bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Public Policies on CSR in Europe: Themes, Instruments, and Regional Differences
Authors: Steurer Reinhard , Martinuzzi Andre , Margula Sharon 
Published: June 2011

ABSTRACTGovernments, in particular in Western Europe, have become increasingly active in promoting and shaping corporate social responsibility (CSR). The present paper conceptually and empirically characterises the public policies on CSR in Europe. In a first (conceptual) step, public policies on CSR are portrayed by distinguishing five types of policy instruments (i.e. legal, economic, informational, partnering, and hybrid tools) that can be employed in four fields of action (i.e. awareness for CSR, transparency, socially responsible investment, and leading by example). In a second (empirical) step, this typology is employed to show how EU member states actually promote CSR policies. The empirical stocktaking provides an overview of more than 200 policy instruments in three of the four fields of action. In a third step, the paper compares the status of public policies on CSR in Western Europe and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). By means of a simple instrument count and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) it is shown that Western European (particularly Anglo‐Saxon and Scandinavian) governments are significantly more active in promoting CSR than governments in CEE countries. Since these differences mirror the differences regarding the popularity of CSR as a management approach in Europe, the paper concludes that public policies on CSR reinforce rather than offset the European ‘CSR gap’. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
Methods of investigation for cardiac autonomic dysfunction in human research studies
Authors: Bernardi Luciano , Spallone Vincenza , Stevens Martin , Hilsted Jannik , Frontoni Simona , Pop‐Busui Rodica , Ziegler Dan , Kempler Peter , Freeman Roy , Low Phillip , Tesfaye Solomon , Valensi Paul ,   on behalf of The Toronto Consensus Panel on Diabetic Neuropathy
Published: June 2011

AbstractThis consensus document provides evidence‐based guidelines regarding the evaluation of diabetic cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) for human research studies; the guidelines are the result of the work of the CAN Subcommittee of the Toronto Diabetic Neuropathy Expert Group. The subcommittee critically reviewed the limitations and strengths of the available diagnostic approaches for CAN and the need for developing new tests for autonomic function.It was concluded that the most sensitive and specific approaches currently available to evaluate CAN in clinical research are: (1) heart rate variability, (2) baroreflex sensitivity, (3) muscle sympathetic nerve activity, (4) plasma catecholamines, and (5) heart sympathetic imaging. It was also recommended that efforts should be undertaken to develop new non‐invasive and safe CAN tests to be used in clinical research, with higher sensitivity and specificity, for studying the pathophysiology of CAN and evaluating new therapeutic approaches. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Type 2 diabetes affects hippocampus volume differentially in men and women
Authors: Hempel R. , Onopa R. , Convit Antonio 
Published: June 2011

AbstractBackgroundType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) has been shown to result in medical complications on several organ systems including the kidneys, eyes, cardiovascular system, and most recently described the brain, including the hippocampus. There is also evidence that females are disproportionately affected by these medical complications. Brain volume reductions have also been associated with chronic low‐grade inflammation and dyslipidaemia. This study investigated the relationships among T2DM, gender, inflammation, dyslipidaemia, and hippocampal volumes.MethodParticipant groups consisted of 40 obese adults with T2DM and 47 lean adults, group‐matched on age, gender, race, and education. Each participant underwent medical examination including a standard panel of blood tests, a magnetic resonance imaging, and cognitive evaluation.ResultsWe show that there is a gender difference in the association of T2DM and hippocampal volumes: diabetic women are most affected despite having better glucose control than their male counterparts. Although females with T2DM had disproportionately lower high density lipoprotein as well as better haemoglobin A1c, neither of these results explained why females with T2DM had the smallest hippocampal volumes.ConclusionsThese important findings indicate that in addition to the higher rate of traditional medical complication, females with T2DM are likely to suffer more brain complications than males. These observations, if supported by larger studies, suggest that in the future gender could be considered when customizing diabetes treatment. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Natural selection on body size is mediated by multiple interacting factors: a comparison of beetle populations varying naturally and experimentally in body size
Authors: Amarillo‐Suárez Angela R. , Stillwell R. Craig , Fox Charles W. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractBody size varies considerably among species and among populations within species, exhibiting many repeatable patterns. However, which sources of selection generate geographic patterns, and which components of fitness mediate evolution of body size, are not well understood. For many animals, resource quality and intraspecific competition may mediate selection on body size producing large‐scale geographic patterns. In two sequential experiments, we examine how variation in larval competition and resource quality (seed size) affects the fitness consequences of variation in body size in a scramble‐competing seed‐feeding beetle, Stator limbatus. Specifically, we compared fitness components among three natural populations of S. limbatus that vary in body size, and then among three lineages of beetles derived from a single base population artificially selected to vary in size, all reared on three sizes of seeds at variable larval density. The effects of larval competition and seed size on larval survival and development time were similar for larger versus smaller beetles. However, larger‐bodied beetles suffered a greater reduction in adult body mass with decreasing seed size and increasing larval density; the relative advantage of being large decreased with decreasing seed size and increasing larval density. There were highly significant interactions between the effects of seed size and larval density on body size, and a significant three‐way interaction (population‐by‐density‐by‐seed size), indicating that environmental effects on the fitness consequences of being large are nonadditive. Our study demonstrates how multiple ecological variables (resource availability and resource competition) interact to affect organismal fitness components, and that such interactions can mediate natural selection on body size. Studying individual factors influencing selection on body size may lead to misleading results given the potential for nonlinear interactions among selective agents.
Visible‐Light Harvesting with Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes Having Long‐Lived 3IL Excited States and Their Application in Triplet–Triplet‐Annihilation Based Upconversion
Authors: Sun Jifu , Wu Wanhua , Guo Huimin , Zhao Jianzhang 
Published: June 2011

AbstractCyclometalated iridium(III) complexes with intense absorption in the visible region (ϵ = 70920 M–1 cm–1 at 466 nm) were prepared by incorporating light‐harvesting coumarin into the diimine ligand (for comparison: ϵ = 7030 M–1 cm–1 at 371 nm for the model diimine complex without light‐harvesting ability). The complexes feature long‐lived intraligand triplet excited states (3IL, supported by spin density analysis of the triplet state). At room temperature, lifetimes, τT, are up to 75.5 μs, as determined by nanosecond time‐resolved transient absorption spectroscopy. Despite the weak phosphorescence (ΦP = 0.6–0.7 %) observed for the complexes, the triplet excited state (T1) was demonstrated to be efficiently populated upon photoexcitation, by using the complexes as triplet sensitizers in triplet–triplet‐annihilation (TTA) upconversion (upconversion quantum yields, ΦUC, are up to 23.4 %). We propose that weakly phosphorescent or even nonphosphorescent transition metal complexes can be used as triplet sensitizers for TTA upconversion, instead of the currently used phosphorescent complexes. Our design of the light‐harvesting IrIII complexes will be helpful for the preparation of transition metal complexes with intense absorption of visible light and long‐lived triplet excited states, which are suitable for applications in areas such as photocatalysis, photovoltaics, and upconversion.
A New Synthesis of 3‐(Sulfonamido)benzofurans through an Acid‐Promoted Cascade Reaction of N‐(2,2‐Dichloro‐2‐phenylethylidene)arenesulfonamides with para‐Substituted Phenols
Authors: Rozentsveig Igor B. , Rozentsveig Gulnur N. , Serykh Valeriy Yu. , Chernyshev Kirill A. , Levkovskaya Galina G. 
Published: June 2011

Abstract2‐Phenyl‐3‐(sulfonamido)benzofurans are produced in a cascade reaction of N‐(2,2‐dichloro‐2‐phenylethylidene)arenesulfonamides with para‐substituted phenols in the presence of the superacid H2SO4/P4O10 system.
First Synthesis of the Pyrano‐Naphthoquinone Lactone (–)‐Arizonin C1
Authors: Mahlau Manuel , Fernandes Rodney A. , Brückner Reinhard 
Published: June 2011

AbstractPyrano‐naphthoquinones fused to a γ‐lactone ring are structurally and biologically interesting natural products. We have accomplished an enantioselective synthesis of (–)‐arizonin C1 (2d) in nine steps. We employed the Sharpless dihydroxylation of β,γ‐unsaturated ester 9d as a highly enantioselective (>99 % ee) access to the γ‐lactone intermediate 7d. Oxa‐Pictet–Spengler cyclization, oxidation, and epimerization as expected led to the conversion of 7d into 2d. The pentasubstituted naphthalene precursor 14 of ester 9d was obtained by Dötz benzannulation.
Glycoproteomic analysis and molecular modeling of haptoglobin multimers
Authors: Boonyapranai Kongsak , Tsai Hsien‐Yu , Chen Miles Chih‐Ming , Sriyam Supawadee , Sinchaikul Supachok , Phutrakul Suree , Chen Shui‐Tien 
Published: June 2011

AbstractExtra‐thiol groups on the α‐subunit allow haptoglobin (Hp) to form a variety of native multimers which influence the biophysical and biological properties of Hp. In this work, we demonstrated how differences of multimeric conformation alter the glycosylation of Hp. The isoform distributions of different multimers were examined by an alternative approach, i.e. 3‐D‐(Native/IEF/SDS)‐PAGE, which revealed differences in N‐glycosylation among individual multimers of the same Hp sample. Glycomic mapping of permethylated N‐glycan indicated that the assembled monomer and multimeric conformation modulate the degree of glycosylation, especially the reduction in terminal sialic acid residues on the bi‐antennary glycan. Loss of the terminal sialic acid in the higher order multimers increases the number of terminal galactose residues, which may contribute to conformation of Hp. A molecular model of the glycosylated Hp multimer was constructed, suggesting that the effect of steric hindrance on multimeric formation is critical for the enlargement of the glycan moieties on either side of the monomer. In addition, N241 of Hp was partially glycosylated, even though this site is unaffected by steric consideration. Thus, the present study provides evidence for the alteration of glycan structures on different multimeric conformations of Hp, improving our knowledge of conformation‐dependent function of this glycoprotein.
Design and synthesis of new fluorescent probe for rapid and highly sensitive detection of proteins via electrophoretic gel stain
Authors: Suzuki Yoshio , Takagi Nobuyuki , Chimuro Tomoyuki , Shinohara Atsushi , Sakaguchi Nao , Hiratsuka Atsunori , Yokoyama Kenji 
Published: June 2011

AbstractA new fluorescent molecular probe, 2,2′‐(1E,1′E)‐2,2′‐(4‐(dicyanomethylene)‐4H‐pyrane‐2,6‐diyl)bis(ethene‐2,1‐diyl)bis(sodium benzenesulfonate) salt (1), possessing the cyanopyranyl moieties and two benzene sulfonic acid groups was designed and synthesized to detect proteins in solution and for high‐throughput SDS‐PAGE. Compound 1 exhibited no fluorescence in the absence of proteins; however, it exhibited strong fluorescence on the addition of bovine serum albumin as a result of intramolecular charge transfer. Compared with the conventional protocols for in‐gel protein staining, such as SYPRO Ruby and silver staining, 1 achieves higher sensitivity, even though it offers a simplified, higher throughput protocol. In fact, the total time required for protein staining was 60–90 min under optimum conditions much shorter than that required by the less‐sensitive silver staining or SYPRO Ruby staining protocols. Moreover, 1 was successfully applied to protein identification by mass spectrometry via in‐gel tryptic digestion, Western blotting, and native PAGE together with protein staining by 1, which is a modified protocol of blue native PAGE (BN‐PAGE). Thus, 1 may facilitate high‐sensitivity protein detection, and it may be widely applicable as a convenient tool in various scientific and medical fields.
Removal of N‐nitrosodimethylamine by ultraviolet treatment and anodizing TiO2 membrane processes
Authors: Kim Jong‐Oh , Jung Jong‐Tae , Kim Moonil , Lee Yong‐Woo , Chung Jinwook 
Published: June 2011

AbstractN‐Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) is a disinfectant by‐product shown to be carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic. The objective of this study is to compare NDMA removal efficiencies in water using conventional technologies (microfiltration, nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, and UV treatment) and innovative hybrid technology, which combines UV treatment with anodizing TiO2 membrane (UV/A‐Ti‐M) technology. In the UV/A‐Ti‐M photoreaction, the affecting factors such as UV intensity, the initial concentration of NDMA, and initial pHs were investigated. Even though membrane processes were ineffective in removing NDMA compounds, UV irradiation used in combination with an anodizing TiO2 membrane were achieved to remove NDMA completely from water. When NDMA was decomposed by UV/A‐Ti‐M process, dimethylamine yield increased and methylamine yield decreased with an increase in initial NDMA concentration. The successful removal of NDMA was specific to acidic conditions (pH 4–6). UV/A‐Ti‐M process is useful and powerful tools to remove NDMA in water. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2011
Comparative toxicology of mercurials in Caenorhabditis elegans
Authors: McElwee Matthew K , Freedman Jonathan H 
Published: June 2011

Abstract
Mercury (Hg) is a toxic metal that can exist in multiple chemical species. Humans are commonly exposed to methylmercury and Hg vapor, which are converted to mercuric species in the body. Despite years of research, little information exists on the similarities and differences in the mechanisms of Hg toxicity. The relative toxicity of mercuric chloride (HgCl2) and methylmercury chloride (MeHgCl) in Caenorhabditis elegans was determined in assays that measured growth, feeding, reproduction, and locomotion. The effect of HgCl2 and MeHgCl on the expression of several archetypal stress-response genes was also determined. There was no significant difference between the EC50s of the two mercurials in terms of C. elegans growth. However, MeHgCl was more toxic to C. elegans than HgCl2 when assessing feeding, movement, and reproduction, all of which require proper neuromuscular activity. Methylmercury chloride exposure resulted in increased steady-state levels of the stress response genes at lower concentrations than HgCl2. In general, MeHgCl was more toxic to C. elegans than HgCl2, particularly when assaying behaviors that require neuromuscular function. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 2011;30:2135–2141. © 2011 SETAC
Innovative Hybrid Cycle Solid Oxide Fuel Cell‐Inverted Gas Turbine with CO2 Separation
Authors: Facchinetti E. , Favrat D. , Marechal F. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractDecentralized power generation and cogeneration of heat and power is an attractive way toward a more rational conversion of fossil or biofuel. In small‐scale power production fuel cell–gas turbine hybrid cycles are an emerging candidate to reach higher or comparable efficiency than large‐scale power plants. The present contribution introduces an innovative concept of hybrid cycle that allows targeting high efficiency together with carbon dioxide separation and maintaining the fuel cell operating under atmospheric condition. The system consists in a planar module of solid oxide fuel cell operating at atmospheric pressure, an oxy‐combustion unit, and two separated gas turbine units driven in an inverted Brayton cycle. A thermodynamic optimization approach, based on the system energy integration, is used to analyze several design options. Optimization results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid system enables higher energy conversion efficiency with respect to an equivalent state of the art pressurized hybrid system, whilst avoiding fuel cell pressurization technical problems, and enabling the carbon dioxide separation. The potential of designs achieving 80% First Law efficiency is shown.
Classification of upper lateral body shapes for the apparel industry
Authors: Choi Young Lim , Nam Yun Ja 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThe lateral body shape is a critical determiner of the fit of garments. Either visual assessment or statistical analysis methods have been used to classify the lateral body types. These methods are limited to some extent since various anthropometric features inherently coexist and interact in a human body shape. This study aims to develop objective criteria for the classification of upper lateral body shapes integrating visual assessment and statistical analysis. The three‐dimensional scan data of 246 women between 18 and 49 years old were visually classified into four lateral body shapes by an expert panel. In addition, the back space and lateral angles extracted from the scan data were employed for further statistical analyses. Multinomial logistic regressions were used to develop logit models for lateral body types. It was concluded that the resulting logit models could classify lateral body types and calculate the probability of a set of body scan data being classified as a certain lateral body type. It is expected that this probability might be a guideline to quantify the characteristics of the lateral body shape in the apparel industry. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Using discrete event simulation to model excavator operator performance
Authors: Hughes Khaliah , Jiang Xiaochun 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThe traditional design process of fluid power systems such as hydraulic excavators has placed much emphasis on technical performance rather than human components. This research aims to develop human‐performance models to assess operator performance and human interaction during excavation processes. Task analysis, time studies, and statistical distributions were developed into task‐network models and imbedded into four Micro Saint simulation models with regard to various expertise and control types. An empirical study was conducted using the simulation models. Results indicated that both expertise and control type had a significant impact on operator performance, resulting in both time and consistency differences at various points during excavation processes. Models also revealed implications of operator fatigue leading to stress for the operator. Recommendations suggest that designers consider the placement of controls and measures to reduce operator workload for better performance in future systems. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A systematic framework for evaluating design concepts of a new product
Authors: Lee Chai‐Woo , Suh Youngbo , Kim In Ki , Park Ji‐Hyung , Yun Myung Hwan 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThis study aims to suggest a systematic framework to evaluate design concepts for a new product at the concept‐development phase. It focuses especially on evaluating design concepts based on user requirements and implicit tasks, defining trends in technology alternatives, and relating users' perceived value to product functionality. The potential user needs and functional requirements were identified through scenario‐based analysis and hierarchical task analysis. Technology alternatives were also investigated to support users in performing the required tasks effectively and efficiently. For a quantifiable evaluation measure, customer‐perceived value (CPV) attributes were used to evaluate the benefits and costs of the current design concept as compared to perceived alternatives. A case study was conducted to evaluate the design concepts of a new computer‐supported cooperative work (CSCW)‐based system with a tangible user interface, which was designed to support group decision‐making activities, such as business meetings. At the concept‐development phase, engineering specifications are not determined, and cost cannot be precisely estimated. Thus, while we dealt with design‐concept evaluation, we had no choice but to exclude cost attributes, such as monetary expenditure. It is still expected that our framework would be effective in incorporating user‐centered design perspectives early in the process of new product development. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Predicting visual fatigue in integrated circuit packaging plants
Authors: Lin Jhih‐Tsong , Liang Guo‐Feng , Hwang Sheue‐Ling , Wang Eric Min‐yang 
Published: June 2011

AbstractIn the reworking department of integrated circuit (IC) production, both inspection and repair are visual tasks, and reworking operators frequently complain about eyestrain problems that lead to human error and a low yield rate. In this study, we evaluate the relationship between the operators' visual fatigue and actual defect data gathered from May to June 2008 and find a positive relationship between visual fatigue and the number of defects. To prevent eyestrain overload, we develop a visual fatigue prediction model using as significant predictors working time, rest time, number of inspections, number of repairs, and task difficulty. After the model was implemented in a real workplace, both visual comfort and yield rate improved. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.