bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Optimisation of ultrasound‐assisted osmotic dehydration of sweet potato (Ipomea batatas) using response surface methodology
Authors: Oladejo Ayobami Olayemi , Ma Haile 
Published: December 2015

AbstractBACKGROUNDSweet potato is a highly nutritious tuber crop that is rich in β‐carotene. Osmotic dehydration is a pretreatment method for drying of fruit and vegetables. Recently, ultrasound technology has been applied in food processing because of its numerous advantages which include time saving, little damage to the quality of the food. Thus, there is need to investigate and optimise the process parameters [frequency (20–50 kHz), time (10–30 min) and sucrose concentration (20–60% w/v)] for ultrasound‐assisted osmotic dehydration of sweet potato using response surface methodology.RESULTSThe optimised values obtained were frequency of 33.93 kHz, time of 30 min and sucrose concentration of 35.69% (w/v) to give predicted values of 21.62, 4.40 and 17.23% for water loss, solid gain and weight reduction, respectively. The water loss and weight reduction increased when the ultrasound frequency increased from 20 to 35 kHz and then decreased as the frequency increased from 35 to 50 kHz.CONCLUSIONThe results from this work show that low ultrasound frequency favours the osmotic dehydration of sweet potato and also reduces the use of raw material (sucrose) needed for the osmotic dehydration of sweet potato. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Reactivity Tracers of the Hydrolysis of Fe(II)‐Bis(salicylidene) Complexes: Initial–Transition States Analysis and Enhanced Impact of Tensides on the Kinetic Trends
Authors: Ebaid Nassr Lobna Abdel‐Mohsen 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACTThe kinetics of the acid hydrolysis reaction of Fe(II)‐bis(salicylidene) complexes were followed under pseudo–first‐order conditions ([H+] >> [complex]) at 298 K. The ligands of the studied azomethine complexes were derived from the condensation of salicylaldehyde with different five α‐amino acids. The hydrolysis reactions were studied in acidic medium at different ratios (v/v) of aqua–organic mixtures. The decrease in the dielectric constant values of the reaction mixture enhances the reactivity of the reaction. The transfer chemical potentials of the initial and transition states (IS–TS) from water into mixed solvents were determined from the solubility measurements combined with the kinetic data. Nonlinear plots of logkobs versus 1/D (the reciprocal of the dielectric constant) suggest the influence of the solvation of IS–TS on the reaction reactivity. Furthermore, the acid hydrolysis reactions were screened in the presence of different concentrations of cationic and anionic tensides. The addition of surfactants to the reaction mixture accelerates the reaction reactivity. The obtained kinetic data were used to determine the values of δmΔG# (the change in the activation barrier) for the studied complexes when transferred from “water to various ratios (v/v) of water–co‐organic binary mixtures” and from “water to water containing different [surfactant].” It was found that the reactivity of the acid hydrolysis reaction was controlled by the hydrophobicity of the studied chelates.
Chiral recognition of enantiomeric isobornyl methacrylate‐containing hydrogels with α‐cyclodextrin
Authors: Peters Oliver , Ritter Helmut 
Published: December 2015

AbstractTwo enantiomers of isobornyl methacrylate (iBMA) were prepared by reducing (1R,4R)‐(+)‐camphor and (1S,4S)‐(−)‐camphor followed by simple methacrylation reaction. The iBMA enantiomers were incorporated into hydrophilic polymer networks by free radical polymerization with N,N‐dimethylacrylamide and diethylene glycol dimethacrylate at different molar ratios. The influence of α‐cyclodextrin (α‐CD) and randomly methylated β‐cyclodextrin (rβ‐CD), and thereby enantioselectivity, on the swelling behaviour of the enantiomeric networks in water and alcoholic solutions was examined. An increase of swelling was observed on addition of α‐CD and rβ‐CD. While rβ‐CD showed a greater influence on the swelling itself, only α‐CD was able to achieve a minor differentiation between the polymer networks by their enantiomeric components and therefore a chiral recognition of the iBMA moieties. These results were validated using rheological measurements. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Accurate lung volume measurements in vitro using a novel inert gas washout method suitable for infants
Authors: Shawcross Anna , Murray Clare S. , Goddard Nicholas , Gupta Ruchi , Watson Stuart , Horsley Alexander 
Published: December 2015

SummaryBackgroundMultiple breath washout (MBW) in infants presents a number of technical challenges. Conventional MBW is based on simultaneous measurement of flow and gas concentrations. These two signals are aligned and combined to derive expired gas volumes from which lung volumes and measures of ventilation inhomogeneity are calculated. Accuracy of measurement becomes increasingly vulnerable to errors in gas signal alignment at fast respiratory rates. In this paper we describe an alternative method of performing MBW in infants. Expired gas is collected and analyzed to derive functional residual capacity (FRC) and lung clearance index (LCI). This eliminates the need for simultaneous measurement of flow, and integration of flow and gas signals, and significantly reduces deadspace.MethodsA highly accurate lung model incorporating BTPS conditions was used to generate realistic infant breathing parameters: FRC of 100–250 mls with respiratory rate of 20–60 min−1. In vitro accuracy of FRC measurement using the novel MBW method was assessed using the model.ResultsOverall mean error (standard deviation) of FRC measurement was −1.0 (3.3)% with 90% of tests falling within ±5%.DiscussionFRC measurement using the novel method has superior accuracy in vitro than previously described systems. By uncoupling the measurement of gas volumes from real‐time flow and gas measurement, this system offers an alternative method of MBW which is well suited to infants. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016;51:491–497. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Soy Protein Alleviates Hypertension and Fish Oil Improves Diastolic Heart Function in the Han:SPRD‐Cy Rat Model of Cystic Kidney Disease
Authors: Ibrahim Naser H. M. , Thandapilly Sijo J. , Jia Yong , Netticadan Thomas , Aukema Harold 
Published: December 2015

AbstractAbnormalities in cardiac structure and function are very common among people with chronic kidney disease, in whom cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death. Dietary soy protein and fish oil reduce kidney disease progression in the Han:SPRD‐Cy model of cystic renal disease. However, the effects of these dietary interventions in preventing alterations in cardiac structure and function due to kidney disease (reno‐cardiac syndrome) in a cystic kidney disease model are not known. Therefore, weanling Han:SPRD‐Cy diseased (Cy/+) and normal (+/+) rats were given diets containing either casein or soy protein, and either soy or fish oil in a three‐way design for 8 weeks. Diseased rats had larger hearts, augmented left ventricular mass, and higher systolic and mean arterial blood pressure compared to the normal rats. Assessment of cardiac function using two‐dimensional guided M‐mode and pulse‐wave Doppler echocardiography revealed that isovolumic relaxation time was prolonged in the diseased compared to normal rats, reflecting a diastolic heart dysfunction, and fish oil prevented this elevation. Soy protein resulted in a small improvement in systolic and mean arterial pressure but did not improve diastolic heart function, while fish oil prevented diastolic heart dysfunction in this model of cystic kidney disease.
Effect of Eleven Antioxidants in Inhibiting Thermal Oxidation of Cholesterol
Authors: Xu Guihua , Liu Donghong , Zhao Gongling , Chen Shiguo , Wang Jun , Ye Xingqian 
Published: December 2015

AbstractEleven antioxidants including nine phenolic compounds (rutin, quercetin, hesperidin, hesperetin, naringin, naringenin, chlorogenic acid, caffeic acid, ferulic acid), vitamin E (α‐tocopherol), and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) were selected to investigate their inhibitory effects on thermal oxidation of cholesterol in air and lard. The results indicated that the unoxidized cholesterol decreased with heating time whilst cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) increased with heating time. The major COPs produced were 7α‐hydroxycholesterol, 7β‐hydroxycholesterol, 5,6β‐epoxycholesterol, 5,6α‐epoxycholesterol, and 7‐ketocholesterol. When cholesterol was heated in air for an hour, rutin, quercetin, chlorogenic acid, and caffeic acid showed a strong inhibitory effect. When cholesterol was heated in lard, caffeic acid, quercetin, and chlorogenic acid demonstrated inhibitory action during the initial 0.5 h (p < 0.05), with caffeic acid being the best inhibitor. Hesperetin, naringenin, caffeic acid, ferulic acid, vitamin E, and BHT could decrease the peroxide value during the initial 0.5 and 1 h (p < 0.05) in lard. It seemed that 200 ppm antioxidant could not obviously retard the long‐term oxidation of cholesterol and lard under high temperature, but caffeic acid, quercetin, and chlorogenic acid displayed great untapped potential to prevent thermal oxidation of cholesterol 0.5 h at least. For the sake of health and flavor, fast stir‐frying over a high flame is recommended. If baking or deep fat frying food in oil, it is best to limit cooking time to within 0.5 h.
The impact of Health Information Technology bundles on Hospital performance: An econometric study
Authors: Sharma Luv , Chandrasekaran Aravind , Boyer Kenneth K. , McDermott Christopher M. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractHospitals are characterized by high levels of technical expertise as well as patient interactions. In an attempt to improve their performance along these dimensions, hospitals are making significant investments in health information technologies (HIT). However, the performance benefits from these investments are largely unknown. This study employs a portfolio approach to study HIT adoption using a large longitudinal panel data for 3615 US hospitals from 2007 to 2012. Insights from the Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT) and existing HIT literature are used to categorize 76 HITs into 3 distinct bundles based on their extent of patient centered integration, and the extent of caregiver interaction. We then examine how two key HIT bundles: Clinical HIT (defined as HIT systems primarily used for patient data collection, diagnosis and treatment) and Augmented Clinical HIT (defined as HIT systems primarily used for integrating patient information and augmenting decision making capability of caregivers) jointly impact cost and process quality outcomes. Cost is measured in terms of total hospital operating expenses per bed while process quality is assessed along two dimensions: conformance quality or the ability to adhere to technical standards and experiential quality or the ability to cater to preferences of the patient. Results suggest complementarities between Clinical and Augmented Clinical HIT with respect to process quality but not cost outcomes. A follow‐up post‐hoc analysis which divides Augmented Clinical HIT into Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Non‐EMR technologies offers additional explanation to the lack of association with cost. We discuss these implications to both theory and practice of HIT adoption.
Gonadotropins facilitate potential differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into Leydig cells in vitro
Authors: Hou Lin , Dong Qiang , Wu Yun‐Jian , Sun Yuan‐Xing , Guo Yan‐Yu , Huo Yue‐Hong 
Published: December 2015

AbstractInfertility due to low testosterone levels has increased in recent years. This has impacted the social well‐being of the patients. This study was undertaken to investigate the potential of gonadotropins in facilitating differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into Leydig cells in vitro. BMSCs were isolated, cultured, and their biological characteristics were observed. BMSCs were induced with gonadotropins in vitro and their ability to differentiate into Leydig cells was studied. The level of expression of 3‐beta hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β‐HSD) and secretion of testosterone were determined using flow cytometry and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay, respectively, and the results were compared between the experimental and control groups. The cultured BMSCs showed a typical morphology of the fibroblast‐like colony. The growth curve of cells formed an S‐shape. After inducing the cells for 8–13 days, the cells in the experimental group increased in size and showed typical characteristics of Leydig cells, and the growth occurred in spindle or stellate shapes. Cells from the experimental group highly expressed 3β‐HSD, and there was a gradual increase in the number of Leydig cells. The control group did not express 3β‐HSD. The level of testosterone in the experimental group was higher than the control group (p < 0.05). Additionally, the cells in the experimental group secreted higher levels of testosterone with increased culture time. The expression of Leydig cell‐specific markers in the experimental group was significantly higher (p < 0.05). With these findings, BMSCs can be considered a new approach for the treatment of patients with low androgen levels.
Beyond Infection: Device Utilization Ratio as a Performance Measure for Urinary Catheter Harm
Authors: Fakih Mohamad G. , Gould Carolyn V. , Trautner Barbara W. , Meddings Jennifer , Olmsted Russell N. , Krein Sarah L. , Saint Sanjay 
Published: December 2015

Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is considered a reasonably preventable event in the hospital setting, and it has been included in the US Department of Health and Human Services National Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections. While multiple definitions for measuring CAUTI exist, each has important limitations, and understanding these limitations is important to both clinical practice and policy decisions. The National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) surveillance definition, the most frequently used outcome measure for CAUTI prevention efforts, has limited clinical correlation and does not necessarily reflect noninfectious harms related to the catheter. We advocate use of the device utilization ratio (DUR) as an additional performance measure for potential urinary catheter harm. The DUR is patient-centered and objective and is currently captured as part of NHSN reporting. Furthermore, these data are readily obtainable from electronic medical records. The DUR also provides a more direct reflection of improvement efforts focused on reducing inappropriate urinary catheter use.Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2016;37(3):327–333
Complete self-preservation along the axis of a circular cylinder far wake
Authors: Tang S. L. , Antonia R. A. , Djenidi L. , Zhou Y. 
Published: December 2015

Self-preservation (SP) analyses are applied to the mean momentum and the scale-by-scale energy budget equations in the far wake of a circular cylinder. The scale-by-scale SP analysis, which is a two-point analysis, complements the SP analysis of the mean momentum equation. Power-law variations are derived for different length scales (e.g. the Taylor microscale and the Kolmogorov length scale) and velocity scales (e.g. the root mean square and the Kolmogorov velocity scale). Further, the SP solutions for the scale-by-scale energy budget equation are exploited to develop an exact relation to estimate the mean turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate $\bar{{\it\epsilon}}$ on the wake axis. These SP solutions and the new $\bar{{\it\epsilon}}$ relation are well supported by hot-wire data in the far wake at a Reynolds number of 2000 based on the free stream velocity and the cylinder diameter. On the far-wake axis, both the energy spectra and the structure functions exhibit an almost perfect collapse over all wavenumbers and separations, irrespective of the set of scaling variables used for normalisation. This is consistent with a complete self-preservation (i.e. SP is satisfied at all scales of motion) in the far wake.
Exploring managers’ conceptions of wisdom as management practice
Authors: Alammar Fahad , Pauleen David 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThis paper reports on an exploratory investigation into the concept of managerial wisdom. Six senior managers from diverse and large organisations in New Zealand were interviewed about their conception of managerial wisdom. The findings show that senior managers have a practical and positive conception of wisdom consisting of four factors: experience and knowledge, emotional intelligence, mentorship, and deliberation and consultation. The findings show that concepts of ‘spirituality’, ‘religiosity’, and, perhaps somewhat surprisingly, ‘ethics’, are all absent from the participants’ descriptions of wise managers. A tentative definition of managerial wisdom is proposed based on these findings as well as an explanation for the absence of ethics. As interest in wisdom and management continues to grow, this exploratory empirical research serves as a base for further research on the understanding and place of wisdom in management.
ALCHEMY ON THE ACROPOLIS: TURNING ANCIENT LEAD INTO RESTITUTIONIST GOLD
Authors: BERESFORD JAMES M. 
Published: December 2015

AbstractThis paper assesses the historical validity of the famous tale that, near the beginning of the Greek War of Independence (1821–32), the Hellenic revolutionary army offered lead ammunition to their Ottoman enemies who they were besieging on the Athenian Acropolis. This gift was presented to the Turks in an effort to halt their quarrying of the Parthenon and the other classical monuments on the hill-top, within the masonry of which the Ottoman defenders were searching for the ancient lead clamps which could be melted down and recast into ammunition. This paper will, however, demonstrate that there is a lack of contemporary evidence to support the tale and the earliest recorded references to the story only occur some four decades after the event was claimed to have taken place. Yet despite this lack of eyewitness evidence, from the early 1980s onwards, the tale has been frequently passed off as historical fact and referenced with regularity by campaigners lobbying for the return of the Elgin Marbles from the British Museum.
PROTESTANTISM, COLONIZATION, AND THE NEW ENGLAND COMPANY IN RESTORATION POLITICS
Authors: GLICKMAN GABRIEL 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACTEstablished in 1662, the New England Company introduced the first crown-sponsored initiative for propagating the gospel among the native populations bordering English America. Under the leadership of Robert Boyle, its work influenced royal policy, but awakened contention over the practice of Atlantic colonization and, simultaneously, the making of the Restoration church. This article examines the reception of the Company in England, showing how its architects sought to link the plantation process to the advancement of a global Protestant mission. The ambition drew Company leaders into debates over the reshaping of church institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. In England, the mission became a vehicle for the promotion of Protestant ‘comprehension’, as a bid to unite the different streams of the reformed religion, and widen the fold of the established church. However, the Company was frustrated by the confessional antagonisms that entered into domestic politics. Divisions between congregations thwarted missionary collaboration, and stirred doubts in England and America over the relationship between colonization and the ‘Protestant interest’. The article will identify the conflicts within the Restoration church as a formative factor behind competing ideas of overseas expansion, and a substantial obstacle to the emergence of the Protestant mission as part of the colonizing strategies of the English crown.
Depressive symptoms and glycated hemoglobin A1c: a reciprocal relationship in a prospective cohort study
Authors: Schmitz N. , Deschênes S. , Burns R. , Smith K. J. 
Published: December 2015

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate the dynamic association between depressive symptoms and glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels using data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA).MethodThe sample was comprised of 2886 participants aged ⩾50 years who participated in three clinical assessments over an 8-year period (21% with prediabetes and 7% with diabetes at baseline). Structural equation models were used to address reciprocal associations between depressive symptoms and HbA1c levels and to evaluate the mediating effects of lifestyle-related behaviors and cardiometabolic factors.ResultsWe found a reciprocal association between depressive symptoms and HbA1c levels: depressive symptoms at one assessment point predicted HbA1c levels at the next assessment point (standardized β = 0.052) which in turn predicted depressive symptoms at the following assessment point (standardized β = 0.051). Mediation analysis suggested that both lifestyle-related behaviors and cardiometabolic factors might mediate the association between depressive symptoms and HbA1c levels: depressive symptoms at baseline predicted lifestyle-related behaviors and cardiometabolic factors at the next assessment, which in turn predicted HbA1c levels 4 years later. A similar association was observed for the other direction: HbA1c levels at baseline predicted lifestyle-related behaviors and cardiometabolic factors at the next assessment, which in turn predicted depressive symptoms 4 years later.ConclusionsOur results suggest a dynamic relationship between depressive symptoms and HbA1c which might be mediated by both lifestyle and cardiometabolic factors. This has important implications for investigating the pathways which could link depressive symptoms and increased risk of diabetes.
The impact of language on the relationships between phonological awareness and word reading in different orthographies: A test of the psycholinguistic grain size theory in bilinguals
Authors: GOTTARDO ALEXANDRA , PASQUARELLA ADRIAN , CHEN XI , RAMIREZ GLORIA 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACTThe relationships among first language (L1) and second language (L2) phonological awareness and reading skills were examined in English L2 learners with a variety of L1s, specifically Spanish, Portuguese, and Chinese (maximumN= 252). Longitudinal and concurrent relations between word reading and subcomponents of phonological awareness (i.e., syllable, onset-rime, phoneme, and, where applicable, tone awareness) were examined in kindergarten and first and second grades. The relationships between reading and specific subcomponents of phonological awareness were associated with the orthography being read, English or the L1. Phonological awareness subcomponents related to English reading were generally similar for the three English L2 groups, despite differences in the orthographies of learners’ native language. The findings support the psycholinguistic grain size theory with regard to links between phonological sensitivity and the sound–symbol correspondences used to read the specific languages.
The perception of language-specific phonetic categories does not guarantee accurate phonological representations in the lexicon of early bilinguals
Authors: AMENGUAL MARK 
Published: December 2015

ABSTRACTThis study examines the perception and processing of the Catalan /e/–/ɛ/ and /o/–/ɔ/ vowel contrasts by 60 Spanish–Catalan bilinguals in Majorca (Spain). Results from binary forced-choice identification, AX discrimination, and lexical decision tasks show that even though these early and highly proficient bilinguals demonstrate a high accuracy in perceptual identification and discrimination tasks, they have difficulties distinguishing between words and nonwords in a lexical decision task. Spanish dominants also exhibited higher error rates than Catalan dominants in the lexical decision task. These findings provide evidence that making explicit judgments regarding whether a certain sound belongs to a phonemic category (i.e., as accomplished via identification and discrimination tasks) does not entail that listeners have an appropriate representation at the lexical level.