bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A review of greywater characteristics and treatment processes
Authors: Boyjoo Yash , Pareek Vishnu K. , Ang Ming
Published: April 2013

This paper presents a comprehensive literature review of different characteristics of greywater (GW) and current treatment methods. GW is domestic wastewater excluding toilet waste and can be classified as either low-load GW (excluding kitchen and laundry GW) or high-load GW (including kitchen and/or laundry). This review provides information on the quantity of GW produced, its constituents (macro and micro), existing guidelines for wastewater reuse, current treatment methods (from storage to disinfection) as well as related costs and environmental impacts. Moreover some successful examples from various countries around the world are examined. The current preferred treatments for GW use physical and biological/natural systems. Recently, chemical systems like coagulation, adsorption and advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been considered and have been successful for low to moderate strength GW. The presence of xenobiotic organic compounds (XOC), which are hazardous micropollutants in GW, is emphasised. Since conventional treatments are not efficient at removing XOC, it is recommended that future studies look at chemical treatment, especially AOPs that have been found to be successful at mineralising recalcitrant organic compounds in wastewater.
New bounds for the broadcast domination number of a graph
Authors: Brewster Richard , Mynhardt Christina , Teshima Laura
Published: April 2013

A dominating broadcast on a graph G = (V, E) is a function f: V → {0, 1, ..., diam G} such that f(v) ≤ e(v) (the eccentricity of v) for all v ∈ V and such that each vertex is within distance f(v) from a vertex v with f(v) > 0. The cost of a broadcast f is σ(f) = Σv∈V

f(v), and the broadcast number λ
b (G) is the minimum cost of a dominating broadcast.

A set X ⊆ V(G) is said to be irredundant if each x ∈ X dominates a vertex y that is not dominated by any other vertex in X; possibly y = x. The irredundance number ir (G) is the cardinality of a smallest maximal irredundant set of G.

We prove the bound λb(G) ≤ 3 ir(G)/2 for any graph G and show that equality is possible for all even values of ir (G). We also consider broadcast domination as an integer programming problem, the dual of which provides a lower bound for λb.
Adverse reaction of a combined treatment for unresectable liver cancer
Authors: Ren Jianjun , Jiang Tao , Peng Rui
Published: April 2013

To investigate the adverse reactions of transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) combined with trastuzumab in the treatment of unresectable live cancer, 85 unresectable liver cancer patients were treated with 35 mg epirubicin, with lipiodol and gelatin sponge granule as the embolic agent, and trastuzumab (4mg/kg) was administered intravenously. All the adverse reactions were investigated by blood routine examination and the checking of liver, renal and thyroid functions on the postoperative 2nd and 30th day. No patients died of direct medication. The main adverse reactions included haematological toxicity, liver function lesion and postoperative syndromes such as nausea, vomiting, fever and liver area aching. Two days after the treatment, the amount of the serum total bilirubin (TB) and white blood cell (WBC) increased dramatically, while platelet (PLT) changed a little, and creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) did not change at all. Thirty days after the treatment, blood routine, liver and renal functions were examined, demonstrating that the liver function remained unchanged, PLT decreased apparently, WBC was lower, and Cr and BUN changed slightly compared to those before the treatment. The combined treatment is safe for unresectable liver cancer and thus can be used as a routine intervention method.
The Third Dimension of Reading the Sugar Code by Lectins: Design of Glycoclusters with Cyclic Scaffolds as Tools with the Aim to Define Correlations between Spatial Presentation and Activity
Authors: Murphy Paul , André Sabine , Gabius Hans-Joachim
Published: April 2013

Coding of biological information is not confined to nucleic acids and proteins. Endowed with the highest level of structural versatility among biomolecules, the glycan chains of cellular glycoconjugates are well-suited to generate molecular messages/signals in a minimum of space. The sequence and shape of oligosaccharides as well as spatial aspects of multivalent presentation are assumed to underlie the natural specificity/selectivity that cellular glycans have for endogenous lectins. In order to eventually unravel structure-activity profiles cyclic scaffolds have been used as platforms to produce glycoclusters and afford valuable tools. Using adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins and the pan-galectin ligand lactose as a model, emerging insights into the potential of cyclodextrins, cyclic peptides, calixarenes and glycophanes for this purpose are presented herein. The systematic testing of lectin panels with spatially defined ligand presentations can be considered as a biomimetic means to help clarify the mechanisms, which lead to the exquisite accuracy at which endogenous lectins select their physiological counterreceptors from the complexity of the cellular glycome.
Overall Survival Should Be the Primary Endpoint in Clinical Trials for Advanced Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Cheema P.K. , Burkes R.L.
Published: April 2013

An article in a recent edition of Current Oncology explored the validation of progression-free survival (pfs) as an endpoint in clinical trials of antineoplastic agents for metastatic colorectal cancer, metastatic renal cell carcinoma, and ovarian cancer. The support for pfs as a surrogate endpoint for overall survival (os) was elucidated. As with the aforementioned tumour types, advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (nsclc) has seen a rise in active agents since the year 2000. Those agents range from improved cytotoxics such as pemetrexed, to targeted therapies such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor and agents that target the EML4–ALK gene mutation. More recently, it has also become apparent that histology plays an important role in the response to and outcomes of treatment. With the therapeutic options for patients with advanced nsclc increasing, concerns are being raised that the efficacy of drugs measured by os may be diluted in clinical trials, thereby underestimating their true clinical benefit. That possibility, together with the need to have efficacious drugs available to patients earlier, has resulted in the search for a surrogate to the os endpoint in advanced nsclc. The present article follows up the recent article on pfs as a surrogate. Although advances in identifying pfs as a valid surrogate endpoint for os have been made in other tumour types, in advanced nsclc, such surrogacy has not been formally validated. Until it has, os should remain the primary endpoint of clinical trials in advanced nsclc.
Informing Canada’s Cancer Drug Funding Decisions with Scientific Evidence and Patient Perspectives: The Pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review
Authors: Hoch J.S. , Sabharwal M.
Published: April 2013

JSH: In July 2011, the pan-Canadian Oncology Drug Review [pcodr (http://www.pcodr.ca/)] began accepting submissions by pharmaceutical manufacturers and clinician-based tumour groups to have cancer drugs reimbursed by provincial payers in Canada. Doesn’t Canada already have a body reviewing drugs? [...]
Cancer Narratives: Words beyond Disease—A Call for Submissions
Authors: Rayson D.
Published: April 2013

The practice of medicine and the experience of being a patient or a caregiver both provide rich thematic material for the creation of narratives—or, to put it more plainly, story-telling. [...]
Many Mosaic Mutations
Authors: Foulkes W.D. , Real F.X.
Published: April 2013

Steven Narod’s latest Countercurrents contribution to Current Oncology discusses a new breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene known as PPM1D. [...]
Big is beautiful ? La productivité des entreprises en fonction de leur taille en Allemagne et aux États-Unis au tournant des XIX e -XX e siècles
Authors: Baten Jörg
Published: April 2013

Des historiens économistes de premier plan se sont intéressés à la dimension des entreprises au tournant des XIX e et XX e siècles, afin de déterminer dans quelle mesure leur taille, petite ou grande, pouvait être source d’avantages ou de désavantages. Chandler, notamment, a soutenu la thèse, aujourd’hui bien connue, selon laquelle le remarquable essor économique des États-Unis et de l’Allemagne de cette époque était lié à l’accroissement de la taille des entreprises. Pourtant, bien peu d’études ont entrepris le calcul comparé de la productivité effective des grandes et des petites entreprises. À partir d’une enquête sur l’Allemagne du sud et de l’ouest fondée sur les archives fiscales, cet article établit que, dans la plupart des cas, les petites entreprises n’étaient pas moins productives que les grandes. À titre de comparaison, ces résultats sont rapprochés de ceux que l’on peut tirer du recensement des entreprises américaines en 1880. Or il apparaît que, même aux États-Unis, seul un petit nombre d’entreprises tirait un bénéfice substantiel d’une taille accrue.
Amblyopia Risk Factor Prevalence
Authors: Arnold Robert W.
Published: April 2013

Purpose:

In 2003, the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AAPOS) published a set of risk factors for amblyopia. The intent was to promote uniformity of reporting and development in screening. Because this prevalence is not yet known, this meta-analysis is an attempt to estimate it.

Methods:

Major community preschool eye examination studies were reviewed and AAPOS cut-offs estimated.

Results:

The approximate prevalence of anisometropia is 1.2%, hyperopia is 6%, astigmatism is 15%, myopia is 0.6%, strabismus is 2.5%, and visual acuity less than 20/40 is 6%. The mean combined prevalence is 21% ± 2% compared to a prevalence of amblyopia 20/40 and worse of 2.5%.

Conclusions:

Knowing risk factor prevalence simplifies validation efforts. Amblyopia screening with a risk factor sensitivity less than 100% is expected and desirable.

[J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus 2013;50(4):213–217.]
Biomechanical and Refractive Behaviors of Keratoconic Cornea Based on Three-Dimensional Anisotropic Hyperelastic Models
Authors: Han Zhaolong , Sui Xiaohong , Zhou Dai , Zhou Chuanqing , Ren Qiushi
Published: April 2013

PURPOSE:

To investigate the biomechanical and refractive behaviors of normal and keratoconic corneas based on three-dimensional anisotropic hyperelastic corneal models with two layers.

METHODS:

Based on an anisotropic hyperelastic formula, the finite element method was employed to develop normal and keratoconic corneal models in which the fiber orientations and the biomechanical differences between corneal layers were taken into account. The displacements for normal and keratoconic corneal models were studied, as well as changes in corneal refractive power with intraocular pressure (IOP).

RESULTS:

There were different displacements for keratoconic and normal corneas. Positive correlations were found in the keratoconic cornea between IOP and apical displacement, as well as between IOP and corneal refractive power. Under normal IOP, both the corneal shape and refractive power map were affected by the stiffness distributions of the corneal layers.

CONCLUSIONS:

Finite element analysis can be used to demonstrate the biomechanical and refractive behavior of a cornea with keratoconus. From a biomechanical viewpoint, the displacement changes seen under normal IOP were due to the decreased stiffness in the keratoconic corneal tissue and local thinning disorders. Thus, the curvature and corneal refractive power map will be abnormal in keratoconus.

[
J Refract Surg
. 2013;29(4):282–290.]
Unilateral Ectasia After LASIK in a Patient With Abnormal Topography but Normal Tomography
Authors: Guilbert Emmanuel , Saad Alain , Gatinel Damien
Published: April 2013

PURPOSE:

To report a case of unilateral ectasia developing after LASIK in a patient with abnormal topography but normal tomographic indices.

METHODS:

Case report and literature review.

RESULTS:

A patient was treated bilaterally for myopia using LASIK. Five years and 5 months postoperatively, unilateral ectasia in the right eye was diagnosed. Preoperatively, anterior curvature (Placido) map of the right cornea showed an asymmetry with 1.8 diopters of steepening when evaluated from upper left to lower right meridians, and a skewing of the steepest radial axes. The calculated KISA% index was 128.4 in the right eye and 5.6 in the left eye. Conversely, posterior elevation map and pachymetry map of the right eye showed no frank abnormalities.

CONCLUSIONS:

This case is interesting because it shows that for this patient, the anterior curvature (Placido) map was more sensitive to detect cornea at risk of post-LASIK ectasia than the tomographic features.

[
J Refract Surg.
2013;29(4):294–296.]
R&D Productivity and Firm Size in Semiconductors and Pharmaceuticals
Authors: Dindaroglu Burak
Published: April 2013

Using firm level panel data from the U.S., the authors explore the relationship between firm size and R&D productivity for two important and R&D-intensive industries: Semiconductors and Pharmaceuticals. They employ two measures of a firm’s R&D performance: the number of citations received per patented innovation, and the number of citations received per dollar of R&D expenditures. The former is a measure of the average quality of a firm’s patents, and the latter is a measure of total R&D output obtained per dollar of investments. The authors find that the average quality of patents (citations received per patent) falls with firm size in Pharmaceuticals, but there is no relationship between patent quality and firm size in Semiconductors. Citations received per R&D dollar decrease with size in both industries, which is due to the well-documented negative relationship between patents per R&D and firm size.
The Impact of Research and Development Expenditures on the Growth of Turkish Manufacturing Industry
Authors: Yilmaz Rukiye , Yildirim Julide
Published: April 2013

Emerging markets depend on technological development and innovation rather than cheap labor, as they are important instruments for sustainable economic growth. The most common indicators of technological development and innovation are the Research and Development (R&D) expenditures and the number of employees participating in research and development activities. The aim of this chapter is to measure the impact of research and development expenditures as a technological innovation indicator on the growth of firms in the Turkish manufacturing and non-manufacturing industry for the time period 2003 and 2007. In this framework, labor, investment, and R&D expenditures are used as factors, which affect the growth of the firms. Then, economic activities of manufacturing industries are classified with respect to technology intensity as high, medium-high, medium-low, and low technology level. Empirical findings indicate that R&D expenditures enhance firm growth, especially for the firms in low and medium technology level sectors.
Value Creation with Wood-Based Energy Business Models
Authors: Westerman Wim , Paays Jeffrey , Pätäri Satu
Published: April 2013

Renewable energy sources are increasingly coming into use. This notably counts for non-food based biomass sources, including those producing wood-based energy. A firm that (re-)directs activities to this area can potentially create value. The external and internal environment of the firm sets the outline for the value creation potential. Important in the value creation process are dynamic capabilities to alter resource bases. The authors show this with an example in the mature Finnish pulp and paper industry. A Delphi study helps to identify the main industry- and company-level factors that influence the forest-based energy sector, its value-creation potential, and the future roles of forest and energy companies in it. The results of a study on a power plant in The Netherlands shows how the economic value creation for a specific firm can be assessed. The plant is designed to “vaporize” biomass input, in our case so-called “B-wood,” to a bio-oil that can be used to generate Green Power. The economic value analysis draws upon a risk-oriented production unit positioning analysis that is modeled with multiple scenarios. The results show that innovative business models can fruitfully be identified with multiple experts in sophisticated Delphi rounds and dynamic resource-based approaches appear promising. The authors also find that bio-refinery production chains are economically feasible with relatively small production units with multiple applications. The chapter gives way to a management view that integrates resource-based and economic value perspectives on wood-based energy sources for firms. In that sense, it adds to the literature on value creation with innovative business models.
How Do Starting Attributes Impact the Economic Performance of Young Innovative Companies?
Authors: Gallié Emilie-Pauline , Guichard Renelle
Published: April 2013

The purpose of this chapter is to study the effects of the starting attributes on the economic performance of the Young Innovative Companies (YICs) in France. The economic performance is measured by two traditional indicators: the sales turnover (after three and five years) and the mortality rate. The indicators of performance diversity make it possible to identify specificities in terms of economic development patterns. To undertake the empirical study, the authors use a database from the French Ministry of Research. The results show that the initial conditions do not have the same impact on both performance indicators. The legal status and the level of initial equity capital mainly influence the mortality rate. The 3-year-turnover can be explained by the previous activities (1-year-turnover and initial equity capital), the age of the entrepreneur, and the sector. The 5-year-turnover depends on the previous activities, the age of the entrepreneur, and the type of legal status. These results may have important implications in the strategy of the new entrepreneurs.
European E-Health Framework
Authors: Karamagkioli Korinna Zoi , Karamagioli Evika
Published: April 2013

European health systems are under mounting pressure to respond to the challenges of population ageing, citizens’ rising expectations, migration, and mobility of patients and health professionals. New technologies have the potential to revolutionize healthcare and health systems and to contribute to their future sustainability. However the organizational and regulatory environment of e-health has not progressed as rapidly as technology both in national and European level. The key issue in the European sphere is whether and to what extent it interferes with public health policy and should be treated separately from the more “traditional” healthcare. The proposed chapter will define e-health from a European perspective, present the different steps of the European policy in the field, insist on the organizational and regulatory issues that arise and discuss drives and barriers towards achieving pan European “patient-friendly” healthcare services.
A Model for Improving the Adoption of Sustainability in the Context of Globalization and Innovation
Authors: Rainey David L.
Published: April 2013

This chapter presents the foundations of a conceptual model for connecting the key elements necessary for corporations to adopt sustainability in the context of the global economy and strategic innovation. While there are numerous theories and practical methods for managing in a national or even regional markets, most of them lack the sophistication necessary for leading change in a global business environment. With the advent of globalization, the complexities of doing business on a global basis have increased dramatically over the last two decades. While sustainability involves many perspectives, strategies, actions, and management constructs, the chapter focuses on how global corporations employ strategic innovations in response to the driving forces in the global economy and how they can improve their level of management sophistication in a turbulent business environment. The model incorporates the concepts of sustainability and sustainable development in creating the solutions, systems and structures for doing business in the global economy. It focuses on strategic innovations that provide more positive aspects and fewer negative ones. Sustainability and sustainable development are based on proactive strategies and actions that exceed expectations and outperform peers and competitors alike. Strategic innovations are dramatic changes that have the potential to create dramatic new solutions that create exceptional value and eliminate or reduce negative effects and impacts. Strategic innovations include radical technological innovations, business model innovations, product developments, and organizational developments that are game changers.
The Integration of Independent Inventors in Open Innovation
Authors: Smeilus Gavin , Harris Robert , Pollard Andrew
Published: April 2013

Whilst current academic literature points to the growing importance of Open Innovation as a means of companies capturing new products from sources other than internal R & D facilities; the integration of independent inventors, a source of innovative new products, within Open Innovation has proven challenging. This chapter presents a series of preliminary Critical Success Factors, driven by current academic literature, which are intended to positively contribute towards independent inventors becoming more successful suppliers of new product ideas to businesses operating an open innovation model; with the intention that adherence to such factors may have a positive influence on the effectiveness and future sustainability of Open Innovation.
Innovation and Corporate Reputation Innovation and Corporate Reputation
Authors: Brown Michael , Turner Paul
Published: April 2013

As much as 75% of a company’s value derives from its intangible assets. One of the most important of these intangible assets is corporate reputation. The Britain’s Most Admired Company surveys into corporate reputation includes nine characteristics, one of these is a company’s ‘capacity to innovate’. Surveys between 1990 and 2009 show that a good reputation for innovation does not guarantee a good overall reputation; nor does a reputation for innovation lead to business success. However, where a company has a reputation for innovation and is able to manage other characteristics, there is a better chance that this company will develop its innovation capability into long-term competitive advantage and profitability. Central to this conclusion is converting innovation into enhanced processes, products or services through effective implementation. The research identifies key attributes of companies that combine a reputation for innovation, with a good corporate reputation overall and business success.
The New Product Development Process as a Communication Web Part I
Authors: Ferrín Pilar Fernández , González José Antonio Varela , Vilela Belén Bande , Andia Oihana Valmaseda
Published: April 2013

This chapter contributes towards existing literature by analysing the innovation activities of Spanish companies and by proposing New Product Development (NPD) as a communication web. We propose a model, based on literature reviews, that relates the external communication of cross-functional teams to the performance of NPD programmes. The composition of NPD teams and the external communication activities thereof are a core competency for companies and can provide them with major competitive advantages.
Myofascial Release as a Treatment for Orthopaedic Conditions: A Systematic Review
Authors: McKenney Kristin , Elder Amanda Sinclair , Elder Craig , Hutchins Andrea
Published: April 2013

Objective

To critically analyze published literature to determine the effectiveness of myofascial release therapy as a treatment for orthopaedic conditions.

Data Sources:

We searched the following electronic databases: MEDLINE, CINAHL, Academic Search Premier, Cochrane Library, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), with key words myofascial release, myofascial release therapy, myofascial release treatment, musculoskeletal, and orthopedic. No date limitations were applied to the searches.

Study Selection:

Articles were selected based upon the use of the term myofascial release in the abstract or key words. Final selection was made by applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria to the full text. Studies were included if they were English-language, peer-reviewed studies on myofascial release for an orthopaedic condition in adult patients. Ten studies were eligible.

Data Extraction:

Data collected were number of participants, condition being treated, treatment used, control group, outcome measures and results. Studies were analyzed using the PEDro scale and the Center for Evidence-Based Medicine's Levels of Evidence Scale.

Data Synthesis:

Study scores on the PEDro scale ranged from 6 of 10 to 8 of 10. Based on the Levels of Evidence Scale, the case studies (n = 6) were of lower quality, with a rank of 4. Three of the 4 remaining studies were rated at 2b, and the final study was rated at 1b.

Conclusions:

The quality of studies was mixed, ranging from higher-quality experimental to lower-quality case studies. Overall, the studies had positive outcomes with myofascial release, but because of the low quality, few conclusions could be drawn. The studies in this review may serve as a good foundation for future randomized controlled trials.
Institusionalisme – springlewendig in die kwynende Afrikaanse Gereformeerde kerkpraktyk
Authors: Van Helden Sophia
Published: April 2013

In hierdie artikel word die institusionalistiese denkwyse (I-denke) as dominante denkwyse in die krimpende tradisioneel-Afrikaanssprekende Gereformeerde kerke bespreek. I-denke toon ’n denkwanbalans wat weerspieël word in die huidige ongebalanseerde en ongesonde kerkpraktyk. Die onwaarskynlikheid van organiese groei binne die huidige ekklesiologiese wanbalans, word belig deur te fokus op navorsing binne die Gereformeerde Kerk van Suid Afrika (GKSA)-kerkpraktyk, as een van die drie gereformeerde susterskerke. Die bevindings dui op die noodeisende toestand binne die tradisionele ekklesiologie. Die Christosentriese denkparadigma word as gebalanseerde korrektief aan die hand van die groot opdrag uiteengesit (maak dissipels van alle nasies) uiteengesit, as sleutel vir die daarstel van gesonde omstandighede ter wille van kerkgroei. Denke as die belangrikste ekklesiologiese oorsaak van kerkkrimping, kan deur denkverandering teëgewerk word ten einde verdere krimping van die susterskerke teë te werk.Institutionalism – alive and well in the declining Afrikaans reformed church practice. This article discusses institutionalism as the dominant paradigm (I-paradigm) among the declining traditional Afrikaans speaking Reformed churches in South Africa. The I-paradigm portrays imbalanced thinking prevailing in the current unhealthy church practice. The improbability of natural growth within the recent ecclesiastic imbalance, is highlighted by focusing on a study within the church practice of the Reformed Curch of South Africa (RCSA) – one of the three reformed sister churches. Conclusions drawn from the study emphasise the serious conditions of this traditional ecclesiology. The Christ centered paradigm, as balanced corrective, is discussed in line with the great commission (disciple the nations) as key to creating healthy circumstances in order to realise church growth in the long run. Thinking, as the most important ecclesiological factor causing church decline, can be changed, thus preventing further decline of the sister churches.
Comorbidity Profile among Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and the Impact on Prescriptions Trend
Authors: Al-Bishri J , Attar SM , Bassuni Nawal , Al-Nofaiey Yasser , Qutbuddeen Hamed , Al-Harthi Salma , Subahi Sarah
Published: April 2013

Comorbid conditions play a pivotal role in rheumatoid arthritis management and outcomes. We estimated the percentage of comorbid illness among rheumatoid arthritis patients and explored the relationship between this comorbidity and different prescriptions. A cross-sectional study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis in three centers in Saudi Arabia was carried out. Comorbidity and antirheumatoid medication regimens prescribed were recorded on a specially designed Performa. The association between comorbidity and different drugs was analyzed. A total of 340 patients were included. The most comorbidities were hypertension 122 (35.9%), diabetes 105 (30.9%), osteoporosis 88 (25.8%), and dyslipidemia in 66 (19.4). The most common drug prescribed was prednisolone in 275 (80.8%) patients followed by methotrexate in 253 (74.4%) and biological therapy in 142 (41.5%) patients. Glucocorticoids were prescribed considerably more frequently in hypertensive and diabetic patients as well as in patients with osteoporosis and dyslipidemia. Most patients with rheumatoid arthritis suffered from comorbid diseases.
Unique and Varied Contributions of Traditional CVD Risk Factors: A Systematic Literature Review of CAD Risk Factors in China
Authors: Foody Joanne , Huo Yong , Ji Linong , Zhao Dong , Boyd Dylan , Meng Hai Jin , Shiff Susan , Hu Dayi
Published: April 2013

This study is the first systematic review of risk factors for stroke in China and supports the importance of current public health initiatives to manage the risk factors appropriately to reduce risk of stroke in high risk patients. Additionally, this study has been co-authored by prominent Chinese and US physicians and researchers with expertise in cardiovascular disease, neurologic disorders, epidemiology, and real world data. While there have been several systematic reviews of real world associations of risk factors for coronary artery disease, none focus specifically on the population of China, where there is growing evidence that such risk factors are poorly treated or uncontrolled, especially in rural areas.

Background

To better understand the impact of traditional cardiovascular risk factors on risk of coronary artery disease (CAD) in China, a systematic review of all Chinese observational studies published in either English or Chinese in MEDLINE and EMBASE over the last 5 years was performed and the association between any of 5 traditional risk factors (ie, hypertension, diabetes, elevated lipid levels, obesity, and smoking) and the risk of CAD was studied.

Methods and Results

The study found a consistent relationship between lipid levels and CAD. Higher low-density lipoprotein cholesterol values were associated with greater risk of CAD, with an odds ratio as high as 3.31. Other factors found to be significant contributors to the risk of CAD included hypertension (crude odds ratio range of 1.40-5.11), diabetes (1.50-5.97), and smoking (1.37-5.19). An association between obesity and CAD in China was observed, but the evidence supporting this was considered weak due to the paucity of studies found as part of this review.

Conclusions

This review provides a systematic summary of CAD risk factors in China and demonstrates the important differences that exist in CAD risk factors between countries and regions. Approaches to reduce CAD globally must take into account the unique risk factors that drive CAD in each country and region as is demonstrated by these findings.
Good Clinical Practice in Resource-Limited Settings: Translating Theory into Practice
Authors: Tinto Halidou , Noor Ramadhani A. , Wanga Charles L. , Valea Innocent , Mbaye Maimouna Ndour , D'Alessandro Umberto , Ravinetto Raffaella M.
Published: April 2013

A Good Clinical Practices (GCPs) course, based on the combination of theoretical modules with a practical training in real-life conditions, was held in 2010 in Burkina Faso. It was attended by 15 trainees from nine African, Asian, and Latin American countries. There were some discrepancies between the average good results at the end of the theoretical phase and the GCP application during the first days of the practical phase, underlying the difficulties of translating theoretical knowledge into good practices. Most of the findings were not unexpected and reflected the challenges commonly faced by clinical investigators in resource-poor contexts (i.e., the high workload at peripheral health facilities, the need to conciliate routine clinical activities with clinical research, and the risk of creating a double standard among patients attending the same health facility [free care for recruited patients versus user fees for non-recruited patients with the same medical condition]). Even if limited in number and time, these observations suggest that a theoretical training alone may not be sufficient to prepare trainees for the challenges of medical research in real-life settings. Conversely, when a practical phase immediately follows a theoretical one, trainees can immediately experience what the research methodology implicates in terms of work organization and relationship with recruited and non-recruited patients. This initial experience shows the complexity of translating GCP into practice and suggests the need to rethink the current conception of GCP training.
Exploring the atmospheric chemistry of O2SO3− and assessing the maximum turnover number of ion-catalysed H2SO4 formation
Authors: Bork N. , Kurtén T. , Vehkamäki H.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. It has recently been demonstrated that the O2SO3− ion forms in the atmosphere as a natural consequence of ionizing radiation. Here, we present a density functional theory-based study of the reactions of O2SO3− with O3. The most important reactions are (a) oxidation to O2SO3− and (b) cluster decomposition into SO3, O2 and O3−. The former reaction is highly exothermic, and the nascent O2SO3− will rapidly decompose into SO4− and O2. If the origin of O2SO3− is SO2 oxidation by O3−, the latter reaction closes a catalytic cycle wherein SO2 is oxidized to SO3. The relative rate between the two major sinks for O2SO3− is assessed, thereby providing a measure of the maximum turnover number of ion-catalysed SO2 oxidation, i.e. how many SO2 can be oxidized per free electron. The rate ratio between reactions (a) and (b) is significantly altered by the presence or absence of a single water molecule, but reaction (b) is in general much more probable. Although we are unable to assess the overall importance of this cycle in the real atmosphere due to the unknown influence of CO2 and NOx, we roughly estimate that ion-induced catalysis may contribute with several percent of H2SO4 levels in typical CO2-free and low NOx reaction chambers, e.g. the CLOUD chamber at CERN.
Stable atmospheric methane in the 2000s: key-role of emissions from natural wetlands
Authors: Pison I. , Ringeval B. , Bousquet P. , Prigent C. , Papa F.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. Two atmospheric inversions (one fine-resolved and one process-discriminating) and a process-based model for land surface exchanges are brought together to analyze the variations of methane emissions from 1990 to 2009. A focus is put on the role of natural wetlands and on the years 2000–2006, a period of stable atmospheric concentrations. From 1990 to 2000, the two inversions agree on the time-phasing of global emission anomalies. The process-discriminating inversion further indicates that wetlands dominate the time-variability of methane emissions with 90% of the total variability. Top-down and bottom-up methods are qualitatively in good agreement regarding the global emission anomalies. The contribution of tropical wetlands on these anomalies is found to be large, especially during the post-Pinatubo years (global negative anomalies with minima between −41 and −19 Tg y−1 in 1992) and during the alternate 1997–1998 el-Niño/1998–1999 la-Niña (maximal anomalies in tropical regions between +16 and +22 Tg y−1 for the inversions and anomalies due to tropical wetlands between +12 and +17 Tg y−1 for the process-based model). Between 2000 and 2006, during the stagnation of methane concentrations in the atmosphere, total methane emissions found by the two inversions on the one hand and wetland emissions found by the process-discriminating-inversion and the process model on the other hand are not fully consistent. A regional analysis shows that differences in the trend of tropical South American wetland emissions in the Amazon region are mostly responsible for these discrepancies. A negative trend (−3.9 ± 1.3 Tg y−1) is inferred by the process-discriminating inversion whereas a positive trend (+1.3 ± 0.3 Tg y−1) is found by the process model. Since a positive trend is consistent with satellite-derived extent of inundated areas, this inconsistency points at the difficulty for atmospheric inversions using surface observations to properly constrain tropical regions with few available observations. A consequence is the need to revisit the large increase in anthropogenic emissions computed at the global scale by some inventories for the early 2000s, although process-based models have also their own caveats and may not take into account all processes.
Retrieval of aerosol single scattering albedo and polarized phase function from polarized sun-photometer measurements for Zanjan atmosphere
Authors: Bayat A. , Khalesifard H. R. , Masoumi A.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. Aerosol optical depth, Ångström exponent, single scattering albedo, and polarized phase function have been retrieved from polarized sun-photometer measurements for atmosphere of Zanjan (36.70° N, 48.51° E, and 1800 m a.m.s.l.) from January 2010 to December 2012. The results show that the maximum value of aerosol polarized phase function as well as the polarized phase function retrieved for a specific scattering angle (i.e. 60°), are strongly correlated with the Ångström exponent. The latter one has a meaningful variations respect to the changes in the complex refractive index of the atmospheric aerosols. Furthermore the polarized phase function shows a moderate negative correlation respect to atmospheric aerosol optical depth and single scattering albedo. Therefore the polarized phase function can be regarded as a key parameter to characterize the atmospheric particles.
Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT) gridded data products
Authors: Sabine C. L. , Hankin S. , Koyuk H. , Bakker D. C. E. , Pfeil B. , Olsen A. , Metzl N. , Kozyr A. , Fassbender A. , Manke A. , Malczyk J. , Akl J. , Alin S. R. , Bellerby R. G. J. , Borges A. , Boutin J. , Brown P. J. , Cai W.-J. , Chavez F. P. , Chen A. , Cosca C. , Feely R. A. , González-Dávila M. , Goyet C. , Hardman-Mountford N. , Heinze C. , Hoppema M. , Hunt C. W. , Hydes D. , Ishii M. , Johannessen T. , Key R. M. , Körtzinger A. , Landschützer P. , Lauvset S. K. , Lefèvre N. , Lenton A. , Lourantou A. , Merlivat L. , Midorikawa T. , Mintrop L. , Miyazaki C. , Murata A. , Nakadate A. , Nakano Y. , Nakaoka S. , Nojiri Y. , Omar A. M. , Padin X. A. , Park G.-H. , Paterson K. , Perez F. F. , Pierrot D. , Poisson A. , Ríos A. F. , Salisbury J. , Santana-Casiano J. M. , Sarma V. V. S. S. , Schlitzer R. , Schneider B. , Schuster U. , Sieger R. , Skjelvan I. , Steinhoff T. , Suzuki T. , Takahashi T. , Tedesco K. , Telszewski M. , Thomas H. , Tilbrook B. , Vandemark D. , Veness T. , Watson A. J. , Weiss R. , Wong C. S. , Yoshikawa-Inoue H.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. As a response to public demand for a well-documented, quality controlled, publically available, global surface ocean carbon dioxide (CO2) data set, the international marine carbon science community developed the Surface Ocean CO2 Atlas (SOCAT). The first SOCAT product is a collection of 6.3 million quality controlled surface CO2 data from the global oceans and coastal seas, spanning four decades (1968–2007). The SOCAT gridded data presented here is the second data product to come from the SOCAT project. Recognizing that some groups may have trouble working with millions of measurements, the SOCAT gridded product was generated to provide a robust, regularly spaced CO2 fugacity (fCO2) product with minimal spatial and temporal interpolation, which should be easier to work with for many applications. Gridded SOCAT is rich with information that has not been fully explored yet (e.g., regional differences in the seasonal cycles), but also contains biases and limitations that the user needs to recognize and address (e.g., local influences on values in some coastal regions).
Evidence and analysis of 2012 Greenland records from spaceborne observations, a regional climate model and reanalysis data
Authors: Tedesco M. , Fettweis X. , Mote T. , Wahr J. , Alexander P. , Box J. E. , Wouters B.
Published: April 2013

Abstract. A combined analysis of remote sensing observations, regional climate model (RCM) outputs and reanalysis data over the Greenland ice sheet provides evidence that multiple records were set during summer 2012. Melt extent was the largest in the satellite era (extending up to ∼97% of the ice sheet) and melting lasted up to ∼2 months longer than the 1979–2011 mean. Model results indicate that near surface temperature was ∼3 standard deviations (σ) above the 1958–2011 mean, while surface mass balance (SMB) was ∼3σ below the mean and runoff was 3.9σ above the mean over the same period. Albedo, exposure of bare ice and surface mass balance also set new records, as did the total mass balance with summer and annual mass changes of, respectively, −627 Gt and −574 Gt, 2σ below the 2003–2012 mean. We identify persistent anticyclonic conditions over Greenland associated with anomalies in the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), changes in surface conditions (e.g., albedo, surface temperature) and preconditioning of surface properties from recent extreme melting as major driving mechanisms for the 2012 records. Less positive if not increasingly negative SMB will likely occur should these characteristics persist.
The Autobiography and Interview of Jane Elizabeth Manning James
Authors: Newell Quincy D.
Published: April 2013

Although the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS, or Mormon, Church) is generally omitted from African American religious history, people of African descent had always been able to join the church and, in small numbers, they did. The texts reprinted here document the life of one early black Mormon, Jane Elizabeth Manning James, a free black woman from Connecticut who converted to Mormonism in the early 1840s. Before she died, in Salt Lake City in 1908, Jane dictated an autobiography. She also gave an interview in 1905 concerning her memories of Joseph Smith, for whom she had worked as a servant in Illinois. These documents give us a new appreciation of the variety of religious options available to black people in the antebellum Northern United States and Canada during and after the second Great Awakening, and a new angle of vision on the politics of religious affiliation.
On Being Ill (in Britain and the US): Illness Narratives of the Self
Authors: Gygax Franziska
Published: April 2013

Illness narratives, pathographies and autopathographies, have been published in recent years in great number and so have critical studies on the cultural and social constructions of illness and on the impact such texts have on the writer and the reader. Yet few studies have analysed cultural differences between American and British illness narratives and addressed the issue of the different tradition of confessional writing in America and in Britain. In my paper I want to explore potential cultural differences between selected British and American illness narratives and focus on the specific ways in which the suffering self is constructed: How do the sick autobiographers theorize the act of writing about their illness? How do they represent themselves as authors and patients? How are the deteriorating body and impending death represented in these texts? My discussion of the suffering self will rely on Emmanuel Levinas and his concept of self and other that has influenced theories of affect studies, a field that also addresses notions of self and otherness. As the three British and also the three American autobiographers have all been acknowledged writers before the publication of their illness narratives, the aesthetic impact of these literary texts must be discussed as well since these narratives go beyond the personal experience of an illness.
Inactivation of Bacterial Bioterrorism Agents in Water: A Summary of Seven USEPA and CDC Research Studies
Authors: Spence Shannon , Minamyer Scott , Lee Menefee Constance
Published: April 2013

Past use of weaponized Bacillus anthracis spores has prompted increased interest in studying the inactivation of potential bacterial bioterrorism agents in drinking water. Conditions for chemically inactivating many regulated waterborne disease‐causing species are well known, but there are only limited data available on inactivating microorganisms that could potentially be used as biological weapons. Information on the likelihood of such agents surviving in drinking water containing disinfectants is needed to ensure that end users are sufficiently protected.
Cost Effective Deposition of Aluminium Oxide Layers
Authors: I.A. Khan  , A. Rashid  , A. Fatima  , M.A.K. Shahid  , T.H. Bokhari  , R. Ahmad
Published: April 2013

Al2O3 surface-layers were deposited on Al substrates by thermal evaporation technique. Samples were treated for different (1 h, 2 h, 3 h, 4 h and 5 h) treatment time in open air environment by keeping the temperature (550oC) of the evaporator plate constant. XRD patterns revealed the emergence of Al2O3 H2O (111), Al (OH)3 (214) and Al2O3 (20 6) planes. Crystallinity of the above mentioned phases was attributed with treatment time. However, minimum treatment time to break oxygen hydrogen bonds and the formation of Al2O3 plane was 5 h. Crystallite size and compressive stress found in Al2O3 (2 0 6) plane were 14.31 nm 0.53 GPa respectively. SEM microstructure features revealed the formation of rounded grains, irregular patches and rods. AFM analysis exhibited the formation of dome shapes microstructures. The grain size and surface roughness were increased from 1 ?m to 2.5 ?m and from 35 nm to 115 nm respectively. This variation in surface roughness and grain sizes was associated with treatment time.
Overseas Chinese Christian Entrepreneurs in Modern China
Authors: Tong Joy
Published: April 2013

Inspired by Max Webers thesis on the Protestant ethic, this volume examines the influence of Christianity on overseas Chinese entrepreneurs working in China during its transition from a centrally-planned economy toward a market economy under Communist rule.
Les “nouveaux” réseaux catholiques de Claude Ryan : le changement de cap de l’Action
catholique canadienne (1950-1962)
Authors: Gauvreau Michael
Published: April 2013

Cette communication trace le développement intellectuel de Claude Ryan et les
grandes influences sur son catholicisme, de son adolescence durant les années 1930 jusqu’en
1952, lors de son retour de Rome, alors qu’il a mené l’Action catholique vers une nouvelle
direction. Ce texte propose que Ryan a fréquenté plusieurs réseaux et courants
intellectuels : une filiation de nationalisme libéral, marqué par son contact avec le
journalisme d’Olivar Asselin ; le personnalisme littéraire des romanciers catholiques
français de 1900-1920 ; les écrits socio-politiques de Jacques Maritain, un mentor
important, qui l’a introduit au courant néo-thomiste ; le « case-work » américain
de son initiation à la profession du travail social ; et finalement, une conversion à la
théologie d’histoire formulée par saint Augustin, typique de nombreux intellectuels
nord-américains célèbres durant la période de l’après-guerre. Sa rencontre avec ces divers
courants a formé sa pensée sur les questions religieuses, politiques, et sociales, mais leur
impact a poussé Ryan dans la voie de l’intellectuel solitaire, suite à la faillite de son
projet, à la fin des années 1940, de former un réseau de catholiques progressistes ancrés
dans l’Action catholique.