bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Daphnia magna Straus, 1820 response to sediment samples from a contaminated river ( Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil)
Authors: Terra Nara Regina , Gonçalves Silvana Pereira
Published: September 2013

AIM: The Sinos River, a tributary of Guaíba Lake, is 200 km long from the headwaters to the mouth and is influenced by several sources of pollution. A study to learn more about conditions in this river was performed in the middle and lower reaches. The study evaluated the effects of sediment contamination by xenobiotics on the survival and reproduction of Daphnia magna. METHODS: Eight sediment samples were collected per site from Dec/2007 to Aug/2009, as a substrate for 480 young cladocera (2-26 h old at the beginning of the trials) in chronic toxicity tests (21 days). For this purpose, D. magna individuals were exposed to sediment and M4 culture medium, at a proportion of 1:4 (v:v) using 50 mL beakers, kept at 20 ÂºC ± 2 ÂºC in 16h light:8h dark cycles. The test organisms came from lots with LC50-24h = 1.04 mgK2Cr2O7 ± 0.11 mg. Percentage survival and reproduction were considered to define acute and/or chronic responses. Duncan (p < 0.05) and T (p < 0.05) Tests, ANOVA and Spearman correlation of the biological data were used as statistical complementation. The Spearman correlation was also applied looking for dependencies between the rainfall measured at the sites and the biological parameters but there was no evidence of correlation. The presence of acute toxicity was diagnosed for the sample in which survival was less than 80%, and for chronic toxicity when the mean number of neonates was less than 20 daphniids. RESULTS: Reproductive delays were found coinciding with physical and chemical parameters, as well as the presence of metals at values that were not in accordance with the law. Statistical analysis suggested the predominance of point sources of contamination. An effect on survival was observed in 17% of the samples, and on reproduction in 87%. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that pollutants discharged into the Sinos River remain and can interfere in the equilibrium of the trophic network, since they increase mortality and diminish the production of offspring among the cladocera, representatives of the primary consumers in the food chain.
Variation in the diet of a small characin according to the riparian zone coverage in an Atlantic Forest stream, northeastern Brazil
Authors: Trindade Márcia Emília de Jesus , Peressin Alexandre , Cetra Maurício , Jucá-Chagas Ricardo
Published: September 2013

AIM: in this study we present data from the diet of Astyanax vermilion which were used as a tool to compare two sites of streams with different vegetation cover in Ribeirão Limoeiro, Cachoeira River Basin, BA. METHODS: Four samples were taken (March, June, September and December) using electrofishing as the collection method in two contiguous sites of the headwaters: stretch without riparian vegetation and with riparian vegetation. RESULTS: The qualitative composition of the diet was analyzed by the method of frequency of occurrence. The allochthonous resources of vegetal origin made up the bulk of the diet in the stretch without riparian vegetation with a frequency of occurrence of 64%. In the section with riparian vegetation allochthonous resources of animal origin made up the bulk of the diet with a frequency of 62%, which emphasizes the importance of food items from the surrounding environment. The mean Shannon diversity index, calculated from the frequency of occurrence of food items was significantly different (p = 0.04) when comparing reach deforested (H'= 1.44) with reach forested (H'= 1.80). The average weight of stomachs in the deforested reach (WS D = 0.18g) was significantly higher than that of the forested reach (WS F = 0.14g). CONCLUSIONS: in the stretch with riparian vegetation, the food diversity was greater and the fish that are in the riparian stretch do not need as much food to satisfy their physiological needs. These results underscore the importance of the type of riparian vegetation as a food source for fish
Piscivory by Hoplias aff. malabaricus (Bloch, 1794): a question of prey availability?
Authors: Montenegro Ana Karla Araujo , Vieira Ana Carolina Brito , Cardoso Maria Marcolina Lima , Souza Jane Enisa Ribeiro Torelli de , Crispim Maria Cristina
Published: September 2013

AIM: In order to understand the factors which influence the predatory activity of the Hoplias aff. malabaricus, the present study evaluated feeding habits of this species and its relation to prey availability, in addition to environmental variables. METHODS: Six samplings were conducted in the Taperoá II reservoir, semi-arid of Paraíba state, Brazil, between October 2005 and October 2006. Measures were taken: rainfall, the reservoir volume, transparency, dissolved oxygen, pH, temperature, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia and phosphate. The activity, diet and feeding habits of H. aff. Malabaricus, from the method of frequency of occurrence of food items and point methods, conjugates in IAI (Alimentary Index). Spearman correlation analysis, a glm and CCA were performed between biotic and abiotic variables, and we used the CPUE as a measure of fish abundance. RESULTS: Eleven taxa of fish were recorded, four of which were predated by adult "trahira". Insects and other items were also common in the stomachs of juveniles. According to statistical analysis, it was observed that the highest consumption of cichlids was correlated with its increase in CPUE in the environment, while no relationship was observed for A. bimaculatus, C. bimaculatum and S. notonota abundances. The environmental factors as nutrients, transparency and water volumn were related to selection of species by trahira. CONCLUSIONS: Intrinsic characteristics of preys as swimming speed, food habit and the food preference of the predator possibly be the main factors to selection of species. Other mechanisms as heterogeneity of habitat and environmental factors can also influence the consumption of prey by trahira
Ultrastructure of Prothoracic Pore Structures of Longhorn Beetles (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae, Cerambycinae) Native to Jilin, China
Authors: Li Yan , Meng Qingfan , Sweeney Jon , Gao Wentao
Published: September 2013

In the longhorn beetle subfamily, Cerambycinae, the presence of pore fields on the prothorax of males has been shown to be associated with the production of sex or aggregation pheromones in several species. Adult specimens of nine Cerambycine species in the Tribe Clytini native to the Jilin province (Chlorophorus sexmaculatus (Kraatz), Chlorophorus sulcaticeps Pic, Chlorophorus motschulskyi (Gangl), Cyrtoclytus capra Germar, Plagionotus pulcher Blessig, Rhaphuma acutivittis (Kraatz), Xylotrechus clarinus Bates, Xylotrechus rusticus L., and Xylotrechus cuneipennis (Kraatz)) were examined for the presence and distribution of prothoracic pore fields, by using scanning electron microscopy. For all nine species examined, porous indentations were present on the pleura or both pleura and tergum of males and were absent on females. Porous indentations on the prothorax of males varied significantly among species in both mean density (1.4–7.8 pores per 10,000 µm2) and diameter (2.0–16.5 µm). These results led us to hypothesize that males of these species emit sex or aggregation pheromones and that additional research to test this hypothesis and develop pheromone-based tools for their survey and monitoring is warranted.
The Controversial Role of Chemoradiation for Patients With Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Faris Jason E. , Wo Jennifer Y.
Published: September 2013

Presentation of the Case

A 58-year-old woman presents with 2 months of back discomfort. Abdominal computed tomography reveals a 5-cm mass in the body of the pancreas with no obvious metastatic disease. The tumor surrounds the celiac artery, and the superior mesenteric vein is obliterated. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration shows adenocarcinoma, positive cytokeratin 7, positive carbohydrate antigen 19–9, and negative cytokeratin 20. She receives 4 months of FOLFIRINOX, with resolution of symptoms and a reduction in the size of the tumor, but the tumor continues to demonstrate superior mesenteric artery encasement and superior mesenteric vein obliteration. Should this patient continue chemotherapy or initiate chemoradiation at this juncture?
Reflectance calculations of alkaline textured multicrystalline silicon: a new approach
Authors: Guhabiswas Debraj , Sopori Bhushan L. , Ravindra Nuggehalli M.
Published: September 2013

Alkaline texture etching is a standard procedure for manufacturing solar cells with (100) oriented single-crystalline-silicon wafers as substrates. This is performed to reduce reflectance from the wafer surface. Alkaline etching, being anisotropic in nature, results in unique texture on the surface of each crystallographic orientation of silicon. Hence, the reflectance of each grain of a multicrystalline silicon (mc-Si) substrate can be treated as a signature of its crystal orientation. This provides an opportunity to ascertain the orientation of each grain in a mc-Si wafer by the shape of the textures formed on its surface and henceforth, its corresponding reflectance. A model has been developed that can predict and create surface textures for any arbitrary crystal orientation of silicon on anisotropic alkaline etching. This model has been implemented in a computer program written in C++ to perform rigorous ray-tracing computations to calculate reflectance curves for textured silicon of any crystal orientation, wafer thickness and texture height. A database of reflectance curves for multiple crystal orientations has been built. This has led to a new and ultrafast method for grain orientation characterization using reflectance of each grain, instead of time-consuming X-ray (Laue) and Electron-backscatter diffraction measurements. The model and the algorithm used for reflectance calculations, along with some calculated results, are presented to highlight the usefulness of this procedure for application in grain orientation mapping.
Irrigation water pricing policy for water demand and environmental management: a case study in the Weihe River basin
Authors: Aregay Fanus Asefaw , Minjuan Zhao , Bhutta Zahra Masood
Published: September 2013

Irrigated agricultural production is the backbone of the Chinese agricultural sector, but the increasing demand for irrigation water, its inefficient utilization and overuse of chemical inputs, accompanied by the short supply of water resources have endangered the nation's agricultural and environmental sustainability. The Chinese government has proposed a water pricing policy with the expectation of improving the efficiency of utilizing irrigation water and fertilizer, to mitigate these problems. With the main objective of this paper being to assess the impact of this policy on water demand and environmental sustainability, a positive mathematical programming model was adopted to simulate different irrigation water pricing scenarios based on farm-level primary data from three irrigation districts along the Weihe River basin. The main parameter for assessing water demand was the change in total water consumption relative to the base year, while change in fertilizer consumption and water demand was determined to evaluate the impact of pricing policy on environment sustainability. According to the results, irrigation water demand and fertilizer consumption were mostly price inelastic to water pricing. This implies that water pricing policy can have only a minor role in regulating the water demand and environment in the region even when the base-year water price is doubled.
Situations of water reuse in China
Authors: Liu Shuang , Persson Kenneth M.
Published: September 2013

Water reuse is a cost-effective solution that is carried out in many water-shortage countries on different levels. China, which is the most populous country in the world, is facing a serious water crisis, with great demand and feasibility to use reclaimed water to deal with freshwater shortage and pollution. Although much progress has been made, challenges and problems still exist, which hinder the development of the water reuse market. Accordingly, a strategy should be made from a sustainable use perspective. In this paper, the driving forces, the situations of applications, the social institutions and cultural backgrounds related to water reuse in China are reviewed and presented by a literature review and survey. The obstacles and challenges are discussed from management system, safety of reclaimed water quality, economy and policy perspectives. Beijing and Tianjin are selected for case studies in some aspects. Through review and analysis, it can be concluded that the management system, price system, safe supply of reclaimed water and supported policy are the main factors affecting the development of water reuse in China. The paper also identifies strategies for further sustainable and safe water reuse.
New challenges for comparative effectiveness in oncology: choice of primary end points for randomized clinical trials
Authors: Freidlin Boris , Abrams Jeffrey S , Korn Edward L
Published: September 2013

Recent advances have led to a steady improvement in cancer treatments. The increasing number of therapeutic options and the corresponding improvement in outcomes pose a number of challenges for comparative effectiveness research in oncology. This review is focused on the choice of primary end points and their interpretation in randomized clinical trials that are designed to inform patients and clinicians on the relative benefits of cancer therapies. We discuss end points that directly measure clinical benefit as well as end points that are thought to be surrogates for clinical benefit. Particular attention is given to the issues associated with the use of overall survival as the primary end point in randomized clinical trials.
Comparative effectiveness of intravenous and inhaled magnesium in acute asthma
Authors: Colice Gene L
Published: September 2013

Evaluation of: Goodacre S, Cohen J, Bradburn M
et al.
Intravenous or nebulised magnesium sulphate versus standard therapy for severe acute asthma (3Mg trial): a double-blind, randomized controlled trial.
Lancet Respir. Med.
1, 293–300 (2013).

Acute exacerbations of asthma are common. The current recommended treatment approach to managing an acute asthma exacerbation is to administer a short-acting inhaled β2-agonist (SABA). SABAs are rapidly effective but may not provide the bronchodilation needed to restore adequate lung function. Consequently, in severe acute asthma exacerbations, despite a standard approach to treatment including SABAs, hospitalization is common. Magnesium is a bronchodilator that may provide additional benefit to SABAs in managing acute asthma exacerbations. In this article, the comparative effectiveness of inhaled and intravenous magnesium in addition to standard therapy is evaluated in the management of severe acute asthma exacerbations. Although neither inhaled nor intravenous magnesium achieved the protocol-specified benefits, intravenous magnesium was associated with fewer hospitalizations and a trend for greater improvement in the symptom of breathlessness than inhaled magnesium.
Clinicopathologic Features of an Infant with Generalized Congenital Epithelioid Blue Nevi
Authors: Shi Ge , Zhou Ying , Li Shi-Jie , Fan Yi-Ming
Published: September 2013

Since epithelioid blue nevus (EBN) was 1st described in patients with Carney complex, 49 sporadic EBN cases, including 4 congenital EBN, have been reported. We present a 2-month-old healthy female with more than 1000 congenital EBN on the entire body. Skin biopsy revealed many nevus nests located in the upper dermis and a few nests extended around the sweat ducts and hair follicles in the middle and lower dermis. The heavily pigmented melanocytes were substantially epithelioid and occasionally spindle cells, admixed with melanophages. Immunohistochemistry revealed strong staining for S-100 and HMB-45 but weak or moderate staining for Melan-A in dermal melanocytes after melanin bleaching with potassium permanganate and oxalic acid prior to incubation with the primary antibody. A diagnosis of congenital EBN was made based on clinicopathologic and immunopathologic findings.
A single-phase induction motor operating as a self-excited induction generator
Authors: Leicht Aleksander , Makowski Krzysztof
Published: September 2013

The purpose of the paper is the investigation of possibility of utilization of a single-phase induction machine, designed and normally operating as a single-phase capacitor induction motor, as a self-excited single-phase induction generator, which can be used to generate electrical energy from non-conventional energy sources. The paper presents dq model of the self-excited single-phase induction generator for dynamic characteristics simulation and steady-state model based on double revolving field theory with two phase symmetrical components - a forward and backward revolving field for performance of the generator under resistive load. Excitation and load characteristics obtained by simulation showed considerable influence of method of capacitor configuration in the load stator winding on terminal voltage, current and output power of the generator under load. An specific construction of the stator windings together with capacitor requirements to obtain nominal output power at desired self-regulating terminal voltage over the operating range will be the aim of further research.
Influence of electrical steel sheet textures on their magnetization curves
Authors: Mazgaj Witold , Warzecha Adam
Published: September 2013

The Goss texture is a characteristic feature of grain-oriented transformer steel sheets. Generator sheets, which are produced as non-oriented steel sheets, should have isotropic features. However, measurement results of generator sheets, confirmed by crystallographic studies, indicate that these sheets are characterized by certain, quite significant anisotropy. The first purpose of this paper is to present the influence of textures of generator and transformer steel sheets on their magnetization characteristics. The second aim is to propose a method which takes into account the sheet textures in the calculations of magnetization curves. In calculations of magnetization processes in electrical steel sheets, models in which the plane of a sheet sample is divided into an assumed number of specified directions are used. To each direction a certain hysteresis loop, the so-called direction hysteresis, is assigned. The parameters of these direction hystereses depend, among other things, on the texture type in these steel sheets. This paper discusses the method which calculates the parameters of these direction hystereses taking into account the given sheet texture. The proposed method gives a possibility of determining the magnetization characteristics for any direction of the field intensity changes.
Chile Fiscal Policy Management
Authors: Piasecki Ryszard , Betancourt Erico Wulf
Published: September 2013

A budget surplus arises in a country when the total revenue earnings surpass expenditures in a particular financial year. Having a budget surplus is very important in the sense that it brings about a decrease in the net public debt, while the public debt is increased in the event of a budget deficit. Both budget deficits and budget surpluses also exert indirect influences on taxpayers. Normally, it is not essential on the part of the government to maintain a budget surplus, though it needs to be very careful when running a budget deficit to have the proper buffer.
Regional Development Based on Environmental Competitive Advantages – A Comparative Analysis of Polish Voivodships
Authors: Kasztelan Armand
Published: September 2013

This article presents an assessment of the environmental competitiveness of Polish regions in the years 2004 and 2012. For the purposes of analysis, 26 indices of the condition and protection of the environment and also pressures placed on the environment were selected. With respect to each index, between 1 and 16 points were attributed to each region (16 units on the NUTS 2 level are distinguished in Poland) depending on the degree of environmental impact. Then, the points allocated to the voivodships for each index were totalled and a ranking of voivodships reflecting the level of environmental competitiveness was elaborated.
Timing of Invasive Strategy in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients with Non-St-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome
Authors: Dimitrov Nikolay G. , Simova Iana I. , Mateev Hristo F. , Kalpachka Maria R. , Pavlov Pavlin S. , Tasheva Iveta G.
Published: September 2013

INTRODUCTION: Patients with acute coronary syndrome without ST segment elevation are a heterogeneous group with respect to the risk of having a major adverse cardiac event (MACE). A history of diabetes mellitus (DM) is no doubt one of the factors that define a patient as being at a higher risk of having the syndrome. AIM: To compare early invasive strategy with selective invasive strategy indicated for patients with and without DM.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study enrolled 178 patients with unstable angina or non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (UA/NSTEMI), and of these 52 (29.2%) had DM. Patients were randomly assigned to an early invasive strategy (these were scheduled to undergo coronary arteriography and percutaneous coronary intervention within 24 hours after admission) or to a selective invasive strategy (at first these were medically stabilized, with coronary arteriography required only in case of angina recurrence and/or evidence of inducible myocardial ischemia). The patients were followed up for a mean period of 22.8 ± 14 months.

RESULTS: In the follow up the diabetics allocated to an early invasive strategy were found to have a significantly lower angina recurrence incidence (p = 0.005), rehospitalization rate (p = 0.001), fewer arteriographies (p = 0.001) and coronary interventions (p = 0.001) and low cumulative incidence of MACE (p = 0.008) in comparison with the diabetics assigned to selective invasive strategy. We also found, using the Kaplan-Meier curves survival analysis, that the time to MACE in patients assigned to an early invasive strategy was significantly longer than that in the group of selective invasive strategy. In the follow-up of non-diabetics we found no significant difference in MACE rate between the patients allocated to early invasive strategy and those assigned to selective invasive strategy. In the selective invasive strategy group, however, the cardiovascular adverse events tended to occur earlier than in the early invasive strategy group.

CONCLUSIONS: Early invasive strategy in diabetic patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome is associated with a reduced MACE rate compared with the selective invasive strategy used in these patients. Early invasive strategy applied in diabetic patients is also associated with a significantly longer time to MACE. In non-diabetics the advantages of early over selective invasive strategy are not so clearly differentiated.
Physical Activity is Strongly Inversely Related To Post-Challenge Plasma Glucose and Glycemic Spikes in a Risk Population for Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Temelkova-Kurktschiev Theodora , Stefanov Tsvetan , Koehler Carsta , Henkel Elena , Schaper Frank , Hanefeld Markolf
Published: September 2013

AIM: To examine the relationship between physical activity (PA) and various cardiometabolic risk factors during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), including glycemic spikes (PGS) in individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 949 middle-aged subjects from the Risk factors in Impaired Glucose Tolerance for Atherosclerosis and Diabetes (RIAD) trial aged 40-70 years were included in the present cross-sectional analysis. Standard 75 g OGTT was performed and blood was collected every 30 min for 2 hours for measurements of plasma glucose (PG) and other cardiometabolic risk factors. PA was assessed using interviewer-administered questionnaire.

RESULTS: Post-challenge PGS and maximal PG (PGmax) during OGTT were significantly lower in individuals with high PA vs. individuals with low PA even after body mass index (BMI) adjustment (p = 0.026 and p = 0.035, respectively). In univariate analysis post-challenge PG 30, 60, 90, and 120 minutes, PGS and PGmax during OGTT were significantly inversely correlated to PA. This correlation was attenuated but remained significant after adjustment for BMI. Fasting PG and glycosylated hemoglobin were not correlated to PA. Significantly higher fasting and post-challenge insulin levels were found among subjects with low vs. subjects with medium (p < 0.05) and high PA (p < 0.05). Post-challenge C-peptide and proinsulin levels were significantly lower in participants with high vs. participants with low PA (p < 0.05 for all). The relationship between 2-h PG and PA was observed also in lean subjects and in subjects with normal fasting glucose. In multivariate analysis PA was a significant independent determinant of 2-h PG.

CONCLUSION: We found a strong inverse relationship between PA and various post-challenge cardiometabolic parameters during OGTT, including glycemic spikes, in a population at risk for diabetes. This relationship was only partially dependent on BMI.
A Novel Physical Therapy Method of Treating Myofascial Pain Due to Muscle Spasm and Shortening
Authors: Aleksiev Assen R.
Published: September 2013

AIM: Evaluation of the effect of a novel physical therapy method - post-isometric relaxation taping (PIR-taping) - compared with the effect of a conventional postisometric relaxation (PIR) in the treatment of outpatients with myofascial pain as a result of muscle spasm and shortening of static muscles, resulting in muscle imbalance.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study recruited 320 outpatients with myofascial pain due to muscle spasm and shortening, resulting in muscle imbalance in one of 8 kinetic segments. We treated randomly 8 groups of 20 patients by PIR and 8 matched groups by PIR-taping. The treatment consisted of one procedure daily (PIR or PIR-taping) with duration of 10 minutes for 10 working days. The pain was assessed by a visual analogue scale before and after each procedure.

RESULTS: The pain decreased significantly after the treatment course in each group (p < 0.05), but no difference was found between any pair of groups (p > 0.05). The pain before the next PIR procedure tended to increase in comparison with the pain after a previous one, unlike the pain in PIR-taping treatment which tended to decrease. Pain intensity after PIR procedure decreased significantly compared with the pain after a previous one (p < 0.05), while in PIR-taping - after two previous procedures (p < 0.05). Treatment with PIR increased pain significantly during the weekends (p < 0.05), while in treatment with PIR-taping the pain decreased insignificantly during the weekends (p > 0.05). The pain reduced significantly after PIR procedure (p < 0.05), as well as after PIR-taping procedure (p < 0.05). The pain after PIR procedure was significantly lower than that after PIR-taping procedure (p < 0.05), although the pain before PIR procedure was statistically equal with the one before PIR-taping procedure (p > 0.05).

CONCLUSION: Despite the better short-term effect of PIR versus PIR-taping, there was no difference between the final results of both methods, due to the continuous (24-hour) effect of PIR-taping.
The effect of tunnelling on repeated precise levelling measurements for vertical deformation control of the Metro4 project
Authors: Égető Cs. , Földváry L. , Huszák T.
Published: September 2013

The effect of the construction of the 4th subway line of Budapest (Metro4) on the potential surfaces of the gravity field has been simulated, using the prism modelling technique. In the study mass loss due to the excavation of the two tunnels and of the stations has been considered. Mass variations deform the level surfaces; as so, the vertical reference surface of the levelling measurements is changing by time. In this study, the effect of the mass loss on levelling measurements was determined at a level 1 m above the ground, roughly simulating common instrument heights. Subsequently, the effect of the actual deformations of the surface on the levelling measurements has also been determined. According to the results, under certain arrangements of the levelling line with respect to the position of the excavations, the error due to the change of the vertical reference is in the 1μm order of magnitude, thus negligible.
The effect of correlation on uncertainty estimates – with GPS examples
Authors: Jansson P. , Persson C.-G.
Published: September 2013

This article deals with the effect of correlation on the estimates of measurement uncertainty, with some focus on Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) time series analysis. Analytical derivations and Monte Carlo simulations form the theoretical basis, which shows that uncompensated correlation produces unrealistic uncertainty estimates. Tools for handling correlation in connection with estimation of uncertainty, construction of confidence intervals, hypothesis testing, design of measurement strategies, and development of tolerances are outlined and demonstrated. The GPS observation time series used in the article has a short to medium range correlation, and can therefore be handled with the presented tools - based on a simple Location-model and stationary stochastic processes.
Accuracy assessment of test flights using the Turnkey Airborne Gravity System over Alabama in 2008
Authors: Wang Y.M. , Preaux S. , Diehl T. , Childers V. , Roman D. , Smith D.
Published: September 2013

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) performed a few test flights using Micro-g’s Turnkey Airborne Gravity System (TAGS) at altitude of 1700, 6300 and 11000 meters over Alabama in 2008. The cross-track spacing was 10 km for the two lower flights and 5 km for the highest flight. The test flights not only provided important information regarding the precision and accuracy of the TAGS but also revealed the impact of flight altitudes and track spacing on the collected gravity data. The gravity anomalies at three altitudes were modeled using 3-dimensional Fourier series, then compared at the three altitudes. The agreement was excellent - the gravity anomalies agree with each other from 1.4 to 3.3 mGal RMS at the three altitudes. When the bias was removed, the agreement was improved to better than 1.1 mGal. On the ground (h =0), the three gravity models agree from 1.9 to 3.8 mGal RMS. After removing the mean, the agreement improved to better than 1.7 mGal. Similar results were obtained in comparison with recent surface gravity which was of sub-mGal accuracy. The overall agreement between the downward continued airborne gravity and the surface gravity was better than 1.7 mGal after removing the mean values.

As expected, the flight altitude had a direct impact on accuracy of the values of gravity downward continued to the Earth’s surface. The comparisons with terrestrial gravity show that gravity collected at 11000 m is having an accuracy of ±3 mGal on the ground. This accuracy is slightly worse than the other two altitudes most probably due to smaller signal/noise ratios and larger downward continuation effects. The RMS values of differences between the downward continued airborne gravity at altitude 1700 and 6300 meters and the surface gravity are 2.0 and 1.6 mGals, respectively. Based on these comparisons, airborne gravity data collected at altitudes below 6300 meters should result in accuracy better than ±2 mGals on the ground. Note, however, that the test area is flat and the accuracy of airborne gravity would likely be worse in more rugged mountainous regions.
School Autonomy and Leadership in Lithuania: Can School Leaders Help Schools to Take a Step forward ?
Authors: Honingh Marlies , Urbanovič Jolanta
Published: September 2013

In the literature, the school leader (head of school) is considered a key figure in strengthening school autonomy and stimulating the further development of the school organization. To improve the functioning of school leaders a centralized assessment of all candidates who want to become school leaders was introduced in Lithuania in 2011. The findings of a qualitative study into the first experiences with the assessment provide a deeper understanding of current school leadership problems in Lithuania. A comparison of these findings with the literature on school leadership and the assumptions underlying the recently changed school-leader appointment procedure reveal the lack of a clear vision on school leadership. Some general management competences - such as managing and motivating people, making decisions and strategic thinking - are underdeveloped.
A numerically efficient approach to the modelling of double-Qdot channels
Authors: Shamloo A. , Sowa A.P.
Published: September 2013

We consider the electronic properties of a system consisting of two quantum dots in physical proximity, which we will refer to as the double-Qdot. Double-Qdots are attractive in light of their potential application to spin-based quantum computing and other electronic applications, e.g. as specialized sensors. Our main goal is to derive the essential properties of the double-Qdot from a model that is rigorous yet numerically tractable, and largely circumvents the complexities of an ab initio simulation. To this end we propose a novel Hamiltonian that captures the dynamics of a bi-partite quantum system, wherein the interaction is described via a Wiener-Hopf type operator. We subsequently describe the density of states function and derive the electronic properties of the underlying system. The analysis seems to capture a plethora of electronic profiles, and reveals the versatility of the proposed framework for double-Qdot channel modelling.
RankEval: Open Tool for Evaluation of Machine-Learned Ranking
Authors: Avramidis Eleftherios
Published: September 2013

Recent research and applications for evaluation and quality estimation of Machine Translation require statistical measures for comparing machine-predicted ranking against gold sets annotated by humans. Additional to the existing practice of measuring segment-level correlation with Kendall tau, we propose using ranking metrics from the research field of Information Retrieval such as Mean Reciprocal Rank, Normalized Discounted Cumulative Gain and Expected Reciprocal Rank. These reward systems that predict correctly the highest ranked items than the one of lower ones. We present an open source tool ”RANKEVAL” providing implementation of these metrics. It can be either run independently as a script supporting common formats or can be imported to any Python application.
XenC: An Open-Source Tool for Data Selection in Natural Language Processing
Authors: Rousseau Anthony
Published: September 2013

In this paper we describe XenC, an open-source tool for data selection aimed at Natural Language Processing (NLP) in general and Statistical Machine Translation (SMT) or Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) in particular. Usually, when building a SMT or ASR system, the considered task is related to a specific domain of application, like news articles or scientific talks for instance. The goal of XenC is to allow selection of relevant data regarding the considered task, which will be used to build the statistical models for such a system. It is done by computing the difference between cross-entropy scores of sentences from a large out-of-domain corpus and sentences from a corpus considered as in-domain for the task. Written in C++, this tool can operate on monolingual or bilingual data and is language-independent. XenC, now part of the LIUM toolchain for SMT, is actively developed since December 2011 and used in many MT projects.
Calozodion Moyas, A New Metapseudid Species (Crustacea: Tanaidacea: Apseudomorpha) from the Moroccan Atlantic Coast
Authors: Menioui Mohamed
Published: September 2013

A new apseudomorph tanaidacean species, Calozodion moyas sp. nov., from the Moroccan Atlantic waters is described. The new species is the third species of the genus Calozodion Gardiner, 1973 known in the western African coasts and the tenth in the worldwide fauna. The main features by which the new species differs from all others of the genus Calozodion consist in the presence of a mediodorsale process at the basis of pereopod 2 (absent in C. bacescui Guţu, 1996, C. dollfusi Guţu, 1989, C. heardi Guţu, 2002, C. multispinosum Guţu, 1984 and C. singularis Guţu, 2002) and of five long setae on the first article of mandible palp (comparatively to at most three setae in the species C. dominiki Bochert, 2012, C. simile Guţu, 2006, C. suluk Bamber & Sheader, 2005 and C. wadei Gardiner, 1973). Other differences result from the identification key of the species of the genus Calozodion presented in the final part of this paper.
Contributions to the Knowledge Regarding the Distribution and Ecology of the Herpetofauna of Ţarcu Massif (Southern Carpathians, Romania)
Authors: Iftime Alexandru , Iftime Oana
Published: September 2013

The results of herpetological investigations in the Ţarcu massif (Southern Carpathians, Romania) and its surrounding areas are reported here. 21 amphibian and reptile forms were identified (Salamandra salamandra, Triturus cristatus, Ichthyosaura alpestris, Lissotriton vulgaris, Bombina variegata, Bufo bufo, B. viridis, Hyla arborea, Rana temporaria, R. dalmatina, Pelophylax ridibundus, P. kl. esculentus, Lacerta agilis, L. viridis, Zootoca vivipara, Podarcis muralis, Anguis colchica, Zamenis longissimus, Natrix natrix, N. tessellata, Vipera ammodytes) and are presented together with distribution and ecological data.
Surface modification of cotton fabrics for sublimation printing
Authors: Bemska Jadwiga , Szkudlarek Joanna
Published: September 2013

The use of sublimation thermal transfer printing onto cotton is not widely practiced because of the lack of disperse
dyes affinity for cellulose fibres. The studies were performed onto polymer application on cotton fibres in order to
achieve the ability to absorption of sublimating dyes and thus the possibility of making printouts onto cotton. The
following parameters were evaluated: whiteness degree after impregnation, the relative strength of colours of the
obtained printouts, test washing fastness, and dry and wet rubbing fastness.
Processing and mechanical characterisation of monolithic silicon carbide ceramic consolidated by spark plasma sintering (SPS)
Authors: Unlu Mehtap Deniz , Goller Gultekin , Yucel Onuralp , Sahin Filiz Cinar
Published: September 2013

Silicon carbide ceramics were fabricated using the spark plasma sintering technique without the use of additives. The sintering process was carried out at four different temperatures in the range of 2 073−2 223 K under two different pressures, 40 MPa and 80 MPa, under vacuum. The effects of different temperatures and pressures on the density, Vickers hardness, fracture toughness, and microstructure were examined. Fully dense monolithic silicon carbide ceramics with a relative density of approximately 99 % were obtained. Increasing the pressure from 40 to 80 MPa and the temperature from 2 073 to 2 223 K resulted in an increase in the relative densities of spark plasma sintered ceramics from 87 % to 97.5 % and 95.5 % to 99.7 %, respectively. The results revealed that the silicon carbide ceramic spark plasma sintered at 2 223 K while applying 80 MPa of pressure with a 5-minute soaking time under vacuum has the highest hardness and fracture toughness values of 31.9 GPa and 3.6 ± 0.3 MPa·m1/2, respectively.
Thixoformability evaluation of AA2011 and AA2014 alloys
Authors: Proni Cecilia Tereza Weishaupt , d'Ávila Marcos Akira , Zoqui Eugênio José
Published: September 2013

This paper examines the feasibility of thixoforming two commercial aluminum–copper alloys: AA2011 and AA2014. This evaluation was performed in three steps: 1) characterization of the raw materials, including an analysis of their constituents, partial melting range temperatures, and microstructures; 2) characterization of the samples' morphological evolution during partial melting to observe their globularization at two different sets of temperatures, (solid fractions of 45 % and 60 %), and four holding times: 0, 30, 90 and 210 s; and 3) tests of the morphological behavior under the same partial melting conditions of temperature and holding times. The results indicate that, despite the difficulty of controlling the temperature of the semi-solid transition, these two alloys are suitable for thixoforming processes. Their morphology is stable in the semi-solid range and the corresponding viscosity values are lower than 106 Pa · s, resulting in a maximum conformational stress of 2.4 MPa.
XPS measurements of LDX 2101 duplex steel surface after magnetoelectropolishing
Authors: Rokosz Krzysztof , Hryniewicz Tadeusz
Published: September 2013

The work presents the X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurement results of LDX 2101 duplex steel surface after magnetoelectropolishing in comparison with the results obtained after a standard electropolishing in still electrolyte and in the electrolyte with moderate mixing. A considerable improvement of the steel surface was found to appear after the magnetoelectropolishing treatment concerning the general composition. The calculated ratio of chromium compounds to iron compounds Cr-X/FeX equals 2 after magnetoelectropolishing and only 0.5 after a standard electropolishing. On the other hand, the ionic Cr6+ content after magnetoelectropolishing was the lowest (2.77 at.%), and after a standard electropolishing it was the highest (30.3 at.%). Such results are expected to influence the corrosion behavior of the steel and increase the corrosion resistance greatly.
Characterisation Studies of the Structure and Properties of As-Deposited and Annealed Pulsed Magnetron Sputtered Titania Coatings
Authors: Kulczyk-Malecka Justyna , Kelly Peter , West Glen , Clarke Gregory , Ridealgh John
Published: September 2013

Titanium dioxide thin films are durable, chemically stable, have a high refractive index and good electro/photochemical proprieties. Consequently, they are widely used as anti-reflective layers in optical devices and large area glazing products, dielectric layers in microelectronic devices and photo catalytic layers in self-cleaning surfaces. Titania coatings may have amorphous or crystalline structures, where three crystalline phases of TiO2 can be obtained: anatase, rutile and brookite, although the latter is rarely found. It is known, however, that the structure of TiO2 coatings is sensitive to deposition conditions and can also be modified by post-deposition heat treatments. In this study, titania coatings have been deposited onto soda-lime glass substrates by reactive sputtering from a metallic target. The magnetron was driven in mid-frequency pulsed DC mode. The as-deposited coatings were analysed by micro Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Selected coatings were annealed at temperatures in the range 200–700 °C and re-analysed. Whilst there was weak evidence of a nanocrystallinity in the as-deposited films, it was observed that these largely amorphous low temperature structures converted into strongly crystalline structures at annealing temperatures above 400 °C.
Neuroprotective Effect of Arctigenin via Upregulation of P-CREB in Mouse Primary Neurons and Human SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cells
Authors: Zhang Nan , Wen Qingping , Ren Lu , Liang Wenbo , Xia Yang , Zhang Xiaodan , Zhao Dan , Sun Dong , Hu Yv , Hao Haiguang , Yan Yaping , Zhang Guangxian , Yang Jingxian , Kang Tingguo
Published: September 2013

Arctigenin (Arc) has been shown to act on scopolamine-induced memory deficit mice and to provide a neuroprotective effect on cultured cortical neurons from glutamate-induced neurodegeneration through mechanisms not completely defined. Here, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of Arc on H89-induced cell damage and its potential mechanisms in mouse cortical neurons and human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. We found that Arc prevented cell viability loss induced by H89 in human SH-SY5Y cells. Moreover, Arc reduced intracellular beta amyloid (Aβ) production induced by H89 in neurons and human SH-SY5Y cells, and Arc also inhibited the presenilin 1(PS1) protein level in neurons. In addition, neural apoptosis in both types of cells, inhibition of neurite outgrowth in human SH-SY5Y cells and reduction of synaptic marker synaptophysin (SYN) expression in neurons were also observed after H89 exposure. All these effects induced by H89 were markedly reversed by Arc treatment. Arc also significantly attenuated downregulation of the phosphorylation of CREB (p-CREB) induced by H89, which may contribute to the neuroprotective effects of Arc. These results demonstrated that Arc exerted the ability to protect neurons and SH-SY5Y cells against H89-induced cell injury via upregulation of p-CREB.
Sustainability of Rare Earths—An Overview of the State of Knowledge
Authors: McLellan Benjamin , Corder Glen , Ali Saleem
Published: September 2013

Rare Earths (RE) have been the focus of much attention in recent years as a consequence of a number of converging factors, prominent among which are: centralization of supply (in China), unique applications in high-end technologies particularly in the low-carbon energy industry, and global demand outstripping availability. Despite this focus, RE supply chain sustainability has not been examined in depth or in any systematic manner. This paper provides an initial review of RE sustainability considerations at present, including current initiatives to understand the research and development needs. The analysis highlights a broad range of areas needing consolidation with future research and calls for collaboration between industry and academia to understand the sustainability considerations of these critical elements in more depth.
Metal Complexes of Quinolone Antibiotics and Their Applications: An Update
Authors: Uivarosi Valentina
Published: September 2013

Quinolones are synthetic broad-spectrum antibiotics with good oral absorption and excellent bioavailability. Due to the chemical functions found on their nucleus (a carboxylic acid function at the 3-position, and in most cases a basic piperazinyl ring (or another N-heterocycle) at the 7-position, and a carbonyl oxygen atom at the 4-position) quinolones bind metal ions forming complexes in which they can act as bidentate, as unidentate and as bridging ligand, respectively. In the polymeric complexes in solid state, multiple modes of coordination are simultaneously possible. In strongly acidic conditions, quinolone molecules possessing a basic side nucleus are protonated and appear as cations in the ionic complexes. Interaction with metal ions has some important consequences for the solubility, pharmacokinetics and bioavailability of quinolones, and is also involved in the mechanism of action of these bactericidal agents. Many metal complexes with equal or enhanced antimicrobial activity compared to the parent quinolones were obtained. New strategies in the design of metal complexes of quinolones have led to compounds with anticancer activity. Analytical applications of complexation with metal ions were oriented toward two main directions: determination of quinolones based on complexation with metal ions or, reversely, determination of metal ions based on complexation with quinolones.