bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Describing Spatio-Temporal Phenomena for Environmental System Development
Authors: Miralles André , Pinet François , Bédard Yvan
Published: February 2012

This paper is composed of two parts dealing with the modeling of environmental phenomena. The first part presents the traditional ER and OO formalisms dedicated to geographic information modeling. These languages focus mainly on representing the spatial and temporal properties of this type of information. Many of these languages express these properties visually by using pictograms. After a quick historical presentation of the languages, the authors show the various types of spatiality and temporality usually encountered in these languages. Often qualified as primitive, some of these spatialities and temporalities are simple. Others, which are more complex, result from combinations of simple spatialities and simple temporalities. Still others are used in very specific situations encountered during the development of geographical information systems. These different spatialities and temporalities are presented via examples provided in the field of environmental dynamics.
Using Soclab for a Rigorous Assessment of the Social Feasibility of Agricultural Policies
Authors: Adreit Françoise , Roggero Pascal , Sibertin-Blanc Christophe , Vautier Claude
Published: February 2012

This paper presents a theoretical and methodological framework to take into consideration the social dimension in a sustainable development project. To do this, the authors have developed the SocLab software environment, which implements a formalization of a well-established sociological theory, and enables the modeling of social organizations, to analyze their properties and to simulate social actors’ behaviors. SocLab was used to assess the social acceptability of new agricultural practices more in line with the preservation of water resources and natural environments, in a well defined context. The paper shows how it was used and presents the main results.
On the Use of Abduction as an Alternative to Decision Trees in Environmental Decision Support Systems
Authors: Wotawa Franz
Published: February 2012

Although decision trees are frequently used in environmental decision support systems, they have shortcomings. In the case of an available model, decision trees have to be constructed manually from the model. Moreover, not all knowledge is represented in the decision tree. To overcome this issue, the author proposes the use of abductive reasoning directly applied to the available cause-effect model. In particular the abduction problem the author introduces (i.e., the problem of finding a cause for observed effects), shows how this problem can be extended to allow distinguishing between competing explanations, and discusses the integration of testing and repair actions within the framework. The latter is especially important in case of environmental decision support systems.
Data Mining Techniques in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
Authors: Chinchuluun Altannar , Xanthopoulos Petros , Tomaino Vera , Pardalos P.M.
Published: February 2012

Data mining techniques are largely used in different sectors of the economy and they increasingly are playing an important role in agriculture and environment-related areas. This paper aims to show our vision on the importance of knowing and efficiently using data mining and machine learning-related techniques for knowledge discovery in the field of agriculture and environment. Efforts for searching hidden patterns in data are not a recent phenomenon. History shows that extensive observations on data have helped discover empirical laws in different fields of research. Therefore, it is important to provide researchers in agriculture and environmental-related areas with the most advanced knowledge discovery techniques. Data mining is the process of extracting important and useful information from large sets of data. This information can be converted into useful knowledge that could help to better understand the problem in study and to better predict future developments. The paper presents the state of the art in data mining and knowledge discovery techniques and provides discussions for future directions.
Fair Distribution of Efficiency Gains in Supply Networks from a Cooperative Game Theory Point of View
Authors: Zelewski Stephan , Peters Malte L
Published: February 2012

In this paper, the authors address the distribution of efficiency gains among partially autonomous supply network actors in a manner they will accept as fair and as an incentive to cooperation. The problem is economically significant because it requires substantiating efficiency gains in an understandable manner. Moreover, supply networks suffer from a conflict potential because the partially autonomous actors seek to maximize their own shares of the efficiency gain. The method applied appropriates a model from cooperative game theory involving the t-value. The special nature of the t-value ensures that it seems rational to the actors to cooperate in the supply network. The proposed method for the distribution problem offers a fair distribution of efficiency gains in the supply network and ensures that the distribution results can be communicated easily.
Dynamic Price and Quantity Postponement Strategies
Authors: Kristianto Yohanes
Published: February 2012

This paper studies duopolistic competition under dynamic price and production quantity postponement for two differentiable products, which share common components from one supplier at a certain degree of substitution. Both price and quantity postponement is benchmarked according to the Bertrand and Cournot Stackelberg game. In addition, system dynamic is applied to show the long term effect of both strategic decisions (price and production quantity) on profit and against demand uncertainty. The results show that price postponement is appropriate for high modular products (make-to-stock) and production quantity postponement for special orders (make-to-order). The final part of the paper concludes with results and outlines future research directions.
Simulation of Inventory Control System in a Supply Chain Using RFID
Authors: Al Kattan Ibrahim , Al Khudairi Taha
Published: February 2012

This paper employs a simulation model in a Supply Chain Management (SCM) system. This study is one of the first to present simulation model of inventory control system in supply chain management using barcode and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID). The main objective of this model is to compare two inventory systems in a supply chain, one using RFID, versus the barcode. The model will help company to consider moving from a barcode system to the RFID application. A quantitative analysis based on a simulation model is developed. The model runs for both systems using ARENA simulation software with a comparison between the two systems. Furthermore, the simulation model is tested by applying three different types of demand for both scenarios. The results have shown that regardless of demand distribution pattern and customer order rate, the outcomes of the model are consistent and provide promising RFID technology adoption to improve inventory control of the entire supply chain system. The installation and unit cost of RFID implementation were estimated and considered to be the main barrier. Such model can offer the policymakers insight into how RFID might improve SCM system performance. Additional test has been conducted for demand with normal and triangular distributions using real data provided by ABC-Dubai Company. The results obtained from running the two models for these distributions are consistent with the original results.
Decision-Making Elements for the Design of Emerging Multi-Dimensional Auctions
Authors: Marentakis Charis A. , Emiris Dimitrios M.
Published: February 2012

Auctions have known considerable and continuous growth during the past decades due to their logic and efficiency in price formation when the value of goods traded is not known or varies. Although earlier research has been based mainly on Microeconomics and Games Theory, recent advances extended relevant research in Operational Research and Information Technology. Today, auctions and their applications form a challenging topic not only for economists but for operational researchers, marketers, logisticians and management engineers. This paper examines contemporary emerging auction formats, including auctions in which bids consist of many other parameters. The study of these emerging auction formats proceeds through the analysis of critical auction parameters that directly affect the decision-making process and the problems that auction participants face. This paper presents, with a presentation in graphical form, the decision framework for the majority of approaches presented in contemporary literature to highlight the association between decision elements and auction design.
A Graph-Search Based Navigation Algorithm for Traversing A Potentially Hazardous Area with Disambiguation
Authors: Ye Xugang , Priebe Carey E.
Published: February 2012

The authors consider the problem of navigating an agent to safely and swiftly traverse a two dimensional terrain populated with possible hazards. Each potential hazard is marked with a probabilistic estimate of whether it is indeed true. In proximity to any of these potential hazards, the agent is able to disambiguate, at a cost, whether it is indeed true or false. The method presented in this paper is to discretize the terrain using a two dimensional grid with 8-adjacency and approximately solve the problem by dynamically searching for shortest paths using the A* algorithm in the positively weighted grid graph with changing weight function.
A New Hybrid Inexact Logarithmic-Quadratic Proximal Method for Nonlinear Complementarity Problems
Authors: Zhou Ying , Wang Lizhi
Published: February 2012

In this paper, the authors present and analyze a new hybrid inexact Logarithmic-Quadratic Proximal method for solving nonlinear complementarity problems. Each iteration of the new method consists of a prediction and a correction step. The predictor is produced using an inexact Logarithmic-Quadratic Proximal method, which is then corrected by the Proximal Point Algorithm. The new iterate is obtained by combining predictor and correction point at each iteration. In this paper, the authors prove the convergence of the new method under the mild assumptions that the function involved is continuous and monotone. Comparison to another existing method with numerical experiments on classical NCP instances demonstrates its superiority.
Dynamic Pricing Model for Substitutable Products
Authors: Wen Ue-Pyng , Chen Yi
Published: February 2012

A dynamic pricing model in airline seat allocation, where a seller offers two substitutable perishable products in the monopolist market, is proposed in this article. The objective is to maximize the total profit gained from both products. We analyze the problem using a multinomial logit model to describe the customer choice behavior. The exact solution is obtained according to the calculated optimal time thresholds. Sellers can dynamically adjust the price policy in the continuous-time process. We also analyze the efficient price strategy according to the marginal expected revenue function. Furthermore, a numerical example is given to illustrate the procedure and the result is compared with the fixed price policy.
Analysis of State Dependent Vacation Queues with Threshold Gated Service Policy
Authors: Sing Yew
Published: February 2012

In this article, the authors introduce a simple approach for modeling and analyzing a queue where the server may take repeated vacations. When a busy period ends, the server takes a vacation of random duration. At the end of each vacation, the server may either start a new vacation or resume service. If a queue is found of less than customers, the server will always take a new vacation. If there are at least customers in queue, the server provides services to those customers after a brief set-up time. The authors obtain several performance measures of the system, including the mean and second moment of the cycle time, the number of customers in a cycle of service, and the expected delay experienced by a customer.
Impact of family income and size on per capita solid waste generation: A case study in Manmunai North Divisional Secretariat Division of Batticaloa
Authors: Sivakumar K. , Sugirtharan M.
Published: February 2012

The generation of solid waste has become an increasing environmental and public health problem everywhere in the world, especially in developing countries. The rate of generation of solid waste in the society is increasing with an increase of population, technological development, and the changes in the life styles of the people. As family size and income are the most significant factors affecting the quantity of solid waste from household consumption, a study on the relationship among these is vital in the decision making on waste management strategies.  Therefore, a study was conducted at Manmunai North Divisional Secretariat areas of Batticaloa district to find out the correlation among residential solid waste generation, family size and income. The household sector is one of the primary sources of solid wastes in the study area. This study covered 100 houses with different socioeconomic levels such as income level and family size. There were six components of solid waste; food waste, paper, polyethylene, plastic, glass and metal which were evaluated in this study.Present study revealed that residential solid waste generation showed non-significant positive correlation (r = 0.184, p>0.05) with monthly income whereas significant positive correlation (r = 0.476, p<0.01) was found with the family size. Based on monthly income, generation of food, paper, plastic and glass waste showed non-significant positive correlation while non-significant negative correlation was found with polyethylene waste.  Further, residential waste generation such as food, paper, plastic and metal showed significant positive correlation with family size whereas generation of glass and polyethylene waste showed non-significant positive correlation with family size.Keywords: Family size, Food waste, Income level, Plastics, Solid wasteDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4038/josuk.v5i0.4087 J Sci.Univ.Kelaniya 5 (2010): 13-23
The Microphorella chillcotti species group: a distinctive lineage of parathalassiine flies from western North America (Diptera: Empidoidea: Dolichopodidae s.l.)
Authors: Brooks Scott E. , Cumming Jeffrey M.
Published: February 2012

The Microphorella chillcotti species group is established for two new species from western North America: Microphorella chillcottisp. nov. and Microphorella vockerothisp. nov. The relationships of this lineage to the remainder of the Microphorella group of genera are discussed.
Revision ofDolichocephalaof America, north of Mexico (Diptera: Empididae: Clinocerinae)
Authors: Sinclair Bradley J. , MacDonald John F.
Published: February 2012

DolichocephalaMacquart is revised for America, north of Mexico. New descriptions and diagnoses of the genus and a previously known species are presented. Six new species are described:Dolichocephala arnaudisp. nov.,Dolichocephala borkentisp. nov.,Dolichocephala chillcottisp. nov.,Dolichocephala teskeyisp. nov.,Dolichocephala vockerothisp. nov., andDolichocephala woodisp. nov.Previous Nearctic records ofDolichocephala irrorataFallén are based on misidentifications.Dolichocephala bellstedtiJoost is newly recorded from Sweden. A key to adults, photographs of wings, illustrations of male terminalia, and known distributions are included.
Kimberlite indicator mineral chemistry of the Bucke and Gravel kimberlites and associated indicator minerals in till, Lake Timiskaming, Ontario
Authors: McClenaghan M B , Kjarsgaard I M , Kjarsgaard B A
Published: February 2012

A well documented glacial dispersal fan of kimberlite indicator minerals extends southward from the region of the Late Jurassic Bucke and Gravel kimberlites in the Lake Timiskaming kimberlite field of northeastern Ontario. The Geological Survey of Canada
collected and analyzed a sample of kimberlite from both pipes and re-examined and analyzed indicator minerals from archived heavy mineral concentrates of till samples from the dispersal fan. The Bucke kimberlite contains more than 30,000 indicator mineral grains per 10 kg sample in the 0.25 to 0.5
mm fraction, which consists of, in decreasing order of abundance, Crpyrope>> Mg-ilmenite>chromite>Cr-diopside. The Gravel kimberlite is three times as indicator mineral rich, containing more than 100,000 grains per 10 kg sample in the 0.25 to 0.5 mm
fraction, which consist of Mg-ilmenite>>Cr-pyrope>chromite>Cr-diopside. No olivine was recovered from either sample. Till samples within the fan contain 100s to 1000s of indicator minerals per 10 kg sample, mostly Mg-ilmenite, with Cr-pyrope and chromite,
and lesser amounts of Cr-diopside and minor olivine. Indicator minerals are most abundant to the southwest to southeast of the two kimberlites and form a fan-shaped dispersal pattern that extends at least 6 km, and potentially 30 km down-ice. The results presented here demonstrate how ice-flow
mapping can be combined with indicator mineral abundance, mineral chemistry, and relative abundance data to define dispersal patterns from kimberlite.
’n Begronde bedieningsmodel vir die diakonia van die gemeente
Authors: Breed Gert
Published: February 2012

A founded model for the ministry of the congregation’s diakonia. This article describes a founded model for ministry in the Reformed Church of Randburg (RCR) and the process that was followed to develop this model. The article is the last of four articles. Each of these articles describes a phase of this process, which leads to the developed model. Osmer’s model for research in Practical Theology was followed in the research. The article describes the research conducted according to the final phase (pragmatic) of Osmer’s model. The question of how practical ministry in an urban congregation such as the RCR should look like is addressed by the suggestion of a model for the ministry. This model is founded on the research results described in the previous three articles. In this article, the research question of what a founded model for ministry may look like and what the developing process entails is being answered. At first, various angles of approach to the research on ministry in congregations, is described. To accomplish this, recent literature was examined. Secondly, the points of departure in the research are stated. Thirdly, the process that the congregation followed to develop the model is described. In the fourth place, the results of the previous research on which the model is based, are summed up. Lastly, the most important aspects of the model for ministry in the congregation are described.
The metabolic response of pteropods to acidification reflects natural CO2-exposure in oxygen minimum zones
Authors: Maas A. E. , Wishner K. F. , Seibel B. A.
Published: February 2012

Abstract. Shelled pteropods (Thecosomata) are a group of holoplanktonic mollusks that are believed to be especially sensitive to ocean acidification because their aragonitic shells are highly soluble. Despite this concern, there is very little known about the physiological response of these animals to conditions of elevated carbon dioxide. This study examines the oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion of five pteropod species, collected from tropical regions of the Pacific Ocean, to elevated levels of carbon dioxide (0.10%, 1000 ppm). Our results show that pteropods that naturally migrate into oxygen minimum zones, such as Hyalocylis striata, Clio pyramidata, Cavolinia longirostris and Creseis virgula, were not affected by carbon dioxide at the levels and duration tested. Diacria quadridentata, which does not migrate, responds to high carbon dioxide conditions with reduced oxygen consumption and ammonia excretion. This indicates that the natural chemical environment of individual species may influence their resilience to ocean acidification.
Use of a process-based model for assessing the methane budgets of global terrestrial ecosystems and evaluation of uncertainty
Authors: Ito A. , Inatomi M.
Published: February 2012

Abstract. We assessed the global terrestrial budget of methane (CH4) by using a process-based biogeochemical model (VISIT) and inventory data for components of the budget that were not included in the model. Emissions from wetlands, paddy fields, biomass burning, and plants, as well as oxidative consumption by upland soils, were simulated by the model. Emissions from ruminant livestock and termites were evaluated by using an inventory approach. These CH4 flows were estimated for each of the model's 0.5° × 0.5° grid cells from 1901 to 2009, while accounting for atmospheric composition, meteorological factors, and land-use changes. Estimation uncertainties were examined through ensemble simulations using different parameterization schemes and input data (e.g., different wetland maps and emission factors). From 1996 to 2005, the average global terrestrial CH4 budget was estimated on the basis of 1152 simulations, and terrestrial ecosystems were found to be a net source of 308.3 ± 20.7 Tg CH4 yr−1. Wetland and livestock ruminant emissions were the primary sources. The results of our simulations indicate that sources and sinks are distributed highly heterogeneously over the Earth's land surface. Seasonal and interannual variability in the terrestrial budget was also assessed. The trend of increasing net emission from terrestrial sources and its relationship with temperature variability imply that terrestrial CH4 feedbacks will play an increasingly important role as a result of future climatic change.
Organic and inorganic carbon in the topsoil of the Mongolian and Tibetan grasslands: pattern, control and implications
Authors: Shi Y. , Baumann F. , Ma Y. , Song C. , Kühn P. , Scholten T. , He J.-S.
Published: February 2012

Abstract. Soil carbon (C) is the largest C pool in terrestrial biosphere and includes both inorganic and organic components. Studying patterns and controls of soil C help us to understand and estimate potential responses of soil C to global change in the future. Here we analyzed topsoil data of 81 sites obtained from a regional survey across grasslands in the Inner Mongolia and on the Tibetan Plateau during 2006–2007, attempting to find the patterns and controls of soil inorganic carbon (SIC) and soil organic carbon (SOC). The average of SIC and SOC in the topsoil (0–20 cm) across the study region were 0.38% and 3.63%, ranging between 0.00–2.92% and 0.32–26.17%, respectively. Both SIC and SOC in the topsoil of the Tibetan grasslands (0.51% and 5.24%, respectively) were higher than those of the Inner Mongolian grasslands (0.21% and 1.61%). Regression tree analyses showed that the spatial pattern of SIC and SOC were controlled by different factors. Chemical and physical processes of soil formation drive the spatial pattern of SIC, while biotic processes drive the spatial pattern of SOC. SIC was controlled by soil acidification and other processes depending on soil pH. Vegetation type is the most important variable driving the spatial pattern of SOC. According to our models, given the acidification rate in Chinese grassland soils in the future is the same as that in Chinese cropland soils during the past two decades: 0.27 and 0.48 units per 20 yr in the Inner Mongolian grasslands and the Tibetan grasslands, respectively, it will lead to 30% and 53% decrease in SIC in the Inner Mongolian grasslands and the Tibetan grasslands, respectively. However, negative relationship between soil pH and SOC suggests that acidification will inhibit decomposition of SOC, thus will not lead to a significant general loss of carbon from soils in these regions.
Effects of freezing on soil temperature, freezing front propagation and moisture redistribution in peat: laboratory investigations
Authors: Nagare R. M. , Schincariol R. A. , Quinton W. L. , Hayashi M.
Published: February 2012

Abstract. There are not many studies that report water movement in freezing peat. Soil column studies under controlled laboratory settings can help isolate and understand the effects of different factors controlling freezing of the active layer in organic covered permafrost terrain. In this study, four peat Mesocosms were subjected to temperature gradients by bringing the Mesocosm tops in contact with sub-zero air temperature while maintaining a continuously frozen layer at the bottom (proxy permafrost). Soil water movement towards the freezing front (from warmer to colder regions) was inferred from soil freezing curves, liquid water content time series and from the total water content of frozen core samples collected at the end of freezing cycle. A substantial amount of water, enough to raise the upper surface of frozen saturated soil within 15 cm of the soil surface at the end of freezing period appeared to have moved upwards during freezing. Diffusion under moisture gradients and effects of temperature on soil matric potential, at least in the initial period, appear to drive such movement as seen from analysis of freezing curves. Freezing front (separation front between soil zones containing and free of ice) propagation is controlled by latent heat for a long time during freezing. A simple conceptual model describing freezing of an organic active layer initially resembling a variable moisture landscape is proposed based upon the results of this study. The results of this study will help in understanding, and ultimately forecasting, the hydrologic response of wetland-dominated terrain underlain by discontinuous permafrost.
Sensory evaluation of meat chickens Ross 308 after application of propolis in their nutrition
Authors: Haščí­k Peter , Garlí­k ml. Jozef , Kačániová Miroslava , Čuboň Juraj , Mellen Martin , Mihok Michal , Eliman Ibrahim Omer Eliman
Published: February 2012

The objective of the experiment was to verify the effect of propolis extract in Ross 308 broiler on the sensory quality of breast and thigh muscle modified by baking at temperature 200 ºC for 60 minutes and finish baking for a period of 10-15 minutes. In the experiment were used 180 chickens divided into 2 groups (control and experimental group) with 90 chickens (45 ♂ and 45 ♀). Fattening lasted 40 days. The chickens were fed  ad libitum with the same starter feed mixtures to 21 days and from 22 days of age through 40 days of age with the grower feed mixtures in the both followed groups. Feed mixtures were made without antibiotics and coccidiostatics. The feed mixtures used in experimental group were enriched with the feed extract of propolis in a dose of 0.2 g.kg-1. After heat treatment of breast and thigh muscle 60 pieces chickens (30 pieces ♀, ♂ 30 pieces) of each group samples were sensory analyzed (smell, taste, juiciness, softness). Statistically significant differences were found by sex (P≤0.05 to 0.001) in aroma and taste of cocks in the thigh muscle (+0.290 points, +0.300 points) and hens (P≤0.01) in flavor (+0.250 points) and softness (+0.372 points) in breast muscle. Sensory assessment of the individual characters of either gender had significant differences (P≤0.05 to 0.001) in favor of the experimental group achieved only in the evaluation of the smell in the breast (+0.207 points) as well as thigh muscle (+0.207 points). In the final evaluation the most valuable parts of Ross 308 chickens carcass were found a positive effect of propolis extract on their sensory properties, but significant differences (P≤0.01) were observed only in chickens in the breast muscle (+0.917 points) compared with control group. The results have confirmed that propolis extract in a dose of 0.2 g.kg-1 feed mixture can be applied in the diet of chickens, as it positively affects the sensory quality of Ross 308 chickens meat, which is one of the most important parts of chicken meat for use in human food chain.
Monitoring of a gluten content in selected meat products from three biggest meat producers in Slovakia
Authors: Mati Marcel , Staruch Ladislav
Published: February 2012

The work is focused on a monitoring of a gluten content in selected meat products from three biggest and most popular meat producers in Slovakia. Gluten is a type of protein complex which is typical naturally presented component of wheat, barley and rye. Flour from this sources with natural gluten content is also added into the some type of meat products and other foodstuffs for a technological reasons hand in hand with economic reasons.  Some of the gluten quantities could be hazardous for sensitive people as celiatics and allergic to gluten. Within the context of this reasons there is a need to control the amounts of this hidden type of gluten inclusive of spice mixes using in a meat production. Monitoring by itself was realized with a use of the sandwich ELISA RIDASCREEN® Fast Gliadin test. ELISA means enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. It is based on a specific reaction among the enzyme and antigen leading to a creation of a complex.  This test provides us exact quantitification of a gluten content in this type of food products using a colorimetric reaction of a complex by observing of all fundamentals of this technique. There were analysed 16 meat products and 5 types of spice mixes in total.
Selected properties of lactic acid bacteria isolated from raw cow's milk
Authors: Bezeková Jana , Lavová Monika , Kročko Miroslav , Čanigová Margita
Published: February 2012

For the identification of lactic acid bacteria derived from raw cow's milk, 151 colonies were isolated. The grow conditions of lactic acid bacteria were at temperature 37 °C for 3 days on MRS medium. Based on microscopical preparation, negative catalase and Gram-positive test were 81 isolates confirmed as genus Lactobacillus. Out of these, 9 isolates were evaluated for acidifying activity in UHT milk at 25 °C, 30 °C and 37 °C at regular intervals during 24 hours. The average count of NSLAB lactobacilli in raw cow's milk reached the value 1.54.104 KTJ.ml-1. It was found that all tested strains of lactobacilli did not cause significant changes of titratable acidity in milk at 25 °C and 30 °C. Only one strain significantly improved the titratable acidity of milk at 37 °C after 24 hours. The acidity reached the value from 7.5 °SH to 41.9 °SH. This strain was confirmed by PCR method as Lactobacillus helveticus.
Antibacterial activity of thyme and rosemary essential oil against Enterococci isolated from meat
Authors: Duckova Viera , Čanigová Margita , Kročko Miroslav , Bezeková Jana
Published: February 2012

Traditionally enterococci are considered as part of the lactic acid  bacteria.  This group of  bacteria contaminating mostly food of animal origin and some of them can be resistant to antibiotic. The consumers prefer safe foods free of synthetic additives and therefore interest for natural preservatives is increasing in recent years. The aim of this work was to determine antibacterial activity of essential oil from thyme and rosemary against enterococci. Strains of enterococci were isolated from poultry and pork. The isolates of enterococci were identified as  E. faecalis and E. mundtii and their sensitivity to chosen antibiotic (ampicillin, erythromycin, gentamicin, tetracycline and vancomycin) was determined. Enterococci were experimentally inoculated in nutrient broth at concentration 3 - 4 log cfu.ml-1. The influence of thyme and rosemary essential oil at different concentrations and at different temperatures (6 °C and 25 °C) against enterococci was tested. As more effective has proved thyme oil, which reliably inhibited both strains at concentration of 0.05 % at 6 and 25 °C.  Rosemary oil at the highest tested concentrations (of 1 %, respectively 1.5 %) only reduced the number of tested strains of enterococci.  The higher antibacterial activity of essential oils was determined at 25 °C.
Assessment of Critical Thinking:
Authors: Mckitrick Sean A. , Barnes Sean M.
Published: February 2012

Ensuring university students' ability to demonstrate and express critical thinking through competent writing is vital to students' future success. In this article, the authors describe one university's efforts to respond to external pressures to assess the critical-thinking skills of upper-division students, presenting the implementation of a critical-thinking assessment strategy through the lenses of three distinct stages of development, arguing that the successful assessment of critical thinking requires the acceptance of and patience with an evolutionary approach to implementation. They conclude with a discussion of what factors appear to be necessary conditions for the successful implementation of critical-thinking assessment in practice.
Measuring Educational Gains from Participation in Intensive Co-Curricular Experiences at Bridgewater State University
Authors: Turrentine Cathryn , Esposito Tony , Young Michael D. , Ostroth D. David
Published: February 2012

The purpose of this study was to assess the educational value of cumulative participation over four years in intensive co-curricular experiences at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. We compared responses to the National Survey for Student Engagement (NSSE) institutional-contribution-to-gains and satisfaction items for 103 senior co-curricular participants and a matched group of nonparticipants. Participants reported significantly greater gains than their nonparticipant peers in nine areas of personal development, with moderateeffect sizes on developing a personal code of values/ethics and contributing to the welfare of your community, and smaller-effect sizes for the seven remaining areas. Among co-curricular participants, the number of years of co-curricular experience was significantly and positively correlated with gains in understanding people of other racial/ethnic backgrounds, deepened sense of spirituality, and agreement that if they had it to do over they would choose the same institution. This study provides a model for assessing the value of out-of-class experiences, while addressing common challenges with such assessments.
Time on Test, Student Motivation, and Performance on the Collegiate Learning Assessment:
Authors: Hosch Braden J.
Published: February 2012

This article examines how the amount of time students spend on a low-stakes test, motivation, and local test administration procedures represent problematic intervening variables in the measurement of student learning. Results from successive administrations of the Collegiate Learning Assessment at a public comprehensive university reveal wide year-to-year variations in student performance that may be related to effort rather than cognitive ability. Findings call into question the efficacy of low-stakes testing to measure educational achievement or institutional effectiveness for accountability purposes.
Case Study:
Authors: Zubrow Judy
Published: February 2012

This case study of a public, multicampus college in New Hampshire contributes to the growing body of literature about the role of part-time or adjunct faculty in program assessment. The study takes a historical look at the college's progress in engaging its part-time faculty over a period of thirteen years via administrative and faculty leadership, course-embedded assessments, multidisciplinary scoring teams, and grant-funded resources. Emphasis is placed on initiatives that assess core competencies across the curriculum. Building on part-time faculty's commitment to their classrooms, systematic reflection on teaching and learning emerges as the most meaningful and, therefore, motivating reason for adjunct faculty to engage in program assessment.
A Work in Progress:
Authors: Adams Shirley
Published: February 2012

This article demonstrates the expansion of the assessment program at Charter Oak State College in measuring and improving student learning. The strength of the Charter Oak assessment process and, indeed, the quality of its educational programs is largely the result of Charter Oak's unique faculty structure. The “core faculty,” recruited from the full-time faculties at two- and four-year higher education institutions in Connecticut, recommend policy and program enhancements, advise and mentor students, and serve as members of the assessment committee. Charter Oak's online teaching faculty members are selected based on their academic and practical expertise. Most teach at colleges and universities throughout the United States. While Charter Oak does not itself employ full-time faculty, both the core faculty and the online faculty participate actively in the assessment process.
Travel Planning: Searching for and Booking Airline Seats on the Internet
Authors: Toh Rex S. , DeKay Frederick , Raven Peter
Published: February 2012

This article is based on a survey of 374 airline passengers sampled at an airport. We examine how travelers search for and then buy airline seats, determine which distribution channel dominates, calculate what percentages of online searches convert to actual bookings on the same website, and report why people switch. We also examine which travelers book, and then rebook airline seats, and why. We then measure the differences in how travelers view several Internet and website issues, the differences between Internet users and nonusers, between business and pleasure travelers, and between men and women. We update the most important reasons for airline choice, in an era when online bookings predominate. Finally, we report our findings (some counterintuitive) and their implications for airlines and third-party websites (online travel agents).
Expect the Unexpected: Supply Chain Disruption and Opportunity for US Companies—A Business Case
Authors: Kumar Sameer , Harrison Gail
Published: February 2012

Many researchers have revealed that US companies acknowledge the inevitability of supply chain disruptions in a global environment. These companies employ strategies that vary from proactive, reactive, resilient, to no supply chain risk management (SCRM) strategies to mitigate risks and ensure business continuity. When a company's competitive advantage is speed to market, it is only logical that its front-end low-cost country sourcing (LCCS) decision model should include a Disruption Contingency Plan (DCP) as one of the factors for evaluation. In this research, we focus on the company's financial performance with or without the up-front DCP in a closed loop outsourcing decision model, exploring and analyzing its relative effect on the firms' Economic Value Added (EVA). In doing so, we reason, the decision to adopt low-cost outsourcing in foreign countries should not be reached without addressing the company's speed-to-market capability. Using a US company that manufactures industrial printers as an example, various scenarios and options are explored for EVA comparisons in terms of a company's ability to maintain normal sales, and capture competitors' market share during supply chain disruptions. This example links the relevance among the outsourcing decision, the up-front DCP, and the company's EVA during supply chain disruptions. Even when disruption strikes, there is still an opportunity for profitability.
Some Fixed Point Theorem for Expansive Type Mapping in Dislocated Metric Space
Authors: Daheriya R. D. , Jain Rashmi , Ughade Manoj
Published: February 2012

The purpose of this paper is to present some fixed point theorem in dislocated quasimetric space for expansive type mappings.
An Immunohistochemical Study on the Expression of Sex Steroid Receptors in Canine Mammary Tumors
Authors: Port Louis Leena Rajathy , Varshney Khub Chandra , Nair Madhavan Gopalakrishnan
Published: February 2012

Steroid hormones are found to play a major role in the genesis and progression of mammary tumors. The aim of this study was to immunohistochemically detect the presence of estrogen receptor alpha (ERα), estrogen receptor beta (ERβ), and progesterone receptor (PR) and also to study the association between these markers in 29 cases of benign (11) and malignant (18) canine mammary tumors. ERα immunostaining was noticed in only one case of carcinosarcoma specifically in the nuclei of epithelial and a few myoepithelial cells. ERβ immunostaining was noticed in the nuclei and cytoplasm of epithelial cells and smooth muscles lining the blood vessels. Immunoexpression of ERβ was 82% in benign tumors and 78% in malignant tumors. PR immunostaining was expressed in the nuclei of epithelial cells in both benign and malignant tumors. Among the 15 PR+ cases, 6 (55%) were of benign type, and 9 (50%) were of malignant type. The most common group of hormone receptor was the ERα−/PR+/ERβ+ (46%) in benign tumors and ERα−/PR−/ERβ+ (38%) in malignant tumors. Although there was no significant association between ERα and PR with ERβ, the findings indicated that ERβ was consistently expressed in both benign and malignant tumors, irrespective of ERα and PR status.
Modifying the Diabetes Prevention Program to Adolescents in a School Setting: A Feasibility Study
Authors: Candela Lori L. , Gutierrez Antonio P. , Dufek Janet S. , Putney LeAnn G. , Mercer John A.
Published: February 2012

The growing epidemic of overweight children has led to a higher prevalence of youth being diagnosed with diabetes, particularly type 2 diabetes. The current study modified the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) for use with 7th–10th graders in a school setting. The DPP is an evidence-based lifestyle intervention program that has been translated successfully in various adult settings. Yet the feasibility of modifying the DPP for use with middle and high school students has not been documented. A multidisciplinary university research team collaborated with a local charter school to include a modified DPP as part of the curriculum for one semester. Pre- and posttests included food knowledge, health locus of control, BMI, and performance on the 12-minute Cooper walk/run test. Findings suggest tentatively that the modified DPP was successful at increasing food knowledge and awareness of more rigorous physical activity as well as their association to improved health outcomes. Equally as important, results demonstrate that it is feasible to conduct interventions targeting healthy weight among adolescents in school-based settings by incorporating them in the curriculum.
Dissolvable Trimolybdate Nanowires as Ag Carriers for High-Efficiency Antimicrobial Applications
Authors: Xue Jiongwei , Ye Jianwen , Jiang Yujie , Chen Mo , Pan Huayong , Xu Shengyong , Wang Wei , Tang Jie
Published: February 2012

Elimination of bacteria and other microbes effectively is important to our daily life and a variety of medical applications. Here, we introduce a new kind of trimolybdate nanowires, namelyAg2−x(NH4)xMo3O10⋅3H2O, that carry a large amount of Ag atoms in the lattice and Ag-rich nanoparticles on the surface. These nanowires can eliminate bacteria ofE. coli,Staphylococcus aureus, and unknown microbes in raw natural water with high efficiency. For example, they can inactivate more than 98% ofE. coliwith a nanowire concentration of only 5 ppm in the solution. The excellent sterilization performance is attributed to the combined effects of Ag ions, Mo ions, and Ag-rich nanoparticles of theAg2−x(NH4)xMo3O10⋅3H2Onanowires. These nanowires are not dissolvable in deionized water but can be dissolved by the metabolic materials released from bacteria, making them attractive for many biological applications.
Mn3O4 Nanoparticles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Dielectric Properties
Authors: Dhaouadi Hassouna , Ghodbane Ouassim , Hosni Faouzi , Touati Fathi
Published: February 2012

Mn3O4 nanoparticles were prepared by a simple chemical route using cetyltetramethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a template agent. Mn3O4 nanocrystals present an octahedral shape, and their crystallite size varies between 20 and 80 nm. They were characterized by XRD, SEM, DTA/TG, and IR spectroscopy. XRD studies confirm the presence of a highly crystalline Mn3O4 phase. The Rietveld refinement of the X-ray diffraction data confirms that Mn3O4 nanoparticles crystallize in the tetragonal system with space group I41/amd. DTA/TG and XRD measurements demonstrate the phase transition toward a spinel structure between 25 and 700∘C. The electrical conductivity increases between 80 and 300∘C, suggesting a semiconducting behaviour of Mn3O4. Both dielectric dispersion (ε′) and dielectric loss (ε′′) were investigated from 80 and 300∘C in the frequency range of 10 Hz–13 MHz. The dielectric properties showed typical dielectric dispersion based on the Maxwell-Wagner model.
Recent Advances in Biomarkers and Potential Targeted Therapies in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Yavrouian Eric J. , Sinha Uttam K.
Published: February 2012

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a devastating tumor of the upper aerodigestive tract with no significant change in treatment modality or improvement in survival over the last several decades. Biomarkers are important biological molecules that can be utilized in tumor detection, prognosis, and as targeted therapies. There are several important biomarkers and potential targets in the forefront, including biomarkers of tumorigenesis, signal transduction molecules, proteins involved in angiogenesis, and oncogenic viruses. The clinical applications of these biomarkers are in various states fromin vitroandin vivomodels, phase II and III clinical trials, to accepted modes of treatment in patients with HNSCC. Given the potential improvement in prognosis that biomarkers and their targeted therapies may have on the treatment of HNSCC, their investigation is both important and essential.
A New TDMA Scheduling Algorithm for Data Collection over Tree-Based Routing in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Zibakalam Vahid
Published: February 2012

Data collection is one of the most important tasks in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) where a set of sensors measure properties of a phenomenon of interest and send their data to the sink. Minimizing the delay of the data collection is important for applications in which certain actions based on deadline are needed, such as event-based and mission-critical applications. Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) scheduling algorithms are widely used for quick delivery of data with the objective of minimizing the time duration of delivering data to the sink, that is, minimizing the delay. In this paper, we propose a new centralized TDMA scheduling algorithm that is based on nodes congestion for general ad hoc networks. In the proposed algorithm, the scheduling is obtained using colouring of the original network. Colouring the original network is accomplished based on congestion degree of nodes. The simulation results indicate that the performance of our algorithm is better than that of node-based and level-based scheduling algorithms. We will also show that the performance of our proposed algorithm depends on the distribution of the nodes across the network.
Uptake and Toxicity Studies of Poly‐Acrylic Acid Functionalized Silicon Nanoparticles in Cultured Mammalian Cells
Authors: Wang Qi , Bao Yongping , Zhang Xiaohong , Coxon Paul R. , Jayasooriya Upali A. , Chao Yimin
Published: February 2012

Poly‐acrylic acid (PAAc) terminated silicon nanoparticles (SiNPs) have been synthesized and employed as a synchronous fluorescent signal indicator in a series of cultured mammalian cells: HHL5, HepG2 and 3T3‐L1. Their biological effects on cell growth and proliferation in both human and mouse cell lines have been studied. There was no evidence of in vitro cytotoxity in the cells exposed to PAAc terminated SiNPS when assessed by cell morphology, cell proliferation and viability, and DNA damage assays. The uptake of the nanocrystals by both HepG2 and 3T3‐L1 cells was investigated by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry, which showed a clear time‐dependence at higher concentrations. Reconstructed 3‐D confocal microscope images exhibited that the PAAc‐SiNPs were evenly distributed throughout the cytosol rather than attached to outer membrane. This study provides fundamental evidence for the safe application and further modification of silicon nanoparticles, which could broaden their application as cell markers in living systems and in micelle encapsulated drug delivery systems.