Systems design means process precision,but emphasizes culture,value, and results

The issue: What does a comprehensive internal dispute resolution system look like? The problems: Is it current? Is it responsive? Is it effective? The perspective: Melanie Lewis, of Atlanta, describes how Coca‐Cola Enterprises Inc. assesses its conflict resolution needs, as well as how it implements, operates, and monitors its program–including provisions to redesign for new developments     

A post-growth processing methodology to achieve barium strontium titanate thin films with low dielectric loss and high tunability for reconfigurable tunable devices

Ba_0.60Sr_0.40TiO₃ (BST) thin films, grown via RF-sputtering and the metalorganic solution deposition (MOSD) techniques, were post-growth annealed via conventional thermal annealing (CTA) and UV-photon irradiation annealing. With respect to the conventional thermal annealed films the UV-photon irradiation annealed films possessed improved structural properties and dielectric response. The optimization of the UV-photon irradiation annealing process parameters (using RF-sputtered BST films) was achieved via a detailed set of iso-thermal/chronal annealing experiments. The optimized UV-process parameters, applied to MOSD synthesized BST films revealed further enhanced dielectric response, i.e., 23% reduction in tan δ with sustained tunability of 42%. The improvements in the material properties of the UV-photon irradiation annealed BST thin films are attributed to stoichiometry and structural changes enabled through the UV-photon irradiation annealing process.     

Pliocene climate and seasonality in North Atlantic shelf seas

This paper reviews North Atlantic shelf seas palaeoclimate during the interval 4-3Ma, prior to and incorporating the 'Mid-Pliocene warm period' (ca 3.29-2.97Ma). Fossil assemblages and stable isotope data demonstrate northwards extension of subtropical faunas along the coast of the Carolinas-Virginia (Yorktown and Duplin Formations) relative to the present day, suggesting a more vigorous Florida Current, with reduced seasonality and warm water extending north of Cape Hatteras (reconstructed annual range for Virginia 12-30 degrees C). This interpretation supports conceptual models of increased meridional heat transport for the Pliocene. Sea temperatures for Florida (Lower Pinecrest Beds) were similar to or slightly cooler than (summers 25-27 degrees C) today, and were probably influenced by seasonal upwelling of cold deep water. Reduced seasonality is also apparent in the Coralline Crag Formation of the southern North Sea, with ostracods suggesting winter sea temperatures of 10 degrees C (modern 4 degrees C). However, estimates from Pliocene bivalves (3.6-16.6 degrees C) are similar to or cooler than the present day. This 'mixed' signal is problematic given warmer seas in the Carolinas-Virginia, and climate model and oceanographic data that show warmer seas in the 'Mid-Pliocene' eastern North Atlantic. This may be because the Coralline Crag Formation was deposited prior to peak Mid-Pliocene warmth.     

Miniaturization limits for single-chamber micro-solid oxide fuel cells with coplanar electrodes

Single-chamber solid oxide fuel cells with coplanar microelectrodes were operated in methane–air mixtures (R_mix = 2) at 700 °C. The performance of cells with one pair of NiO–YSZ (yttria stabilized zirconia) anode and (La_0.8Sr_0.2)_0.98MnO₃–YSZ cathode, arranged parallel on a YSZ electrolyte substrate, was found to be significantly dependent on the electrode width. For an interelectrode gap of 250 μm, cells with average electrode widths exceeding 850 μm could establish a stable open circuit voltage (OCV) of 0.8 V, while those with widths less than 550 μm could not establish any OCV. In the intermediate range, the cells exhibited significant fluctuations in voltage and power under our testing conditions. This behavior suggests that a lower limit to electrode dimensions exists for cells with single electrode pairs, below which neither a stable difference in oxygen partial pressure, nor an OCV, can be established. Conversely, increasing the electrode width imposes a penalty in the form of an increase in the cell resistance. However, both size limits can be circumvented by employing multiple pairs of microscale electrodes in an interdigitated configuration.     

School-based suicide prevention with African American youth in an urban setting.

Youth in urban settings are at significant risk for suicide and other mental health issues, but little is known about the utility or outcomes of suicide prevention programs with this population. This article reviews the outcomes of a grant-funded initiative to provide suicide screening to urban, African American youth. Columbia TeenScreen was implemented at 13 middle and high schools in Washington, DC, to 229 Black or African American students. Forty-five percent of students screened positively for previous suicide attempt or ideation, symptoms of depression or anxiety, and/or other emotional problems. Twenty percent of all youth screened endorsed current or previous suicidal ideation or attempts. Over 90% of youth endorsed at least some problem with depression or irritability. Early detection of risk factors through universal screening can lead to earlier treatment, thwarting a suicidal crisis. Implications for conducting screening in an urban setting and how psychologists can engage in screening are explored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Enterococci as probiotics and their implications in food safety

Enterococci belong to the lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and they are of importance in foods due to their involvement in food spoilage and fermentations, as well as their utilisation as probiotics in humans and slaughter animals. However, they are also important nosocomial pathogens that cause bacteraemia, endocarditis and other infections. Some strains are resistant to many antibiotics and possess virulence factors such as adhesins, invasins, pili and haemolysin. The role of enterococci in disease has raised questions on their safety for use in foods or as probiotics. Studies on the incidence of virulence traits among enterococcal strains isolated from food showed that some can harbour virulence traits, but it is also thought that virulence is not the result of the presence of specific virulence determinants alone, but is rather a more intricate process. Specific genetic lineages of hospital-adapted strains have emerged, such as E. faecium clonal complex (CC) 17 and E. faecalis CC2, CC9, CC28 and CC40, which are high risk enterococcal clonal complexes. These are characterised by the presence of antibiotic resistance determinants and/or virulence factors, often located on pathogenicity islands or plasmids. Mobile genetic elements thus are considered to play a major role in the establishment of problematic lineages. Although enterococci occur in high numbers in certain types of fermented cheeses and sausages, they are not deliberately added as starter cultures. Some E. faecium and E. faecalis strains are used as probiotics and are ingested in high numbers, generally in the form of pharmaceutical preparations. Such probiotics are administered to treat diarrhoea, antibiotic-associated diarrhoea or irritable bowel syndrome, to lower cholesterol levels or to improve host immunity. In animals, enterococcal probiotics are mainly used to treat or prevent diarrhoea, for immune stimulation or to improve growth. From a food microbiological point of view, the safety of the bacteria used as probiotics must be assured, and data on the major strains in use so far indicate that they are safe. The advantage of use of probiotics in slaughter animals, from a food microbiological point of view, lies in the reduction of zoonotic pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract of animals which prevents the transmission of these pathogens via food. The use of enterococcal probiotics should, in view of the development of problematic lineages and the potential for gene transfer in the gastrointestinal tract of both humans and animals, be carefully monitored, and the advantages of using these and new strains should be considered in a well contemplated risk/benefit analysis.     

Theragnostic Efficacy of K18 Response in Alcohol Use Disorder with Clinically Significant Fibrosis Using Gut-Liver Axis

(1) Background: Fibrosis in early-stage alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is commonly under-diagnosed in routine clinical practice. This study characterized the liver-injury and cell death response in alcohol use disorder (AUD) patients with ALD who also exhibited fibrosis and assessed the efficacy of standard of care (SOC) treatment in the improvement in liver injury. (2) Methods: Forty-eight heavy-drinking AUD patients aged 21–65 yrs. without clinical manifestations of liver injury were grouped by Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) score, as negative (Gr.1 < 1.45, n = 21) or positive (Gr.2 ≥ 1.45, n = 27). Patients received 2-weeks (2 w) inpatient SOC. Data on demographics, drinking patterns, liver-injury, immune markers, and liver cell death (K18s) markers were analyzed at baseline (BL) and after 2 w SOC. (3) Results: Lifetime drinking (LTDH, yrs.) and acute heavy drinking (Heavy Drinking Days Past 90 Days [HDD90]) markers were significantly higher in Gr.2 vs. Gr.1. BL ALT, AST, AST:ALT and K18M65 were considerably higher in Gr.2. Dysregulated gut dysfunction and elevated immune activity were evident in Gr.2 characterized by TNF-α, IL-8 and LPS levels. After SOC, Gr.2 showed improvement in AST, ALT, AST/ALT ratio; and in the K18M65, K18M30 and K18M65/M30 ratio vs. Gr.1. The true positivity of BL IL-8 response to predict the improvement in K18M65 to normal levels among Gr.2 patients against those who did not have improvement after 2 w SOC was very high (AUROC = 0.830, p = 0.042). (4) Conclusions: Gut dysfunction, elevated cytokine response and necrotic liver cell death were elevated in AUD patients with early-stage ALD. K18 showed promise as a predictive theragnostic factor to differentiate among the AUD patients with early-stage ALD and baseline fibrosis who had improvement in liver injury against those who did not, by the levels of baseline IL-8.     

Circular RNAs in Pregnancy and the Placenta

The emerging field of circular RNAs (circRNAs) has identified their novel roles in the development and function of many cancers and inspired the interest of many researchers. circRNAs are also found throughout the healthy body, as well as in other pathological states, but while research into the function and abundance of circRNAs has progressed, our overall understanding of these molecules remains primitive. Importantly, recent studies are elucidating new roles for circRNAs in pregnancy, particularly in the placenta. Given that many of the genes responsible for circRNA production in cancer are also highly expressed in the placenta, it is likely that the same genes act in the production of circRNAs in the placenta. Furthermore, placental development can be referred to as ‘controlled cancer’, as it shares many key signalling pathways and hallmarks with tumour growth and metastasis. Hence, the roles of circRNAs in this field are important to study with respect to pregnancy success but also may provide novel insights for cancer progression. This review illuminates the known roles of circRNAs in pregnancy and the placenta, as well as demonstrating differential placental expressions of circRNAs between complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies.     

Assessment of the MODIS LAI product for Australian ecosystems

The leaf area index (LAI) product from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) is important for monitoring and modelling global change and terrestrial dynamics at many scales. The algorithm relies on spectral reflectances and a six biome land cover classification. Evaluation of the specific behaviour and performance of the product for regions of the globe such as Australia are needed to assist with product refinement and validation. We made an assessment of Collection 4 of the MODIS LAI product using four approaches: (a) assessment against a continental scale Structural Classification of Australian Vegetation (SCAV); (b) assessment against a continental scale land use classification (LUC); (c) assessment against historical field-based measurement of LAI collected prior to the Terra Mission; and (d) direct comparison of MODIS LAI with coincident field measurements of LAI, mostly from hemispherical photography. The MODIS LAI product produced a wide variety of geographically and structurally specific temporal response profiles between different classes and even for sub-groups within classes of the SCAV. Historical and concurrent field measurements indicated that MODIS LAI was giving reasonable estimates for LAI for most cover types and land use types, but that major overestimation of LAI occurs in some eastern Australian open forests and woodlands. The six biome structural land cover classification showed some significant deviations in class allocation compared to the SCAV particularly where grasslands are allocated to shrubland, savanna woodlands are allocated to shrubland, savanna and broadleaf forest, and open forests are allocated to savanna and broadleaf forest. The land cover and LAI products could benefit from some additional examination of Australian data addressing the structural representation of Eucalypt canopies in the “space of canopy realisation” for savanna and broadleaf forest classes.