOA in summer, 50–60 % in autumn and spring, and 24 % in winter. Sichuan Basin had the highest predicted SOA concentrations in the country in all seasons, with hourly concentrations up to 50 µg m−3. Approximately half of the SOA in all seasons was due to the traditional equilibrium partitioning of semi-volatile components followed by oligomerization, while the remaining SOA was mainly due to reactive surface uptake of isoprene epoxide (5–14 %), glyoxal (14–25 %) and methylglyoxal (23–28 %). Sensitivity analyses showed that formation of SOA from biogenic emissions was significantly enhanced due to anthropogenic emissions. Removing all anthropogenic emissions while keeping the biogenic emissions unchanged led to total SOA concentrations of less than 1 µg m−3, which suggests that manmade emissions facilitated biogenic SOA formation and controlling anthropogenic emissions would result in reduction of both anthropogenic and biogenic SOA.
Assessing approaches to determine the effect of ocean acidification on
bacterial processes
Authors: Burrell Timothy J. , Maas Elizabeth W. , Teesdale-Spittle Paul , Law Cliff S.
Published: August 2016

Abstract. Bacterial extracellular enzymes play a significant role in the degradation of labile organic matter and nutrient availability in the open ocean. Although bacterial production and extracellular enzymes may be affected by ocean acidification, few studies to date have considered the methodology used to measure enzyme activity and bacterial processes. This study investigated the potential artefacts in determining the response of bacterial growth and extracellular glucosidase and aminopeptidase activity to ocean acidification as well as the relative effects of three different acidification techniques. Tests confirmed that the observed effect of pH on fluorescence of artificial fluorophores, and the influence of the MCA fluorescent substrate on seawater sample pH, were both overcome by the use of Tris buffer. In experiments testing different acidification methods, bubbling with CO2 gas mixtures resulted in higher β-glucosidase activity and 15–40 % higher bacterial abundance, relative to acidification via gas-permeable silicon tubing and acid addition (HCl). Bubbling may stimulate carbohydrate degradation and bacterial growth, leading to the incorrect interpretation of the impacts of ocean acidification on organic matter cycling.
Inferring soil salinity in a drip irrigation system from
multi-configuration EMI measurements using
Adaptive Markov Chain Monte Carlo
Authors: Jadoon Khan Zaib , Altaf Muhammad Umer , McCabe Matthew Francis , Hoteit Ibrahim , Muhammad Nisar , Weihermüller Lutz
Published: August 2016

Abstract. A substantial interpretation of electromagnetic induction (EMI) measurements requires quantifying optimal model parameters and uncertainty of a nonlinear inverse problem. For this purpose, an adaptive Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithm is used to assess multi-orientation and multi-offset EMI measurements in an agriculture field with non-saline and saline soil. In the MCMC simulations, posterior distribution was computed using Bayes rule. The electromagnetic forward model based on the full solution of Maxwell's equations was used to simulate the apparent electrical conductivity measured with the configurations of EMI instrument, the CMD mini-Explorer. The model parameters and uncertainty for the three-layered earth model are investigated by using synthetic data. Our results show that in the scenario of non-saline soil, the parameters of layer thickness are not well estimated as compared to layers electrical conductivity because layer thicknesses in the model exhibits a low sensitivity to the EMI measurements, and is hence difficult to resolve. Application of the proposed MCMC based inversion to the field measurements in a drip irrigation system demonstrate that the parameters of the model can be well estimated for the saline soil as compared to the non-saline soil, and provide useful insight about parameter uncertainty for the assessment of the model outputs.
Buscando determinantes de la seguridad ontológica en la España de la crisis
Authors: Callejo Javier
Published: August 2016

El concepto de seguridad ontológica tiene un eco notable en la sociología actual para describir el estado emocional del hombre de la modernidad tardía. Sin embargo, el concepto creado por Giddens en los años ochenta se ha utilizado poco en la investigación empírica preocupada por cubrir diversas fuentes de riesgo o incertidumbre. En este trabajo, se propone una escala de seguridad ontológica a partir de tal articulación de fuentes de riesgo. Para ello, partimos de los resultados de una investigación centrada en la relación entre riesgo, incertidumbre y vulnerabilidad en el contexto de la crisis económica en España. Estos resultados se producen a partir de nueve grupos de discusión y una encuesta con cuestionario estandarizado aplicado telefónicamente a una muestra nacional de 2.408 personas mayores de 18 años. El trabajo se divide en tres campos principales. En el primero, se construye la escala a partir de los resultados de la aplicación de diferentes ítems presentes en el cuestionario utilizado. La segunda parte explora las relaciones de la escala obtenida con las variables más próximas a las dimensiones emocionales de los individuos. La tercera parte observa las variables que contribuyen a los cambios en la escala. Estas variables muestran la característica estructural de la seguridad ontológica.
Job Satisfaction among Academic and Non-Academic Staff in Public Universities in Malaysia: A Review
Authors: Che Nawi Noorshella , Ismail Mohammad , Ibrahim Mohd Asrul Hery , Raston Nursalihah Ahmad , Zamzamin Zaminor Zamzamir , Jaini Azila
Published: August 2016

Many previous studies have solely focused on measuring job satisfaction in one category only either among academic or non-academic staff. However, in an educational institution, the two categories of workforce work hard in developing the university. Hence, it is crucial to measure the level of satisfaction in these jobs. Taking this into account, this study intends to identify the factors that contribute to job satisfaction among academic and non-academic staff in public universities. This study adapts the research frameworks from Lacy and Sheehan (1997), and Smerek and Peterson (2006) to measure job satisfaction among academic and non-academic staff, respectively.
The Impact of the Application of Social Responsibility on the Creation of a Competitive Advantage for Jordanian Private Universities
Authors: Magatef Sima Ghaleb
Published: August 2016

This study seeks to identify the impact of the application of social responsibility on the creation of a competitive advantage. The study has been applied on Jordanian private universities. 200 copies of the questionnaire were distributed over managers and officials at these institutions. 82% of the 164 questionnaires which were distributed over the study sample ware recovered. A group of social responsibility dimensions represented by the local community, employees, customers (students at private universities), the environment and studying its impact level on the creation of competitive advantage for Jordanian private universities have been focused upon.

The hierarchical cluster has been used, where universities have been divided into groups. The results show that the first group of private universities uses social responsibility at a high and notable scale, while the second group uses social responsibility at a low scale. The results show that the group using social responsibility at a high scale, its competitive advantage is high, while the second group which uses social responsibility at a low scale, its competitive advantage is low.

The study demonstrates the importance of social responsibility and the interest of Jordanian private universities to apply it for its positive and clear impact on the creation of a competitive advantage in the market.

 
Assessing the Impact of Service Quality on Customers and Operators: Empirical Study
Authors: Ansari Mohammad Sultan Ahmad , Farooquie Jamal Ahmad , Gattoufi Said
Published: August 2016

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of Service Quality on Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty and Operational Performance of telecom service industry in Sultanate of Oman. It also investigate how technology adds value to service delivery system and improvement of Service Quality. The empirical data were collected by administering 1,450 questionnaires and out of which 888 completed and usable responses were retrieved. The study is first of kind that evaluated well-established chain of service i.e. services provided by Original Equipment Manufacturers to Telecom Service Providers and further service provided by the Telecom Service Providers to the End Users. The feedback was taken on forward and backward chain to evaluate comprehensive service chain, instead of evaluating an individual chain i.e. Service provided by Original Equipment Manufacturers to Telecom Service Providers or vice versa or from Telecom Service Providers to the End Users. Questionnaires feedback was taken from comprehensive chain of services, i.e. forward and backward chain feedback was considered. Research findings suggest that technological support would improve service delivery system and service organizations shall put special emphasize on Service Quality for achieving critical success, which would improve overall Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty, Operational Performance and Firm Profitability.
Effects of Capital Structure and Managerial Ownership on Profitability: Experience from Bangladesh
Authors: Hossain Md. Imran
Published: August 2016

This paper aims at investigating the effects of capital structure and managerial ownership on the profitability of the Bangladeshi companies based on a strongly balanced panel data of 81 manufacturing companies listed under 10 industries in Dhaka Stock Exchange for 2002-2014. The results of Panel Corrected Standard Error (PCSE) regression model suggest that capital structure variables negatively affect ROA but positively affect ROE of the firms. Furthermore, Short term debt influences profitability of the firms more severely compared to Long term debt. On the contrary, managerial ownership positively affects profitability conforming to the Agency cost theory. It was also found that Bangladeshi firms followed aggressive financing strategies that led to an increase in their financial & bankruptcy risks to a great extent. That the financial managers should employ less leverage in the capital structure and minimize agency cost of equity in order to maximize the profitability of firms is the policy implication of this paper. EN-US style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:major-bidi;mso-fareast-font-family: 宋体;mso-hansi-theme-font:major-bidi;mso-bidi-theme-font:major-bidi;mso-ansi-language: EN-US;mso-fareast-language:ZH-CN;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA'>instead of evaluating an individual chain i.e. Service provided by Original Equipment Manufacturers to Telecom Service Providers or vice versa or from Telecom Service Providers to the End Users. Questionnaires feedback was taken from comprehensive chain of services, i.e. forward and backward chain feedback was considered. Research findings suggest that technological support would improve service delivery system and service organizations shall put special emphasize on Service Quality for achieving critical success, which would improve overall Customer Satisfaction, Customer Loyalty, Operational Performance and Firm Profitability.
Factors Influencing Patient Satisfaction with Pharmacy Services: An Empirical Investigation at King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital, Saudi Arabia
Authors: Khalaf Ahmad AlaEddin Mohammad , Alghamdi Mohammad Ali Saleh , Alghamdi Saleh Ali Saleh , Alsharqi Omar Zayyan , Al-Borie Hussein Mohammad
Published: August 2016

The current research investigates the factors influencing patient satisfaction with pharmacy services at King Fahd Armed Forces Hospital (KFAFH). This research proposes and tests a three-factor model that influence patient satisfaction. These factors include accessibility, availability of medications, and pharmacy staff attitude as independent variables, while the dependent variable is patient satisfaction. In order to explore this issue, a quantitative method was used in the form of a questionnaire issued in KFAFH in Jeddah city in Saudi Arabia. The research targeted 333 patients as a representative sample, rather than the whole population. A random sample was used to choose the participants in this research. The research retrieved 290 valid questionnaires, which represented a reponse rate of 87%. The results confirm significant differences in the influence of these factors on patient satisfaction. The research concludes that there are significant influences from accessibility and availability of pharmacy services, whereas there is no significant influence of staff attitudes on patient satisfaction. The research recommends improving the accessibility and availability of medication regularly and continuously. It is also recommended that pharmacy services should conduct training courses to improve staff skills and attitudes to deal with patients.
Challenges Facing Businesswomen and Their Negative Impact on the Performance of Small Businesses in the Province of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Ghamri Nayef
Published: August 2016

Businesswomen are increasingly playing a significant role in the economy at both, national and international levels. Women-owned businesses provide job opportunities and contribute to strengthening the family and community’s cohesion. However, the majority of women business owners, whether small or big, in terms of size or those conducted without permits especially in developing countries, are all put at a disadvantage in starting businesses. The reason behind this is due to social, political, family and economic challenges faced by businesswomen in many countries. Other obstacles arise from the personality traits of women entrepreneurs and have continuously caused to hinder their engagement in businesses or their willingness to initiate their own new businesses. The impact of these challenges varies from one businesswoman to another. For instance, poor economic conditions may motivate a Chinese businesswoman; however, the same conditions may represent an obstacle to other businesswomen in some Middle Eastern countries. This research study, following an explanatory nonexperimental research design (Belli, 2008; Cook and Cook, 2008; Johnson, 2001) will focus on the most important challenges facing Saudi businesswomen, particularly including social and economic constraints, discrimination and infrastructure challenges. The study has outlined that family constraints are ranked at the top of those challenges. Recommendations aiming to help businesswomen overcome these challenges shall be drawn up in this study. The study is purposefully divided into several parts as follows:

Part I: Introduction: Addresses the research problem, its hypotheses, importance and objectives.

Part II: Addresses the research methodology, literature review and previous research.

Part III: Data collection, draw up conclusions and recommendations.
Stabilized Organic Matter Quantities May Strongly Affect the Mobility of Glyphosate into Soil
Authors: Dores-Silva Paulo Roberto , Benetti Fernanda , Silva Bruno Molero , Landgraf Maria Diva , Rezende Maria Olímpia Oliveira
Published: August 2016

Glyphosate [N-(phosphonomethyl) glycine] is an enzyme inhibiting herbicide, which is widely used in the world. Here, we investigate the glyphosate adsorption potential in tropical soils with pH close to 5. The herbicide was determined via HPLC with detection by UV-Vis. Our results suggest that glyphosate interacts especially with the stabilized organic matter. Thus, even with large amounts of soil organic matter, the soils may not be as effective in the adsorption of the herbicide if they do not also possess high percentage of humic substances. These data are worth far as it allows us to speculate on glyphosate interaction mechanism with the humic substances in slightly acid medium, in addition, also enable us to propose the use of that fraction of the organic matter to immobilize part of the herbicide in the soil and inhibiting its leaching into water bodies.
In vitro Antimicrobial Activity of Methanolic Extract from Varthemia iphionoides Leaves
Authors: Haddad Moawiya A. , Abu-Romman Saeid M. , Sharab Ahmad S.
Published: August 2016

In the Mediterranean region, Varthemia iphionoides is commonly used in folk medicine for the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. The present study described the antimicrobial activity of the methanolic extract of V. iphionoides leaves. The extract was assayed against a panel of pathogenic bacteria and fungi using agar well diffusion method. The antibacterial activity of the methanolic extract was investigated against six standard bacterial species and was found to exhibit high antibacterial activity. The most sensitive bacterium was Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC 13883 followed by Proteus vulgaris ATCC 13315 and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 95047. The least sensitive bacterium to V. iphionoides methanolic extract was Escherichia coli O157:H7 ATCC43895. Antifungal susceptibility of 13 fungal species was tested against V. iphionoides methanolic extract. Among the fungal species studied, Fusarium lini was the most sensitive and Beauveria bassiana was the most resistant to the extract. Good antifungal activity has been displayed by the methanolic extract of V. iphionoides against Aspergillus brasiliensis, Aspergillus niger, and Aspergillus alliaceus, Aspergillus flavus, Cunninghamella echinulata, Gibberella fujikuroi, Macrophomina phaseolina, Cephalosporum aphidicola, Rhizoupus stolonifer, Curvularia lunata and Cunninghamella elegans. The observed antimicrobial potential of V. iphionoides indicated that this plant possesses bioactive compounds that are able to combat pathogenic microorganisms and support its traditional use in the treatment of pathogen infection.
Comparative Studies Using Homeopathic Globules for Leguminous and Non-Leguminous Crop Management against Root Rot Fungi
Authors: Hanif Asma , Dawar Shahnaz
Published: August 2016

The aim of this study was to assess fungicidal potential of homeopathic globules namely Thuja occidentalis and Arnica montana (30C) on plant growth and root infecting fungi particularly Rhizoctonia solani, Fusarium spp. and Macrophomina phaseolina. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments had found positive results in the suppression of root rot fungi. Investigation on present study showed that A. montana and T. occidentalis globules (100, 75 and 50% v/w concentrations) reduced disease intensity caused by root rot pathogens and improved growth of test plants, but it produces negative effects on leguminous test crops in which nodules were failing to produce.
Teologia e literatura: bases para um diálogo
Authors: Manzatto Antonio
Published: August 2016

A presente comunicação visa apresentar as linhas gerais do trabalho realizado pelo Grupo de Pesquisa em Literatura, Religião e Teologia (LERTE – PUC SP) e indica brevemente como o estudo das relações entre teologia e literatura tem-se intensificado nos últimos tempos, sobretudo em trabalhos realizados na zona de confluência entre as realidades literárias e religiosas. Trabalha-se mais relacionando a literatura, e a arte em geral, com religião que propriamente com a teologia, alguns encarando a confessionalidade da teologia como um impedimento para um diálogo frutuoso entre elas. Será preciso, então, esclarecer os pontos sobre os quais se baseia o trabalho teológico de aproximação com o universo literário, bem como o porquê de tal empreendimento. O presente texto parte da convicção, básica para a teologia e a fé cristã, de que Deus se revela na história da humanidade, e daí argumenta em favor de uma compreensão ampla da questão, no sentido de que tal Revelação nos chega através de histórias narradas sobre figuras de humanidade com densidade literária. Com isso visa estabelecer uma ponte real entre literatura e teologia, afirmando aspectos epistemológicos no horizonte da teologia que demonstram seu real interesse em dialogar com a literatura. Tais aspectos enfatizam a interpretação da história feita pelas narrativas e a perspectiva de humanidade que nelas se faz presente, propondo à teologia caminhos promissores para a reflexão que quer compreender melhor a Deus que é afirmado pela confissão de fé.

 
Populism and Progressive Social Movements in Macedonia: From Rhetorical Trap to Discursive Asset
Authors: Petkovski Ljupcho , Nikolovski Dimitar
Published: August 2016

Since 2009, Macedonia has experienced the two largest waves of progressive civic activism in post-socialist times. In the 2009–2012 period, smaller groups of citizens rallied around issues as different as protection of public spaces, police brutality, rising prices of electricity, etc. Yet, it was not before the larger student mobilizations took place in 2014 that the social space significantly opened up with a number of social groups protesting the increasingly authoritarian rule of the illiberal incumbents. In this paper, we investigate and compare the discursive strategies of the social movements (SM) in the two periods, especially the shift from ‘anti-populist rhetorical trap’ from the first period to the broader appeals for solidarity and a construction of equivalences which characterized the second period. In so doing, we hypothesize and demonstrate that the relative success in the second period can be accounted for in terms of the more inclusive discourse which helped SM avoid the ‘anti-populist trap’, thus challenging illiberal populism with progressive and (formally) populist discourse. Theoretically, the analysis goes back and forth between two approaches to studying populism: the dominant theory which sees populism as democratic illiberalism and Laclau’s theory of hegemony that sees populism as a formal political logic with no predetermined ideological content.
Too Small to Make an Impact? The Czech Republic’s Influence on the European Union’s Foreign Policy
Authors: Dostál Vít
Published: August 2016

Neuman, Marek (2015). Too Small to Make an Impact? The Czech Republic’s Influence on the European Union’s Foreign Policy. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang GmbH Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften, 308 pages.
Interventions to improve the rate or timing of initiation of antiretroviral therapy for HIV in sub‐Saharan Africa: meta‐analyses of effectiveness
Authors: Fox Matthew P , Rosen Sydney , Geldsetzer Pascal , Bärnighausen Till , Negussie Eyerusalem , Beanland Rachel
Published: August 2016

Introduction

As global policy evolves toward initiating lifelong antiretroviral therapy (ART) regardless of CD4 count, initiating individuals newly diagnosed with HIV on ART as efficiently as possible will become increasingly important. To inform progress, we conducted a systematic review of pre‐ART interventions aiming to increase ART initiation in sub‐Saharan Africa.

Methods

We searched PubMed, Embase and the ISI Web of Knowledge from 1 January 2008 to 1 March 2015, extended in PubMed to 25 May 2016, for English language publications pertaining to any country in sub‐Saharan Africa and reporting on general adult populations. We included studies describing interventions aimed at increasing linkage to HIV care, retention in pre‐ART or uptake of ART, which reported ART initiation as an outcome. We synthesized the evidence on causal intervention effects in meta‐analysis of studies belonging to distinct intervention categories.

Results and discussion

We identified 22 studies, which evaluated 25 interventions and included data on 45,393 individual patients. Twelve of twenty‐two studies were observational. Rapid/point‐of‐care (POC) CD4 count technology (seven interventions) (relative risk, RR: 1.26; 95% confidence interval, CI: 1.02–1.55), interventions within home‐based testing (two interventions) (RR: 2.00; 95% CI: 1.36–2.92), improved clinic operations (three interventions) (RR: 1.36; 95% CI: 1.25–1.48) and a package of patient‐directed services (three interventions) (RR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.20–1.97) were all associated with increased ART initiation as was HIV/TB service integration (three interventions) (RR: 2.05; 95% CI: 0.59–7.09) but with high imprecision. Provider‐initiated testing (three interventions) was associated with reduced ART initiation (RR: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.86–0.97). Counselling and support interventions (two interventions) (RR 1.08; 95% CI: 0.94–1.26) had no impact on ART initiation. Overall, the evidence was graded as low or moderate quality using the GRADE criteria.

Conclusions

The literature on interventions to increase uptake of ART is limited and of mixed quality. POC CD4 count and improving clinic operations show promise. More implementation research and evaluation is needed to identify how best to offer treatment initiation in a manner that is both efficient for service providers and effective for patients without jeopardizing treatment outcomes.
Effect of the Bioadhesive, BioGlue, on Impaired Colonic Anastomose Healing in Rats
Authors: Ekici Yahya , Akcay Eda Yılmaz , Moray Gokhan
Published: August 2016

Colonic anastomotic leakage is still a problem in general surgery practice. We sought to investigate the effect of a new tissue adhesive, BioGlue, on the healing of normal and impaired colonic anastomoses. Sixty-four rats were randomized into 4 groups. In all animals, a 1-cm segment of the left colon was resected, and an end-to-end sutured anastomosis was created. Animals were then divided into 2 groups: normal and impaired anastomosis. These 2 groups were further subdivided into 2 additional groups: animals that received BioGlue and those that did not. All rats received intraperitoneal injections of either 0.9% NaCl or 5-fluorouracil (5-FU). Anastomotic evaluation was done 7 days after surgery. Macroscopic healing, mechanical strength, and histopathologic healing parameters were evaluated. Leakage of the anastomosis was significantly higher in rats in the impaired group compared with those in the BioGlue groups (P = 0.043). The adhesion formation score was significantly higher in rats in the impaired anastomosis group compared with the other groups. Bursting pressures were significantly lower in the impaired anastomosis group than in the other ones (P = 0.001). Neoangiogenesis and fibroblast activity were different among the groups (P = 0.001). Inflammatory cell infiltration and collagen deposition did not differ among the groups (P = 0.07). Immediate postoperative intraperitoneal administration of 5-FU after colonic anastomosis inhibits intestinal wound healing. Covering colon anastomoses with BioGlue after suturing conferred beneficial effect on healing.
The Science of Biosimilars—Updating Interchangeability
Authors: Cavazzoni Patrizia , Yim Sarah
Published: September 2024

This Viewpoint from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) summarizes a recent update to an FDA draft interchangeability guidance regarding the need for clinical switching studies to illustrate the FDA’s ongoing efforts to streamline the development of biosimilar medications that are in line with the latest science.
Comorbidity and Disease Activity in Multiple Sclerosis
Authors: Salter Amber , Lancia Samantha , Kowalec Kaarina , Fitzgerald Kathryn C. , Marrie Ruth Ann
Published: September 2024

Importance

Multiple studies suggest that comorbidity worsens clinically relevant outcomes in multiple sclerosis (MS), including the severity of disability at diagnosis and rate of disability worsening after diagnosis. However, less is known regarding the association of comorbidity with measures of disease activity, such as relapse rate and magnetic resonance imaging lesion accrual, which are relevant to clinicians and clinical trialists.

Objective

To evaluate the association of comorbidities with disease activity in clinical trials of disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) in populations with MS.

Design, Setting, and Participants

A 2-stage meta-analytic approach was used in this cohort study of individual participant data from phase 3 clinical trials of MS DMTs that had 2 years of follow-up and were conducted from November 2001 to March 2018. Data were analyzed from February 2023 to June 2024.

Exposure

Comorbidity burden and individual comorbidities present at trial enrollment, including hypertension; hyperlipidemia; functional cardiovascular disease, ischemic heart, cerebrovascular, and peripheral vascular disease; diabetes; autoimmune thyroid and miscellaneous autoimmune conditions; migraine; lung and skin conditions; depression; anxiety; and other psychiatric disorders.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The main outcome was evidence of disease activity (EDA) over 2 years of follow-up, defined as confirmed relapse activity, disability worsening, or any new lesions on magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

A total of 16 794 participants with MS were included from 17 clinical trials (67.2% female). Over the 2-year follow-up, 61.0% (95% CI, 56.2%-66.3%; I2 = 97.9%) of the pooled trials had EDA. After adjusting for multiple factors, the presence of 3 or more comorbidities was associated with an increased hazard of EDA (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR], 1.14; 95% CI, 1.02-1.28) compared with no comorbidity. Presence of 2 or more cardiometabolic conditions was also associated with an increased hazard of EDA (AHR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.08-1.37) compared with no cardiometabolic comorbidity. Presence of 1 psychiatric disorder was associated with an increased hazard of EDA (AHR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02-1.14).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this study, a higher burden of comorbidity was associated with worse clinical outcomes in people with MS, although comorbidity could potentially be a partial mediator of other negative prognostic factors. Our findings suggest a substantial adverse association of the comorbidities investigated with MS disease activity and that prevention and management of comorbidities should be a pressing concern in clinical practice.
Suicidality Calls to a National Helpline After a Terror Attack and War
Authors: Benatov Joy , Itzhaky Liat , Daniels Shiri , Zalsman Gil
Published: September 2024

Importance

Changes in suicide rates after a nationwide trauma may be different from changes in psychiatric symptoms or general distress after such events. However, very few studies have examined short-term suicide-related reactions after such an event.

Objective

To evaluate the short-term outcome of the events in Israel on October 7, 2023, a large-scale terror attack and unfolding war, on changes in suicidality as reflected in percentages of suicide-related calls in relation to all calls to a national mental health first aid helpline, the Israeli Association for Emotional First Aid (ERAN).

Design, Setting and Participants

The data included all interactions via the various ERAN helpline services between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023.

Exposures

The October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel.

Mean Outcomes and Measures

Changes in the numbers of overall calls and suicide-related calls to the ERAN helpline using an interrupted time-series analysis.

Results

A total of 602 323 calls were received by the ERAN helpline. The number of calls reflecting psychological distress in the 3 months before October 7, 2023, was 67 555 compared with 89 445 calls in the 3 months after. Analysis indicated that overall calls increased significantly on October 7 (β = 2089.16; 95% CI, 1918.97-2259.35). In addition, the daily trajectory of all calls changed significantly after October 7 (β = −22.77; 95% CI, −33.37 to −12.16), such that there was a decrease in the number of calls per day (β = −11.34; SE = 1.213; t = −9.35; P < .001). The number of suicide-related calls in the 3 months before October 7 was 1887, whereas 1663 suicide-related calls were registered in the 3 months after. Analysis showed that there were no changes in the daily number of suicide-related calls from before October 7 (β = −0.001; 95% CI, −0.005 to 0.03) or on October 7 (β = −0.22; 95% CI, −3.69 to 3.25). Therefore, the percentage of suicide-related calls decreased significantly on October 7 (β = −1.42; 95% CI, −1.92 to −0.92) and gradually increased in the following period (β = 0.016; 95% CI, 0.006-0.026).

Conclusions and Relevance

The findings of this cohort study suggest that although short-term emotional distress increased after national trauma, the percentage of suicide-related calls decreased. These results support previous studies suggesting that suicidality is not one of the immediate reactions to such traumas.
Optoelectronics of Lead‐Free Antimony‐ and Bismuth‐Based Metal Halides for Sensitive and Low‐Noise Photodetection
Authors: Jia Zhenglin , Davydova Maria P. , Sukhikh Taisiya S. , Liu Hailin , Liu Yong , Artem'ev Alexander V. , Lin Qianqian
Published: September 2024

Organic–inorganic hybrid halide perovskites have emerged as the most promising optoelectronic materials for next‐generation solution‐processed devices, primarily attributed to their distinctive properties such as cost‐effectiveness, facile fabrication process, high light absorption coefficient, tunable bandgap, and relatively high charge carrier mobility. Nevertheless, the presence of Pb elements is inevitable in most high‐performance perovskite optoelectronic devices, posing environmental pollution concerns and impeding their commercialization. In this study, two novel non‐toxic bismuth‐ and antimony‐based perovskite materials with environmentally conscious approaches are developed. Their structures and optoelectronic properties have been systematically characterized. Subsequently, photoconductive‐ and photodiode‐type photodetectors are designed and fabricated. Notably, the photodiode configuration exhibits exceptionally low dark current and noise, superior detection sensitivity, fast response speed, and good device stability. Owing to these superior performance metrics, the devices demonstrate great potential for real applications. Furthermore, this study furnishes a theoretical framework and design perspectives for the solution‐processed semiconductor materials.