Local Political Information on the Web: The Case of the 2007 Philadelphia Mayoral Campaign

Scholars and pundits have widely discussed the decline of print journalism, but there has been very little empirical research focused on examining online alternatives. This article utilizes a unique sample of online local political content related to the 2007 Philadelphia mayoral campaign to address this void. A content analysis of this dataset has three objectives: to depict the range of sources of online local political information (LPI) available to Philadelphians, to compare the LPI provided by these various sources, and to determine the amount and provenance of the original LPI that is available on the web. New media sources of LPI may be far from maturity, but this article finds that they do exist and are a viable resource for citizens

Women's perceptions of their healthcare experience when they choose not to breastfeed

Research Question How do women who choose not to breastfeed perceive their healthcare experience? Method This qualitative research study used a phenomenographic approach to explore the healthcare experience of women who do not breastfeed. Seven women were interviewed about their healthcare experience relating to their choice of feeding, approximately four weeks after giving birth. Six conceptions were identified and an outcome space was developed to demonstrate the relationships and meaning of the conceptions in a visual format. Findings There were five unmet needs identified by the participants during this study. These needs included equity, self sufficiency, support, education and the need not to feel pressured. Conclusion Women in this study who chose not to breastfeed identified important areas where they felt that their needs were not met. In keeping with the Code of Ethics for Nurses and Midwives, the identified needs of women who do not breastfeed must be addressed in a caring, compassionate and just manner. The care and education of women who formula feed should be of the highest standard possible, even if the choice not to breastfeed is not the preferred choice of healthcare professionals

Effect of desiccation, starvation, heat, and cold stresses on the thermal resistance of Enterobacter sakazakii in rehydrated infant milk formula

Enterobacter sakazakii has been implicated in outbreaks of meningitis, septicemia, and necrotizing enterocolitis in immunocompromised and premature neonates. In this study, the effect of desiccation stress, starvation stress, heat shock and cold shock on thermal inactivation of E. sakazakii in rehydrated infant milk formula was evaluated. Stressed cells were mixed with rehydrated infant milk formula at 52, 54, 56, and 58°C for various time periods. The D- and z-values were determined by using linear regression analysis. Z)-values for unstressed E. sakazakii at 52, 54, 56 and 58°C were 15.33, 4.53, 2.00 and 0.53 min, respectively. Desiccation and heat stress, but not starvation or cold stress, caused significant reduction in Z)-values. For example, D52 was 15.33 min for unstressed cells compared with 8.72 and 7.36 after desiccation and heat stress. Z-values of 53 desiccated, starved, heat shocked and cold shocked E. sakazakii were not significantly different from unstressed cells (4.22°C). The results of this study may be of use to regulatory agencies, infant milk producers and infant caregivers to design heating processes to eliminate E. sakazakii that may be present in infant milk formula

Effect of micro sprinkler irrigation intervals on onion (Allium cepa L.) production compared to surface irrigation under Kassala conditions, Sudan

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of surface and micro sprinkler irrigation intervals on onion production under Kassala conditions. Three irrigation intervals were applied under micro sprinkler irrigation; every day, three days and at five days compared to farmers practice, (surface irrigation every 7 days). The treatments were replicated four times in a randomized complete block design. The results showed that higher yields were produced under micro sprinkler irrigation than surface irrigation. Moreover, micro sprinkler every day recorded the highest yield in both seasons. Therefore, micro sprinkler irrigation system was saving water by about 119% and 101% for seasons one and two, respectively, as compared to surface irrigation. The highest values of water productivity and economic water productivity were obtained under micro sprinkler irrigation system every day as compared to surface irrigation. Irrigation every day under micro- sprinkler irrigation was the most economic and had higher net benefit compared to surface irrigation.      اجريت التجربة لتقييم أداء الري السطحي و فترات الري بالرش الدقيق لإنتاج البصل تحت ظروف كسلا. تم تطبيق ثلاث فترات ري تحت الري بالرش الدقيق على النحو التالي: كل يوم وثلاثة أيام وخمسة أيام مقارنة بممارسات المزارعين (الري السطحي) كل 7 أيام. تم تكرار المعاملات أربع مرات في تصميم القطاعات العشوائية الكاملة. أظهرت النتائج أن أعلى انتاجية كانت تحت الري بالرش الدقيق مقارنة مع الري السطحي. وعلاوة على ذلك، سجل الري بالرش الدقيق كل يوم أعلى انتاجية في الموسمين. نظام الري بالرش الدقيق وفر مياه الري بنسبة 119٪ و 101٪ للموسم الأول والثاني، على التوالي مقارنة بالري السطحي. وقد تم الحصول علی أعلی قیمة لإنتاجية المیاه وإنتاجیة المیاه الاقتصادیة تحت نظام الري بالرش الدقيق کل یوم مقارنة بالري السطحي. الري يوميا تحت الري بالرش الدقيق هو الأكثر اقتصادا وله صافي فائدة أعلى مقارنة بالري السطحي. &nbsp

Effects of bubbler irrigation frequency on yield and quality of foster grapefruit under Khartoum State conditions

The experiment was carried out in private orchards at Tayba Alhasnab area of south Khartoum, Sudan, (latitude 15° 35´ N, longitude 32° 60´ E, altitude 380 masl) during 2013 and 2014 to study the effects of bubbler irrigation frequency on yield and quality of grapefruit under Khartoum State conditions. Five different frequencies of irrigation were applied at 3, 5, 7, 9 and 12 days. Treatments were replicated 4 times in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) and each plot encompassed 3 trees. The results revealed that higher yield and number of fruits per tree were obtained with 5 days irrigation frequency in both years. The 5 days irrigation frequency increased total yield of foster grapefruit by 39% and 8% in the first and second year, respectively, compared to the 12 day. The highest fruit weight was obtained with 5 days irrigation frequency in both years. Moreover, irrigation frequency every 5 days had the highest water productivity.         أجريت التجربة في بستان خاص في منطقة طيبة الحسناب جنوب الخرطوم، السودان خلال الفترة من 2013  وحتي 2014 لدراسة اثر تكرار الري الفقاعي علي انتاجية وجودة القريب فروت فوستر تحت ظروف ولاية الخرطوم. تم تطبيق خمسة معاملات مختلفة من فترات الري (3 و 5 و 7 و 9 و 12 يوم) وتكرارها في اربعة مرات علي نظام المربعات العشوائية الكاملة وشملت كل قطعة 3 أشجار. وأظهرت النتائج أن الانتاجية العالية وعدد الثمار لكل شجرة تم الحصول عليها مع تكرار الري كل 5 أيام في كلا العامين. تكرار الري كل 5 ايام ادي الي زيادة انتاجية القريب فروت بنسبة 39% و8% في السنة الاولي والثانية علي التوالي مقارنة بتكرار الري كل 12 يوم. اعلي وزن للثمرة حصل عليه مع تكرار الري كل 5 ايام في العامين. اضافة الي ذلك ادي تردد الري كل 5 ايام  الي أعلى إنتاجية لوحدة المياه. &nbsp

Phase 2 Study of Pemetrexed Plus Carboplatin, or Pemetrexed Plus Cisplatin with Concurrent Radiation Therapy Followed by Pemetrexed Consolidation in Patients with Favorable-Prognosis Inoperable Stage IIIA/B Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer

IntroductionThere is no consensus chemotherapy regimen with concurrent radiotherapy (RT) for inoperable stage IIIA/B non–small-cell lung cancer. This trial evaluated pemetrexed with carboplatin (PCb) or cisplatin (PC) with concurrent RT followed by consolidation pemetrexed.MethodsIn this open-label, noncomparative phase II trial, patients with inoperable stage IIIA/B non–small-cell lung cancer (initially all histologies, later restricted to nonsquamous) were randomized (1:1) to PCb or PC with concurrent RT (64–68 Gy over days 1–45). Consolidation pemetrexed monotherapy was administered every 21 days for three cycles. Primary endpoint was 2-year overall survival (OS) rate.ResultsFrom June 2007 to November 2009, 98 patients were enrolled (PCb: 46; PC: 52). The 2-year OS rate was PCb: 45.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 29.5–60.0%); PC: 58.4% (95% CI, 42.6–71.3%), and in nonsquamous patients was PCb: 48.0% (95% CI, 29.0–64.8%); PC: 55.8% (95% CI, 38.0–70.3%). Median time to disease progression was PCb: 8.8 months (95% CI, 6.0–12.6 months); PC: 13.1 months (95% CI, 8.3–not evaluable [NE]). Median OS (months) was PCb: 18.7 (95% CI, 12.9–NE); PC: 27.0 (95% CI, 23.2–NE). The objective response rates (ORRs) were PCb: 52.2%; PC: 46.2%. Grade 4 treatment-related toxicities (% PCb/% PC) were: anemia, 0/1.9; neutropenia, 6.5/3.8; thrombocytopenia, 4.3/1.9; and esophagitis, 0/1.9. Most patients completed scheduled chemotherapy and RT during induction and consolidation phases. No drug-related deaths were reported during chemoradiotherapy.ConclusionsBecause of study design, efficacy comparisons cannot be made. However, both combinations with concurrent RT were active and well tolerated

High-pressure processing of Manuka honey: brown pigment formation, improvement of antibacterial activity and hydroxymethylfurfural content

This work was undertaken to assess the effects of high-pressure processing on brown pigment formation, antibacterial activity and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) content in Manuka honey. The honey was subjected to different pressures (200–600 MPa) at ambient temperatures (25–33 °C) and with moderate temperatures (53–74 °C) for holding times (10–30 min). The brown pigment formation in high-pressuretreated sample showed a significant increase (0.16–0.17, P 0.05). Thus, high-pressure processing has no adverse effect on the honey quality because it can control HMF concentration during process. Increasing brown pigment formation is associated with the enhancement of antibacterial activity

Synthesis and in vitro antiproliferative activity of new 1-phenyl-3-(4-(pyridin-3-yl)phenyl)urea scaffold-based compounds

A new series of 1-phenyl-3-(4-(pyridin-3-yl)phenyl)urea derivatives were synthesized and subjected to in vitro antiproliferative screening against National Cancer Institute (NCI)-60 human cancer cell lines of nine different cancer types. Fourteen compounds 5a-n were synthesized with three different solvent exposure moieties (4-hydroxylmethylpiperidinyl and trimethoxyphenyloxy and 4-hydroxyethylpiperazine) attached to the core structure. Substituents with different π and σ values were added on the terminal phenyl group. Compounds 5a-e with a 4-hydroxymethylpiperidine moiety showed broad-spectrum antiproliferative activity with higher mean percentage inhibition values over the 60-cell line panel at 10 µM concentration. Compound 5a elicited lethal rather than inhibition effects on SK-MEL-5 melanoma cell line, 786-0, A498, RXF 393 renal cancer cell lines, and MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cell line. Two compounds, 5a and 5d showed promising mean growth inhibitions and thus were further tested at five-dose mode to determine median inhibitory concentration (IC50) values. The data revealed that urea compounds 5a and 5d are the most active derivatives, with significant efficacies and superior potencies than paclitaxel in 21 different cancer cell lines belonging particularly to renal cancer and melanoma cell lines. Moreover, 5a and 5d had superior potencies than gefitinib in 38 and 34 cancer cell lines, respectively, particularly colon cancer, breast cancer and melanoma cell lines

Bilateral Torsion of Intra-abdominal Seminoma Presenting with Acute Abdomen and Intra-peritoneal Bleeding: A Case Report

Seminoma is the most frequently reported tumor in patients with intra-abdominal testicles. In very rare cases, it might present with torsion or rupture. We report a 41-year-old man who presented with acute abdominal pain due to torsion of large bilateral intra-abdominal testicular tumors with rupture of the right-sided mass. Bilateral orchiectomy was performed and histopathological examination revealed bilateral seminoma. Postoperative staging imaging displayed no lymphadenopathy or metastatic lesions. No adjuvant treatment was required and the patient is clinically well and under regular follow-up. This case represents an extremely rare presentation of bilateral testicular cancer with a pleasant outcome