bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nuclear Waste Disposal in Deep Geological Formations: What are the Major Remaining Scientific Issues?
Authors: Toulhoat Pierre
Published: October 2011

After 30 years of research in the field of nuclear waste disposal, the remaining scientific issues are described. They include long-term monitoring during the reversible period, early coupled processes during the thermal phase, effect of hydrogen generated by corrosion, and volume expansion. The long term behavior of waste packages has been thoroughly investigated, but controversial issues have still to be resolved. In situ investigations concerning the speciation and migration of radionuclides are needed. Concerning the developement of future nuclear systems, a roadmap on waste management issues has to be established.
A High-Performance Corrosion-Resistant Iron-Based Amorphous Metal - The Effects of Composition, Structure and Environment on Corrosion Resistance
Authors: Farmer Joseph Collin , Haslam J. , Day D. , Lian T. , Saw C. , Hailey P. , Choi J-S. , Rebak R. , Yang N. , Bayles R. , Aprigliano L. , Payer J. , Perepezko J. , Hildal K. , Lavernia E. , Ajdelsztajn L. , Branagan D. , Beardsley B.
Published: October 2011

The passive film stability of several Fe-based amorphous metal formulations have been found to be comparable to that of high-performance Ni-based alloys, and superior to that of stainless steels, based on electrochemical measurements of the passive film breakdown potential and general corrosion rates. Chromium (Cr), molybdenum (Mo) and tungsten (W) provide corrosion resistance; boron (B) enables glass formation; and rare earths such as yttrium (Y) lower critical cooling rate (CCR). The high boron content of this particular amorphous metal also makes it an effective neutron absorber, and suitable for criticality control applications, as discussed in companion publications. Corrosion data for SAM2X5 (Fe49.7Cr17.7Mn1.9Mo7.4W1.6B15.2C3.8Si2.4) is discussed here.
A Review of 25 years of Corrosion Studies on HLW Container Materials at the CEA
Authors: Helie Max
Published: October 2011

The Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique (CEA, French Atomic Energy Commission) has been involved in researches on nuclear waste management for more than 25 years. One of the key issues is the prediction of the long term behavior and aging of the High Level Waste (HLW) containers in order to develop concepts that will ensure the confinement of the activity over extremely long periods of time.

Preliminary studies were carried out on two concepts, one of a thin "corrosion resistant" container made of titanium or nickel base alloy, and the other on a thick "corrosion allowance" container made or carbon steel.

The results of these experiments showed that the "corrosion resistant" concept led to a high uncertainty on the development and propagation rate of localized forms of corrosion, and the concept of geological disposal in an argillaceous host formation of thick waste containers made of carbon steel was chosen as the reference. Studies are still in progress to better assess the corrosion mechanisms relevant to this situation in order to provide reliable models for the long term prediction of the containers corrosion behavior.
Cermet Spent Nuclear Fuel Casks and Waste Packages
Authors: Forsberg Charles W. , Dole Leslie R.
Published: October 2011

Multipurpose transport, aging, and disposal casks are needed for the management of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Self-shielded cermet casks can outperform current SNF casks because of the superior properties of cermets, which consist of encapsulated hard ceramic particulates dispersed in a continuous ductile metal matrix to produce a strong high-integrity, high-thermal-conductivity cask.

A multiyear, multinational development and testing program has been developing cermet SNF casks made of steel, depleted uranium dioxide, and other materials. Because cermets are the traditional material of construction for armor, cermet casks can provide superior protection against assault. For disposal, cermet waste packages (WPs) with appropriate metals and ceramics can buffer the local geochemical environment to (1) slow degradation of SNF, (2) reduce water flow though the degraded WP, (3) sorb neptunium and other radionuclides that determine the ultimate radiation dose to the public from the repository, and (4) contribute to long-term nuclear criticality control. Finally, new cermet cask fabrication methods have been partly developed to manufacture the casks with the appropriate properties. The results of this work are summarized with references to the detailed reports.
Dissolution Testing of a Metallic Waste Form in Chloride Brine
Authors: Janney Dawn E.
Published: October 2011

Argonne National Laboratory has developed an electrometallurgical process for conditioning spent sodium-bonded metallic reactor fuel from the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II). One waste stream from this process consists of a metal waste form (MWF) whose baseline composition is stainless steel alloyed with 15 wt% Zr (SS-15Zr) and whose microstructure is a eutectic intergrowth of iron solid solutions and Fe-Zr-Cr-Ni intermetallics. This paper reports scanning electron microscope (SEM) observations of corrosion products formed during static immersion tests in which coupons of surrogate MWF containing 10 wt% U (SS-15Zr-10U) were immersed in solutions with nominal pH values of 3 and 4 and 1000 ppm added chloride for 70 days at 50 °C. Although the majority of the surface areas of the coupons appear unchanged, linear areas with localized corrosion products apparently consisting of porous materials overlying corrosion-product-filled channels formed on both coupons, cross-cutting phase boundaries in the original eutectic microstructures. Many of the linear areas intersected the sample edge at notches present before the tests or followed linear flaws visible in pre-test images. Compositions of corrosion products differed significantly from the bulk composition, and the maximum observed concentration of U exceeded that reported in actinide-bearing phases in uncorroded surrogate MWF samples with comparable concentrations of U.
Cesium Sorption Rate on Non-crushed Rock Measured by a New Apparatus based on a Micro-channel-reactor Concept
Authors: Okuyama Keita , Sasahira Akira , Noshita Kenji , Ohe Toshiaki
Published: October 2011

Since nuclide migration through rock mediums is an extremely slow process, experimental effort to evaluate the barrier performance of geologic disposal such as the diffusion coefficient (De) and the distribution coefficient (Kd) requires relatively long testing periods and chemically stable conditions. We have developed a fast method to determine both De and Kd by using a non-crushed rock sample. In this method, a fluoroplastic plate with a micro channel (10-200-μm depth) is placed just beneath a rock-sample plate, and a radionuclide solution is injected into the channel at constant rate. A part of radionuclide diffuses into the rock matrix and/or adsorb on the rock surface. The difference between the inlet and outlet radionuclide flux is simply related to the apparent diffusion coefficient (Da) of the rock sample. In this study, we estimated Kd of Cs for granite by using the equilibrium model, finding that Kd decreased with increasing flow rate. This dependence of Kd on flow rate implies the state of sorption equilibrium. The adsorption and desorption curves of 134Cs were thus measured, and the rate constants for both processes were obtained by adopting a first-order rate law. The rate constants of sorption (k+) and desorption (k-) were obtained as a function of flow velocity; constant values of both were observed. Kd was calculated from k+/ k- and then compared with that determined by conventional batch sorption method using a crushed rock sample. The Kd values determined by the present and conventional methods are in good accordance; however, the testing periods for each method are very different, namely, 1 day and 7 days, respectively.
Geochemical Processes at the Carbon steel/bentonite Interface in Repository Conditions
Authors: Torres Elena , Turrero María Jesús , Martin Pedro Luis
Published: October 2011

The Deep Geological Repository (DGR) is currently the most accepted management option for the isolation of high level radioactive wastes. The DGR is based on a multibarrier system, which will limit releases of mobile radionuclides to the biosphere. In the design of the repository the spent fuel is encapsulated in canisters of carbon-steel. The space between the canister and the host geological formation will be filled with bentonite buffer clay. Under the prevailing conditions in a DGR, both localized and generalized corrosion phenomena are possible.

Corrosion of the canister will result in formation of solid and gaseous corrosion products, which can influence the behaviour of both the canister and the bentonite. Many studies have been carried out in order to improve the knowledge on the reactivity of these barriers. Most of them have focused on the mineralogical alteration of the bentonite as a function of temperature, time, iron/clay and liquid/rock ratio in batch conditions. The aim of this study is to provide experimental evidences, at repository conditions, on chemical and mineralogical changes during the canister-compacted bentonite interaction: determination of secondary minerals and their alteration reactions, the advance of the corrosion front in the compacted bentonite, and changes in porosity, permeability and cation exchange capacity.
Np Incorporation into Uranyl Alteration Phases: A Quantum Mechanical Approach
Authors: Shuller Lindsay , Ewing Rodney C , Becker Udo
Published: October 2011

Neptunium is a major contributor to the long-term radioactivity in a geologic repository for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) due to its long half-life (2.1 million years). The mobility of Np may be decreased by its incorporation into the U6+ phases that form during the corrosion of SNF. The ionic radii of Np5+ (0.089nm) and U6+ (0.087nm) are similar, as is their chemistry. Experimental studies have shown that Np can be incorporated into uranyl phases up to concentrations on the order of 100 ppm. The low concentration of Np in the uranyl phases complicates experimental detection and presents a significant challenge for determining the incorporation mechanism. Therefore, we have used quantum mechanical calculations to investigate incorporation mechanisms and evaluate the energetics of Np substituting for U.

CASTEP, a density functional theory based code that uses plane waves to model the behavior of the valence electrons and pseudo-potentials to model the behavior of the core and inner valence electrons, was used to calculate optimal H positions, relaxed geometry, and energy of different uranyl phases. The incorporation energy for Np in uranyl alteration phases was calculated for studtite, [(UO2)O2(H2O)2](H2O)2, and boltwoodite, HK(UO2)(SiO4)1.5(H2O). Studtite is the rare case of a stable, naturally-occurring peroxide mineral, in this case a uranyl hydroxyl peroxide that forms in the presence of H2O2 from the radiolysis of H2O. For studtite, two incorporation mechanisms were evaluated: (1) charge-balanced substitution of Np5+ and H+ for one U6+, and (2) direct substitution of Np6+ for U6+. For boltwoodite, the H atomic positions prior to Np incorporation were determined, as well as the Np incorporation mechanisms and the corresponding substitution energies. The preferential incorporation of Np into different structure types of U6+ minerals was also investigated. Quantum mechanical substitution energies have to be derived at Np concentrations higher than the ones found in experiments or expected in a repository in order to avoid the calculation of unit cells that are too large to be handled quantum mechanically. However, the quantum mechanical results are crucial for subsequent empirical force-field and Monte-Carlo simulations to determine the thermodynamically stable limit of Np incorporation into these uranyl phases.
The Effect of Diluents on Extraction of Actinides and Lanthanides
Authors: Retegan Teodora Valeria , Ekberg Christian , Fermvik Anna , Skarnemark Gunnar
Published: October 2011

A screening experiment was carried out where the organic phase consisted of different concentrations of 2,6-bis-(5,5,8,8-tetramethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-benzo[1,2,4]triazy-3-yl)-[2,2']bipyridinyl (CyMe4-BTBP) [1], which is the extracting molecule, dissolved in different diluents. The aqueous phase consisted of 0.01 M HNO3 and was spiked with trace amounts of 241Am and 152Eu acting as analogues for actinides and lanthanides. The ionic strength was kept constant at 1.0 M using NaNO3. Three of the selected diluents used to dissolve CyMe4-BTBP were abandoned: n-hexane, TPH and TBB. Another extraction experiment screened out anisole, 1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane and benzaldehyde.

A kinetic experiment was then performed. Three very different kinetic behaviors were observed in three different organic systems. For a proper understanding of the kinetic mechanism, further investigations are needed.
Simulação em lombalgia: diagnóstico e prevalência
Authors: Jorge Rômulo Moura , Jorge Bruno Moura
Published: October 2011

OBJETIVO: Fazer uma revisão da literatura para diagnóstico de simulação em lombalgia e avaliar sua prevalência nos pacientes que pleiteiam benefício previdenciário. MÉTODOS: Foram avaliados 100 pacientes com lombalgia referida, divididos em dois grupos de 50; no grupo I os pacientes requisitaram o relatório médico a fim de obter benefício, no grupo II os pacientes visavam apenas tratamento. Foram considerados simuladores os pacientes que apresentavam dois sinais positivos, dos três avaliados: dor lombar à compressão axial crânio, dor lombar à rotação em bloco do tronco e diferença em sintomatologia na elevação da perna em posição sentado e supina. RESULTADOS: No grupo I a porcentagem de simuladores foi 72%, no grupo II 18%, não houve diferença significativa com relação a idade ou sexo dos pacientes. DISCUSSÃO: Apesar de haver vários sinais e sintomas para avaliar simulação a maioria dos médicos os desconhece, não fazendo uma avaliação adequada dos pacientes com lombalgia referida, contribuindo assim para o inchaço do sistema previdenciário. CONCLUSÃO: Há uma elevada incidência de simuladores entre os pacientes que requerem relatório médico a fim de conseguir benefício previdenciário. Nivel de Evidência II, prospectivo comparativo.
A eletrocauterização isolada como adjuvante no tratamento dos tumores ósseos benignos
Authors: Teixeira Luiz Eduardo Moreira , Miranda Ricardo Horta , Druda Otavio de Luca , Azevedo Neto João Garcia de , Rajão Graziane Diego Santos
Published: October 2011

OBJETIVOS: Avaliar o papel da eletrocauterização como método adjuvante isolado na ressecção intralesional dos tumores ósseos benignos, levando em conta fatores associados à recorrência dessas lesões. MÉTODOS: Foram incluídos 47 pacientes com diagnóstico de tumores ósseos benignos que foram tratados com curetagem associada a eletrocauterização como método adjuvante. Os pacientes foram acompanhados por um tempo médio de 32,7± 19,4 meses e foi avaliada a taxa de recidiva em relação às seguintes variáveis: idade, sexo, localização do tumor, tipo histológico, estadiamento (B1, B2, B3), tamanho, tipo de material utilizado como preenchimento (PMMA ou enxerto ósseo). A taxa e o tipo de complicação pós-operatória também foram analisadas. RESULTADOS: A recidiva global foi de 19,1%, havendo correlação significante do grau do tumor em relação ao tempo de recidiva (p=0,028). Não foram observados outros fatores diretamente relacionados à recidiva local. CONCLUSÃO: A eletrocauterização mostrou-se um método simples, barato e eficaz no tratamento adjuvante dos tumores ósseos benignos. Nivel de Evidência IV, serie de casos.
Espacialização da umidade do solo por meio da temperatura da superfície e índice de vegetação
Authors: Lopes Helio L. , Accioly Luciano J. de O. , Silva Flávio H. B. B. da , Sobral Maria do C. M. , Araújo Filho José C. de , Candeias Ana L. B.
Published: October 2011

O estudo da umidade do solo é fundamental não só para a determinação da resiliência de ecossistemas e sua recuperação, mas também na modelagem da relação água-vegetação-atmosfera. Na aquisição dessas informações o sensoriamento remoto perfaz uma ferramenta importante e de potencial adequado para monitoramento e mapeamento. Visando à espacialização de índices relacionados à umidade, vários métodos têm sido propostos, embora sua aplicação ainda seja limitada. Neste trabalho se aplicou o modelo de índice de umidade do solo (IUS) cujos objetivos foram: espacializar o IUS, estabelecer graus de desertificação, delimitar a área em processo de desertificação e verificar possíveis relações do IUS com parâmetros de água no solo. Na aplicação deste modelo se utilizaram, como dados de entrada, o NDVI (índice de vegetação da diferença normalizada) e a LST (temperatura da superfície) e se observou que o IUS representado pela média dos valores desses índices pode ser empregado na determinação do grau de degradação da superfície e para gerar classificação legendada, discriminando vários níveis de degradação ambiental. Constatou-se também que não houve relação direta do IUS com parâmetros físicos de retenção de umidade do solo. Desta forma, o sensoriamento remoto mostrou ser uma ferramenta significativa na avaliação de índices de umidade do solo em áreas degradadas tal como para delinear a dinâmica de borda em núcleo de desertificação.
Ensaios estáticos e cinemáticos de receptores de GPS
Authors: Machado Thiago M. , Molin José P.
Published: October 2011

Os sistemas de navegação global por satélites, em especial o GPS, mais completo e conhecido, tem multiplicado suas aplicações no meio agrícola. O desempenho de receptores, no entanto, não é devidamente conhecido entre os usuários; assim, este trabalho visou avaliar receptores com distintas configurações e o uso de correções diferenciais por meio de ensaios estáticos e cinemáticos; no primeiro caso foram avaliados, concomitantemente, oito receptores ativando ou não as correções diferenciais WAAS e EGNOS, além de sinais privados específicos para alguns desses receptores; também se testaram intensidades de filtragem disponíveis em alguns dos receptores. No ensaio cinemático utilizaram-se dois receptores de navegação fixados sobre a cabine de um trator, tendo como referência um receptor GPS RTK. Na primeira avaliação os resultados mostraram que as correções WAAS e EGNOS não adicionam qualidade ao posicionamento na região de Piracicaba, SP. As correções diferencias privadas via satélite demonstraram ser mais acuradas que os demais sistemas avaliados. O ensaio sob condição cinemática, com GPS RTK de referência, permitiu o cálculo de erros no sentido perpendicular ao percurso, indicando ser de fácil execução.
Identificação de áreas prioritárias para recuperação florestal com o uso de rede neural de mapas auto-organizáveis
Authors: Arcoverde Gustavo Felipe Balué , Almeida Cláudia Maria de , Ximenes Arimatea de Carvalho , Maeda Eduardo Eiji , Araújo Luciana Spinelli de
Published: October 2011

O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar áreas prioritárias para a recuperação florestal e analisar variáveis a elas relacionadas através da rede neural artificial (RNA) de Mapas Auto-Organizáveis (SOM), em duas escalas. Primeiramente, procurou-se identificar uma sub-bacia hidrográfica prioritária para a recuperação florestal na Unidade de Gerenciamento de Recursos Hídricos Paulista (UGRHI) do rio Paraíba do Sul por SOM. Para isto, foram utilizadas variáveis de conectividade ambiental e cobertura florestal. Definiu-se uma sub-bacia hidrográfica situada na represa do Jaguari, município de Igaratá, para estudo em uma escala de maior detalhe. Nas Áreas de Proteção Permanentes (APPs) englobadas nesta sub-bacia hidrográfica, foi realizada uma nova análise por SOM. Neste caso, foram consideradas variáveis de distância a fragmentos florestais, a áreas urbanas, a estradas pavimentadas e a construções rurais, assim como o Índice de Vegetação por Diferença Normalizada e o Potencial Natural de Erodibilidade Laminar. Em ambas as escalas, as áreas prioritárias para a recuperação florestal foram determinadas através de histogramas do somatório dos valores dos Mapas Auto-Organizáveis de cada variável por agrupamentos delimitados. Por fim, foi gerado um mapa de contribuição de amostras para neurônios vencedores, o que permitiu uma nova abordagem para a análise dos agrupamentos gerados.
Climate, habitat, and species interactions at different scales determine the structure of a Neotropical bat community
Authors: Estrada-Villegas Sergio , McGill Brian J. , Kalko Elisabeth K. V.
Published: October 2011

Climate, habitat, and species interactions are factors that control community properties (e.g., species richness, abundance) across various spatial scales. Usually, researchers study how a few properties are affected by one factor in isolation and at one scale. Hence, there are few multi‐scale studies testing how multiple controlling factors simultaneously affect community properties at different scales. We ask whether climate, habitat structure, or insect resources at each of three spatial scales explains most of the variation in six community properties and which theory best explains the distribution of selected community properties across a rainfall gradient. We studied a Neotropical insectivorous bat ensemble in the Isthmus of Panama with acoustic monitoring techniques. Using climatological data, habitat surveys, and insect captures in a hierarchical sampling design we determined how much variation of the community properties was explained by the three factors employing two approaches for variance partitioning. Our results revealed that most of the variation in species richness, total abundance, and feeding activity occurred at the smallest spatial scale and was explained by habitat structure. In contrast, climate at large scales explained most of the variation in individual species' abundances. Although each species had an idiosyncratic response to the gradient, species richness peaked at intermediate levels of precipitation, whereas total abundance was very similar across sites, suggesting density compensation. All community properties responded in a different manner to the factor and scale under consideration.
Comparative Study of Oil Recovery during Miscible CO2 Injection in Carbonate Cores and Slimtube
Authors: Aleidan Ahmed , Mamora Daulat
Published: October 2011

Three types of displacement experiments were performed using 31°API oil and CO2: (1) slimtube experiments using the DBR model Jefri (40ft long ¼ inch OD tubing uniformly-packed with 100 mesh sand), (2) a coreflood experiment at the miscible pressure and temperature determined in (1) using 6 inch by 2 inch OD carbonate core, and (3) combined slimtube-coreflood (injectant gas goes through the slimtube in (1) before entering the coreholder in (2)). The objective of the slimtube experiments was to measure the minimum miscibility pressure. The coreflood experiment was made to verify if miscibility occurred at the shorter core length. The combined coreflood-slimtube experiment was conducted to provide sufficient length and ensure miscibility of CO2 in the oil before being injected into the carbonate core.

The results may be summarized as follows. First, the MMP was measured to be 1800 psig. Second, oil recovery from the carbonate coreflood experiment was 75% of oil initially-in-place (OIIP), 20% lower than that from the sand packed slimtube experiments (95% OIIP). The combined slimtube-coreflood arrangement resulted in no incremental recovery over that from the coreflood experiment. Third, decrease in oil recovery from the coreflood (compared to the slimtube experiments) was further investigated by CT scanning the core before and after the CO2 flood. It was found that because of the rock’s heterogeneity, CO2 only swept the larger pores while the smaller pores had higher residual oil saturation. The heterogeneity resulted in small scale dispersion which grows with length and will always be greater in carbonate rocks than in slimtube and sandstones. Therefore, it was concluded that extra length will not help increase recovery (miscibility). This conclusion is analogous to field applications where the distance between the injector and producer may be sufficient, yet miscible CO2 floods often result in lower than expected recoveries. Finally, the measured MMP from the slimtube was compared to nine published MMP correlations for CO2 and oil and the error was reported. It was found that Cronquist and Holm-Josendal correlations that include temperature and molecular weight of C5+ gave the closest agreement with the measured MMP.
An analytical study of the effects of vaporization of twodimensional laminar droplets on a triple flame
Authors: Bidabadi Mehdi , Barari Ghazal , Azimi Milad
Published: October 2011

The structure of triple flame propagation in combustion systems, containing
uniformly distributed volatile fuel droplet was analyzed. The analysis was
established for a one-step irreversible reaction with an asymptotic limit,
where the value of the Zeldovich Number is large. Here, using unit Lewis
number, the analytical results for the triple flame temperature were obtained
considering two sections. In the first section, a non-vaporizing fuel stream
was studied and in the second section, a volatile droplet fuel stream was
taken into account. It is presumed that the fuel droplets vaporize to yield a
gaseous fuel of known chemical structure, which is subsequently oxidized in
the gaseous phase. Here two different cases are studied. In the first case,
only the velocity parallel to the reactant flow was considered; while for the
latter one, the vertical velocity was considered in addition. The energy
equations were solved and the temperature field equations are presented. The
results are first presented for a non-vaporizing fuel and compared to the
experiment results. In addition, some other results of the temperature field
for a vaporizing fuel stream are demonstrated within the comparison between
the abovementioned cases which revealed the effect of the considering the
vertical velocity component on the flame temperature field.
The growth of Mg2TiO4 single crystals using a four-mirror furnace
Authors: Golubovic Aleksandar , Radovic Marko
Published: October 2011

A single crystal of Mg2TiO4 was grown by the travelling solvent float zone
(TSFZ) method. The lattice parameter a = 0.8444(8) nm was determined by X-ray
powder diffraction analysis. The optical properties of the Mg2TiO4 single
crystals were studied using spectroscopic ellipsometry. The obtained results
are discussed and compared with published data.
A green, reusable and highly efficient solid acid catalyst for the oxidation of aldehydes to the corresponding carboxylic acids using H2O2 and KMnO4: H5PV2Mo10O40 (10-molybdo-2-vanadophosphoric heteropolyacid)
Authors: Shojaei Abdollah , Rezvani Ali , Heravi Majid
Published: October 2011

H5PV2Mo10O40-catalyzed oxidation of aromatic aldehydes to the corresponding
carboxylic acids using hydrogen peroxide and KMnO4 as oxidants under mild
conditions is reported. This system provides an efficient, convenient and
practical method for the oxidation of aromatic aldehydes. In this work,
differences between Keggin and Dawson type polyoxometalates are addressed in
term of relative stability, hardness and acidity.
Tax Equalization in Mutual Funds
Authors: Gill Steven L. , Schwarz Christopher
Published: October 2011

By making an annual tax election, open-ended mutual funds can treat redeeming shareholders as if they have been allocated a pro-rata share of taxable gains, when in fact they have not (known as “equalization”). Equalization provides significant benefits to shareholders and funds; however, it also leads to additional fund-level costs. In this study, we use equalization elections to examine how managers weigh the costs and benefits of tax minimization. Overall, our results suggest both are important in the decision-making process. Even though funds and investors both benefit, only 10 percent of funds use equalization. Funds in larger fund families and with higher expense ratios, both proxies for the additional infrastructure necessary to calculate equalization dividends, are more likely to use equalization. Equalization is also used when its benefits are highest, such as by funds with greater redemptions and larger unrealized gains.

Data Availability: Contact the first author.
The Effects of Increased Book-Tax Difference Tax Return Disclosures on Firm Valuation and Behavior
Authors: Donohoe Michael P. , McGill Gary A.
Published: October 2011

We use event study techniques to gauge market participants' ex ante perceptions regarding the benefits and burdens of the Schedule M-3, and structural break analysis to investigate whether managers make ex ante or ex post changes in book-tax differences as a result of this mandatory change in federal tax return disclosures. We find evidence suggesting investors believe ex ante the substantial increase in book-tax difference disclosures will increase future tax burdens and/or tax-compliance costs. Investors also appear to believe the M-3 may be more costly for firms having the types of book-tax differences that attract additional IRS scrutiny (e.g., discretionary permanent differences) and when such firms are weakly monitored. Further, we find evidence of a substantial reduction in our proxy for discretionary permanent book-tax differences prior and subsequent to the implementation of the M-3 and other regulatory events, suggesting both ex ante and ex post real effects on firm behavior.

JEL Classifications: G14; H25; H26; M48.

Data Availability: Data used in this study are available from public sources identified in the paper.
Short-Term Incentive Effects of a Reduction in the NOL Carryback Period
Authors: Albring Susan M. , Dhaliwal Dan S. , Khurana Inder K. , Pereira Raynolde
Published: October 2011

We examine whether the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (TRA 1997), which reduced the net operating loss (NOL) carryback period from three to two years, created a short-term incentive effect to shift income to accelerate loss recognition in the tax year 1997. We find that our sample of NOL firms in the treatment year of 1997 display higher (lower) levels of income-decreasing (-increasing) earnings management, compared to a control sample of loss firms. When we focus strictly on the NOL firms in the transition year, we find that firms with higher reported income tax expense in fiscal year 1995 display greater income shifting to accelerate loss recognition. We also find that income shifting is greater for treatment NOL firms that expect to report losses in the post-TRA 1997 regime. Overall, our study highlights how changes in tax law provisions (as opposed to tax rate changes) affect firms' reporting behavior.
Sustainable Biofuel Contributions to Carbon Mitigation and Energy Independence
Authors: Lippke Bruce , Gustafson Richard , Venditti Richard , Volk Timothy , Oneil Elaine , Johnson Leonard , Puettmann Maureen , Steele Phillip
Published: October 2011

The growing interest in US biofuels has been motivated by two primary national policy goals, (1) to reduce carbon emissions and (2) to achieve energy independence. However, the current low cost of fossil fuels is a key barrier to investments in woody biofuel production capacity. The effectiveness of wood derived biofuels must consider not only the feedstock competition with low cost fossil fuels but also the wide range of wood products uses that displace different fossil intensive products. Alternative uses of wood result in substantially different unit processes and carbon impacts over product life cycles. We developed life cycle data for new bioprocessing and feedstock collection models in order to make life cycle comparisons of effectiveness when biofuels displace gasoline and wood products displace fossil intensive building materials. Wood products and biofuels can be joint products from the same forestland. Substantial differences in effectiveness measures are revealed as well as difficulties in valuing tradeoffs between carbon mitigation and energy independence.
Evaluation of Antioxidant Compounds and Total Sugar Content in a Nectarine [Prunus persica (L.) Batsch] Progeny
Authors: Abidi Walid , Jiménez Sergio , Moreno María Ángeles , Gogorcena Yolanda
Published: October 2011

Epidemiological studies suggest that consumption of fruit rich in phenolic compounds is associated with health-protective effects due to their antioxidant properties. For these reasons quality evaluation has become an important issue in fruit industry and in breeding programs. Phytochemical traits such as total phenolics, flavonoids, anthocyanins, L-ascorbic acid, sugar content and relative antioxidant capacity (RAC) were analyzed over four years in flesh fruit of an F1 population “Venus” × “Big Top” nectarines. Other traits such as harvesting date, yield, fruit weight, firmness, soluble solids concentration (SSC), pH, titratable acidity (TA) and ripening index (RI) were also determined in the progeny. Results showed high variability among genotypes for all analyzed traits. Total phenolics and flavonoids showed significant positive correlations with RAC implying that both are important antioxidant bioactive compounds in peaches. We found genotypes with enhanced antioxidant capacity and a better performance than progenitors, and in consequence the best marketability.
Local Positioning Systems in (Game) Sports
Authors: Leser Roland , Baca Arnold , Ogris Georg
Published: October 2011

Position data of players and athletes are widely used in sports performance analysis for measuring the amounts of physical activities as well as for tactical assessments in game sports. However, positioning sensing systems are applied in sports as tools to gain objective information of sports behavior rather than as components of intelligent spaces (IS). The paper outlines the idea of IS for the sports context with special focus to game sports and how intelligent sports feedback systems can benefit from IS. Henceforth, the most common location sensing techniques used in sports and their practical application are reviewed, as location is among the most important enabling techniques for IS. Furthermore, the article exemplifies the idea of IS in sports on two applications.
Manufacture and Characterization of High Q-Factor Inductors Based on CMOS-MEMS Techniques
Authors: Yang Ming-Zhi , Dai Ching-Liang , Hong Jin-Yu
Published: October 2011

A high Q-factor (quality-factor) spiral inductor fabricated by the CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) process and a post-process was investigated. The spiral inductor is manufactured on a silicon substrate. A post-process is used to remove the underlying silicon substrate in order to reduce the substrate loss and to enhance the Q-factor of the inductor. The post-process adopts RIE (reactive ion etching) to etch the sacrificial oxide layer, and then TMAH (tetramethylammonium hydroxide) is employed to remove the silicon substrate for obtaining the suspended spiral inductor. The advantage of this post-processing method is its compatibility with the CMOS process. The performance of the spiral inductor is measured by an Agilent 8510C network analyzer and a Cascade probe station. Experimental results show that the Q-factor and inductance of the spiral inductor are 15 at 15 GHz and 1.8 nH at 1 GHz, respectively.
Support Loss and Q Factor Enhancement for a Rocking Mass Microgyroscope
Authors: Wang Xiong , Xiao Dingbang , Zhou Zelong , Wu Xuezhong , Chen Zhihua , Li Shengyi
Published: October 2011

A rocking mass gyroscope (RMG) is a kind of vibrating mass gyroscope with high sensitivity, whose driving mode and sensing mode are completely uniform. MEMS RMG devices are a research hotspot now because they have the potential to be used in space applications. Support loss is the dominant energy loss mechanism influencing their high sensitivity. An accurate analytical model of support loss for RMGs is presented to enhance their Q factors. The anchor type and support loss mechanism of an RMG are analyzed. Firstly, the support loads, powers flowing into support structure, and vibration energy of an RMG are all developed. Then the analytical model of support loss for the RMG is developed, and its sensitivities to the main structural parameters are also analyzed. High-Q design guidelines for rocking mass microgyroscopes are deduced. Finally, the analytical model is validated by the experimental data and the data from the existing literature. The thicknesses of the prototypes are reduced from 240 µm to 60 µm, while Q factors increase from less than 150 to more than 800. The derived model is general and applicable to various beam resonators, providing significant insight to the design of high-Q MEMS devices.
L'échec du travail de culture dans l'anomie de la déliaison sociale
Authors: Nayrou Félicie
Published: October 2011

Résumé Le lien social est ancré dans la culture, il a pour fonction de soutenir la limitation pulsionnelle et d’inclure la personne par et dans un tissage symbolique qui la fait exister comme sujet. À l’inverse, l’anomie, qui marque la faillite du sens dans la déliaison sociale, défait les liens symboliques et attaque les structures psychiques intermédiaires entre l’individu et le socius . Le travail de culture se trouve mis en échec dans son essence même, puisque disparaissent les bénéfices que peut apporter la culture alors que demeure la lourde contrainte au renoncement pulsionnel. C’est alors l’échec assuré du travail d’assèchement du Zuyderzee .
La psychanalyse en Chine et les enjeux de l'analyse à distance
Authors: Gibeault Alain
Published: October 2011

Résumé Le développement de la psychanalyse en Chine, au cours des dernières décennies, a mis en évidence le problème des différences culturelles entre l’Occident et la pensée chinoise. Pays partagé entre une tradition millénaire et une modernité exceptionnelle, la Chine s’est ouverte à l’approche de la santé mentale et a donné une place à la psychanalyse. Après une période de sensibilisation à la psychothérapie psychanalytique, un certain nombre de collègues chinois se sont engagé dans la formation psychanalytique avec le soutien de l’Association psychanalytique internationale. Cette aventure de la formation psychanalytique pose le problème de l’analyse à distance, à savoir l’analyse par téléphone et/ou l’analyse par Skype.
La « fragilité narcissique », une clinique contemporaine
Authors: Kapsambelis Vassilis
Published: October 2011

Résumé La notion de « fragilité narcissique », qui s’est propagée dans le langage psychopathologique courant, ne renvoie pas à ce que le terme devrait théoriquement désigner, à savoir les pathologies psychotiques et la précarité de leur moi, mais à une clinique en rapport étroit avec l’objet. L’étude de cette clinique met en évidence l’importance de l’objet de perception dans ces pathologies. Cet objet de perception est étudié dans ses rapports avec l’objet issu de la perte de l’objet du besoin et la constitution de l’autoérotisme. En analysant cette « relation d’objet de perception », apparaissent trois figures cliniques : la clinique de la confirmation, la clinique de la réparation et la clinique de la vérification qui semblent renvoyer à des tendances et attitudes plus générales caractérisant le monde contemporain.
Une psychanalyste en crèche : quel cadre, quel processus ?
Authors: Lehalle Béatrice
Published: October 2011

Résumé Ce texte rapporte une expérience de travail d’une psychanalyste en crèche, dans une situation qui interroge les notions de cadre et de processus. À travers différentes vignettes cliniques est définie la spécificité de ce travail aux marges de la psychanalyse, mais qui en conserve les références.
Virtual Reality and Learning in an African University Environment
Authors: Bwalya Kelvin Joseph
Published: October 2011

Incorporating Virtual Reality aesthetics and semantics can contribute towards transforming the education landscape in both the developed and developing world. This can be realized by VR’s capacity to enable the design of more vibrant and dynamic/interactive multimedia applications that are user centric. VR has a positive impact on e-Learning, which is an emerging education model in Africa. This paper uproots the different initiatives, experiences, and challenges that have been met by various endeavors to employ VR as a tool for education, especially in African universities. Using exploratory approaches, two universities in South Africa and Botswana are reviewed as case studies in order to ascertain the status of VR use in higher education in Africa. The paper finds that the potential of VR education is evident in Africa but needs to be unearthed.
Research Commentary
Authors: Garrison William L. , Wellar Barry , MacKinnon Ross , Black William R. , Getis Arthur
Published: October 2011

Flexibility is what people seek when striving to increase or expand economic and social choices, equity, and technological innovations. Flexibility provides the robustness needed to adjust to changes such as those arising from a warmer/colder world, and the actions required when managing threats from and results of social strife, economic downturns, environmental catastrophes, infrastructure disruptions, and war. Flexibility is easy to praise at the level of principle, if allowed that a bit of stability and resistance to change does have merit. At the level of practice or operations the concept is most illusive, and explaining what flexibility means, why it is thwarted, and how it might be obtained is a challenging task. This paper begins by contrasting views of systems and their behaviors. Alternative explanations for behaviors thwarting flexibility are identified. Consequences of inflexible, locked-in development paths are illustrated using examples from transportation and similar systems. Suggestions for increasing flexibility are made after examining system behaviors in dynamic contexts. Academic, government, and industry experiences inform and color interpretations.
Promoting Technological Environmental Innovations
Authors: Lam Jacqueline C. K. , Hills Peter
Published: October 2011

This paper reviews and discusses the debate over the effectiveness of environmental regulation in promoting industrial Technological Environmental Innovation (TEI). Using the innovation-friendly regulatory principles adapted from Porter and van der Linde (1995a, 1995b), this paper demonstrates how properly designed and implemented environmental regulation (TEI promoting regulation) has played a critical role in promoting TEI in the transport industry in California and Hong Kong. In both cases, it has shown that stringent environmental regulations that send clear and strong signals for future environmental performance requirements are critical in promoting TEIs in the public transport industries. Unlike traditional command-and-control regulations, TEI promoting regulations are strongly supported by incentive and capability-enhancing measures.
The Influence of Aviation Companies’ Perceived Websites Quality on E-Trust
Authors: Al-Faouri Abeer Hmoud , Al-Kasasbeh Mohammed Mufaddy
Published: October 2011

In this study the researchers identify different perceived website quality dimensions. They empirically explore the influence of perceived Website quality dimensions (content, design, use and interactivity, privacy, security and customization) on E-trust: 247 students, instructors, and employees passengers from 12 nationalities in Jordanian, Arabian and American universities were the respondents of this study. A questionnaire was used to explore their perceptions of the last aviation company’s website quality (each of them traveled on) and their E-trust level. Multiple regression analysis was used to test the proposed model. The results indicated that while constructs use and interactivity and design were found to be predictors of E-trust, the constructs for security, customization, content and privacy were not. Perceived quality of website use and interactivity was the strongest predictor of E-trust. This knowledge can provide the website administrators in aviation companies with ways to increase trust in e-transactions among their passengers’ customers.
International Aeronautical Emission
Authors: Hashmi Nauman Ehsan , Manzoor Atif
Published: October 2011

The aviation sector is one the modern innovations in recent times. According to the Federal Aviation Authority (2005, p. 1) in 1903 the world population was estimated to be 1.6 billion, while presently the same number of people use aviation industry as mode of travel. The industry also provides around 28 million jobs and carries 40% of world carriage. But with growing concerns on environmental health, the aviation sector has signifcant impact on the environment. These contributions are in the form of noise and atmospheric emission. In this paper, the authors examine aviation emission and its mitigation straetgy adopted by the European Union (EU).
Cloud Computing Applied for Numerical Study of Thermal Characteristics of SIP
Authors: Maharana S. K. , Mali Praveen B. , Prabhakar Ganesh , J Sunil , Kumar Vignesh
Published: October 2011

Thermal management of integrated circuit (IC) and system-in-package (SIP) has gained importance as the power density and requirement for IC design have increased and need exists to analyse the heat dissipation performance characteristics of IC under use. In this paper, the authors examine the thermal characteristics of materials of IC. The authors leverage Cloud Computing architecture to remotely compute the dissipation performance parameters. Understanding thermal dissipation performance, which explains the thermal management of IC, is important for chip performance, as well as power and energy consumption in a chip or SIP. Using architectural understanding of Software as a Service (SaaS), the authors develop an efficient, fast, and secure simulation technique by leveraging control volume method (CVM) of linearization of relevant equations. Three chips are kept in tandem to make it a multi-chip module (MCM) to realise it as a smaller and lighter package. The findings of the study are presented for different dimensions of chips inside the package.
Power Aware Meta Scheduler for Adaptive VM Provisioning in IaaS Cloud
Authors: Jeyarani R. , Nagaveni N. , Sadasivam Satish Kumar , Rajarathinam Vasanth Ram
Published: October 2011

Cloud Computing provides on-demand access to a shared pool of configurable computing resources. The major issue lies in managing extremely large agile data centers which are generally over provisioned to handle unexpected workload surges. This paper focuses on green computing by introducing Power-Aware Meta Scheduler, which provides right fit infrastructure for launching virtual machines onto host. The major challenge of the scheduler is to make a wise decision in transitioning state of the processor cores by exploiting various power saving states inherent in the recent microprocessor technology. This is done by dynamically predicting the utilization of the cloud data center. The authors have extended existing cloudsim toolkit to model power aware resource provisioning, which includes generation of dynamic workload patterns, workload prediction and adaptive provisioning, dynamic lifecycle management of random workload, and implementation of power aware allocation policies and chip aware VM scheduler. The experimental results show that the appropriate usage of different power saving states guarantees significant energy conservation in handling stochastic nature of workload without compromising the performance, both when the data center is in low as well as moderate utilization.