Physicochemical characteristics of the Spirulina sp. dried in heat pump and conventional tray dryers

A comparative study of Spirulina drying in heat pump dryer (HPD) and in conventional tray dryer (CTD) was performed. The effects of the methods used for the sample were evaluated in relation to the operation kinetics and the characteristics of the dehydrated microalgae. The air temperatures were 50 and 60 °C, and the absolute humidity of HPD was ten times smaller than in CTD. The values of the total drying time of HPD were 40% inferior to the found in CTD, for both air temperatures. The highest preservation of the Spirulina characteristics was found in HPD and air temperature of 50 °C, and in this condition, the values of phycocyanin, total phenolic compounds and total antioxidant activity were 14%, 60% and 10% higher than the values to the found in the same condition for CTD, respectively. These results are showing that the drying method is decisive in the product quality dehydrated.     

Maturation of tergal gland alkene profiles in European honey bee queens,Apis mellifera L.

In a series of husbandry and stop-time chemical experiments with honey bee queens, the production of tergal gland alkenes was found to be stimulated by natural mating and not by instrumental insemination. Carbon dioxide, physical manipulation of the sting chamber and vagina, presence of sperm in the spermatheca, egg production, and chemicals transferred via drone semen are demonstrated to not initiate the synthesis of the tergal gland alkenes. The compounds probably do not function as sex pheromones. However, the circumstances and timing of the initiation of production of the tergal gland alkenes strongly suggests a communication role for the compounds within the hive.     

Enhancing the strength of polypropylene fibers with carbon nanotubes

Single‐walled carbon nanotubes were added to two different grades of polypropylene to produce composites. The composites were then melt‐spun into fibers, and the fibers were tested with both a conventional tensile pull tester and dynamic mechanical analysis. The changes in tensile properties were related to the grade of polypropylene used. In addition to fibers being made from the mixes, coarse extrudates (i.e., undrawn, gravity‐spun filaments) were also produced. Density measurements on these extrudates showed that the addition of nanotubes increased the composite density in a highly nonlinear manner, which suggested interaction between the polypropylene and the carbon nanotubes. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 93: 2926–2933, 2004     

A comparison of bibliotherapy and group therapy in the treatment of panic disorder.

Investigated 2 methods of disseminating a cognitive-behavioral intervention for panic disorder (PD). 36 Ss who met diagnostic criteria for PD were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 conditions: bibliotherapy (BT), group therapy (GT), or a waiting-list control (WL) condition. Results show that both the BT and GT treatments were more effective than the WL condition in reducing frequency of panic attacks, severity of physical panic symptoms, catastrophic cognitions, agoraphobic avoidance, and depression and that the BT and GT treatments were more effective in increasing self-efficacy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The practice of self-compassion in counseling: A narrative inquiry.

As counselors we often offer compassion to our clients and support them in cultivating it for themselves; however, this aspect of counselor development may be absent in our own self-care practices. How do counselors cultivate self-compassion given the myriad of challenges that arise in their practice? Although there is a wealth of research on counselor self-care, very little of this research addresses the construct of self-compassion as a means of enhancing counselors' well-being and mitigating the effects of job-related stress. A narrative research design was used to investigate how 15 experienced counselors practice self-compassion in counseling. Themes that emerged in this study, based on the experiences of the participants, provide important information for training and educating practitioners in the areas of self-care and burnout prevention, and enhance our understanding of the role of self-compassion in the practice of counseling and psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Physician input and licensing of at-risk drivers: A review of all-inclusive medical evaluation forms in the US and Canada

This article details a systematic review of medical evaluation forms in support of licensing decisions for medically at-risk drivers. Comparisons were made between all-inclusive forms utilized by 52 State and Provincial Departments of Motor Vehicles (DMVs) in the US and Canada. Comparisons focused on length, format, content, instructional quality, medical coverage, ease of use, and other qualitative characteristics. Median page length was 2 (range 1–10), and mean word count was 1083 (494–3884). Common response options included open-ended (98%), forced choice (87%), and check box (81%). While the majority of forms (77%) required driver consent, only 24% requested information from the driver. Less than half (46%) included text on confidentiality protection. While all forms requested general medical information, just over half included specific sections for vision (54%) and cognitive/neurological conditions (56%). Most forms (81%) required that a judgment be made concerning driver safety, and half prompted for possible license restrictions. Criterion-based quality ratings were assigned on a five-point Likert scale by group consensus. One third of forms were rated as marginal or poor in comprehensiveness and utility, and just two garnered an excellent overall rating. Findings are discussed relative to current research on driver fitness and elements of a proposed model form. Best practice recommendations include a page length limitation, emphasis on in-person evaluation (i.e., as opposed to a records-only review), prompts to collect crash and other driving history information, clear instructions and stepwise format, content prompts across relevant medical categories, documentation of functional status and impairment levels, options for driving with restrictions in lieu of de-licensing, and emphasis on relative (vs. absolute) clinical judgments of overall driver safety.     

Glycoproteomics in neurodegenerative diseases

Protein glycosylation regulates protein function and cellular distribution. Additionally, aberrant protein glycosylations have been recognized to play major roles in human disorders, including neurodegenerative diseases. Glycoproteomics, a branch of proteomics that catalogs and quantifies glycoproteins, provides a powerful means to systematically profile the glycopeptides or glycoproteins of a complex mixture that are highly enriched in body fluids, and therefore, carry great potential to be diagnostic and/or prognostic markers. Application of this mass spectrometry‐based technology to the study of neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease) is relatively new, and is expected to provide insight into the biochemical pathogenesis of neurodegeneration, as well as biomarker discovery. In this review, we have summarized the current understanding of glycoproteins in biology and neurodegenerative disease, and have discussed existing proteomic technologies that are utilized to characterize glycoproteins. Some of the ongoing studies, where glycoproteins isolated from cerebrospinal fluid and human brain are being characterized in Parkinson's disease at different stages versus controls, are presented, along with future applications of targeted validation of brain specific glycoproteins in body fluids. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 29:79–125, 2010     

Savings estimates for the United States Environmental Protection Agency''s ENERGY STAR voluntary product labeling program

ENERGY STAR is a voluntary energy efficiency-labeling program operated jointly by the United States Department of Energy and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA). Since the program's inception in 1992, ENERGY STAR has become a leading international brand for energy-efficient products. ENERGY STAR's central role in the development of regional, national, and international energy programs necessitates an open process whereby its program achievements to date as well as projected future savings are shared with committed stakeholders. Through 2006, US EPA’S ENERGY STAR labeled products saved 4.8 EJ of primary energy and avoided 82 Tg C equivalent. We project that US EPA’S ENERGY STAR labeled products will save 12.8 EJ and avoid 203 Tg C equivalent over the period 2007–2015. A sensitivity analysis examining two key inputs (carbon factor and ENERGY STAR unit sales) bounds the best estimate of carbon avoided between 54 and 107 Tg C (1993–2006) and between 132 and 278 Tg C (2007–2015).     

A cell-delivered and cell-activated SN38-dextran prodrug increases survival in a murine disseminated pancreatic cancer model

Enzyme‐activated prodrugs have been investigated and sought after as highly specific, low‐side‐effect treatments, especially for cancer therapy. Unfortunately, excellent targets for enzyme‐activated therapy are rare. Here a system based on cell delivery that can carry both a prodrug and an activating enzyme to the cancer site is demonstrated. Raw264.7 cells (mouse monocyte/macrophage‐like cells, Mo/Ma) are engineered to express intracellular rabbit carboxylesterase (InCE), which is a potent activator of the prodrug irinotecan to SN38. InCE expression is regulated by the TetOn® system, which silences the gene unless a tetracycline, such as doxycycline, is present. Concurrently, an irinotecan‐like prodrug, which is conjugated to dextran and can be loaded into the cytoplasm of Mo/Ma, is synthesized. To test the system, a murine pancreatic cancer model is generated by intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of Pan02 cells. Engineered Mo/Ma are loaded with the prodrug and are injected i.p. Two days later, doxycycline was given i.p. to activate InCE, which activated the prodrug. A survival study demonstrates that this system significantly increased survival in a murine pancreatic cancer model. Thus, for the first time, a prodrug/activating enzyme system, which is self‐contained within tumor‐homing cells and can prolong the life of i.p. pancreatic tumor bearing mice, is demonstrated.     

A decomposition approach for commodity pickup and delivery with time-windows under uncertainty

We consider a special class of large-scale, network-based, resource allocation problems under uncertainty, namely that of multi-commodity flows with time-windows under uncertainty. In this class, we focus on problems involving commodity pickup and delivery with time-windows. Our work examines methods of proactive planning, that is, robust plan generation to protect against future uncertainty. By a priori modeling uncertainties in data corresponding to service times, resource availability, supplies and demands, we generate solutions that are more robust operationally, that is, more likely to be executed or easier to repair when disrupted. We propose a novel modeling and solution framework involving a decomposition scheme that separates problems into a routing master problem and Scheduling Sub-Problems; and iterates to find the optimal solution. Uncertainty is captured in part by the master problem and in part by the Scheduling Sub-Problem. We present proof-of-concept for our approach using real data involving routing and scheduling for a large shipment carrier’s ground network, and demonstrate the improved robustness of solutions from our approach.