bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Experimental Investigation of the Acoustic Field in a Bluff-Body Combustor
Authors: Sivakumar R. , Chakravarthy S. R.
Published: April 2010

Experimental results on the longitudinal acoustic field generated by a methane-air turbulent flame stabilized downstream of a bluff body (V-gutter) confined in a rectangular duct are presented. The V-gutter runs straight across the width of the rectangular cross-section of the duct. The fuel is injected at some distance upstream of the bluff body, as in practical combustors. Varying the distance between the fuel injection and the bluff body alters the degree of fuel-air mixing and hence influences the flame structure, and consequently the nature of the generated acoustic field. Other geometrical variations considered are the length of the combustor duct, the axial location of the bluff body, and the width of the bluff body. The flow rates of air and fuel are varied widely to traverse conditions of generation of low-amplitude broadband noise to those of excitation of high-amplitude discrete tones. The observed dominant frequencies are expressed in terms of non-dimensional numbers such as the Helmholtz number and the Strouhal number, representing the natural acoustic modes and the free-field vortex shedding process, respectively. It is seen that, as the flow conditions are varied, the amplitude of the dominant frequency steeply rises, accompanying an abrupt jump in the dominant frequency from a constant Helmholtz number regime to a constant Strouhal number regime. High-speed images of CH* chemiluminescence of the flame zone exhibit periodic shedding of vortical structures at the same dominant frequencies as in the observed acoustic spectra. These results show that the natural acoustic modes shift to follow the vortex shedding trend with the Reynolds number of the air-flow, under conditions of excitation of loud discrete tones. Higher fuel flow rates are observed to be capable of exciting higher acoustic modes to exhibit the above behaviour. A larger location of the bluff body away from the fuel injection location, and a lesser width of the bluff body, tend to excite acoustic oscillations of lower amplitude.
Mechanism of Pipe-Tone Excitation by Flow through an Orifice in a Duct
Authors: Karthik B. , Chakravarthy S. R. , Sujith R. I.
Published: April 2010

Pipe-tone is excited by flow through a duct containing an orifice with square edges of thickness within a certain range. The mechanism of this process is investigated by time-resolved flow visualization with the orifice at the end of the duct. Vortices are primarily shed at the orifice when the acoustic pressure at that place reaches a maximum in time. Successive vortices shed during a cycle of the dominant pipe-tone mode and merge further downstream of the orifice. Under some conditions, the excitation of pipe-tone forces the jet issuing out of the orifice to fork into two trains, even for the ratio of the densities of the jet fluid to the ambient exceeding unity, unlike previously reported results. Within the range of the orifice thickness required for intense excitation of pipe-tone, the shear layer separating from the upstream edge of the orifice appears to re-attach at the downstream edge. Several mode shifts occur within the range of flow velocities tested when the orifice is placed within as well as at the end of the duct, with the amplitude maximized in the velocity range between consecutive shifts. Two modes are simultaneously present during the transition at relatively low amplitudes. Lesser number of shifts is observed when the orifice is progressively located upstream in the duct, but the simultaneous multiple-mode excitation spans a wider velocity range. The acoustic pressure amplitude of pipe-tone is found to increase linearly with the mean pressure in the duct.
Approximate Empirical Expressions for the Aeroacoustic Source Strength Level of the Exhaust System of Compression Ignition Engines
Authors: Hota R.N. , Munjal M.L.
Published: April 2010

Prediction of the un-muffled or muffled noise from internal combustion engines requires knowledge of the acoustic performance of the muffling system together with the engine source characteristics. The pressure time history downstream of the exhaust manifold or turbocharger is computed by means of a time-domain finite-volume numerical software. From this pressure time history, the electro-acoustic analogue source characteristics i.e. ps and Zs are determined indirectly using a multi-load method. This investigation has been conducted for both naturally aspirated and turbocharged diesel engines. Using this methodology and the resultant empirical relations one can analyze any compression-ignition IC-engine configuration for the prediction of the un-muffled noise without having to carry out the time-domain simulation of the exhaust source. The goal of this work is to parameterize the source characteristics of an engine in terms of basic engine parameters, so that a first assessment of the un-muffled noise can be made before a detailed design is taken up. Though this empirical approach may not be able to predict actual noise spectra precisely, yet this serves a useful purpose. One of the results has also been corroborated with the measured value in order to validate the methodology presented here.
The Peculiar Nodal Generator: A Speculation
Authors: Vollen Jason , Clifford Dale
Published: April 2010

Economically abandoned cities as well as urban cores depopulated because of catastrophic events have spawned urban renewal projects of all varieties. Often these projects promote civic programs such as arenas, theaters, museums, and aquariums as replacements for what was once an interactive public realm. Unfortunately the realization of these large programs promotes a disconnected series of sequestered activities rather than the prospect of a lively and potentially frenetic urban center governed by chance interactions. As an intervening strategy, this paper considers the possibility of implementing Nodal Generators, responsive systems that sense and adapt to environmental fluctuations to create localized microclimates capable of providing unscripted public space in the discarded and interstitial regions of the modern city. Inspired biotically and explored digitally, the Nodal Generators provide a linkage between community and technology using smart materials and adaptive assemblies. This paper details several speculations on the nature and form of these nodes and proposes their implementation into urban arid situations.

We can postulate that while the nodal generators speculated upon in this paper might at first draw attention to themselves through spectacle, they will ultimately create a shared community experience through eventual inhabitation of that public space.
Control and Collaboration: Digital Fabrication Strategies in Academia and Practice
Authors: Garber Richard , Jabi Wassim
Published: April 2010

The integration of digital tools currently being used in many schools and offices with Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) hardware, has allowed architects to exert a far greater degree of control than they have previously been afforded. It is precisely this control that enables greater collaboration during design phases between architects and fabricators. However, the impact of this integration on academia and small practice is unknown. Several questions remain to be answered regarding teaching fabrication techniques and identifying strategies suitable for adoption in small firms. This paper investigates digital fabrication not as a software-specific set of capabilities, but as a design methodology that can allow schools to graduate young practitioners who can use these concepts to design and manage projects in more sophisticated ways. We outline six control and collaboration strategies and present several projects that explore those concepts through analog, digital, and hybrid methods.
An Intuitive Interface for Building Management and Planning
Authors: de Vries Bauke , Buma Sjoerd , Jessurun Joran
Published: April 2010

Building management and planning professionals utilize database systems for administrative support, but these systems are inadequate for conveying architectural plans. In this article we describe the so-called Virtual Maquette that was developed at the Eindhoven University of Technology for the board of the University. The Virtual Maquette consists of a vertical display for 3D view and information of building stock, and an interactive horizontal display for manipulation of view and information. Interaction is implemented using infrared tracking of devices that are positioned on the desktop with the projected plan view. Through this interface the states of the buildings can be inspected at different periods in history and in the future. The support of multiple devices in a single environment is a technical challenge, but it provides a new interaction method for non-technical persons.
Experimenting with 3D Digitization of Architectural Physical Models Using Laser Scanning Technology
Authors: Hadjri Karim
Published: April 2010

This paper assesses the use of 3D Digitization techniques by carrying out laser scanning of typical physical models produced by architecture students. The aim was to examine the product of laser scanning with respect to scanning and 3D modeling processes, and the effects of variables such as characteristics of the models, materials used, and design complexity. In order to assess the similarities and accuracies achieved by the scanning and 3D modeling processes, the research investigated human perception of differences between analogue and digital models. This enabled an assessment of the degree to which digital models were accurate representations of the real ones, and whether laser scanning can successfully be used as a medium to recreate and represent complex architectural physical models. The study presents a potential direction for digital translation in architectural education.
Virtual Reality Model of the Northern Sluice of the Ancient Dam in Marib/Yemen by Combination of Digital Photogrammetry and Terrestrial Laser Scanning for Archaeological Applications
Authors: Kersten Thomas P.
Published: April 2010

In this paper the potential of digital photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning in combination is demonstrated in the recording and 3D CAD construction of the northern sluice of the ancient dam in Marib/Yemen, which is located approx. 150 kilometre east of the capital city Sana'a, close to the inner Arabic desert. The Yemeni government proposed for initiation of the building into the list of the UNESCO world cultural heritage. This described project work is a co-operation between the Commission for Archaeology of Non-European Cultures (KAAK) Bonn of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and the department Geomatics of the HafenCity University Hamburg. The object recording was carried out in January 2006 with the digital SLR camera Fujifilm FinePix S2 pro and the terrestrial laser scanner Trimble GS100 during the archaeological excavations. The northern sluice was reconstructed and visualized as a computer-based 3D CAD model for archaeological investigations (as-built-documentation of the excavations) and for future tourism advertising and publication purposes.
A Spatial Information System for the Archaeological Site of Mycenae
Authors: Ioannidis Charalabos , Potsiou Chryssy , Soile Sofia
Published: April 2010

Digital and automated photogrammetric procedures, developed for the collection and management of spatial data, and terrestrial laser scanning systems provide new capabilities for documentation of archaeological monuments and sites. Also, special tools in Spatial Information Systems and production of virtual models have been developed. Their combination provides relevant scientists (architects, archaeologists, etc) and users with a variety of options for the creation of integrated systems capable for documentation, restoration and cultural development of archaeological sites. Detailed 2D and 3D representation of the current condition of the site, development of a multi-purpose SIS, and introduction of modern digital products at a local museum, such as 3D models, creation of virtual environment and Web applications are some of them. Application of such techniques and systems was made to the archaeological site of the Mycenae in Greece, one of the most important sites worldwide.
Hypermedia Urban Models in Virtual Environments: Case Studies of Central Areas of Argentine Cities
Authors: Barros Diana Rodríguez , Castañe Dora , Stipech Alfredo
Published: April 2010

The virtual models of urban fragments recreate environments of simulation and analysis with a great degree of realism. This paper addresses a review of case studies in which Argentine researchers from three different university centres have worked jointly. We examine spatial databases from a representational and communicational perspective as virtual 3D, walk-through, and interconnected urban models. Our aim is to explore, recognise and analyse advances in this direction, and to apply them to the development of virtual models of central areas in the Argentine cities of Buenos Aires, Rosario, Santa Fe and Mar del Plata. We present the methodology used to analyse the design, production and management processes of the virtual model as well as the results of our research. We acknowledge that these models are consistent non-traditional instruments of analysis which complement the knowledge of the city and facilitate spatial comprehension. Finally, we review predominant tendencies.
A Study of a Successful Experienced Elite Handball Coach's Cognitive Processes in Competition Situations
Authors: Debanne Thierry , Fontayne Paul
Published: April 2010

This study explores the cognitive management of a successful experienced elite handball coach during a competition. A coach's activity was examined based on a “single case” by analyzing the content of two types of interviews (semi-structured, stimulated recall) through deductive, then inductive approaches. Results showed: (a) in the planning phase, game plans intended for the competition were elaborated from situations that had long been mastered during training sessions: And (b) in the interactive phase on offense, the coach carried out adjustments through his players (especially the playmaker); on defense, changes were made using a basic knowledge of game systems. The coach's activity was organized into six prioritized tasks relating to: i) players' physical engagement; ii) management of collective duels; iii) management of individual duels; iv) refereeing; v) players' energy management; and vi) technical-tactical instruction to the substitutes. Cognition was principally distributed by interacting with the team's playmaker.
Organisational Stressors, Coping, and Coping Effectiveness: A Longitudinal Study with an Elite Coach
Authors: Levy Andrew , Nicholls Adam , Marchant David , Polman Remco
Published: April 2010

The purpose of this study was to examine organisational stressors, coping, and perceptions of coping effectiveness with an elite coach. The participant completed a daily diary over a 28-day period. Each diary entry consisted of an open-ended stressor, a coping response section, and a Likert-type scale measure of coping effectiveness. Inductive and deductive content analysis procedures were used to analyse the diaries, in addition to frequency data which were obtained for both stressors and coping strategies. Findings indicated administration, overload, competition environment, the athletes, and team atmosphere were the salient organisational stressors. Coping strategies used to alleviate such stressors were communication, preparation, planning, social support, and self-talk. These strategies were generally effective, but coping effectiveness declined over the 28-days.
A Fixed-Wing Biplane MAV for Low Speed Missions
Authors: Thipyopas Chinnapat , Moschetta Jean-Marc
Published: April 2010

Practical MAV missions, such as outdoor urban environment recognitions, simultaneously require a capability of both dashing to escape enemy fire and slowly loitering over a target in order to capture and transmit clear images to a ground station. Since an MAV intrinsically offers better payload and endurance capabilities than a rotorcraft of an equal size, fixed-wing MAVs can be considered as promising platforms to start with. The objective of this study is to investigate the possibility of developing a fixed-wing MAV which can both perform rapid translations and low-speed flights through urban canyons. A low-speed wind tunnel testing is conducted to compare several powered configurations including monoplane, biplane and tandem wing combinations. The testing also focuses on wing-propeller interactions. Results indicate that a positive-stagger biplane configuration powered by counter-rotating propellers placed in pusher position provides the best trade-off between a high-speed performance and a low-speed capability with a limited electric consumption. Consequently, a 30 cm-span MAV biplane prototype, named TYTO-30, has been designed and built. TYTO-30 is equipped with a 110g-payload which includes a video camera, navigation and autopilot system and has been flight tested successfully.
First come, first served revisited: Factors affecting the same alternative splicing event have different effects on the relative rates of intron removal
Authors: de la Mata Manuel , Lafaille Celina , Kornblihtt Alberto R.
Published: April 2010

Alternative splicing accounts for much of the complexity in higher eukaryotes. Thus, its regulation must allow for flexibility without hampering either its specificity or its fidelity. The mechanisms involved in alternative splicing regulation, especially those acting through coupling with transcription, have not been deeply studied in in vivo models. Much of our knowledge comes from in vitro approaches, where conditions can be precisely controlled at the expense of losing several levels of regulation present in intact cells. Here we studied the relative order of removal of the introns flanking a model alternative cassette exon. We show that there is a preferential removal of the intron downstream from the cassette exon before the upstream intron has been removed. Most importantly, both cis-acting mutations and trans-acting factors that regulate the model alternative splicing event differentially affect the relative order of removal. However, reduction of transcriptional elongation causing higher inclusion of the cassette exon does not change the order of intron removal, suggesting that the assumption, according to the “first come, first served” model, that slow elongation promotes preferential excision of the upstream intron has to be revised. We propose instead that slow elongation favors commitment to exon inclusion during spliceosome assembly. Our results reveal that measuring the order of intron removal may be a straightforward read-out to discriminate among different mechanisms of alternative splice site selection.
Operational Flexibility and Financial Hedging: Complements or Substitutes?
Authors: Chod Jiri , Rudi Nils , Van Mieghem Jan A.
Published: April 2010

We consider a firm that invests in capacity under demand uncertainty and thus faces two related but distinct types of risk: mismatch between capacity and demand and profit variability. Whereas mismatch risk can be mitigated with greater operational flexibility, profit variability can be reduced through financial hedging. We show that the relationship between these two risk mitigating strategies depends on the type of flexibility: Product flexibility and financial hedging tend to be complements (substitutes)—i.e., product flexibility tends to increase (decrease) the value of financial hedging, and, vice versa, financial hedging tends to increase (decrease) the value of product flexibility—when product demands are positively (negatively) correlated. In contrast to product flexibility, postponement flexibility is a substitute to financial hedging as intuitively expected. Although our analytical results assume perfect flexibility and perfect hedging and rely on a linear approximation of the value of hedging, we validate their robustness in an extensive numerical study.
Mimicry in social interaction: Benefits for mimickers, mimickees, and their interaction
Authors: Stel Mariëlle , Vonk Roos
Published: April 2010

Mimicry has benefits for people in social interactions. However, evidence regarding the consequences of mimicry is incomplete. First, research on mimicry has particularly focused on effects of being mimicked. Secondly, on the side of the mimicker evidence is correlational or lacks real interaction data. The present study investigated effects for mimickers and mimickees in face‐to‐face interaction. Feelings towards the immediate interaction partner and the interaction in which mimicry takes place were measured after an interaction between two participants in which mimicry did or did not occur. Results revealed that mimickers and mimickees became more affectively attuned to each other due to bidirectional influences of mimicry. Additionally, both mimickers and mimickees reported more feelings of having bonded with each other and rated the interaction as smoother.
Single-Tube Analysis of DNA Methylation with Silica Superparamagnetic Beads
Authors: Bailey Vasudev J , Zhang Yi , Keeley Brian P , Yin Chao , Pelosky Kristen L , Brock Malcolm , Baylin Stephen B , Herman James G , Wang Tza-Huei
Published: April 2010

Background: DNA promoter methylation is a signature for the silencing of tumor suppressor genes. Most widely used methods to detect DNA methylation involve 3 separate, independent processes: DNA extraction, bisulfite conversion, and methylation detection via a PCR method, such as methylation-specific PCR (MSP). This method includes many disconnected steps with associated losses of material, potentially reducing the analytical sensitivity required for analysis of challenging clinical samples.

Methods: Methylation on beads (MOB) is a new technique that integrates DNA extraction, bisulfite conversion, and PCR in a single tube via the use of silica superparamagnetic beads (SSBs) as a common DNA carrier for facilitating cell debris removal and buffer exchange throughout the entire process. In addition, PCR buffer is used to directly elute bisulfite-treated DNA from SSBs for subsequent target amplifications. The diagnostic sensitivity of MOB was evaluated by methylation analysis of the CDKN2A [cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (melanoma, p16, inhibits CDK4); also known as p16INK4a] promoter in serum DNA of lung cancer patients and compared with that of conventional methods.

Results: Methylation analysis consisting of DNA extraction followed by bisulfite conversion and MSP was successfully carried out within 9 h in a single tube. The median pre-PCR DNA yield was 6.61-fold higher with the MOB technique than with conventional techniques. Furthermore, MOB increased the diagnostic sensitivity in our analysis of the CDKN2A promoter in patient serum by successfully detecting methylation in 74% of cancer patients, vs the 45% detection rate obtained with conventional techniques.

Conclusions: The MOB technique successfully combined 3 processes into a single tube, thereby allowing ease in handling and an increased detection throughput. The increased pre-PCR yield in MOB allowed efficient, diagnostically sensitive methylation detection.
Validation of an Enzyme Immunoassay for Detection and Semiquantification of Cannabinoids in Oral Fluid
Authors: Schwope David M , Milman Garry , Huestis Marilyn A
Published: April 2010

Background: Oral fluid (OF) is gaining prominence as an alternative matrix for monitoring drugs of abuse in the workplace, criminal justice, and driving under the influence of drugs programs. It is important to characterize assay performance and limitations of screening techniques for Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in OF.

Methods: We collected OF specimens by use of the Quantisal™ OF collection device from 13 daily cannabis users after controlled oral cannabinoid administration. All specimens were tested with the Immunalysis Sweat/OF THC Direct ELISA and confirmed by 2-dimensional GC-MS.

Results: The limit of detection was <1 μg/L THC equivalent, and the assay demonstrated linearity from 1 to 50 μg/L, with semiquantification to 200 μg/L. Intraplate imprecision (n = 7) ranged from 2.9% to 7.7% CV, and interplate imprecision (n = 20) was 3.0%–9.1%. Cross-reactivities at 4 μg/L were as follows: 11-hydroxy-THC, 198%; Δ8-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ8-THC), 128%; 11-nor-9-carboxy-THC (THCCOOH), 121%; THC (target), 98%; cannabinol, 87%; THCCOOH-glucuronide, 11%; THC-glucuronide, 10%; and cannabidiol, 2.4%. Of 499 tested OF specimens, 52 confirmed positive (THC 2.0–290 μg/L), with 100% diagnostic sensitivity at the proposed Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration screening cutoff of 4 μg/L cannabinoids and GC-MS cutoff of 2 μg/L THC. Forty-seven specimens screened positive but were not confirmed by 2D-GC-MS, yielding 89.5% diagnostic specificity and 90.6% diagnostic efficiency. Thirty-one of 47 unconfirmed immunoassay positive specimens were from 1 individual and contained >400 ng/L THCCOOH, potentially contributing to cross-reactivity.

Conclusions: The Immunalysis Sweat/OF THC Direct ELISA is an effective screening procedure for detecting cannabinoids in OF.
Paradigm Shift: New Religious Movements and Quests for Meaning and Community in Contemporary Israel
Authors: Ariel Yaakov
Published: April 2010

Since the 1970s a growing number of Israelis have moved to seek spiritual fulfillment and communal attachments in new religious movements. The crisis of secular modernist Zionist Israel, which started after the Yom Kippur War in 1973, allowed new religious movements to find a fruitful ground for their activities. Many of these new groups developed within the Jewish tradition, often attracting followers based on different ethnic, political and gender sensitivities. Non-Jewish religious movements have also competed in an increasingly open market of spiritual and communal choices in Israeli society. The groups that have done particularly well are those that do not present "foreign deities" as part of their messages. New religious movements have helped Westernize and democratize Israeli society, turning Israel into a nation where individuals have the freedom to join or create new spiritual communities based on their preferences.
Buddha-Dhamma in Israel: Explicit Non-Religious and Implicit Non-Secular Localization of Religion
Authors: Loss Joseph
Published: April 2010

This article describes and analyzes aspects of non-religious and non-secular translation and localization of a world religious tradition in the contemporary post-secular globalized period. The case under consideration is the recent phenomenon of Jewish-Israeli adoption of Buddha-Dhamma (the path of the Buddha). The article presents ethnographic as well as quantitative data to highlight two seemingly opposing practices regarding religion and secularism. On the one hand Israeli practitioners reject religious identity by explicitly distinguishing Dhamma from the Buddhist religion. Nevertheless on specific occasions they combine their Dhamma practice with Jewish symbols and customs. Thus, they reject implicitly secular identity as well. These simultaneous and seemingly contrasting practices have several consequences: they reaffirm local national identity that is entangled with local Jewish religion; they cultivate a cosmopolitan identity; and finally they religionize global others, specifically Buddhist Asians.
The kidney in acromegaly: renal structure and function in patients with acromegaly during active disease and 1 year after disease remission
Authors: Auriemma Renata S , Galdiero Mariano , De Martino Maria C , De Leo Monica , Grasso Ludovica F S , Vitale Pasquale , Cozzolino Alessia , Lombardi Gaetano , Colao Annamaria , Pivonello Rosario
Published: April 2010

Background

The GH/insulin-like growth factor 1 axis is physiologically involved in the regulation of electrolytes and water homeostasis by kidneys, and influences glomerular filtration and tubular re-absorption processes. The aim of the study was to investigate renal structure and function in acromegalic patients during active disease and disease remission.

Patients

Thirty acromegalic patients (15 males and 15 females), aged 32–70 years, were enrolled for the study. Tende novopatients had active disease, whereas 20 patients showed disease remission 1 year after medical treatment with somatostatin analogs (SA) (ten patients) or surgery (ten patients). Thirty healthy subjects matched for age, gender, and body surface area were enrolled as controls.

Results

In both active (A) and controlled (C) patients, creatinine clearance (P<0.001) and citrate (P<0.05) and oxalate levels (P<0.001) were higher, whereas filtered Na (P<0.001) and K (P<0.001) fractional excretions were lower than those in the controls. Urinary Ca (P<0.001) and Ph (P<0.05) levels were significantly increased compared with the controls, and in patients with disease control, urinary Ca (P<0.001) levels were significantly reduced compared with active patients. Microalbuminuria was significantly increased in active patients (P<0.05) compared with controlled patients and healthy control subjects. The longitudinal (P<0.05) and transverse (P<0.05) diameters of kidneys were significantly higher than those in the controls. In all patients, the prevalence of micronephrolithiasis was higher than that in the controls (P<0.001), and was significantly correlated to disease duration (r=0.871,P<0.001) and hydroxyproline values (r=0.639,P<0.001).

Conclusions

The results of the current study demonstrated that acromegaly affects both renal structure and function. The observed changes are not completely reversible after disease remission.
Positive association between plasma IGF1 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in adult nondiabetic subjects
Authors: Succurro Elena , Arturi Franco , Grembiale Alessandro , Iorio Fiorella , Laino Irma , Andreozzi Francesco , Sciacqua Angela , Hribal Marta Letizia , Perticone Francesco , Sesti Giorgio
Published: April 2010

Aims

Low IGF1 levels have been associated with an increased cardiovascular risk. It is unknown however whether IGF1 mediates the atherosclerotic process by modulating high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) independently from confounders. To address this issue, we evaluated the association between IGF1 levels and HDL-C in nondiabetic subjects.

Methods

A cross-sectional analysis was used in the context of the CAtanzaro MEtabolic RIsk factors Study. One thousand and four participants (aged 20–69 years), for whom HDL-C and IGF1 measurements were available, were eligible for the study.

Results

After adjusting for gender and age, IGF1 levels were positively correlated with HDL-C, and negatively correlated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure (BP), triglyceride, fasting insulin, and homeostasis model assessment (HOMA). In a logistic regression model adjusted for age and gender, IGF1 in the lowest tertile (<125 ng/ml) was associated with an increased risk of having low HDL-C (odds ratio (OR) 2.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–3.0; P=4×10−5) compared with the highest tertile (>186 ng/ml). When BMI, waist circumference, total cholesterol, triglyceride, and HOMA index were added to the model, IGF1 remained significantly associated with increased risk of low HDL-C (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.01–2.31; P=0.04). A stepwise multivariate regression analysis in a model including age, gender, BMI, total cholesterol, triglycerides, IGF1, HOMA, and BP showed that the variables significantly associated with HDL-C were gender (P<0.0001), triglycerides (P<0.0001), total cholesterol (P<0.0001), BMI (P<0.0001), IGF1 levels (P<0.0001), and HOMA (P=0.001), accounting for 32.6% of its variation.

Conclusions

These data provide evidence that IGF1 may be an independent modulator for HDL-C in nondiabetic individuals.
Fertilization capacity with rainbow trout DNA-damaged sperm and embryo developmental success
Authors: Pérez-Cerezales S , Martínez-Páramo S , Beirão J , Herráez M P
Published: April 2010

Mammalian spermatozoa undergo a strong selection process along the female tract to guarantee fertilization by good quality cells, but risks of fertilization with DNA-damaged spermatozoa have been reported. In contrast, most external fertilizers such as fish seem to have weaker selection procedures. This fact, together with their high prolificacy and external embryo development, indicates that fish could be useful for the study of the effects of sperm DNA damage on embryo development. We cryopreserved sperm from rainbow trout using egg yolk and low-density lipoprotein as additives to promote different rates of DNA damage. DNA fragmentation and oxidization were analyzed using comet assay with and without digestion with restriction enzymes, and fertilization trials were performed. Some embryo batches were treated with 3-aminobenzamide (3AB) to inhibit DNA repair by the poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, which is an enzyme of the base excision repair pathway. Results showed that all the spermatozoa cryopreserved with egg yolk carried more than 10% fragmented DNA, maintaining fertilization rates of 61.1±2.3 but a high rate of abortions, especially during gastrulation, and only 14.5±4.4 hatching success. Furthermore, after 3AB treatment, hatching dropped to 3.2±2.2, showing that at least 10% DNA fragmentation was repaired. We conclude that trout sperm maintains its ability to fertilize in spite of having DNA damage, but that embryo survival is affected. Damage is partially repaired by the oocyte during the first cleavage. Important advantages of using rainbow trout for the study of processes related to DNA damage and repair during development have been reported.
A whole-of-the-catchment water accounting framework to facilitate public–private investments: an example from Australia
Authors: Khan S. , Rana T. , Hanjra Munir A.
Published: April 2010

Often, information on spatial water use efficiencies in a whole-of-the-catchment context does not exist or does not feed into the water policy process to guide investments. Significant gains in water use efficiency are achievable but the water savings are often assumed rather than identified systematically. This paper used a whole-of-the-catchment water accounting framework to identify the main pathways to enhance water use efficiency, taking the Murrumbidgee catchment in the Murray–Darling Basin in Australia as an example. The results show that large amounts of water remain unaccounted for in the river system account; the true water losses occur in the nearfarm and onfarm zones, most of which can be saved cost effectively. The catchment water accounting procedure thus offers a useful framework for bringing unaccounted/lost water flows into human and environmental uses, for enhancing water use efficiency, for targeting investments to the water system components with the largest potential gains in efficiency, and for garnering private sector investments to realize true water savings. The pro-investment technical and institutional, as well as governance and policy, interventions to revamp private sector participation in water infrastructure are articulated.
The Yuma desalting plant and Cienega de Santa Clara dispute: a case study review of a workgroup process
Authors: Judkins Gabriel L. , Larson Kelli
Published: April 2010

Despite progress in international water management in recent decades, innovative methods for ongoing collaborative decision making are still needed to resolve and avoid disputes over transboundary waters. One such conflict is over the operation of the Yuma Desalting Plant (YDP) in Arizona, which has implications for the Cienega de Santa Clara, a recently formed downstream wetland in Mexico. Although treaties have been negotiated in the past to govern the quantity and quality of Colorado River water entering Mexico from the USA, renewed interest in reclaiming low quality wastewater in the context of a long-run drought has sparked a new conflict over developing this water supply for human use or maintaining the flows for ecosystem protection. The formation of a problem-focused workgroup, unofficially representing a range of interested parties, is reviewed as a creative, complementary solution to address this dispute. Specific strengths and limitations of the approach are discussed within the broader context of managing international waters. While the workgroup shows innovation as a collaborative process for conflict resolution, the lack of an open, transparent process and the exclusion of Mexico threaten the successful resolution of the YDP dispute and potential future conflicts over transboundary waters.
A weekly operational planning model for a run-off-the-river system: some simulation results from the Tambiraparani river, Tamil Nadu, India
Authors: Jothiprakash V. , Mohandoss R.
Published: April 2010

In the present study, a weekly operational planning model has been developed using a simulation technique for the Tambiraparani river system in Tamil Nadu, India. A planning model has been developed incorporating the important features of the existing operational policy. Paddy is the main crop cultivated in three seasons, although banana is cultivated to an appreciable extent, it has not been recognized in the existing operational policy. The major task of the water resources manager is to find the area under paddy during the third season namely, the Advance Kar season. The main objective of the present study is to simulate the temporal distribution of the available water in the Tambiraparani river system. Simulation is carried out for various possible extents of Advance Kar area and banana area for various initial storage conditions. It is found that the entire Tambiraparani river system could be managed without deficit by reducing the release of water by 10–25% during the non-stress crop periods and also by lagging the starting period of the season by one or two weeks. If this management is practiced during average inflow years, it is possible to maintain the same final storage as the initial storage during the start of the season. Thus the polices derived using the present study would be more useful to the system managers enabling them to authorize the area under paddy during the Advance Kar season and also to help them to maintain the required storage for the next season.
Private sector driven supply chains in Ghana's rural water sector
Authors: Adinyira E. , Sohail M. , Oteng-Seifah S. , Adjei-Kumi T.
Published: April 2010

Since 1993, the rural water sector of Ghana has implemented a policy of increased private sector partnerships within the sector. The policy has resulted in private sector driven supply chains in rural water supply. This paper takes a look at these private sector driven supply chains and at the perceptions of various stakeholders regarding their outputs. These perceptions were gathered through a survey carried out in two communities in Ghana. The paper concludes that though supply chains in the two communities are significantly private sector driven, demand for installation services are directly linked to the activities of implementing agencies (government, NGOs, international donor agencies) while that of repair services, maintenance and spare parts are directly linked to the installed equipment. Policy makers must therefore look more closely at the role of agencies responsible for the implementation of their policies to ensure that maximum benefits are derived from increased private sector partnership.
Linking water policy innovation and urban renewal: the case of Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Authors: van der Brugge Rutger , de Graaf Rutger
Published: April 2010

Different strategy positions are possible with regard to new urban water infrastructural investments. A relatively new position argues that new water infrastructure needs to be linked to ongoing urban developments. This article investigates how the urban water management organizations in Rotterdam developed its climate adaptation strategy by creating urban development strategies that are sensitive to water issues. A crucial factor was the recognition that water could contribute to solving urban problems by upgrading neighbourhood quality. In this case study, a multi-level analysis is used to reconstruct the urban water management cascade, that is, the turns in thinking made by the Rotterdam water professionals, leading to this new approach. In particular the interactions between the envisioning project Rotterdam Water City 2035 and the broader policy context in this cascade together with how they were managed strategically are investigated. This research indicates that the Rotterdam urban water management organizations realized a successful water policy innovation; however, the institutional mechanisms needed to realize, operate and maintain the proposed multi-stakeholder projects on a city-wide scale are still missing. This is currently the major challenge for realizing climate adaptation in terms of water sensitive urban development.
The Impact of Job Stress on Smoking and Quitting: Evidence from the HRS
Authors: Ayyagari Padmaja , Sindelar Jody L
Published: April 2010

Job-related stress might affect smoking behavior because smoking may relieve stress and stress can make individuals more present-focused. Alternatively, individuals may both self-select into stressful jobs and choose to smoke based on unobserved factors. We use data from the Health and Retirement Study to examine how job stress affects the probability that smokers quit and the number of cigarettes smoked for current smokers. To address the potential endogeneity of job stress based on time invariant factors, we include individual fixed effects, which control for factors such as ability to handle stress. Occupational fixed effects are also included to control for occupational characteristics other than stress; time dummies control for the secular decline in smoking rates. Using a sample of people who smoked in the previous wave, we find that job stress is positively related to continuing to smoke among recent smokers. The results indicate that the key impact of stress is on the extensive margin of smoking, as opposed to the number of cigarettes smoked.
Immigration, Citizenship, and the Size of Government
Authors: Ortega Francesc
Published: April 2010

I study the political sustainability of the welfare state in an environment where immigration is the main demographic force and where governments choose immigration policy. Voters anticipate their children's prospects of economic mobility and the future political consequences of today's policies. The skill distribution evolves due to intergenerational skill upgrading and immigration. I consider three regimes: permanent migration with citizenship granted by jus soli, permanent migration with jus sanguinis, and temporary migration. The main finding is that under permanent migration and jus soli there exists equilibria where redistribution is sustained indefinitely, despite constant skill upgrading. This is not the case in the other regimes. The crucial insight is that unskilled voters trade-off the lower wages from larger unskilled immigration with the increased political support for redistribution provided by the children of the current immigrants. These mechanisms are relevant for the ongoing debates over comprehensive immigration reform in the U.S, and elsewhere.
The influence of filler type on the corrosion stability of the sulfure concrete
Authors: Vidojkovic Velislav , Boljanac Tamara , Brankovic Andjelka , Vlahovic Milica , Martinovic Sanja , Djordjevic Natasa
Published: April 2010

Sulfur concrete was prepared by using the initial components: sand as an aggregate, modified sulfur binder, and talc, alumina, microsilica, and fly ash as fillers. Portland cement concrete was made of the same aggregate and fillers and portland cement. The durability of prepared concrete samples was tested in following aggressive solutions: 10% HCl, 20% H2SO4, and 3% NaCl as a function of time. Changes in mass and strength of the sulfur concrete were monitored periodicallly during the immersion time of 360 days in above solutions. These changes were used as a measure of deterioration level. It should be highlighted that the samples with the ash and especially talc exhibit higher durability in the solutions of HCl and H2SO4 than the samples with alumina and microsilica. In the solutions of NaCl all samples shown excellent durability while the samples with talc were the best. Portland cement concrete samples after two months lost 20 % of mass and shown degradation of mechanical properties. By usage of sulfur for sulfur concrete production, huge environmental problem regarding storage of waste sulfur from oil refining process is solved. On the other hand, sulfur concrete with its low price has an excellent quality for the application in aggressive environments unlike more expensive PCC.
A model for reliability analysis and calculation applied in an example from chemical industry
Authors: Pejovic Branko , Tadic Goran , Jotanovic Milovan , Tomic Milorad , Micic Vladan
Published: April 2010

The subject of the paper is reliability design in polymerization processes that occur in reactors of a chemical industry. The designed model is used to determine the characteristics and indicators of reliability, which enabled the determination of basic factors that result in a poor development of a process. This would reduce the anticipated losses through the ability to control them, as well as enabling the improvement of the quality of production, which is the major goal of the paper. The reliability analysis and calculation uses the deductive method based on designing of a scheme for fault tree analysis of a system based on inductive conclusions. It involves the use standard logical symbols and rules of Boolean algebra and mathematical logic. The paper eventually gives the results of the work in the form of quantitative and qualitative reliability analysis of the observed process, which served to obtain complete information on the probability of top event in the process, as well as objective decision making and alternative solutions.
Academic roots of chemical engineering in XVIII and XIX century in middle Europe
Authors: Halasi Tibor , Kalamkovic Snezana , Cvjeticanin Stanko
Published: April 2010

Roots of chemical engineering in Middle Europe lead to the first mining and metallurgy academies, established in VIII century in Upper Hungaria and in Bohemian Kingdom. Chemical engineering skills originate from ancient Egyptian handicraft, alchemy, technical chemistry, pneumochemistry and phlogiston chemistry. Development of mining and metallurgy coincided with great scientific discoveries and industrial revolution. In Middle Europe, the first such academies were opened in St. Joachimstahl and in Schemnitz, and the first Serbian mining engineers Djordje Brankovic, Vasilije Bozic and Stevan Pavlovic studied, as well as the first chemistry professor of the High School in Belgrade, Mihajlo Raskovic. Eminent professors were employed by the Schemnitz academy, such as: Nicol Jacquin, Giovanni Scopoli, Ignaz von Born and Christian Doppler. It is important to emphasize that Shemnitz practiced the first modern, practical laboratory education. In VIII century, Schemnitz Mining and metallurgy academy was the most contemporary educational insistution for engineers. However, in XIX century, mining and metallurgy academies stagnated, due to the replacement of professional academies with polytechnic schools, technical universities and scientific research institutes.