Effect of consumption of green and black tea on the level of various enzymes in rats

Drinking of both green and black tea as the only liquid ingested resulted in significant decreases in the activity of transketolase in whole blood of rats both before and after the in vitro addition of thiamin diphosphate. Liver transketolase activity was decreased only by green tea. Mucosal transketolase activity was not affected by either type of tea. The activity of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was not affected by either type of tea, while whole blood LDH was decreased by both green and black tea. Neither tea had any affect on mucosal alkaline phosphatase, but thiamin diphosphatase activity was decreased by both teas. An increase in liver total thiamin resulted from the drinking of both types of tea.     

Structural, electrical, dielectric and magnetic properties of Mn-Nd substituted CoFeO3 nano sized multiferroics

A series of Mn x Co_(1-x) Fe_(1-y) Nd_yO_3(where x=0.0–1.0 y=0.0–0.1) multiferroic nanocrystals was synthesized via sol-gel auto-combustion technique. The structure was confirmed by X-ray diffraction(XRD)while morphology was investigated by scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The electrical resistivity was observed to increase from 2.14 * 10~7 to 8.77 * 10~9 Ω-cm and activation energy was found to increase from 0.64 to 0.75 e V, while the drift mobility decreased from 4.75 * 10~(-13) to 1.27 * 10~(-15)cm~2V~(-1)S~(-1) by the substitution of Mn and Nd contents. The dielectric constant, dielectric loss and dielectric loss factor decrease with frequency and Mn-Nd contents. The saturation magnetization was increased from 34 to 70 emu g~(-1) while the coercivity decreased from 705 to 262 Oe with the increase of substituents.The increase in electrical resistivity and saturation magnetization while decrease in dielectric parameters and coercivity make these nanomaterials suitable for applications in microwave devices and longitudinal magnetic recording media.     

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Nurses in Turkish Hospitals

Electronic medical records (EMR) are generally used by nurses in hospitals. However, studies investigating views on and evaluations of EMR by nurses are limited in Turkey and in other countries around the world. In this study, nurses’ views on EMR systems were investigated in terms of “Nursing care management”, “Order entry”, “Information Management”, “Information quality”, “Service quality”, “Impact of EMR system on clinical care”. The purpose of this study was to investigate the views/perceptions on EMR used by nurses working at hospital clinics in Turkey. The research questions were: (a) What are nurses’ perceptions on EMR? (b) Were there relationships among nurses’ perceptions on EMR? (c) Were there differences among nurses’ perceptions on EMR according to hospitals in Turkey. This study is composed of field research conducted using questionnaires. To prepare the data-measuring instrument, the literature on EMR was reviewed. A Likert scale type was used in this questionnaire. The study was planned and conducted on nurses working at inpatient care units at four Turkish hospitals. At the end of this study, the questionnaire had been conducted on 517 nurses. Total response rate is 66.70 %. We found that the Information quality of EMR, impact of EMR system on clinical care and service quality were high level. Information quality has the highest mean score. EMR system is an important system for nurses’ hospital has the highest mean score in this study. Nurses feel about impact of EMR system on clinical care that generally ‘EMR system’s usefulness’, ‘improving quality of information due to EMR system’, ‘improving quality of nurses’ work’, ‘improving quality of information due to EMR system’. All of the six subscales of EMR were positively correlated with each other. This study revealed that there are significant differences among the mean scores for six subscales according to the ownership of hospitals. EMR systems were not well integrated into their workflow. In addition, half of all respondents had not been trained in using EMR systems. This study will added to evaluation views and assessments of nurses about EMR literature. The results will assist in determining “Information quality”, “Service quality”, of EMR, and “Impact of EMR system on clinical for nurses in Turkish health system”. This survey suggests that nurses favor the use of an EMR and suggests opportunities for EMR enhancement.     

随机收益下企业群体协同的存在性

该文针对企业群体协同建模及存在性问题,从概率意义出发,假设成员企业以最大化自身收益达到满意的概率为目标给出了企业群体最优协同解的形式化定义,并应用等价激励值理论证明了最优协同解的存在性。在实际应用时,该文进一步分析了等价激励值的选取问题,认为优先选择取值较小者作为成员企业的个体满意目标,有利于企业群体最优协同的实现。     

Complete genome sequence of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium LT2.

Salmonella enterica subspecies I, serovar Typhimurium (S. typhimurium), is a leading cause of human gastroenteritis, and is used as a mouse model of human typhoid fever. The incidence of non-typhoid salmonellosis is increasing worldwide, causing millions of infections and many deaths in the human population each year. Here we sequenced the 4,857-kilobase (kb) chromosome and 94-kb virulence plasmid of S. typhimurium strain LT2. The distribution of close homologues of S. typhimurium LT2 genes in eight related enterobacteria was determined using previously completed genomes of three related bacteria, sample sequencing of both S. enterica serovar Paratyphi A (S. paratyphi A) and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and hybridization of three unsequenced genomes to a microarray of S. typhimurium LT2 genes. Lateral transfer of genes is frequent, with 11% of the S. typhimurium LT2 genes missing from S. enterica serovar Typhi (S. typhi), and 29% missing from Escherichia coli K12. The 352 gene homologues of S. typhimurium LT2 confined to subspecies I of S. enterica-containing most mammalian and bird pathogens-are useful for studies of epidemiology, host specificity and pathogenesis. Most of these homologues were previously unknown, and 50 may be exported to the periplasm or outer membrane, rendering them accessible as therapeutic or vaccine targets.     

Size-manipulat ion, compacti on and electrical properties of barium manganite nanorods synthesized via the CHM method

A composite-hydroxide mediated method was employed to synthesize barium manganite nanorods.Diameter,surface smoothness and uniformity of these nanorods were optimized by varying reaction temperature and reaction time.The rods with an average diameter of 200 nm and length of1–1.5 μm were obtained at optimum conditions of 200 1C/48 h.The dielectric study of these rods reveals that they have higher value of dielectric constant at lower frequencies which was attributed to the interfacial and rotational type polarizations.Similarly,the increase in dielectric constant with temperature was attributed to the thermal activation of such polarizations.Furthermore,the analysis of ln(J) vs.E1/2characteristics in the temperature range of 300–400 K shows that possible operative conduction mechanism was of Poole–Frenkel type.The value of βexp was found to be 4.85 times greater than the expected theoretical value of feld lowering coeffcient with an internal feld enhancement factor ofα2 23.5.This high value of βexp may be due to some localized electric felds existing inside the sample.     

Development of Composite Textile Structures for Wound Dressing Applications

The main objective of this research work was the development of novel and responsive nonwoven composite structures containing gelling materials for wound management. The development of novel all inclusive collagen booster(CB) therapeutic nonwoven wound dressings was mainly focused on. It provides essential functional properties such as high absorption,vertical and lateral wicking,and antibacterial and acidic pH properties. The developed composite wound dressing consisted of carboxymethylcellulose(CMC) fibre and also it was reinforced with polylactic acid( PLA) fibre. The produced composite wound dressings were treated with two different CBs at 4% by using the spray method. The details of the CBs have not been disclosed in this paper due to the Intellectual Property Rights( IPR) issues. The important benefit of using CB treatment is that it allows the maintenance of an acidic pH environment at the wound area. It is well known that acidic pH reduces the wound healing time and enhances the wound healing process. Furthermore,one of the CBs not only promotes the proliferation of the epithelial cells in wounds but also can provide antibacterial action. The PLA fibre reinforced CMC composite dressing has enhanced wicking properties which help to minimise the pooling of exudate on the wound bed and as a result maceration is prevented. The CBs treated dressings maintain the wound bed in an acidic pH condition which also improves the wound healing process. In addition to the above-mentioned properties,the CB treatment imparts antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria,thus resulting in the reduction in the propensity for wound infection. Ultimately,the research has proved that the 4% CB treatment enhances the antimicrobial activity and the acidic pH characteristics of the developed CMC /PLA composite wound dressings.     

Exploring Options for Enhancement of Social Dialogue Between the Turkish and Greek Communities in Cyprus Using the Structured Dialogic Design Process

This paper summarizes results of a co-laboratory that took place 33 months after the negative outcome of the referendum on the UN’s proposal for the solution of the Cyprus problem, and which was a follow-up (3 months later) of a previous co-laboratory. The earlier co-laboratory explored factors contributing to the increasing gap between the two conflicting communities. The co-laboratory reported here engaged relevant stakeholders (peace pioneers, academics, business people, activists and others representing the Turkish and Greek speaking communities of Cyprus) to come up with options aiming to enhance the social dialogue between the two communities. The Structured Dialogic Design Process was used to structure 27 proposed options and develop an influence map. The deep drivers, i.e., most influential factors, determined decisions taken by the participating peace pioneers regarding their future interventions. The results are also discussed within the framework of current (analysis reflects the political situation during the period reported here) political developments.     

Zr-pillared montmoril lonite supported cobalt nanoparticles for Fischer – Tropsch synthesis

In this article Fischer–Tropsch(FT) synthesis was studied over cobalt nanoparticles supported on modifed Montmorillonite(Zr-PILC).Co-loaded/Zr-PILC catalysts were synthesized by hydrothermal methods and were characterized by XRD,XRF,BET,H2-TPR,TGA and SEM techniques.FT reactions were carried out in fxed bed microreactor(T 225 1C,260 1C and 275 1C,P 1,5 and 10 bars).The FT-products obtained over Co-loaded/Zr-PILC catalysts showed increased selectivity of C2–C12hydrocarbons and decreased selectivity towards CH4and higher molecular weight hydrocarbons(C21) at a TOS of 2–30 h as compared to the Co-loaded/NaMMT catalysts.With increase in reaction temperature from225 1C to 275 1C,CO-conversion and CH4selectivity increases while that of C5+hydrocarbons decreases.Decrease in CH4selectivity while increase in C5+hydrocarbons and CO-conversion were observed on increasing the pressure of reaction.