bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Primary medulla oblongata teratomas
Authors: Li Da , Hao Shu-Yu , Wu Zhen , Zhang Li-Wei , Zhang Jun-Ting
Published: July 2014

Medulla oblongata teratomas are rare. The authors report 2 new cases of teratomas that occurred exclusively in the medulla oblongata. The first case was in a 9-year-old boy who presented with a 6-month history of neck pain and repeated paroxysmal vomiting. Based on preoperative radiographic findings, the initial diagnosis was of an intraaxial medulla oblongata hemangioblastoma. Intraoperatively, the cystic component of the tumor was gray, gelatinous, and soft in consistency. The solid component was light pink, rubbery, and nodular in appearance, with an identifiable boundary. The lesion was completely removed. Histopathological investigation revealed a mature teratoma. Postoperatively, the patient was supported with ventilator assistance and received a tracheotomy, but died of intracranial infection. The second case was in a 10-year-old boy with intermittent headache for 1 month. Radiographs revealed an exophytic cystic and solid lesion with dorsal involvement of the medulla oblongata. The lesion was predominantly solid, pinkish gray, tenacious, and moderately vascularized, with clearly delineated surgical dissection planes. The histopathological examination confirmed a diagnosis of immature teratoma. Total resection was achieved, followed by postoperative chemotherapy. He was alive without recurrence of the lesion or symptoms at 59 months after surgery.

Resection of medulla oblongata teratoma is challenging, with inherent surgical risks that are contingent on the tumor growth pattern. Teratomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of brainstem lesions. Chemotherapy has been suggested for immature teratomas. Long-term follow-up and larger studies of teratomas in unusual locations are required to improve practitioners' understanding of this disease's treatment and outcomes.
Present status of rearing backyard poultry in selected areas of Mymensingh district
Authors: Alam MA , Ali MS , Das NG , Rahman MM
Published: July 2014

This study was conducted in Boyra and Sutiakhali villages under Sadar upazila of Mymensingh district to know the present status of backyard poultry production system. The survey data were collected from 40 randomly selected farmers having 20 from each village by interviewing them. The data were then analyzed statistically. All the selected farmers reared deshi chicken and about 54% of them reared deshi duck only. It was also found that highest proportion (75%) of farmers reared both chicken and duck together, followed by 17.5% reared only chicken and 7.5% reared chicken, duck and pigeon at a time. The average population per household of chicken, duck and pigeon were 10.4, 9.95 and 4.0, respectively, in both villages. All farmers reared poultry in semi-scavenging system. About 55% farmers kept poultry in their dwelling house. Farmers were used boiled rice, rice polish, paddy and broken rice to fed the birds. About 62% farmers were used rice and rice polish to make diet for chicken and ducks. Farmers provided around 49g and 108g supplemental diet to each chicken and duck per day, respectively and about 65% farmers provided this diet twice a day. Majority of farmers did not use feeder and waterer (about 75% and 87.5% respectively). Age at sexual maturity of Chicken and duck were around 189 days and 195 days, respectively. Adult weight of chicken and duck were 1192.5g and 1690g, respectively. The weights of chicken and duck eggs were 39.02 and 62.5g, respectively. The hatchability of chicken and duck eggs ranged between 69-80% and 76-90% with an average of 75.97 and 83%, respectively. Majority of the farmers mentioned that the most prevalent diseases of chicken and duck were New castle and cholera (about 51% and 49%, respectively). A large number of farmers (86%) did not vaccinate their poultry. Mortality of chicken and duck were calculated about 28% and 20%, respectively. Farmers collected chicks and ducklings from market and neighbor but most of the farmers (50% for chicks and 43% for ducks) incubate eggs under the broody hen. It was concluded that backyard poultry farmers are low producers and chicken and duck were found to be the most common poultry species reared by the farmers.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v43i1.19382 Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2014. 43 (1): 30-37
Performance of broiler with feeding different levels of palm oil
Authors: Das GB , Hossain ME , Akbar MA
Published: July 2014

Six hundred day-old unsexed broiler chicks were used in a 42-day trial to compare the effects of different levels of palm oil supplementation on feed intake, weight gain, feed conversion and carcass quality of broilers. The chicks were randomly distributed following a completely randomized design in four treatment groups having three replications per treatment. Each treatment had 150 broilers with 50 broilers per replicate. Four diets were formulated using locally available ingredients as diet without oil, diets containing 2.5%, 3.0% and 3.5% palm oil. All broilers had free access to ad libitum feeding. Results indicated that, supplementation of diets with different levels of palm oil significantly (p<0.05) influenced feed intake of broiler only at the age of 6th week. It was observed that as the level of supplementation increased, feed intake gradually decreased up to 6th week. Supplementation of diets with different levels of palm oil increased live weight gain of broilers. Differences (p<0.01) were observed at the end of 4th, 5th and 6th weeks of age only. Use of different levels of palm oil significantly (p<0.05) changed blood weight, heart weight and dressed weight. Survivability of broilers was higher in the supplemented group compared with without oil group. It was concluded that, supplementation of palm oil at 3.5% level in the diet of broilers resulted higher weight gain, better feed conversion and improved carcass characteristics comparing other levels. It may be concluded that supplementation of palm oil at 3.5% level in the diet of broilers resulted significantly (p>0.05) higher feed conversion ratio compared to 2.5% and 3.0% levels.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v43i1.19384 Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2014. 43 (1): 45-51
Income of Madura cattle farmers in Madura island of East Java province of Indonesia
Authors: Riszqina MR , Isbandi MR , Rianto E , Santoso SI
Published: July 2014

Madura cattle are indigenous in Madura Island of Indonesia, which are raised for beef/ draught, racing (karapan) and beauty contest (sonok). The purpose of this study is to determine the farmer income of beef/ draught cattle, racing bull and contest cows business in Madura Island, and to determine which business gives the greatest advantage to the farmers. This study involved 240 beef cattle farmers, 135 racing bull farmers and of 145 beauty contest cows farmers from all over Madura Island. Data collected were analysed for fixed costs, variable costs, total costs, revenue, income, benefit-cost ratio (B/C ratio). The results showed that the average income/head/year in beef/draught, racing and beauty contest cattle were IDR. 6,698,017; IDR. -8,218,347; and IDR. 447,880, respectively. The average value of B/C ratio in the beef/draught cattle business, racing bull and cow contest were -0.51, -0.20 and 0.04, respectively. It is concluded that cow contest business has the best advantage based on the aspects of farmer's income and B/C ratio.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjas.v43i1.19388 Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2014. 43 (1): 68-73
Finite element analysis for unsteady MHD heat and mass transfer free convection flow of polar fluids past a vertical moving porous plate in a porous medium with heat generation and thermal diffusion
Authors: Malga Bala Siddulu , Kishan Naikoti
Published: July 2014

The unsteady two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic heat and mass transfer free convection flow of an incompressible viscous electrically conducting polar fluid through a porous medium past a semi-infinite vertical porous moving plate in the presence of a transverse magnetic field with thermal diffusion and heat generation is considered. The plate moves with a constant velocity in the longitudinal direction and the free stream velocity follows an exponentially increasing or decreasing. A uniform magnetic field acts perpendicularly to the porous surface which absorbs the polar fluid with a suction velocity varying with time. The equations of conservation of mass, momentum, energy and concentration which govern the case study of heat and mass transfer flow have been obtained. The equations have been solved numerically by Galerkin finite element method. The effect of various flow parameters are presented graphically. Representative results for velocity profiles, temperature profiles and concentration profiles are obtained for several values of pertinent parameters which are of physical and engineering interest.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jname.v11i1.12844
Prospects of virtual or computational towing tank facility for the shipbuilding industry of Bangladesh
Authors: Rahaman Md. Mashiur , Akimoto H. , Orihara H. , Zakaria N.M.G. , Shabnam S.
Published: July 2014

Shipbuilding is on the verge of blooming into the major foreign revenue-earning industry in Bangladesh. A number of export-oriented shipyards are developed to deliver different kinds of ships for local and international clients. For designing a ship, model testing facilities are required not only to predict power requirements but also to evaluate its performance in actual sea operation. At present, Bangladesh does not have this facility. Also carrying out model testing is very expensive and time consuming. Therefore, now-a-days most of the shipyards all over the world are using virtual or computational towing tank facility. Due to improvement of solution algorithm for handling non-linear problem and computational infrastructure, computational or virtual towing tank can be used as a replacement of physical towing tank experiments. In the present study, a numerical or computational towing tank technique named WISDAM which is developed at The University of Tokyo, Japan is described with its applicability in perspective of Bangladesh shipbuilding industries.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jname.v11i1.15619
Effect of variable thermal conductivity on convective heat and mass transfer over a vertical plate in a rotating system with variable porosity regime
Authors: Bandaru Mallikarjuna , Vijaya R. Bhuvana
Published: July 2014

Mathematical model has been presented to investigate the effect of variable thermal conductivity on Darcy mixed convective heat and mass transfer flow past a vertical plate in a rotating system by taking into account of variable porosity regime and chemical reaction parameter. The governing boundary layer equations for the flow, energy and species are transformed into system of ordinary differential equations using similarity transformations and then solved numerically by employing Fourth order Runge-Kutta method with shooting technique for various values of physical parameters. The effects of variable thermal conductivity, chemical reaction parameter and variable porosity regime on the fluid velocity, temperature and concentration, local skin friction and rate of heat and mass transfer distribution in the regime are presented graphically and analyzed in detail. We compare the results with previously published work and good agreement is obtained.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jname.v11i1.16488
Memorisation of the Qur'an: Opening the Research Agenda
Authors: Keblawi Faris
Published: July 2014

Muslims around the world devote considerable effort to memorising the Qur'an, as this is deemed to be a highly meritorious endeavour that brings them closer to God. Memorisation of the Qur'an was one of the first, and most important, means by which the Qur'an was preserved by the early Muslim community. Interest in memorisation has continued over the centuries, but it has not evolved into a distinct field of study as has been the case with various sciences particular to the Qur'an, such as, for example, the sciences of qirāʾāt and tajwīd. This paper seeks to establish a distinct, interdisciplinary, academic sub-discipline for the study of issues related to the characteristics and particularities of Qur'an memorisation. The potential contribution to this emerging discipline of other academic fields, such as applied linguistics, psycholinguistics, and educational psychology, will also be discussed.
Value and Wastes in Manufacturing. An Overview and a New Perspective Based on Eco-Efficiency
Authors: Simboli Alberto , Taddeo Raffaella , Morgante Anna
Published: July 2014

In the last century, the evolution of manufacturing was characterized by several innovations, concerning technologies, processes, but also entire production systems, with radical changes in strategies, product design, and management of organizations. Cost, time, and quality are the pillars on which was based the industrial competitiveness during that era. In the most recent years, a renewed interest in environmental issues and socio-ethical values has gradually promoted the transition towards the so-called low impact economies. Producers are then required to pursue a more rational and eco-efficient use of resources and reduce production wastes to survive; also the concept of value chain has been often associated with the terms environmental/green or sustainable. Various studies have been carried out to encourage companies in including the environment in their strategic and operational decisions making. Industrial Ecology (IE) represents the latest and most ambitious attempt to reach this goal; however, a great deal of work remains to be done to achieve this goal. As a result, enhancing companies to integrate efficiency and sustainable practices still has a long way to go. This study presents an overview on the evolutionary dynamics of manufacturing in the industrial age, and offers a discussion about the potential synergies in integrating IE approaches and tools in Lean Manufacturing, by introducing the environmental load as a further type of Muda; the systematic actions to reduce this waste can build up the basis for improving competitiveness through the eco-efficiency.
Magnetic Properties of FeNi-Based Thin Film Materials with Different Additives
Authors: Liang Cai , Gooneratne Chinthaka , Wang Qing , Liu Yang , Gianchandani Yogesh , Kosel Jurgen
Published: July 2014

This paper presents a study of FeNi-based thin film materials deposited with Mo, Al and B using a co-sputtering process. The existence of soft magnetic properties in combination with strong magneto-mechanical coupling makes these materials attractive for sensor applications. Our findings show that FeNi deposited with Mo or Al yields magnetically soft materials and that depositing with B further increases the softness. The out-of-plane magnetic anisotropy of FeNi thin films is reduced by depositing with Al and completely removed by depositing with B. The effect of depositing with Mo is dependent on the Mo concentration. The coercivity of FeNiMo and FeNiAl is reduced to less than a half of that of FeNi, and a value as low as 40 A/m is obtained for FeNiB. The surfaces of the obtained FeNiMo, FeNiAl and FeNiB thin films reveal very different morphologies. The surface of FeNiMo shows nano-cracks, while the FeNiAl films show large clusters and fewer nano-cracks. When FeNi is deposited with B, a very smooth morphology is obtained. The crystal structure of FeNiMo strongly depends on the depositant concentration and changes into an amorphous structure at a higher Mo level. FeNiAl thin films remain polycrystalline, even at a very high concentration of Al, and FeNiB films are amorphous, even at a very low concentration of B.
A Software Architecture for Simulation Support in Building Automation
Authors: Leal Sergio , Zucker Gerhard , Hauer Stefan , Judex Florian
Published: July 2014

Building automation integrates the active components in a building and, thus, has to connect components of different industries. The goal is to provide reliable and efficient operation. This paper describes how simulation can support building automation and how the deployment process of simulation assisted building control systems can be structured. We look at the process as a whole and map it to a set of formally described workflows that can partly be automated. A workbench environment supports the process execution by means of improved planning, collaboration and deployment. This framework allows integration of existing tools, as well as manual tasks, and is, therefore, many more intricate than regular software deployment tools. The complex environment of building commissioning requires expertise in different domains, especially lighting, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, measurement and control technology, as well as energy efficiency; therefore, we present a framework for building commissioning and describe a deployment process that is capable of supporting the various phases of this approach.
Energy Management and Control of Electric Vehicles, Using Hybrid Power Source in Regenerative Braking Operation
Authors: Long Bo , Lim Shin , Bai Zhi , Ryu Ji , Chong Kil
Published: July 2014

Today’s battery powered electric vehicles still face many issues: (1) Ways of improving the regenerative braking energy; (2) how to maximally extend the driving-range of electric vehicles (EVs) and prolong the service life of batteries; (3) how to satisfy the energy requirements of the EVs both in steady and dynamic state. The electrochemical double-layer capacitors, also called ultra-capacitors (UCs), have the merits of high energy density and instantaneous power output capability, and are usually combined with power battery packs to form a hybrid power supply system (HPSS). The power circuit topology of the HPSS has been illustrated in this paper. In the proposed HPSS, all the UCs are in series, which may cause an imbalanced voltage distribution of each unit, moreover, the energy allocation between the batteries and UCs should also be considered. An energy-management scheme to solve this problem has been presented. Moreover, due to the parameter variations caused by temperature changes and produced errors, the modelling procedure of the HPSS becomes very difficult, so an H∞ current controller is presented. The proposed hybrid power source circuit is implemented on a laboratory hardware setup using a digital signal processor (DSP). Simulation and experimental results have been put forward to demonstrate the feasibility and validity of the approach.
Respiratory Effects of Fine and Ultrafine Particles from Indoor Sources—A Randomized Sham-Controlled Exposure Study of Healthy Volunteers
Authors: Soppa Vanessa , Schins Roel , Hennig Frauke , Hellack Bryan , Quass Ulrich , Kaminski Heinz , Kuhlbusch Thomas , Hoffmann Barbara , Weinmayr Gudrun
Published: July 2014

Particulate air pollution is linked to impaired respiratory health. We analyzed particle emissions from common indoor sources (candles burning (CB), toasting bread (TB), frying sausages (FS)) and lung function in 55 healthy volunteers (mean age 33.0 years) in a randomized cross-over controlled exposure study. Lung-deposited particle surface area concentration (PSC), size-specific particle number concentration (PNC) up to 10 µm, and particle mass concentration (PMC) of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 were determined during exposure (2 h). FEV1, FVC and MEF25%–75% was measured before, 4 h and 24 h after exposure. Wilcoxon-rank sum tests (comparing exposure scenarios) and mixed linear regression using particle concentrations and adjusting for personal characteristics, travel time and transportation means before exposure sessions were performed. While no effect was seen comparing the exposure scenarios and in the unadjusted model, inverse associations were found for PMC from CB and FS in relation to FEV1 and MEF25%–75%. with a change in 10 µg/m3 in PM2.5 from CB being associated with a change in FEV1 of −19 mL (95%-confidence interval:−43; 5) after 4 h. PMC from TB and PNC of UFP were not associated with lung function changes, but PSC from CB was. Elevated indoor fine particles from certain sources may be associated with small decreases in lung function in healthy adults.
Proanthocyanidin Accumulation and Biosynthesis Are Modulated by the Irrigation Regime in Tempranillo Seeds
Authors: Genebra Tania , Santos Raquen , Francisco Rita , Pinto-Marijuan Marta , Brossa Ricard , Serra Ana , Duarte Catarina , Chaves Maria , Zarrouk Olfa
Published: July 2014

The main effects of three different irrigation regimes, i.e., sustained deficit irrigation (SDI), regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) and non-irrigated (NI), on seed traits namely proanthocyanidins (PAs) were evaluated in the wine grape cultivar Aragonez (syn. Tempranillo) grown in Alentejo (Portugal) over two growing seasons. Results showed that while the number of seeds per berry was not affected by water availability, seed fresh weight differed among treatments, the NI treatment exhibiting the lowest values. The biosynthetic pathway of flavanols appeared to be modified by the irrigation treatment, and several genes responsible for PA synthesis were up-regulated in the most stressed seeds (RDI and NI). However, this effect had no impact on PA content, suggesting the influence of other factors such as oxidation and/or degradation of PAs at late stages of maturation in grape seeds. The seeds’ non-enzymatic antioxidant capacities (oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and hydroxyl radical adverting capacity (HORAC)) were modulated by water deficit and correlated well with PA content. The impact of irrigation strategy on PA biosynthesis, content, and anti-radical activity during seed ripening is discussed in the context of increasing interest in the role of PAs in the color and taste of wine, and the potential health benefits relating to their antioxidant capacity.
Ionic Liquids and Cellulose: Dissolution, Chemical Modification and Preparation of New Cellulosic Materials
Authors: Isik Mehmet , Sardon Haritz , Mecerreyes David
Published: July 2014

Due to its abundance and a wide range of beneficial physical and chemical properties, cellulose has become very popular in order to produce materials for various applications. This review summarizes the recent advances in the development of new cellulose materials and technologies using ionic liquids. Dissolution of cellulose in ionic liquids has been used to develop new processing technologies, cellulose functionalization methods and new cellulose materials including blends, composites, fibers and ion gels.
Fabrication and Characterization of Flexible Electrowetting on Dielectrics (EWOD) Microlens
Authors: Li Chenhui , Jiang Hongrui
Published: July 2014

We present a flexible variable-focus converging microlens actuated by electrowetting on dielectric (EWOD). The microlens is made of two immiscible liquids and a soft polymer, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). Parylene intermediate layer is used to produce robust flexible electrode on PDMS. A low-temperature PDMS-compatible fabrication process has been developed to reduce the stress on the lens structure. The lens has been demonstrated to be able to conform to curved surfaces smoothly. The focal length of the microlens is 29–38 mm on a flat surface, and 31–41 mm on a curved surface, varying with the voltage applied. The resolving power of the microlens is 25.39 line pairs per mm by a 1951 United States Air Force (USAF) resolution chart and the lens aberrations are measured by a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. The focal length behavior on a curved surface is discussed and for the current lens demonstrated the focal length is slightly longer on the curved surface as a result of the effect of the curved PDMS substrate.
Formation of a Flavin-Linked Peptide
Authors: Morikawa Masayuki , Kino Katsuhito , Senda Takeshi , Suzuki Masayo , Kobayashi Takanobu , Miyazawa Hiroshi
Published: July 2014

In a previous study, we showed that formylmethylflavin (FMF) can bind to cysteine. In this study, FMF was reacted with native peptides (CG and CKLVFF) containing an N-terminal cysteine. The formation of flavin-CG and flavin-CKLVFF was confirmed using HPLC and ESI-MS. Storage of flavin-CKLVFF in DMSO at −30 °C for 7 days resulted in no detectable deposition. In contrast, flavin-CKLVFF formed deposits when stored in water at −30 °C for 1 day, but no deposit was observed in the aqueous solution of flavin-CKLVFF after 7 days storage in the presence of 0.1% Triton X-100.
Metallic Strip Gratings in the Sub-Subwavelength Regime
Authors: Savin Adriana , Steigmann Rozina , Bruma Alina
Published: July 2014

Metallic strip gratings (MSG) have different applications, ranging from printed circuits to filters in microwave domains. When they are under the influence of an electromagnetic field, evanescent and/or abnormal modes appear in the region between the traces, their utilization leading to the development of new electromagnetic nondestructive evaluation methods. This paper studies the behavior of MSGs in the sub-subwavelength regime when they are excited with TEz or TMz polarized plane waves and the slits are filled with different dielectrics. The appearance of propagating, evanescent and abnormal modes is emphasized using an electromagnetic sensor with metamaterials lens realized with two conical Swiss rolls, which allows the extraction of the information carried by the guided evanescent waves. The evanescent waves, manipulated by the electromagnetic sensor with metamaterial lenses, improve the electromagnetic images so that a better spatial resolution is obtained, exceeding the limit imposed by diffraction. Their theoretical and experimental confirmation opens the perspective for development of new types of sensors working in radio and microwave frequencies.
A Two-Step A/D Conversion and Column Self-Calibration Technique for Low Noise CMOS Image Sensors
Authors: Bae Jaeyoung , Kim Daeyun , Ham Seokheon , Chae Youngcheol , Song Minkyu
Published: July 2014

In this paper, a 120 frames per second (fps) low noise CMOS Image Sensor (CIS) based on a Two-Step Single Slope ADC (TS SS ADC) and column self-calibration technique is proposed. The TS SS ADC is suitable for high speed video systems because its conversion speed is much faster (by more than 10 times) than that of the Single Slope ADC (SS ADC). However, there exist some mismatching errors between the coarse block and the fine block due to the 2-step operation of the TS SS ADC. In general, this makes it difficult to implement the TS SS ADC beyond a 10-bit resolution. In order to improve such errors, a new 4-input comparator is discussed and a high resolution TS SS ADC is proposed. Further, a feedback circuit that enables column self-calibration to reduce the Fixed Pattern Noise (FPN) is also described. The proposed chip has been fabricated with 0.13 μm Samsung CIS technology and the chip satisfies the VGA resolution. The pixel is based on the 4-TR Active Pixel Sensor (APS). The high frame rate of 120 fps is achieved at the VGA resolution. The measured FPN is 0.38 LSB, and measured dynamic range is about 64.6 dB.
Les noms des riz en Guinée (suite)
Authors: Portères Roland
Published: July 2014

Le Kissien n'est pas un observateur de ses Riz. Les noms ignorent le port, les attitudes, les traits importants. On peut d'ailleurs en dire autant de toutes ses plantes cultivées. Il reçoit, il emprunte. Il est attiré d'abord par l'origine (géographique, ethnique) ; il a encore un concept du grand espace. Puis, comme un nomade, l'hospitalité, la civilité. Du sédentaire, il a la localisation des Morts et les rites qui lui sont consacrés avec ces Riz, ces arbres et ces arbustes rattachés à l'origine du groupe, aux divinités protectrices.
Les utilisations du palmier " Moriche " (Mauritia flexuosa L. f.) chez les Warao du delta de L'Orénoque territoire delta Amacuro, Venezuela
Authors: Suarez Mari-Mathilde
Published: July 2014

A description of the various uses of the moriche palm, Mauritia flexuosa L. f., Palmaceae, Lepidocaryeae, by the Warao indians of the Orenoque delta which obtain from this plant food (a kind of sago starch, fruits, sap...), fibers, building material... Some aspects of the rituals associated with the gathering of the moriehe-palm starch are also described.
Problèmes phytogéographiques, écologiques et économiques de la Caatinga brésilienne
Authors: Schnell Raymond
Published: July 2014

Le but du présent mémoire est de tenter, — sur le plan de la botanique pure (phytogéographie, écologie) et de ses applications pratiques, — une récapitulation synthétique des faits acquis à ce jour sur la végétation du Nord-Est aride du Brésil. Liée à une pluviosité faible (400-700 mm par an suivant les régions), entraînant de sévères disettes, la caatinga se caractérise par ses plantes permanentes (arbres, arbustes) généralement épineuses, par sa défoliaison totale, par la présence de plantes succulentes (Cactacées, quelques Euphorbiacées), et de Broméliacées terrestres, par l'absence d'épiphytes et de lianes. Elle s'oppose aux cerrados (savanes brésiliennes), moins xériques, par sa flore différente, par les dimensions plus faibles des feuilles et leur caducité totale, par l'absence de l'épaisse couche de liège qui caractérise de nombreux arbres de ceux-ci, et enfin par des mécanismes physiologiques de résistance à la sécheresse (mis en évidence par Ferri et Labouriau). L'existence d'enclaves de la flore des cerrados dans le Nord-Est brésilien (sur les montagnes et sur le tabuleiro proche de la côte) pose le problème de leur mise en place, et d'éventuelles migrations anciennes des flores. Homologue des formations à épineux de l'Afrique tropicale, la caatinga se distingue de ces derniers par un peuplement ligneux généralement bien plus dense, lié à d'autres modalités du facteur anthropique ; la caatinga n'a pas connu, comme l'Afrique sahélienne une longue période de vie pastorale nomade. Elle abrite par contre une vie agricole, récente, pour laquelle le problème de l'eau exige impérativement une solution.
Methods for rapid frequency-domain characterization of leakage currents in silicon nanowire-based field-effect transistors
Authors: Roinila Tomi , Yu Xiao , Verho Jarmo , Li Tie , Kallio Pasi , Vilkko Matti , Gao Anran , Wang Yuelin
Published: July 2014

Silicon nanowire-based field-effect transistors (SiNW FETs) have demonstrated the ability of ultrasensitive detection of a wide range of biological and chemical targets. The detection is based on the variation of the conductance of a nanowire channel, which is caused by the target substance. This is seen in the voltage–current behavior between the drain and source. Some current, known as leakage current, flows between the gate and drain, and affects the current between the drain and source. Studies have shown that leakage current is frequency dependent. Measurements of such frequency characteristics can provide valuable tools in validating the functionality of the used transistor. The measurements can also be an advantage in developing new detection technologies utilizing SiNW FETs. The frequency-domain responses can be measured by using a commercial sine-sweep-based network analyzer. However, because the analyzer takes a long time, it effectively prevents the development of most practical applications. Another problem with the method is that in order to produce sinusoids the signal generator has to cope with a large number of signal levels. This may become challenging in developing low-cost applications. This paper presents fast, cost-effective frequency-domain methods with which to obtain the responses within seconds. The inverse-repeat binary sequence (IRS) is applied and the admittance spectroscopy between the drain and source is computed through Fourier methods. The methods is verified by experimental measurements from an n-type SiNW FET.
A METHOD OF OPTIMIZING FENESTRATION DESIGN FOR DAYLIGHTING TO REDUCE HEATING AND COOLING LOADS IN OFFICES
Authors: Voll Hendrik , Seinre Erkki
Published: July 2014

Modern office building designs tend to increase the window share per facade to make the building more impressive with extensive visibility and well daylit rooms. In general, an increased window share results in higher energy usage and higher costs of heating and cooling, but these disadvantages can be reduced with a more careful design. The aim of this paper is to show the influence of window design and room layout on heating and cooling demand and daylight availability in office buildings in northern Europe. The results in the paper are based on design calculations for two different room types and daylight measurements on two room scale models in a daylight laboratory. The calculations show the influence of window design parameters on the cooling and heating demand. The daylight measurements show the influence of window design parameters on the availability of daylight. The results have then been combined to show a feasible window design regarding daylight availability and the resulting cooling and heating demands for different window orientations. The results show that in most cases it is possible to find a combination of window share and window solar factor that is feasible with regard to daylight as well as cooling and heating. The main finding is that there is a smaller or wider range of feasible designs for different window orientations.
INVESTIGATING SELF-COOLING EFFECTS OF VENTILATED ATTICS UNDER DIFFERENT ROOF AND AMBIENT TEMPERATURES IN SUMMER
Authors: Shen Zhigang , Wang Shimin
Published: July 2014

An unsteady computational fluid dynamics model is employed to simulate summer-time buoyancy-driven turbulent ventilation in gable-roof attics of residential buildings. The energy performance of vented attics is assessed by comparing their performance to sealed attics with the same geometry and insulation configurations. The simulated boundary conditions of the roof-top temperature ranging between 295.15 K and 345.15 K, coupled with an ambient temperature ranging between 295.15 K and 315.15 K, resemble the summer attic conditions with effects of solar irradiance on the roofs. Simulation results indicate that both the vented and sealed attics are dominated by thermal stratification. The cooling load of the sealed attic is predicted to be about 3 times greater than that of the vented attic for a roof-top temperature of 345.15 K and an ambient temperature of 305.15 K. Both the cooling load and ventilating air flow rate of the vented attic are sensitive to the ambient temperature variation.
NEW NONDESTRUCTIVE WAY OF IDENTIFYING THE VALUES OF PULL-OFF ADHESION BETWEEN CONCRETE LAYERS IN FLOORS
Authors: Sadowski Łukasz , Hoła Jerzy
Published: July 2014

This paper presents a new nondestructive way of identifying the values of pull-off adhesion between the concrete layers in concrete floors. It based on the roughness parameters of the base layer surface, using the nondestructive optical technique, and on the floor surface, using the nondestructive acoustic techniques and employing artificial neural networks (ANNs) for this purpose. The new way has a potential for being widely used in practice, whereby it may become possible to employ previously trained ANNs to identify the pull-off adhesion, without impairing the surface of the tested concrete floor.
SOLVING RESOURCE-CONSTRAINED CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULING PROBLEMS WITH OVERLAPS BY METAHEURISTIC
Authors: Bożejko Wojciech , Hejducki Zdzisław , Uchroński Mariusz , Wodecki Mieczysław
Published: July 2014

The paper concerns the problem of roadworks scheduling executed in the flow-shop system. Works may be performed parallelly with the acceleration (overlaps) of construction project, i.e. the following work on the assembly line can begin before the completion of the predecessor work. Taking into account the acceleration enables accurate modeling of complex real construction processes. The above fact can greatly shorten the time of realization of construction process which has a direct impact on reducing costs. The considered issue belongs to the class of NP-hard problems. We introduce the new: mathematical model, specific properties as an acceleration tools, as well as two new optimization algorithms for the problem considered: construction and tabu search. The execution of algorithms was illustrated on the example of a case study concerning the construction of roads. They were also verified on the examples taken from the literature and on already completed construction processes. The obtained results are fully satisfactory. The assigned execution times are close to optimal. The presented methods allow its practitioners (both the planners and the managers) to include in the model the acceleration of the works and the design of a much more efficient construction scheduling. The presented new scheduling method leads to a more competitive environment for contraction companies.
CONSIDERATION OF RISK IN PPP-PROJECTS
Authors: Zimmermann Josef , Eber Wolfgang
Published: July 2014

Risk management has become a core competence for companies operating in construction services. In particular regarding Real Estate Development and Construction Management the fundamental knowledge and the dedicated ap- plication of risk assessment turn out to be critical. Construction Management deals with a multitude of local and temporal issues which are unknown or only given by statistical evaluation while conducting a unique construction project within a very tight frame of budget and time. Real Estate projects focus on the predictability of profitable operation for a fairly long period in advance and are therefore subject to many more and more voluminous uncertainties. With PPP-projects a more or less complete federal task is awarded to a private company. Its extent varies but com- prises at least design, construction and operation of a real estate project, e.g. a toll road, bridge, tunnel or other infrastructural object. Durations of such contracts of- ten extend to some 20 to 30 years. In this article the applicability of traditional means of risk management is inves- tigated for the use on PPP-projects and limits of risk consequences are pointed out. Finally we come to the conclusion, that the resulting unavertable risks tend to exceed every surcharge that could be successfully placed on a market.
IMPACT OF THE EUROPEAN PAYMENT INDEX ON KEY MACROECONOMIC AND SOCIAL INDICATORS OF A COUNTRY
Authors: Grigonytė Ingrida , Maknickienė Nijolė
Published: July 2014

The EPI (European Payment Index) reflects the debt risk of corporations in each EU country. This index is widely used for evaluation of the ability of a business to settle with market participants. This article seeks to identify the impact of the EPI on national macroeconomic and social indicators in order to assess the impact made by late payments among business units on the economy of Lithuania. The findings reveal the macroeconomic and social indicators that are most affected by the EPI. Correlation and regression analysis helps to find causal relationships and allows the risks of financial processes in enterprises to be assessed; to reform the national tax system responsibly; and to find appropriate financial instruments to manage late payment threats.
Systémová dynamika jako nástroj pro výzkum bezpečnosti
Authors: Drmola Jakub
Published: July 2014

This article aims to introduce system dynamics as a new methodology or an analytical framework for research in the field of security and strategic studies and to shed some light upon its basic principles and building blocks. It offers a tool which can describe and model conflicts, actors, threats and even whole security concepts in a new manner and discover new causalities or even predict future states in the process. Even though the origins of system dynamics can be found in an entirely different disciplines, it recently found its place even in the domain of security research, where it is being used to model current threats. Apart from dissecting merits of this method, this article should also provide sufficient information to allow the reader to understand any other paper using system dynamics as its primary methodology.
Izraelská konceptualizace hájitelnosti hranice: Čas pro změnu?
Authors: Kutěj Libor
Published: July 2014

The article deals with important aspects determining the defensibility of the State of Israel borderlines and its current conditions. It outlines trends and tendencies in Israeli approach to this burning issue and depicts important political and military - strategic factors concerning Israeli concept for countering military and paramilitary (i.e. terrorist, insurgent etc.) threats in border region. Particular focus is dedicated to the new regional security situation after the outbreak of the Arab Spring and its impact on securing the Israeli sovereignty. Furthermore, it depicts the question whether current unsatisfied security situation in surrounding Arab countries could eventually turn into an outbreak of conventional military conflict and/or whether the State of Israel could possibly face concentrated strain of radical Islamic groups operating in the border area. Last but not least, the article concludes an outline of Israeli doctrinal approaches and examines the impact of budgetary restraints into the development of IDF.
Poskus rekonstrukcije repertoarja latinskih cerkvenih skladb na koru ljubljanske stolnice v času delovanja Antona Foersterja (1868–1908)
Authors: Nagode Aleš
Published: July 2014

Prispevek poskuša na podlagi skromnih ohranjenih virov rekonstruirati repertoar latinskih cerkvenih skladb na koru ljubljanske stolnice, ki je pomemben za razumevanje razvojnih tokov v slovenski cerkveni glasbi druge polovice 19. stoletja. Zbrani podatki kažejo, da pomeni Foersterjevo delovanje globok prelom s tradicijo in dosledno uveljavitev cecilijanskih načel.
El cuadro del Recibimiento de Colón por los Reyes Católicos de Raimundo de Madrazo: del Senado español a Nueva York
Authors: Alzaga Ruiz Amaya
Published: July 2014

Este trabajo aborda el encargo que recibió el pintor español Raimundo de Madrazo y Garreta (1841-1920) de realizar un gran lienzo sobre el Recibimiento de Colón por los Reyes Católicos, dentro del programa ideado por el Marqués de Barzanallana para el Salón de Conferencias del Senado español. Se analiza el papel que jugó Federico de Madrazo, padre de Raimundo, en la comisión y concepción de la obra, que no llegó nunca a ocupar su lugar en el salón senatorial. Tras el análisis detallado del cuadro se traza su destino posterior, hasta hoy inédito, así como los posibles compradores americanos en los que pensó Madrazo, una vez que desestimó la permanencia de la obra en España.
Una pintura atribuible a Antonio de Pereda en Villaseca de la Sagra (Toledo)
Authors: Díaz Fernández Antonio José
Published: July 2014

Aquí se da a conocer una pintura de La aparición de la Virgen a San Bernardo, de la iglesia de Ntra. Sra. de los Peligros de Villaseca de la Sagra (Toledo), documentada en 1650 y cuyo estilo la aproxima a obras del pintor barroco Antonio de Pereda.
Tecnología, tipología y cronología de las fíbulas de codo antiguas del “tipo Monachil” y sus relaciones mediterráneas
Authors: Carrasco Rus Javier , Martínez-Sevilla Francisco , Pachón Romero Juan A. , Montero Ruiz Ignacio
Published: July 2014

Se estudia una muestra inédita de fíbulas antiguas de codo lisas, de las consideradas “tipo Monachil”, tradicionalmente incluidas en el “grupo sículo” de la Península Ibérica. Se valora su tecnología de elaboración, aleación, tipología y posible cronología. Se comprueba que muestran escasas relaciones con fíbulas de diferentes ámbitos geográficos mediterráneos que, inicialmente, se habían considerado su inspiración.
Nuevos datos para el Neolítico antiguo en el nordeste de la Península Ibérica procedentes de la Cova del Toll (Moià, Barcelona) y de la Cova de la Font Major (L’Espluga de Francolí, Tarragona)
Authors: Cebrià Artur , Fontanals Marta , Martín Patricia , Morales Juan I. , Oms F. Xavier , Rodríguez-Hidalgo Antonio , Soto María , Vergès Josep M.ª
Published: July 2014

La reactivación de la actividad arqueológica española a partir de los años 1950, especialmente prolífica en algunas regiones como Cataluña, incorporó algunos yacimientos clave para el conocimiento de los grandes procesos culturales del pasado. Es el caso de las cuevas del Toll y Font Major cuyas colecciones de cerámica cardial, por su cantidad y calidad, han sido de referencia para el Neolítico antiguo en distintos momentos. En cambio cuentan con pocos o nulos datos contextuales debido a los métodos que se emplearon en esas primeras intervenciones. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de las realizadas entre 2006 y 2011 en ambos yacimientos. La combinación de nuevos materiales encuadrables en distintas fases del Neolítico antiguo cardial con fechas radiocarbónicas de muestras de vida corta nos permite retrasar sensiblemente la fase cardial de la Cova del Toll, así como fechar por primera vez de forma absoluta la fase cardial de la Cova de la Font Major.
Estudio tafonómico e interpretación del gesto funerario de los restos óseos de la Cova de Montanissell (Alt Urgell, Lleida)
Authors: Armentano Núria , Jordana Xavier , Malgosa Assumpcio
Published: July 2014

La tafonomía ofrece un marco teórico y metodológico para comprender la transición desde la muerte de los organismos hasta su hallazgo. Así ayuda a interpretar el gesto funerario de las sociedades del pasado. Este trabajo analiza los efectos tafonómicos, observados in situ y en el laboratorio, de los restos humanos procedentes de la Cova de Montanissell (Lleida), en el noreste de la Península Ibérica, en relación con los resultados paleogenéticos, paleopatológicos y radiocarbónicos. La cavidad fue utilizada por una comunidad de la Edad del Bronce para enterrar 8 individuos en sucesivas inhumaciones de carácter primario. La interacción de agentes y procesos tafonómicos sobre los esqueletos condujeron a una historia compleja pero de baja intensidad, que ha permitido una muy buena preservación del tejido óseo. La integración de los resultados procedentes de las diferentes líneas de investigación ha sido fundamental para discutir sobre la intencionalidad o no de los entierros, de la disposición de los individuos, y su relación de parentesco.
An Improved Frequency Offset Cancellation for Uplink Multi-User OFDMA System Based on TF-RLS Algorithm
Authors: Guan Qing Yang , Li Xuan , Lan Xiao Yu
Published: July 2014

Time and frequency recursive least squares algorithm (TF-RLS) is proposed to cancel the interference due to the frequency offset (FO) in uplink Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) system. TF-RLS algorithm is composed of two stages, which is TD-RLS scheme and FD-RLS scheme. In the first stage, TD-RLS scheme is selected to pre-cancel the frequency offset in the time domain, and then the interference induced by residual frequency offset has been eliminated by the FD-RLS scheme in the frequency domain. The result of bit error rate (BER) shows that its performance is robust for cancellation as comparison criteria, even though the frequency offset is 0.45. The 16QAM constellation figures are also simulated to observe the improvements from the proposed suppression schemes.
Study on the Resource Scheduling Algorithm for LTE-Advanced Downlink Systems
Authors: Wang Hong Zhuo , Sun Zheng Hai , Wang Jun , Liu Fang
Published: July 2014

In the paper, the resource scheduling algorithm in the downlink of LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) assuming equal power allocation among subcarriers which adopted the technology of carrier aggregation (CA) is investigated. When the independent scheduling (INS) scheme is applied, the LTE users will acquire few resources because they cannot support CA technology. And the fairness of the system is disappointing. Focusing on the problem, a novel proportional fair (PF) scheduling algorithm based on INS is proposed. In the proposed method, the system fairness is well improved without bringing high complexity to the system. And also, we design a weigh factor which is related to the number of the carriers and the percentage of LTE users in the method. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can effectively increase the throughput of LTE users and improve the system fairness.