bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Equilibrium and Kinetics of Sin Nombre Hantavirus Binding at DAF/CD55 Functionalized Bead Surfaces
Authors: Buranda Tione , Swanson Scarlett , Bondu Virginie , Schaefer Leah , Maclean James , Mo Zhenzhen , Wycoff Keith , Belle Archana , Hjelle Brian
Published: March 2014

Decay accelerating factor (DAF/CD55) is targeted by many pathogens for cell entry. It has been implicated as a co-receptor for hantaviruses. To examine the binding of hantaviruses to DAF, we describe the use of Protein G beads for binding human IgG Fc domain-functionalized DAF ((DAF)2-Fc). When mixed with Protein G beads the resulting DAF beads can be used as a generalizable platform for measuring kinetic and equilibrium binding constants of DAF binding targets. The hantavirus interaction has high affinity (24–30 nM; kon ~ 105 M−1s−1, koff ~ 0.0045 s−1). The bivalent (DAF)2-Fc/SNV data agree with hantavirus binding to DAF expressed on Tanoue B cells (Kd = 14.0 nM). Monovalent affinity interaction between SNV and recombinant DAF of 58.0 nM is determined from competition binding. This study serves a dual purpose of presenting a convenient and quantitative approach of measuring binding affinities between DAF and the many cognate viral and bacterial ligands and providing new data on the binding constant of DAF and Sin Nombre hantavirus. Knowledge of the equilibrium binding constant allows for the determination of the relative fractions of bound and free virus particles in cell entry assays. This is important for drug discovery assays for cell entry inhibitors.
Changes in Diversification Patterns and Signatures of Selection during the Evolution of Murinae-Associated Hantaviruses
Authors: Castel Guillaume , Razzauti Maria , Jousselin Emmanuelle , Kergoat Gael , Cosson Jean-François
Published: March 2014

In the last 50 years, hantaviruses have significantly affected public health worldwide, but the exact extent of the distribution of hantavirus diseases, species and lineages and the risk of their emergence into new geographic areas are still poorly known. In particular, the determinants of molecular evolution of hantaviruses circulating in different geographical areas or different host species are poorly documented. Yet, this understanding is essential for the establishment of more accurate scenarios of hantavirus emergence under different climatic and environmental constraints. In this study, we focused on Murinae-associated hantaviruses (mainly Seoul Dobrava and Hantaan virus) using sequences available in GenBank and conducted several complementary phylogenetic inferences. We sought for signatures of selection and changes in patterns and rates of diversification in order to characterize hantaviruses’ molecular evolution at different geographical scales (global and local). We then investigated whether these events were localized in particular geographic areas. Our phylogenetic analyses supported the assumption that RNA virus molecular variations were under strong evolutionary constraints and revealed changes in patterns of diversification during the evolutionary history of hantaviruses. These analyses provide new knowledge on the molecular evolution of hantaviruses at different scales of time and space.
CONSTRUCTION 3D BIM-BASED KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM: A CASE STUDY
Authors: Lin Yu-Cheng
Published: March 2014

Knowledge management (KM) is the organization, creation, sharing and flow of knowledge within organizations. Knowledge can be shared and reused among involved engineers and experts to improve a construction process and reduce the time and cost of solving problems. This paper proposes a new and practical methodology to capture and represent construction project knowledge by using a Building Information Modeling (BIM) approach. Using BIM approach, users can make visual knowledge management in the 3D Computer-aided Design (CAD) environment. This study addresses the application of knowledge management in the construction phase of construction projects and proposes a Construction BIM-based Knowledge Management (CBIMKM) system for general contractors. The CBIMKM is then applied in selected case studies of a construction building project in Taiwan to verify our proposed methodology and demonstrate the effectiveness of sharing knowledge in the 3D environment. By applying the BIM approach, all participants in a project can share and reuse explicit and tacit knowledge through the 3D CAD-based knowledge map. The combined results demonstrate that the CBIMKM system can be used as a visual 3D-based knowledge management platform by utilizing the BIM approach and web technology.
INTERVAL ESTIMATION OF CONSTRUCTION COST AT COMPLETION USING LEAST SQUARES SUPPORT VECTOR MACHINE
Authors: Cheng Min-Yuan , Hoang Nhat-Duc
Published: March 2014

Completing a project within the planned budget is the bottom-line of construction companies. To achieve this goal, periodic cost estimation is vitally important not only in the planning phase, but also in the execution phase. Due to high uncertainty in operational environment, point estimation of project cost is oftentimes not sufficient to assist the decision-making process. This study utilizes Least Squares Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM), machine learning based interval estimation (MLIE), and Differential Evolution (DE) to establish a novel model for predicting construction project cost. LS-SVM is a supervised learning technique used for regression analysis. MLIE is employed for inference of prediction intervals. Moreover, our model deploys DE in the cross validation process to search for the optimal values of tuning parameters. The newly developed model, named as EAC-LSPIM, yields results consisting of a point estimate coupled with lower and upper prediction limits, at a certain level of confidence, to accentuate uncertainty. Simulation and performance comparison demonstrate that the new model is capable of delivering accurate and reliable forecasting results.
AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM FOR INTEGRATED COST AND SCHEDULE CONTROL OF EXCAVATION WORKS IN NATM TUNNELS
Authors: Cho Daegu , Cho Hunhee , Kim Daewon
Published: March 2014

A type-based system is widely used for cost and schedule control in the NATM (New Austrian Tunnelling Method) tunnel. This study raises several limitations of the type-based system: a broad level of control, a distributed approach to cost and schedule data, ad hoc management, and difficulty in deriving meaningful data. Integrated cost and schedule control promises a myriad of benefits on both information flow and construction management. Nevertheless, the integrated approach still seems to be a long way from common use in the construction industry because it requires considerable overhead effort to acquire, track, and analyze the integrated data. The objective of this study is to propose a new method to automate the required processes for implementing cost and schedule integration. We propose an operational-level automatic data processing system for cost and schedule integration. The proposed system consists of a real-time location system for detecting equipment locations, a wireless mesh network for transmitting the location signals to a field office, and a prototype model for transforming the signals to cost and schedule data. Technical feasibility is analyzed through a pilot project. The study offers a new approach to facilitating sensor technologies for cost and schedule integration.
IMPACTS OF DIFFERENT OBJECTIVE FUNCTIONS ON RESOURCE LEVELING IN CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS: A CASE STUDY
Authors: Damci Atilla , Polat Gul
Published: March 2014

A review of the recent literature on the models that focus on resource leveling in Critical Path Method networks shows that different objective functions have been used to optimize resource utilization. The main objective of this study is to investigate the impacts of using different objective functions on resource utilization histograms in Critical Path Method networks. For this purpose, nine different resource leveling objective functions were optimized via a genetic algorithm-based model. The model was developed using actual data obtained from a steel framed industrial building construction project. It was found that each of these objective functions generates different resource utilization histograms. In order to determine the improvement levels achieved by resource leveling using nine different objective functions, the improvement percentage in each parameter and the average improvement percentage for each objective function were calculated. Even though the objective function that involves the minimization of the sum of the square of the deviations in daily resource usage provided the best average improvement percentage in the studied case, another objective function(s) may provide better average improvement percentage in different projects. The contractor should consider all objective functions for resource leveling and select the one(s) that provides the best average improvement percentage.
EFFECTS OF VERTICAL SHAFT GEOMETRY ON NATURAL VENTILATION IN URBAN ROAD TUNNEL FIRES
Authors: Ji Jie , Fan Chuan Gang , Gao Zi He , Sun Jin Hua
Published: March 2014

A set of burning experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of vertical shaft geometry on natural ventilation in urban road tunnel fires. Results show that using vertical shafts to discharge smoke leads to a boundary layer separation near the right-angle connection of the shaft and the tunnel ceiling. In a low shaft, the turbulent-boundary-layer separation phenomenon causes relatively large-scale vortexes and restricts smoke from being exhausted, resulting in a negative effect on natural ventilation. Replacing the right-angle connection with the bevel-angle connection was proposed to split one separation point into two separation points, to attenuate the negative effect. The detailed characteristics of the separation phenomenon were analysed and the proposition was verified by Large Eddy Simulation. Results show that there are no relatively large-scale vortexes in shafts with bevel-angle connections, resulting in improved natural ventilation effectiveness. For lower shafts, the advantage of using the bevel-angle connection is more significant, and for shafts of the same height, the mass flow rate of smoke discharged by shafts with the bevel-angle connection increases up to 1.5 times of that by shafts with the right-angle connection. For relatively high shafts, it is about 1.2 times.
DEVELOPING A FRAMEWORK FOR SUBCONTRACTOR APPRAISAL USING A BALANCED SCORECARD
Authors: Ng S. Thomas , Skitmore Martin
Published: March 2014

Subcontractors contribute significantly to construction projects and their performance can seriously affect over-all project success. It is crucial, therefore, to appraise the performance of subcontractors to ensure they satisfy the client's expectations and project requirements. To increase the transparency and accuracy of subcontractor appraisal, the baseline and target performance levels should be set at the outset so that the appraisers and those being appraised realize exactly what standards are to be achieved. The balanced scorecard, being a powerful tool for performance appraisal, offers a potentially good approach for modeling the subcontractor appraisal process. In this paper, an approach to developing a balanced scorecard subcontractor appraisal model is proposed and demonstrated through a questionnaire survey administered in Hong Kong and from which the baseline and target performance levels for large-scale skilled subcontractors are identified. A case example is used to illustrate the operation of the model. Finally, a means by which the model may be validated is demonstrated through the use of field experts. The results demonstrate the feasibility of developing a balanced scorecard model that can help improve the transparency of subcontractor appraisal despite the baseline and target performance levels changing according to the project characteristics, subcontractor categories and size.
AN INVESTIGATION ON THE EFFECT OF CYCLIC DISPLACEMENT ON THE INTEGRAL BRIDGE ABUTMENT
Authors: Movahedifar Mojtaba , Bolouri-Bazaz Jafar
Published: March 2014

The integral bridge abutment, as a special type of retaining wall, is subject to cyclic displacement, which is due to the daily and seasonal temperature variations. The frame of this type of bridges is rigid and jointless. This requires that the slab of the bridge to be longitudinally continuous without expansion joints. This causes cyclic displacement to be imposed to the backfill material of integral bridge abutment. It should be pointed out that the omission of expansion joints helps to provide a fluent traffic and a reduction in maintenance and repair of the bridges. To investigate the impact of cyclic displacement on the loose backfill soil behaviour, an innovative laboratory retaining wall model has been designed and constructed to imitate the cyclic behaviour of backfill granular material. In addition, a numerical model, based on finite element method, has been developed to interpret the experimental results. This model was calibrated using the laboratory test data. The results indicate that the passive pressure, except for low amplitude displacement, escalates with progressive number of cycles and its distribution is not linear, which is due to the forming arch.
QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF BITUMINOUS BINDERS BASED ON THE VISCOELASTIC PROPERTIES: POLISH EXPERIENCE
Authors: Radziszewski Piotr , Kowalski Karol J.
Published: March 2014

Construction of modern and durable bituminous pavements requires high quality bituminous binder, aggregates and additives. The main objective of this paper was to analyse and compare viscoelastic properties of unmodified and polymer modified bitumens produced in Poland, Europe, in order to assess their quality. In this paper there are presented results of bituminous binder European classification tests (penetration, softening point and Fraass breaking point) as well as rheological test results conducted over a wide range of temperatures. In addition, image analysis of the microstructure of selected polymer modified bitumens is also presented. Based on the analysis it was concluded that although bituminous binders complies with European specification requirements, they are significantly different in terms of their rheological properties. It was found that regardless of binder producer, bituminous binder within the same hardness group exhibit different low and high temperature properties.
STUDY OF BEARING CAPACITY OF VIBRATORY PILE APPLYING ACCELERATION RECORD
Authors: Kelevišius Kęstutis , Gabrielaitis Linas , Amšiejus Jonas , Norkus Arnoldas , Sikora Zbigniew
Published: March 2014

The article focuses on the method for evaluation of ultimate bearing capacity for a vibratory pile having acceleration data recorded during the tests. The simulation vibratory pile installation test was performed in the testing stand. Accelerations were recorded on the top of the simulation vibratory pile during the test. The static test was performed for the installed pile. After the review of rheological models of the base, the Smith rheological model was chosen for determination of bearing capacity of the vibratory pile as this model, the rigidity of the final element of the spring is modelled as the finite rigidity of the base. Between the base of the modelled pile and the soil, a finite interface element is used. The interface element transfers only compression but it does not transfer tension to the base rheological model. The general stiffness of spring's finite element in the chosen rheological model is determined from experimental data of the static pile test. During the modelling, the damping coefficients and the ultimate displacements (responses) of the pile's shaft and base, to which the friction element became active, were determined so that the modelled pile accelerations and displacement (response) would coincide as much as possible with measured accelerations and their calculated response. The modelled and measured accelerations and responses showed high similarity.
Durability of Lopinavir/Ritonavir Monotherapy in Individuals with Viral Load ≦50 Copies/Ml in an Observational Setting
Authors: Monforte Antonella d'Arminio , Gianotti Nicola , Cozzi-Lepri Alessandro , Pinnetti Carmela , Andreoni Massimo , di Perri Giovanni , Galli Massimo , Poli Andrea , Costantini Andrea , Orofino Giancarlo , Maggiolo Franco , Mazzarello Giovanni , Celesia Benedetto Maurizio , Luciani Filippo , Lazzarin Adriano , Sighinolf Laura , Rizzardini Giuliano , Bonfanti Paolo , Perno Carlo Federico , Antinori Andrea ,   the ICONA Foundation Cohort
Published: March 2014

Background

The main objective is to evaluate the efficacy and durability of lopinavir-ritonavir monotherapy (LPV/r-MT) in virologically controlled HIV-positive individuals switching from combination antiretroviral therapy (cART).

Methods

Criteria to be included in this observational study were to have initiated for the first time LPV/r-MT after ≥2 consecutive HIV RNA≤50 copies/ml achieved on a ≥3-drug-including regimen. The main end points were time to virological rebound (VR; defined in two ways: time of first of two consecutive viral load [VL]>50 and >200 copies/ml), time to discontinuation/intensification and time to experience either a single VL>200 copies/ml or discontinuation/ intensification (treatment failure [TF]). Individuals’ follow-up accrued from the date of starting LPV/r-MT to event or last available VL Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox regression analyses were used.

Results

A total of 228 individuals were included: median age 46 years (IQR 40–50), 36% females, 36% intravenous drug users and 25% HCV-coinfected. Median CD4+ T-cell count at nadir was 215 cell/mm3 (IQR 116–336) and at baseline was 615 cell/mm3 (IQR 436–768). By 36 months after switching to LPV/r-MT, the proportion of individuals with VR (confirmed VL>200 copies/ml) was 11% and with TF was 35%. In the multivariable Cox model the factors associated with a lower risk of TF was the duration of viral suppression <50 copies/ml prior to baseline (ARH=0.92; 95% CI 0.85, 0.99; P=0.024, per 6 months longer) and having LPV/r as part of last cART (ARH=0.45; 95% CI 0.21, 0.95; P=0.037).

Conclusions

In daily clinical practice, we confirm a relatively safe approach of treatment simplification to LPV-MT in a selected population with long-lasting virological control.
Changes to Antiretroviral Drug Regimens during Integrated TB–HIV Treatment: Results of the Sapit Trial
Authors: Naidoo Anushka , Naidoo Kogieleum , Yende-Zuma Nonhlanhla , Gengiah Tanuja N , Padayatchi Nesri , Gray Andrew L , Bamber Sheila , Nair Gonasagrie , Karim Salim S Abdool
Published: March 2014

Background

Frequency of drug changes in combination antiretroviral therapy among patients starting both tuberculosis (TB) and HIV therapy, as a result of treatment-limiting toxicity or virological failure, is not well established.

Methods

Patients in the Starting Antiretroviral Therapy at Three Points in Tuberculosis (SAPiT) trial were randomized to initiate antiretroviral therapy (ART) either early or late during TB treatment or after completion of TB treatment. Drug changes due to toxicity (defined as due to grade 3 or 4 adverse events) or virological failure (defined as viral load >1,000 copies/ml on two occasions, taken ≥4 weeks apart) were assessed in these patients.

Results

A total of 501 TB–HIV-coinfected patients were followed for a mean of 16.0 months (95% CI 15.5, 16.6) after ART initiation. The standard first-line antiretrovirals used were efavirenz, lamivudine and didanosine. Individual drug switches for toxicity occurred in 14 patients (incidence rate 2.1 per 100 person-years, 95% CI 1.1, 3.5), and complete regimen changes due to virological failure in 25 patients (incidence rate 3.7 per 100 person-years, 95% CI 2.4, 5.5). The most common treatment limiting toxicities were neuropsychiatric effects ( n=4, 0.8%), elevated transaminase levels and hyperlactataemia ( n=3, 0.6%), and peripheral neuropathy ( n=2, 0.4%). Complete regimen change due to treatment failure was more common in patients with CD4+ T-cell count <50 cells/mm3 ( P<0.001) at ART initiation and body mass index >25 kg/m2 ( P=0.01) at entry into the study.

Conclusions

Both drug switches and complete regimen change were uncommon in patients cotreated for TB–HIV with the chosen regimen. Patients with severe immunosuppression need to be monitored carefully, as they were most at risk for treatment failure requiring regimen change.
Redes de seguridad para cierre vertical de fachadas
Authors: Riquelme P. , Romero S. , Irles R. , Segovia E.
Published: March 2014

Entre otros medios de protección colectiva, en los últimos años se vienen utilizando en España redes verticales de cierre de fachadas, a paño completo entre forjados en fase de estructura, y también para huecos menores como ventanas o puertas, en fases posteriores. Este tipo de protección no cuenta hasta el momento con ningún tipo de regulación oficial, si bien en el grupo de trabajo AEN/CTN81/SC2/GT7 se desarrolla actualmente el borrador de la norma Pr UNE 81651 a tal fin. Desde el Dtº. de Ing. de la Construcción de la Universidad de Alicante, varios miembros del grupo de trabajo han desarrollado, contando con la experiencia en otros sistemas de protección, algunos modelos numéricos con elementos finitos para valorar y cuantificar variables mecánicas asociadas al episodio de una eventual caída de una persona sobre este tipo de redes, caracterizado por una menor energía cinética que para otros tipos de ellas. En el artículo se exponen los resultados obtenidos para ambos tipos de paños, grandes y pequeños, donde se han valorado la separación de anclajes de la red, las aberturas generadas en su perímetro durante la retención, los esfuerzos en anclajes y elementos textiles, el factor de impacto que sufriría el accidentado y la repercusión de la disposición geométrica de la red, al cuadro o al rombo.
Human Cognition
Authors: Stachon Zdenek , Šašinka Cenek
Published: March 2014

Human cognition is a complex process of processing information. It is highly influenced by different factors, such as general concepts, individual characteristics, etc. This chapter deals with the topic of cognition of spatial information. Evolution of cognition is described and evaluated in it. The adaptive function of cognition is discussed in the context of ecological psychology. The current approaches to cognition problems are introduced, and the basic terms and concepts are explained. The ratio of cultural influence is compared with the influence of personality traits and the developmental stage of the individual. The aim of the chapter is to outline possible difficulties of designing a universal ontology describing geographic space on an interregional and global scale.
Ontology Engineering Method for Integrating Building Models
Authors: El-Mekawy Mohamed , Östman Anders
Published: March 2014

The Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) and City Geography Markup Language (CityGML) are the two most prominent semantic models for the representation of Building Information Models (BIM) and geospatial objects. IFC and CityGML use different terminologies to describe the same domain, and there is a great heterogeneity in their semantics. For bidirectional conversions between these models, an intermediate Unified Building Model (UBM) is proposed that facilitates the transfer of spatial information from IFC to CityGML and vice versa. A unified model in the current study is defined as a superset model that is extended to contain all the features and objects from both IFC and CityGML building models. The conversion is a two-steps process in which a model is first converted to the unified model and then to the target model.
Getting Real About Virtual Worlds
Authors: Gupta Manish , Jin Sung , Sanders G. Lawrence , Sherman Barbara A. , Simha Anand
Published: March 2014

Virtual worlds have emerged as important socio-technical artifacts in contemporary society. They have enabled unique business models in the digital economy. This paper presents a rich account on how virtual worlds have transformed modern society and how they have been presented as having outstanding benefits and promise, with examples of successes and failures. The goal is to synthesize the research and demonstrate an accurate understanding of this novel artifact and its multi-facet consequences. In addition, and more importantly, this review proposes a research agenda for the information systems discipline and assists in identifying critical issues on virtual world technologies and strategic management practices. The objective of this study is to establish a foundation for research on virtual worlds.
Nitrous Oxide Fluxes from a Commercial Beef Cattle Feedlot in Kansas
Authors: Aguilar Orlando A. , Maghirang Ronaldo , Rice Charles W. , Trabue Steven L. , Erickson Larry E.
Published: March 2014

Emission of greenhouse gases, including nitrous oxide (N2O), from open beef cattle feedlots is becoming an environmental concern; however, research measuring emission rates of N2O from open beef cattle feedlots has been limited. This study was conducted to quantify N2O emission fluxes as affected by pen surface conditions, in a commercial beef cattle feedlot in the state of Kansas, USA, from July 2010 through September 2011. The measurement period represented typical feedlot conditions, with air temperatures ranging from -24 to 39°C. Static flux chambers were used to collect gas samples from pen surfaces at 0, 15, and 30 minutes. Gas samples were analyzed with a gas chromatograph and from the measured concentrations, fluxes were calculated. Median emission flux from the moist/muddy surface condition was 2.03 mg m−2 hour−1, which was about 20 times larger than the N2O fluxes from the other pen surface conditions. In addition, N2O peaks from the moist/muddy pen surface condition were six times larger than emission peaks previously reported for agricultural soils.
Psychiatric Morbidity among Street Children in Duhok
Authors: Taib Nezar Ismet , Ahmad Abdulbaghi
Published: March 2014

Background

Due, in part, to family constraints in dealing with the economical burden of raising a family, a wave of street children is sweeping the developing world. Such children are prone to both somatic and mental illnesses. This is the first ever study that has been conducted to explore the psychopathology among street children in the Duhok Governorate.

Methods

The study was conducted between March 2004 and May 2005 in Duhok City among street children who attended the Zewa Center—the only center for street children in the region at the time of the study. Among a total of 107 eligible children, 100 agreed to participate (93% response rate). A modified family map (genogram) was used to obtain demographic data from the children and their caregivers through semi-structured interviews. In addition, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI-KID) structured interviews were conducted with the children.

Results

The study found that 98% of children worked on the street because of the economic need and pressure on their families. There was high rate of parental illiteracy (90% of fathers and 95% of mothers), and 61% of respondents were shown to have at least one psychiatric disorder. A high percentage (57%) of these children suffered from anxiety disorders including posttraumatic stress disorders (29%). Ten percent had depression, and 5% had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Conclusion

Street children in Duhok seem to be working children due to their families’ needs.
The Typology of Āmreḍita Compounds in the Ṛgveda
Authors: DITRICH Tamara
Published: March 2014

Āmreḍita compounds in the Ṛgveda are considered to be a type of coordinative nominal constructions, closely related to dvandva compounds. This article investigates āmreḍita compounds against the background of other coordinative nominal constructions from Ṛgveda 1.1–1.50 which were analysed and compared with their parallel attestations in other maṇḍalas of the Ṛgveda. The first fifty hymns of the Ṛgveda form an organic whole: they belong to the middle period in the Ṛgvedic chronology and address a rich variety of deities, providing a substantial amount of material to address the typological problems of āmreḍita compounds. The article overviews the problems related to the typology of āmreḍita compounds, their analysis in the Ṛgvedapadapāṭha and the Aṣṭādhyāyī, examines all āmreḍita compounds attested in Ṛgveda 1.1–1.50 and compares them with dvandva compounds, noting their interrelations, similarities and differences and consequently, identifies some of their typological features.
Expletives in Modern Persian
Authors: MOSAFFA JAHROMI Abolfazl
Published: March 2014

It has generally been argued that Persian does not include dummy elements called expletives, in spite of the existence of the morpheme ǐn which shows the behavior of an expletive in specific constructions. The morpheme is not a part of the argument structure and has no meaning. In Persian, which is a pro-drop language, the morpheme ǐn as expletive is generated only in [SPEC CP] of an independent clause. This element may occur in a subject position, object position, or as an object of a preposition. In subject and object positions it is optional when S′ moves to the end of the sentence, or is adjoined to it, in other cases it is obligatory. As an object of a preposition it is always obligatory, no matter whether the structure is the result of a movement or not. The aim of this article is to provide evidence in favor of the existence of expletives, and their projection in Persian.
Foreword
Authors: BEKEŠ Andrej
Published: March 2014

In line with the journal policy, the present issue of ALA, the last this year, also includes also a paper in Slovene. While striving for an active, open and engaged dialogue with the scientific trends in the research of Asian languages around the world, ALA, as the sole scientific journal devoted to Asian linguistics in Slovenia, also has set before itself the goal to cultivate critical scientific thought and terminology in this field among Slovenian speakers by providing in one of the issues every year also research and technical articles in Slovenian, for the Slovenian reading public, above all for undergraduate students and the interested public at large. This has been a tradition and, I would say, also a duty, respected and eagerly put in practice by those of us who do science, including linguistics, in the context of a relatively small language community, that of Slovenian speakers.The present issue begins with two papers concerned with the perception of phonological and phonetic differences between languages.The first paper, by Ashima AGGARWAL, deals with the acquisition of Hindi voicing and aspiration contrasts by monolingual English speakers in the framework of Optimality theory. The main result, that English learners do perceive aspiration distinction but not voicing contrast, also bears on adult learning of second languages in general.In the second paper, Nina GOLOB examines differences in Japanese and Slovene prosody i.e., accent and intonation, from a phonological point of view. The study shows that there are phonological differences behind some superficial phonetic similarities in the examined phenomena, which represent a difficulty in the acquisition of L2 prosody.In the next paper, Abolfazl MOSAFFA JAHROMI examines the syntactic behaviour of in, an expletive-like morpheme in Persian, and argues in favour of the existence of expletives in Persian, a language which has hitherto generally been considered to have no expletives.The fourth and fifth paper deal with categorisations. The fourth paper deals with typological categorisation based on event framing strategies in Old Chinese and Old Japanese. On the basis of an analysis of available data, Wenchao LI concludes that while Old Chinese employed verb framing, satellite framing and equipollent framing, verb framing was its main pattern, while in Old Japanese all three patterns were employed comparably.The fifth paper, by Sumi YOON, deals with discourse categorisation of Japanese and Korean, both generally considered as “listener-responsible” languages. By analysing apologies in conversations by Japanese and Korean students, both those in their home country and those studying in the US, the author argues for a recategorization of Korean as a “speaker-responsible language”.In the technical article, in Slovene, at the end of this issue, Andrej BEKEŠ investigates the classification of genres in Japanese corpora, based on recent research he has also been involved in. He argues that various modal expressions, such as suppositional adverbs, may provide an interesting base for such classification.
Text Type Classification in the Japanese Language
Authors: BEKEŠ Andrej
Published: March 2014

This paper deals with some recent approaches to Japanese text classification within the framework of Halliday’s systemic functional linguistics. Text types differ according to the properties of their respective field, tenor and mode. Classification approaches usually center on field properties as reflected in content words and their distribution in texts. On the other hand, approaches introduced in the present paper are based on evidential-modal meanings, expressed by evidential adverbs and sentence-final auxiliary evidential-modal expressions.
3arabizi - When Local Arabic Meets Global English
Authors: BIANCHI Robert Michael
Published: March 2014

Arabic is the official language of Jordan. Yet, English is a language of prestige among many upwardly mobile Jordanians. Sakarna (2006) dubs a hybrid language comprised of a mixture of these two languages “Englo-Arabic”. In online contexts, a similar hybrid language has emerged. Often popularly labeled “3arabizi” or “Arabish”, a blended word based on the words “Arabic” and “English”, this mixed code is the most commonly encountered form of language for composing forum messages on the popular Jordanian website, Mahjoob.com (http://www.mahjoob.com). The most striking feature of 3arabizi is that it is written in Latin script and uses arithmographemics i.e. numbers as letters to represent Arabic sounds that do not occur in English. This article presents the key orthographical features of 3arabizi and discusses its topical occurrence when compared to both Arabic and English as observable within a purposive sample of web forum messages collected from Mahjoob.com.
We Have It too: A Strategy Which Helps to Grasp the Japanese Writing System for Students from Outside of the Chinese Character Cultural Zone
Authors: BEKEŠ Andrej
Published: March 2014

For beginner learners with non-Chinese character background complexities of Japanese writing system often represent an insurmountable obstacle. Yet closer look at different types of writing systems reveals that differences between them are more of a degree than of a kind. Present paper, based on this perception, argues for the employment of strategies based on a transfer of analogies between alphabet based writing systems such as English, to Japanese writing system. This would help beginner learners overcome cognitive and affective blockade, when beginning to learn Japanese writing.
A Semantic Change Model for French Loanwords in Persian
Authors: MOGHADDAM Azadeh Sharifi
Published: March 2014

The aim of this study is to propose a model of semantic change which corresponds to synchronic analysis of the data set. For this purpose, the study examined semantic change orientation of French loanwords in Persian. Zomorrodian’s (1373/1994) book on European loanwords in Persian was selected as the database from which 1878 French loanwords were extracted. The data was analyzed semantically by consulting Bellows and Bellows’ (1919) dictionary in order to compare meanings of the original lexical items against the present meaning of the loanwords. A number of 330 loaned items were found to have undergone a type of semantic change. The corpus was examined against the existing semantic change typologies. Finding these models to be incomplete, a new model was proposed. This model, being synchronic and non-linear, is of a more elaborate design with the following advantages: a) all items (loanwords) of the corpus could be contained in it, and b) all categories of this model were filled up by loaned items.
Analysis of Learner’s Production of Adjectives Using the Japanese Language Learner's Corpus C-JAS: The Case of takai
Authors: SRDANOVIĆ Irena , SAKODA Kumiko
Published: March 2014

In this paper, we explore learner production of adjectives using the Japanese language learner's corpus C-JAS (Corpus of Japanese As a Second language). Firstly, we describe the overall usage of adjectives in the corpus and discuss the distribution of the adjectives among learners including their correct and incorrect usages. Then, we take the frequently used adjective takai "high/tall/expensive" as an example and show how the learners' production of adjectives develops in terms of form, correct/incorrect usages, and lexico-semantic coverage.
Larval behavior and dispersal mechanisms in shore crab larvae (Carcinus maenas): Local adaptations to different tidal environments?
Authors: Moksnes Per-Olav , Corell Hanna , Tryman Kentaroo , Hordoir Robinson , Jonsson Per R.
Published: March 2014

Using a combination of empirical and model studies we tested whether European shore crab larvae (Carcinus maenas) from environments with different tidal regimes in the North Sea area have different swimming behaviors, and whether this affects connectivity and settlement success of larvae. Laboratory studies demonstrated the presence of an inherited tidal migration rhythm in newly hatched crab larvae from the mesotidal Danish Wadden Sea, and field studies showed that postlarvae swam in surface water almost exclusively during flood tides, suggesting that larvae use selective tidal stream transport to control the dispersal process. In contrast, shore crab larvae from microtidal Skagerrak displayed a nocturnal vertical migration behavior that appeared to switch to a diurnal behavior at the end of the postlarval phase, indicating an adaptation to avoid visual predators and to use wind‐driven transport to reach shallow settlement areas. A biophysical model showed that tidal‐migrating larvae in the Wadden Sea had two times higher settlement success than larvae with a diel behavior. However, no differences in settlement success were found between the two larval behaviors in microtidal Skagerrak, where lower fitness is suggested for tidal‐migrating larvae due to higher predation mortality from visual predators. We suggest that the differences in inherited larval behavior in larvae from meso‐ and microtidal regions reflect local adaptations maintained through natural selection of successful recruits. Consistent with recent population genetic studies, modeled connectivity of shore crabs indicated an oceanographic dispersal barrier to gene flow in Eastern Wadden Sea that may facilitate such adaptations.
Ozone weekend effects in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei metropolitan area, China
Authors: Wang Y. H. , Hu B. , Ji D. S. , Liu Z. R. , Tang G. Q. , Xin J. Y. , Zhang H. X. , Song T. , Wang L. L. , Gao W. K. , Wang X. K. , Wang Y. S.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The ozone weekend effect (OWE) was first investigated in the metropolitan area of Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH), China, using in situ measurements from the Atmospheric Environment Monitoring Network from July 2009 to August 2011. The results indicate that there is an obvious weekly periodical variation in the surface ozone concentration. There is a lower ozone concentration from Wednesday to Friday (weekday) and a higher concentration from Saturday to Monday (weekend) at all the locations of the study. NOx also displays a weekly cycle, with the maximum level occurring on weekdays and the minimum level on weekends, especially later on Sunday night and early Monday morning. This pattern may be responsible for the higher concentration of ozone on weekends. Additionally, the vertical variations in O3 and NOx from the 8 m, 47 m, 120 m and 280 m observation platforms on the 325 m Beijing meteorological tower displayed obvious weekly cycles that corresponded to the surface results. A smaller decrease in volatile organic compounds (VOCs; using CO as a proxy) and much lower NOx concentrations on the weekend may lead to higher VOC / NOx ratio, which can enhance the ozone production efficiency in VOC-limited regime areas. Additionally, a clear weekly cycle in the fine aerosol concentration was observed, with maximum values occurring on weekdays and minimum values occurring on weekends. Higher concentrations of aerosol on weekdays can reduce the UV radiation flux by scattering or absorbing, which leads to a decrease in the ozone production efficiency. A significant weekly cycle in UV radiation, consistent with the aerosol concentration, was discovered at the Beijing meteorological tower site (BJT), validating the assumption. A comprehensive understanding of the ozone weekend effect in the BTH area can provide deep insights into controlling photochemical pollution.
WRF-Chem simulations of a typical pre-monsoon dust storm in northern India: influences on aerosol optical properties and radiation budget
Authors: Kumar R. , Barth M. C. , Pfister G. G. , Naja M. , Brasseur G. P.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The impact of a typical pre-monsoon season (April–June) dust storm event on the regional aerosol optical properties and radiation budget in northern India is analyzed. The dust storm event lasted from 17 to 22 April 2010 and the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) estimated total dust emissions of 7.5 Tg over the model domain. Both in situ (AERONET – Aerosol Robotic Network) and satellite observations show significant increase (> 50%) in local to regional scale aerosol optical depth (AOD) and decrease (> 70%) in the Ångström exponent (α) during this period. Amongst the AERONET sites in this region, Kanpur was influenced the most, where the AOD reached up to 2.1 and the α decreased to −0.09 during the dust storm period. The WRF-Chem model reproduced the spatial and temporal distributions of dust plumes and aerosol optical properties but generally underestimated the AOD. The average MODIS and WRF-Chem AOD (550 nm) values in a subregion (70–80° E, 25–30° N) affected the most by the dust storm are estimated as 0.80 ± 0.30 and 0.68 ± 0.28, respectively. Model results show that dust particles cool the surface and the top of the atmosphere, but warm the atmosphere itself. The radiative perturbation due to dust aerosols averaged over the subregion is estimated as −2.9 ± 3.1 W m−2 at the top of the atmosphere, 5.1 ± 3.3 W m−2 in the atmosphere and −8.0 ± 3.3 W m−2 at the surface. The simulated instantaneous cooling under the dust plume was much higher and reached −227 and −70 W m−2 at the surface and the top of the atmosphere, respectively. The impact of these radiative perturbations on the surface energy budget is estimated to be small on a regional scale but significant locally.
High-resolution (375 m) cloud microstructure as seen from the NPP/VIIRS satellite imager
Authors: Rosenfeld D. , Liu G. , Yu X. , Zhu Y. , Dai J. , Xu X. , Yue Z.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite), onboard the Suomi NPP (National Polar-orbiting Partnership) satellite, has an improved resolution of 750 m with respect to the 1000 m of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer for the channels that allow retrieving cloud microphysical parameters such as cloud drop effective radius (re). VIIRS also has an imager with five channels of double resolution of 375 m, which was not designed for retrieving cloud products. A methodology for a high-resolution retrieval of re and microphysical presentation of the cloud field based on the VIIRS imager was developed and evaluated with respect to MODIS in this study. The tripled microphysical resolution with respect to MODIS allows obtaining new insights for cloud–aerosol interactions, especially at the smallest cloud scales, because the VIIRS imager can resolve the small convective elements that are sub-pixel for MODIS cloud products. Examples are given for new insights into ship tracks in marine stratocumulus, pollution tracks from point and diffused sources in stratocumulus and cumulus clouds over land, deep tropical convection in pristine air mass over ocean and land, tropical clouds that develop in smoke from forest fires and in heavy pollution haze over densely populated regions in southeastern Asia, and for pyro-cumulonimbus clouds. It is found that the VIIRS imager provides more robust physical interpretation and refined information for cloud and aerosol microphysics as compared to MODIS, especially in the initial stage of cloud formation. VIIRS is found to identify significantly more fully cloudy pixels when small boundary layer convective elements are present. This, in turn, allows for a better quantification of cloud–aerosol interactions and impacts on precipitation-forming processes.
Relative roles of local disturbance, current climate and paleoclimate in determining phylogenetic and functional diversity in Chinese forests
Authors: Feng G. , Mi X. C. , Bøcher P. K. , Mao L. F. , Sandel B. , Cao M. , Ye W. H. , Hao Z. Q. , Gong H. D. , Zhang Y. T. , Zhao X. H. , Jin G. Z. , Ma K. P. , Svenning J.-C.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The main processes underlying the generation and maintenance of biodiversity include both local factors such as competition and abiotic filtering and regional forces such as paleoclimate, speciation and dispersal. While the effects of regional and local drivers on species diversity are increasingly studied, their relative importance for other aspects of diversity, notably phylogenetic and functional diversity is so far little studied. Here, we link data from large Chinese forest plots to data on current and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) climate as well as local disturbance regimes to study their relative roles in determining woody plant phylogenetic and functional diversity in this important hotspot for woody plant diversity. Local disturbance was the best predictor of functional diversity as represented by maximum canopy height (Hmax), probably reflecting the dominant role of competition for light in determining the forest Hmax structure. In contrast, the LGM–present anomaly in temperature was the factor with the strongest explanatory power for phylogenetic diversity, with modern climate also important. Hence, local contemporary and regional historical factors have highly contrasting importance for the geographic patterns of the functional (as represented by variation in maximum canopy height) and phylogenetic aspects of Chinese forest's woody plant diversity. Importantly, contemporary factors are of overriding importance for functional diversity, while paleoclimate has left a strong signature in the phylogenetic diversity patterns.
Functioning conditions of the Casale pumping station in Mantova, Italy
Authors: Capponi C. , Ferrante M. , Pedroni M. , Brunone B. , Meniconi S. , Zaghini M. , Leoni F.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. This paper aims to analyze data provided by TeaAcque for Casale pumping station in Mantova, Italy. A~model based on the affinity laws is used to simulate the behavior of the Casale pumping station where variable speed pumps (VSPs) are installed. Quadratic and cubic polynomial curves are used to fit the pump data given by the affinity laws. Such curves can be used to predict the efficiency when the functioning conditions change. The relationship between the variation in the rotation speed and the efficiency is also derived.