bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of linear and cubic spline methods of interpolating lake water column profiles
Authors: North Ryan P. , Livingstone David M.
Published: May 2013

Two commonly used methods of interpolating lake water column profiles—two‐point linear interpolation and cubic spline interpolation—were compared, and their relative performance assessed using “leave‐k‐out” cross‐validation. Artificial “pseudo‐gaps” of various sizes were created in measured water column profiles of four representative variables (water temperature, oxygen concentration, total phosphorus concentration, and chloride concentration) from the Lake of Zurich by removing measured data from the profiles. The pseudo‐gaps were then filled using each of the two interpolation methods. The performance of each interpolation method was assessed based on the root mean square error, mean bias error, and maximum absolute bias error of the interpolated values in relation to the original measured values. The performance of the interpolation methods varied with depth, season, and profile shape. When the profiles were homogeneous both methods performed well, but when the profiles were heterogeneous, linear interpolation generally performed better than cubic spline interpolation. Although the data generated by cubic spline interpolation were less biased than those generated by linear interpolation, there were more instances of extreme errors. The results of this study suggest that linear interpolation is generally preferable to cubic spline interpolation for filling data gaps in measured lake water column profiles.
Appropriate bottles for storing seawater samples for dissolved organic phosphorus (DOP) analysis: A step toward the development of DOP reference materials
Authors: Yoshimura Takeshi
Published: May 2013

Reference materials (RMs) are essential to ensure comparability of oceanographic chemical measurements. Since dissolved organic matter (DOM) plays a significant role in bioactive element cycles such as carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), measurements of dissolved organic C, N, and P (DOC, DON, and DOP) have been paid much attention. Although RMs that target DOC and DON analyses have been developed, no comparable studies have been conducted for DOP analysis. This study examined the selection of the most appropriate bottle to store DOP samples to develop an RM for DOP. Natural seawater samples were stored in bottles made from various plastic materials and glass, and the temporal change in DOP and DOC concentrations were measured during a storage period of months to a year in the dark under 25°C. I found that severe contaminations of DOP and/or DOC occurred in some bottle types. Whereas DOP concentrations were unchanged in many bottle types, the concentrations of both DOP and DOC were stable only in glass and perfluoroalkoxy (PFA) bottles. I conclude that these two bottle types have potential as an appropriate sample bottle for RMs of DOP, this is because colloids formed via DOC contamination during storage can potentially bond with phosphate in the sample and thus inorganic phosphate may be measured as DOP contamination.
Measuring heterotrophic respiration rates of suspended particulate organic carbon from stream ecosystems
Authors: Richardson David C. , Newbold J. Denis , Aufdenkampe Anthony K. , Taylor Philip G. , Kaplan Louis A.
Published: May 2013

Integrated carbon budgets of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems indicate that particulate organic carbon (POC) plays an important role in the transport, storage, and turnover of carbon during its transit from land to sea. However, little is known about the rates at which POC in suspension is metabolized during downstream transport. We address this deficiency by improving existing respiration methods and models to assess the biological lability of POC suspended in a headwater stream. Our method involves concentration of stream particles by tangential flow filtration, extended incubations (35‐40 d) using conditions to ensure particle suspension and prevent particle aggregation, correction for the simultaneous respiration of dissolved organic carbon, and conversion from oxygen measurements into carbon with a respiratory oxidation ratio (OR) of 1.30 O2:C. We include analysis of the choice of OR. The POC turnover times estimated with the improved methods in this study are ~10 days. These respiration rates are among the highest reported for either suspended or benthic POC in streams and suggest that suspended POC is mineralized closer to its point of origin than was previously assumed. During incubation, keeping POC in suspension can increase respiration rates as much as 2‐fold compared with allowing particles to settle and physical inhibition of POC aggregation can increase rates by 1.2‐fold compared with allowing POC to aggregate. Methods that explicitly incorporate suspension and discourage aggregation of POC and longer incubation times during respiration measurements will generate data that improve our understanding of the dynamic role of POC in aquatic ecosystems.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A FRAMEWORK BASED ON OGC WEB SERVICES FOR THE VISUALIZATION OF THREE DIMENSIONAL LARGE-SCALE GEOSPATIAL DATA OVER THE WEB
Authors: Roccatello E. , Nozzi A. , Rumor M.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. This paper illustrates the key concepts behind the design and the development of a framework, based on OGC services, capable to visualize 3D large scale geospatial data streamed over the web. WebGISes are traditionally bounded to a bi-dimensional simplified representation of the reality and though they are successfully addressing the lack of flexibility and simplicity of traditional desktop clients, a lot of effort is still needed to reach desktop GIS features, like 3D visualization. The motivations behind this work lay in the widespread availability of OGC Web Services inside government organizations and in the technology support to HTML 5 and WebGL standard of the web browsers. This delivers an improved user experience, similar to desktop applications, therefore allowing to augment traditional WebGIS features with a 3D visualization framework. This work could be seen as an extension of the Cityvu project, started in 2008 with the aim of a plug-in free OGC CityGML viewer. The resulting framework has also been integrated in existing 3DGIS software products and will be made available in the next months.
SUSTAINABLE URBAN PLANNING AND RISK ASSESSMENT OF EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS IN TURKEY
Authors: Tarhan C. , Deniz D.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. Cities in the developing world are facing increased risk of disasters and the potential of economic and human losses from natural hazards is being exacerbated by the rate of unplanned urban expansion and influenced by the quality of urban management. Risk assessment has come to be regarded by many analysts as a critical part of the development of sustainable communities. The risk assessment function has been linked to issues such as environmental stewardship and community planning. The crucial point is the linkage between hazard mitigation efforts and urban planning in the context of building sustainable communities. But this conceptual linkage has been difficult to implement in practice. The resolution of this difficulty and a clarification of the essential linkage of hazard mitigation to urban planning will require a broader definition and a reformulation of the risk assessment function. Turkey is one of the countries that support the international sustainability. However, it is hardly related urban planning with sustainability in Turkey. At this point, this paper aims to introduce the integration of sustainability and risk assessment in Turkey. The components of the sustainable communities have been discussed and earthquake risk in Turkey has been explained with the recent past examples. At the end of the study, the relationship between risk assessment and the sustainable urban planning in Turkey has been examined in terms of Turkish urban planning system.
SEMANTIC ANNOTATION OF EXISTING GEO-DATASETS: A CASE STUDY OF DISASTER RESPONSE IN NETHERLANDS
Authors: Mobasheri A. , van Oosterom P. , Zlatanova S. , Bakillah M.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. Use of relevant geo-information is one of the important issues for performing different tasks and processes in disaster response phase. In order to save time and cost, services could be employed for integrating and extracting relevant up-to-date geo-information. For this purpose, semantics of geo-information should be explicitly defined. This paper presents our initial results in applying an approach for semantic annotation of existing geo-datasets. In this research the process of injecting semantic descriptions into geodatasets (information integration) is called semantic annotation. A web system architecture is presented and the process of semantic annotation is presented by using the Meta-Annotation approach. The approach is elaborated by providing an example in disaster response which utilizes geo-datasets in CityGML format and further two languages of semantic web technology: RDF and Notation3.
APPLYING URBAN COMPACTNESS METRICS ON PAN-EUROPEAN DATASETS
Authors: Stathakis D. , Tsilimigkas G.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. Urban compactness is measured for a number of medium sized European cities based on metrics available in the literature. The information used is a combination of Urban Atlas and Urban Audit data sets. The former is a source of spatial data whereas the latter of population data. These datasets that have been made recently available providing for the first time the opportunity to perform comparative analysis of urban compactness across European countries. The results provide an interesting insight of variation amongst cities in different countries. The analysis is limited however due to the quality and generalization of the datasets.
COASTAL TRANSPORT INTEGRATED SYSTEM IN THE AEGEAN SEA ISLANDS: FRAMEWORK, METHODOLOGY, DATA ISSUES AND PRELIMINARY RESULTS
Authors: Pantazis D. N. , Stratakis P. , Karathanasis C. , Gkadolou E. , Pagounis V. , Chronis K. , Gatsiou M. , Moumouri-Frag F. , Tsekos P.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. Greece has more than one hundred inhabited islands, the majority of them are geographically scattered in small distances in the Aegean Sea. The Aegean Sea suffers systematically from two major issues. First, many islands are not served quite frequently with the continent or other islands' major ports. It is a situation rather problematic for the habitants of the islands who wish to travel, for the patients in need to be transferred to metropolitan hospitals, for the goods transport from and to islands. Second, there is a crucial issue in the Aegean Sea regarding the so-called "thin lines". Governments spend every year tens of million euros in subsidies in order to sustain the thin lines. Our aim is the development of an integrated and holistic spatial information system to effectively design coastal transportation lines to combat the above mentioned problems. This paper will present the project framework, the methodology followed, data issues and preliminary results.
USING DECISION TREES FOR ESTIMATING MODE CHOICE OF TRIPS IN BUCA-IZMIR
Authors: Oral L. O. , Tecim V.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. Decision makers develop transportation plans and models for providing sustainable transport systems in urban areas. Mode Choice is one of the stages in transportation modelling. Data mining techniques can discover factors affecting the mode choice. These techniques can be applied with knowledge process approach. In this study a data mining process model is applied to determine the factors affecting the mode choice with decision trees techniques by considering individual trip behaviours from household survey data collected within Izmir Transportation Master Plan. From this perspective transport mode choice problem is solved on a case in district of Buca-Izmir, Turkey with CRISP-DM knowledge process model.
BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE: THE CROWDSOURCING OF "STREETBUMP": AN AUTOMATIC POTHOLE MAPPING APP
Authors: Carrera F. , Guerin S. , Thorp J. B.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. This paper traces the genesis and development of StreetBump, a smartphone application to map the location of potholes in Boston, Massachusetts. StreetBump belongs to a special category of "subliminal" crowdsourcing mobile applications that turn humans into sensors. Once started, it automatically collects road condition information without any human intervention, using the accelerometers and GPS inside smartphones. The StreetBump app evolved from a hardware device designed and built by WPI’s City Lab starting in 2003, which was originally intended to measure and map boat wakes in the city of Venice, Italy (Chiu, 2004). A second version of the custom hardware with onboard GPS and accelerometers was adapted to use in Boston, Massachusetts, to map road damage (potholes) in 2006 (Angelini, 2006). In 2009, Prof. Carrera proposed to the newly created office of New Urban Mechanics in the City of Boston to migrate the concept to Smartphones, based on the Android platform. The first prototype of the mobile app, called StreetBump, was released in 2010 by the authors (Harmon, 2010). In 2011, the app provided the basis for a worldwide Innocentive competition to develop the best postprocessing algorithms to identify the real potholes vs. other phone bumps (Moskowitz, 2011). Starting in 2012, the City of Boston has begun using a subsequent version of the app to operationally manage road repairs based on the data collected by StreetBump. The novelty of this app is not purely technological, but lies also in the top-to-bottom crowdsourcing of all its components. The app was designed to rely on the crowd to confirm the presence of damage though repeat hits (or lack thereof) as more users travel the same roads over time. Moreover, the non-trivial post-processing of the StreetBump data was itself the subject of a crowdsourced competition through an Innocentive challenge for the best algorithm. The release of the StreetBump code as open-source allowed the development of the final version of the app now used on a daily basis by the Department of Public Works in Boston, thus making it perhaps the first example of an app that was crowdsourced “from soup to nuts”.
USING GIS TO UNDERSTAND AND PRIORITISE WORKER MOVEMENTS DURING THE 2012 LONDON OLYMPICS
Authors: McGuinness I. M.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. The performance of the transport network and the associated movement of people was one of the most critical elements to London’s successful delivery of the 2012 Olympic Games. During the planning stages Transport for London asked the London Borough of Newham to mitigate the impact of the authority’s 13 500 employees on transport infrastructure close to the Olympic Park. To achieve this, the authority needed to understand the geographic distribution of its workforce and the demand it placed on roads and local transport hubs. The authority’s Geospatial Team led the research based on four cross-referenced data sources, and spatial analysis was used to determine priorities for special absence arrangements and a commissioned coach service. The research was used to support a targeted information campaign but also presented considerations on large-scale data collection, the use of Human Resources data, and the degree to which the movement of people can be measured and managed.
PLAN4BUSINESS – A SERVICE PLATFORM FOR AGGREGATION, PROCESSING AND ANALYSIS OF URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING DATA
Authors: Mildorf T. , Ježek J. , Kepka M. , Čerba O. , Klien E. , Templer S. , Charvát K.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. The paper presents the main objectives of the plan4business project that aims to develop a service platform for integration, analysing and presenting spatial planning data. The platform should serve as a catalogue of planning data enabling user automated data integration and spatial analyses. The contribution presents the approach for data integration, relation to INSPIRE and the technical solution for data analysis.
CHARACTERIZING URBAN VOLUMETRY USING LIDAR DATA
Authors: Santos T. , Rodrigues A. M. , Tenedório J. A.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. Urban indicators are efficient tools designed to simplify, quantify and communicate relevant information for land planners. Since urban data has a strong spatial representation, one can use geographical data as the basis for constructing information regarding urban environments. One important source of information about the land status is imagery collected through remote sensing. Afterwards, using digital image processing techniques, thematic detail can be extracted from those images and used to build urban indicators. Most common metrics are based on area (2D) measurements. These include indicators like impervious area per capita or surface occupied by green areas, having usually as primary source a spectral image obtained through a satellite or airborne camera. More recently, laser scanning data has become available for large-scale applications. Such sensors acquire altimetric information and are used to produce Digital Surface Models (DSM). In this context, LiDAR data available for the city is explored along with demographic information, and a framework to produce volumetric (3D) urban indexes is proposed, and measures like Built Volume per capita, Volumetric Density and Volumetric Homogeneity are computed.
USING CITYGML TO DEPLOY SMART-CITY SERVICES FOR URBAN ECOSYSTEMS
Authors: Prandi F. , De Amicis R. , Piffer S. , Soave M. , Cadzow S. , Gonzalez Boix E. , D'Hont E.
Published: May 2013

Abstract. The rapid technological evolution, which is characterizing all the disciplines involved within the wide concept of smart cities, becomes a key factor to trigger true user-driven innovation. In this context 3D city models will play an increasingly important role in our daily lives and become an essential part of the modern city information infrastructure (Spatial Data Infrastructure). The goal of this paper is to introduce the i-SCOPE (interoperable Smart City services through an Open Platform for urban Ecosystems) project methodology and implementations together with key technologies and open standards. Based on interoperable 3D CityGML UIMs, the aim of i-Scope is to deliver an open platform on top of which it possible to develop, within different domains, various "smart city" services. Moreover, in i-SCOPE different issues, transcending the mere technological domain, are being tackled, including aspects dealing with social and environmental issues. Indeed several tasks including citizen awareness, crowd source and voluntary based data collection as well as privacy issue concerning involved people should be considered.
Tissue Engineering and Ureter Regeneration: Is it Possible?
Authors: Kloskowski Tomasz , Kowalczyk Tomasz , Nowacki Maciej , Drewa Tomasz
Published: May 2013

Large ureter damages are difficult to reconstruct. Current techniques are complicated, difficult to perform, and often associated with failures. The ureter has never been regenerated thus far. Therefore the use of tissue engineering techniques for ureter reconstruction and regeneration seems to be a promising way to resolve these problems. For proper ureter regeneration the following problems must be considered: the physiological aspects of the tissue, the type and shape of the scaffold, the type of cells, and the specific environment (urine).

This review presents tissue engineering achievements in the field of ureter regeneration focusing on the scaffold, the cells, and ureter healing.
Nutrient Content (% Dry Matter) of Maize as Affected by Different Levels of Fertilizers in Asaba Area of Delta State
Authors: Enujeke E. C.
Published: May 2013

This study was carried out in the Teaching and Research Farm of Delta State. University, Asaba campus (Nigeria) from March 2008 to June 2010 to evaluate the nutrient content (% dry matter) of maize as affected by different levels of organic manure and inorganic fertilizer. The experiment was carried out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) replicated three times in a factorial layout. Four different rates of poultry droppings, cattle dung and NPK 20: 10: 10 fertilizer were applied to three maize varieties sown at 75 cm x 15 cm spacing and the maize grains produced were evaluate for their nutrient content in percentage dry matter. The results obtained indicated that hybrid variety 9022-13 had the highest N, P and K contents (1.03, 1.68 and 0.26, respectively). Also, plants that received inorganic fertilizer had the highest values of 1.27% N, 1.64% P and 0.29% K. Based on rates of application, plants that received 450 kgha-1 NPK 20: 10: 10 fertilizer had the highest values of 1.74% N, 1.71% P and 0.49% K. The interaction effects showed that only variety, manure type and rates % application were significant (P < 0.05). Based on this study, it is recommended that (i) Hybrid variety, 9022-13, which was outstanding in its nutrient content be grown in the study area. Alternatively, farmers who prefer open-pollinated varieties could grow BR 9922-DMRSF2 or Agbor local variety for people who prefer local varieties in maize production (ii) Spacing of 75 cm x 15 cm (88, 888 plants/ha) which resulted in better growth performance and yield should be adopted in maize production (iii) Farmers who prefer mineral fertilizer for increased growth and yield of maize should apply 450 kg ha-1 of NPK 20: 10: 10 (iv) Farmers who practice organic agriculture in Asaba agro-ecological zone should apply 30 tha-1 of poultry manure to enhance maize yield.
The spores of Alternaria in aeroplankton and its relationships with the meteorological factors
Authors: Grinn-Gofroń Agnieszka
Published: May 2013

Alternaria spores are known to be potent aeroallergens and their concentrations in the air are strongly dependent on meteorological factors. There are many articles from different parts of the world about relationships between Alternaria spore count and weather parameters. The aim of the study was to review all available publications about airborne Alternaria spores and compare the results in short, useful form.
The structure of secretory tissue of the stigma and septal nectaries as well as nectar secretion of flowers of Hosta fortunei Baker L. H. Bailey (Funkiaceae)
Authors: Chwil Mirosława
Published: May 2013

A study of Hosta fortunei Baker L. H. Bailey (Funkiaceae) flowers was conducted in the years 2007 - 2008. The flower life span and flowering duration as well as the nectar production rate were determined. The structure of the tissues of the stigma and nectary was investigated using stereoscopic, light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The plants flowered over a period of five weeks. Flowers of H. fortunei lived two days, on the average. Developed a pistil with an elongated ovary terminating in a discal stigma. On the surface of the stigma, unicellular glandular trichomes grew densely, composed of a stalk with a length of 113 - 213 µm and a head which was characterised by a large diameter range of 54 - 96 µm. The cuticle on the apical surface of a part of the trichomes was smooth, whereas it was striated on the stalk. Their protoplast was characterised by dense cytoplasm and weak vacuolisation. In the head of the trichomes fatty substances were accumulated. Septal nectaries occurred in the ovary of the superior pistil. Nectar was exuded onto the surface through three openings, situated in the upper part of the ovary of the pistil. At these places, epidermal cells formed a smooth or slightly wrinkled cuticle. The outer walls of the cells of the epidermis covering the duct accumulating nectar were thick. The glandular tissue of the nectary was made up of 2 layers of different-shaped, thin-walled cells and a deeply stained protoplast. They contained dense cytoplasm and a large, frequently lobate nucleus. At the final stage of secretion, fine vacuoles were observed in the cytoplasm of the glandular cells. Nectar secretion was abundant. In its initial stage, secretion droplets, increasing during the activity of the glandular tissue, were observed on the epidermis surface around the nectar openings. The weight of nectar from 10 flowers was 92.41 mg. The sugar concentration in the nectar was within a range of 23% - 30%, with an average value of 26%. Sugar yield was 23.83 mg/from 10 flowers.
Fruit yield of european cranberry (Oxycoccus palustris Pers.) in different plant communities of peatlands (northern Wielkopolska, Poland)
Authors: Adamczak Artur , Gąbka Maciej , Buchwald Waldemar
Published: May 2013

The aim of this study was to determine fruit yield of Oxycoccus palustris under the climatic and habitat conditions of northern Wielkopolska (the Greater Poland region), depending on the type of occupied plant community. Total fruit number and fruit weight as well as average cranberry leaf size were determined on 33 plots with an area of 1 m2, located on 7 peatlands. On the study areas, European cranberry produced crops from 9.2 up to 242.0 g ���� m-2, which gives 92-2420 kg ����ha-1. It has been demonstrated that on the peatlands of northern Wielkopolska O. palustris reaches its generative and vegetative optimum in the communities of the class Scheuchzerio- Caricetea fuscae, in particular in the community Sphagno recurvi-Eriophoretum angustifolii.
The effect of intercropping on weed infestation of a spring barley crop cultivated in monoculture
Authors: Kwiecińska-Poppe Ewa , Kraska Piotr , Pałys Edward
Published: May 2013

This paper presents the results of a study carried out in the years 2005-2007 in the Bezek Experimental Farm near the city of Chełm, Poland, on heavy mixed rendzina soil. The effect of intercropping, using red clover (cv. Dajana) and white clover (cv. Astra), on weed infestation of a spring barley crop was studied. The species composition of weeds in the spring barley crop changed to a small extent under the influence of the application of clover intercropping, whereas the population size of particular species showed large fluctuations. In the spring barley crop with the red clover intercrop, Sonchus arvensis occurred in greatest numbers among dicotyledonous weed species. In the barley crop with white clover and without intercrop, Viola arvensis and Sonchus arvensis were the dominant dicotyledonous species. Setaria pumila was the dominant monocotyledonous species in all the treatments. Intercropping using red and white clover clearly limited the growth and development of weeds. The red clover intercrop in the spring barley crop better reduced the infestation with dicotyledonous weeds and also significantly reduced the number of monocotyledonous weeds and the total number of weeds, whereas the white clover intercrop limited only the number of monocotyledonous weeds. The application of the herbicide Chwastox Extra 300 SL significantly reduced the fresh weight of weeds found in the spring barley crop. The presence of the intercrop resulted in different total numbers of weeds in particular treatments. Intercropping distinctly limited the occurrence of the following weed species: Sonchus arvensis, Fallopia convolvulus, Melandrium album, Amaranthus retroflexus, Veronica arvensis and Medicago lupulina. The investigated intercrop species also reduced the biomass of weeds. The application of the herbicide did not differentiate the number of monocotyledonous weeds, which resulted from the application of Chwastox Extra 300 SL that controls only dicotyledonous species.
The position and structure of the nectary in spring heath (Erica carnea L.) flowers
Authors: Weryszko-Chmielewska Elżbieta , Chwil Mirosław , Wróbel Marek
Published: May 2013

Ecological traits of Erica carnea L. flowers and the morphology of floral nectaries were investigated using stereoscopic, light and scanning electron microscopy. The nectary in the flowers of Erica carnea is located in the basal part of the ovary. It represents the gynoecial nectary type. It has the form of a yellow, ribbed ring with eight outgrowths, pointed towards the base, which alternately adjoin the stamen filaments. The height of the nectary is 400 µm and its thickness 200 - 250 µm. The parenchyma of the nectary is composed of 6 - 8 layers. Nectar secretion occurs through anomocytic stomata with a diameter of 17 µm. Guard cells are only found on the outgrowths of the nectary and they are situated most frequently at the level of other epidermal cells. During nectar secretion, a small degree of pore opening was observed. In the flowers of Erica carnea, secondary nectar presentation was found, with the nectar accumulating at the base of the fused corolla.
Airborne birch pollen in Poland and Latvia in the light of data obtained from aerobiological monitoring and tauber traps in relation to mean air temperature
Authors: Pidek Irena A. , Piotrowska Katarzyna , Kaszewski Bogusław M. , Kalnina Laimdota , Weryszko-Chmielewska Elżbieta
Published: May 2013

Birch pollen contains allergens belonging to those with the strongest allergenic properties. In order to trace pollen season patterns of this taxon and pollen annual sums at a wider regional scale, cooperation was established with the University of Latvia in Riga (Latvia). A comparison of the results obtained in the years 2003-2008 in Lublin and in Riga, using volumetric samplers, shows that there was a similar trend in the abundance of birch pollen. The highest sums were noted at both sites in 2003. In all the study years, more birch pollen grains were recorded in Lublin than in Riga, on the average by 7110. The birch pollen seasons started earlier in Lublin than in Riga, on the average by 6 days, and they ended earlier in Lublin, on the average by 18 days. In Riga the birch pollen seasons were longer and less abundant than in Lublin. In addition, in both the regions, i.e. in SE Poland (the Roztocze area) and in Latvia (the area of Marupe near Riga, Taurene, Teici and Rucava), there is pollen data series available obtained from annual pollen deposition monitoring conducted using the modified Tauber traps. These pollen counts have been carried out under the Pollen Monitoring Programme (http://pmp.oulu.fi) since 1998. The 11- year data series in Roztocze and the 10-year data series in Latvia allowed the trends in the occurrence of years of abundant or poor birch pollen release to be traced. In Roztocze maximum Betula pollen deposition occurred in the year 2003, in Latvia - in 1999. The absence of a significant correlation between SE Poland and Latvia with regard to the trends in the occurrence of years of abundant Betula pollen deposition induced the authors to seek climatic factors responsible for increased birch pollen production. The analysis of the Spearman's rank correlation coefficients between annual Betula pollen sums in Roztocze and mean air temperature in June, July and August in the year preceding pollen emission as well as in spring (January-April) of the year of pollen emission showed a statistically significant negative correlation with air temperature in February of the year of pollen emission.
The occurrence and biotic activity of Phomopsis diachenii Sacc.
Authors: Machowicz-Stefaniak Zofia
Published: May 2013

Phomopsis diachenii was isolated from caraway cultivars Konczewicki, firstly in 2006 and next in 2007. Single cultures were obtained from the roots and the stem base of eight six-week-old seedlings and from the stems of two plants with symptoms of necrosis, in the second year of planting. This fungus was isolated from the plant parts superficially disinfected on malt agar medium with an addition 0.01% of streptomycin. The identification of the species was made on PDA medium. The biotic interactions between P. diachenii and S. carvi and other species of phyllosphere fungi of caraway were studied. Interactions among the fungi, i.e. between P. diachenii and one of the fungi representing the studied community, were examined using the biotic series method. The biotic effects of the fungi in dual cultures were evaluated after 10 and 20 days of common growth and were expressed as the individual biotic effect (IBE). It was shown that P. diachenii is a weak competitor because its growth was limited by numerous species of phyllosphere fungi. The obtained results indicated the dominance of biotic activity of P. diachenii over that of S. carvi. It is possible that P. diachenii has a greater ability to survive in the phyllosphere fungal community than S. carvi, causing septoriosis of caraway.
Relations between boiling water test, standard germination test and field emergence of leek (Allium porrum L.) and onion (Allium cepa L.) seeds
Authors: Guvenc Ismail , Kaymak Haluk C. , Duman Sibel
Published: May 2013

The aim of this study was to determine relations occurring between boiling water test, standard germination test and field emergence of leek (Allium porrum L.) and onion (Allium cepa L.) seeds. In this study, seeds of six lots ('Kalem', 'Ala', 'Ínegöl-A, B, C and D') from three cultivars of leek and seven onion cultivars ('Early Texas Grano' (ETG), 'Panku', 'Storm', 'Banko', 'Aki', 'Kisagün' and 'Banka') seeds were used as plant material and their viability was evaluated in boiling water test (BWT), standard germination test (SGT) and field emergence (FE). The percentage of field emergence was evaluated at three sowing times: 20 May (FE-I), 10 June (FE-II) and 20 July (FE-III). The mean germination of leek seeds varied from 77.5% to 100.0% and from 36.0% to 61.0% in SGT and BWT, respectively. While the range of results obtained in the boiling water test was from 38.5% to 60.0%, the range of results of the standard germination test was from 81.0% to 100.0% in onion seeds. The range of field emergence was between 18.5% ('Kisagün', FE-III) and 72.0% (İnegöl-C', FE-II). Besides, the boiling water test was correlated highly significantly with SGT (r = 0.670**), FE-I (r = 0.923**), FE-II (r = 0.906**) and FE-III (r = 0.939**) in leek seeds. Similarly, BWT showed positive correlation with SGT (r = 0.568**), FE-I (r = 0.844**), FE-II (r = 0.933**) and FE-III (r = 0.858**) in onion seeds. In conclusion, the boiling water test is a new and reliable technique to test seed viability and it has a great potential to test rapidly germination and field emergence of leek and onion seeds at different sowing times.
The allelopathic effect of Taraxacum officinale F.G. Wigg on the seeds germination and initial growth of Lolium westerwoldicum R.Br.
Authors: Jankowska Jolanta , Ciepiela Grażyna A. , Sosnowski Jacek , Kolczarek Roman , Jankowski Kazimierz
Published: May 2013

The common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale F.H. Wigg) is a perennial plant often found in large concentrations in the sward of natural meadows. This species expands quickly, displacing other species. In literature there is a lack of data relating to the effect of common dandelion on plants growing in its vicinity. It is also not known why this species creates large clusters. Perhaps it competes with different plants through the allelopathic effect. Hence, the aim of this study was to determine the influence of water extracts from leaves and roots of common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) as well as soil extracts from the root layer of this species on seed germination and the initial growth of Lolium westerwoldicum R.Br. The investigated material comprised leaves and roots of Taraxacum officinale. The germination biotest most often used in experiments was applied. The seeds germination energy of westerwolds ryegrass was most inhibited by plant extracts prepared from roots and leaves of Taraxacum officinale. The germination ability of seeds of Lolium westerwoldicum was the highest in the treatments in which soil extracts were applied; however, the value of this feature was limited to a larger extent by the plant extracts from leaves of Taraxacum officinale than from roots. Higher concentrations of both soil and plant solutions had an inhibitory effect both on root growth and the growth of the leaf sheath and leaves of westerwolds ryegrass. The results of the tested parameters can confirm the allelopathic effect of Taraxacum officinale on germination and initial growth of Lolium westerwoldicum, and especially that of extracts prepared from leaves.
Total chromium and hexavalent chromium occurrence analysis
Authors: Seidel Chad J. , Corwin Christopher J.
Published: May 2013

Total and hexavalent chromium occurrence in the United States was investigated using three available datasets. The National Chromium and Boron Occurrence Survey, the US Environmental Protection Agency database of chromium from the Second Six‐Year Review, and California Department of Public Health water quality analysis data were obtained and analyzed. The high number of nondetect samples and subsequent nondetect handling had an important effect on the determination of representative chromium concentrations. Chromium was found to occur widely throughout the United States. Total and hexavalent samples were paired, and they indicated that surface water speciation is dominated by trivalent chromium, whereas groundwater speciation is dominated by hexavalent chromium. The potential impact of further chromium regulation ranges more than two orders of magnitude, with as few as 1,000 entry points being affected nationwide at 20 μg/L and as many as 100,000 entry points being affected nationwide at 1 μg/L.
Pilot‐testing of electrolysis for bromide removal from drinking water
Authors: Kimbrough David Eugene , Boulos Lina , Surawanvijit ikarn , Zacheis Adam , Cohen Yoram
Published: May 2013

A 10‐L/min pilot plant using California State Water Project water was designed and operated to remove bromide by electrolytic volatilization. The objective was to evaluate the cost‐effectiveness and efficacy of this process in reducing the formation of brominated disinfection by‐products such as bromate, trihalomethanes (THMs), and haloacetic acids. Water was passed between electrodes to oxidize bromide to bromine, which was volatilized and partially removed. The water was then ozonated, clarified in an upflow sand clarifier, and filtered through a monomedium deep‐bed anthracite coal filter. The process resulted in significantly lower bromate concentrations. THM concentrations were lower in some situations but to a lesser extent, relative to bromate. Chloride removal was also achieved. Extrapolations from pilot‐test results put estimated costs for a demonstration‐scale electrolytic reactor at $1,529–2,099/mil gal ($405–555/ML) of water treated.
Contaminant intrusion in water distribution systems
Authors: Mansour‐Rezaei Saheb , Naser Gholamreza , Malekpour Ahmad , Karney Bryan W.
Published: May 2013

The research described in this article concerns contaminant intrusion into a water distribution system associated with transient events. A Lagrangian‐based contaminant transport model was coupled with an Eulerian‐based transient hydraulic model to study contaminant intrusion and its propagation in a water distribution system. The hydraulic model was used to detect negative pressures during normal system operations. The Lagrangian‐based contaminant transport model reduced simulation time and avoided numerical dissipation and dispersion errors that often occur with Eulerian‐based modeling. The proposed water quality model was used to evaluate two systems described in the literature for their potential vulnerability to contaminant intrusion. The new transient water quality model realistically simulated intrusion events and contaminant propagation in both systems.
National and California treatment costs to comply with potential hexavalent chromium MCLs
Authors: Seidel Chad J. , Najm Issam N. , Blute Nicole K. , Corwin Christopher J. , Wu XueyiNg
Published: May 2013

The anticipated hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] drinking water standard in California and related national attention has sparked a public policy debate about potential regulatory action, but to date that debate has been lacking in a sound appreciation of the cost implications for Cr(VI) treatment of drinking water. This article imputes national and California‐specific cost implications from low‐level Cr(VI) treatment goals (1, 2, 5, 10, and 20 μg/L) for community water systems based on the best available scientific information regarding occurrence and demonstrated treatment technologies. The annual costs for a national 10‐μg/L Cr(VI) standard would range from $0.55 billion to $5.1 billion/year, substantially higher than those for previous drinking water regulations. The results reported here provide a guide to future cost analyses using the third Unregulated Contaminants Monitoring Rule and other occurrence databases and outline the key information gaps that will need to be addressed in order to arrive at a cost analysis sufficient to support sound regulatory decisions.
Treatment of Acute Gouty Arthritis in Complex Hospitalized Patients With Anakinra
Authors: Ghosh Pradipta , Cho Michael , Rawat Gurpreet , Simkin Peter A. , Gardner Gregory C.
Published: May 2013

Objective

To report our experience with the efficacy and safety of anakinra for acute gouty arthritis in medically complex hospitalized patients.

Methods

We reviewed the hospital charts of 26 patients treated with anakinra for crystal‐induced arthritis since 2007. Demographics, comorbid conditions, reason for anakinra use, response to treatment, and any adverse outcomes were recorded.

Results

Twenty‐six patients received 40 courses of anakinra therapy. In 67% of patients, pain improved significantly within 24 hours, and complete resolution of signs and symptoms of gout occurred by day 5 in 72.5% of patients. Seven patients received multiple courses with no decrement in response with repeated treatments. Anakinra was well tolerated and no adverse outcomes were attributed to the medication. Only 1 patient appeared to be refractory to this form of interleukin‐1 inhibition.

Conclusion

Anakinra is an effective and safe alternative treatment for acute gouty arthritis in medically complex hospitalized patients who fail or cannot undergo more conventional therapy.
Photoinduced Electron Transfer Between Pyridine Coated Cadmium Selenide Quantum Dots and Single Sheet Graphene
Authors: Guo Shirui , Bao Duoduo , Upadhyayula Srigokul , Wang Wei , Guvenc Ali B. , Kyle Jennifer R. , Hosseinibay Hamed , Bozhilov Krassimir N. , Vullev Valentine I. , Ozkan Cengiz S. , Ozkan Mihrimah
Published: May 2013

Interest in graphene as a two‐dimensional quantum‐well material for energy applications and nanoelectronics has increased exponentially in the last few years. The recent advances in large‐area single‐sheet fabrication of pristine graphene have opened unexplored avenues for expanding from nano‐ to meso‐scale applications. The relatively low level of absorptivity and the short lifetimes of excitons of single‐sheet graphene suggest that it needs to be coupled with light sensitizers in order to explore its feasibility for photonic applications, such as solar‐energy conversion. Red‐emitting CdSe quantum dots are employed for photosensitizing single‐sheet graphene with areas of several square centimeters. Pyridine coating of the quantum dots not only enhances their adhesion to the graphene surface, but also provides good electronic coupling between the CdSe and the two‐dimensional carbon allotrope. Illumination of the quantum dots led to injection of n‐carrier in the graphene phase. Time‐resolved spectroscopy reveals three modes of photoinduced electron transfer between the quantum dots and the graphene occurring in the femtosecond and picosecond time‐domains. Transient absorption spectra provide evidence for photoinduced hole‐shift from the CdSe to the pyridine ligands, thereby polarizing the surface of the quantum dots. That is, photoinduced electrical polarization, which favors the simultaneous electron transfer from the CdSe to the graphene phase. These mechanistic insights into the photoinduced interfacial charge transfer have a promising potential to serve as guidelines for the design and development of composites of graphene and inorganic nanomaterials for solar‐energy conversion applications.
Turning ABO3 Antiferroelectrics into Ferroelectrics: Design Rules for Practical Rotation‐Driven Ferroelectricity in Double Perovskites and A3B2O7 Ruddlesden‐Popper Compounds
Authors: Mulder Andrew T. , Benedek Nicole A. , Rondinelli James M. , Fennie Craig J.
Published: May 2013

Ferroic transition metal oxides, which exhibit spontaneous elastic, electrical, magnetic, or toroidal order, exhibit functional properties that find use in ultrastable solid‐state memories, sensors, and medical imaging technologies. To realize multifunctional behavior, where one order parameter can be coupled to the conjugate field of another order parameter, however, requires a common microscopic origin for the long‐range order. Here, a complete theory is formulated for a novel form of ferroelectricity, whereby a spontaneous and switchable polarization emerges from the destruction of an antiferroelectric state due to octahedral rotations and ordered cation sublattices. A materials design framework is then constructed based on crystal‐chemistry descriptors rooted in group theory, which enables the facile design of artificial oxides with large electric polarizations, P, simultaneous with small energetic switching barriers between +P and ‐P. The theory is validated with first principles density functional calculations on more than 16 perovskite‐structured oxides, illustrating it could be operative in any materials classes exhibiting two‐ or three‐dimensional corner‐connected octahedral frameworks. The principles governing materials selection of the “layered” systems are shown to originate in the lattice dynamics of the A cation displacements stabilized by the pervasive BO6 rotations of single phase ABO3 materials, whereby the latter distortions govern the optical band gaps, magnetic order, and critical transition temperatures. This approach provides the elusive route to the practical control of octahedral rotations, and hence, a wide range of functional properties, with an applied electric field.
Optical density as a probe of carbon nanotubes dispersion in polymers
Authors: Combessis Anthony , Mazel Christelle , Maugin Melek , Flandin Lionel
Published: May 2013

The dispersion state of composite materials is known to primarily govern their macroscopic properties. With nanoscopic fillers tiny fluctuations in the interactions among particles may even become the prominent parameter. In this article, the dispersion of carbon nanotubes within a polymer was studied by means of UV–visible spectroscopy and transmitting light microscopy. With thin films, it was found that all the measured absorbances obey a parallel model between the dispersed and the aggregated phases. A method could thus be proposed and validated to gain micrographies of the optical densities within the samples. The Beer–Lambert law was applied to the description of this solid/solid structure, leading to an extinction coefficient for carbon nanotubes comparable to that proposed in solutions. In conclusion, it is shown that one can obtain valuable information from the dispersed phase in optical micrographies, especially the effective filler concentration and a dispersion index in agreement with the literature. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1778–1786, 2013
Mechanical and fracture properties of halloysite nanotube reinforced vinyl‐ester nanocomposites
Authors: Alhuthali Abdullah , Low It‐Meng
Published: May 2013

The mechanical and fracture properties of vinyl‐ester composites reinforced with halloysite nanotubes have been investigated. Enhancements in toughness are attributed to crack bridging, deflection, and localized plastic deformation, while strength improvements can be attributed to the large aspect ratio of fillers, favorable interfacial adhesion and dispersion, and inter‐tubular interaction. Comparisons of experimental data on elastic modulus and mathematical models for predicting particulate polymer composites have verified the models of Paul and Guth. The aspect ratio of fillers and the degree of interfacial adhesion are crucial factors in the prediction of elastic modulus in these polymer nanocomposites. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 1716–1725, 2013