bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Remoção de adstringência de caqui: um enfoque bioquímico, fisiológico e tecnológico
Authors: Edagi Fernando Kazuhiro , Kluge Ricardo Alfredo
Published: March 2009

Apenas na Ásia, centro de origem do caqui (Diospyros kaki L.), existem mais de 2000 cultivares diferentes, das quais, a maioria é adstringente. Diante de tamanha variabilidade, existem diferentes métodos de remoção de adstringência, de tal forma que cada um deve ser adaptado a cada cultivar e local de produção. Tais métodos de destanização objetivam promover um acúmulo de acetaldeído na polpa dos frutos, o qual provoca a polimerização das moléculas de taninos solúveis, responsáveis pela adstringência, transformando-os num composto com consistência de gel, insolúvel e, assim, não adstringente. Entre os métodos mais utilizados estão: aplicação de vapor de álcool etílico, que ativa a enzima álcool dehidrogenase com subseqüente acúmulo de acetaldeído, e a promoção da anaerobiose, que induz a transformação do piruvato em acetaldeído em uma reação catalisada pela enzima piruvato descarboxilase. Neste trabalho de revisão, visa à discussão dos principais fatores a serem observados no processo de remoção da adstringência de caquis, como o método a ser utilizado, a temperatura de destanização, o tempo de exposição ao tratamento e o ponto de maturação dos frutos, entre outros.
Evidence that androgen-independent stromal growth factor signals promote androgen-insensitive prostate cancer cell growth in vivo
Authors: Ishii Kenichiro , Imamura Tetsuya , Iguchi Kazuhiro , Arase Shigeki , Yoshio Yuko , Arima Kiminobu , Hirano Kazuyuki , Sugimura Yoshiki
Published: March 2009

Activation of tumor–stromal interactions is considered to play a critical role in the promotion of tumorigenesis. To discover new therapeutic targets for hormone-refractory prostate tumor growth under androgen ablation therapy, androgen-sensitive LNCaP cells and the derived sublines, E9 (androgen-low-sensitive), and AIDL (androgen-insensitive), were recombined with androgen-dependent embryonic rat urogenital sinus mesenchyme (UGM). Tumors of E9+UGM and AIDL+UGM were approximately three times as large as those of LNCaP+UGM. Tumors grown in castrated hosts exhibited reduced growth as compared with those in intact hosts. However, in castrated hosts, E9+UGM and AIDL+UGM tumors were still approximately twice as large as those of LNCaP+UGM. Cell proliferation in tumors of E9+UGM and AIDL+UGM grown in castrated host, was significantly higher than that in tumors of LNCaP+UGM. In vitro, expression of fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2 and IGF-I, but not FGF-7 mRNA, was significantly reduced in UGM under androgen starvation. In cell culture, E9 cells were responsive to FGF-2 and FGF-7 stimulation, while AIDL responded to FGF-7 and IGF-1. Expression of FGFR1 and FGFR2 was considerably higher in E9 than those in LNCaP, similarly expression of FGFR2 and IGF-IR were elevated in AIDL. These data suggest that activation of prostate cancer cell growth through growth factor receptor expression may result in the activity of otherwise androgen-independent stromal growth factor signals such as FGF-7 under conditions of androgen ablation.
Regulation and role of suppressor of cytokine signaling-3 in hypothalamic 4B cells
Authors: Kageyama Kazunori , Hanada Komaki , Iwasaki Yasumasa , Suda Toshihiro
Published: March 2009

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) plays a central role in regulating stress responses. In the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), CRF, produced in response to stress, stimulates the release of ACTH from the anterior pituitary. ACTH then stimulates the release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal glands; circulating glucocorticoids are critical for recovery from stress conditions. Cytokines are also implicated in the regulation of CRF expression. Among them, interleukin (IL)-6 plays a role in the regulation of CRF. Factors other than glucocorticoids are likely to be involved in limiting the stimulation of CRF during stress. Suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS)-3 acts as a potent negative regulator of cytokine signaling. Little is known about the ability of the inhibitory signaling pathways to limit activation of the CRF gene in parvocellular PVN neurons. Hypothalamic 4B cells are useful for exploring the mechanisms, because these cells show characteristics of the parvocellular neurons of the PVN. In the present study, we examined whether SOCS-3 is regulated by IL-6 and cAMP in hypothalamic 4B cells. We also explored the involvement of SOCS-3 in the regulation of CRF gene expression. SOCS-3 was found to be regulated by IL-6 and via the cAMP/protein kinase A pathway in the hypothalamic cells. SOCS-3 knockdown increased IL-6- or forskolin-induced CRF gene transcription and mRNA levels. Therefore, SOCS-3, induced by a cAMP stimulant and IL-6, would be involved in the negative regulation of CRF gene expression in hypothalamic cells.
Two divergent leptin paralogues in zebrafish (Danio rerio) that originate early in teleostean evolution
Authors: Gorissen Marnix , Bernier Nicholas J , Nabuurs Sander B , Flik Gert , Huising Mark O
Published: March 2009

We describe duplicate leptin genes in zebrafish (Danio rerio) that share merely 24% amino acid identity with each other and only 18% with human leptin. We were also able to retrieve a second leptin gene in medaka (Oryzias latipes). The presence of duplicate leptin genes in these two distantly related teleosts suggests that duplicate leptin genes are a common feature of teleostean fishes. Despite low primary sequence conservation, we are confident in assigning orthology between mammalian and zebrafish leptins for several reasons. First, both zebrafish leptins share their characteristic gene structure and display key features of conserved synteny with mammalian leptin genes. Secondly, the cysteine residues that make up leptin's single disulphide bridge are equally spaced in mammalian and zebrafish leptins and are unique among all members of the class-I helical cytokine family. Thirdly, the zebrafish leptins cluster with other fish leptins and mammalian leptins in phylogenetic analysis, supported by high bootstrap values. Within the leptin cluster, leptin-b forms a separate clade with the leptin-b orthologue from medaka. Finally, our prediction of the tertiary structures shows that both leptins conform to the typical four α-helix bundle structure of the class-I α-helical cytokines. The zebrafish leptins are differentially expressed; the liver shows high leptin-a expression (in concordance with what we observed for carp leptins), while leptin-b is expressed at much lower levels, which are downregulated further upon fasting. The finding of duplicate leptin genes in teleosts adds to our understanding of the evolution of leptin physiology in the early vertebrate lineage.
Briefing: New online marine aggregates research database
Authors: Moore J.
Published: March 2009

ABPmer, in collaboration with the GeoData Institute, has developed an online research tool on behalf of the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The project was financed by the Aggregate Levy Sustainability Fund, Marine Environmental Protection Fund and has created a database of research project information relating to marine aggregate extraction. The online system has been designed to maximise user benefit through improved ‘knowledge management’, and has been tailored to address scientific as well as policy needs. Users can now access this comprehensive body of marine aggregate research through a specially designed website: www.marinealsf.org.uk . The website holds a ‘live’ register of research studies contained within a spatial metadata-base and, where available, supplies direct access to PDF research reports. The documented research is primarily marine-aggregates based but also includes data from other relevant sectors of interest. The system incorporates a web-enabled geographical information system to support user queries and help identify geographic areas that are research rich or poor.
Application of diffusion approximation for risk assessments of sea turtle populations
Authors: Snover Melissa L. , Heppell Selina S.
Published: March 2009

Population viability analysis (PVA) to forecast extinction risk is a commonly used tool in decision‐ and policy‐making processes of governments and conservation organizations. A drawback to PVA is the high degree of uncertainty in these forecasts due to both population stochasticity and parameter estimation uncertainty. With sparse or noisy data, extinction probabilities frequently have 95% confidence intervals ranging from 0 to 1. To make stochastic simulation results more interpretable, we present a new metric, susceptibility to quasi‐extinction (SQE), to assess whether or not a population is at risk of declining to a prespecified level (quasi‐extinction). Following standard methods for diffusion approximation of extinction risk, we use a parametric bootstrap to determine the 95% CI for the probability of quasi‐extinction. SQE is the proportion of this parametric bootstrap that indicates a high (defined as ≥0.90) probability of quasi‐extinction, resulting in a point estimate that integrates both parameter uncertainty and stochasticity in extinction forecasting. We demonstrate the application of the metric with sea turtle nest census data, which have a high degree of year‐to‐year variance and represent only a small fraction of the total population. Using population simulations, we found that for these types of data a critical SQE value of 0.40 corresponds to populations that have a true risk of quasi‐extinction. The metric has an accuracy of >80%, which can be increased further by lowering the 0.40 threshold and trading off Type I error (considering a population to be “not at risk” when it actually is) and Type II error (considering a population to be “at risk” when it actually is not), giving managers a flexible and quantitative tool for assessments of population status.
Multiscale analysis of tree cover and aboveground carbon stocks in pinyon–juniper woodlands
Authors: Huang Cho-ying , Asner Gregory P. , Martin Roberta E. , Barger Nichole N. , Neff Jason C.
Published: March 2009

Regional, high‐resolution mapping of vegetation cover and biomass is central to understanding changes to the terrestrial carbon (C) cycle, especially in the context of C management. The third most extensive vegetation type in the United States is pinyon–juniper (P–J) woodland, yet the spatial patterns of tree cover and aboveground biomass (AGB) of P–J systems are poorly quantified. We developed a synoptic remote‐sensing approach to scale up pinyon and juniper projected cover (hereafter “cover”) and AGB field observations from plot to regional levels using fractional photosynthetic vegetation (PV) cover derived from airborne imaging spectroscopy and Landsat satellite data. Our results demonstrated strong correlations (P< 0.001) between field cover and airborne PV estimates (r2= 0.92), and between airborne and satellite PV estimates (r2= 0.61). Field data also indicated that P–J AGB can be estimated from canopy cover using a unified allometric equation (r2= 0.69;P< 0.001). Using these multiscale cover–AGB relationships, we developed high‐resolution, regional maps of P–J cover and AGB for the western Colorado Plateau. The P–J cover was 27.4% ± 9.9% (mean ± SD), and the mean aboveground woody C converted from AGB was 5.2 ± 2.0 Mg C/ha. Combining our data with the southwest Regional Gap Analysis Program vegetation map, we estimated that total contemporary woody C storage for P–J systems throughout the Colorado Plateau (113 600 km2) is 59.0 ± 22.7 Tg C. Our results show how multiple remote‐sensing observations can be used to map cover and C stocks at high resolution in drylands, and they highlight the role of P–J ecosystems in the North American C budget.
Modeling abundance using N‐mixture models: the importance of considering ecological mechanisms
Authors: Joseph Liana N. , Elkin Ché , Martin Tara G. , Possingham Hugh P.
Published: March 2009

Predicting abundance across a species' distribution is useful for studies of ecology and biodiversity management. Modeling of survey data in relation to environmental variables can be a powerful method for extrapolating abundances across a species' distribution and, consequently, calculating total abundances and ultimately trends. Research in this area has demonstrated that models of abundance are often unstable and produce spurious estimates, and until recently our ability to remove detection error limited the development of accurate models. The N‐mixture model accounts for detection and abundance simultaneously and has been a significant advance in abundance modeling. Case studies that have tested these new models have demonstrated success for some species, but doubt remains over the appropriateness of standard N‐mixture models for many species. Here we develop the N‐mixture model to accommodate zero‐inflated data, a common occurrence in ecology, by employing zero‐inflated count models. To our knowledge, this is the first application of this method to modeling count data. We use four variants of the N‐mixture model (Poisson, zero‐inflated Poisson, negative binomial, and zero‐inflated negative binomial) to model abundance, occupancy (zero‐inflated models only) and detection probability of six birds in South Australia. We assess models by their statistical fit and the ecological realism of the parameter estimates. Specifically, we assess the statistical fit with AIC and assess the ecological realism by comparing the parameter estimates with expected values derived from literature, ecological theory, and expert opinion. We demonstrate that, despite being frequently ranked the “best model” according to AIC, the negative binomial variants of the N‐mixture often produce ecologically unrealistic parameter estimates. The zero‐inflated Poisson variant is preferable to the negative binomial variants of the N‐mixture, as it models an ecological mechanism rather than a statistical phenomenon and generates reasonable parameter estimates. Our results emphasize the need to include ecological reasoning when choosing appropriate models and highlight the dangers of modeling statistical properties of the data. We demonstrate that, to obtain ecologically realistic estimates of abundance, occupancy and detection probability, it is essential to understand the sources of variation in the data and then use this information to choose appropriate error distributions.
Markov chain estimation of avian seasonal fecundity
Authors: Etterson Matthew A. , Bennett Richard S. , Kershner Eric L. , Walk Jeffery W.
Published: March 2009

Avian seasonal fecundity is of interest from evolutionary, ecological, and conservation perspectives. However, direct estimation of seasonal fecundity is difficult, especially with multi‐brooded birds, and models representing the renesting and quitting processes are usually required. To explore the consequences of modeling decisions on inference about avian seasonal fecundity, we generalize previous Markov chain (MC) models of avian nest success to formulate two different MC models of avian seasonal fecundity that represent two different ways to model renesting decisions and breeding cessation. We parameterize both Markov chains (regular and absorbing) for two species (Eastern Meadowlark, Sturnella magna, and Dickcissel, Spiza americana) and compare the results using mean‐square error of the estimated number of successful broods per breeding female. We also provide formulae for estimating the expected variation in female breeding success. The absorbing MC performed better for both species, although the regular MC performed almost as well when the duration of the breeding season was estimated by taking the 95th percentile of a negative binomial distribution fit to the observed durations among all females. In their simplest form the models contain very few parameters (four or five) and should also prove useful as a foundation for more complex models of avian seasonal fecundity and demography.
Spatially explicit modeling of habitat dynamics and fish population persistence in an intermittent lowland stream
Authors: Perry George L. W. , Bond Nicholas R.
Published: March 2009

In temperate and arid climate zones many streams and rivers flow intermittently, seasonally contracting to a sequence of isolated pools or waterholes over the dry period, before reconnecting in the wetter parts of the year. This seasonal drying process is central to our understanding of the population dynamics of aquatic organisms such as fish and invertebrates in these systems. However, there is a dearth of empirical data on the temporal dynamics of such populations. We describe a spatially explicit individual‐based model (SEIBM) of fish population dynamics in such systems, which we use to explore the long‐term population viability of the carp gudgeon Hypseleotris spp. in a lowland stream in southeastern Australia. We explicitly consider the impacts of interannual variability in stream flow, for example, due to drought, on habitat availability and hence population persistence. Our results support observations that these populations are naturally highly variable, with simulated fish population sizes typically varying over four orders of magnitude within a 50‐year simulation run. The most sensitive parameters in the model relate to the amount of water (habitat) in the system: annual rainfall, seepage loss from the pools, and the carrying capacity (number of individuals per cubic meter) of the pools as they dry down. It seems likely that temporal source–sink dynamics allow the fish populations to persist in these systems, with good years (high rainfall and brief cease‐to‐flow [CTF] periods) buffering against periods of drought. In dry years during which the stream may contract to very low numbers of pools, each of these persistent pools becomes crucial for the persistence of the population in the system. Climate change projections for this area suggest decreases in rainfall and increased incidence of drought; under these environmental conditions the long‐term persistence of these fish populations is uncertain.
Spiritual Well-Being in Individuals With Fibromyalgia Syndrome: Relationships With Symptom Pattern Variability, Uncertainty, and Psychosocial Adaptation
Authors: Anema Cheryl , Johnson Mary , Zeller Janice M. , Fogg Louis , Zetterlund Joan
Published: March 2009

This study examined relationships among symptom pattern variability, uncertainty, spiritual well-being, and psychosocial adaptation in individuals with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). A survey design was used with 58 individuals with FMS. The Fibromyalgia Symptom Pattern Questionnaire, Mishel Uncertainty in Illness Scale—Community Form, Spiritual Well-Being Scale, and Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale—Self Report were used to collect data. Positive relationships were found between symptom pattern variability and uncertainty and between uncertainty and poor psychosocial adaptation; spiritual well-being moderated the relationship between uncertainty and psychosocial adaptation. A positive sense of well-being aided adaptation to symptoms and uncertainties of FMS. Spiritual well-being had a greater effect on the relationship between symptom pattern variability and uncertainty than expected.
A Multicomponent, Two-Phase-Flow Model for CO2 Storage and Enhanced Coalbed-Methane Recovery
Authors: Seto C. J. , Jessen K. , Orr F. M.
Published: March 2009

Injection of CO2 into deep unminable coal seams is an option for geological storage of CO2. Moreover, injection of CO2 may enhance the recovery of CH4 in these systems, making coal reservoirs interesting candidates for sequestration.

New analytical solutions are presented for two-phase, three-and four-component flow with volume change on mixing in adsorbing systems. We analyze the simultaneous flow of water and gas containing multiple adsorbing components. The displacement problem is solved by the method of characteristics. Mixtures of N2, CH4, CO2, and H2O are used to represent enhanced coalbed-methane (ECBM) recovery processes. The displacement behavior is demonstrated to be strongly dependent on the relative adsorption strength of the gas components.

In ternary systems, two types of solutions result. When a gas rich in CO2 displaces a less strongly adsorbing gas (such as CH4), a shock solution is obtained. As the injected gas propagates through the system, CO2 is removed from the mobile phase by adsorption, while desorbed gas propagates ahead of the CO2 front. The adsorption of CO2 reduces the flow velocity of the injected gas, delaying breakthrough and allowing for more CO2 to be sequestered per volume of CH4 produced. For injection gases rich in N2, a decrease in partial pressure is required to displace the preferentially adsorbed CH4 and a rarefaction solution results.

In quaternary displacements with injection-gas mixtures of CO2 and N2, the relative adsorption strength of the components results in solutions that exhibit features of both the N2-rich and CO2-rich ternary displacements.

Analytical solutions for ECBM recovery processes provide insight into the complex interplay of adsorption, phase behavior, and convection. Improved understanding of the physics of these displacements will aid in developing more efficient and physically accurate techniques for predicting the fate of injected CO2 in the subsurface.
Reservoir Characterization With the Discrete Cosine Transform
Authors: Jafarpour B. , McLaughlin D. B.
Published: March 2009

Inverse estimation (history matching) of permeability fields is commonly performed by replacing the original set of unknown spatially discretized reservoir properties with a smaller (lower-dimensional) group of unknowns that captures the most important features of the field. This makes the inverse problem better posed by reducing redundancy. The Karhunen-Loeve transform (KLT), also known as principal component analysis, is a classical option for deriving low-dimensional parameterizations for history-matching applications. The KLT can provide an accurate characterization of complex-property fields, but it can be computationally demanding. In many respects, this approach provides a benchmark that can be used to evaluate the performance of more-computationally-efficient alternatives. The KLT requires knowledge of the property covariance function and can give poor results when this function does not adequately describe the actual property field. By contrast, the discrete cosine transform (DCT) provides a robust parameterization alternative that does not require specification of covariances or other statistics. It is computationally efficient and, in many cases, is almost as accurate as the KLT. The DCT is also able to accommodate prior information, if desired. Here, we describe the DCT approach and compare its performance to the KLT for a set of geologically relevant examples.
A Dual-Grid Automatic-History-Matching Technique With Applications to 3D Formation Testing in the Presence of Oil-Based-Mud-Filtrate Invasion
Authors: Malik Mayank , Torres-Verdín Carlos , Sepehrnoori Kamy
Published: March 2009

Probe-type formation testers are often used to estimate permeability and anisotropy from pressure-transient measurements. The interpretation of these measurements is not trivial in the presence of oil-based-mud (OBM) -filtrate invasion because of miscibility with formation oil and gas. Simple analytical expressions of spherical and linear single-phase flow may not give correct estimates of permeability in miscible or partially miscible flow regimes. Because pressure transients are nonlinearly dependent on permeability, repeated 3D numerical simulations become necessary to honor measured pressure transients.

We describe the development and successful implementation of a new inversion method that efficiently estimates permeability and anisotropy with a cascade sequence of least-squares minimizations. Measurements consist of pressure transients acquired at the sandface with a probe-type wireline formation tester (WFT). The new inversion method executes the forward 3D problem only in an outer loop. In the inner loop, we perform fast minimizations with an equivalent 2D cylindrical grid. Transient measurements of pressure at the sandface simulated with the 2D cylindrical grid are correlated to the corresponding measurements simulated with the 3D grid. Once the 2D minimization is completed, we perform a 3D simulation of transient pressure to update the 2D/3D correlation parameter and a new 2D minimization is initialized until convergence is reached. The process repeats itself until the simulated 3D pressure transients reproduce the field measurements within prestipulated error bounds.

We perform tests of the new inversion algorithm on synthetic and field data sets acquired in the presence of OBM-filtrate invasion. Results confirm that our coupled 2D/3D hybrid inversion approach enables significant savings in computer time and provides reliable and accurate estimates of permeability and anisotropy. In most cases, we are able to estimate permeability under 2% error within 20% of the computational time required by 3D minimization. Sensitivity analysis indicates that permeability estimates may be biased by noisy measurements as well as by uncertainty in flow rates, relative permeability, radial extent of invasion, formation damage, and location of bed boundaries.
A New Systematic and Dynamic UBD Procedures Applied to Prevent Formation Damage, Wellbore Collapse and Improve Oil Production in Hassi Massoud Field
Authors: Berkat Ali , Kartobi Khelil , Mazouzi Amine , Dhina Okba , Qutob Hani , Barakat Naiem , Grayson Fudge , Marei Ayman
Published: March 2009

The Hassi Massoud oil field is the largest of its kind in Algeria. The reservoir was discovered in 1956 and produces from a Cambrian-age at approximately 3400 meters depth. It produces 45°API oil from a thick Cambro-Ordovician sandstone formation.

This sandstone is extremely hard, abrasive and slow to drill. The reservoir is naturally fractured in some parts. Fractures are either open or plugged with materials such as shale, silica, anhydrite, pyrite and bitumen. Porosity is ranging from 6 to 12%. Generally, the permeability is low with a range of less than 1 to more than 100 md in open-fractures layers

Sonatrach introduced Underbalanced Drilling (UBD) primarily in an effort to improve penetration rates. However, all additional benefits obtained from UBD, such as production improvement and reservoir characterization while drilling, will be of an added value.

Well OMPZ553 is the 37th well drilled underbalanced in the Hassi Massoud field. In this well, the focus was on production improvement with minimum formation damage while the increased rate of penetration (ROP) was a secondary benefit. Another objective was the evaluation of production while the well is being drilled. This eliminates the need for expensive post drilling production testing, and also to minimize borehole instability specially when drilling in the R2 section of the drain.

In order to increase the success rate of drilling and completing this well underbalanced, Sonatrach introduced a new systematic and dynamic procedure. The new procedure consists of: Proper UBD candidate screeningCalculating the actual reservoir pressure before UB mode startsCompleting the well in UB mode

This well proved to be the best UB drilled well in Hassi Massoud field in terms of reservoir benefits and characterization. The pre-job UBD candidate screening, feasibility studies and applying the new procedures proved effective in the success of this well.

This paper describes in detail the above procedure and presents the successful application of such procedure to optimize production and enhance the ultimate recovery in the Hassi Massoud field. Lessons learnt and challenges encountered will also be discussed in this paper
Effect of Grid Deviation on Flow Solutions
Authors: Wu X. H. , Parashkevov R. R.
Published: March 2009

The two-point flux finite-volume method (2P-FVM) is the most widely used method for solving the flow equation in reservoir simulations. For 2P-FVM to be consistent, the simulation grid needs to be orthogonal (or k-orthogonal if the permeability field is anisotropic). It is well known that corner-point grids can introduce large errors in the flow solutions because of the lack of orthogonality in general. Multipoint flux formulations that do not rely on grid orthogonality have been proposed, but these methods add significant computational cost to solving the flow equation.

Recently, 2.5D unstructured grids that combine 2D Voronoi areal grids with vertical projections along deviated coordinate lines have become an attractive alternative to corner-point gridd-ing. The Voronoi grid helps maintain orthogonality areally and can mitigate grid orientation effects. However, experience with these grids is limited.

In this paper, we present an analytical and numerical study of these 2.5D unstructured grids. We focus on the effect of grid deviation on flow solutions in homogeneous, but anisotropic, permeability fields. In particular, we consider the grid deviation that results from gridding to sloping faults. We show that 2P-FVM does not converge to the correct solution as the grid refines. We further quantify the errors for some simple flow scenarios using a technique that combines numerical analysis and asymptotic expansions. Analytical error estimates are obtained. We find that the errors are highly flow dependent and that they can be global with no strong correlation with local nonorthogonality measures. Numerical tests are presented to confirm the analytical findings and to show the applicability of our conclusions to more-general flow scenarios.
Post-Yield Material Characterization for Strain-Based Design
Authors: Kaiser Trent
Published: March 2009

Conventional material specifications and test methods were developed to support load-based designs in which inelastic deformations are relatively small and yield strength is the primary material factor governing design. However, in strain-based designs where substantial portions of the structure soften under post-yield deformation, more detailed characterization of the post-yield material behavior is required. This paper presents a framework for describing the post-yield properties of metals (including strain-rate dependence of yield strength) a testing method for measuring post-yield strength in terms of strain and strain rate, and an analytical basis for extrapolating measured properties to static conditions for strain-based design and quality assurance (QA).
Risk Premiums versus Waiting-Options Premiums: A Simple Numerical Example
Authors: Miyazaki Kenji , Saito Makoto
Published: March 2009

This paper investigates how interest rates on liquid assets and excess returns on risky assets are determined when only safe assets can be used as liquid assets when waiting for an informative signal of future payoffs. In particular, we carefully differentiate between a demand for liquid assets while waiting for new information and a demand for safe assets for precautionary reasons. Employing Kreps--Porteus preferences, numerical examples demonstrate that larger waiting-options premiums (lower interest rates) emerge with higher risk aversion in combination with more elastic intertemporal substitution.
A Half Century of Trade Union Membership. The Cyclical Macro-Determinants of Postwar Union Growth in Belgium
Authors: Vandaele Kurt
Published: March 2009

Based on the seminal contribution of Bain and Elsheikh, this article explains the ebb and flow in trade union membership in Belgium from 1948 to 1995. With only four explanatory variables, the model clarifies more than 75 per cent of the fluctuations in Belgian trade union membership. The results show that rises in inflation, real wages and, due to the Ghent system, unemployment have a positive impact on unionization. Although there is an enforcement effect, a saturation effect takes over, indicating that further union growth is hampered by the union's own size. Mainly due to the 'Allgemeinkoalitionsfähighkeit' of the Belgian government system, the impact of leftist parties on unionization is not significant in a quantitative framework.
A Rational Choice Analysis of an Irrational Polity: Four Israeli Cases
Authors: Doron Gideon , Meydani Assaf
Published: March 2009

This article presents RCT as a way for interpreting reality. In order to demonstrate this, we present four political events from Israeli domestic and foreign politics and examine them from a rational choice approach. The first case presents an account of the variations in the ideological positions of the right-wing and the left-wing parties regarding policy in general and particularly regarding the unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip that took place in the summer of 2005. In the second case we examine the rational assumptions (defined here as "Lies") that affected the political actions of Israeli Prime Ministers since the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995. The third case includes a discussion on the relevance of the "democratic peace" assertion in the context of foreign policy. Finally, we analyze the centrality of the High Court of Justice in the Israeli political and social domains. We conclude this article with a discussion of the issue of 'reality acceptance' and the difficulty entailed in affecting it - from the perspective of the rational choice theory.
Kant and the Kaliningrad Problem
Authors: Jokubaitis Alvydas
Published: March 2009

The aim of the article is to disclose a possible view held by Kant towards the solution of the Ko?nigsberg problem after World War II. Nowadays philosophers usually show little interest in debates on so-called "Kaliningrad Puzzle". This is a kind of misunderstanding. As one of the most prominent representatives of the idealistic paradigm of international relations, Kant may be a competent participant of the debates on the future of the Kaliningrad region. His political philosophy contributes towards a better understanding of certain important aspects related to the Kaliningrad problem.
Opposition in Non-Democratic Regimes: Notes on Possibilities and Limits of Current Theory
Authors: Hlavacek Petr , Holzer Jan
Published: March 2009

The topic of this paper is the term opposition, both its definition and its role as a factor in the functioning of non-democratic regimes. The paper tries to conceptualize the term in the context of non-democratic regimes, to compare it with its general definition (formulated with the consolidated democracy as its research framework) and to evaluate selected existing theories that occupy themselves with the question of opposition in non-democratic regimes. The aim of the paper is to identify problematic aspects of existing theories of "opposition" and to evaluate the possibilities and limitations of the term, and theories related to it, for analysing the functioning of non-democratic regimes.
Quantitative analysis of Loperamide hydrochloride in the presence its acid degradation products
Authors: Savic Ivana , Nikolic Goran , Savic Ivan , Marinkovic Valentina
Published: March 2009

The aim of this work was to develop a new RP-HPLC method for the determination of loperamide hydrochloride in the presence of its acid degradation products. Separation of loperamide from degradation products was performed using ZORBAX Eclipse XDB C-18, column with a mobile phase consisting of 0.1% sodium-octansulphonate, 0.05% triethylamine, 0.1% ammonium hydroxide in water:acetonitrile (45:55 v/v). The mobile phase was adjusted to pH 3.2 with phosphoric acid. The method showed high sensitivity with good linearity over the concentration range of 10 to 100 ?g cm-3. The method was successfully applied to the analysis of a pharmaceutical formulation (Loperamide, Zdravlje-Actavis, Serbia) containing loperamide hydrochloride with excellent recovery. The loperamide hydrochloride degradation during acid hydrolysis and kinetics investigation was carried out in hydrochloric acid solutions of 0.1, 1.0 and 1.5 mol dm-3, at different temperatures (25 and 40?C), by monitoring the parent compound itself. The first order reaction of loperamide degradation in acid solution was determined. The activation energy was estimated from the Arrhenius plot and it was found to be 38.81 kJ mol-1 at 40?C. The developed procedure was successfully applied for the rapid determination of loperamide hydrochloride in pharmaceutical formulation (Loperamide, Zdravlje-Actavis, Serbia) and in the presence of its acid degradation products.
Pilot plant for biohidrometallurgical production of copper
Authors: Conic Vesna , Cvetkovski Vladimir , Vukovic Milovan , Cvetkovska Milena
Published: March 2009

In this work, technical and technological characteristics of pilot plant for biohydrometallurgical production of copper financed by Ministry of Science and Environment Protection of Serbia, in the frame of capital providing for scientific research for the period 2006-2008 is presented. Presented within this project is the contribution and capability of the Institute for Mining and Metallurgy Bor to carry out the Fp6 IP project: 'Biotechnology for Metal Bearing Materials in Europe (BioMinE)'. In the pilot plant, processes such as: microbiological leaching, pressures oxidation, chemical purification of solutions, solvent extraction and electrowining of copper were carried out. Bioleaching can treat complex copper concentrates which are either unacceptable to smelting or attract high penalties. Some of the elements penalized in smelting (for example zinc) are dissolved in the bioleach process and can be recovered for sale. This may often allow an increased recovery of a few percent in the production of the copper concentrate. Bioleaching can be used in either small or large cathodic copper production from copper concentrate. Bioleaching uses conventional upstream and downstream process technology and the unit operation itself has been proven in the gold industry. For these reasons, this work describes the pilot plant for biotechnological production of copper from RTB Bor resources.
Utilization of slaked lime for the regulation of pH value in the process of copper
Authors: Petkovic Aleksandar , Petkovic Sonja , Magdalinovic Srdjana
Published: March 2009

The investigations of used lime at plant from company Messer-Tehnogas, Belgrade, were in the aim to improvement technologically results from flotation concentration of copper minerals in flotation plant Veliki Krivelj. This paper shows usage of slaked lime, which is waste in the process of technical gas production, for regulation of pH value in the process of copper minerals flotation concentration. It is important to point out that slaked lime is a waste material that is not dangerous. Preparation and dosage includes preparation procedures, which enable introduction into flotation process with the aim of achieving better results. Lime from Limekiln Zagradje is brought into four storage places in flotation. Volume of each storage place is 80 m3. Lime in pieces from storage place is added by airbladders on transportation line and by system of transportation lines lime gets to the ball mill. At the mill entrance water is added and then follows lime grinding. Milk glass of lime thus prepared goes to the pump basket from where is transported by pipeline to conditioner, and then by manual and (or) automatic valves it is dosed to the flotation concentration of copper minerals process. Prospect of advancement and rationalization of the used lime in flotation plant Bor, Veliki Krivelj and Majdanpek as well as a way to link different branches of industry was demonstrated. Total cost of lime supplying, transporting, preparation and distribution related slaked lime is lower for 2.955 din/kg. Particularly, using lime from Messer in content of 2.1 g/l value of pH 11.82 is possible to obtain.
Space, Time, History: The Reassertion of Space in Social Theory
Authors: Peters Michael A. , Kessl Fabian
Published: March 2009

The reassertion of space is discussed as an analytical awareness of the past obsession with temporal logics. Theorists now understand that social sciences discourses were shaped by a preoccupation with the temporal scales and logics of development considered as natural processes. The spatial turn in social theory is often seen to be a process of de-naturalizing space. The article argues that not only space, but ‘spacetime’ has to be denaturalized. On that background the current debate between a humanist Marxism and poststructuralism is discussed. To overcome the founding distinctions a number of scholars are trying to model a relational idea of spacetime. With regard to David Harvey's current work and the work of the Swiss geographer Benno Werlen and the German sociologist Martina Löw, the scope of such an approach in humanities is discussed.
Rethinking the Role of Elite Private Schools in a Neoliberal Era: An Example from Chile
Authors: Fernández Eduardo Cavieres
Published: March 2009

Neoliberalism has brought a privatization trend that has deeply affected the structure of the educational system of countries. While public schools lag behind, new forms of private schooling have arisen creating different forms of inequality. Nonetheless, in Chile the major inequality exists between schools attended by low and middle income students and those schools that have traditionally served students coming from the economic elite of the country. In a period when Chilean educational policies do not mention this issue at all, this article presents an example from a traditional private school in Chile that helps both to pay attention to this phenomenon as well as to seek ways to address the consequences brought about by the logic of the privatization wave that affects the educational system.
Insider Perspectives vs. Public Perceptions of ICT: Toward Policy for Enhancing Female Student Participation in Academic Pathways to Professional Careers in ICT
Authors: Courtney Lyn , Lankshear Colin , Anderson Neil , Timms Carolyn
Published: March 2009

This article reports findings of a national online survey of Australian women employed in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-related careers. The Women in ICT Industry Survey was the culminating stage of a larger Australian Research Council Linkage Grant project investigating factors associated with low and declining female participation rates in professional-level ICT pathways. The survey comprised a mix of forced-choice and open-ended short-response items, and was completed by 272 Australian women. Application of K-means cluster analysis to forced-choice item responses revealed three discrete groupings of female ICT professionals. Overall, respondents reported that their ICT career was rewarding, provided opportunities and challenges, and was beneficial to society. Respondents generally disagreed with Queensland high school girls' perceptions that ICT is boring, sedentary, and not relevant to their future career directions. They also disagreed that the industry fits the prevailing negative stereotype of being populated by ‘geeks' and ‘nerds’. Divergent opinions centered mainly around participants' confidence in their own technical ability, whether they would encourage young women to enter the ICT industry, and how they perceived and responded to industrial issues of equality and management approachability. These findings support suggestions for a range of policy and curriculum initiatives designed to enable more positive experiences of computing in school, and to optimize ICT career pathways in tandem with furthering wider educational ends.
Form versus Substance: The Implications for Auditing Practice and Research of Alternative Perspectives on Corporate Governance
Authors: Cohen Jeffrey R. , Krishnamoorthy Ganesh , Wright Arnold M.
Published: March 2009

SUMMARY: The objective of this paper is to provide a more comprehensive view of corporate governance than that considered by the traditional agency literature predominately employed in auditing and accounting studies of governance. Specifically, we discuss three widely recognized additional theoretical perspectives: resource dependence, managerial hegemony, and institutional theory. Resource dependence is developed in the strategic management literature and focuses on the contribution of governance mechanisms as a vehicle to help a firm achieve or further its strategic objectives. In contrast with the agency and resource dependence perspectives which offer a functional view of governance, the managerial hegemony perspective views the board and its attendant committees as being under the control of management and hence could be potentially viewed as dysfunctional from a stakeholder viewpoint. Finally, institutional theory, developed in the sociology of organizations and organizational behavior literatures, suggests that it is necessary to understand the substance of the interactions between different governance parties and how these parties use at times symbolic gestures and activities to maintain their form to all relevant parties. Although the value of using multiple theoretical perspectives with respect to governance has been well recognized in the economics and behavioral literatures, this is the first paper that we are aware of that examines the effect of using alternative theories of governance on auditing issues that are influenced by the governance structure of a firm. In addition, we examine how these theories provide a useful basis for reconciling conflicting findings in the existing agency-based audit-related governance literature. Finally, we provide examples of how these alternative theories provide important new insights to issues in auditing research and practice.
Financial Statement Fraud: Insights from the Academic Literature
Authors: Hogan Chris E. , Rezaee Zabihollah , Riley Richard A. , Velury Uma K.
Published: March 2009

SUMMARY: We summarize relevant academic research findings to contribute to the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) project on financial statement fraud and to offer insights and conclusions relevant to academics, standard setters, and practitioners. We discuss the characteristics of firms committing financial statement fraud, as identified in the literature, and research related to the fraud triangle. We then discuss research related to the procedures and abilities of auditors to detect fraud, and how fraud risk assessments impact audit planning and testing. In addition, we discuss several “high risk” areas and other issues as identified by the PCAOB. Finally, we summarize prior findings and offer conclusions and suggestions for areas where future research is needed.
Synthesis, Analgesic and Antimicrobial Activities of Some Novel Isoxazole Derivatives
Authors: Sahu SK , Banerjee M , Sahu D , Behera CC , Pradhan GC , Azam Md Afzal
Published: March 2009

Substituted aryl-N-chalconyl aminophenols 1a-f were synthesized by base catalysed condensation of equimolar mixture of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-acetamide and appropriate araldehydes. Treatment of compounds 1a-f with hydroxylamine hydrochloride in ethanol afforded a series of novel 4-(5â²-substituted-aryl-4â²,5â²-dihydro-isoxazole-3â²-yl-amino) phenols have been synthesized by treating substituted aryl-N-chalconyl aminophenol with hydroxylamine hydrochloride. Structures of newly synthesized compounds 2a-f were confirmed by IR, 1H-NMR and elemental analysis data. The synthesized compounds were investigated for their analgesic and antimicrobial activities. Compounds 2e and 2f exhibited significant analgesic activity in comparison to the reference drug paracetamol. In in vitro anti-microbial screening, compounds 2c and 2f showed higher antibacterial and antifungal activity in comparison to the reference standard ciprofloxacin and clotrimazole, respectively. Compound 2f bearing 4-Cl phenyl substitution at 5 position of Ioxazoline ring was found to be the most potent compound of the series. Key words: Isoxazole, Analgesic, Antibacterial activity. doi: 10.3329/dujps.v7i2.2165 Dhaka Univ. J. Pharm. Sci. 7(2): 113-118, 2008 (December)