Introduction of 4-chloro-alpha-cyanocinnamic acid liquid matrices for high sensitivity UV-MALDI MS

Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is a key ionization technique in mass spectrometry (MS) for the analysis of labile macromolecules. An important area of study and improvements in relation to MALDI and its application in high-sensitivity MS is that of matrix design and sample preparation. Recently, 4-chloro-alpha-cyanocinnamic acid (ClCCA) has been introduced as a new rationally designed matrix and reported to provide an improved analytical performance as demonstrated by an increase in sequence coverage of protein digests obtained by peptide mass mapping (PMM) (Jaskolla, T. W.; et al. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2008, 105, 12200-12205). This new matrix shows the potential to be a superior alternative to the commonly used and highly successful alpha-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid (CHCA). We have taken this design one step further by developing and optimizing an ionic liquid matrix (ILM) and liquid support matrix (LSM) using ClCCA as the principle chromophore and MALDI matrix compound. These new liquid matrices possess greater sample homogeneity and a simpler morphology. The data obtained from our studies show improved sequence coverage for BSA digests compared to the traditional CHCA crystalline matrix and for the ClCCA-containing ILM a similar performance to the ClCCA crystalline matrix down to 1 fmol of BSA digest prepared in a single MALDI sample droplet with current sensitivity levels in the attomole range. The LSMs show a high tolerance to contamination such as ammonium bicarbonate, a commonly used buffering agent.

Introduction: The Brazilian atlantic forest

The year 2000 marks 500 years of massive destruction for the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, as a consequence of the European colonization of Brazil. Today, the Atlantic Forest is restricted to ca 98,800 km2 of remnants, or 7.6 percent of its original extension. The Atlantic Forest continues to suffer under severe anthropogenic pressure, risking imminent extinction of the remaining species. Our current knowledge indicates that this complex biome contains a species diversity higher than most of the Amazon forests, and also has high levels of endemism. The 13 selected articles in this special issue present data on the natural history, ecology, sustainable management, and conservation of the Atlantic Forest. These articles represent a sample of the research conducted to date in the region and suggest avenues of future research, particularly with regard to conservation alternatives for the remaining portions of the Atlantic Forest. This special issue represents one of the first general references pertaining to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Slurry sample injection for determination of ferrite nanocolloids chemical composition by ICP spectrometry

This work proposes a new method to determine the chemical composition of magnetic ferrite nanoparticles by the slurry injection technique using the inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. In this way, experimental conditions such as aerosol gas flow rate and colloidal stability were optimized in order to use aqueous calibration curves in the slurry nebulization and to determine the chemical composition of a series of sols containing chemically synthesized size-tailored NiFe 2O 4 nanograms. Then, the results of direct sampling and those of conventional aqueous introduction analysis are compared, showing the efficiency of the proposed method.

American Lives: A Reader [Preface & Introduction]

Memoirs are as varied as human emotion and experience, and those published in the distinguished American Lives Series run the gamut. Excerpted from this series (called “splendid” by Newsweek) and collected here for the first time, these dispatches from American lives take us from China during the Cultural Revolution to the streets of New York in the sixties to a cabin in the backwoods of Idaho. In prose as diverse as the stories they tell, writers such as Floyd Skloot, Ted Kooser, Peggy Shumaker, and Lee Martin, among many others, open windows to their own ordinary and extraordinary experiences. John Skoyles tells how, for his Uncle Fred, a particular “Hard Luck Suit” imparted misfortune. Brenda Serotte describes a Turkish grandmother who made her living reading palms, interpreting cups, and prescribing poultices for the community. In “Son of Mr. Green Jeans,” Dinty W. Moore views fatherhood through the lens of pop culture. Janet Sternburg’s Phantom Limb muses on the dilemmas of a child caring for a parent. Whether evoking moments of death or disease, in family or marriage, history, politics, religion, or culture, these glimpses into singular American lives come together in a richly textured, colorful patchwork quilt of American life.

A study of the association between timing of solid food introduction in infants and overweight and obesity in pre-school aged children in NHANES 2003-2008

Background. Previous studies suggest an association between timing of introduction of solid food and increased risk of obesity in pre-school aged children, but no study included a representative sample of US children. We sought to examine whether there was any association between the timing of solid food introduction and overweight/obesity in pre-school aged children. Design/methods. Cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample (N=2050) of US children aged 2 to 5 years with information on infant feeding practices and measured weight and height from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003–2008. The main outcome measure was BMI for age and sex ≥ 85th percentile. The main exposure was timing of solid food introduction at < 4, 4–5, or ≥ 6 months of age. Binomial logistic regression was used in the analysis controlling for child's sex, birth weight and breastfeeding status as well as maternal age at birth, smoking status and socio-demographic variables. Results. Two thousand and fifty children were included in the sample; 51% male and 49% female; 57.1% Non-Hispanic White, 21.9% Hispanic, 14.0% Non-Hispanic Black, and 7% other race/ethnicity. Twenty-two percent of the children were overweight or obese. Sixty-nine percent were breastfed or fed breast milk at birth and 36% continued breastfeeding for ≥ six months. Solid foods were introduced before 4 months of age for 11.2% of the children; 30.3% received solid foods between 4 to 5 months; with 58.6% receiving solid foods at 6 months or later. Timing of solid food introduction was not associated with weight status (OR= 1.36, 95% CI [0.83–2.24]). Formula-fed infants and infants breastfed for < 4 months had increased odds of overweight and obesity (OR=1.54, 95% CI [1.05–2.27] and OR= 1.60, 95% CI [1.05–2.44], respectively) when compared to infants breastfed for ≥ 6 months. Conclusion. Timing of solid food introduction was not associated with weight status in a national sample of US children ages 2 to 5 years. More focus should be placed on promoting breastfeeding and healthy infant feeding practices as strategies to prevent obesity in children. ^

Earnings management in response to the introduction of the Australian gold tax

Earnings from gold mining in Australia remained tax-exempt for almost seven decades until January 1, 1991. In the early 1980s, rapid economic prosperity induced by escalated gold prices brought the Australian gold-mining industry under intense political scrutiny. Using a variant of the modified Jones model, this paper provides evidence of significant downward earnings management by Australian gold-mining firms, which is consistent with their attempts to mitigate political costs during the period from June 1985 to May 1988. In contrast, test of earnings management over a similar period in a control sample of Canadian gold-mining firms produced insignificant results. Further, empirical results are robust to several sensitivity tests performed. During the period from June 1988 to December 1990, the Australian firms were found to have engaged in economic earnings management. This is consistent with the sample firms' incentive of maximizing economic earnings immediately prior to the introduction of income tax on gold mining. The findings of this study help to understand the impact of earnings management on the efficient resource allocation in an economy. They also contribute toward understanding the linkage between regulation of accounting for special purposes and general-purpose financial. reporting.

Assessing the value relevance of accounting data after the introduction of IFRS in Europe

Since 2005, European-listed companies have been required to prepare their consolidated financial statements in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). We examine whether value relevance increased following the introduction of IFRS, using a sample of 3,721 companies listed on five European stock exchanges: Frankfurt, Madrid, Paris, London, and Milan. We find mixed evidence of an increase in value relevance. However, the influence of earnings on share price increased following the introduction of IFRS in Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, while the influence of book value of equity decreased (except for the United Kingdom). © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Hatékony leadership magatartások szlovák szervezeti környezetben (Effective leadership behaviors in Slovak organizational environment – Introduction to the Slovak implict leadership theories –Results of the GLOBE research)

Az itt bemutatott kutatás célja az volt, hogy azonosítsa és feltárja a szlovák vállalati környezetben követett és kívánatosnak tartott leadership dimenziókat és bemutassa azokat az implicit leadership elmélet alapján meghatározott magatartásokat, amelyek a sikeres leadershipet támogató magatartásokként jelennek meg (az implicit leadership elmélet szerint az egyének magatartásokhoz kapcsolódó hiedelmeik, meggyőződéseik és értékítéleteik alapján határozzák meg, kit tekintenek vezetőnek, illetve hogyan különböztetik meg a hatékony vezetést a nem hatékonytól). Ehhez a GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organization Behavior Effectiveness) kutatását használta fel a szerző empirikus alapként. A faktorelemzéssel előállított kutatási eredmények azt bizonyítják, hogy definiálhatók a nemzetközi mintán elkülöníthető implicit leadership elméletektől jól megkülönböztethető szlovák implicit leadership elméletek. Statisztikai próbáinak eredményei azt mutatják, hogy léteznek olyan leadership faktorok, melyek a szlovák és a magyar vállalati környezetben is megjelennek, illetve feltárhatók olyan implicit leadership elméletek, melyek megítélése ebben a régióban egységesnek tekinthető. _____ The aim of this research is to identify and explore the committed and desirable leadership dimensions in the Slovak organizational environment. This article presents those on the basis of implicit leadership theories identified behaviors which appear as successful leadership supported behaviors. To it the GLOBE (Global Leadership and Organization Behavior Effectiveness) research is used as the empirical basis by the author. Research results which were produced by factor analysis demonstrate that the Slovak implicit leadership theories can be identified because those can be clearly distinguished from implicit leadership theories available in the international sample.

Establishing an EGFR mutation screening service for non-small cell lung cancer - sample quality criteria and candidate histological predictors.

INTRODUCTION: EGFR screening requires good quality tissue, sensitivity and turn-around time (TAT). We report our experience of routine screening, describing sample type, TAT, specimen quality (cellularity and DNA yield), histopathological description, mutation result and clinical outcome. METHODS: Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) sections were screened for EGFR mutations (M+) in exons 18-21. Clinical, pathological and screening outcome data were collected for year 1 of testing. Screening outcome alone was collected for year 2. RESULTS: In year 1, 152 samples were tested, most (72%) were diagnostic. TAT was 4.9 days (95%confidence interval (CI)=4.5-5.5). EGFR-M+ prevalence was 11% and higher (20%) among never-smoking women with adenocarcinomas (ADCs), but 30% of mutations occurred in current/ex-smoking men. EGFR-M+ tumours were non-mucinous ADCs and 100% thyroid transcription factor (TTF1+). No mutations were detected in poorly differentiated NSCLC-not otherwise specified (NOS). There was a trend for improved overall survival (OS) among EGFR-M+ versus EGFR-M- patients (median OS=78 versus 17 months). In year 1, test failure rate was 19%, and associated with scant cellularity and low DNA concentrations. However 75% of samples with poor cellularity but representative of tumour were informative and mutation prevalence was 9%. In year 2, 755 samples were tested; mutation prevalence was 13% and test failure only 5.4%. Although samples with low DNA concentration (2.2 ng/μL), the mutation rate was 9.2%. CONCLUSION: Routine epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) screening using diagnostic samples is fast and feasible even on samples with poor cellularity and DNA content. Mutations tend to occur in better-differentiated non-mucinous TTF1+ ADCs. Whether these histological criteria may be useful to select patients for EGFR testing merits further investigation.

Does the 6-minute walk test predicts functional capacity in a sample of elderly women? A pilot study

Introduction: Functional capacity is the capacity to conduct daily activities in an independent way. It can be estimated with the 6-minutes’ walk test (6MWT) and other validated functional tests. Objectives: Verify associations between functional capacity measured with two different instruments (6MWT and Composite Physical Function (CPF) scale) and levels of physical activity and between those and characterization variables. Methods: This sample consisted of 30 apparently healthy elderly women from Loures municipality. Essentially they should be independent and community-dwelling. Characterization data were collected, containing characterization of physical activity levels and anthropometric data. Functional capacity was assessed with CPF scale and distance walked by the 6MWT. Results were analysed using a SPSS v21.0 through correlation tests. Results: The walked distance in 6MWT was positively associated with height (r = 0.406; p = 0.026), physical activity level (r = 0.594; p = 0.001) and functional capacity (r = 0.682; p = 0.000). For each point more obtained in CPF, the distance walked increases on average by 7.5 meters. Relatively to sedentary participants, being insufficiently active increases, on average, the distance walked in 85.8 meters; and being active increases, on average, the distance walked in 108.8 meters. No other associations were observed in our sample. Conclusion: Based on the collected sample, walked distance in 6MWT has a high correlation with results in CPF scale, so this test can be used to predict functional capacity. More attention should be taken to promote strategies to increase walking in older adults.

The introduction of e-learning in European universities: models and strategies

The aim of this paper is to present the models and the strategies of adoption of e-learning in a group of European universities, most of them located in the regions called “the four motors of Europe” (Baden-Württenberg, Catalunya, Lombardy and Rhône-Alpes) and in Switzerland. Our analysis focuses on four dimensions: the rationale behind the introduction of e-learning, the organisation of the activities and, in particular, the existence of a university centre for e-learning, the type of activities, and, finally, the type of public reached by e-learning. The majority of campus universities in our sample introduced e-learning to improve the quality of education of their students and, for the most part, as a support for existing courses. Some of the campus universities went even further insofar as they have introduced some online courses into their curricula. This has led to forms of cooperation where different universities share some of their courses. Finally, a small number of campus universities have included as part of their educational offer full distance degree programs which can be attended also by non residential students. The above cases show that there is no general move from campus universities towards distance education, but rather a more selective behaviour. Thus we conclude that e-learning, although it is undoubtedly spreading in both distance and presence universities, is not yet bringing fundamental changes in the institutions themselves. E-learning is at the moment integrated into the existing organization and educational offer. (DIPF/Orig.)

Descriptive analysis of the test of everyday attention for children in a Spanish normative sample

Introduction. Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch) has been validated in different countries demonstrating that it is an instrument with a correct balance between reliability and duration. Given the shortage of trustworthy instruments of evaluation in our language for infantile population we decide to explore the Spanish version of the TEA-Ch. Methods. We administered TEA-Ch (version A) to a sample control of 133 Spanish children from 6 to 11 years enrolled in school in the Community of Madrid. Four children were selected at random by course of Primary Education, distributing the sex of equivalent form. Descriptive analysis and comparison by ages and sex in each of the TEA-Ch's subtests were conducted to establish a profile of the sample. In order to analyze the effect of the age, subjects were grouped in six sub-samples: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 years-old. Results. This first descriptive analysis demonstrates age exerted a significant effect on each measure, due to an important "jump" in children's performance between 6 and 7 years-old. The effect of sex was significant only in two visual attention measures (Sky Search & Map) and interaction age and sex exerted a significant effect only in the dual task (Score DT). Conclusions. The results suggest that the Spanish version of the TEA-Ch (A) might be a useful instrument to evaluate attentional processes in Spanish child population.

Infertility Care And The Introduction Of New Reproductive Technologies In Poor Resource Settings.

The overall prevalence of infertility was estimated to be 3.5-16.7% in developing countries and 6.9-9.3% in developed countries. Furthermore, according to reports from some regions of sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence rate is 30-40%. The consequences of infertility and how it affects the lives of women in poor-resource settings, particularly in developing countries, has become an important issue to be discussed in reproductive health. In some societies, the inability to fulfill the desire to have children makes life difficult for the infertile couple. In many regions, infertility is considered a tragedy that affects not only the infertile couple or woman, but the entire family. This is a position paper which encompasses a review of the needs of low-income infertile couples, mainly those living in developing countries, regarding access to infertility care, including ART and initiatives to provide ART at low or affordable cost. Information was gathered from the databases MEDLINE, CENTRAL, POPLINE, EMBASE, LILACS, and ICTRP with the key words: infertility, low income, assisted reproductive technologies, affordable cost, low cost. There are few initiatives geared toward implementing ART procedures at low cost or at least at affordable cost in low-income populations. Nevertheless, from recent studies, possibilities have emerged for new low-cost initiatives that can help millions of couples to achieve the desire of having a biological child. It is necessary for healthcare professionals and policymakers to take into account these new initiatives in order to implement ART in resource-constrained settings.

Reference Values For High-density Lipoprotein Particle Size And Volume By Dynamic Light Scattering In A Brazilian Population Sample And Their Relationships With Metabolic Parameters.

Current data indicate that the size of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) may be considered an important marker for cardiovascular disease risk. We established reference values of mean HDL size and volume in an asymptomatic representative Brazilian population sample (n=590) and their associations with metabolic parameters by gender. Size and volume were determined in HDL isolated from plasma by polyethyleneglycol precipitation of apoB-containing lipoproteins and measured using the dynamic light scattering (DLS) technique. Although the gender and age distributions agreed with other studies, the mean HDL size reference value was slightly lower than in some other populations. Both HDL size and volume were influenced by gender and varied according to age. HDL size was associated with age and HDL-C (total population); non- white ethnicity and CETP inversely (females); HDL-C and PLTP mass (males). On the other hand, HDL volume was determined only by HDL-C (total population and in both genders) and by PLTP mass (males). The reference values for mean HDL size and volume using the DLS technique were established in an asymptomatic and representative Brazilian population sample, as well as their related metabolic factors. HDL-C was a major determinant of HDL size and volume, which were differently modulated in females and in males.

Pragmatics: an introduction

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