bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Impacts of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy on Agriculture in Slovakia/ Dopady společné zemědělské politiky Evropské unie na zemědělství Slovenska
Authors: Némethová Jana , Dubcová Alena , Kramáreková Hilda
Published: May 2015

The impacts of the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union on Slovak agriculture since the accession of Slovakia to the European Union, are discussed in this paper. Structural changes that were made are reflected in the developmental trends of various agricultural areas. In this paper, the changes in agricultural land use and its categories, in particular landscape types, as well as changes in the numbers and structure of the labour force, changes in the organizational structure of agricultural holdings, the development of cropland areas of the most important crops in crop production, and changes in the number of livestock, are discussed. This analysis also focuses on Slovakia’s position in terms of overall agricultural production within the European Union member states.
In Situ Measurements of Atmospheric CO And Its Correlation With Nox And O3 at a Rural Mountain Site
Authors: Li Jingsong , Reiffs Andreas , Parchatka Uwe , Fischer Horst
Published: May 2015

Ambient concentrations of CO, as well as NOx and O3, were measured as a part of the PARADE campaign conducted at the Taunus Observatory on the summit of the Kleiner Feldberg between the 8th of August and 9th of September 2011. These measurements were made in an effort to provide insight into the characteristics of the effects of both biogenic and anthropogenic emissions on atmospheric chemistry in the rural south-western German environment. The overall average CO concentration was found to be 100.3±18.1 ppbv (within the range of 71 to 180 ppbv), determined from 10-min averages during the summer season. The background CO concentration was estimated to be ~90 ppbv. CO and NOx showed bimodal diurnal variations with peaks in the late morning (10:00-12:00 UTC) and in the late afternoon (17:00-20:00 UTC). Strong correlations between CO and NOx indicated that vehicular emission was the major contributor to the notable CO plumes observed at the sampling site. Both local meteorology and backward trajectory analyses suggest that CO plumes were associated with anthropogenically polluted air masses transferred by an advection to the site from densely populated city sites. Furthermore, a good linear correlation of R2 = 0.54 between CO and O3 (∆O3/∆CO=0.560±0.016 ppbv/ppbv) was observed, in good agreement with previous observations
Development of a Committee of Artificial Neural Networks for the Performance Testing of Compressors for Thermal Machines in Very Reduced Times
Authors: Coral Rodrigo , Flesch Carlos A. , Penz Cesar A. , Borges Maikon R.
Published: May 2015

This paper presents a new test method able to infer - in periods of less than 7 seconds - the refrigeration capacity of a compressor used in thermal machines, which represents a time reduction of approximately 99.95% related to the standardized traditional methods. The method was developed aiming at its application on compressor manufacture lines and on 100% of the units produced. Artificial neural networks (ANNs) were used to establish a model able to infer the refrigeration capacity based on the data collected directly on the production line. The proposed method does not make use of refrigeration systems and also does not require using the compressor oil.
On the Validity of the Noise Model of Quantization for the Frequency-Domain Amplitude Estimation of Low-Level Sine Waves
Authors: Bellan Diego
Published: May 2015

This paper deals with the amplitude estimation in the frequency domain of low-level sine waves, i.e. sine waves spanning a small number of quantization steps of an analog-to-digital converter. This is a quite common condition for high-speed low-resolution converters. A digitized sine wave is transformed into the frequency domain through the discrete Fourier transform. The error in the amplitude estimate is treated as a random variable since the offset and the phase of the sine wave are usually unknown. Therefore, the estimate is characterized by its standard deviation. The proposed model evaluates properly such a standard deviation by treating the quantization with a Fourier series approach. On the other hand, it is shown that the conventional noise model of quantization would lead to a large underestimation of the error standard deviation. The effects of measurement parameters, such as the number of samples and a kind of the time window, are also investigated. Finally, a threshold for the additive noise is provided as the boundary for validity of the two quantization models
Very Sensitive Optical System with the Concentration and Decomposition Unit for Explosive Trace Detection
Authors: Zakrzewska Beata
Published: May 2015

The vapour pressure of most explosives is very low. Therefore, the explosive trace detection is very difficult. To overcome the problem, concentration units can be applied. At the Institute of Optoelectronics MUT, an explosive vapour concentration and decomposition unit to operate with an optoelectronic sensor of nitrogen dioxide has been developed. This unit provides an adsorption of explosive vapours from the analysed air and then their thermal decomposition. The thermal decomposition is mainly a chemical reaction, which consists in breaking up compounds into two or more simple compounds or elements. During the heating process most explosive particles, based on nitro aromatics and alkyl nitrate, release NO2 molecules and other products of pyrolysis. In this paper, the most common methods for the NO2 detection were presented. Also, an application of the concentration and decomposition unit in the NO2 optoelectronic sensor has been discussed.
Simple Wide Frequency Range Impedance Meter Based on AD5933 Integrated Circuit
Authors: Chabowski Konrad , Piasecki Tomasz , Dzierka Andrzej , Nitsch Karol
Published: May 2015

As it contains elements of complete digital impedance meter, the AD5933 integrated circuit is an interesting solution for impedance measurements. However, its use for measurements in a wide range of impedances and frequencies requires an additional digital and analogue circuitry. This paper presents the design and performance of a simple impedance meter based on the AD5933 IC. Apart from the AD5933 IC it consists of a clock generator with a programmable prescaler, a novel DC offset canceller for the excitation signal based on peak detectors and a current to voltage converter with switchable conversion ratios. The authors proposed a simple method for choosing the measurement frequency to minimalize errors resulting from the spectral leakage and distortion caused by a lack of an anti-aliasing filter in the DDS generator. Additionally, a novel method for the AD5933 IC calibration was proposed. It consists in a mathematical compensation of the systematic error occurring in the argument of the value returned from the AD5933 IC as a result. The performance of the whole system is demonstrated in an exemplary measurement.
Hydrogen Detection With a Gas Sensor Array – Processing and Recognition of Dynamic Responses Using Neural Networks
Authors: Gwiżdż Patryk , Brudnik Andrzej , Zakrzewska Katarzyna
Published: May 2015

An array consisting of four commercial gas sensors with target specifications for hydrocarbons, ammonia, alcohol, explosive gases has been constructed and tested. The sensors in the array operate in the dynamic mode upon the temperature modulation from 350°C to 500°C. Changes in the sensor operating temperature lead to distinct resistance responses affected by the gas type, its concentration and the humidity level. The measurements are performed upon various hydrogen (17-3000 ppm), methane (167-3000 ppm) and propane (167-3000 ppm) concentrations at relative humidity levels of 0-75%RH. The measured dynamic response signals are further processed with the Discrete Fourier Transform. Absolute values of the dc component and the first five harmonics of each sensor are analysed by a feed-forward back-propagation neural network. The ultimate aim of this research is to achieve a reliable hydrogen detection despite an interference of the humidity and residual gases.
Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensor for Detection and Localization of Acoustic Vibrations
Authors: Sifta Radim , Munster Petr , Sysel Petr , Horvath Tomas , Novotny Vit , Krajsa Ondrej , Filka Miloslav
Published: May 2015

A sensing system utilizing a standard optical fiber as a distributed sensor for the detection and localization of mechanical vibrations is presented. Vibrations can be caused by various external factors, like moving people, cars, trains, and other objects producing mechanical vibrations that are sensed by a fiber. In our laboratory we have designed a sensing system based on the Φ-OTDR (phase sensitive Optical Time Domain Reflectometry) using an extremely narrow laser and EDFAs.
Measurement of Membrane Displacement with a Motionless Camera Equipped with a Fixed Focus Lens
Authors: Murawski Krzysztof
Published: May 2015

The paper presents a technique for measuring membrane displacements with one motionless camera. The method consists in measuring the distance to an object based on one image obtained from a motionless camera with a fixed-focus lens. The essence of the proposed measurement technique is to determine changes of the distance between a membrane and a video camera based on analysis of changes in the focus view of a marker placed on the membrane plane. It is proven that the used technique allows to monitor the frequency and amplitude of the membrane vibration. The tests were performed for the oscillation frequency in the range from 0.5 Hz to 6 Hz and deviations from the neutral position in the range of ±3 mm.
Managing Academic Internationalization: A Culture-Based Approach
Authors: Burdușel Eva-Nicoleta , Oprean Camelia
Published: May 2015

The goal of the present paper is apply the blue-ocean strategy to the current status of the higher education system, with a major focus on managing cultural diversity in a global world. Universities nowadays represent poles of excellence in terms of cultural innovation, knowledge creation and transfer to the industry, an interface between home and host country as regards academic mobility (teaching and research mobility); they have a significant role in promoting cultural values and informed intercultural communication, creating academic consortia as well as interacting with the local and business communities. The paper shall also redefine: the role of university managers in the context of expanding internationalization, both in terms of student / staff mobility and developing research networks; the relation of universities and higher education to the needs of society, in view of attaining economic growth and technological advancement. In this respect, the cultural centres affiliated to HEIs represent the best vehicle for raising cultural awareness, informed and coherent understanding of „otherness”, overcoming the „either/or” perspective. University differentiation and diversity are key components of current European strategies as illustrated by several documents: New Skills for New Jobs: Action Now; Europe 2020: A Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth; EDU 2025; Blue Ocean Strategy; The FOR-UNI Blueprint; 2005 UNESCO Convention on Cultural Diversity. Managing cultural diversity in a global world has become equally a challenge and a prerequisite for higher education institutions in view of their survival on a highly competitive market and will eventually render sustainable advantage at national and international level. Cultural centers affiliated with universities represent poles of excellence in terms of facilitating and promoting interculturality, plurilingualism, staff and student mobility as well as an exchange of teaching and research practices. In this context, the Confucius Institute at “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu represents an example of best practice in terms of efficient management and anticipatory leadership.
The Sustainable University – A Model for the Sustainable Organization
Authors: Grecu Valentin , Ipiña Nagore
Published: May 2015

The issue of sustainable development (SD) is increasingly present among the concerns of the international academic community. However, the depth of our unsustainable practices suggests that insufficient progress has been made to move from an unsustainable lifestyle to sustainable development. By sharing ideas, concepts, tools, experiences learned in different contexts, it is anticipated that we will all learn many things that will help us to help our academic communities and companies to develop the skills to make progress towards sustainable development.

In response to increasing concerns of society about environmental degradation and increasing demands for a transition to a more sustainable society, the business companies are increasingly active in aligning their processes and services with a sustainability agenda. A good management of environmental services has now become the focus of many business strategies tending to the aspiration of ‘greening’ their infrastructures and product deliveries. The growing demand for "green" products has created major new markets in which visionary entrepreneurs reap the rewards of approaching sustainability. Hence, by adopting sustainable practices, companies can gain competitive advantage, increase market share and boost shareholder value. The sustainable university can be am model for the organizations that want to embark in the process of transition towards sustainability. This paper presents a model of the sustainable university and the steps that the management of such an organization should follow in order to transform their institution into a green one.
Identification and Quantification of Phenolic Compounds in White Wines From the Apold Vineyard
Authors: Lengyel Ecaterina , Oprean Letiția
Published: May 2015

Wines contain a wide range of aromatic compounds, each having its share in the characterization of the end product. This paper aims at highlighting the phenolic compounds that are present in three types of wine from the Apold Vineyard, compounds that have been determined by modern chromatographic methods. Anthocyanins, flavans, flavones and flavonoids, phenolic acids and microphenolic compounds have been determined in three wines: Pinot gris, Neuburger and Furmint. The results have led to the characterization of these wines and their classification according to the parameters acknowledged by the international authorities.
Influence of Culture Medium on Multiplication of Lactic Bacteria Isolated From Organic Milk in Order to Obtain Biomass
Authors: Oprean Letiția
Published: May 2015

This paper aims to establish direct and predictive methods (statistical) the possibility of obtaining lactic bacteria Lactobacillus delbrueckii var. bulgaricus in higher amounts by using culture medium enriched with carbohydrates in different percentages, for using these in obtaining organic products. The results led to the selection of MRS culture medium enriched with 1% glucose, 2% lactose and 3% maltose as a substrate in order to use multiplication of lactic bacteria isolated from organic milk, collected from organic farms in the area of Sibiu, Romania.
The Traceability Study in the Process of Manufacturing the Cheese With Romano Hard Paste
Authors: Tita Mihaela-Adriana , Cipariu Adriana-Ioana
Published: May 2015

A constant concern of the scientific research in the field of food safety is the identification of methods, to determine in an objective way, the quality of the food, available on the market. The paper analyzes the traceability concept, the importance of traceability implementation of a traceability system, in an organization within the food chain.
Consumers’ Perception and Behavior Towards Ecosanogene Products Made by Goat Milk
Authors: Iancu Ramona Maria
Published: May 2015

This study was conducted in Sibiu, Romania to examine consumers ‘ratings of healthy products made by goat milk and health issues. It has been also examine the sociodemographic factors and the relations between food safety and human welfare. This study is based on a questionnaire, interviewing a target group consists of 105 people. The purpose of this poll was to understand the consumer needs and how the quality of the brand influences purchasing choice. The instrument used for data processing was ANOVA Regression. The results can reveal that the selected model is valid for respondents who ticked test positive, P-value = 1.31E-26 <0.05; for negative response (option “b), P-value = 1.27E-20 <0.05; for tests where the responses was with "do not know" is significantly stronger, too, P-value = 1.61E-17 <0.05. The results presented in ANOVA Table validated the regression model which showed the interdependence between the three selected variables.
Examination of the Average Chipping Rate on the Edges of Milled Granite Surfaces
Authors: Gyurika István Gábor , Szalay Tibor
Published: May 2015

The research described in this article was carried out for the purpose of developing a quantitative marker for defining the average edge chipping rate of milled granite surfaces and for testing and proving whether this quantitative marker can effectively be applied. Another aim of the research was to test the applicability of the developed measurement method and the precision of the body representing the volume loss caused by chipping. The surface edges of the milled specimens were digitised using a laser scanner and chipped volumes were defined on the basis of a body generated with the help of a point cloud, and then the errors of the volumes produced by the evaluation-purpose software were examined using a digital microscope. The investigations proved that the proposed measurement method is accurate and that the replacement body defined through measurements appropriately approximates the volume of chippings in the case of milled granite surfaces.
Torque Measurement of 3-DOF Haptic Master Operated by Controllable Electrorheological Fluid
Authors: Oh Jong-Seok , Choi Seung-Bok , Lee Yang-Sub
Published: May 2015

This work presents a torque measurement method of 3-degree-of-freedom (3-DOF) haptic master featuring controllable electrorheological (ER) fluid. In order to reflect the sense of an organ for a surgeon, the ER haptic master which can generate the repulsive torque of an organ is utilized as a remote controller for a surgery robot. Since accurate representation of organ feeling is essential for the success of the robot-assisted surgery, it is indispensable to develop a proper torque measurement method of 3-DOF ER haptic master. After describing the structural configuration of the haptic master, the torque models of ER spherical joint are mathematically derived based on the Bingham model of ER fluid. A new type of haptic device which has pitching, rolling, and yawing motions is then designed and manufactured using a spherical joint mechanism. Subsequently, the field-dependent parameters of the Bingham model are identified and generating repulsive torque according to applied electric field is measured. In addition, in order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed torque model, a comparative work between simulated and measured torques is undertaken.
Hidden Markov Model-based Pedestrian Navigation System using MEMS Inertial Sensors
Authors: Zhang Yingjun , Liu Wen , Yang Xuefeng , Xing Shengwei
Published: May 2015

In this paper, a foot-mounted pedestrian navigation system using MEMS inertial sensors is implemented, where the zero-velocity detection is abstracted into a hidden Markov model with 4 states and 15 observations. Moreover, an observations extraction algorithm has been developed to extract observations from sensor outputs; sample sets are used to train and optimize the model parameters by the Baum-Welch algorithm. Finally, a navigation system is developed, and the performance of the pedestrian navigation system is evaluated using indoor and outdoor field tests, and the results show that position error is less than 3% of total distance travelled.
Analytical Modeling for the Grating Eddy Current Displacement Sensors
Authors: Lv Chunfeng , Tao Wei , Lei Huaming , Jiang Yingying , Zhao Hui
Published: May 2015

As a new type of displacement sensor, grating eddy current displacement sensor (GECDS) combines traditional eddy current sensors and grating structure in one. The GECDS performs a wide range displacement measurement without precision reduction. This paper proposes an analytical modeling approach for the GECDS. The solution model is established in the Cartesian coordinate system, and the solving domain is limited to finite extents by using the truncated region eigenfunction expansion method. Based on the second order vector potential, expressions for the electromagnetic field as well as coil impedance related to the displacement can be expressed in closed-form. Theoretical results are then confirmed by experiments, which prove the suitability and effectiveness of the analytical modeling approach.
The Effects of Combinatorial Chemistry and Technologies on Drug Discovery and Biotechnology – a Mini Review
Authors: Seneci Pierfausto , Fassina Giorgio , Frecer Vladimir , Miertus Stanislav
Published: May 2015

The review will focus on the aspects of combinatorial chemistry and technologies that are more relevant in the modern pharmaceutical process. An historical, critical introduction is followed by three chapters, dealing with the use of combinatorial chemistry/high throughput synthesis in medicinal chemistry; the rational design of combinatorial libraries using computer-assisted combinatorial drug design; and the use of combinatorial technologies in biotechnology. The impact of “combinatorial thinking” in drug discovery in general, and in the examples reported in details, is critically discussed. Finally, an expert opinion on current and future trends in combinatorial chemistry and combinatorial technologies is provided.
Prediction of Wine Sensorial Quality by Routinely Measured Chemical Properties
Authors: Bednárová Adriána , Kranvogl Roman , Brodnjak-Vončina Darinka , Jug Tjaša
Published: May 2015

The determination of the sensorial quality of wines is of great interest for wine consumers and producers since it declares the quality in most of the cases. The sensorial assays carried out by a group of experts are time-consuming and expensive especially when dealing with large batches of wines. Therefore, an attempt was made to assess the possibility of estimating the wine sensorial quality with using routinely measured chemical descriptors as predictors. For this purpose, 131 Slovenian red wine samples of different varieties and years of production were analysed and correlation and principal component analysis were applied to find inter-relations between the studied oenological descriptors. The method of artificial neural networks (ANNs) was utilised as the prediction tool for estimating overall sensorial quality of red wines. Each model was rigorously validated and sensitivity analysis was applied as a method for selecting the most important predictors. Consequently, acceptable results were obtained, when data representing only one year of production were included in the analysis. In this case, the coefficient of determination (R2) associated with training data was 0.95 and that for validation data was 0.90. When estimating sensorial quality in categorical form, 94 % and 85 % of correctly classified samples were achieved for training and validation subset, respectively.
Applying the coagulation and reverse osmosis for water recovery from evaporative water
Authors: Michel Magdalena M. , Reczek Lidia , Siwiec Tadeusz , Rudnicki Piotr
Published: May 2015

Applying the coagulation and reverse osmosis for water recovery from evaporative water. Evaporative water from the concentration of yeast slurry is a potential raw material for water recovery. It is characterized by low pH (4.6-6.3), increased turbidity (3.65-13.7 NTU), and high content of total organic carbon (356-754 mg/L). Its treatment in the volume coagulation process using NaOH and coagulant PIX 111, was studied. Water turbidity was lowered to a value below 1 NTU, but coagulation did not allow for the removal of organic compounds. Coagulation was effective at temperatures of 20 and 40°C. Pretreatment of the feed water for RO included alkalization, coagulation, sedimentation, and 5 μm fine filtration (variant I), as well as single 5 μm fine filtration (variant II as a blank). In variant I the feed with improved properties was achieved. Membrane filtration allowed for effective desalination of evaporative water, 98 and 73% conductivity retention was obtained, depending on the method of the feed pre-treatment. The organic compounds were removed less efficiently, at 94 and 84%, respectively.
The upper Odra as a case study of the impact of channel regulation on its morphodynamics
Authors: Czajka Agnieszka
Published: May 2015

The upper Odra as a case study of the impact of channel regulation on its morphodynamics. The aim of the research was to compare morphodynamics of the Odra river channel in three different sectors and to find the main difference in the way of sediment transport before and after regulation in meandering, straight and sinuous channel sectors and compare the data with those calculated for reconstructed, natural channel of the Odra river. Sediment transport in discussed sectors was compared for average, bankfull and flood discharges and it proceeds in different ways. Morphodynamics of the preregulated Odra was most similar to the one currently observed in the meandering section. Also the dynamics of bed-material transport and, consequently, the possibility of the occurrence and disappearance of channel forms is greatly varied among the studied sectors. As it was assumed, a diversified channel geometry imposes water flow, which entails a series of processes shaping the channel dynamics.
Analysis of Common Governance Transport System Development Possibilities in the East-west Transport Corridor
Authors: Bazaras Darius , Yatskiv Irina , Mačiulis Alminas , Palšaitis Ramūnas
Published: May 2015

Equitable access to efficient economic infrastructure and effective public services is essential to achieving the future economic growth. Insufficient transport infrastructure and long border crossing procedures limiting international accessibility for goods and passengers are the biggest present problems in the East-West transport corridor. The joint action plan must highlight the areas and components of the transport system, which are important for the effective interconnectivity of the individual networks, and/or for absorbing the steadily increasing intraregional and transcontinental freight flows. The successful East-West transport corridor activities' governance first of all needs to identify the corridor's administrative structure, non-governmental organizations' (NGO) place in the management structure, partnerships between the transport hubs in the EWTC mechanism and the possibility of cooperation between private and public sectors.

The latest events and constantly changing environment show that the impact of political solutions on business is prevalent in the CIS and the EU countries. Thus, the analysis of economic, political, managerial, legal, even moral aspects that affect the interests of the stakeholders remain significant.
Modeling of Complex Structures for the Ship's Power Complex Using Xilinx System
Authors: Chernyi Sergei , Zhilenkov Anton
Published: May 2015

One of the most essential tasks for a number of systems of the automatic controls in the autonomous electric power systems of the water transport is accurate calculation of variable harmonic components in the non-sinusoidal signal. In the autonomous electric power systems operating with full semiconductor capacity, the forms of line currents and voltages are greatly distorted, and generator devices generate voltage with inconsistent frequency, phase and amplitude. It makes calculation of harmonic composition of the distorted signals be a non-trivial task. The present paper provides a mathematical set for solution of the outlined problem including the realization in the discrete form. The simplicity and efficiency of the system proposed make possible to perform its practical realization with the help of cheap FPGA. The test of the developed system has been performed in the medium Matlab.
Satellite Monitoring Systems for Shipping and Offshore Oil and Gas Industry in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Kostianoy A.G. , Bulycheva E.V. , Semenov A.V. , Krainyukov A.
Published: May 2015

Shipping activities, oil production and transport in the sea, oil handled in harbors, construction and exploitation of offshore oil and gas pipelines have a number of negative impacts on the marine environment and coastal zone of the seas. In 2004-2014 we elaborated several operational satellite monitoring systems for oil and gas companies in Russia and performed integrated satellite monitoring of the ecological state of coastal waters in the Baltic, Black, Caspian, and Kara seas, which included observation of oil pollution, suspended matter, and algae bloom at a fully operational mode. These monitoring systems differ from the existing ones by the analysis of a wide spectrum of satellite, meteorological and oceanographic data, as well as by a numerical modeling of oil spill transformation and transport in real weather conditions. Our experience in the Baltic Sea includes: (1) integrated satellite monitoring of oil production at the LUKOIL-KMN Ltd. D-6 oil rig in the Southeastern Baltic Sea (Kravtsovskoe oil field) in 2004-2014; (2) integrated satellite monitoring of the “Nord Stream” underwater gas pipeline construction and exploitation in the Gulf of Finland (2010-2013); (3) numerical modeling of risks of oil pollution caused by shipping along the main maritime shipping routes in the Gulf of Finland, the Baltic Proper, and in the Southeastern Baltic Sea; (4) numerical modeling of risks of oil pollution caused by oil production at D-6 oil rig and oil transportation on shore via the connecting underwater oil pipeline.
Nd39Ir10.98In36.02 – A complex intergrowth structure with CsCl- and AlB2-related slabs
Authors: Dominyuk Nataliya , Zaremba Vasyl’ I. , Rodewald Ute Ch. , Pöttgen Rainer
Published: May 2015

The ternary indide Nd39Ir10.98In36.02 was synthesized by arc-melting and characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Nd39Ir10.98In36.02 crystallizes with a new structure type: Pearson code oP172, Pbam, a = 3175.4(6), b = 3762.5(8), c = 378.02(8) pm, wR2 = 0.0828, 5544 F
2 values, and 262 variables. Although the structure contains 44 crystallographically independent sites, it can easily be explained as an intergrowth structure of CsCl and AlB2 related slabs. The larger indium atoms fill all distorted CsCl slabs. The trigonal prismatic (AlB2) slabs have no uniform size. The larger ones are filled by indium and the smaller ones by the iridium atoms. Additionally, one trigonal prism shows a mixed occupancy by indium and iridium. The crystal chemistry of Nd39Ir10.98In36.02 is discussed in the context of other intergrowth structures with the same simple slabs.
Investigating Mitochondria as a Target for Treating Age-Related Macular Degeneration
Authors: Terluk Marcia R. , Kapphahn Rebecca J. , Soukup Lauren M. , Gong Hwee , Gallardo Christopher , Montezuma Sandra R. , Ferrington Deborah A.
Published: May 2015

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness among older adults in the developed world. Although the pathological mechanisms have not been definitively elucidated, evidence suggests a key role for mitochondrial (mt) dysfunction. The current study used our unique collection of human retinal samples graded for the donor's stage of AMD to address fundamental questions about mtDNA damage in the retina. To evaluate the distribution of mtDNA damage in the diseased retina, damage in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and neural retina from individual donors were compared. To directly test a long-held belief that the macula is selectively damaged with AMD, RPE mtDNA damage was measured in the macula and peripheral sections from individual donors. Small segments of the entire mt genome were examined to determine whether specific regions are preferentially damaged. Our results show that mtDNA damage is limited to the RPE, equivalent mtDNA damage is found in the macular and peripheral RPE, and sites of damage are localized to regions of the mt genome that may impact mt function. These results provide a scientific basis for targeting the RPE mitochondria with therapies that protect and enhance mt function as a strategy for combating AMD.
Neural Basis of Identity Information Extraction from Noisy Face Images
Authors: Hermann Petra , Bankó Éva M. , Gál Viktor , Vidnyánszky Zoltán
Published: May 2015

Previous research has made significant progress in identifying the neural basis of the remarkably efficient and seemingly effortless face perception in humans. However, the neural processes that enable the extraction of facial information under challenging conditions when face images are noisy and deteriorated remains poorly understood. Here we investigated the neural processes underlying the extraction of identity information from noisy face images using fMRI. For each participant, we measured (1) face-identity discrimination performance outside the scanner, (2) visual cortical fMRI responses for intact and phase-randomized face stimuli, and (3) intrinsic functional connectivity using resting-state fMRI. Our whole-brain analysis showed that the presence of noise led to reduced and increased fMRI responses in the mid-fusiform gyrus and the lateral occipital cortex, respectively. Furthermore, the noise-induced modulation of the fMRI responses in the right face-selective fusiform face area (FFA) was closely associated with individual differences in the identity discrimination performance of noisy faces: smaller decrease of the fMRI responses was accompanied by better identity discrimination. The results also revealed that the strength of the intrinsic functional connectivity within the visual cortical network composed of bilateral FFA and bilateral object-selective lateral occipital cortex (LOC) predicted the participants' ability to discriminate the identity of noisy face images. These results imply that perception of facial identity in the case of noisy face images is subserved by neural computations within the right FFA as well as a re-entrant processing loop involving bilateral FFA and LOC.
Upregulation of P2RX7 inCx3cr1-Deficient Mononuclear Phagocytes Leads to Increased Interleukin-1β Secretion and Photoreceptor Neurodegeneration
Authors: Hu Shulong J. , Calippe Bertrand , Lavalette Sophie , Roubeix Christophe , Montassar Fadoua , Housset Michael , Levy Olivier , Delarasse Cecile , Paques Michel , Sahel José-Alain , Sennlaub Florian , Guillonneau Xavier
Published: May 2015

Photoreceptor degeneration in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is associated with an infiltration and chronic accumulation of mononuclear phagocytes (MPs). We have previously shown thatCx3cr1-deficient mice develop age- and stress- related subretinal accumulation of MPs, which is associated with photoreceptor degeneration.Cx3cr1-deficient MPs have been shown to increase neuronal apoptosis through IL-1β in neuroinflammation of the brain. The reason for increased IL-1β secretion fromCx3cr1-deficient MPs, and whether IL-1β is responsible for increased photoreceptor apoptosis inCx3cr1-deficient mice, has not been elucidated. Here we show thatCx3cr1-deficient MPs express increased surface P2X7 receptor (P2RX7), which stimulates IL-1β maturation and secretion. P2RX7 and IL-1β inhibition efficiently bluntedCx3cr1-MP-dependent photoreceptor apoptosis in a monocyte/retina coculture system and in light-induced subretinal inflammation ofCx3cr1-deficient micein vivo. Our results provide an explanation for increased CX3CR1-dependent IL-1β secretion and suggest that IL-1β or P2RX7 inhibition can help inhibit the inflammation-associated photoreceptor cell loss in late AMD, including geographic atrophy, for which no efficient treatment currently exists.
Dynamic Encoding of Speech Sequence Probability in Human Temporal Cortex
Authors: Leonard Matthew K. , Bouchard Kristofer E. , Tang Claire , Chang Edward F.
Published: May 2015

Sensory processing involves identification of stimulus features, but also integration with the surrounding sensory and cognitive context. Previous work in animals and humans has shown fine-scale sensitivity to context in the form of learned knowledge about the statistics of the sensory environment, including relative probabilities of discrete units in a stream of sequential auditory input. These statistics are a defining characteristic of one of the most important sequential signals humans encounter: speech. For speech, extensive exposure to a language tunes listeners to the statistics of sound sequences. To address how speech sequence statistics are neurally encoded, we used high-resolution direct cortical recordings from human lateral superior temporal cortex as subjects listened to words and nonwords with varying transition probabilities between sound segments. In addition to their sensitivity to acoustic features (including contextual features, such as coarticulation), we found that neural responses dynamically encoded the language-level probability of both preceding and upcoming speech sounds. Transition probability first negatively modulated neural responses, followed by positive modulation of neural responses, consistent with coordinated predictive and retrospective recognition processes, respectively. Furthermore, transition probability encoding was different for real English words compared with nonwords, providing evidence for online interactions with high-order linguistic knowledge. These results demonstrate that sensory processing of deeply learned stimuli involves integrating physical stimulus features with their contextual sequential structure. Despite not being consciously aware of phoneme sequence statistics, listeners use this information to process spoken input and to link low-level acoustic representations with linguistic information about word identity and meaning.
Faithful Representation of Tactile Intensity under Different Contexts Emerges from the Distinct Adaptive Properties of the First Somatosensory Relay Stations
Authors: Mohar Boaz , Ganmor Elad , Lampl Ilan
Published: May 2015

Adaptation allows neurons to respond to a wide range of stimulus intensities. However, it also leads to ambiguity as the representation of the external world depends on the context. We recorded neurons from Wistar rats' brainstem nuclei belonging to two major somatosensory pathways (lemniscal and paralemniscal) and explored the way in which they encode noisy stimuli under different contexts. We found that although their unadapted intensity-response curves are very similar, the adapted curves of the two pathways are distinctively different as they are optimized for encoding different intensity ranges. Lemniscal neurons most faithfully encoded stimuli when the background intensity was high, whereas paralemniscal cells best encoded stimuli under low intensity context. Intracellular recordings indicate that these differences emerge already at the synaptic level. We suggest that the two pathways synergistically improve the ability of this system to encode a wide range of intensities during natural stimulation, potentially reducing the inherent ambiguity of adaptive coding.
Trunk Robot Rehabilitation Training with Active Stepping Reorganizes and Enriches Trunk Motor Cortex Representations in Spinal Transected Rats
Authors: Oza Chintan S. , Giszter Simon F.
Published: May 2015

Trunk motor control is crucial for postural stability and propulsion after low thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI) in animals and humans. Robotic rehabilitation aimed at trunk shows promise in SCI animal models and patients. However, little is known about the effect of SCI and robot rehabilitation of trunk on cortical motor representations. We previously showed reorganization of trunk motor cortex after adult SCI. Non-stepping training also exacerbated some SCI-driven plastic changes. Here we examine effects of robot rehabilitation that promotes recovery of hindlimb weight support functions on trunk motor cortex representations. Adult rats spinal transected as neonates (NTX rats) at the T9/10 level significantly improve function with our robot rehabilitation paradigm, whereas treadmill-only trained do not. We used intracortical microstimulation to map motor cortex in two NTX groups: (1) treadmill trained (control group); and (2) robot-assisted treadmill trained (improved function group). We found significant robot rehabilitation-driven changes in motor cortex: (1) caudal trunk motor areas expanded; (2) trunk coactivation at cortex sites increased; (3) richness of trunk cortex motor representations, as examined by cumulative entropy and mutual information for different trunk representations, increased; (4) trunk motor representations in the cortex moved toward more normal topography; and (5) trunk and forelimb motor representations that SCI-driven plasticity and compensations had caused to overlap were segregated. We conclude that effective robot rehabilitation training induces significant reorganization of trunk motor cortex and partially reverses some plastic changes that may be adaptive in non-stepping paraplegia after SCI.
Longitudinal Changes in Adolescent Risk-Taking: A Comprehensive Study of Neural Responses to Rewards, Pubertal Development, and Risk-Taking Behavior
Authors: Braams Barbara R. , van Duijvenvoorde Anna C.K. , Peper Jiska S. , Crone Eveline A.
Published: May 2015

Prior studies have highlighted adolescence as a period of increased risk-taking, which is postulated to result from an overactive reward system in the brain. Longitudinal studies are pivotal for testing these brain-behavior relations because individual slopes are more sensitive for detecting change. The aim of the current study was twofold: (1) to test patterns of age-related change (i.e., linear, quadratic, and cubic) in activity in the nucleus accumbens, a key reward region in the brain, in relation to change in puberty (self-report and testosterone levels), laboratory risk-taking and self-reported risk-taking tendency; and (2) to test whether individual differences in pubertal development and risk-taking behavior were contributors to longitudinal change in nucleus accumbens activity. We included 299 human participants at the first time point and 254 participants at the second time point, ranging between ages 8–27 years, time points were separated by a 2 year interval. Neural responses to rewards, pubertal development (self-report and testosterone levels), laboratory risk-taking (balloon analog risk task; BART), and self-reported risk-taking tendency (Behavior Inhibition System/Behavior Activation System questionnaire) were collected at both time points. The longitudinal analyses confirmed the quadratic age pattern for nucleus accumbens activity to rewards (peaking in adolescence), and the same quadratic pattern was found for laboratory risk-taking (BART). Nucleus accumbens activity change was further related to change in testosterone and self-reported reward-sensitivity (BAS Drive). Thus, this longitudinal analysis provides new insight in risk-taking and reward sensitivity in adolescence: (1) confirming an adolescent peak in nucleus accumbens activity, and (2) underlining a critical role for pubertal hormones and individual differences in risk-taking tendency.
GIRK Channels Modulate Opioid-Induced Motor Activity in a Cell Type- and Subunit-Dependent Manner
Authors: Kotecki Lydia , Hearing Matthew , McCall Nora M. , Marron Fernandez de Velasco Ezequiel , Pravetoni Marco , Arora Devinder , Victoria Nicole C. , Munoz Michaelanne B. , Xia Zhilian , Slesinger Paul A. , Weaver C. David , Wickman Kevin
Published: May 2015

G-protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+(GIRK/Kir3) channel activation underlies key physiological effects of opioids, including analgesia and dependence. GIRK channel activation has also been implicated in the opioid-induced inhibition of midbrain GABA neurons and consequent disinhibition of dopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Drug-induced disinhibition of VTA DA neurons has been linked to reward-related behaviors and underlies opioid-induced motor activation. Here, we demonstrate that mouse VTA GABA neurons express a GIRK channel formed by GIRK1 and GIRK2 subunits. Nevertheless, neither constitutive genetic ablation ofGirk1orGirk2, nor the selective ablation of GIRK channels in GABA neurons, diminished morphine-induced motor activity in mice. Moreover, direct activation of GIRK channels in midbrain GABA neurons did not enhance motor activity. In contrast, genetic manipulations that selectively enhanced or suppressed GIRK channel function in midbrain DA neurons correlated with decreased and increased sensitivity, respectively, to the motor-stimulatory effect of systemic morphine. Collectively, these data support the contention that the unique GIRK channel subtype in VTA DA neurons, the GIRK2/GIRK3 heteromer, regulates the sensitivity of the mouse mesolimbic DA system to drugs with addictive potential.
Distinct Brainstem and Forebrain Circuits Receiving Tracheal Sensory Neuron Inputs Revealed Using a Novel Conditional Anterograde Transsynaptic Viral Tracing System
Authors: McGovern Alice E. , Driessen Alexandria K. , Simmons David G. , Powell Joseph , Davis-Poynter Nicholas , Farrell Michael J. , Mazzone Stuart B.
Published: May 2015

Sensory nerves innervating the mucosa of the airways monitor the local environment for the presence of irritant stimuli and, when activated, provide input to the nucleus of the solitary tract (Sol) and paratrigeminal nucleus (Pa5) in the medulla to drive a variety of protective behaviors. Accompanying these behaviors are perceivable sensations that, particularly for stimuli in the proximal end of the airways, can be discrete and localizable. Airway sensations likely reflect the ascending airway sensory circuitry relayed via the Sol and Pa5, which terminates broadly throughout the CNS. However, the relative contribution of the Sol and Pa5 to these ascending pathways is not known. In the present study, we developed and characterized a novel conditional anterograde transneuronal viral tracing system based on the H129 strain of herpes simplex virus 1 and used this system in rats along with conventional neuroanatomical tracing with cholera toxin B to identify subcircuits in the brainstem and forebrain that are in receipt of relayed airway sensory inputs via the Sol and Pa5. We show that both the Pa5 and proximal airways disproportionately receive afferent terminals arising from the jugular (rather than nodose) vagal ganglia and the output of the Pa5 is predominately directed toward the ventrobasal thalamus. We propose the existence of a somatosensory-like pathway from the proximal airways involving jugular ganglia afferents, the Pa5, and the somatosensory thalamus and suggest that this pathway forms the anatomical framework for sensations arising from the proximal airway mucosa.
Prolegomenon to a Structural Human Ecology of Human Well-Being
Authors: Dietz Thomas
Published: May 2015

There is a growing dissatisfaction with using standard measures of affluence, such as gross domestic product, as the sole conceptualization of human well-being. Experiments are underway with alternative metrics of well-being as ways of informing both research and policy. It is thus important to develop a theory of the production of human well-being to parallel theories of economic development and growth. The traditions of work in growth theory, sustainability theory, and household production functions provide the basis for an emerging structural human ecology of human well-being. Structural human ecology emphasizes the use of manufactured, natural, and human resources in producing well-being but is also attentive to the ways social structure shapes the production of well-being. While this approach is promising, several conceptual issues need to be addressed for it to realize its potential. In particular, we need greater clarity regarding measures of well-being and the ethical theory that underpins them and clearer thinking about the relationship between resources and capital.