Incubated protein reduction and digestion on an electrowetting-on-dielectric digital microfluidic chip for MALDI-MS

Localized heating of droplets on an electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) chip has been implemented and shown to accelerate trypsin digestion reaction rates, sample drying, and matrix crystallization for matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS). Achieving this involved extending the functionality of previous EWOD droplet-based techniques by developing a multifunctional electrode with closed-loop temperature control, while minimizing overall system complexity and addressing challenges associated with rapid evaporation. For the EWOD chip design, we discuss the performance of multifunctional surface electrodes for actuation, localized Joule heating, and thermistic temperature sensing. Furthermore, a hydrophilic pattern is formed in the multifunctional electrode to control the location of an evaporating droplet on the electrode. To demonstrate the capabilities and limitations of this technique, we performed three experiments and measured the results using MALDI-MS: (i) insulin disulfide reductions in dithiothreitol (DTT) over a range of heater temperatures (22-70 °C) to show how reaction rates can be affected by thermal control, (ii) insulin disulfide reductions at 130 °C in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) to demonstrate a reaction in a high boiling point solvent, and (iii) tryptic digestions of cytochrome c at 22 and 40 °C to show that heated droplets can yield reasonably higher peptide sequence coverage than unheated droplets. Although they do not decouple the effects of changing temperatures and concentrations, these experiments verified that thermal cycling by EWOD electrodes accelerates reaction rates in liquid droplets in air.     

Medical preparedness for chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) events: gaps and recommendations

The Workshop on Medical Preparedness for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) events: national scan was held on 20 and 21 May 2010 at the Diefenbunker Museum in Ottawa, Canada. The purpose of the workshop was to provide the CBRNE Research and Technology Initiative with a Canadian national profile of existing capabilities and anticipated gaps in casualty management consistent with the community emergency response requirements. The workshop was organised to enable extensive round-table discussions and provide a summary of key gaps and recommendations for emergency response planners.     

Servant leadership, procedural justice climate, service climate, employee attitudes, and organizational citizenship behavior: A cross-level investigation.

This study tests the influence of servant leadership on 2 group climates, employee attitudes, and organizational citizenship behavior. Results from a sample of 815 employees and 123 immediate supervisors revealed that commitment to the supervisor, self-efficacy, procedural justice climate, and service climate partially mediated the relationship between servant leadership and organizational citizenship behavior. Cross-level interaction results revealed that procedural justice climate and positive service climate amplified the influence of commitment to the supervisor on organizational citizenship behavior. Implications of these results for theory and practice and directions for future research are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Unsteady conjugate mixed convection phase change of a power law non-Newtonian fluid in a square cavity

Transient phase change of a power law non-Newtonian fluid inside an inner thin walled container caused by external mixed convection in a square cavity has been analyzed numerically. Air was chosen as external cooling fluid and modified non-Newtonian water as the phase change fluid. Fluid mechanics and conjugate convective heat transfer, described in terms of continuity, linear momentum and energy equations, were predicted by using the finite volume method. Solidification was treated in terms of a phase change function varying linearly with temperature. The effect of the external Reynolds number, for Re = 200 and 1000 on solidification was studied along the influence of the non-Newtonian power law index (n = 0.5, n = 1.0). Results for the time evolution of streamlines, isotherms and freezing curves are analyzed. The effect of the Reynolds number on streamlines of the external fluid is remarkable, principally near the region close to the internal water filled container. Differences between cooling and freezing times are found for Newtonian (n = 1.0) and non-Newtonian modified (n = 0.5) water.     

Analysis of combined cooling,heating, and power systems based on source primary energy consumption

Combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) is a cogeneration technology that integrates an absorption chiller to produce cooling, which is sometimes referred to as trigeneration. For building applications, CCHP systems have the advantage to maintain high overall energy efficiency throughout the year. Design and operation of CCHP systems must consider the type and quality of the energy being consumed. Type and magnitude of the on-site energy consumed by a building having separated heating and cooling systems is different than a building having CCHP. Therefore, building energy consumption must be compared using the same reference which is usually the primary energy measured at the source. Site-to-source energy conversion factors can be used to estimate the equivalent source energy from site energy consumption. However, building energy consumption depends on multiple parameters. In this study, mathematical relations are derived to define conditions a CCHP system should operate in order to guarantee primary energy savings.     

The development of cognitive skills and gains in academic school readiness for children from low-income families.

This study examined developmental associations between growth in domain-general cognitive processes (working memory and attention control) and growth in domain-specific skills (emergent literacy and numeracy) across the prekindergarten year and their relative contributions to kindergarten reading and math achievement. One hundred sixty-four Head Start children (44% African American or Latino; 57% female) were followed longitudinally. Path analyses revealed that working memory and attention control predicted growth in emergent literacy and numeracy skills during the prekindergarten year and that growth in these domain-general cognitive skills made unique contributions to the prediction of kindergarten math and reading achievement, controlling for growth in domain-specific skills. These findings extend research highlighting the importance of working memory and attention control for academic learning, demonstrating the effects in early childhood, prior to school entry. Implications of these findings for prekindergarten programs are discussed, particularly those designed to reduce the school readiness gaps associated with socioeconomic disadvantage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evidence-based practice and the culture of adolescence.

Evidence-based practice requires attention to the client context, including client culture. We propose that the developmental period of adolescence is characterized by a unique culture that has important implications for evidence-based practice. Specifically, this paper explores three features of adolescent culture (importance of technology, centrality of peers, and the ongoing challenge of identity formation and individuation) that may be especially salient when treating adolescents. We then provide recommendations for how these features can be addressed in adapting existing evidence-based protocols and designing new interventions for adolescents, using examples from the literature to illustrate innovative applications. Overall, we argue that considering adolescent culture and thoughtfully tailoring treatment to that culture is consistent with the evidence-based practice framework and could enhance therapeutic outcomes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of supplementation with ruminally protected choline on performance of multiparous Holstein cows did not depend upon prepartum caloric intake

Objectives were to evaluate the effect of prepartum energy intake on performance of dairy cows supplemented with or without ruminally protected choline (RPC; 0 or 17.3 g/d of choline chloride; 0 or 60 g/d of ReaShure, Balchem Corp., New Hampton, NY). At 47 ± 6 d before the expected calving date, 93 multiparous Holstein cows were assigned randomly to 1 of 4 dietary treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement. Cows were fed energy to excess [EXE; 1.63 Mcal of net energy for lactation/kg of dry matter (DM)] or to maintenance (MNE; 1.40 Mcal of net energy for lactation/kg of DM) in ad libitum amounts throughout the nonlactating period. The RPC was top-dressed for 17 ± 4.6 d prepartum through 21 d postpartum (PP). After calving, cows were fed the same methionine-balanced diet, apart from RPC supplementation, through 15 wk PP. Liver was biopsied at ?14, 7, 14, and 21 d relative to parturition. Cows fed EXE or MNE diets, respectively, consumed 40 or 10% more Mcal/d than required at 15 d before parturition. Cows fed the MNE compared with the EXE diet prepartum consumed 1.2 kg/d more DM postpartum but did not produce more milk (41.6 vs. 43.1 kg/d). Thus, PP cows fed the EXE diet prepartum were in greater mean negative energy balance, tended to have greater mean concentrations of circulating insulin, fatty acids, and β-hydroxybutyrate, and had greater triacylglycerol in liver tissue (8.3 vs. 10.7% of DM) compared with cows fed the MNE diet prepartum. Cows fed RPC in transition tended to produce more milk (43.5 vs. 41.3 kg/d) and energy-corrected milk (44.2 vs. 42.0 kg/d) without increasing DM intake (23.8 vs. 23.2 kg/d) during the first 15 wk PP, and tended to produce more milk over the first 40 wk PP (37.1 vs. 35.0 kg/d). Energy balance of cows fed RPC was more negative at wk 2, 3, and 6 PP, but mean circulating concentrations of fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate did not differ from those of cows not fed RPC. Despite differences in energy balance at 2 and 3 wk PP, mean concentration of hepatic triacylglycerol did not differ between RPC treatments. Feeding RPC reduced the daily prevalence of subclinical hypocalcemia from 25.5 to 10.5%, as defined by concentrations of total Ca of <8.0 mg/dL in serum in the first 7 d PP. Pregnancy at first artificial insemination tended to be greater for cows fed RPC (41.3 vs. 23.6%), but the proportion of pregnant cows did not differ by 40 wk PP. Heifers born from singleton calvings from cows fed RPC tended to experience greater daily gain between birth and 50 wk of age than heifers from cows not supplemented with RPC. Feeding RPC for approximately 38 d during the transition period tended to increase yield of milk for 40 wk regardless of amount of energy consumed during the pregnant, nonlactating period.     

Quantification of ethyl carbamate in cachaça produced in different agro‐industrial production systems

Popularly known by various names such as caninha, dangerous, drips, damned and many other denominations, cachaça is the genuine Brazilian drink, produced by the fermentation of sugarcane juice by yeast, followed by distillation in alambics. Considering that cachaça is the most widely consumed distilled beverage from Brazil, the knowledge of the chemical composition and the presence of potentially toxic compounds such as ethyl carbamate, considered a human carcinogen, is important. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different conditions of the agro‐industrial cachaça production systems, including the variety of sugarcane, on the quantification of ethyl carbamate through the chromatographic. Thirteen unaged beverage samples, produced from different varieties of sugarcane, were analysed. Using analysis of variance and comparison of average concentrations of ethyl carbamate (Scott–Knott, α = 5%), all of the samples were found to contain contaminant levels below the ceiling established by the legislation, which is 210 µg L^?1. Copyright © 2016 The Institute of Brewing & Distilling     

Bacterial Ecology of Fermented Cucumber Rising pH Spoilage as Determined by Nonculture‐Based Methods

Fermented cucumber spoilage (FCS) characterized by rising pH and the appearance of manure‐ and cheese‐like aromas is a challenge of significant economical impact for the pickling industry. Previous culture‐based studies identified the yeasts Pichia manshurica and Issatchenkia occidentalis, 4 Gram‐positive bacteria, Lactobacillus buchneri, Lactobacillus parrafaraginis, Clostridium sp., and Propionibacterium and 1 Gram‐negative genus, Pectinatus, as relevant in various stages of FCS given their ability to metabolize lactic acid. It was the objective of this study to augment the current knowledge of FCS using culture‐independent methods to microbiologically characterize commercial spoilage samples. Ion Torrent data and 16S rRNA cloning library analyses of samples collected from commercial fermentation tanks confirmed the presence of L. rapi and L. buchneri and revealed the presence of additional species involved in the development of FCS such as Lactobacillus namurensis, Lactobacillus acetotolerans, Lactobacillus panis, Acetobacter peroxydans, Acetobacter aceti, and Acetobacter pasteurianus at pH below 3.4. The culture‐independent analyses also revealed the presence of species of Veillonella and Dialister in spoilage samples with pH above 4.0 and confirmed the presence of Pectinatus spp. during lactic acid degradation at the higher pH. Acetobacter spp. were successfully isolated from commercial samples collected from tanks subjected to air purging by plating on Mannitol Yeast Peptone agar. In contrast, Lactobacillus spp. were primarily identified in samples of FCS collected from tanks not subjected to air purging for more than 4 mo. Thus, it is speculated that oxygen availability may be a determining factor in the initiation of spoilage and the leading microbiota.