A global model for effective use and evaluation of e-learning in health.

Healthcare systems worldwide face a wide range of challenges, including demographic change, rising drug and medical technology costs, and persistent and widening health inequalities both within and between countries. Simultaneously, issues such as professional silos, static medical curricula, and perceptions of "information overload" have made it difficult for medical training and continued professional development (CPD) to adapt to the changing needs of healthcare professionals in increasingly patient-centered, collaborative, and/or remote delivery contexts. In response to these challenges, increasing numbers of medical education and CPD programs have adopted e-learning approaches, which have been shown to provide flexible, low-cost, user-centered, and easily updated learning. The effectiveness of e-learning varies from context to context, however, and has also been shown to make considerable demands on users' motivation and "digital literacy" and on providing institutions. Consequently, there is a need to evaluate the effectiveness of e-learning in healthcare as part of ongoing quality improvement efforts. This article outlines the key issues for developing successful models for analyzing e-health learning.

pH对萼花臂尾轮虫种群动态和休眠卵的影响

应用种群累积培养法,研究了pH3.5～11.5(间隔1.0)之间萼花臂尾轮虫(Brachionuscalyciflorus)的种群动态及休眠卵的形成。结果表明,该轮虫在pH5.5～10.5为正增长,pH7.5时种群增长趋势最好;pH4.5时为负增长;pH3.5和11.5分别是该轮虫存活下限和上限。pH对轮虫休眠卵的产量和形成效率、平均混交雌体百分率和受精率皆具极显著影响。7.5是该种轮虫休眠卵规模化生产的最佳pH值,此时休眠卵的产量和藻类食物的形成效率最大,分别为(132567±20264)/(20ml·

低pH值对大型溞（Daphnia magna Straus）存活、生长和生殖的影响

在静置换水条件下，研究了低ｐＨ值对大型存活、生长和生殖的影响。结果表明，在２５±１℃下，急性试验低ｐＨ值对大型的２４ｈ和４８ｈＬＬ５０值及其９５％可信限分别为ｐＨ值４．６６±０．１９和４．９４±０．２０。慢性试验进行了１４天，对存活和生长，ｐＨ值１．７５有影响，ｐＨ值５．０没有影响；对生殖，ｐＨ值５．０有影响，ｐＨ值５．５没有影响。显示出低ｐＨ值对大型的毒性阈限在ｐＨ值５．００－５．５０之间。

低pH对鱼类胚胎发育、鱼苗生长及鳃组织损伤影响的研究

本文研究了低pH水平对鱼类的胚胎,鱼苗和鱼种的影响以及鱼鳃的组织学观察。在硬水环境,pH≤4.5时,对泥鳅胚胎发育有严重影响。胚胎在低pH水平下,发育进程明显地迟缓。pH≤5.5时,泥鳅幼苗的生长受到抑制;在软水环境,pH≤4.5时,影响草鱼苗和幼鱼的存活率。低pH水平加上铝则对鱼类呈现出协同毒性。低pH使鱼鳃直接遭受严重的损害:出现大量的粘液、渗血、鳃上皮肿胀和脱落,组织增生和融合。

低pH和铝对几种淡水鱼类早期生活阶段的影响

在实验室条件下,把早期生活阶段的白链(Hyhophthalmichthys molitrix)、鳙鱼(Arist-ichthys nobilis)和草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idellus)突然置于一系列低pH值水中,以测试产生毒性影响的pH水平.在受试的三种鱼中,未发现对低pH的敏感性有显著差异,但在发育过程中其敏感性逐渐降低.在pH5.0的水中,Al(0.1—16mg/L)对草鱼仔鱼毒性测试结果表明,96h的LC_(50)为0.26mg/L(0.21—0.31mg/L),致死阈浓度为0.

低pH对草鱼呼吸活动和耗氧代谢的影响

研究了低pH(6.0—3.6)对草鱼呼吸活动机能及耗氧代谢的影响.结果表明,在pH4.6—3.6条件下,草鱼呼吸和气体代谢活动受干扰的程度随酸度增大而急剧加重.其具体表现为:呼吸率加快,咳嗽反应增加,呼吸深度加大.耗氧率起始升高继而迅速下降,并在极端pH(3.6)下最终引起机体组织缺氧而致死.对于pH5.6,草鱼各类呼吸与代谢指标未受明显影响,基本属于正常.供试草鱼对低pH反应的灵敏程度依次为:咳嗽率>呼吸率>耗氧率>呼吸深度.

低pH对草鱼血液酸碱平衡的影响

研究了低pH(6.0—4.0)对草鱼血液酸碱平衡、p_(o2)及p_(co2)的影响,结果表明,低pH引起草鱼严重的酸血症.亚致死pH(6.0—5.0)时,血液酸碱平衡的影响主要表现为碱贮备[HCO_3]的丧失,血液pH的明显下降经机体缓冲调节可趋于稳定.致死低pH(4.0)时,血液pN和[HCO_3]下降均非常显著,并在96h内随酸化时间延长而日趋严重.仅在pH≤4.0的酸水中草鱼存在低氧症影响问题.草鱼是一种酸敏感性鱼类,为确保成鱼在天然水体的生存和繁育,水质pH至少应维持在6.0以上.

五种水蛭对不同pH值的生物效应

本文论述了使用常规试验方法研究5种水蛭:宽身舌蛭(Glossiphonia lata)、八目石蛭(Erpobdella octoculata)、光润金线蛭(Whitmania laevis)、尖细金线蛭(Whitmania acranulata)和日本医蛭(Hirudo nipponia)对12个pH值的24—96小时急性生物效应。结果表明:稻田3个种(尖细金线蛭,光润金线蛭和日本医蛭)均较湖泊近岸2个种(八目石蛭和宽身舌蛭)对pH值的变化要敏感,其中尖细金线蛭最敏感(pH6.0—7.2),八目石蛭的忍耐

Exploring an effective model of new product development in medical devices: A knowledge cluster approach

This study proposes a new product development (NPD) model that aims to improve the effectiveness of innovative NPD in the medical devices. By adopting open innovation theory and applying an in-depth investigation methodology, this paper proposes a knowledge cluster that improves the integration of interdisciplinary human resources and enhances the acquirement of innovative technologies. A knowledge cluster approach helps gather, organise, synthesise, and accumulate knowledge in order to become the impetus for innovation. Although enterprises are no longer the principals of research and development, they should still be capable of integrating professional physicians, external groups, and individuals through the knowledge cluster platform. However, in order to support an effective NPD model, enterprises should provide adequate incentives and trust to external individuals or groups willing to contribute their expertise and knowledge to this knowledge cluster platform. Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Coagulation removal of melanoidins from biologically treated molasses wastewater using ferric chloride

The pigments (melanoidins) in molasses wastewater are refractory to conventional biological treatment. Ferric chloride was used as coagulant to remove color and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from molasses effluent. Using jar test procedure, main operating conditions such as pH and coagulant dosage were investigated. Under the optimum conditions, up to 86% and 96% of COD and color removal efficiencies were achieved. Residual turbidity in supernatant was less than 5 NTU and Fe3+ concentration was negligible because of effective destabilization and subsequent sedimentation. The results of high performance size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) show that low molecular weight (MW) fraction of melanoidins is more reactive than high MW fraction and increase in the concentration of the lowest MW organic group is related to the capacity of charge neutralization. Aggregate size measurement reveals the size effect on the settleability of flocs formed, with larger flocs settling more rapidly. Charge neutralization and co-precipitation are proposed as predominant coagulation mechanism under the optimum conditions. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PCR-DGGE Fingerprinting Analysis of Plankton Communities and Its Relationship to Lake Trophic Status

Plankton communities in eight lakes of different trophic status near Yangtze, China were characterized by using denatured gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Various water quality parameters were also measured at each collection site. Following extraction of DNA from plankton communities, 16S rRNA and 18S rRNA genes were amplified with specific primers for prokaryotes and eukaryotes, respectively; DNA profiles were developed by DGGE. The plankton community of each lake had its own distinct DNA profile. The total number of bands identified at 34 sampling stations ranged from 37 to 111. Both prokaryotes and eukaryotes displayed complex fingerprints composed of a large number of bands: 16 to 59 bands were obtained with the prokaryotic primer set; 21 to 52 bands for the eukaryotic primer set. The DGGE-patterns were analyzed in relation to water quality parameters by canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Temperature, pH, alkalinity, and the concentration of COD, TP and TN were strongly correlated with the DGGE patterns. The parameters that demonstrated a strong correlation to the DGGE fingerprints of the plankton community differed among lakes, suggesting that differences in the DGGE fingerprints were due mainly to lake trophic status. Results of the present study suggest that PCR-DGGE fingerprinting is an effective and precise method of identifying changes to plankton community composition, and therefore could be a useful ecological tool for monitoring the response of aquatic ecosystems to environmental perturbations.

Rapid quantification of total microcystins in cyanobacterial samples by periodate-permanganate oxidation and reversed-phase liquid chromatography

Microcystins (MCs) comprise a family of more than 80 related cyclic hepatotoxic heptapeptides. Oxidation of MCs causes cleavage of the chemically unique C-20 beta-amino acid (2S, 3S, 8S, 9S)-3-amino-9-methoxy-2,6,8-trimethyl-10-phenyldeca-4,6-dienoic acid (Adda) amino to form 2-methyl-3-methoxy-4-phenylbutanoic acid (MMPB), which has been exploited to enable analysis of the entire family. In the present study, the reaction conditions (e.g. concentration of the reactants. temperature and pH) used in the production of MMPB by oxidation of cyanobacterial samples with permanganate-periodate were optimized through a series of well-controlled batch experiments. The oxidation product (MMPB) was then directly analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. The results of this study provided insight into the influence of reaction conditions on the yield of MMPB. Specifically, the optimal conditions, including a high dose of permanganate (>= 50 mM) in saturated periodate solution at ambient temperature under alkaline conditions (pH similar to 9) over 1-4 h were proposed, as indicated by a MMPB yield of greater than 85%. The technique developed here was applied to determine the total concentration of MCs in cyanobacterial bloom samples, and indicated that the MMPB technique was a highly sensitive and accurate method of quantifying total MCs. Additionally, these results will aid in development of a highly effective analytical method for detection of MMPB as an oxidation product for evaluation of total MCs in a wide range of environmental sample matrices, including natural waters, soils (sediments) and animal tissues. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Plasmonic graded-index planar lens based on subwavelength features in the effective index regime

We experimentally demonstrate the planar focusing of Surface Plasmon Polaritons using space variant PMMA subwavelength features on top of a metallic film. Focusing is obtained by creating an effective graded refractive index profile. © 2012 OSA.

Variables affecting melanoidins removal from molasses wastewater by coagulation/flocculation

Coagulation/flocculation process was applied in the polishing treatment of molasses wastewater on a bench-scale. Important operating variables, including coagulant type and dosage, solution pH, rapid mixing conditions as well as the type and dosage of polyeletrolytes were investigated based on the maximum removal efficiencies of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and color, residual turbidity and settling characteristics of flocs. HPSEC was utilized to evaluate the removal of molecular weight fractions of melanoidins-dominated organic compounds. Experimental results indicate that ferric chloride was the most effective among the conventional coagulants, achieving 89% COD and 98% color eliminations; while aluminum sulfate was the least effective, giving COD and color reductions of 66% and 86%, respectively. In addition to metal cations, counter-ions exert significant influence on the coagulation performance since Cl--based metal salts attained better removal efficiency than SO42--based ones at the optimal coagulant dosages. Coagulation of molasses effluent is a highly pH-dependent process, with better removal efficiency achieved at lower pH levels. Rapid mixing intensity, rather than rapid mixing time, has relatively strong influence on the settling characteristics of flocs formed. Lowering mixing intensity resulted in increasing settling rate but the accumulation of floating flocs. When used as coagulant aids, synthetic polyelectrolytes showed little effects on the improvement in organic removal. On the other hand, cationic polyacrylamide was observed to substantially enhance the settleability of flocs as compared to anionic polyacrylamide. The effects of rapid mixing conditions and polymer flocculants on the coagulation performance were discussed. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.