bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Survey on the Methanol Content of Home Distilled Alcoholic Beverages in Transylvania (Romania)
Authors: Md Croitoru , Elena Topor , Ibolya Fülöp , Erzsébet Fogarasi
Published: March 2014

Objective: Methanol appears in relatively high concentrations in alcoholic beverages obtained from fermented fruits distillates. These products are traditionally home made in many regions in Romania and other EU countries. The chronic use of products with high methanol concentration can be considered a health risk. The purpose of this work was to measure methanol concentration in a Romanian region where brandy-type alcoholic products are made from different fruits (plum, apple, pear, grapes), and to observe if there is a type of product that contains more methanol than the others. Methods: The content of methanol in the tested alcoholic beverages was determined using a gas chromatographic method. Results: Only 18% of the tested 56 samples met UE regulation regarding methanol content of alcoholic beverages (0.4% in alcoholic drinks containing 40% ethanol). The highest concentration of 2.39% was found in a plum brandy. Plum brandies contained significantly higher amounts of methanol than brandies made from other fruits (0.91 vs 0.52%, p = 0.01). Conclusions: Home distilled alcoholic beverages obtained from fruits are a health threat due to their high methanol content. Strict regulations and tests should be introduced for such products
Herlant’s Tetrachrome Staining, a Useful Tool for Pituitary Adenoma Diagnosis
Authors: Laura Chinezu , Jacqueline Trouillas , Andrada Loghin , Angela Borda
Published: March 2014

Introduction: The morphologic diagnosis of pituitary adenomas (PA) is based on immunohistochemistry (IHC). In Romania, IHC diagnosis of PA is restricted, all of the specific antibodies being very expensive. A histochemical staining, Herlant’s tetrachrome (HTCS), was described several years ago, but it was not widely used for diagnostic purposes because of technical difficulties. The aim of this paper is to bring into discussion this staining, to highlight its benefits, to improve the technical procedures and to establish a protocol, which combining both HTCS and IHC, facilitates the diagnosis of PA and, especially, substantially reduces the costs. Methods: HTCS was performed using normal pituitary glands. The optimal time of staining and the optimal concentration of different solutions were established for each step of the staining. Results: The improved technical procedure of HTCS is described. The staining features of all cellular types of the pituitary gland are depicted and illustrated: the chromophore cells, GH-secreting cells stained in orange, PRL-secreting cells in red-violet and ACTH-cells in dark blue, while cromophobe cells stained light blue. These staining features can be extrapolated to the diagnosis of PAs, as they consist of a proliferation of such cells. Conclusion: HTCS’s benefit is in functional PAs: it can identify GH, PRL, ACTH and TSH-adenomas, according to the cell type staining. A two-step diagnostic protocol is proposed, allowing the use of two, maximum three antibodies, instead of six: first step HTCS, and second step IHC
Clinicians' Choices in Selecting Orthodontic Archwires
Authors: Silvia-Izabella Pop , Mariana Păcurar , Cristina Bratu Dana , Rv Pop , Manuela Chibelean
Published: March 2014

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the choices made by clinicians in selecting archwires during the initial, intermediate and final stages of orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances. Methods: We carried out a questionnaire-based study at the Orthodontics and Pedodontics Clinic Târgu Mureș, between March 2012 and September 2012. The questionnaires consisted of two parts: the first included questions related to the dimension, alloy used in fabrication, section (round or rectangular) and manufacturer of the archwires used by the orthodontists in their orthodontic practice, the second part was concerned with their personal opinion about the physical properties and disadvantages of the archwires. Results: From a total number of 90 distributed questionnaires, 62 were returned. The majority of clinicians are using stainless steel (SS) and nickel-titanium alloy (NiTi) wires in their fixed orthodontic treatments, very few are using beta-titanium (Beta Ti), copper nickel-titanium (Co- NiTi) and esthetic archwires. The preferred dimension seem to be 0.022 inches in the appliance system. Regarding the wire dimensions, 0.014, 0.016 inch wires are mostly used from the round section group and 0.016 × 0.022 inch, 0.017 × 0.025 inch from the rectangular ones. Conclusions: There is a general lack of agreement between the clinicians surveyed regarding the properties of an ideal archwire and the disadvantages of the used wires. The most frequently used alloys seemed to be the SS and NiTi
Evaluation of Child Self-perception Regarding Their Oro-dental Status
Authors: Krisztina Mártha I. , Sorana Roșu , Réka Gyergyay , Katalin Vikárius
Published: March 2014

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the state of oral health and the self-perception of children regarding their oro-dental status, their knowledge and attitude towards oral health. Methods: A sample of 130 children (11-14 years) and one of their parents were asked to complete a Child Perception Questionnaire (CPQ11-14) in Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania. From these, 69 children were examined and data was recorded about Decayed-Missing-Filled Teeth (DMFT), oral hygiene, dental malposition and malocclusion, Aesthetic Component of Index of Treatment Need (AC-IOTN). Consent of the parents was obtained. Statistical analyses were performed. Results: The optimal score of CPQ evaluation is 96 and the maximum score achieved was 93, the minimum was 43. 78.10 average score can be graded as medium. As the data points out, most of the children and their parents have a medium knowledge and self-perception. The clinical examination underline the main problems: dental caries (62%), occlusal coloration (23%), dental malposition (17%), rooftop deep bite (14%), dental rotation and crowding (12%), dental plaque and tartar (10%). As far as the AC-IOTN is concerned, 48 of 69 children have no need for treatment, 18 have a high need for treatment, and 3 have a moderate need for treatment. Conclusions: Overall, the children and their parents have a poor oral health knowledge, which is reflected in the medium level of the achieved CPQ scores, in the clinical examination and can be associated with high levels of dental caries and malocclusion
Clinical Features and Echocardiographic Findings in Children with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Cristina Blesneac , Theodora Benedek , Rodica Togănel , I Benedek
Published: March 2014

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, one of the most common inherited cardiomyopathies, is a heterogeneous disease resulting from sarcomeric protein mutations, with an incidence in the adult population of 1:500. Current information on the epidemiology and outcomes of this disease in children is limited. Methods: Thirty-four children diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the Pediatric Cardiology Department from Tîrgu Mureș were evaluated concerning familial and personal history, clinical, paraclinical and therapeutic aspects. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was defined by the presence of a hypertrophied, non-dilated ventricle, in the absence of a cardiac or systemic disease that could produce ventricular hypertrophy. Results: The youngest diagnosed child was a neonate, a total of 10 patients being diagnosed until 1 year of age. In 6 cases a positive familial history was found. Noonan syndrome was found in 2 cases. Only 21 patients were symptomatic, the predominant symptoms being shortness of breath on exertion with exercise limitations. Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction was present in 21 cases (61.7%). Twenty-four patients were on β-blocking therapy, while 4 patients underwent septal myectomy. Conclusions: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a heterogeneous disorder in terms of evolution, age of onset, type and extent of hypertrophy, and the risk of sudden death. It can affect children of any age. There is a need for a complex evaluation, including familial and personal anamnesis, clinical examination, electrocardiogram and echocardiography of all patients. It is highly important to develop screening strategies, including genetic testing, for an early diagnosis, especially in asymptomatic patients with a positive familial background
Assessment of Periodontal Status of Surgically Exposed and Orthodontically Aligned Impacted Maxillary Canines
Authors: Adina Coșarcă , Mariana Păcurar , Cecilia Petrovan , Alina Ormenișan
Published: March 2014

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the periodontal status of impacted canines after 5 years following completion of the combined surgical and orthodontic treatment. Materials and methods: We examined 20 labially impacted canines and 20 palatally impacted canines at 5 years after the end of treatment. We assessed the periodontal status of these teeth. Results: Different outcomes were found regarding the probing depth and the amount of keratinized gingiva in the two mentioned groups of teeth. Conclusions: The assessed periodontal indices may signal the appearance of a periodontal disease around the teeth that were surgically and orthodontically treated
The Association of Cholelithiasis and Colorectal Cancer
Authors: C Sărăcuț , C Molnar , A Pantiru , C Russu , C Roșca , S Voidăzan , C Copotoiu
Published: March 2014

Background: In the literature there are a number of studies that suggest a possible correlation between cholelithiasis/cholecystectomy and colorectal cancer. The exposure of the colon mucosa to the action of bile acids that potentially have a carcinogenic effect due to the change in anatomy after cholecystectomy, seems to be the explanation of this association. The purpose of this paper was to search for such a correlation in our study group. Methods: We performed a retrospective cross-sectional study, analyzing the patients admitted to the First Surgical Clinic of the County Emergency Clinical Hospital Tîrgu Mureș, between January 1st, 2005 - December 31st, 2010. Analyzing the medical records, operation protocols and histopathological results, we paid attention to demographics, location of neoplasia, the time elapsed since the cholecystectomy to the discovery of neoplasia, histological types, trying to perform correlations between these parameters and the lithiasic factor. Results: Out of the 534 patients admitted and operated with the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, 15.6% (n = 83) showed a history of gallbladder stone affection. Most patients came from urban areas, the average age was 67.2 (range 39-88 years), females were more affected. The most common locations were: the sigmoid colon (26.5%), rectum (36.3%) and the most common histological form was moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma. Conclusions: Similar to other studies, our work suggests a slight increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer in patients that underwent a cholecystectomy, without drawing a firm conclusion. We deem it necessary to see if diet changes of the Romanian population affect this relationship
Study of magnetic field dependent viscosity on a soret driven ferrothermohaline convection in a rotating porous medium
Authors: Hemalatha R.
Published: March 2014

The effect of a magnetic field dependent viscosity on a Soret driven ferro thermohaline convection in a rotating porous medium has been investigated using the linear stability analysis. The normal mode technique is applied. A wide range of values of the Soret parameter, magnetization parameter, the magnetic field dependent viscosity, Taylor number and the permeability of porous medium have been considered. A Brinkman model is used. Both stationary and oscillatory instabilities have been obtained. It is found that the system stabilizes only through oscillatory mode of instability. It is found that the magnetization parameter and the permeability of the porous medium destabilize the system and the Soret parameter, the magnetic field dependent viscosity and the Taylor number tend to stabilize the system. The results are presented numerically and graphically
MHD two-layered unsteady fluid flow and heat transfer through a horizontal channel between
Authors: Raju T. Linga , Nagavalli M.
Published: March 2014

An unsteady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) two-layered fluids flow and heat transfer in a horizontal channel between two parallel plates in the presence of an applied magnetic and electric field is investigated, when the whole system is rotated about an axis perpendicular to the flow. The flow is driven by a constant uniform pressure gradient in the channel bounded by two parallel insulating plates, when both fluids are considered as electrically conducting, incompressible with variable properties, viz. different viscosities, thermal and electrical conductivities. The transport properties of the two fluids are taken to be constant and the bounding plates are maintained at constant and equal temperatures. The governing partial differential equations are then reduced to the ordinary linear differential equations using two-term series. Closed form solutions for primary and secondary velocity, also temperature distributions are obtained in both the fluid regions of the channel. Profiles of these solutions are plotted to discuss the effects of the flow and heat transfer characteristics, and their dependence on the governing parameters involved, such as the Hartmann number, rotation parameter, ratios of the viscosities, heights, electrical and thermal conductivities
Analysis of performance bottleneck of P2P grid applications
Authors: Šimon Marek , Huraj Ladislav , Siládi Vladimír
Published: March 2014

The OurGrid distributed environment is an open source grid middleware that enables the creation of P2P computational grids to speed up the execution of bag-of-tasks applications. Bag-of-tasks is an application model composed of several independent tasks not communicating with each other during their execution, tolerating network delays and faults. The paper shows that the main advantage to avoid bottlenecks is if the data gets larger or computations become more complex and the conclusion is made based on the presented measurements. Understanding such patterns sheds an insightful light on performance bottlenecks and design tradeoffs for P2P Grid applications
Continuation and uniqueness for three dimensional Mirzov’s systems
Authors: Kiseľák Jozef
Published: March 2014

We discuss continuation and uniqueness of solutions to the Cauchy problem for a three dimensional Mirzov’s system. Moreover, two specific cases are partially analyzed
Proportional ratios orders based on laplace transforms
Authors: Jarrahiferiz J. , Mohtashami Borzadaran G. R. , Rezaei Roknabadi A. H.
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this paper is to generalize some stochastic orders based on the Laplace transform to proportional state and obtain some of their properties. Also, we discuss these generalized orders version in view of the weighted distributions
Animating multiple interacting miscible and immiscible fluids based on particle simulation
Authors: Onderik Juraj , Chládek Michal , Ďurikovič Roman
Published: March 2014

We present a particle-based approach for animating multiple interacting liquids that can handle number of immiscible fluids as well as number of miscible fluids in our simulation framework. We solve the usual problem of robust interface tracking, between immiscible fluids, by reconstructing the zero level set of our novel composite implicit function, see Fig. 1 left and center. It’s recurrent formulation handles directly interfaces between any number of liquids including the free surfaces. We model the miscible fluids by tracking concentrations of dissolved materials in the vicinity of each particle. Flick’s law is applied for the Laplacian-based diffusion of concentrations, see Fig. 1 right. Particle sedimentation is achieved by directional advection along the settling velocity. The diffusion-advection equation is discretized by particles using the Lagrangian formulation. The proposed improvements can be easily implemented into the common Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations framework
Experimental verification of numerical simulation of projectile impact on ballistic shields
Authors: Zatorski Zdzisław
Published: March 2014

In this work, the author presents experimental verification of numerical simulation of projectile impact on constructional shields. The experimental tests were performed at a unified test stand to investigate ballistic resistance of materials in field conditions. The stand was developed at the Polish Naval Academy in Gdynia, and then patented. The design of this test stand was based on construction of a ballistic pendulum, fitted to measure: impact force, turn angle of the ballistic pendulum x, impact velocity and residual velocity of the projectile. All the measurement data were transmitted to a digital oscilloscope and a personal computer. The ballistic velocity of the shield of VBL(R) - defined according to Recht’s and Ipson’s method, was compared with V BL(Z) and VBL(Z1) - determined according to the author’s method. Verification of numerically simulated ballistic velocity VRO versus the before-mentioned velocity was carried out at the 10GHMBA-E620T steel shields impacted by 12.7 mm type B- 32 projectiles. The introduced method can be used for determining ballistic thickness hBL and ballistic velocity VBL for both homogeneous plates as well as multi-layered constructional shields
The competitiveness of the long-distance public transportation system in Slovakia
Authors: Horňák Marcel , Pšenka Tomáš , Križan František
Published: March 2014

The long-distance public transport services among the eight regional centres of Slovakia, representing the key urban locations with concentrations of most of the country’s services, including business, educational and financial institutions, as well as political power, are examined in this article. It is assumed that the mutual transport interconnections within this group of cities will be a focus for public transport operators in their attempt to gain the largest possible share of potential customers, passengers who would otherwise be users of individual transport means. Hence, one of main aims of this study is to compare public and individual transport modes, and the possibilities offered by them in the mutual interconnections of major regional centres in the country
Stakeholders' Arguments for and against Moving Swedish Substance abuse Treatment to the Health Care System: How a Fat Reform Proposal became a Thin Government Bill
Authors: Storbjörk Jessica
Published: March 2014

Background

Far-reaching changes in the Swedish substance abuse treatment system (SAT) were proposed by a state-commissioned inquiry in 2011. The proposal implied a break with the social tradition of SAT. It was suggested that the treatment responsibility should be transferred from the municipal social services to the regional-level health care system; and that compulsory treatment in its present form (assessed by/paid for by social services, run by the state) should be abolished and become incorporated into coercive psychiatric care provided by health care. A lively debate arose, and the vast majority of stakeholders sought to articulate their arguments.

Aim

The study analysed the development of Swedish SAT by examining the policy process from reform proposal to government bill in 2013.

Method

Content analysis was used to analyse written comments on the proposal submitted to the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs by close to 200 stakeholders. The goal was to empirically chart and examine the arguments for and against as well as advocates and opponents of the reform. With the government bill at hand, we retrospectively sorted out the winning arguments in the now highly contested SAT field and which actors were able to influence the process.

Conclusions

The article discloses that the mixed response and rather critical voices in most groups, including social/medical professions and government bureaucracy, helped block the responsibility shifts, and that reformations of subsystems like SAT are difficult to carry out as freestanding projects within larger systems of social and health care.
A relativistic wave equation with a local kinetic operator and an energy-dependent effective interaction for the study of hadronic systems
Authors: Sanctis Maurizio
Published: March 2014

We study a fully relativistic, two-body, quadratic wave equation for equal mass interacting particles. With this equation the difficulties related to the use of the square roots in the kinetic energy operators are avoided. An energy-dependent effective interaction, also containing quadratic potential operators, is introduced. For pedagogical reasons, it is previously shown that a similar procedure can be also applied to the well-known case of a one-particle Dirac equation. The relationships of our model with other relativistic approaches are briefly discussed. We show that it is possible to write our equation in a covariant form in any reference frame. A generalization is performed to the case of two particles with different mass. We consider some cases of potentials for which analytic solutions can be obtained. We also study a general numerical procedure for solving our equation taking into account the energy-dependent character of the effective interaction. Hadronic physics represents the most relevant field of application of the present model. For this reason we perform, as an example, specific calculations to study the charmonium spectrum. The results show that the adopted equation is able to reproduce with good accuracy the experimental data.
Interdisciplinary study on pottery experimentally impregnated with wine
Authors: Teodor Eugenia , Badea Georgiana , Alecu Andreia , Calu Larisa , Radu Gabriel
Published: March 2014

Experimentally developed ceramic pots, with two different sizes of grain, were half-filled with wine and subjected to thermal alteration at constant elevated temperature ((60 ± 2)°C) in darkness for 12 weeks. This work sought to characterise the samples thereby obtained from chemical and mineralogical perspectives using scanning electron microscopy and an energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis system (SEM-EDX), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) with UV detection as an alternative to chromatographic methods, due to its good resolution, automation, simplicity, high speed, low consumption of chemicals and short time required for sample preparation. The capillary electrophoresis method was used for the detection of five wine biomarkers: succinic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, citric acid and lactic acid. In general, it was noted that the fine-grained ceramic assortment retained the organic material better than the coarser-grained ceramics. An interesting observation derived from this study was that not only could tartaric acid be considered as a biomarker for wine residues in archaeological pottery, but malic acid could also act similarly for white wine and lactic acid for red wine.
Admire Ahead
Authors: Shrivastava Umesh Prasad
Published: March 2014

No abstractDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/av.v3i1.9978
Decentralization of Education Planning and Its Impact in Quality
Authors: Mainali Bhawani Prasad
Published: March 2014

This article has attempted to present an overview of basic concept, rationale and trends of decentralization in education planning and to identity the major policy issues and challenges relating to educational quality in Nepalese context. Decentralization in education around the world has based on the assumption that the quality of education will improve by shifting a decision making and accountability closer to schools, class rooms and learners.Academic Voices, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2013, Pages 4-12 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/av.v3i1.9979
Motivation in Business Organizations
Authors: Niraula Ganesh Prasad
Published: March 2014

Motivation is the most important tool for modern organizations. Motivation actually crates drive that leads to the achievement of the individual as well as the organization’s objectives. Now a days many management experts have focused their studies in this field. Moreover not only business organizations, other types of organizations need motivation to obtain their desired goals. It is vital element in the field of education too, as we know very well that a teacher persuade and create drive the students to learn new things and lesson. The present study focuses on concept of motivation, importance of motivation and techniques of motivation at work places.Academic Voices, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2013, Pages 13-18 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/av.v3i1.9980
Goal, Strategies and Programme of Safe Motherhood in Nepal
Authors: Baral Om Prasad , Vashisth Kamla
Published: March 2014

The safe motherhood programme is one of the priority programme of Nepal. Its primary goal is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality. Safe pregnancy, safe delivery and safe birth of new born are the major components of safe motherhood. This can be accomplished through increased access to effective antenatal, delivery and postnatal care and a massive health awareness activity in local communities.Academic Voices, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2013, Pages 19-23 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/av.v3i1.9981
Human Resource Planning in Nepalese Business Enterprises
Authors: Chaurasiya Manoj Kumar
Published: March 2014

Human resource planning is a process of determining organization’s future human resource requirements and course of action needed to satisfy those needs to achieve organizational objectives. It also ensure and determines that it has right number and right kinds of people at right places, at right time performing work in the organization effectively and efficiently for which they are most economical and useful . It tries to keep balance between organizations human resource supplied with required stable and capable people when they are demanded. This article deals with the concept, objectives, relevance of human resource planning. More ever it also identifies benefit to be taken by the use of human resource planning and highlights the human resource planning practices in Nepalese business enterprises.Academic Voices, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2013, Pages 24-27 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/av.v3i1.9986
Green Revolution in Parsa: Opportunities and Threats
Authors: Dube Shiva Kant
Published: March 2014

This article has attempted to focus upon the concept, historical development, process and impact of green revolution at global context. It has also incorporated to emphasize the adverse impact resulted by green revolution. The widespread acceptance of High Yielding Variety Seeds (HYVs) and extensive adaptation of dwarf and semi-dwarf plants of short cropping period has intensified the production and productivity of agricultural crops. But, excessive and uncontrolled use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, insufficient irrigation and small land holdings has diminished and impoverished the soil fertility leading to desertification. This study has also overviewed the scenario of agricultural production and productivity of crops in Parsa district of Nepal being a developing country after the diffusion and acceptance of green revolution. This study would attract the attentions of planners, policy makers, stakeholders and farmers towards entertaining the impact of green revolution and make them aware about the threat created by it now and in the coming future in Nepalese context.Academic Voices, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2013, Pages 54-61 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/av.v3i1.9989
Umanath Shastri Sindhuliye and his “Makawani Bala” Epic
Authors: Dahal Balaram
Published: March 2014

No abstractAcademic Voices, Vol. 3, No. 1, 2013, Pages 105-108 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/av.v3i1.9995
Learning from Mardin and Cumalıkızık: Turkish Vernacular Architecture in the Context of Sustainability
Authors: Ozorhon Guliz , Ozorhon Ilker
Published: March 2014

The criterion of sustainable design today ranks among the most important factors influencing architectural design, and the contributions of sustainability to architectural design are steadily increasing in parallel with developments in technology and material science. Although sustainability seems to be a new concept, the subject, in reality, is not. Much of contemporary architecture depends on references to traditional architecture in its development, and there are many examples of sustainable architecture found in different parts of the world to which architects can refer. Turkey is one of these countries and it has a variety of traditional housing cultures that have developed with their own unique characteristics. This paper uses two examples that are very different from each other to investigate the traces of sustainable design criteria in Turkey’s traditional housing architecture. One of the investigated locations is in Cumalikizik, while the other is located in Mardin.
Dancing to Another Tune—Adhesive Moonlighting Proteins in Bacteria
Authors: Kainulainen Veera , Korhonen Timo
Published: March 2014

Biological moonlighting refers to proteins which express more than one function. Moonlighting proteins occur in pathogenic and commensal as well as in Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The canonical functions of moonlighting proteins are in essential cellular processes, i.e., glycolysis, protein synthesis, chaperone activity, and nucleic acid stability, and their moonlighting functions include binding to host epithelial and phagocytic cells, subepithelia, cytoskeleton as well as to mucins and circulating proteins of the immune and hemostatic systems. Sequences of the moonlighting proteins do not contain known motifs for surface export or anchoring, and it has remained open whether bacterial moonlighting proteins are actively secreted to the cell wall or whether they are released from traumatized cells and then rebind onto the bacteria. In lactobacilli, ionic interactions with lipoteichoic acids and with cell division sites are important for surface localization of the proteins. Moonlighting proteins represent an abundant class of bacterial adhesins that are part of bacterial interactions with the environment and in responses to environmental changes. Multifunctionality in bacterial surface proteins appears common: the canonical adhesion proteins fimbriae express also nonadhesive functions, whereas the mobility organelles flagella as well as surface proteases express adhesive functions.
The Impact of Microbial Ecology and Chemical Profile on the Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal (EBPR) Process: A Case Study of Northern Wastewater Treatment Works, Johannesburg
Authors: Kamika Ilunga , Coetzee Martie , Mamba Bhekie , Msagati Titus , Momba Maggy
Published: March 2014

The impact of polyphosphate-accumulating organism (PAO) and glycogen-accumulating organism (GAO) populations as well as of the chemical profile on the performance of Unit-3 (open elutriation tanks) and Unit-5 (covered elutriation tank) of the City of Johannesburg Northern Wastewater Treatment Works was determined. Physicochemical parameters of wastewater samples were measured using standard methods. Bacterial diversity was determined using 16S rRNA gene amplicon pyrosequencing of the variable region V1-3. Results showed soluble COD concentrations from settled sewage for Unit-3 at 192.8 mg COD/L and for Unit-5 at 214.6 mg COD/L, which increased to 301.8 mg COD/L and 411.6 mg COD/L in the overflow from elutriation tanks and decreased to 170.9 mg COD/L and 256.3 mg COD/L at the division boxes, respectively. Both long-chain volatile fatty acids (heptanoic acid, isobutyric acid, 3-methylbutanoic acid, pentanoic acid, 4-methylpentanoic acid, methylheptanoic acid) and short-chain volatile fatty acids (acetic acid, propionic acid, isobutyric acid) were present within concentration ranges of 17.19 mg/L to 54.98 mg/L and 13.64 mg/L to 87.6 mg/L for Unit 3 and 38.61 mg/L to58.85 mg/L and 21.63 mg/L to 92.39 mg/L for Unit 5, respectively. In the secondary settling tanks, the phosphate-removal efficiency in Unit-5 appeared to be slightly higher (0.08 mg P/L) compared to that of Unit-3 (0.11 mg P/L). The average DO concentrations (2.1 mg/L and 2.2 mg/L) as well as the pH values (pH 7 to pH 7.5) were found to be slightly higher in Unit-5 in the aerobic zones. The high presence of PAOs in the bioreactors (Unit-5: Dechloromonas (14.96%), Acinetobacter (6.3%), Zoogloea (4.72%) in the anaerobic zone and Dechloromonas (22.37 %) in the aerobic zone; Unit-3: Dechloromonas (37.25%) in the anaerobic zone and Dechloromonas (23.97%) in the aerobic zone) confirmed the phosphate-removal efficiencies of both units. Negligible GAOs were found in the aerobic zones (Defluviicoccus spp.: 0.33% for Unit-5 and 0.68% for Unit-3) and in the anaerobic zones (Defluviicoccus: 9.8% for Unit-3). The high microbial diversity and a negligible percentage of GAOs in Unit-5 could contribute to its high phosphate-removal efficiency, although results did not indicate statistically significant differences between the unit with a covered elutriation tank (Unit-5) and that with open elutriation tanks (Unit-3).
Selection of Technical Reactor Equipment for Modular, Continuous Small-Scale Plants
Authors: Krasberg Nicolai , Hohmann Lukas , Bieringer Thomas , Bramsiepe Christian , Kockmann Norbert
Published: March 2014

Fast process development, flexible production and the utilization of advanced process conditions are the main goals of modular and continuous small-scale plants (MCSPs). A configurable layout of the modules and the use of predefined equipment enable a quick and reliable conceptual process development and scale-up of continuous processes. Therefore, a computer-assisted selection methodology was developed and is presented, which allows the quick selection of plug flow reactor equipment for homogeneous liquid phase reactions. It identifies a favorable technical apparatus and the configuration in the early stages of process development. This can lead to the effective planning and guiding of scale-up experiments and closes the gap between lab and process development.
The Eurozone Crisis: Psychological Mechanisms Undermining and Supporting European Solidarity
Authors: Reese Gerhard , Lauenstein Oliver
Published: March 2014

Europe has become a vivid example of intergroup dynamics with all the risks and chances it holds for peaceful and respectful co-existence. While Europe as a superordinate social category has the capability of solidarity between its subcategories (i.e., nations), negative emotions and behaviors among the countries’ citizens have become more prevalent throughout the emerging crisis. This article aims to analyze the psychological outcomes (i.e., negative attitudes) following on from the structural and economic imbalances within the European Union. More precisely, we argue that political reactions towards the Euro crisis facilitated routes to nationalism and thereby fostered supremacy in a few countries. This perceived supremacy of some countries, in turn, legitimized negative reactions towards others. Based on predictions from a social identity perspective, we describe how these processes perpetuate themselves. We also suggest strategies that might prevent the idea of a common Europe from failing.
Nanoscale patterning of a self-assembled monolayer by modification of the molecule–substrate bond
Authors: Shen Cai , Buck Manfred
Published: March 2014

The intercalation of Cu at the interface of a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) and a Au(111)/mica substrate by underpotential deposition (UPD) is studied as a means of high resolution patterning. A SAM of 2-(4'-methylbiphenyl-4-yl)ethanethiol (BP2) prepared in a structural phase that renders the Au substrate completely passive against Cu-UPD, is patterned by modification with the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope. The tip-induced defects act as nucleation sites for Cu-UPD. The lateral diffusion of the metal at the SAM–substrate interface and, thus, the pattern dimensions are controlled by the deposition time. Patterning down to the sub-20 nm range is demonstrated. The difference in strength between the S–Au and S–Cu bond is harnessed to develop the latent Cu-UPD image into a patterned binary SAM. Demonstrated by the exchange of BP2 by adamantanethiol (AdSH) this is accomplished by a sequence of reductive desorption of BP2 in Cu free areas followed by adsorption of AdSH. The appearance of Au adatom islands upon the thiol exchange suggests that the interfacial structures of BP2 and AdSH SAMs are different.
From porphyrin benzylphosphoramidate conjugates to the catalytic hydrogenation of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin
Authors: de Souza Marcos C , Pedrosa Leandro F , Cazagrande Géssica S , Ferreira Vitor F , Neves Maria G P M S , Cavaleiro José A S
Published: March 2014

Three new porphyrin aminoalkyl dibenzylphosphoramidates were synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution of one p-fluorine atom of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin (TPPF20) by primary aminoalkyl dibenzylphosphoramidates. The nucleophilic aromatic substitution was promoted by microwave irradiation in N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone. Attempts to remove the benzyl groups of the phosphoramidate moiety by hydrogenolysis with 10% Pd/C led to the cleavage of the P–N bond and the reduction of the macrocycle to hydroporphyrin-type derivatives. The extent of the effect of the catalytic hydrogenation to TPPF20 with 10% Pd/C was then studied with a variety of solvents. The results showed that ethanol/DMF is the solvent of choice to produce chlorin TPCF20 and an ethanol/DMF/NEt3 mixture is more adequate to produce isobacteriochlorin (TPIF20).
JOINT SEALS FOR HYDRAULIC STRUCTURES IN SEVERE CLIMATES
Authors: Mirza Jahangir
Published: March 2014

This paper presents laboratory test data on 21 joint seals: 10 field-moulded sealants (FMS; 1- and 2-components polyurethanes, polysulphides, silicones, etc.) and 11 preformed seals (neoprene, silicone, high-density open-cell and low-density closed-cell foams, etc.). The aim was to evaluate their performance in submerged, partially submerged and essentially dry conditions in extremely severe climates. These seals were tested on cement mortar substrates as well as on steel substrates. The tests carried out on FMS were: adhesion-in-peel strength, compression-extension cycling at severe temperatures, Shore A hardness, weatherability and modulus of elasticity, etc. On preformed seals, the tests conducted were weatherability, % recovery and load deformation behaviour, etc. Conclusions, recommendations and the specific suitability of joint seals with cement mortar and steel substrates are reported. The general conclusion is that even though the joint seals evaluated had similar base chemical constituents, they showed variable results. Their properties and characteristics differ from one manufacturer to others, indicating that prior knowledge about their performance is essential to the user. Furthermore, the published data on the performance of seals used in hydraulic structures situated in severe climatic conditions is sparse. It is recommended that utilities publish as much information as possible to help others.
PRELIMINARY PLANNING EFFICIENCY EVALUATION FOR SCHOOL BUILDINGS CONSIDERING THE TRADEOFFS OF MOOP AND PLANNING PREFERENCES
Authors: Cheng Min-Yuan , Chen Ching-Shan
Published: March 2014

Seismic resistance and cost effectiveness are often two important building planning objectives for architects. However, these objectives nearly always share a negative correlation with each other, which can cause planning delays and confusion. The conflict between these two is a Multi-Objective Optimization Problem (MOOP). Besides, building planning often encompasses both subjective and objective factors. However, most current efficiency evaluation methods focus on the latter and underemphasize the former. Current efficiency evaluation methods are thus not optimized for actual building planning needs. The aim of this study is to develop a new planning efficiency evaluation approach to resolve the above problems. Research methods include the indifference curve, efficient frontier and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). The indifference curve deduced the subjective planning preferences of architects; efficient frontier theory constructed the efficient frontier of school buildings; and DEA evaluated the efficiency of various building factors objectively. A total of 326 school buildings in Taichung City, Taiwan in an empirical study designed to illustrate proposed approach effectiveness. The results show that using only objective evaluation or subjective recognition is insufficient to explain the true nature of building planning. Findings can serve as benchmarks for inefficient school buildings at preliminary planning stage.
A COMPARISON OF FUZZY MULTICRITERIA DECISION MAKING METHODS FOR INTELLIGENT BUILDING ASSESSMENT
Authors: Kaya İhsan , Kahraman Cengiz
Published: March 2014

The methodology, Multicriteria Decision Making (MCDM), refers to finding the best alternative from all of the feasible alternatives in the presence of multiple, usually conflicting, decision criteria. Nowadays, intelligent buildings’ performance that is increasingly evidenced in building design and construction has been analyzed by using MCDM techniques. Intelligent buildings (IBs) are also under assessment according to their IB related characteristics and actual circumstances as a MCDM problem. In this paper, two most known MCDM methodologies, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution), are used for intelligent building assessment under fuzzy environment for dealing with the evaluations’ uncertainty and imprecision in which the expert's comparisons that are represented as fuzzy numbers. For this aim, three intelligent building alternatives for a business centre in Istanbul are evaluated by using these two fuzzy MCDM methods and the obtained ranking results are compared.
PLANNING WORK CREW ASSIGNMENTS FOR PEDESTRIAN AREA RENOVATION TO IMPROVE ITS IMPACT ON THE PUBLIC
Authors: Lee Hsin-Yun
Published: March 2014

When renovating a pedestrian area, it is crucial to maintain as normal as possible an operation while the renovation activities are underway. Usually the area is divided into several zones to accommodate the renovation in sections. A zone closure forces the users to take an alternative route that could be longer or more congested. The impact of such rerouting must be minimized by properly planning the work crews. In this paper, the author proposed a model using simulation to estimate the impact of the extra walking distance on pedestrians, and ant colony optimization to search for the nearoptimal work crew schedule. The author applied the model to the renovation of a public pedestrian area in a villa resort. It provides a near-optimal work schedule for a variety of work crews with minimal walking time delay for the pedestrians. This model takes into account total walking time delay, average delay per person, and total duration in order to evaluate all alternatives to allow both owner and contractor to decide the appropriate work schedule.
DEVELOPING BIM-ASSISTED AS-BUILT SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR GENERAL CONTRACTORS
Authors: Tserng Hui-Ping , Ho Shih-Ping , Jan Shu-Hui
Published: March 2014

Construction project control attempts to obtain real-time as-built schedule information and to eliminate project delays by effectively enhancing dynamic schedule control and management. Suitable platforms for enhancing an as-built schedule visually during the construction phase are necessary and important for general contractors. As the application of building information modeling (BIM) becomes more common, schedule management integrated with the BIM approach becomes essential to enhance visual construction management implementation for the general contractor during the construction phase. To enhance visualization of the updated as-built schedule for the general contractor, this study presents a novel system called the Construction BIM-assisted Schedule Management (ConBIM-SM) system for general contractors in Taiwan. The primary purpose of this study is to develop a web ConBIM-SM system for the general contractor to enhance visual as-built schedule information sharing and efficiency in tracking construction as-built schedule. Finally, the ConBIM-SM system is applied to a case study of a commerce building project in Taiwan to verify its efficacy and demonstrate its effectiveness during the construction phase. The advantages of the ConBIM-SM system lie in improved project control and management efficiency for general contractors, and in providing BIM-assisted as-built schedule tracking and management, to access the most current as-built schedule information through a web browser. The case study results show that the ConBIM-SM system is an effective visual as-built schedule management platform integrated with the BIM approach for general contractors in a construction project.
Geographic Space Ontology, Locus-Object, and Spatial Data Representation Semantic Theory
Authors: Gadal Sébastien
Published: March 2014

Within the general framework of the analysis of the geographic space and its ontological components by remote sensing, the author explores the ability of the morphogenetic modeling in the recognition of one major ontological and semantic concept of geography: the “locus-object.” The “locus-object” couple concept results from the interrelation formalization between the geographic locus, the geographic object, and the geo-localization notions. Geographic loci and objects are linked and both geo-localized. The links and relations between locus and object are mathematically formalized by geospatiology, the study of the logical role of space in the study of entities on the surface of the Earth. Morphogenetic modeling recognizes the loci of the geographic space by spatial discontinuities detection. The spatial discontinuities allow the identification of the types of spatial differentiations (boundaries, limits) between two geographic entities. The concept of “locus-object” is one of the key conceptual ontological elements of the geographic space.
Toward an Architecture for Enhancing Semantic Interoperability Based on Enrichment of Geospatial Data Semantics
Authors: Bakillah Mohamed , Mostafavi Mir Abolfazl
Published: March 2014

Semantic interoperability is needed to support meaningful data exchanges in distributed environments such as ad hoc networks of geospatial databases and geospatial web services. Even with the increasing popularity of ontologies to capture semantics, semantics of geospatial data are often too weak to support meaningful exchanges. In this chapter, the authors argue that semantically weak geospatial data can be enriched to enhance semantic interoperability. They propose a conceptual architecture designed to support enhanced semantic interoperability in dynamic networks that focuses on semantic enrichment. The proposed conceptual architecture includes a coalition management module, an ontology enrichment module, and a semantic mapping module; the modules perform different types of semantic enrichment and can support various semantic interoperability tasks. Within the different enrichment methods, the authors explain the role of global ontologies, arguing that they play a key role in a semantic interoperability framework. Finally, the authors illustrate with an application example the possibilities of such architecture.