bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Differences in Physical Activity and Perceived Benefits and Barriers among Normal Weight, Overweight, and Obese Adolescents
Authors: Kim Youngho
Published: September 2013

The current study investigated differences in physical activity and perceived benefits and barriers in normal-weight, overweight, and obese adolescents and tested the effect of BMI and perceived benefits and barriers on physical activity. Adolescents ( N = 773) participated in the study; 381 were classified as having normal weight, 262 as overweight, and 130 as obese. Leisure Time Physical Activity Questionnaire, Decisional Balance Scale, and body composition analyzer were used to measure the study variables. Results indicated that there were no differences in self-reported physical activity in the three BMI groups. However, groups' perceived benefits of and barriers to physical activity differed. BMI and ‘better outlook’, ‘weight control’, ‘feeling confidence’, ‘physical dissatisfaction’, and ‘lack of confidence’ accounted for nearly half the variance in self-reported physical activity.
Influence of Chronotype on Responses to a Standardized, Self-Paced Walking Task in the Morning vs Afternoon: A Pilot Study
Authors: Vitale Jacopo A. , Calogiuri Giovanna , Weydahl Andi
Published: September 2013

The response to sub-maximal physical activity performed in the morning and late afternoon by individuals with different chronotypes was investigated. 22 participants filled out the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire and underwent a self-paced walking task that consisted of walking from the top to the bottom of a hill and back three times (1,836 meters, with a slope of 14.16%). The task was repeated twice: late afternoon (16:30) and early morning (08:30). Walking speed (time for completion in seconds), heart rate, and perceived exertion were measured during each task, with overall results given as a general descriptive analysis. Preliminary findings suggest that chronotype is likely to influence the responses to exercise, mostly with evening-types seeming at a disadvantage when performing a physical task in the morning. Individuals can be classified by circadian typology or chronotype, which is the propensity to be a morning-type, evening-type, or neither-type. The circadian typology, commonly referred to as being a morning person or an evening person or somewhere in between, is involved not only in the expression of physiological rhythms, but also in habits and lifestyles, such as sleeping patterns (Park, Matsumoto, Seo, & Shinkoda, 1999) that emerge especially during adolescence (Park, Matsumoto, Seo, Kang, & Nagashima, 2002) and remain throughout adult life (Koukkari & Sothern, 2006).
Effect of Specific versus Variable Practice upon Overhead Throwing Speed in Children
Authors: van den Tillaar Roland , Marques Mário C.
Published: September 2013

This study compared the effect of practice throwing with specific weights (specificity principle) or with variable weights (variability of practice) for a short practice period in children. Primary school children ( N = 41; M age = 7.7 yr., SD = 0.5) were randomly divided into three homogenous groups. The first two groups used specific overhead throwing practice: throws with a soccer ball or 1 kg balls, while the third group used variable practice with 0.35, 0.45, 0.5, and 1 kg balls. All groups trained twice per week for six weeks. The same workload per session between the three groups varied from 24 throws (1 kg practice group) to 43 throws (soccer ball practice group). Throwing speed and distance with different balls was measured before and after the practice period. Statistically significant increases in performance in all three practice groups were found with no significant differences between groups. The results indicate that both specific and variable practice of throwing in children lead to increases in performance. However, it seems that the increased workload (practice) is a more important factor than the type of practice (specific or variable) in enhancing performance in children.
Suicide among Polish Officers during World War II in Oflag II–C Woldenberg
Authors: Czabański Adam , Lester David
Published: September 2013

Although scholars have examined the occurrence of suicide in the concentration camps during World War Two, little has appeared on suicide in prisoner-of-war camps. The present note presents an attempt to document the occurrence of suicide in the Oflag II–C Woldenberg camp in what is now Western Poland, and estimates a suicide rate of between 22.4 to 38.4 per 100,000 per year in the roughly 6,600 prisoners.
Soccer and Stock Market Risk: Empirical Evidence from the Istanbul Stock Exchange
Authors: Berument M. Hakan , Ceylan Nildag Basak
Published: September 2013

There is an emerging but important literature on the effects of sport events such as soccer on stock market returns. After a soccer team's win, agents discount future events more favorably and increase risk tolerance. Similarly, after a loss, risk tolerance decreases. This paper directly assesses risk tolerance after a sports event by using daily data from the three major soccer teams in Turkey (Beşiktaş, Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray). Results provide evidence that risk tolerance increases after a win, but similar patterns were not found after a loss.
Menstrual Cycle Modulation of the Late Positive Potential Evoked by Emotional Faces
Authors: Zhang Wenjuan , Zhou Renlai , Ye Maolin
Published: September 2013

The objective of the present study was to elucidate the time course and neural basis of facial expression recognition as modulated by the menstrual cycle in women. Event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with recognition of different emotional faces were assessed in 29 healthy women during the premenstrual, post-menstrual, and periovulation phases of the menstrual cycle. Accuracy in recognizing different facial expressions was not affected by the menstrual cycle phase. ERP data indicated that only the late positive potential (LPP) was affected by the menstrual cycle phase for all facial expressions: during the periovulation phase, the amplitude of the LPP (750 to 1,000 msec. post-stimulus) was larger than that during the premenstrual phase. A positive correlation between the amplitude of the LPP and facial expression recognition performance was observed only during the periovulation phase. The present study provides electrophysiological evidence that the LPP evoked by emotional faces is modulated by the menstrual cycle, which may be correlated with fluctuations of ovarian hormones.
Learning Effects of Self-Controlled Practice Scheduling for Children and Adults: Are the Advantages Different?
Authors: Sanli Elizabeth A. , Patterson Jae T.
Published: September 2013

The benefit of providing learners control over their repetition schedule during multi-task learning has been limited to adult samples. Recently, differences in self-controlled strategies, such as frequent requests for knowledge of results by children (10 years) compared to adults have been reported. The purpose of the present experiment was to assess the benefits of a self-controlled repetition schedule during multi-task learning for children compared to adults. Twenty-four children ( M age = 11.7 yr., SD = 2.0) and 24 adults ( M age = 22.0 yr., SD = 2.2) completed 36 acquisition (12 per sequence) and 12 retention trials (4 per sequence) over two days for a key-pressing task. Half the adults ( n = 12) and half the children ( n = 12) chose the order in which to practice the three sequences during acquisition. The remaining participants practiced under the repetition schedule of a self-controlled counterpart. The dependent variables were the total time to complete the trial and the success of the motor trial (successful or unsuccessful). No differences were observed in the total number of times participants switched from one sequence to another in acquisition for the children and adults in the self-controlled condition. In retention, the proportion of error trials did not differ between the children and adults. The main effect for self-controlled vs yoked conditions indicated superior learning for the self-controlled conditions independent of age.
The Manchester Colour Wheel: Enhancing its Utility
Authors: Carruthers Helen R. , Whorwell Peter J.
Published: September 2013

The Manchester Colour Wheel was developed to investigate the role of colour in the perception of illness in gastroenterology. During validation it was found that positive, neutral, or negative connotations of the shade of a colour were more important than the colour itself. However, when asked to relate mood to a colour, the response rate was greater in individuals with mood disorders than healthy controls. This study assessed whether response rate could be made more uniform by changing the wording of the question. Mood / colour choice was compared, using two slightly different questions, in 105 and 203 healthy volunteers, resulting in response rates of 39% and 95% respectively, with the latter not associated with increased false positive responses. These results show that adjustment of the wording of a mood-related question may allow equal response rates irrespective of the mood status of participants.
Environmental Context Affects Outcome and Kinematic Changes at Different Rates during Skill Learning
Authors: Didier Jennifer Johnson , Li Li , Magill Richard A.
Published: September 2013

Based on Gentile's learning model, this study used a dart-throwing task to investigate the influence of environmental context. Novice participants ( N = 32) were trained in one of four conditions, while measuring outcomes and kinematics. The interaction of regulatory conditions (stationary/in motion) and intertrial variability (present/absent) created four target conditions: (1) stationary with one location, (2) stationary with five locations, (3) moving with one movement pattern, (4) moving with five starting locations. Performance outcome (radial error) and movement coordination (displacement of shoulder, elbow, and wrist) changes were investigated during three days of practice (480 trials). Radial error scores were analyzed using a 3 × 8 × 4 (Day × Trial Block × Condition) analysis of variance, repeated measures design. The transformed cross-correlation values of the kinematic trials were analyzed using a 3 × 3 × 4 (Joint × Day × Condition) analysis of variance, repeated measures design. Reducing the environmental context complexity of the skill (closed regulatory conditions and no inter-trial variability), decreased outcome errors and changed kinematics at different times in the learning. The environmental context influence was observed by a day × condition interaction on joint coordination. Inter-trial variability had its greatest influence on coordination. The environmental context should be taken into consideration when evaluating and assessing skill performance during learning.
Motivation and motivational climate among elite hammer throwers
Authors: Benczenleitner Ottó , Bognár József , Révész László , Paksi Judit , Csáki István , Géczi Gábor
Published: September 2013

Study aim: The purpose of the study was to explore the characteristics of the motivational factors and the motivational climate of elite hammer throwers in the most prestigious and most successful club in Hungary.

Material and methods: The Sport Motivational Scale (SMS) and the Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire (PMCSQ) were used to assess the motivation and motivational climate among hammer throw athletes (N=23). Data were analysed with descriptive statistical methods. The independent sample t-test was applied for the determination of differences as related to success level, age, and gender. Also, correlation was used to find out what relationships exist among the variables.

Results: Amotivation tends to be at low levels (M=2.48±1.40), while extrinsic motivation (M=4.68±0.79) and intrinsic motivation (M=4.40±0.95) can be considered to be at medium levels in the sample. There were no differences in motivation between elite and non-elite athletes and between athletes under and over 18 years of age. However, male
throwers had a significantly higher level of intrinsic motivation (t=2.941, p=.008) and a significantly lower level of amotivation (t=-2.428, p=0.025) than female athletes. The sample had higher values of Task orientation (3.97±0.40) than Ego orientation (2.63±0.47). There were no differences detected in success level, gender, and age in the athletes’ motivational climate. The correlation in all cases seems to be generally low.

Conclusions: The coach of this successful club focuses on creating a positive climate in which the athletes’ skill levels, goal orientation, age, and gender are matched with challenges and expectations. The relatively few differences in motivation
and motivational climate prove that the coach provides continuous support on both the individual and group level. The coach does it not only with the athletes’ skills and conditioning, but also with their motivation and motivational climate.
Zakresy rotacji tułowia i miednicy u dziewcząt ze skoliozą idiopatyczną / A range of rotation of the trunk and pelvis in girls with idiopathic scoliosis
Authors: Stępień Agnieszka
Published: September 2013

Streszczenie

Wstęp: Ruchomość kręgosłupa u osób z różnymi typami nie została dotychczas dokładnie opisana. Celem badań było określenie wpływu skrzywienia kręgosłupa na zakresy rotacji tułowia i miednicy u dziewcząt ze skoliozą idiopatyczną.

Materiał i metody: W badaniach uczestniczyło 59 dziewcząt ze skoliozą idiopatyczną w wieku 10-18 lat. Warunkiem włączającym do badania było stwierdzenie na zdjęciu rentgenowskim skrzywienia piersiowego prawostronnego lub skrzywienia lędźwiowego lewostronnego. Stworzono cztery grupy uwzględniające różne typy skrzywień kręgosłupa. Pomiarów dokonywano w pozycji stojącej. Do pomiarów zakresów rotacji tułowia i miednicy wykorzystano specjalnie zaprojektowane urządzenie prototypowe połączone z systemem komputerowym. W czasie testowanych ruchów rotacyjnych stabilizowano obręcz kończyn górnych z górną częścią tułowia lub miednicę. W metodyce badań precyzyjnie określono liczbę i kolejność ruchów. Grupą kontrolną stanowiło 30 dziewcząt bez skoliozy.

Do analizy statystycznej wykorzystano test ANOVA z opcją porównań wielokrotnych oraz test T-studenta.

Wyniki: Wyniki wykazały wiele istotnych różnic między dziewczętami ze skoliozą dwułukową z dominującym skrzywieniem piersiowym prawostronnym, dziewczętami ze skoliozą jednołukową lub dwułukową z dominującym skrzywieniem lędźwiowym lewostronnym i grupą kontrolną.

U dziewcząt ze skoliozą dwułukową z dominującym skrzywieniem piersiowym prawostronnym zaobserwowano znamienne ograniczenie zakresów rotacji tułowia i miednicy.

U dziewcząt ze skoliozą jednołukową lub dwułukową z dominującym skrzywieniem lędźwiowym lewostronnym stwierdzono zwiększone zakresy rotacji miednicy.

Wnioski: Zakresy rotacji tułowia i miednicy zależą od typu skrzywienia kręgosłupa, a w: szczególności od lokalizacji dominującego łuku skoliozy. Występowanie dominującego skrzywienia piersiowego prawostronnego sprzyja powstaniu ograniczenia zakresów' rotacji tułowia i miednicy oraz asymetrii między zakresami lewostronnej i prawostronnej rotacji tułowia i miednicy. Występowanie dominującego skrzywienia lędźwiowego lewostronnego prowadzi do zwiększenia zakresów rotacji miednicy oraz powstania asymetrii między zakresami lewostronnej i prawostronnej rotacji miednicy.
Trening autogenny i audiowizualna relaksacja (tzw. trening alpha) jako narzędzia odnowy psychosomatycznej w sporcie i rehabilitacji
Authors: Mikicin Mirosław , Mikicin Ewa
Published: September 2013

Streszczenie

Doświadczanie tzw. stanu alfa (przejawiającego się w dominującej czynności bioelektrycznej alpha) jest dla sportowca niezastąpionym środkiem regeneracji oraz sposobem na zmniejszanie poziomu napięcia mięśni podczas ćwiczeń rehabilitacyjnych. Osiąganie wysokiego poziomu tego stanu stanowi podstawę do dalszej pracy neuropsychofizjologicznej sportowca związanej ze stymulacją czynności bioelektrycznej mózgu podczas startu oraz w procesie rehabilitacji po doznaniu urazu fizycznego.

Cel pracy: Określenie wpływu audiowizualnej relaksacji i treningu autogennego na generowanie fal mózgowych alpha (7-12 Hz.). Materiał: W badaniach uczestniczą 15 letni pływacy (28 osób). W grupie eksperymentalnej (14 osób) stosowano przez 10 m-cy audiowizualną relaksację i trening autogénny.

Metody: Freez-Framer emwave PC (stress relief system) oraz EEG.

Wyniki: Osoby badane wykazują progresję w poziomie relaksu, amplimdzie fal mózgowych alpha oraz wykonywaniu zadań sportowych. Świadczy to o pozytywnym wpływie systematycznego stosowania relaksacji audiowizualnej i treningu autogennego na zachowanie. Progresywna zmiana w organizmie sportowca znajduje odzwierciedlenie w obiektywnych wskaźnikach relaksu oraz elektroencefalografii mózgu. Należy stosować trening odnowy psychosomatycznej po każdym treningu sportowym oraz ćwiczeniach rehabilitacyjnych.
Combinatorial aspects of generalized complementary basic matrices
Authors: Fiedler Miroslav , Hall Frank
Published: September 2013

This paper extends some properties of the generalized complementary basic matrices, in particular, in a combinatorial direction. These include inheritance (such as for Alternating Sign Matrices), spectral, and sign pattern matrix (including sign nonsingularity) properties.
ESR and XRD investigation of effects induced by gamma radiation on PVA-TiO2 membranes
Authors: Todica Mihai , Stefan Traian , Trandafir Diana , Simon Simion
Published: September 2013

The effects of gamma radiation on the local structure of PVA membranes containing TiO2 were investigated by ESR and XRD methods. An intense ESR signal is observed after irradiation at 16 KGy dose. This signal appears only for irradiated samples and it is associated with the breaking of the polymeric chain, followed by local reorganization of the polymeric segments and the apparition of the unpaired electrons and free radicals. The intensity of the signal decreases with the concentration of TiO2, indicating a shielding effect of the dopand. That the modification of local order of the polymeric chains has been modified after irradiation is confirmed by XRD method.
Impact of Dividend on Share Pricing in Commercial Banks of Nepal
Authors: Dhungel Anur
Published: September 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/bj.v3i2.8542 Banking Journal Vol.3(2) 2013 pp.21-36
The Performance of Children Prenatally Exposed to HIV on the A-Not-B Task in Kilifi, Kenya: A Preliminary Study
Authors: Abubakar Amina , Holding Penny , Van Baar Anneloes , Newton Charles. , Van de Vijver Fons. , Espy Kimberly
Published: September 2013

The aim of the study was to investigate early executive functioning in young children from 6–35 months of age. The study involved 319 randomly selected children from the community, 17 HIV exposed but uninfected children and 31 HIV infected ARV-naive children. A variation of the A-not-B task was used. While there were no group differences in total correct, perseverative errors, nor maximum error run, a significant percentage of children were unable to complete the task as a consequence of the children becoming overtly distressed or refusing to continue. In a multivariate analysis we observed that the significant predictors of non-completion were HIV exposure (both infected and exposed) and being under 24 months of age. These patterns of results indicate that future work with a broader array of tasks need to look at the association of HIV and EF tasks and potential contribution of factors such as emotion regulation, persistence and motivation on performance on EF tasks.
X-Ray Induced DNA Damage and Repair in Germ Cells of PARP1−/− Male Mice
Authors: Villani Paola , Fresegna Anna , Ranaldi Roberto , Eleuteri Patrizia , Paris Lorena , Pacchierotti Francesca , Cordelli Eugenia
Published: September 2013

Poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase-1 (PARP1) is a nuclear protein implicated in DNA repair, recombination, replication, and chromatin remodeling. The aim of this study was to evaluate possible differences between PARP1−/− and wild-type mice regarding induction and repair of DNA lesions in irradiated male germ cells. Comet assay was applied to detect DNA damage in testicular cells immediately, and two hours after 4 Gy X-ray irradiation. A similar level of spontaneous and radiation-induced DNA damage was observed in PARP1−/− and wild-type mice. Conversely, two hours after irradiation, a significant level of residual damage was observed in PARP1−/− cells only. This finding was particularly evident in round spermatids. To evaluate if PARP1 had also a role in the dynamics of H2AX phosphorylation in round spermatids, in which γ-H2AX foci had been shown to persist after completion of DNA repair, we carried out a parallel analysis of γ-H2AX foci at 0.5, 2, and 48 h after irradiation in wild-type and PARP1−/− mice. No evidence was obtained of an effect of PARP1 depletion on H2AX phosphorylation induction and removal. Our results suggest that, in round spermatids, under the tested experimental conditions, PARP1 has a role in radiation-induced DNA damage repair rather than in long-term chromatin modifications signaled by phosphorylated H2AX.
Demagnetization Treatment of Remanent Composite Microspheres Studied by Alternating Current Susceptibility Measurements
Authors: Van Berkum Susanne , Erné Ben
Published: September 2013

The magnetic remanence of silica microspheres with a low concentration of embedded cobalt ferrite nanoparticles is studied after demagnetization and remagnetization treatments. When the microspheres are dispersed in a liquid, alternating current (AC) magnetic susceptibility spectra reveal a constant characteristic frequency, corresponding to the rotational diffusion of the microparticles; this depends only on particle size and liquid viscosity, making the particles suitable as a rheological probe and indicating that interactions between the microspheres are weak. On the macroscopic scale, a sample with the dry microparticles is magnetically remanent after treatment in a saturating field, and after a demagnetization treatment, the remanence goes down to zero. The AC susceptibility of a liquid dispersion, however, characterizes the remanence on the scale of the individual microparticles, which does not become zero after demagnetization. The reason is that an individual microparticle contains only a relatively small number of magnetic units, so that even if they can be reoriented magnetically at random, the average vector sum of the nanoparticle dipoles is not negligible on the scale of the microparticle. In contrast, on the macroscopic scale, the demagnetization procedure randomizes the orientations of a macroscopic number of magnetic units, resulting in a remanent magnetization that is negligible compared to the saturation magnetization of the entire sample.
Pattern-Recognition Receptor Signaling Regulator mRNA Expression in Humans and Mice, and in Transient Inflammation or Progressive Fibrosis
Authors: Günthner Roman , Kumar Vankayala , Lorenz Georg , Anders Hans-Joachim , Lech Maciej
Published: September 2013

The cell type-, organ-, and species-specific expression of the pattern-recognition receptors (PRRs) are well described but little is known about the respective expression profiles of their negative regulators. We therefore determined the mRNA expression levels of A20, CYLD, DUBA, ST2, CD180, SIGIRR, TANK, SOCS1, SOCS3, SHIP, IRAK-M, DOK1, DOK2, SHP1, SHP2, TOLLIP, IRF4, SIKE, NLRX1, ERBIN, CENTB1, and Clec4a2 in human and mouse solid organs. Humans and mice displayed significant differences between their respective mRNA expression patterns of these factors. Additionally, we characterized their expression profiles in mononuclear blood cells upon bacterial endotoxin, which showed a consistent induction of A20, SOCS3, IRAK-M, and Clec4a2 in human and murine cells. Furthermore, we studied the expression pattern in transient kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury versus post-ischemic atrophy and fibrosis in mice. A20, CD180, ST2, SOCS1, SOCS3, SHIP, IRAK-M, DOK1, DOK2, IRF4, CENTB1, and Clec4a2 were all induced, albeit at different times of injury and repair. Progressive fibrosis was associated with a persistent induction of these factors. Thus, the organ- and species-specific expression patterns need to be considered in the design and interpretation of studies related to PRR-mediated innate immunity, which seems to be involved in tissue injury, tissue regeneration and in progressive tissue scarring.
Millennium Development Goals and the Protection of Displaced and Refugee Women and Girls
Authors: Akram Susan
Published: September 2013

The international protection regime of refugee, stateless and displaced women and girls has significant deficiencies. As refugees and displaced persons, women and girls experience unique challenges. They suffer abuse disproportionately as women through rape, human trafficking, and female genital mutilation. Women and girl refugees face greater challenges and risks to safety at every stage of displacement: in refugee camps, in urban spaces, in transit to safe haven, and in the process of obtaining legal status. They are frequently at the mercy of male family members in making claims to refugee and asylum status, as females are often unable to obtain necessary documentation and navigate barriers to the asylum process that uniquely disfavor women’s claims. This paper argues that the UN must expand the scope of the Millennium Development Goals to specifically include state responsibility towards refugees and displaced persons in their territories, without regard to their legal status. Until the international regime designed to protect refugees and displaced persons closes the gaps in addressing female refugees and displaced persons’ unique vulnerabilities, the UN’s Millennium Development Goals should be reoriented to include state responsibility to meet these deficiencies.
Effective Congruences for Mock Theta Functions
Authors: Andersen Nickolas , Friedlander Holley , Fuller Jeremy , Goodson Heidi
Published: September 2013

Let M(q) =∑ c(n)q n be one of Ramanujan’s mock theta functions. We establish the existence of infinitely many linear congruences of the form: c(An + B) ≡ 0 (mod l j ) where A is a multiple of l and an auxiliary prime, p. Moreover, we give an effectively computable upper bound on the smallest such p for which these congruences hold. The effective nature of our results is based on the prior works of Lichtenstein [1] and Treneer [2].
Structural Characterization of Intrinsically Disordered Proteins by NMR Spectroscopy
Authors: Kosol Simone , Contreras-Martos Sara , Cedeño Cesyen , Tompa Peter
Published: September 2013

Recent advances in NMR methodology and techniques allow the structural investigation of biomolecules of increasing size with atomic resolution. NMR spectroscopy is especially well-suited for the study of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and intrinsically disordered regions (IDRs) which are in general highly flexible and do not have a well-defined secondary or tertiary structure under functional conditions. In the last decade, the important role of IDPs in many essential cellular processes has become more evident as the lack of a stable tertiary structure of many protagonists in signal transduction, transcription regulation and cell-cycle regulation has been discovered. The growing demand for structural data of IDPs required the development and adaption of methods such as 13C-direct detected experiments, paramagnetic relaxation enhancements (PREs) or residual dipolar couplings (RDCs) for the study of ‘unstructured’ molecules in vitro and in-cell. The information obtained by NMR can be processed with novel computational tools to generate conformational ensembles that visualize the conformations IDPs sample under functional conditions. Here, we address NMR experiments and strategies that enable the generation of detailed structural models of IDPs.
Purification, Partial Characterization and Immobilization of a Mannose-Specific Lectin from Seeds of Dioclea lasiophylla Mart.
Authors: Pinto-Júnior Vanir , De Santiago Mayara , Osterne Vinícius , Correia Jorge , Pereira-Júnior Francisco , Cajazeiras João , De Vasconcelos Mayron , Teixeira Edson , Do Nascimento Antônia , Miguel Thaiz , Miguel Emilio , Sampaio Alexandre , Do Nascimento Kyria , Nagano Celso , Cavada Benildo
Published: September 2013

Lectin from the seeds of Dioclea lasiophylla (DlyL) was purified in a single step by affinity chromatography on a Sephadex® G-50 column. DlyL strongly agglutinated rabbit erythrocytes and was inhibited by monosaccharides (D-mannose and α-methyl-D-mannoside) and glycoproteins (ovalbumin and fetuin). Similar to other Diocleinae lectins, DlyL has three chains, α, β and γ, with mass of 25,569 ± 2, 12,998 ± 1 and 12,588 ± 1 Da, respectively, and has no disulfide bonds. The hemagglutinating activity of DlyL was optimal in pH 8.0, stable at a temperature of 70 °C and decreased in EDTA solution, indicating that lectin activity is dependent on divalent metals. DlyL exhibited low toxicity on Artemia sp. nauplii, but this effect was dependent on the concentration of lectin in solution. DlyL immobilized on cyanogen bromide-activated Sepharose® 4B bound 0.917 mg of ovalbumin per cycle, showing the ability to become a tool for glycoproteomics studies.
Italian Chemists’ Contributions to Named Reactions in Organic Synthesis: An Historical Perspective
Authors: Papeo Gianluca , Pulici Maurizio
Published: September 2013

From the second half of the 19th century up to modern times, the tremendous contribution of Italian chemists to the development of science resulted in the discovery of a number of innovative chemical transformations. These reactions were subsequently christened according to their inventors’ name and so entered into the organic chemistry portfolio of “named organic reactions”. As these discoveries were being conceived, massive social, political and geographical changes in these chemists’ homeland were also occurring. In this review, a brief survey of known (and some lesser known) named organic reactions discovered by Italian chemists, along with their historical contextualization, is presented.
Video-Based Fingerprint Verification
Authors: Qin Wei , Yin Yilong , Liu Lili
Published: September 2013

Conventional fingerprint verification systems use only static information. In this paper, fingerprint videos, which contain dynamic information, are utilized for verification. Fingerprint videos are acquired by the same capture device that acquires conventional fingerprint images, and the user experience of providing a fingerprint video is the same as that of providing a single impression. After preprocessing and aligning processes, “inside similarity” and “outside similarity” are defined and calculated to take advantage of both dynamic and static information contained in fingerprint videos. Match scores between two matching fingerprint videos are then calculated by combining the two kinds of similarity. Experimental results show that the proposed video-based method leads to a relative reduction of 60 percent in the equal error rate (EER) in comparison to the conventional single impression-based method. We also analyze the time complexity of our method when different combinations of strategies are used. Our method still outperforms the conventional method, even if both methods have the same time complexity. Finally, experimental results demonstrate that the proposed video-based method can lead to better accuracy than the multiple impressions fusion method, and the proposed method has a much lower false acceptance rate (FAR) when the false rejection rate (FRR) is quite low.
A Telemetry System Embedded in Clothes for Indoor Localization and Elderly Health Monitoring
Authors: Charlon Yoann , Fourty Nicolas , Campo Eric
Published: September 2013

This paper presents a telemetry system used in a combined trilateration method for the precise indoor localization of the elderly who need health monitoring. The system is based on the association of two wireless technologies: ultrasonic and 802.15.4. The use of the 802.15.4 RF signal gives the reference starting time of the ultrasonic emission (time difference of arrival method). A time of flight measurement of the ultrasonic pulses provides the distances between the mobile node and three anchor points. These distance measurements are then used to locate the mobile node using the trilateration method with an accuracy of a few centimetres. The originality of our work lies in embedding the mobile node in clothes. The system is embedded in clothes in two ways: on a shoe in order to form a “smart” shoe and in a hat in order to form a “smart” hat. Both accessories allow movements, gait speed and distance covered to be monitored for health applications. Experiments in a test room are presented to show the effectiveness of our system.
Porcine/Chicken or Human Nephropathy as the Result of Joint Mycotoxins Interaction
Authors: Stoev Stoycho , Denev Stefan
Published: September 2013

A survey was made of the literature concerning the occurrence and incidence of mycotoxic nephropathy in pigs and chicks in different countries. Various etiological factors contributing to the development of the disease were considered. The main nephrotoxic fungi as well as the specific conditions for their growth and toxins production were briefly described. A survey was made about the most frequent nephrotoxic fungal contaminants in various feedstuffs from plant origin. In addition, their natural quantities and importance for development of mycotoxic porcine/chick nephropathy (MPN/MCN) are also explored. In addition, a survey was made of the feedstuffs representing the most favorable environment for nephrotoxic fungal growth as well as the most favorable storehouse conditions for this fungal growth were shortly described. The significance of some underestimated fungal species, which can provoke kidney damage, was studied. The importance of joint mycotoxin interaction and newly identified fungal metabolites in the complex etiology of mycotoxic nephropathy ranged in some countries is deeply investigated. The toxicity of the low contamination levels of some combinations of mycotoxins often administered by pigs and chicks in the practice was carefully studied.
Femtosecond-resolved ablation dynamics of Si in the near field of a small dielectric particle
Authors: Kühler Paul , Puerto Daniel , Mosbacher Mario , Leiderer Paul , Garcia de Abajo Francisco Javier , Siegel Jan , Solis Javier
Published: September 2013

In this work we analyze the ablation dynamics of crystalline Si in the intense near field generated by a small dielectric particle located at the material surface when being irradiated with an infrared femtosecond laser pulse (800 nm, 120 fs). The presence of the particle (7.9 μm diameter) leads to a strong local enhancement (ca. 40 times) of the incoming intensity of the pulse. The transient optical response of the material has been analyzed by means of fs-resolved optical microscopy in reflection configuration over a time span from 0.1 ps to about 1 ns. Characteristic phenomena like electron plasma formation, ultrafast melting and ablation, along with their characteristic time scales are observed in the region surrounding the particle. The use of a time resolved imaging technique allows us recording simultaneously the material response at ordinary and large peak power densities enabling a direct comparison between both scenarios. The time resolved images of near field exposed regions are consistent with a remarkable temporal shift of the ablation onset which occurs in the sub-picosend regime, from about 500 to 800 fs after excitation.
Using Peer Assessment for Promoting the Learning Process in a Doctoral Blended Learning Program - A Longitudinal Design-based Research Approach
Authors: Pombo Lúcia , Loureiro Maria João
Published: September 2013

This paper presents an innovative longitudinal study developed during three years, using a design-based approach consisting of four phases. Taking into account the analysis of studentsâ?? behavior and opinions, teachers re-designed the peer assessment (PA) strategies used in the context of a Distance Education blended learning module, of a Doctoral Program, in order to improve the effectiveness of studentsâ?? learning. The designed cycle allowed, for instance, the identification of problems, such as the lack of studentsâ?? familiarity with PA, the design/adaptation of assessment frameworks and therefore practical solutions were implemented and evaluated. The results show that the applied solutions were valued by the PhD students. Moreover the PA tasks fostered constructive criticism, collaboration and active involvement of students in their own and their peersâ?? learning process. Although the developed PA strategies were efficient, in the described context, their applicability should be analyzed in similar environments.
Using Simulations to Integrate Technology into Health Care Aides' Workflow
Authors: King Sharla , Liu Lili , Stroulia Eleni , Nikolaidis Ioanis
Published: September 2013

Health care aides (HCAs) are critical to home care, providing a range of services to people with chronic conditions, aging or are unable to care for themselves independently. The current HCA supply will not keep up with this increasing demand without fundamental changes in their work environment. One possible solution to some of the workflow challenges and workplace stress of HCAs is hand-held tablet technology. In order to introduce the use of tablets with HCAs, simulations were developed. Once an HCA was comfortable with the tablet, a simulated client was introduced. The HCA interacted with the simulated client and used the tablet applications to assist with providing care. After the simulations, the HCAs participated in a focus group. HCAs completed a survey before and after the tablet training and simulation to determine their perception and acceptance of the tablet. Future deployment and implementation of technologies in home care should be further evaluated for outcomes.
Knowledge Sharing Cultures in Finance and Insurance Companies – Needs for Improving Informal Collaborative e-Learning
Authors: Tanhua-Piiroinen Erika , Sommers-Piiroinen Johanna
Published: September 2013

Working life requires employees to continuously update their competences, making lifelong learning an important but challenging part of professional development. This study aims to look for solutions to uncover the tacit and implicit knowledge within the enterprise by the means of social media. Our interest is specially focused on challenges on informal learning and refining and sharing of the tacit knowledge among these expert companies. We have so far collected data from two enterprises about their current knowledge sharing habits and procedures and found out the pitfalls they have experienced in their working culture concerning finding and sharing knowledge. The main challenges (apart from lack of time, which is quite obvious result today) are defects in storing information in a way that enables its easy rediscovery and the huge amount of information from which to filter the relevant pieces of knowledge. Particularly the centralized experts in an insurance company find the lack of regular vertical interaction between the decentralized claim handlers a drawback. There exists a lot of overlapping effort as they need to tell the same issues many times to various claim handlers. Taking these challenges into account new working models will be put into practice utilizing collaborative tools, like wikis and chat forums.
Modeling and Identification of Longitudinal Responses of an Electric Vehicle for Drivability Improvement
Authors: Dou M.L. , Wu G. , Shi Ch. , Liu X.G.
Published: September 2013

This paper develops a control-oriented drivability model for an electric vehicle. First, we establish a discrete-time nonlinear input-output mechanism model through investigating the longitudinal dynamic characteristics of the vehicle. Second, we use the least squares method to identify the model parameters based on the data obtained from a real electric vehicle. The model is built in Simulink and its accuracy is validated by CRUISE. The calibration results demonstrate that the identified model is capable of predicting longitudinal vehicle responses that affect drivability and useful in control algorithm design.
The Research on Intelligent Control of AC Drive System Based on Neural Network
Authors: Gan Jia-liang , Li Zhimin , Xu Cuiqin , Tan Huaijiang
Published: September 2013

Aiming at the disadvantage that traditional PID controller parameter canâ??t be adjusted online timely, control effect is not ideal. this paper introduces a PID control algorithm based on the BP neural network by melting the regular PID controller and the self-turning learning neural network. The algorithm uses the BP neural network to build system parameter model, is able to track the changes of the controlled object, achieves a higher recognition accuracy. It amends the BP neural network weight coefficients by the BP algorithm, realizes adjustment of the PID parameters online. The results of the simulation show that these formulae has fast convergence ?high precision? and robustness.
Validation of NIR Model for On-line Monitoring of Flos Lonicera Japonica Extraction Process with Different Batches of Materials
Authors: Sui Chenglin , Wu Zhisheng , Peng Yanfang , Zou Luwei , Pei Yanling , Shi Xinyuan , Qiao Yanjiang
Published: September 2013

In this study, on-line NIRs (Near Infrared Spectroscopy) monitoring technology, as a useful tool, has been verified during the extraction process of Flos Lonicera Japonica. To gain representative samples and accurate model result, the detrimental effects from NIR collecting circumstance were significantly reduced with meticulous designs. Based on what, different batches of Flos Lonicera Japonica material were real-time monitored in the extraction process. 10 design schemes were used to verify whether or not different batches could disturb predictive results of the quantitative model. According to a series of chemometric indicators, such as SEC, SECV, SEP, RPD, it is concluded that PLS models established by samples of different batches of raw herbs from the same source could be used to monitor the extraction process with acceptable accuracy. Our research has demonstrated that on-line NIRs monitoring technology as a fast, non-destructive and real-time monitoring tool could be utilized in traditional Chinese medicine preparation.
Research on Performance of Flame-Retardant Epoxy Resin Electronic Packaging Materials
Authors: Zhou Hao Ran , Zhao Shuang , Yu Wei Miao , Jiang Hao , Guo Cui , Li Ye
Published: September 2013

In this article, a new flame-retardant epoxy electronic packaging materials was synthesized through the reaction of matrix resin (E-51), flame retardant (neopentyl glycol phosphate melamine sale, NPM), toughening agent (nitrile rubber, CTBN), curing agent (4, 4-diamino diphenyl sulfone, DDS) and curing catalyst (dosage of benzoyl peroxide, BPO). The results showed that: when the flame retardant was added in an amount of 5wt%, ultimate index (LOI) value of the EPNPM system was increased 2 than that of the EPAl (OH)3 system. When the NPM was added in an amount of 5wt%, the tensile shear strength of the composite was increased 18.27% than that of pure composite. Consequently, the EPNPM system prepared showed betterflame retardance and the mechanical properties.
Microwave Assisted Reflux Synthesis and Characterization of Magnetic Fe3O4 Micro Bubbles Embed in Nano Particles
Authors: Jamil Saba , Jing Xiao Yan , Wang Jun , Li Song Nan , Liu Jing Yuan
Published: September 2013

Magnetic Fe3O4 nanobubbles surrounded by nanoparticles are prepared by adopting microwave assisted reflux method. The nanomagnetic particles surrounded by small beads like particles are fabricated by irradiating the prepaperd sample solutions by microwave radiations coupled with reflux method simultaneously at 90°C for 45 mins. The characterization of the prepared Fe3O4 particles are carried out by using x ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The instrumentations shows the morphology that is thick walled bubble like with approximate diameter of about 300 nm to 400 nm surrounded by small nanoparticles of 5 nm to 30 nm in range. The particles are bubbles like and some broken bubbles showed that these might be hollow from inside.
Ageing Evaluation of No.2 Lithium Lubricating Grease
Authors: Li Li , Liu Jin Jun , Tian Zheng Yu , Zhang Guo Zheng , Fu Zhen Yu , Li Tao
Published: September 2013

Contamination, acid number, moisture, thickness and dropping point are summarized as ageing indexes of lubricating grease. Size distribution, composition and weight of contamination which influence lubricating performance most and are used to evaluate performance of lubricating grease broadly in No.2 lithium lubricating grease which is used in main clutchs release ring of a certain type vehicle were analyzed after a vehicle which had run for about 20000 kilometers. Results showed that, the number of large size particle (larger than 25 μm) in aged grease was much larger than that in fresh grease, concentration of element Fe, Cr, Ni, Si, P, Ti, Mo, V, Na, Ca in aged grease was much higher than that in fresh grease, weight percentage contamination occupied in aged grease was very higher.
Numerical and Experimental Investigations on the Warm Deep Drawing of DP Steel Tailor-Welded Blanks
Authors: Cao Zhi Fu , Chen Zhi Feng , Chen Wei , Zhao Qing , Zhang Yang , Wang Xiang
Published: September 2013

The warm forming technology is applied to improve the dual phase (DP) steel tailor-welded blanks (TWBs) forming properties. In this paper, the warm deep drawing of DP590 steel TWBs was studied by both the experimental approach and the finite element analysis. The results indicated that the formability of the DP steel TWBs could be reduced slightly at lower temperatures and improved significantly at elevated temperatures. The reasonable punch force and blank holder force decrease rapidly as increasing temperature. Finite element analyses were performed to predict the formability of the warm deep drawing of DP590 steel TWBs and to investigate the rules of the warm deep drawing. The numerical simulation results are in good agreement with experimental results.
Evaluation of the Combined Process of Aammonia Distillation-Evaporation Concentration - Supercritical Water Gasification - Supercritical Water Oxidation for Coking Wastewater Treatment
Authors: Wang Yu Zhen , Wang Shu Zhong , Guo Yang , Xu Dong Hai
Published: September 2013

A combined process of ammonia distillation - evaporation concentration - supercritical water gasification (SCWG) supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) was proposed for coking wastewater treatment. The NH3 in wastewater was first recovered in ammonia distillation section. The deammoniated wastewater was concentrated in the evaporation concentration section, in which the quantity of the wastewater was decreased accordingly. Then the concentrated wastewater entered into the SCWG section to produce the syngas such as H2, CO, CH4, and liquid effluent entered into SCWO section, where the pollutants were completely degraded. The operation parameters of the combined process were simulated by Aspen Plus software and the investment and the operation cost were also analyzed. For a wastewater of 5000kg/h, the investment of the combined process is 6000000 ¥. The profit from byproduct of ammonia, syngas and steam is 70¥/t. For the whole process, it can gain a profit of 5.1 ¥/t (wastewater).
The Study of Stabilization of Hydraulic Fill Sand and Silt Mixture in Coastal Area
Authors: Li Zhan Guo , Zhao Hai Yan , Huang Xin , Cheng Yin
Published: September 2013

In this paper, relevant experiments had been conducted on the stabilized mixture of hydraulic fill sand and silt in coastal areas, include the study of optimum mixing ratio of hydraulic fill sand and silt and the appropriate curing agent; as well as the change law for the strength of solidified sediment mixture with different curing agent content. The results show that strength of the stabilized mixture showed the highest when mass ratio of hydraulic fill sand and silt was 60% :40%, and using G2 as the curing agent. Strength of stabilized sediment mixture all increased in different degrees as the mixing amount of curing agent increased.