Reducing Confusion about Grounded Theory and Qualitative Content Analysis: Similarities and Differences

Although grounded theory and qualitative content analysis are similar in some respects, they differ as well; yet the differences between the two have rarely been made clear in the literature. The purpose of this article was to clarify ambiguities and reduce confusion about grounded theory and qualitative content analysis by identifying similarities and differences in the two based on a literature review and critical reflection on the authors’ own research. Six areas of difference emerged: (a) background and philosophical base, (b) unique characteristics of each method, (c) goals and rationale of each method, (d) data analysis process, (e) outcomes of the research, and (f) evaluation of trustworthiness. This article provides knowledge that can assist researchers and students in the selection of appropriate research methods for their inquiries

Characteristics of Adolescent Patients Admitted to the Emergency Department due to Attempted Suicide by Poisoning; a Brief Report

Introduction: In the background of the increased suicide rate in the second decade of life, analysis of the characteristics of poisoning-related attempted suicide in adolescents and evaluation of the differences from adults may form an important basis for establishing measures to prevent deaths from poisoning. Objective: We aimed to investigate the types of toxic substances ingested for attempted suicide by poisoning in adolescents admitted to the emergency department (ED). Method: This cross-sectional study retrospectively analyzed and investigated the medical records of patients aged 13 or older, admitted to the ED of a tertiary medical institute over a period of 3 years, for attempted suicide by poisoning. Results: The psychiatric diagnoses among patients in the adolescent group included depression (75.8%), bipolar disorder (12.5%), and panic disorder (12.5%). In terms of the type of drug used for poisoning, antidepressants or anti-psychotics and sleeping pills were the most commonly used in the adolescent (43 subjects, 45.2%) and adult (286 subjects, 37.6%) groups, respectively. Conclusion: As there is a higher chance of poisoning by easily accessible drugs, the emergency physician needs to investigate any preceding diagnoses of psychiatric or medical illnesses in the adolescent patients attempting suicide with unknown drugs

Exploring Cognitive Playfulness Through Zero Interactions

Many emerging technologies, products and services today try to use diverse methods of interaction to provide playful experiences. Increasingly more interactive features and techniques are being introduced to afford users new experiences and enrich our living environment. While many of these playful experiences can be achieved through various types of physical, sensory and social interactions, this paper attempts to focus on how 'no-interaction' can achieve playfulness in relation to our cognitive experience. If there is a way to give someone a playful experience without any physical, sensory and social interactions, where and how can we apply this approach or phenomenon? Here we share a provocation that tries to demonstrate a tangible means whereby such an idea could be used to explore potential user experiences within HCI

Density functional calculations of the electronic structure and magnetic properties of the hydrocarbon K3picene superconductor near the metal-insulator transition

We have investigated the electronic structures and magnetic properties of of K3picene, which is a first hydrocarbon superconductor with high transition temperature T_c=18K. We have shown that the metal-insulator transition (MIT) is driven in K3picene by 5% volume enhancement with a formation of local magnetic moment. Active bands for superconductivity near the Fermi level E_F are found to have hybridized character of LUMO and LUMO+1 picene molecular orbitals. Fermi surfaces of K3picene manifest neither prominent nesting feature nor marked two-dimensional behavior. By estimating the ratio of the Coulomb interaction U and the band width W of the active bands near E_F, U/W, we have demonstrated that K3picene is located in the vicinity of the Mott transition.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

From Text to Sign Language: Exploiting the Spatial and Motioning Dimension

PACLIC 19 / Taipei, taiwan / December 1-3, 200

Molecular cloning and biochemical characterization of a novel erythrose reductase from Candida magnoliae JH110

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Erythrose reductase (ER) catalyzes the final step of erythritol production, which is reducing erythrose to erythritol using NAD(P)H as a cofactor. ER has gained interest because of its importance in the production of erythritol, which has extremely low digestibility and approved safety for diabetics. Although ERs were purified and characterized from microbial sources, the entire primary structure and the corresponding DNA for ER still remain unknown in most of erythritol-producing yeasts. <it>Candida magnoliae </it>JH110 isolated from honeycombs produces a significant amount of erythritol, suggesting the presence of erythrose metabolizing enzymes. Here we provide the genetic sequence and functional characteristics of a novel NADPH-dependent ER from <it>C. magnoliae </it>JH110.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The gene encoding a novel ER was isolated from an osmophilic yeast <it>C. magnoliae </it>JH110. The ER gene composed of 849 nucleotides encodes a polypeptide with a calculated molecular mass of 31.4 kDa. The deduced amino acid sequence of ER showed a high degree of similarity to other members of the aldo-keto reductase superfamily including three ER isozymes from <it>Trichosporonoides megachiliensis </it>SNG-42. The intact coding region of ER from <it>C. magnoliae </it>JH110 was cloned, functionally expressed in <it>Escherichia coli </it>using a combined approach of gene fusion and molecular chaperone co-expression, and subsequently purified to homogeneity. The enzyme displayed a temperature and pH optimum at 42°C and 5.5, respectively. Among various aldoses, the <it>C. magnoliae </it>JH110 ER showed high specific activity for reduction of erythrose to the corresponding alcohol, erythritol. To explore the molecular basis of the catalysis of erythrose reduction with NADPH, homology structural modeling was performed. The result suggested that NADPH binding partners are completely conserved in the <it>C. magnoliae </it>JH110 ER. Furthermore, NADPH interacts with the side chains Lys252, Thr255, and Arg258, which could account for the enzyme's absolute requirement of NADPH over NADH.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>A novel ER enzyme and its corresponding gene were isolated from <it>C. magnoliae </it>JH110. The <it>C. magnoliae </it>JH110 ER with high activity and catalytic efficiency would be very useful for <it>in vitro </it>erythritol production and could be applied for the production of erythritol in other microorganisms, which do not produce erythritol.</p