bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Relationship Between Teachers’ Thinking Styles And Girl Students’ Spiritual Intelligence (SI) In Tehran’s High Schools
Authors: Omidi Mona , Shafiei Shirin Sadat
Published: November 2012

The main goal of this study is to examine the relationship between teachers’ thinking styles and girl students’ Spiritual Intelligence (SI) in Tehran’s high schools. The population included all 155859 students and 12571 teachers in Tehran’s girl high schools. According to “Morgan table” 384 students and 375 teachers were selected using cluster random sampling method. Research tools were two standardized questionnaires: Emren & Demir’s (2007) Spiritual Intelligence Questionnaire and Sternberg’s thinking style inventory. Their validity indexes were evaluated by Mehrjou (2009). The reliability of the instruments was also calculated using Alpha Cronbach as 0.89 and 0.81 respectively. The research results revealed that teachers used a high level of executive and legislative thinking styles and a medium use of judicial style. There was also a negative relationship between executive style and problem solving. There was no meaningful relationship between executive thinking style and self-awareness consciousness, being holistic and grace. A negative relationship between legislative style and grace was also observed. However, there wasn’t a meaningful relation between this thinking style and problem solving. However, no positive relationship between this thinking style and grace was observed.   Keywords - thinking styles, executive, legislative, judicial thinking, spiritual intelligence
Added cognitive burden or interest: Effect of enhancement in learning from slide lesson presentation in authentic classroom setting
Authors: Medula Cesar T.
Published: November 2012

Multimedia technology is providing educators great potentials to improve teaching and learning. For the past decade or so, the use of slide lesson presentation, which is a form of multimedia, of various self-motivated designs has significantly increased in almost every local authentic classroom setting without significant scholarly examination of their real effects on student learning. The purpose of this empirical study is to look at the tangible impact of added enhancements in the form of interesting yet conceptually unrelated clip arts and sound effects on student learning as well as in terms of overall instructional efficiency. One hundred thirty five Nonscience major university students enrolled in three introductory physics classes served as the subjects of the study. Relevant data were collected through online standardized materials and researcher made paper and pencil tests. Retention and transfer tests were used to quantify student learning. Learning performance and mental effort as a measure of cognitive load during instruction were utilized to assess overall instructional efficiency. Findings revealed that the use of enhancements could lead to better retention and transfer but exceedingly comparable overall instructional efficiency. This suggests that in commonplace classroom settings, interest may mitigate, if not eliminate, the negative effects of remarkable although conceptually irrelevant multimedia elements.   Keywords - Multimedia, Enhancement, Coherence Principle, Dual Coding Theory, Instructional Efficiency, Slide Presentation
Determinants of Faculty Research Productivity in Augustinian Higher Education Institutions in Luzon
Authors: Nuqui Alvin V. , Cruz Reynaldo C.
Published: November 2012

This study assessed the determinants of faculty research productivity in Augustinian higher education institutions (HEIs) in Luzon. Findings of the study suggest that there is still a need for Augustinian HEIs in Luzon to further advance the faculty members’ educational experiences and background in research particularly in giving exposures to current professional literature and in the dissemination of research findings. Majority of the higher education faculty of Augustinian higher education institutions has recognized the value of scholarship as shown by their interest in doing research and taking small steps in attaining real work of research scholar. The findings of the study indicate that there is so much that can be desired in terms of improving the research productivity of the faculty members of Augustinian schools. Faculty research productivity in Augustinian HEIs in Luzon is significantly influenced by the extent of research promotion of institutions in terms of promotion of the research environment and providing mentors’ assistance. Just like any other Philippine HEIs, Augustinian schools haggle similar problems and issues on research productivity such as budget availability, institutional support mechanism and others.   Keywords - Research productivity, Augustinian higher education institutions, Determinants, Faculty member, Research
Effective Teacher Characteristics in Higher Education from Students’ Perspective: An Exploratory Factor Analysis
Authors: Calaguas Glenn M.
Published: November 2012

Teachers are an important resource in any educational system and such is true to all levels of education, thus, what characteristics are associated with effective teachers in higher education? Said question prompted the conduct of this study. Specifically, this study identified characteristics associated with effective teachers in higher education which can later be used in the conduct of researches on teaching effectiveness. Extant literature on effective teacher characteristics published between the years 2000 to 2009 in the Philippines and abroad were reviewed and served as bases for the development of a 107-item questionnaire. The items in the questionnaire were initially grouped into six major themes identified during the literature review: Personality, Subject Matter Expertise, Relational Competence, Professional Competence, Teaching Style, and Classroom Management Style. The questionnaire was administered to 497 college students in a state college in the Philippines. The responses of the 497 college students in the 107-item questionnaire were subjected to Exploratory Factor Analysis. It was revealed that effective teacher characteristics in higher education can be further reduced into four major themes which were labeled as Teaching related Behavior, Relational Expertise, Subject Matter Expertise, and Personality. Labeling was done based on the common themes of items in each cluster.   Keywords - characteristics, effective teachers, exploratory factor analysis, higher education, state college, students’ perspective
Acceptability of The Inclusion of Sex Education in Basic Education of Selected Public Elementary Schools in Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines
Authors: Gabudao Richmond D. , Pascua Juanita B.
Published: November 2012

This study determines the level of acceptability of the respondents on the inclusion of sex education in basic education of public elementary schools of the Department of Education, Bayombong I, Division of Nueva Vizcaya. The data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. The analysis employed frequency counts and percentages. Pearson r and t-test, results showed that the teachers and parents had accepted and showed approval to the inclusion of sex education in Basic Education. Younger teachers tend to have higher level of acceptance to sex education than the older teachers in the service. The issue on inclusion of sex education in the basic education between parents across ages was acceptable. There was a perceived difference among the parent and teacher respondents as to the inclusion of sex education to Basic Education. Keywords - sex education, Basic Education, acceptability, inclusion
Affection Levels of Educational Facilities on the Instructional Function of Teachers
Authors: Fajardo Orlando L.
Published: November 2012

The study is a descriptive analysis of the ‘Affection Levels of Educational Facilities on the Instructional Function of Teachers’. The respondents of the study were the public elementary school teachers in Basilan Schools Division, Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The study covered 9 central, and 9 noncentral public elementary schools. A stratified random sampling was adopted in this study. A two - part survey questionnaire was used. One part of the instrument drew information about the demographic profile of the public elementary school teachers. Part two of the questionnaire determined the affection and adequacy levels of the educational facilities in Public Elementary Schools, as perceived by the public elementary schools teachers, in terms of physical features, indoor environment, equipment and utilities, media and technology, and safety and security features. The findings revealed that, the educational facilities in public elementary schools in the Basilan, moderately affect the instructional function of the teachers. The Equipment and Utilities elements affect the instructional function of teachers to the greatest extent. The Safety & Security Features affect the instructional function of teachers to the least extent.   Keywords - Affection, Educational Facilities, Public Elementary Schools, Basilan, Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao
Effects of a Six-Week Compound Training (CT) on the Performance of Fundamental Skills in Basketball
Authors: Inovero Jennifer G. , Pagaduan Jeffrey C.
Published: November 2012

Compound training (CT) is the administration of sport-specific training and resistance training in separate training days. This study investigated the effects of a combined six-week resistance training and upper body plyometric program performed along with sport specific training in the performance of fundamental skills in basketball.  Fourteen (N= 14) female physical education students (age: 17.6 ± 0.63 years; height: 156.8 ± 5.1 cm) were divided randomly into two groups: the experimental group (EG; n=7) performed a combined six-week strength and plyometric training twice a week for six weeks and two hours of skills training a week and the control group (CG; n=7) performed two hours of skills training a week.  Pre-test and post test weight, height, grip strength, vertical jump and upper body strength (1Repetition Maximum) measures were gathered.  The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) basketball skills test was administered to the subjects. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed a nonsignificant interaction effect of intervention and test time in all the variables of the study.  A six-week compound training posted no significant difference on the physical and performance variables of female physical education students in a beginners’ class in basketball compared to sport-specific training. Key words:  compound training, resistance training, plyometrics, basketball skills, sport performance
Ictiofauna do rio da Prata (microbacia do rio Aporé, bacia do rio Paranaíba). DOI: 10.7902/ecb.v3i1.7
Authors: Santana Sampaio Wagner Martins , Belei Frederico , Giongo Patricia , Silva Willian Lopes , Cazetta Eric Azevedo
Published: November 2012

O rio Aporé é um dos principais afluentes da margem direita do rio Paranaíba nas divisas dos estados de Goiáse Mato Grosso do Sul e apresenta uma fauna característica da bacia do Alto Paraná. Os Estudos de peixes nabacia do rio Paranaíba são muito escassos na porção goiana. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo inventariara ictiofauna de peixes do rio da Prata, na sua confluência com o rio Aporé, no município de Aporé, GO. Para arealização do inventário foram utilizados métodos de coletas quantitativos e qualitativos. Foram capturados306 indivíduos, distribuídos em 30 espécies, 20 gêneros, 13 famílias e 5 ordens. Os resultados contribuempara o conhecimento da ictiofauna da bacia rio Paranaíba no trecho goiano. Porém estudos científicosmais aprofundados na região ainda são de extrema importância para se traçar estratégias de conservaçõesadequadas.
Strategizing Environmental Policy and Compliance for Firm Economic Sustainability: Evidence from Taiwanese Electronics Firms
Authors: Luan Chin‐jung , Tien Chengli , Wu Pei‐hua
Published: November 2012

This study aims to examine whether the compliance of environmental policies can sustain firm economic performance, and whether a timing issue is relevant to firm economic sustainability in pursuit of eco‐friendly efforts. Offering models predominantly based on the institutional theory, this study tests hypotheses using data from 284 companies in the electronics sector in Taiwan during the period from 1997 to 2010. The findings reveal that the execution of environment policies mostly improves firm economic sustainability and some joint green efforts can even strengthen such sustainability; however, firms aiming to sustain their economic performance should not hasten to undertake eco‐friendly efforts, implying that first movers may not be guaranteed firm economic performance. Thus, managers should carefully strategize their green efforts to comply with environmental policies, and execute them in due course to prevent disadvantages, such as market uncertainty and complexity of green practices, while conquering organizational inertia. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Racial disparity in renal cell carcinoma patient survival according to demographic and clinical characteristics
Authors: Chow Wong‐Ho , Shuch Brian , Linehan W. Marston , Devesa Susan S.
Published: November 2012

BACKGROUND:

Patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) who are black tend to have poorer prognosis than similar patients who are white. This study examined whether the racial disparity in RCC patient survival varies by demographic and clinical characteristics.

METHODS:

Nearly 40,000 patients (4359 black and 34,991 white) diagnosed with invasive RCC from 1992 to 2007 were identified from 12 registries in the National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program, covering approximately 14% of the US population. Relative survival rates through 2008 were computed using the actuarial method.

RESULTS:

Proportionally more blacks than whites were diagnosed with RCC under age 50 and with localized cancer. Overall, the 5‐year relative survival rates were 72.6% (95% confidence interval 72.0%‐73.2%) for white and 68.0% (66.2%‐69.8%) for black patients. Survival was higher among women than men and among younger than older patients. Survival decreased with advancing tumor stage and, within each stage, decreased with increasing tumor size. Patients with clear cell RCC, a more common form among whites, had poorer prognosis than patients with papillary or chromophobe subtypes, which are more common among blacks. Survival for patients who received no surgical treatment (10.5% of white patients and 14.5% of black patients) was substantially lower than for patients treated with nephrectomy, with similar survival among whites and blacks. In all other demographic and clinical subgroups of patients, whites consistently had a survival advantage over blacks.

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients with RCC who are white consistently have a survival advantage over those RCC patients who are black, regardless of age, sex, tumor stage or size, histological subtype, or surgical treatment. Cancer 2013. © 2012 American Cancer Society.
Cloud‐based parallel solution for estimating statistical significance of megabyte‐scale DNA sequences
Authors: Hosny Ahmad M. , Shedeed Howida A. , Hussein Ashraf S. , Tolba Mohamed F.
Published: November 2012

Confidence in a pairwise local sequence alignment is a fundamental problem in bioinformatics. For huge DNA sequences, this problem is highly compute‐intensive because it involves evaluating hundreds of local alignments to construct an empirical score distribution. Recent parallel solutions support only kilobyte‐scale sequence sizes and/or are based on sophisticated infrastructures that are not available for most of the research labs. This paper presents an efficient parallel solution for evaluating the statistical significance for a pair of huge DNA sequences using cloud infrastructures. This solution can receive requests from various researchers via web‐portal and allocate resources according to their demand. In this way, the benefits of cloud‐based services can be achieved. The fundamental innovation of this research work is proposing an efficient solution that utilizes both shared and distributed memory architectures via cloud technology to enhance the performance of evaluating the statistical significance for pair of DNA sequences. Therefore, the restriction on the sequence sizes is released to be in megabyte‐scale, which was not supported before for the statistical significance problem. The performance evaluation of the proposed solution was carried out on Microsoft's cloud and compared with the existing parallel solutions. The results show that the processing speed outperforms the recent cluster solutions that target the same problem. In addition, the performance metrics exhibit linear behavior for the addressed number of instances. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adaptive code symbol assignment in a rateless coded multichannel cognitive radio network
Authors: Chen Shaolei , Zhang Zhaoyang , Lou Wentao , Chen Xiaoming
Published: November 2012

Because of its robustness to packet loss and adaptivity to channel conditions, rateless codes have been used in cognitive radio networks to improve the secondary system performance. In this paper, we investigate an adaptive code symbol assignment scheme for the secondary user (SU) in a multichannel cognitive radio network based on rateless coding. In particular, the SU transmitter first encodes its information data through rateless coding and then assigns the unceasingly generated code symbols adaptively to each available channel obtained by spectrum sensing. Thanks to the forward incremental redundancy provided by rateless codes, it is unnecessary for the SU receiver to request the retransmission of lost symbols and the code symbols collected from any channel at any time contribute to the final data recovery. With an alternating channel occupancy model of the primary user (PU), we conduct a weight enumerator analysis to derive the optimal number of code symbols to be assigned to each available channel, thus to maximize the system throughput while protecting PU from interference. Both theoretical analysis and numerical results demonstrate the good performance of our proposed scheme. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The IL‐36 receptor pathway regulates Aspergillus fumigatus‐induced Th1 and Th17 responses
Authors: Gresnigt Mark S. , Rösler Berenice , Jacobs Cor W.M. , Becker Katharina. L. , Joosten Leo A.B. , van der Meer Jos W.M. , Netea Mihai G. , Dinarello Charles A. , van de Veerdonk Frank L.
Published: November 2012

IL‐1 drives Th responses, particularly Th17, in host defense. Sharing the same co‐receptor, the IL‐1 family member IL‐36 exhibits properties similar to those of IL‐1. In the present study, we investigated the role of IL‐36 in Aspergillus fumigatus‐induced human Th responses. We observed that different morphological forms of A. fumigatus variably increase steady‐state mRNA of IL‐36 subfamily members. IL‐36α is not significantly induced by any morphological form of Aspergillus. Most strikingly, IL‐36γ is significantly induced by live A. fumigatus conidia and heat‐killed hyphae, whereas IL‐36Ra (IL‐36 receptor antagonist) is significantly induced by heat‐killed conidia, hyphae, and live conidia. We also observed that IL‐36γ expression is dependent on the dectin‐1/Syk and TLR4 signaling pathway. In contrast, TLR2 and CR3 inhibit IL‐36γ expression. The biological relevance of IL‐36 induction by Aspergillus is demonstrated by experiments showing that inhibition of the IL‐36 receptor by IL‐36Ra reduces Aspergillus‐induced IL‐17 and IFN‐γ. These data describe that IL‐36‐dependent signals are a novel cytokine pathway that regulates Th responses induced by A. fumigatus, and demonstrate a role for TLR4 and dectin‐1 in the induction of IL‐36γ.
Low‐temperature synthesis of Mg(OH)2 nanoparticles from MgO as halogen‐free flame retardant for polypropylene
Authors: Kong Qinggang , Qian Haiyan
Published: November 2012

Mg(OH)2 (MH) nanoparticles were synthesized by hydration of the light‐burned MgO at low temperature (70°C). Effects of additives, such as magnesium nitrate and magnesium acetate, on the size, morphology and agglomeration of MH particles were investigated. MH nanoparticles have platelet‐like structure and approximately 20–40 nm in thicknesses. The supersaturation degree plays an important role in magnesia hydration and is defined. When magnesium acetate was used as the additive, the hydroxyl ion can be homogeneously introduced into the solution. The size and morphology of MH nanoparticles are more homogeneous. Modified by titanate coupling agent, MH nanoparticles were used as the flame retardant for polypropylene (PP). The combustibility, mechanical properties and thermal behaviors of the PP/MH composites were characterized. The mechanical properties of PP/MH composites are not seriously deteriorated with increasing MH content. When the amount of MH fraction reached 65, the limiting oxygen index (LOI) value and UL 94 testing result of MH65 are 33.8 and V‐0 grading, respectively. The onset temperature (T10%) and the maximum thermal decomposition temperature (Tmax) of MH65 separately increased by approximately 100°C and 77°C than those of neat PP. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Behavioral and psychological subsyndromes in Alzheimer's disease using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory
Authors: Canevelli Marco , Adali Nawal , Voisin Thierry , Soto Maria Eugenia , Bruno Giuseppe , Cesari Matteo , Vellas Bruno
Published: November 2012

Objective

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia represent common clinical features of dementias, contributing to the heterogeneous phenotypic expression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). During the last two decades, several studies explored the possible presence of neuropsychiatric subsyndromes in dementia by examining the internal structure of the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI). The aim of the present review is to present available evidence coming from studies adopting factor analysis to explore the NPI and describe neuropsychiatric clusters of symptoms in AD.

Design

A systematic review of literature was performed concerning available studies describing neuropsychiatric subsyndromes in AD by adopting the NPI.

Results

Overall, our analysis showed a relatively low concordance among available evidence for what concerns the definition and composition of NPI clusters, possibly due (at least in part) to the heterogeneity of the sample populations recruited in the studies. However, we also observed some consistent associations of specific symptoms across studies, defining potential subsyndromes in AD. More consistent results were obtained by studies evaluating the 10‐item version of the NPI rather than the more recent 12‐item one.

Conclusions

This review represents the first attempt to systematically evaluate evidence coming from factor analyses exploring the internal structure of the NPI in order to facilitate the identification of neuropsychiatric syndromes in AD patients. The NPI may support the definition of behavioral subsyndromes in AD. The evaluation of neuropsychiatric subsyndromes should always take into account the main potential confounders, such as age, severity of disease, and concomitant pharmacological treatment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An east–west‐trending Quaternary tunnel valley in the south‐eastern North Sea and its seismic–sedimentological interpretation
Authors: Hepp Daniel A. , Hebbeln Dierk , Kreiter Stefan , Keil Hanno , Bathmann Christian , Ehlers Jürgen , Mörz Tobias
Published: November 2012

A combination of a dense reflection seismic grid and up to 50‐m‐long records from sediment cores and cone penetration tests was used to study the geometry and infill lithology of an E–W‐trending buried tunnel valley in the south‐eastern North Sea. In relation to previously known primarily N–S‐trending tunnel valleys in this area, the geometry and infill of this 38‐km‐long and up to 3‐km‐wide valley is comparable, but its E–W orientation is exceptional. The vertical cross‐section geometry may result from subglacial sediment erosion of advancing ice streams and secondary incision by large episodic meltwater discharges with high flow rates. The infill is composed of meltwater sands and reworked till remnants on the valley flanks that are overlain by late Elsterian rhythmic, laminated, lacustrine fine‐grained sediments towards the centre of the valley. A depression in the valley centre is filled with sediments most likely from the Holsteinian transgression and a subsequent post‐Holsteinian lacustrine quiet‐water setting. The exceptional axis orientation of this tunnel valley points to a regional N–S‐oriented ice front during the late Elsterian. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Study of adsorption and preconcentration by using a new silica organomodified with [3‐(2,2′‐dipyridylamine)propyl] groups
Authors: Soares Isaac Vaz , Vieira Eduardo Guimarães , Dias Filho Newton Luiz , da Silva Niléia Cristina , Bastos Andréa de Castro , Lima Lucélia Julia A. , Fraceto Leonardo Fernandes , Rosa André Henrique
Published: November 2012

In this work, a silica surface chemically modified with [3‐(2,2′‐dipyridylamine)propyl] groups, named [3‐(2,2′‐dipyridylamine)propyl]silica (Si‐Pr‐DPA) was prepared, characterized, and evaluated for its heavy metal adsorption characteristics from aqueous solution. To our knowledge, we are the first authors who have reported the present modification. The material was characterized using infrared spectroscopy, SEM, and NMR 29Si and 13C solid state. Batch and column experiments were conducted to investigate for heavy metal removal from dilute aqueous solution by sorption onto Si‐Pr‐DPA. From a number of studies the affinity of various metal ions for the Si‐Pr‐DPA sorbent was determined to follow the order Fe(III) > Cr(III) >> Cu(II) > Cd(II) > Pb(II) > Ni(II). Two standard reference materials were used for checking the accuracy and precision of the method. The proposed method was successfully applied to the analysis of environmental samples. This ligand material has great advantage for adsorption of transition‐metal ions from aqueous medium due to its high degree of organofunctionalization associated with the large adsorption capacity, reutilization possibility, and rapidity in reaching the equilibrium.
Rethinking Worldly Possessions: The Relationship between Materialism and Body Appearance for Female Consumers in an Emerging Economy
Authors: Felix Reto , Garza Martha R.
Published: November 2012

This article investigates how women in an emerging economy relate the importance of material possessions to the importance they assign to the appearance of their body. The results of two studies demonstrate a very strong and positive relationship between materialism and several measures of body appearance. Study 1 shows strong correlations between materialism and body appearance in a sample of relatively young (m = 18.7 years) and affluent female students from a private university. Using structural equation modeling, Study 2 finds that in a sample of women averaging 40 years, more materialistic women did focus substantially more on body appearance than less materialistic women. Further, antecedents (self‐esteem, hedonic attitudes toward advertising, and skepticism toward advertising) and consequences (satisfaction with life) of materialism and body appearance were included in the model. In interpreting the results, it is assumed that individuals prone to materialism apply similar appearance‐centered mental schemata to their body as they do to material possessions.
Memory Enhances the Mere Exposure Effect
Authors: Stafford Tom , Grimes Anthony
Published: November 2012

The fact of having already encountered something encourages future preference, a phenomenon known as the mere exposure effect (MEE). There is a widely accepted view that recognition inhibits the MEE. Here this view is contested and the generality of the findings upon which it is based questioned. New evidence is presented from a systematic investigation of the moderating influence of recognition memory on the MEE, using brand logo stimuli and methods that make the results directly applicable to marketing practice. It is shown that recognition, whether correct or mistaken, enhances, rather than inhibits, the likelihood of preference.
Vegetables and PUFA‐rich plant oil reduce DNA strand breaks in individuals with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Müllner Elisabeth , Brath Helmut , Pleifer Simone , Schiermayr Christiane , Baierl Andreas , Wallner Marlies , Fastian Theresia , Millner Yvonne , Paller Kristina , Henriksen Trine , Poulsen Henrik Enghusen , Forster Ernst , Wagner Karl‐Heinz
Published: November 2012

Scope

Type 2 diabetes is a multifactorial disease associated with increased oxidative stress, which may lead to increased DNA damage. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a healthy diet on DNA oxidation in diabetics and nondiabetics.

Methods and results

Seventy‐six diabetic and 21 nondiabetic individuals participated in this study. All subjects received information about the benefits of a healthy diet, while subjects randomly assigned to the intervention group received additionally 300 g of vegetables and 25 mL PUFA‐rich plant oil per day. DNA damage in mononuclear cells (Comet Assay), urinary excretion of 8‐oxo‐7‐hydro‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐oxodG) and 8‐oxo‐7,8‐dihydroguanosine (8‐oxoGuo) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were measured at baseline, after 4, 8 (end of intervention), and 16 weeks. The intervention with vegetables and PUFA‐rich oil led to a significant increase in plasma antioxidant concentrations. Diabetic individuals of the intervention group showed a significant reduction in HbA1c and DNA strand breaks. Levels of HbA1c were also improved in diabetics of the information group, but oxidative damage to DNA was not altered. Urinary 8‐oxodG and 8‐oxoGuo excretion remained unchanged in both groups.

Conclusions

This study provides evidence that a healthy diet rich in antioxidants reduces levels of DNA strand breaks in diabetic individuals.
Impact of dietary factors and food processing on food allergy
Authors: Lepski Silke , Brockmeyer Jens
Published: November 2012

Allergic reactions to food can significantly reduce the quality of life and even result in life‐threatening complications. In addition, the prevalence of food allergy has increased in the last decades in industrialized countries and the mechanisms underlying (increased) sensitization are still not fully understood. It is believed that the development and maintenance of oral tolerance to food antigens is a process actively mediated by the immune system and that this reaction is essential to inhibit sensitization. Ongoing research indicates that different dietary factors also may contribute to immune homeostasis and oral tolerance to food and that food processing modulates allergenicity. One of the major questions in food allergy research is therefore which impact nutrition and food processing may have on allergenicity of food and perhaps on sensitization. We summarize in this review the different dietary factors that are believed to contribute to induction of oral tolerance and discuss the underlying mechanisms. In addition, the functional consequences of allergen modification will be emphasized in the second part as severity of allergic reactions and perhaps sensitization to food is influenced by structural modifications of food allergens.
Modern leadership principles for public administration: time to move forward
Authors: Kellis Dana S. , Ran Bing
Published: November 2012

The historical aversion to effective leadership in American public administration literature imposes a troubling controversy over the appropriateness of nonelected public leaders being allowed to exercise the authority and capability to make decisions regarding the direction, focus, and intensity of their organizational efforts. Using principles from distributed, transformational, and authentic leadership theories, we propose a new public leadership theory that addresses the emerging unique characteristics of the public sector and test this theory using three administrations of the Federal Human Capital Survey. Results show strong support for the application of these theories in the public service. We advocate for the research and teaching of modern leadership of these theories in the public administration field. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Becoming a Mobile Student – a Processual Perspective on German Degree Student Mobility
Authors: Carlson Sören
Published: November 2012

A recurring question with regard to international student mobility/migration is why students go abroad. Most often, this question is answered by pointing out different factors, such as the students' stated reasons for going abroad, specific psychological traits, or differences in economic and social capital. This paper, however, takes a processual perspective by asking how students become geographically mobile, thus perceiving studying abroad not as the result of a one‐time choice but as the outcome of different long‐term biographical and social processes and events. The analysis is based on narrative biographical interviews with German degree mobile students who went abroad to another European country. By focusing on how previous mobility experiences, the students' social embeddedness, and the structuring force of the order and timing of events all further the occurrence of student mobility, this paper highlights crucial aspects of this process. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Intra‐European Student Mobility and European Identity: A Successful Marriage?
Authors: Van Mol Christof
Published: November 2012

Studies on European identity generally focus on elites, even though processes of identity formation may also take place in other societal domains. As one of the underlying rationales of European student exchange programmes is the promotion of European citizenship, I examine empirically the influence of European student mobility on European identity. The analysis is based on a mixed‐method approach. The quantitative element consists of an online survey at nine universities in Austria, Belgium, Italy, Norway, and Poland at the end of the 2008–2009 academic year. The qualitative element consists of 40 in‐depth interviews and five focus groups, conducted at the universities of Antwerp, Innsbruck, Oslo, Rome, and Warsaw in 2009–2010. The analysis underpins the need for incorporating an ‘experience‐based’ social dimension into the existing theoretical frameworks of political and cultural dimensions of European identity. This creation of an ‘experience‐based social Europe’ among mobile students is the result of socialisation processes that are characterised by internal and external identity observations and goes beyond the political unit of the European Union. However, regional differences can be observed and partially attributed to macro‐factors such as the (non‐)participation of a country in the European Union. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced efficiency and reduced roll‐off in white organic light‐emitting diodes based on two ultra‐thin emitting layers
Authors: Yu Jianning , Lin Hong , Tong Liang , Li Chong , Zhang Hao , Zhang Jianhua , Wang Zixing , Wei Bin
Published: November 2012

High efficiency performance and color rendering index (CRI) are two main requirements for the applications of white organic light‐emitting diodes (WOLEDs). We report successful fabrication of efficient and high‐color‐rendering phosphorescent WOLED by employing ultra‐thin red emitter – spacer layer – ultra‐thin green emitter architecture. By fine‐tuning the thicknesses of emitting layers and spacer layer, we have obtained WOLED with a high CRI of 80 and high luminance efficiency (LE) of 29.2 cd A−1 which only rolls off to 22.8 cd A−1 at 1000 cd m−2. A typical WOLED for comparison exhibits a CRI below 40 and maximum LE of 15.8 cd A−1 which decreases to 11.4 cd A−1 at 1000 cd m−2. The superiority of ultra‐thin device compared with typical device demonstrates utilizing ultra‐thin emitting layer is a promising technique to achieve high performance organic light‐emitting diode (OLED).
Effects of antifreezes and bundled material on the stability and optical limiting in aqueous suspensions of carbon nanotubes
Authors: Vlasov Andrey Yu. , Venediktova Anastasia V. , Videnichev Dmitry A. , Kislyakov Ivan M. , Obraztsova Elena D. , Sokolova Ekaterina P.
Published: November 2012

This work gives data on the stability of dispersions of single wall carbon nanotubes stabilized by sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate in binary polar solvents “water + antifreeze” (glycerol, polyethyleneglycole) with eutectic compositions. The absorption spectra of the suspensions demonstrate no changes during 1‐year storage with temperature spanning from −40 to +40 °C. The systems provide relevant optical power limiting properties, the one with glycerol showing good resistance to optical bleaching effects. We also demonstrate that aqueous dispersions of nanotubes exhibit considerable enhancement of optical limiting parameters alongside an increase of the bundled material populace.
Selective synthesis of double helices of carbon nanotube bundles grown on treated metallic substrates
Authors: Cervantes‐Sodi Felipe , Íñiguez‐Rábago Agustín , Rosas‐Meléndez Samuel , Ballesteros‐Villarreal Mónica , Vilatela Juan J. , Reyes‐Gutiérrez Lucio G. , Palacios Eduardo , Terrones Mauricio , Jiménez‐Rodríguez José A.
Published: November 2012

Double‐helix microstructures consisting of two parallel strands of hundreds of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been synthesized by chemical vapour deposition of ferrocene/toluene vapours on metal substrates. Growth of coiled carbon nanostructures with site selectivity is achieved by varying the duration of thermochemical pretreatment to deposit a layer of SiOx on the metallic substrate. Production of multibranched structures of MWCNTs converging in SiOx microstructure is also reported.

magnified image

In the abstract figure, panel (a) shows a coloured micrograph of a typical double‐helix coiled microstructure of MWCNTs grown on SiOx covered steel substrate. Green and blue show each of the two individual strands of MWCNTs. Panel (b) is an amplification of a SiOx microparticle (white) on the tip of the double‐stranded coil (green and blue). The microparticle guides the collective growth of hundreds of MWCNTs to form the coiled structure.
Reduction of single‐walled carbon nanotube diameter to sub‐nm via feedstock
Authors: Thurakitseree Theerapol , Kramberger Christian , Zhao Pei , Chiashi Shohei , Einarsson Erik , Maruyama Shigeo
Published: November 2012

Vertically aligned single‐walled carbon nanotube arrays were synthesized from dip‐coated binary Co/Mo catalyst by no‐flow chemical vapor deposition (CVD) from either pure ethanol or acetonitrile as carbon feedstock. By changing to acetonitrile the mean diameter was reduced from 2.1 nm to less than 1.0 nm despite using identically prepared catalyst. The demonstrated diameter control on flat substrates is a versatile approach towards the direct synthesis of tailored single‐walled carbon nanotubes.

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Perforation of graphite in boiling mineral acid
Authors: Okotrub A. V. , Yudanov N. F. , Tur V. A. , Asanov I. P. , Shubin Yu.V. , Vyalikh D. V. , Bulusheva L. G.
Published: November 2012

Perforation of graphite is carried out by treating the graphite oxide with a boiling mineral acid H2SO4 or H3PO4. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy shows formation of a large number of vacancy defects (holes) in the graphene sheets, which are caused more likely by the CO2 liberation during the reduction process. The characteristic size of the holes is about 2 nm. The obtained materials are comparatively examined by X‐ray diffraction, Raman and IR‐absorption spectroscopy, X‐ray photoelectron and near‐edge X‐ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. It is found that the products obtained using a strong acid H2SO4 and a weak acid H3PO4 are different in the concentration and electronic state of oxygen and the mean distance between defects.

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Left, schematic representation of the perforated graphite (PG); right, NEXAFS OK‐edge spectra of the PG obtained using H3PO4 and H2SO4 acids demonstrate the different electronic state of oxygen in the samples.
Plant‐Based Modulation of Toll‐like Receptors: An Emerging Therapeutic Model
Authors: Chahal Dev S. , Sivamani Raja K. , Rivkah Isseroff R. , Dasu Mohan R.
Published: November 2012

Plant‐based extracts present a large source of natural immune modulators, many of which have been used in traditional medicine for centuries. Recent research efforts have identified plant extracts as potential modulators of Toll‐like receptors (TLRs), the first responders in immunological defenses in normal and disease conditions. This review aims to provide a comprehensive discussion of the modulatory effects of plant‐based extracts on TLR expression, signaling, and activation. We organized the review by extraction solvent and plant part showing how they impacted the TLRs. The phytochemical components of the extracts discovered to enable these effects are diverse and vary based on the plant part. The role of the extraction solvent and differences between the different phytochemical components, such as phenolics and polysaccharides, are discussed. Plant extracts hold promising treatments for controlling inflammation and, conversely, for stimulating the immune response. Further research is needed to identify bioactive components of the extracts, mechanisms of their action, and in vivo pharmacological effects using appropriate disease models to ultimately adapt the findings for clinical use. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of cycled 4D‐Var with model error
Authors: Cullen M. J. P.
Published: November 2012

In a previous study the author showed, using a toy model, that forecast performance using four‐dimensional variational analysis (4D‐Var) and an imperfect forecast model was dramatically improved by using a regularization matrix instead of a matrix estimating the true background‐error covariance. This article carries out a theoretical analysis of this behaviour. The analysis first highlights the interpretation of short‐window 4D‐Var as a fixed lag smoother, which means that the control over model error growth exerted by observations late in the assimilation window is taken into account. It is then shown that, in a scalar case, the solution will converge to that of infinitely long‐window weak‐constraint 4D‐Var where the same regularization constraint is applied at each subwindow. The optimum choice of regularization constraint is analyzed for the converged solution and is such that the regularization evolved by the model to the observation time equals the true error evolved to the observation time. The true error is controlled by the observation error regardless of the amount of model error provided that the optimum regularization is used. The same calculation is done for 3D‐Var, showing that the true error is not so controlled and is typically larger. It is shown that the feedback between forecast‐error growth and the choice of regularization constraint can have a strong effect on the optimal choice, as observed in the experiments. The results are consistent with setting the regularization equal to the background error calculated relative to the truth projected on to the model attractor, rather than the truth itself. In this context, the model attractor can be regarded as the model state closest to the truth that gives the correct time derivatives.
Towards the use of microphysical variables for the assimilation of cloud‐affected infrared radiances
Authors: Martinet P. , Fourrié N. , Guidard V. , Rabier F. , Montmerle T. , Brunel P.
Published: November 2012

This article focuses on the simulation and the assimilation of satellite infrared observations in convective‐scale numerical weather prediction (NWP) systems. A radiative transfer model that includes profiles for liquid‐water content, ice‐water content and cloud fraction was used to simulate cloud‐affected radiances as background equivalents. This approach avoids the use of cloud parameters (cloud‐top pressure and effective cloud fraction) deduced from a CO2 slicing algorithm and the modelling of clouds by single‐layer clouds. The advanced radiative transfer model was evaluated using infrared observations measured by the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI). The observation‐screening procedure that was developed to improve the selection of usable cloudy scenes led to a good agreement between observations and background equivalents. For that purpose, a radiance analysis of collocated Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) pixels inside each IASI field of view was used. The goal of this preliminary work is to assess the feasibility of adding the cloud variables (liquid and ice‐water contents) to the state vector of the assimilation system. The approach is illustrated with one‐dimensional variational (1D‐Var) retrievals. The physical consistency of the 1D‐Var adjustments is verified with real observations. Then observing‐system simulation experiments (OSSE) are used to validate the 1D‐Var retrievals.
Flexible bivariate phase II clinical trial design incorporating toxicity and response on different schedules
Authors: Ray Herman E. , Rai Shesh N.
Published: November 2012

The single‐arm, two‐stage clinical trial is a popular design utilized to evaluate oncology treatments. The designs are typically augmented with an ad hoc toxicity monitoring rule that is imposed outside of the formal two‐stage design. In this work, we present a flexible bivariate single‐arm clinical trial design that incorporates both response and toxicity. The design is considered flexible because it can monitor toxicity on a different schedule from the response. An example is considered in which toxicity is measured at four equally spaced times, which correspond to the data monitoring committee's meeting schedule while evaluating the response only at the second and fourth toxicity evaluations. The effect of the correlation on the types I and II error rates is examined through simulation. The simulations also examine the power over the response rates when the toxicity rate is fixed in the alternative region and vice versa. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rapid, Controllable Fabrication of Regular Complex Microarchitectures by Capillary Assembly of Micropillars and Their Application in Selectively Trapping/Releasing Microparticles
Authors: Wu Dong , Wu Si‐Zhu , Zhao Shuai , Yao Jia , Wang Jiang‐Nan , Chen Qi‐Dai , Sun Hong‐Bo
Published: November 2012

A simple strategy to realize new controllable 3D microstructures and a novel method to reversibly trapping and releasing microparticles are reported. This technique controls the height, shape, width, and arrangement of pillar arrays and realizes a series of special microstructures from 2‐pillar‐cell to 12 cell arrays, S‐shape, chain‐shape and triangle 3‐cell arrays by a combined top down/bottom up method: laser interference lithography and capillary force‐induced assembly. Due to the inherent features of this method, the whole time is less than 3 min and the fabricated area determined by the size of the laser beam can reach as much as 1 cm2, which shows this method is very simple, rapid, and high‐throughput. It is further demonstrated that the ‘mechanical hand’‐like 4‐cell arrays could be used to selectively trap/release microparticles with different sizes, e.g., 1.5, 2, or 3.5 μm, which are controlled by the period of the microstructures from 2.5 to 4 μm, and 6 μm. Finally, the ‘mechanical hand’‐like 4‐cell arrays are integrated into 100 μm‐width microfluidic channels prepared by ultraviolet photolithography, which shows that this technique is compatible with conventional microfabrication methods for on‐chip applications.