bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Mode II Brittle Fracture Assessment of Key-Hole Notches by Means of the Local Energy
Authors: Torabi A. R. , Campagnolo A. , Berto F. 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Brittle fracture of key-hole notches under pure mode II loading is investigated both experimentally and theoretically. In the experimental part, a new version of the well-known Brazilian disk specimen containing a central dumbbell-shaped slit with two key-ends, called the Key-BD specimen, made of polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA), is utilized to perform fracture experiments at room temperature for different notch lengths and various notch radii. In the theoretical part, the experimentally recorded fracture loads are predicted by means of the strain energy density (SED) averaged over a specified control volume, which embraces the notch edge. It is found that the SED criterion can successfully predict the test results.
Cyclooxygenase and prostaglandins in somatic cell populations of the testis
Authors: Frungieri Mónica B , Calandra Ricardo S , Mayerhofer Artur , Matzkin María E 
Published: December 2014

Prostaglandins (PGs) are synthesized through the action of the rate-limiting enzyme cyclooxygenase (COX) and further specific enzymes. The development ofCox-deficient mice in the 1990s gave insights into the reproductive roles of PGs. FemaleCox-knockout mice were subfertile or infertile. Interestingly, fertility was not affected in male mice deficient inCox, suggesting that PGs may not be critical for the functioning of the testis. However, this conclusion has recently been challenged by observations of important roles for PGs in both physiological and pathological processes in the testis. The two key somatic cell types in the testis, Leydig and Sertoli cells, express the inducible isoenzyme COX2 and produce PGs. Testicular COX2 expression in these somatic cells is regulated by hormonal input (FSH, prolactin (PRL), and testosterone) as well as by IL1β. PGs modulate steroidogenesis in Leydig cells and glucose uptake in Sertoli cells. Hence, the COX2/PG system in Leydig and Sertoli cells acts as a local modulator of testicular activity, and consequently may regulate spermatogenic efficiency. In addition to its expression in Leydig and Sertoli cells, COX2 has been detected in the seminiferous tubule wall, and in testicular macrophages and mast cells of infertile patients. These observations highlight the possible relevance of PGs in testicular inflammation associated with idiopathic infertility. Collectively, these data indicate that the COX2/PG system plays crucial roles not only in testicular physiology (i.e., development, steroidogenesis, and spermatogenesis), but more importantly in the pathogenesis or maintenance of infertility status in the male gonad. Further studies of these actions could lead to new therapeutic approaches to idiopathic male infertility.Free German abstractA German translation of this abstract is freely available athttp://www.reproduction-online.org/content/149/4/R169/suppl/DC1.Free Spanish abstractA Spanish translation of this abstract is freely available athttp://www.reproduction-online.org/content/149/4/R169/suppl/DC2.
Making Evidence Available for Hospital-Based Midwives: A Systematic Examination of the Content and Methodological Quality of Three Protocols Used in Maternity Hospitals in the Netherlands
Authors: Cronie Doug J. , Rijnders Marlies , de Vries Raymond , Buitendijk Simone 
Published: December 2014

BACKGROUND: In recent years, the Dutch have begun to question the safety and efficacy of their maternity care system. Particular concerns have been raised about the quality of care in hospital settings. One way to address concerns regarding quality and efficacy of care is by the introduction and use of evidence-based protocols for practice. The primary aims of this study are to (a) describe the availability and diffusion of protocols in Dutch maternity hospitals, (b) systematically assess the methodological quality of these protocols, and (c) consider the content of the protocols in relation to the best evidence for practice.METHODS: A mailed and Internet questionnaire to all hospitals with maternity facilities in the Netherlands inquiring about the availability, content, and methodological quality of protocols for three situations: hypertensive conditions of pregnancy, fetal surveillance, and postpartum hemorrhage. All protocols were systematically assessed twice. We first assessed the methodological quality of the protocol using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) framework, and we then evaluated protocol content using a framework we developed for this purpose. Protocols were scored using a Likert-type scale.RESULTS: There were 53% (N = 48) of all maternity hospitals in the Netherlands that responded. The methodological quality of protocols we evaluated was poor. Using the AGREE framework, 70% of fetal surveillance protocols could not be recommended. Only 1 protocol from 1 hospital scored strongly recommend. Confusion regarding the definition of a protocol and what it should contain were common problems. There was a general paucity of evidence in the protocols assessed.DISCUSSION: Protocols may not be widely available in Dutch maternity hospitals. Where they are available, the quality is poor. There is no national strategy for coordination, implementation, and dissemination of evidence-based protocols. Because centralization, uniformity, and interprofessional collaboration are known to improve adherence, it would be prudent for maternity care professions to develop and disseminate protocols based on best evidence.
Midwives’ Time and Presence: A Key Factor in Facilitating Breastfeeding Support for New Mothers
Authors: Gleeson Danielle , Flowers Karen , Fenwick Jennifer 
Published: December 2014

BACKGROUND: There is now a plethora of work that has examined new mothers’ experiences of receiving breastfeeding support. However, there remains limited literature describing women’s experiences of receiving this support from midwives in the early postnatal period.AIM: The study aimed to explore and describe women’s experiences of receiving breastfeeding support from midwives in the early postnatal period.METHOD: A qualitative descriptive approach was used. Six first-time mothers who initiated breastfeeding after birth consented to be involved and participated in an in-depth interview. The techniques associated with dimensional analysis and constant comparison were used to analyze the data set.FINDINGS: Two categories were identified that described women’s experiences of midwifery breastfeeding support. These were related to the midwives’ ability to spend and give the gift of time to women. Alternatively, the midwife’s busyness and inability to be present for the woman was considered a barrier to receiving positive breastfeeding support and the woman’s ability to problem solve any breastfeeding issues.CONCLUSION: The findings of this study confirm both the importance of midwives spending time providing breastfeeding support and the negative consequences of a lack of time given for the provision of this support. Mothers have asked for midwives to be present; investing time in them, listening to them, and helping them solve problems. Current care models present barriers contributing to both the perceptions and realities of midwives’ lack of time, presenting a need to reconsider the design of maternity care environments and to adopt a caseload approach where women receive relationship-based care.
Taking It Into Account: Caring for Disabled Mothers During Pregnancy and Birth
Authors: Payne Deborah Ann , Guerin Bernadette , Roy Dianne , Giddings Lynne , Farquhar Cindy , McPherson Kathryn 
Published: December 2014

BACKGROUND:Although more disabled women are pursuing motherhood over time, little is known about their needs and experiences in achieving this goal.METHODS:A 3-phase study was designed with the aim of identifying ways for services to be more responsive for women living with physical or sensory impairment during and after pregnancy. This article draws on the qualitative phases of a 3-part mixed method study, which involved individual and focus group interviews with the women and maternity and child health practitioners.RESULTS:Sixty-two mothers with either a physical or a sensory impairment and 28 health practitioners participated in the study. Three themes were identified in relation to the current approaches to service provision: that the women were often responsible for educating the practitioners about their impairment, that they often encountered disabling environments, and that it was not uncommon for them to also encounter disabling attitudes from others. Strategies suggested by our participants to improve the provision of maternity services were for women’s impairments to be taken into account in the structure and process of service provision and for practitioners to problem solve and think ahead of how to meet the needs of disabled mothers.CONCLUSION:The need to take the woman’s impairment into account was an overarching issue and strategy identified by both women and practitioners. This consideration has relevance not only at the practitioner–women interaction level but also for educational, structural service provision and policy levels.
Swedish Midwives’ Perspectives of Antenatal Care Focusing on Group-Based Antenatal Care
Authors: Andersson Ewa , Christensson Kyllike , Hildingsson Ingegerd 
Published: December 2014

BACKGROUND:Antenatal care in Sweden is routinely delivered on an individual level with optional parental education classes. Group-based antenatal care (GBAC) is a model of antenatal care that has been implemented in Sweden since the year 2000.AIM:Previous research has focused mainly on parents’ experiences and perceptions of GBAC. Midwives have an important role in developing Swedish antenatal care, but studies focusing on midwives’ perspectives are rare. Hence, the aim of this study was to investigate and describe antenatal midwives’ perceptions and experiences of their current work, with a special focus on their opinions about GBAC.METHOD:An interview study was conducted and analyzed by descriptive statistics and quantitative content analysis.PARTICIPANTS:56 midwives from 52 antenatal clinics in Sweden.RESULTS:The major findings of this study were that midwives were satisfied with their work in antenatal care but have reservations concerning time constraints and parental classes. More than half of the midwives reported an interest in trying the group model but expressed personal and organizational obstacles based on identifiable difficulties in implementing the model. Midwives had strong opinions about the suitability of the model for women.CONCLUSION:This is the first study in Sweden to investigate midwives’ perspectives on GBAC. Midwives showed an interest in the group model but have concerns about implementing the process. The midwives considered GBAC as inappropriate for immigrants and well-educated parents.
Understanding the Relationships among Phytoplankton, Benthic Macroinvertebrates, and Water Quality Variables in Peri‐Urban River Systems
Authors: Pinto Uthpala , Maheshwari Basant L. , Morris E. Charles 
Published: December 2014

ABSTRACT: In this article, using the Hawkesbury‐Nepean River as a case study, the spatial and temporal trends of water quality variables over three sampling surveys in a peri‐urban situation are examined for their effect on benthic macroinvertebrate communities and phytoplankton communities and whether phytoplankton and benthic macroinvertebrate species can be used as indicators for river health assessment. For this, the authors monitored the spatial and temporal difference of 10 water quality parameters: temperature, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity, oxidation reduction potential, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, manganese, and suspended solids. The variability in water quality parameters clearly indicated a complex pattern, depending on the season (interaction p = 0.001), which highlighted how the river condition is stressed at multiple points as a result of anthropogenic effects. In particular, the downstream locations indicated an accumulation of nutrients, the presence of increased sediments, and phytoplankton related variables such as total counts, bio‐volumes, chlorophyll‐a, and total phosphorus. The patterns of phytoplankton communities varied in a complex way depending on the season (interaction p = 0.001). Abundances of phytoplankton were also found in low concentrations where the water column is not severely disturbed by flow and tide. However, when the water clarity drops resulting from tidal cycles, inflows from tributaries, and intense boating activities, the phytoplankton abundances also increased considerably. On the other hand, benthic macroinvertebrates compositions were significantly different between locations (p = 0.001) with increased abundances associated with upstream sites. Aphanocapsa holsatica and chironomid larvae appeared as the important indicators for upstream and downstream site differences in water quality. Water temperature influenced the phytoplankton community pattern (ρw = 0.408), whereas pH influenced the benthic macroinvertebrate community pattern (ρw = 0.437). The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the interactions of water quality parameters on biotic assemblages and to the extent that benthic macroinvertebrates and phytoplankton assemblages are suitable as indicators for monitoring and assessing peri‐urban river health.
Algae Consumption and Nitrate Removal in a Raw Water Transport System by Limnoperna fortunei and its Associated Microorganisms
Authors: Zhang Ruijian , Cui Bin , Huang Shaobin 
Published: December 2014

ABSTRACT: This laboratory‐scale study investigated the effect of Limnoperna fortunei on chlorophyll a, phosphates, ammonia, and nitrates in a simulated raw water transport system, with a special focus on the isolation and identification of microbes in the biofilm attached to the shell surface. These microbes appear to be involved in the decreased concentration of nitrates observed in the water. The microbial communities in the raw water and on the surface of the mussel's shell were investigated through various methods, including a 16S rRNA phylogenetic analysis, which revealed significant diversity in terms of the structure and abundance of microbial species present. Two aerobic denitrifying bacteria (I‐N38 and I‐N45) were identified in shell biofilm that were capable of removing 95.5 and 100% of nitrates, respectively, within 24 hours.
A Comparative Study on the Pulsed UV and the Low‐Pressure UV Inactivation of a Range of Microbial Species in Water
Authors: Garvey Mary , Thokala Nikhil , Rowan Neil 
Published: December 2014

ABSTRACT: Research into alternative methods of disinfecting water and wastewater has proven necessary due to the emergence of chlorine‐resistant organisms and the disinfection byproducts associated with chlorine use. The use of UV light to inactivate microbial species has proven effective, however; standard UV lamps have proven to be less effective in their ability to inactivate parasites and bacterial endospores in water treatment settings. Pulsed UV (PUV) light may potentially provide a novel alternative to water and wastewater disinfection. Research outlined in this study assesses the potential of a novel PUV system for the rapid and reproducible inactivation of a range of test species including Bacillus endospores. In comparison to standard low‐pressure (LP) UV lamps, this PUV system provided significantly higher levels of inactivation for all test species. Furthermore, there was a remarkable decrease in time needed to obtain significant inactivation rates following treatment with PUV compared to LP‐UV. With the PUV system, a 70‐second treatment time (7.65 μJ/cm2) resulted in similar inactivation rates of Bacillus endospores to that of the LP‐UV inactivation of their vegetative counterpart. Also, at PUV doses exceeding 4.32 J/cm2, there was not a significant difference in the PUV inactivation of Bacillus endospores in the absence or presence of 10 ppm organic matter. However, the presence of organic matter resulted in a significant reduction in microbial inactivation for all treatment doses using the LP‐UV system. The findings of this study suggest that PUV technology may provide a rapid effective method for the disinfection of water and wastewater.
Evaluation of Performance of Full‐Scale Duckweed and Algal Ponds Receiving Septage
Authors: Papadopoulos Frantzis H. , Metaxa Eirini G. , Iatrou Miltos N. , Papadopoulos Aristotelis H. 
Published: December 2014

ABSTRACT: The performance of duckweed and algal systems in removing fecal bacteria, organic matter, and nutrients was evaluated in three full‐scale ponds operating in series. Trucks collected septage from holding tanks and discharged it into the system, daily. The inflow rates varied between the warm and the cold season. Duckweed and algae naturally colonized the ponds in two successive periods of 10 and 13 months, respectively. Environmental conditions were determined at various pond depths. Without harvesting, the duckweed system was neutral and anoxic. Alkaline and oversaturation conditions were observed in the algal system. The overall removals of 5‐day biochemical oxygen demand, total suspended solids, total nitrogen removal, and orthophosphate (ortho‐PO43–) ranged from 94 to 97, 62 to 84, 68 to 74, and 0 to 26%, respectively. The E. coli and enterococci reductions varied between 2.2 to 3.0 and 1.1 to 1.4 log units, respectively. The upper values were always associated with the algal system.
Surface Modified Mesostructured Iron Oxyhydroxide: Synthesis, Ecotoxicity, and Application
Authors: Choi Jae‐Woo , Mahendran Basuvaraj , Chung Seung‐Gun , Kim Song‐Bae , Lee Sang‐Hyup 
Published: December 2014

ABSTRACT: Mesoporous iron oxide, particularly amine‐functionalized FeOx and FeOx, was investigated for the removal of toxic heavy metal anions of arsenic and chromium from an aqueous solution. As a control experiment for these toxic compounds, adsorption tests were also performed on Fe3O4 as their counterpart bulk chemical. The mesostructures were confirmed by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Brunauer‐Emmett‐Teller (BET) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In addition, we prepared stock suspensions of meso‐FeOx, amine‐functionalized meso‐FeOx and Fe3O4 particles, and compared their acute toxicity against Daphnia magna. The 24 h‐EC50 values of the amine‐functionalized meso‐FeOx, meso‐FeOx and Fe particle suspensions used in this study were 1682, 2549 and 95 mg/L, respectively. Organism toxicity caused by spills of adsorbents can be negated when the amine‐functionalized meso‐FeOx, up to 1500 mg/L, is used as the adsorbent for heavy metal treatment. The adsorption of arsenic and chromium by the three adsorbents were examined, and different adsorption models were used to describe the equilibrium and kinetic data. The amine‐functionalized meso‐FeOx adsorbent was found to give the maximum adsorption capacities for arsenic and chromium (33.51 and 25.05 mg/g, respectively). This research gives promising results for the application of modified meso‐FeOx as an adsorbent of toxic heavy metal anions from aqueous solutions.
Effect of Centrifugation on Water Recycling and Algal Growth to Enable Algae Biodiesel Production
Authors: Igou Thomas , Van Ginkel Steven W. , Penalver‐Argueso Patricia , Fu Hao , Doi Shusuke , Narode Asmita , Cheruvu Sarasija , Zhang Qian , Hassan Fariha , Woodruff Frazier , Chen Yongsheng 
Published: December 2014

ABSTRACT: The latest research shows that algal biofuels, at the production levels mandated in theEnergy Independence and Security Act of 2007, will place significant demands on water and compete with agriculture meant for food production. Thus, there is a great need to recycle water while producing algal biofuels. This study shows that when using a synthetic medium, soluble algal products, bacteria, and other inhibitors can be removed by centrifugation and enable water recycling. Average water recovery reached 84% and water could be recycled at least 10 times without reducing algal growth.
Association of Glutathione-S-Transferase (GSTM1 and GSTT1) and FTO Gene Polymorphisms with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Cases in Northern India
Authors: S.T. Raza , S. Abbas , A. Ahmad , F. Ahmed , Z.H. Zaidi , F. Mahdi 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is growing in an epidemic manner across the world and India has the world’s largest number of diabetic subjects. The present study was carried out to investigate the association of glutathione-S-transferase (GSTM1, GSTT1) and fat mass and obesity associated (FTO) gene polymorphisms with T2DM patients and controls, and its role in increasing the susceptibility to T2DM. A total of 198 subjects (101 T2DM patients and 97 controls) participated in this study. GSTM1, GSTT1 and FTO gene polymorphisms in the patients and controls were evaluated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). We observed significant association of GSTM1 positive (p = 0.046) and GSTM1 null (p = 0.046) genotypes with T2DM, while no significant association was found with the FTO gene polymorphism in our study. It seems that the GSTM1 gene polymorphism can be a predictive marker for early identification of a population at risk of T2DM. The potential role of GST and FTO gene polymorphisms as a marker of susceptibility to T2DM needs further studies in a larger number of patients.
Botanical Origin of the Brazilian Red Propolis: a New Approach Using DNA analysis
Authors: Jain Sona , Marchioro Giulia , Mendonça Lucyana , Batista Marcus , Araujo Edilson 
Published: December 2014

Abstract
Propolis is produced by the honeybees by using resin and other plant secretions. Propolis from different geographical regions have different chemical compositions. This is because the chemical constituents of propolis depend on the vegetation surrounding the apiary. In this report we present a new approach using DNA barcoding for the identification of the botanical origin of propolis. Red propolis samples were collected at different times of the year from the state of Sergipe situated in Northeast Brazil. Extraction of the DNA from propolis was made using a CTA B method. Amplification was done using ITS 2 universal primers, followed by DNA sequencing. Sequence analysis confirmed the presence of Dalbergia ecastaphyllum in the Brazilian red propolis. Formononetin is a chemical marker for the Brazillian red propolis and D. ecastaphyllum. Propolis samples analysed by DNA sequencing, were also checked by Ultra-Fast Liquid Chromatography for the presence of formononetin. Peaks corresponding to formononetin were observed in all the analysed propolis samples. This is the first report of the botanical origin of propolis using DNA technology.