bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adsorption and Computational Studies for Evaluating the Behavior of Silicon Based Compounds as Novel Corrosion Inhibitors of Carbon Steel Surfaces in Acidic Media
Authors: Abbas Mohamed A. , Bedair Mahmoud A.
Published: May 2018

Two organo-silicon compounds namely; di-triethanolamine siloxane and bis (dithioamine triethanolamine) siloxane were employed as inhibitors for C-steel alloys corrosion in 1 M H2SO4 solution utilizing potentiodynamic polarization, electrochemical impedance and computational studies. According to both polarization and impedance data, it has been found that the investigated organo-silicon compounds work as efficient corrosion inhibitors and the protection aptitude raised by increasing the inhibitor concentration. The shown behavior of the tested compounds is cathodic and anodic type inhibition following Langmuir’s adsorption isotherm. The evaluated adsorption parameters, adsorption equilibrium constant (K
ads) and Gibbs free energy of adsorption

(
Δ

G

ads

o

)

$(\Delta G_{{\rm{ads}}}^o)$

reveal a good association between the inhibitor molecules and the surface of carbon steel in a predominantly chemisorptions manner. In the view of computational quantum and molecular dynamic simulation studies, molecular structure effectiveness and suggested mechanism of protection efficiency were discussed. Surface characterization studies such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) have been utilized as corroborative tools for confirming the presence of the defensive inhibitor film on the surface of a metal.
Mixed Uncertain Damage Models: Creation and Application for One Typical Rock Slope in Northern China
Authors: Wang Yajun , Zhu Xing
Published: May 2018

The merit of this study is logically bridging the microfractures and the macrodefects by establishing the nonlinear fuzzy functionals. The rational verification of the probabilistic distribution of the generalized damage that has produced the microfractures was provided in this study. The triaxial computed tomography tests were also implemented for the rock specimens. Consequently, the hybrid uncertain models of the generalized damage were created by the expansion criterion. The definition of the certain damage variable derived from the secant modulus degeneration has been compared with the definition of the generalized damage in this study, by which the effectiveness of the hybrid uncertain models was highlighted. The ultimate status function with the nonlinearity was founded in order to realize the simulation of the generalized reliability of the target engineering case. Based on the numerical approach, the generally updated fields were computed. The discreteness and the correlation of the generally updated fields were analyzed as well. The results show that this study has the confidence for engineering application.
Serotonin Selectively Increases Detectability of Motion Stimuli in the Electrosensory System
Authors: Marquez Mariana M. , Chacron Maurice J.
Published: May 2018

Serotonergic innervation of sensory areas is found ubiquitously across the central nervous system of vertebrates. Here, we used a system’s level approach to investigate the role of serotonin on processing motion stimuli in the electrosensory system of the weakly electric fishApteronotus albifrons. We found that exogenous serotonin application increased the firing activity of pyramidal neural responses to both looming and receding motion. Separating spikes belonging to bursts from those that were isolated revealed that this effect was primarily due to increased burst firing. Moreover, when investigating whether firing activity during stimulation could be discriminated from baseline (i.e., in the absence of stimulation), we found that serotonin increased stimulus discriminability only for some stimuli. This is because increased burst firing was most prominent for these. Further, the effects of serotonin were highly heterogeneous, with some neurons displaying large while others instead displaying minimal changes in responsiveness following serotonin application. Further analysis revealed that serotonin application had the greatest effect on neurons with low baseline firing rates and little to no effect on neurons with high baseline firing rates. Finally, the effects of serotonin on sensory neuron responses were largely independent of object velocity. Our results therefore reveal a novel function for the serotonergic system in selectively enhancing discriminability for motion stimuli.
The role of college and university faculty in the fossil fuel divestment movement
Authors: Stephens Jennie C. , Frumhoff Peter C. , Yona Leehi
Published: May 2018

Colleges and universities have played a critical role in the growing social movement to divest institutional endowments from fossil fuels. While campus activism on fossil fuel divestment has been driven largely by students and alumni, faculty are also advocating to their administrators for institutional divestment from fossil fuels. This article characterizes the role of faculty by reviewing signatories to publicly available letters that endorse fossil fuel divestment. Analysis of 30 letters to administrators signed by faculty at campuses throughout the United States and Canada reveals support for divestment from 4550 faculty across all major fields of inquiry and scholarship, and all types of faculty positions. Of these signers, more than 225 have specific expertise in climate change or energy. An in-depth analysis of 18 of these letters shows that a significantly greater proportion of tenured faculty sign open letters of support for divestment than do not-yet-tenured tenure-track faculty (15.4% versus 10.7%), perhaps reflecting concerns among not-yet-tenured faculty that such support might jeopardize their career advancement. This analysis suggests that faculty support for the divestment movement is more widespread than commonly recognized; this movement is more mainstream, and broader-based, than is often recognized. Revealing the scope and scale of faculty support for fossil fuel divestment may encourage additional faculty to engage, support and endorse this growing social movement that highlights the social impact of investment decisions, and calls upon colleges and universities to align their investment practices with their academic missions and values.
Performance Enhancement of Internal Combustion Engine Using Weight Reduction Approach
Authors: H. J. Parekh  , B. M. Ramani  , C. J. Parekh
Published: May 2018

The purpose of this study is to investigate and enhance the performance of the single cylinder 4- stroke water cooled diesel engine using weight reduction approach. Initially, the existing engine of 3.7 kW (5 hp) was tested for performance analysis as per the method mentioned in IS 11170 for loop test by altering its speed then an engine was critically studied for weight reduction possibilities and modified accordingly. Themodified engine has been tested again following the similar method. The various performance and emission parameters of both the engines at their most suitable speed were measured and compared. From the result, it was concluded that the modified engine shows better result from performance and emission aspects along with better mobility and convenience at a reduced cost. However, the modified engine needs strong base plate as a foundation because of little higher speed.
Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesi’nde dental anomalilerin görülme sıklığı
Authors: KOPARAL Mahmut , ÜNSAL Haluk Yener , TÜRKER ALAN Hilal , YALÇIN Mustafa , EGE Bilal , GÜLSÜN Belgin
Published: May 2018

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın
amacı, Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesinde yaşayan bireylerde dental anomalilerin
görülme sıklığının ve cinsiyetler arasındaki dental anomali görülme
yatkınlıkların değerlendirilmesidir.Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışma Adıyaman
Üniversitesi Dişhekimliği Fakültesi’ne ve Adıyaman Ağız ve Diş Sağlığı
Merkezi’ne çeşitli nedenlerle müracat etmiş 4256 hastaya ait panoramik
radyografi görüntüleri üzerinde retrospektif olarak tasarlandı. Hastalara ait
panoramik radyografi görüntüleri dental anomalilerin tespit edilmesi amacıyla 2
araştırmacı tarafından değerlendirildi. 
Çalışmada hastaların panoramik radyografi görüntüleri üzerinde tespit
edilen, alt keser diş eksikliği, sürnümerer diş, ektopi, gömülü kalma,
mikrodonti, taurodontism ve dilaserasyon olmak üzere 7 tip dental anomali
cinsiyetler arası dağılımına göre istatistiksel olarak analiz edilmiştir.Bulgular: En sık görülen
anomali %4,2 oranıyla gömülü kalma olarak tespit edildi. Taurodontizm % 0,02
lik oranla en az görülen anomali olarak tespit edildi. Gömülü diş görülme
sıklığı erkek bireylerde, kadınlara kıyasla istatistiksel olarak anlamlı
derecede daha fazla bulunmuştur. Ektopik diş görülme oranı, erkeklerde
kadınlara nazaran istatistiksel olarak anlamı derecede fazla bulunmuştur.
Kadınlarda alt keser diş eksikliği görülme oranı, erkeklere göre istatistiksel
olarak anlamlı derecede fazla bulunmuştur.Sonuçlar: Güneydoğu
Anadolu Bölgesinde yaşayan bireylerde gömülü kalma, en sık rastlanılan anomali
olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Alt keser diş eksikliği kadınlarda daha fazla
görülürken, gömülü diş ve ektopiye erkeklerde daha sık rastlanılmıştır. Bunun
yanında, sürnümerer diş, dilaserasyon, taurodontizm ve mikrodonti gibi
anomalilerin görülme sıklığı bakımından cinsiyetler arasında farklılık tespit
edilmemiştir. Taurodontizm en az rastlanılan anomali olarak tespit edilmiştir.Anahtar Kelimeler: Dental anomali, gömülü
diş, ektopi, sürnümerer, alt keser
The E3 Ubiquitin Ligase MIB-1 Is Necessary To Form the Nuclear Halo in Caenorhabditis elegans Sperm
Authors: Herrera Leslie A , Starr Daniel A
Published: May 2018

Unlike the classical nuclear envelope with two membranes found in other eukaryotic cells, most nematode sperm nuclei are not encapsulated by membranes. Instead, they are surrounded by a nuclear halo of unknown composition. How the halo is formed and regulated is unknown. We used forward genetics to identify molecular lesions behind three classical fer (fertilization defective) mutations that disrupt the ultrastructure of the Caenorhabditis elegans sperm nuclear halo. We found fer-2 and fer-4 alleles to be nonsense mutations in mib-1. fer-3 was caused by a nonsense mutation in eri-3. GFP::MIB-1 was expressed in the germline during early spermatogenesis, but not in mature sperm. mib-1 encodes a conserved E3 ubiquitin ligase homologous to vertebrate Mib1 and Mib2, which function in Notch signaling. Here, we show that mib-1 is important for male sterility and is involved in the regulation or formation of the nuclear halo during nematode spermatogenesis.
Estudos taxonômicos da tribo Tecomeae (Bignoniaceae) no Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, Brasil
Authors: Pereira Pedro Habibe , Mansano Vidal de Freitas
Published: May 2018

RESUMO Este trabalho tem como objetivo um estudo taxonômico da tribo Tecomeae (Bignoniaceae) no Parque Nacional do Itatiaia. O Parque está localizado na Região Sudeste do Brasil e apresenta ampla variação do gradiente altitudinal e por conseqüência grande diversificação de formações vegetacionais, caracterizando-se como uma área de grande diversidade biológica. A tribo Tecomeae está representada na área por 13 espécies, distribuídas em quatro gêneros: Tabebuia com seis espécies, Jacaranda com cinco espécies, Cybstax e Sparattosperma, ambos com uma espécie. São apresentadas chaves para identificação dos táxons, descrições, ilustrações e comentários sobre distribuição geográfica.
Phytogeographical patterns of Crotalaria L. species (Leguminosae-Papilionoideae) in Brazil
Authors: Flores Andréia S. , Tozzi Ana Maria G. Azevedo
Published: May 2018

ABSTRACT The phytogeography and preferred habitat of Crotalaria species from Brazil are studied. Four species are widely distributed in Brazil, while C. goiasensis and C. irwinii are endemic to the state of Goiás, C. clausseni to São Paulo, C. rufipila to Minas Gerais and C. brachycarpa and C. harleyi to Bahia. Crotalaria species occurs in the following biogeographical provinces: Amazonian, Atlantic, Caatinga, Cerrado, Chaqueña, Guayana, Pampeana and Paranaense. The Cerrado province presents the largest number of species with restricted distribution, followed by the Paranaense province. The geographical distribution of species in Brazil shows higher species diversity in the highlands (800 - 2000 m.s.m.), such as the Serra Geral de Goiás, Chapada dos Veadeiros, Espinhaço Range (15-16 spp.), Serra da Mantiqueira and Serra do Mar (14 spp.). As well as the altitude, vegetation and climate influence the distribution of Crotalaria in Brazil.
Caracterização dos frutos, sementes e germinação de quatro espécies de leguminosas da restinga de Maricá, Rio de Janeiro
Authors: Gonçalves Isabele Pagels , Gama Michele da Costa , Correia Maria Célia Rodrigues , Lima Heloísa Alves de
Published: May 2018

RESUMO No presente trabalho foi estudada a morfologia dos frutos e das sementes e características de plântulas de: Canavalia rosea, Ormosia arborea, Pithecellobium tortum e Swartzia apetala var. apetala, de janeiro de 2004 a outubro de 2006, na restinga de Maricá, Rio de Janeiro. As espécies possuem frutos deiscentes com dispersão autocórica. As sementes de S. apetala var. apetala sugerem também dispersão zoocórica pela presença de um arilo. As sementes recém-coletadas apresentam médias altas de germinação: C. rosea (99%), O. arborea (100%), P. tortum (75%) e S. apetala var. apetala (93%), entretanto, no habitat natural, só foram encontradas plântulas de C. rosea. A germinação é criptocotiledonar em O. arborea e S. apetala var. apetala e fanerocotiledonar em C. rosea e P. tortum.
Leguminosae em dois fragmentos de floresta estacional semidecidual em Araponga, Minas Gerais, Brasil: arbustos, subarbustos e trepadeiras
Authors: Fernandes José Martins , Garcia Flávia Cristina Pinto
Published: May 2018

RESUMO É apresentado o estudo taxonômico dos arbustos, subarbustos e trepadeiras de Leguminosae em dois fragmentos de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual em Araponga, próximo ao Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro (PESB). A coleta do material botânico foi realizada entre agosto de 2005 e setembro de 2006, durante visitas mensais ao entorno e interior de dois fragmentos florestais. Foram amostrados 21 táxons, distribuídos em 13 gêneros. O gênero com maior número de espécies foi Desmodium (4 spp.), seguido por Chamaecrista, Senna, Mimosa, Centrosema e Crotalaria (2 spp. cada). O hábito subarbustivo foi o mais representado com 13 espécies. O estudo apresenta chave, descrições e ilustrações dos táxons, comentários sobre taxonomia, fenologia, distribuição geográfica e hábitat.
Composição, espectro biológico e síndromes de dispersão da vegetação de um inselbergue no domínio da caatinga, Ceará
Authors: Araújo Francisca Soares , Oliveira Rosilane Ferreira , Lima-Verde Luiz Wilson
Published: May 2018

RESUMO Comunidades de plantas sobre afloramentos rochosos no semi-árido brasileiro ainda são pouco conhecidas para a ciência. O município de Quixadá, no semi-árido cearense, destaca-se pela grande concentração de elevações de ilhas rochosas. Este estudo tem por objetivos levantar e analisar a composição, o espectro biológico e as síndromes de dispersão das espécies que ocorrem em um inselbergue no município de Quixadá, Ceará, e a similaridade florística deste com as espécies da vegetação circundante. Em 2000, foram realizadas coletas mensais de espécies e classificadas quanto às formas de vida e síndromes de dispersão em uma área situada a 4º 57'S e 39º 01'W e 270 m de altitude. A similaridade da flora com o entorno foi analisada através do índice de Jaccard. Foram inventariadas 77 espécies, 66 gêneros e 36 famílias. As porcentagens do espectro biológico foram: terófitos (44,2), fanerófitos (24,7), caméfitos (14,6), hemicriptófitos (13,4), geófitos (2,6) e aerófitos (1,2) e as do espectro de dispersão: anemocoria (49), autocoria (35) e zoocoria (16). A similaridade com flora do entorno foi de 13% (21 espécies), demonstrando que a caatinga local é a potencial fonte de propágulos. Os terófitos são as formas de vida dominante nos inselbergues de regiões áridas e semiáridas, cuja flora também é predominantemente dispersa por fatores abióticos, principalmente o vento. Assim, este estudo confirma o padrão esperado para os atributos síndromes de dispersão e espectro biológico da vegetação sob climas áridos e semi-áridos.
A new species of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from the Atlantic Forest of Espírito Santo, Brazil
Authors: Kollmann Ludovic Jean Charles , Fontana André Paviotti
Published: May 2018

ABSTRACT Begonia mysteriosa L.Kollmann & A.P.Fontana, a new species known only from the municipality of São Roque do Canaã in the Atlantic Forest of the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil, is described and illustrated. This new species is probably related to Begonia barckleyana L.B.Sm., section Knesebeckia, from which it differs by its leaf shape, stipule size, stigma more than two branches and pistillate flowers with six tepals. Description, diagnose, illustration and comments about the geographic distribution are provided.
HENRIETTEA E HENRIETTELLA (MELASTOMATACEAE, MICONIEAE) NO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL
Authors: Silva Kelly Cristina da , Baumgratz José Fernando A.
Published: May 2018

RESUMO É apresentado o tratamento taxonômico dos gêneros Henriettea e Henriettella na flora do estado do Rio de Janeiro. Cada gênero está representado por uma só espécie: Henriettea saldanhaei e Henriettella glabra, Os dois táxons ocorrem em floresta atlântica. Apresenta-se uma chave para identificação dos gêneros que integram a tribo Miconieae e as espécies estudadas, além de descrições, ilustrações, dados de distribuição geográfica e comentários sobre particularidades nomenclaturais e morfológicas. São propostos três lectótipos e Henriettea glazioviana, H. glazioviana var. verruculosa e Henriettella glazioviana são sinonimizadas. Registra-se a nova ocorrência de Henriettea saladanhaei e Henriettella glabra no estado do Espírito Santo.
The Gender Dimension of the Inclusion: The Case of the Western Siberian Universities
Authors: Efimova G.Z. , Volosnikova L.M. , Ogorodnova O.V.
Published: May 2018

The paper focuses on the attitude of university staff towards students with disabilities and on the readiness for inclusive higher education in members of the academic staff. It is stressed that one of the main tasks of the resource and training centers network is to help overcome such powerful barriers as social stereotypes and incompetence in inclusive education and to assist university teachers in establishing contacts and interaction with students with disabilities. The paper presents a study that involved 2181 university teachers from 10 universities of the Tyumen region. The study had two objectives: first, to explore the attitude of the academic staff of the universities to students with disabilities and the former’s readiness for inclusive education; secondly, to reveal gender differences in relation to inclusion. The main outcomes of the study are as follows. Women working in higher education are more positive towards inclusive education and its prospects, more tolerant and sympathetic to persons with disabilities. They are more focused on active inclusive behavior, on acquiring new knowledge and skills, and on rendering extensive support to students with disabilities. They value their own skills and competencies in inclusive teaching and collaboration highly enough. The paper concludes that women working at the universities of the Tyumen regions are an important resource for achieving the goals of resource training centers in the field of inclusive higher education.
Efficacy of imipenem lavage versus saline lavage in perforation peritonitis
Authors: C. S. Santhosh , Singh Avinash Chandra , Shetty Karan K.
Published: May 2018

Background: Surgical treatment for perforation peritonitis is still believed to be demanding and complex in spite of the advent of better surgical technique, antimicrobial therapy and intensive care support improving the outcome of such cases. However, the specific details of the pre-operative, intra-operative and post-operative management have always been very controversial and debatable. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of peritoneal cavity irrigation with imipenem solution in patients with perforation peritonitis and compare it with standard saline wash.Methods: This study was conducted in a tertiary care teaching hospital from November 2015 to April 2017 and included 90 patients aged between 12 and 60 years who are operated for perforation peritonitis. Patients are divided into 3 groups and underwent post laparotomy irrigation as follows saline and fluid drained, saline and then imipenem wash at a concentration of 1mg/ml and fluid drained after 5 minutes, saline and then imipenem wash at a concentration of 1 mg/ml and drain was clamped for 1 hour. The patients were then observed for post-operative complications.Results: There was a statistically significant reduction in post-operative wound infection (33.33%), intra-abdominal abscess (23.33%) and sepsis (23.33%) in group 3 when compared to other two groups. Group 3 had a much lower mortality rate (3.33%) when compared to the other two (16.67% and 6.67% respectively.)Conclusions: Addition of Imipenem to normal saline for intraoperative peritoneal lavage has much satisfactory post-operative outcome. Further studies with larger sample size are needed to accurately assess the statistical significance of the same.
Short night sleeping is associated with higher risk of diabetes in older adults
Authors: Bakri Mohammed Atiah Ahmed , Tarish Alharbi Mohammad Abdullah , Alzaher Abdulaziz Ahmed Mesfir , Alzhrani Alzhrani Mordi A. , Alkaf Wafaa Ahmed , Alkaf Malak Ahmed , Binnwejim Mohammed Saleh , Altemani Alwaleed Fahad , Al Rebh Zainab Yousef , Almusallam Lulwah Abed
Published: May 2018

Background: It remains unclear how many hours of sleep are associated with the lowest risk of diabetes type II. This meta-analysis was completed to evaluate the dose-response relationship between sleep duration and risk of diabetes type II.Methods: We conducted this meta-analysis using a comprehensive search of Medline, Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane database of systematic reviews, and Cochrane central register of controlled trials till 01 May 2017 for prospective observational studies that assessed the relationship of sleep duration and risk of type II diabetes. Both semiparametric and parametric methods were used.Results: Ten articles with 7 reports were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis. A total of 16,123 incident cases of type II diabetes were ascertained among 402,397 participants with follow-up periods ranging from 3 to 17 years. The relationship was observed between sleep duration and risk of type II diabetes, with the lowest risk observed at a sleep duration category of 7–8 h per day. Compared with 7-h sleep duration per day, the pooled relative risks for type II diabetes were 1.11 (95% CI 1.06–1.17) for each 1-h shorter sleep duration among individuals who slept <7 h per day and 1.13 (1.05–1.31) for each 1-h increment of sleep duration among individuals with longer sleep duration.Conclusions: Both short and long sleep duration are linked with a considerably increased risk of type II diabetes, underscoring the significance of appropriate sleep duration in the delay or prevention of type II diabetes.
La-Ni based Alloys Preparation for Hydrogen Reversible Sorption and their Application for Renewable Energy Storage
Authors: Chesalkin Artem , Moldrik Petr , Martaus Alexandr
Published: May 2018

Metal hydrides are one of the types of functional materials that allow safe and compact storage of a large amount of hydrogen, which is increasingly used today as an alternate fuel or energy source. The possibility of obtaining the initial energy necessary for the production of hydrogen by electrolysis process from renewable energy sources, such as solar panels and wind generators, makes hydrogen energetic quite attractive and rapidly developing industry sector. Solid form of hydrogen storage with the possibility of reversible sorption, gives opportunity for creation autonomous energy storage systems. La-Ni based alloys allow hydrogen storing at ambient temperatures and pressure not higher than 15 bar, which makes the application of these alloys quite practical, interesting and prospects for analysis and modifications on the ways of stored hydrogen capacity increasing, alloys price reducing and application for renewable energy storage.
PERANAN PENDIDIKAN LUAR SEKOLAH DALAM PEMBANGUNAN BERWAWASAN LINGKUNGAN
Authors: Bactiar Ishak . G
Published: May 2018

The environmental problems become interesting issues in Indonesia nowadays. A lot of recent natura environmental dangers have worried the government and the people. This article discusses the roles of education, particularly out of school; education, in educating people to be alert of these environmental problems and actively participates in protecting the natural environment. Out of school education is considered effective in shifting the paradigm of Indonesia citizens about the natural environmental and changing the destructive attitude to be constructive behavior.
La protección de los emojis mediante derechos de la propiedad industrial.
Authors: Louredo Casado Sara
Published: May 2018

Los emojis son una de las innovaciones de las redes sociales y de las aplicaciones de mensajería instantánea como Whatsapp o Facebook Messenger que más repercusión social han tenido. Para este año 2018, el organismo regulador Unicode ha anunciado la incorporación de 157 nuevas imágenes a sus tablas temáticas. Otros síntomas de su popularidad son el hecho de que cuenten con su propio largometraje (estrenado en 2017) y que se incorporen como ornamentación cada vez a más productos (cojines, tazas, camisetas, etc.). Un dato quizás menos conocido es que ya se ha instaurado en el calendario un día dedicado a estos dibujos: el 17 de julio -fecha que figura en el "emoji almanaque" de las aplicaciones de Apple-.
Aplicación del Derecho europeo por el TJUE: cuestión prejudicial sobre el concepto de “nuevos clientes” en la relación entre el agente y el principal (Directiva 86/653/CEE, art. 17.2.a) Sentencia del Tribunal de Justicia (Sala Cuarta) de 7 de abril de 2016 (Cuestión prejudicial Marchon Germany GmbH/Yvonne Karaszkiewicz (Asunto C-315/14)
Authors: Morales Villanueva Paloma
Published: May 2018

Resumen: Litigio principal sobre la indemnización por clientela que reclama el Agente, parte demandante y recurrida en apelación y casación, Yvonne Karaskiewicz, al Principal o Empresario, parte demandada y recurrente en apelación y casación, Marchon Germany GmbH, tras la extinción del Contrato de Agencia Comercial por éste último suspendido y el consiguiente, planteamiento de cuestión prejudicial sobre la interpretación del artículo 17. 2. a) primer guión de la Directiva 86/653/CEEE del Consejo, de 18 de diciembre de 1986, relativa a la coordinación de los derechos de los Estados miembros en lo referente a los agentes comerciales independientes, sobre “nuevos clientes”.Palabras clave: Procedimiento prejudicial — Agentes comerciales independientes — Directiva 86/653/CEE Artículo 17, apartado 2 — Indemnización por clientela — Requisitos para su concesión — Captación de nuevos clientes — Concepto de «nuevos clientes» — Clientes del empresario que compran por primera vez las mercancías cuya comercialización tiene encomendada el agente comercial.Preceptos aplicados: Artículo 267 del Tratado de Funcionamiento de la Unión Europea; artículo 1, apartados 1 y 2; artículo 3 y articulo 17, apartado 2, letra a), guión primero de la Directiva 86/653/CEE de del Consejo, de 18 de diciembre de 1986, relativa a la coordinación de los derechos de los Estados miembros en lo referente a los agentes comerciales
BTV-vector-host interaction: the epidemiological triangle in disease transmission
Authors: NIEDBALSKI WIESŁAW
Published: May 2018

Understanding the interaction between the bluetongue virus (BTV), the Culicoides vector and the ruminant host is essential to control bluetongue (BT). This triangle of interaction can be understood individually at the level of the virus, the level of vector and the host level. BTV-vector-host interactions involve physiological and ecological mechanisms, and they have evolved under a specific set of environmental conditions. Recent advances in understanding this interaction include increased knowledge of the virus replication cycle, BTV immunology and pathogenesis in the vertebrate host, as well as the virulence and pathogenicity features of newly discovered BTV serotypes. To understand the virus-host-vector interaction, new molecular biology techniques and experimental infection biology methods have been widely used. The next-generation sequencing, the establishment of a reverse genetics system for the virus, and development of novel infection models and refinement of the existing BTV experimental infection methodologies have proven very helpful. This progress in biotechnology has also made it possible to develop new-generation BTV vaccines, such as disabled infectious single cycle (DISC) vaccines and disabled infectious single animal (DISA) vaccines. However, several questions still need to be answered, such as those concerning cellular pathways involved in the induction of innate immunity and the function of NS4 in the BTV replication cycle. In addition, the identities of specific molecular determinants and the role of quasi-species diversity in determining BTV phenotype are still unclear and should be better explained..
Mycobacteriosis in peafowl: Analysis of four cases
Authors: LEDWOŃ ALEKSANDRA , AUGUSTYNOWICZ-KOPEĆ EWA , PARNIEWSKI PAWEŁ , BONECKA JOANNA , OSTRZESZEWICZ MAGDALENA , DOLKA BEATA , SZELESZCZUK PIOTR
Published: May 2018

Peafowl (Pavo cristatus), similarly to other Galliformes, are particularly susceptible to infection by Mycobacterium avium. Peafowl differ from other Galliformes in the clinical image of the infection, with dominating respiratory signs. Occurrence of severe and sustained dyspnoea in peafowl raises suspicion of mycobacteriosis, which, however, is not always easy to confirm. In the cases described here, mycobacteria were detected in direct swabs from the trachea of two individuals, and cultures were conducted on the Löwenstein- Jensen medium. In one individual, no mycobacteria were found in tracheal swabs stained by the Ziehl-Neelsen method, despite the presence of clear clinical signs. The fourth case was a young bird submitted for necropsy. The cause of death was a mechanical trauma, but scarce caseous nodules typical of mycobacteriosis were found in the liver, spleen and lungs. The Mycobacterium avium isolates obtained from those cases were compared using (CCG)4-based PCR. A high similarity of three isolates of Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium was observed, two of which were derived from peafowl originating from the same farm, while the isolate from the fourth bird differed significantly and was identified by sequencing as Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis..
Using pruning algorithms and genetic algorithms to optimise network architectures and forecasting inputs in a neural network rainfall-runoff model
Authors: Abrahart Robert J. , See Linda , Kneale Pauline E.
Published: May 2018

Four design tool procedures are examined to create improved neural network architectures for forecasting runoff from a small catchment. Different algorithms are used to remove nodes and connections so as to produce an optimised forecasting model, thereby reducing computational expense without loss in performance. The results also highlight issues in selecting analytical methods to compare outputs from different forecasting procedures.
A geographic information systems analysis of hydro power potential in South Africa
Authors: Ballance A. , Stephenson D. , Chapman R. A. , Muller J.
Published: May 2018

Electrification can reduce the dependence on combustible fuels and therefore also reduce the concomitant health risks. Hydro power is one possible method of generating electric power close to the potential consumers, thereby cutting out expensive reticulation costs in widely spread rural areas. For sustainable electricity generation there must be stream flows of sufficient flow rates down significant slopes.

A preliminary assessment of hydro power potential in South Africa was undertaken by estimating actual energy potential calculated from digital maps of slope and runoff. Coefficients of variation and low flow indices proved good potential measures of flow variability and risk. The methodology allowed rapid identification of micro- and macro-hydro power potential. Micro-hydro power potential identification was calculated from run of river and local flow, while macro-hydro power generation needs storage and thus cumulative river flows were used. The steeper and more humid slopes of the eastern escarpment, and parts of the southern escarpment near Cape Town, showed the best potential for both micro- and macro-hydro power (with annual energy potential values in excess of 107 kWh yr−1 and 109 kWh yr−1, respectively). This preliminary assessment was intended to lead to further more detailed and in-field assessments of hydro power generating capacity.
A genetic algorithm for optimizing off-farm irrigation scheduling
Authors: Nixon J. B. , Dandy G. C. , Simpson A. R.
Published: May 2018

This paper examines the use of genetic algorithm (GA) optimization to identify water delivery schedules for an open-channel irrigation system. Significant objectives and important constraints are identified for this system, and suitable representations of these within the GA framework are developed. Objectives include maximizing the number of orders that are scheduled to be delivered at the requested time and minimizing variations in the channel flow rate. If, however, an order is to be shifted, the irrigator preference for this to be by ±24 h rather than ±12 h is accounted for. Constraints include avoiding exceedance of channel capacity. The GA approach is demonstrated for an idealized system of five irrigators on a channel spur. In this case study, the GA technique efficiently identified the optimal schedule that was independently verified using full enumeration of the entire search space of possible order schedules. Results have shown great promise in the ability of GA techniques to identify good irrigation order schedules.
The democratisation of decision-making processes in the water sector II
Authors: Abbott Michael B. , Jonoski A.
Published: May 2018

The second part of this paper investigates one possibility of realising an inversion of the so-far established order of knowledge/power structures in that it corresponds to an inversion in power relations that is realised by an inversion in knowledge relations. The system proposed here by way of an example is then primarily a means of realising this inversion. The economic sustainability of such a system within a ‘third world’ context necessitates the consideration also of knowledge/value relations, and these are also briefly introduced. The system itself is essentially a knowledge self-management system, comprising three principal components:a knowledge centre connecting to (other) knowledge providers;an inner knowledge periphery that receives, processes and transmits knowledge passing between the centre and;an outer knowledge periphery situated primarily at the end-user level.The use of ‘scientific discourse’ at the centre and of ‘narrative discourse’ at the outer periphery sets the overall specification of the inner periphery.
The use of CFD in the evaluation of UV treatment systems
Authors: Wright N. G. , Hargreaves D. M.
Published: May 2018

UV disinfection is now widely used for the treatment of water for consumption and wastewater in many countries. It offers advantages over other techniques in specific circumstances. Analysis of these systems has been carried out using a three-dimensional Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) procedure. This allows for efficient testing of prototypes. Sensitivity tests are shown for grid size, discretisation and turbulence model.

Four different configurations of the apparatus are evaluated in terms of maximum dosage, flow patterns, particle tracks and transient dosage. This leads to conclusions about the most efficient design and shows that significant improvements can be achieved with minor changes to the design. Further conclusions are drawn about the CFD procedure itself. This work opens up the possibility of an internet-based design tool for small- and medium-sized enterprises.
A multiobjective approach to cost effective long-term groundwater monitoring using an elitist nondominated sorted genetic algorithm with historical data
Authors: Reed Patrick , Minsker Barbara S. , Goldberg David E.
Published: May 2018

This study presents a methodology for quantifying the tradeoffs between sampling costs and local concentration estimation errors in an existing groundwater monitoring network. The method utilizes historical data at a single snapshot in time to identify potential spatial redundancies within a monitoring network. Spatially redundant points are defined to be monitoring locations that do not appreciably increase local estimation errors if they are not sampled. The study combines nonlinear spatial interpolation with the nondominated sorted genetic algorithm (NSGA) to identify the tradeoff curve (or Pareto frontier) between sampling costs and local concentration estimation errors. Guidelines are given for using theoretical relationships from the field of genetic and evolutionary computation for population sizing and niching to ensure that the NSGA is competently designed to navigate the problem's decision space. Additionally, both a selection pressure analysis and a niching-based elitist enhancement of the NSGA are presented, which were integral to the algorithm's efficiency in quantifying the Pareto frontier for costs and estimation errors. The elitist NSGA identified 34 of 36 members of the Pareto optimal set attained from enumerating the monitoring application's decision space; this represents a substantial improvement over the standard NSGA, which found at most 21 of 36 members.
Investigation of a parameter estimation method for contaminant transport in aquifers
Authors: Rajanayaka Channa , Kulasiri Don
Published: May 2018

Real world groundwater aquifers are heterogeneous and system variables are not uniformly distributed across the aquifer. Therefore, in the modelling of the contaminant transport, we need to consider the uncertainty associated with the system. Unny presented a method to describe the system by stochastic differential equations and then to estimate the parameters by using the maximum likelihood approach. In this paper, this method was explored by using artificial and experimental data. First a set of data was used to explore the effect of system noise on estimated parameters. The experimental data was used to compare the estimated parameters with the calibrated results. Estimates obtained from artificial data show reasonable accuracy when the system noise is present. The accuracy of the estimates has an inverse relationship to the noise. Hydraulic conductivity estimates in a one-parameter situation give more accurate results than in a two-parameter situation. The effect of the noise on estimates of the longitudinal dispersion coefficient is less compared to the effect on hydraulic conductivity estimates. Comparison of the results of the experimental dataset shows that estimates of the longitudinal dispersion coefficient are similar to the aquifer calibrated results. However, hydraulic conductivity does not provide a similar level of accuracy. The main advantage of the estimation method presented here is its direct dependence on field observations in the presence of reasonably large noise levels.
US corporate technology transfer in hydrometeorology
Authors: Georgakakos Konstantine P.
Published: May 2018

Corporate technology transfer by US non-governmental organizations with the substantial involvement of university faculty is a new activity in hydrometeorology. The issues involved in such US corporate technology transfers are discussed by way of two examples selected from the activities of the Hydrologic Research Center, a non-profit-making public-benefit research and technology transfer corporation in San Diego, California, USA. The projects discussed are: (a) the development and implementation of a robust state estimator for national use within the US National Weather Service River Forecast System, and (b) the development and implementation of a prototype multi-sensor rainfall forecasting system for the Panama Canal Authority. The issues covered include technical ones associated with improving theoretical formulations for robust operational performance, those associated with the necessary reciprocal education between modellers and field personnel, and the accommodation of the educational objectives of participating postdoctoral associates.
Conceptual user interface for the land management system
Authors: Westervelt James , Holland Jeffery
Published: May 2018

This paper explores the conceptual user interface requirements of the Land Management System (LMS), a next-generation system designed to support the development of location-specific landscape/watershed management oriented simulation models. Currently available landscape/watershed models tend to be discipline-specific, focusing only on hydrology, ecology, social, economic or agronomic aspects of the landscape's subsystems. Feedback loops among the different subsystems tend be ignored, and this can result in long-term predictions that may not be useful. LMS will provide landscape and watershed managers with sets of software modules that can be linked together to represent and simulate unique local conditions. A design challenge of LMS is to develop a user interface that makes it possible for a watershed/landscape manager to develop and use multidisciplinary spatially explicit landscape simulation models that retain the scientific rigour of current scientist-oriented simulation models. This paper outlines a solution in response to that challenge.
Dynamic identifiability analysis of the transient storage model for solute transport in rivers
Authors: Wagener Thorsten , Camacho Luis A. , Wheater Howard S.
Published: May 2018

The use of dynamic mathematical models to simulate the behaviour of environmental systems is common practice. However, the output of these models remains uncertain, despite their widespread use and long history of application. This uncertainty arises, amongst other factors, from errors in the data, randomness in natural processes, incorrect assumptions in the model structure with respect to the processes taking place in the natural system, and the inability of calibration procedures to unambiguously identify an optimal parameter set to represent the system under investigation. The latter two problems may be caused by the inability of the calibration procedure to retrieve sufficient information from the model residuals. In this paper, a new approach called Dynamic Identifiability Analysis is presented in order to partly overcome this limitation. A case study shows how the proposed methodology can be applied to increase the identifiability of parameters of a river solute transport model.
The relevance of Open Source to hydroinformatics
Authors: Harvey Hamish , Han Dawei
Published: May 2018

Open Source, in which the source code to software is freely shared and improved upon, has recently risen to prominence as an alternative to the more usual closed approach to software development. A number of high profile projects, such as the Linux operating system kernel and the Apache web server, have demonstrated that Open Source can be technically effective, and companies such as Cygnus Solutions (now owned by Red Hat) and Zope Corporation have demonstrated that it is possible to build successful companies around open source software. Open Source could have significant benefits for hydroinformatics, encouraging widespread interoperability and rapid development. In this paper we present a brief history of Open Source, a summary of some reasons for its effectiveness, and we explore how and why Open Source is of particular interest in the field of hydroinformatics. We argue that for technical, scientific and business reasons, Open Source has a lot to offer.
Grey box modelling for river control
Authors: Sohlberg Björn , Sernfält Mats
Published: May 2018

This paper deals with modelling and identification of a river system using physical insights about the process, experience of operating the system and information about the system dynamics shown by measured data. These components together form a linear model structure in the state space form. The inputs of the prospective model are physical variables, which are not directly measured. However, the model inputs can be found by a nonlinear transformation of measured variables. Unknown parameters of the model are estimated from measured data. The modelling work focuses on the principle of parsimony, which means the best model approach is the simplest one that fit the purpose of the application.

The goal of the model is to control the water level of the river, where the water flow is mainly determined by the demand for energy generation produced by the hydropower stations along the river. The energy requirement increases in the morning and decreases in the evening. These flow variations, caused by the energy demand, have to be compensated by controlling the power plants downstream, in such a way that the water level between the power stations is guaranteed. Simulation of the control system by using an adaptive model predictive controller shows that the water levels vary less and can be maintained at a higher level than during manual control. This means that more electric power can be produced with the same amount of water flow.
Of data and models
Authors: Cunge Jean A.
Published: May 2018

Relationship between the data, such as direct observations of nature and recorded measurements, and the models is very complicated in the ‘water domain’. It is not at all as clear and explicit as it is often presented by teachers to students, by consultants to clients, or by authors to readers of publications. A number of aspects of this relationship are discussed using examples to illustrate the author's views. Limitations of data-driven tools (correlations, Artificial Neuronal Networks, Genetic Algorithms, etc.) and data-mining, when applied without physical knowledge of the relevant phenomena, are discussed, as are those of deterministic models. The currently used ‘good practice’ paradigm in modelling (the model is to be set up, calibrated, validated and run) is rejected when deterministic models are concerned. They should not be calibrated. A new paradigm, a new ‘code of good practice’, is proposed instead. Strategic and tactical aspects of various available approaches to modelling of physical phenomena and data exploitation have practical engineering and financial consequences, most often immediate and sometimes very important: hence the significance of the subject that concerns the everyday occupations of modellers, their clients and end-users.
EVAPRO: economic and financial evaluation of water supply projects
Authors: Bakkoury Zohra , Ouazar Driss , Walters Godfrey
Published: May 2018

The present paper describes a computer-based system for water supply project appraisal called EVAPRO, standing for EVAluation of water PROjects. The aim of EVAPRO is to facilitate economic and financial assessment of water supply projects under different investment and operating scenarios, and changes to initial system configuration. The software consists of automating the feasibility study of water projects using information about population and water demand forecasts, potential water resources, investment decisions, financial resources and water pricing policy. It embodies a set of tools, including linear programming techniques, numerical methods and financial calculations, and combines operational optimization with financial analysis to assess the feasibility of water supply projects.The software is intended for water production and distribution agencies and aims to assist engineers and decision-makers in water supply project evaluation and feasibility assessment.