bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feasibility Analysis of Groundwater Abstraction for Gas Shale Fracturing in the Lublin Basin (Eastern Poland) / Ocena Możliwości Poboru Wód Podziemnych Do Szczelinowania Łupków Gazonośnych W Basenie Lubelskim (Wschodnia Polska)
Authors: Duda Robert , Macuda Jan
Published: May 2015

Natural gas extraction from shale rock necessitates hydraulic fracturing of rocks, which involves large amounts of fracture fluids made of 90.5% of water. The authors focus on feasibility of groundwater abstraction for the purpose of applying fracture fluids in wells of the Lublin Basin - area of perspective unconventional gas exploitation from the Ordovician and the Silurian shales. These data refer to the expected specific capacity of wells abstracting groundwater from main useful aquifers. Specific capacity of a well (q) belongs to high-certainty empirical parameters, characterizing water-bearing capacity of rocks at a regional scale. The spatial evaluation of q was based on respective data coming from 7 sheets of the Hydrogeological Map of Poland (scale 1:200,000) covering research area. Specific capacity q was calculated for wells abstracting water from the Upper Cretaceous, Tertiary and Quaternary aquifers in areas presented on particular sheets of the map. Authors determined the variability distribution and the cumulative probability plots of q values, indicating a range which corresponded to a sum of standard deviation (SD) above and below median (X̄), i.e. X̄ ± 1SD. On the total the interval included 68.2% of data. The results reveal that 0.6 ≤ q ≤ 40 m3h-1 per 1 meter of drawdown for the Upper Cretaceous rocks in the eastern part of the area, and 1.1 ≤ q ≤ 110 m3h-1 per 1 meter in the western part, being a result of more intense fracturing and fissuring. Owing to the scarcity of data, q values of wells screened at the Tertiary and Quaternary aquifers are given jointly for the whole area: 0.8 ≤ q ≤ 20 and 1.0 ≤ q ≤ 10 m3h-1 per 1 meter, respectively. The obtained specific capacities are high. When the wells are properly designed, their discharges may reach about ca. 100 m3h-1.
Determining the Optimum Cut-Off Grades in Sulfide Copper Deposits / Określanie Optymalnej Wartości Odcięcia Zawartości Procentowej Pierwiastka Użytecznego W Złożach Siarczku Miedzi
Authors: Rahimi Esmaeil , Oraee Kazem , Shafahi Zia Aldin , Ghasemzadeh Hasan
Published: May 2015

Optimum cut-off grades determination in mining life affects production planning and ultimate pit limit and it is also important from social, economical and environmental aspects. Calculation of optimum cut-off grades has been less considered for mines containing various mineral processing methods. In this paper, an optimization technique is applied to obtain optimum cut-off grades for both concentration and heap leaching processes. In this technique, production costs and different recoveries of heap leaching method directed into modeling different annual cash flows in copper mines. Considering the governing constraints, the Lagrange multiplier method is practiced to optimize the cut-off grades in which the objective function is supposed to maximize Net Present Value. The results indicate the effect of heap leaching process on the optimum cut-off grades of primary and secondary sulfide deposits.
The Modernization of the Energy Sector in Denmark / Modernizacja Sektora Energii W Danii
Authors: Frączek Paweł
Published: May 2015

Denmark is among the leaders who change their energy policy to guarantee its stable and sustainable character. The consistent pursuit of an energy policy enabled the country to lower both the level of its energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions, while providing grounds for economic development. The study demonstrates that the main factors which led to the transition of Danish energy policy were the oil crisis of the 1970s as well as public expectations regarding their energy policy which was to be based on the concept of stability and sustainability.
Das Landesbibliotheksgesetz Rheinland-Pfalz
Authors: Steinhauer Eric W.
Published: May 2015

Das neue Landesbibliotheksgesetz Rheinland-Pfalz fasst erstmals alle relevanten bibliotheksrechtlichen Vorschriften in einem einzigen Gesetz zusammen. Schwerpunkte des Gesetzes sind die Aufgaben des Landesbibliothekszentrums Rheinland-Pfalz, das Pflichtexemplarrecht sowie Regelungen über Bibliotheken als Bildungseinrichtungen und als Orte des kulturellen Gedächtnisses. Der Beitrag stellt das neue Gesetz in seinen Grundzügen vor und gibt kurze juristische Erläuterungen.
Auf „vier Rädern“ in die Cloud?
Authors: Degkwitz Andreas
Published: May 2015

Die Bibliothekssysteme der nächsten Generation der weltweit größten Anbieter Ex Libris und OCLC sind cloud-basierte Systeme. Damit verbinden sich für Bibliotheken neue Herausforderungen. Über Fragen des Datenschutzes und der Datensicherheit hinaus spielen die damit einhergehende Standardisierung von Abläufen und Workflows sowie Katalogisierung und Metadatenmanagement eine zentrale Rolle. Mit dem DFG-Projekt „Cloudbasierte Infrastruktur für Bibliotheksdaten“ (CIB) wird ein virtueller „Deutscher Datenraum“ entwickelt, in dem die bibliothekarischen Metadaten der Katalogisierungsumgebungen von ALMA (Ex Libris) und WMS (OCLC) sowie von künftigen Systemanbietern synchronisiert zur Verfügung stehen. Wie wirken sich diese Entwicklungen auf die deutsche Katalogisierungspraxis aus? Wie und in welche Richtung wird sich künftiges Metadatenmanagement verändern? Unter diesen und weiteren Gesichtspunkten soll die Frage beantwortet werden, ob Bibliotheken auf „vier Rädern“ in der Cloud ankommen.
„Quellentaucher“ – neue Wege in der Informationsrecherche
Authors: Büning Petra
Published: May 2015

Informationsvermittlung im Internetzeitalter stellt Öffentliche Bibliotheken vor neue Herausforderungen. Gibt es Möglichkeiten, klassische Medien und digitale Informationen so zu verbinden, dass beide Welten als Einheit erfahren werden? Mit dem Forschungsprojekt „Quellentaucher“ will das Land Nordrhein-Westfalen neue Möglichkeiten der Informationsrecherche entwickeln und erproben. Dem Besucher soll ein intuitives und unterhaltsames Stöber- und Rechercheerlebnis geboten werden. Das Forschungsprojekt findet in Zusammenarbeit mit der Arbeitsgruppe Mensch-Computer Interaktion an der Universität Konstanz statt.
Am Puls der Zeit: Der ZLB-Themenraum als Experimentierfeld für aktuelle Themen, digitale Inhalte und neue bibliothekarische Formate
Authors: Binz Vera , Seitenbecher Manuel
Published: May 2015

Der ZLB-Themenraum versteht sich als Antwort auf die sich verändernde Informations- und Bibliothekswelt. Um die Aktualität von Themen zeitgemäß und angemessen aufbereiten zu können, werden analoge und digitale Angebote miteinander verbunden. Denn mittlerweile gilt in der Informationsvermittlung: Keine Aktualität ohne digitale Inhalte. Ergebnis ist unter anderem die Themenraum-App. Gleichzeitig ist der Themenraum Experimentierfeld für bibliothekarische Formate, lebendiger Ort innerhalb der Bibliothek und Ausgangspunkt zahlreicher Kulturkooperationen.
Macroscopic Traffic Flow Control Via State Estimation
Authors: Abouaïssa H. , Majid H.
Published: May 2015

The studies presented in this paper deal with traffic control in case of missing data and/or when the loop detectors are faulty. We show that the traffic state estimation plays an important role in traffic prediction and control. Two approaches are presented for the estimation of the main traffic variables (traffic density and mean speed). The state constructors obtained are then used for traffic flow control. Several numerical simulations show very promising results for both traffic state estimation and control.
Public Transport Priority for Multimodal Urban Traffic Control
Authors: Bhouri Neila , Mayorano Fernando J. , Lotito Pablo A. , Haj Salem Habib , Lebacque Jean Patrick
Published: May 2015

In order to improve the travel time of surface public transport vehicles (bus, tramway, etc.), several cities use Urban Traffic Control (UTC) systems enabling to give priority to public transport. This paper reviews these systems. Further on after a debate on their insufficiencies in the global regulation of the urban traffic on a whole network, the paper proposes intermodal regulation strategies, operating on intersection traffic lights to regulate the traffic, favouring the public transport. All these strategies are based on the Linear Quadratic (LQ) optimal control theory, but they are different in their ways of taking into account the public transport in the optimization problem. The simulation tests are carried out in a network of eight intersections and two public transport lines.
Using a PicoBlaze Processor to Traffic Light Control
Authors: Ivanov Vladimir N.
Published: May 2015

This paper discusses the development of a complex device for Traffic Light Control. The device is based on a PicoBlaze microprocessor embedded in Spartan6 FPGA. Its benefits for the purposes of transport flows management are discussed.
Selective catalytic oxidation of ammonia into nitrogen and water vapour over transition metals modified Al2O3, TiO2 and ZrO2
Authors: Jabƚońska Magdalena
Published: May 2015

Copper or iron supported on commercially available oxides, such as γ-Al
facile, highly efficient and novel method for synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles catalysed by copper(I) chloride
Authors: Esirden İbrahim , Başar Erhan , Kaya Muharrem
Published: May 2015

The present study on tetrazole compounds, which have a wide area of application, proposes a new, simple and highly effective method. A series of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles were synthesised in DMF via the [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction, in which different aryl nitriles with sodium azide were used and copper(I) chloride served as a catalyst. Short reaction times, high yields and simple procedures rendered this method attractive and useful for the organic synthesis of 5-substituted 1H-tetrazoles. A further advantage was the use of an environmentally friendly catalyst.
Polyethylene glycol and iron oxide nanoparticles blended polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane for enhanced performance in dye removal studies
Authors: Krishnamoorthy Rambabu , Sagadevan Velu
Published: May 2015

Ultrafiltration (UF) is one of the most widely used membrane technologies for the effective separation of macromolecules in feed solutions. However, despite good separation efficiency, the UF membranes made up of pure polymers suffer to a greater extent because of low flux problem, which affects the process time and load. To handle this limitation, the base polymer is blended with a suitable additive to modify the structural and surface morphology of the membrane to provide better fluxes. In this current study, a series of polyethersulfone (PES) UF asymmetric membranes blended with polyethylene glycol and iron oxide nanoparticles was prepared using the phase inversion technique. Prepared membranes were analyzed for their morphology, thermal stability, and membrane characterization. Morphology studies using scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy confirmed the increase in the number of pores, pore size in support layer, and surface roughness in the blended membranes, ensuring the chances of enhanced flux. Surface hydrophilicity was increased with the increase in the iron oxide concentration in the composite membranes. Thermal analysis studies showed the better thermal stability of the blended membranes. Pure water flux of the prepared composite membranes was improved to a maximum of four times in comparison with pure PES membrane. Dye rejection studies clearly showed that the blended membranes almost had the same rejection as that of pure PES membrane. Thus, the prepared PES composite UF membrane is a promising candidate for the treatment of dye-polluted wastewater, ensuring high fluxes and effective rejection.
Influence of superabsorbent polymers on the chemical composition of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) and biological activity in the soil
Authors: Mikiciuk Grzegorz , Mikiciuk Małgorzata , Hawrot-Paw Małgorzata
Published: May 2015

By improving the air and water properties of soils, superabsorbent polymers can affect the increase and improvement of the quality of the yield of berry plants, including strawberries. Their presence in the soil has an influence on its biological activity as related to microorganisms. The aim of the research was to assess the influence of superabsorbent polymers added to the soil on the content of macroelements and sodium in the leaves and fruit of strawberry of the ‘Elsanta’ cultivar and changes in the number of soil bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi. The superabsorbent polymer (AgroHydroGel) was used in two doses: 1.8 and 3.6 g dm-3 of soil. The content of phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sodium was assessed using the ASA method, while the content of nitrogen and sulphur was assessed by the elemental analysis method (CHNS analyser). The number of microorganisms was assessed with a BacTrac analyser and the coefficient of microorganism development extent (SR) was also determined. AgroHydroGel increased the content of nitrogen and potassium in leaves and fruit but did not affect the content of phosphorus, sulphur and sodium. The addition of the superabsorbent at a dose of 3.6 g dm-3 of soil reduced the magnesium content both in the leaves and fruit of the strawberry. AgroHydroGel decreased the content of calcium in the fruit. The use of AgroHydroGel contributed to the expansion of the K ion ratio to other ions, both in the leaves and fruits. We observed a significant increase in the amount of soil bacteria (1.8 g dm-3 dose) and no significant influence on actinomycetes and fungi (irrespective of dose used).
Influence of substrate pH on the growth and flowering of Mandevilla Lindl. Sundaville® ‘Pretty Red’
Authors: Kapczyńska Anna , Magdziarz Katarzyna
Published: May 2015

Sundaville is the brand name of a new collection of cultivars of the genus Mandevilla (syn. Dipladenia), with the potential to become a leading vine in the world horticultural market. The research was carried out in order to analyse the growth of Sundaville ‘Pretty Red’ at different values of substrate pH (4.0, 4.7, 5.3 and 5.5). The study shows that flowers appeared after more than six months irrespective of soil conditions. Plants cultivated at pH 4.0 had the longest leaves, but at the highest substrate pH the widest leaf laminae were observed. Regardless of the substrate pH, the diameter of a single flower remained the same. Plants cultivated at a pH lower than 5.0 produced more flower buds and more flowers in comparison with the plants exposed to the higher pH. Moreover, pH < 5.0 positively affected the number of stems. The soil pH did not only affect the growth, but also the health of the plants. The lowest pH level (4.0) caused adverse changes to the leaves.
A Novel Compact UWB Bandpass Filter with Quad-Notched Bands Based on S-SCRLHs Resonator
Authors: Xie Changming , Wang Chunhua
Published: May 2015

A novel compact ultra-wideband (UWB) bandpass filter (BPF) with a quad band-notched function using S-SCRLHs (splitted simplified composite right/left-handed) resonator is presented. The S-SCRLHs resonator, which exhibits quadruple resonance, is realized by coupling double S-SCRLH resonator. The S-SCRLHs resonator is integrated into a conventional UWB BPF. The notched frequencies can be adjusted according to specification by altering the S-SCRLHs resonator. Band-rejected filtering properties around the C-band satellite communication band, 5.2 GHz WLAN band and the X-band satellite communication band are generated. The notching frequencies are located at 4.2/5.2/6.3/7.8 GHz. Both simulated and measured results are provided with good agreement. Compared with other BPFs, the proposed BPF has the advantages of compact size, multi-stopband and good selectivity.
Green methacrylated lignin model compounds as reactive monomers with low VOC emission for thermosetting resins
Authors: Jaswal Shipra , Gaur Bharti
Published: May 2015

Methacrylated lignin model compounds (LMCs, i.e., eugenol and guaiacol) monomers are ideal candidates as styrene replacements because they have low volatilities and can free-radically polymerize with vinyl ester resins. This article reports the synthesis of methacrylated eugenol (ME), methacrylated guaiacol (MG) using LMCs and methacrylic anhydride in the presence of 4-dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) as a catalyst. ME and MG were characterized using FT-IR,
A light-colored hydroxypropyl sulfonated alkali lignin for utilization as a dye dispersant
Authors: Qin Yanlin , Mo Wenjie , Yu Lixuan , Yang Dongjie , Qiu Xueqing
Published: May 2015

A light-colored hydroxypropyl sulfonated alkali lignin (HSAL) was synthesized based on pine alkali lignin (AL) by grafted-sulfonation and crosslinking reaction processes. The reactions were evaluated by gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), infrared (IR) and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) spectroscopy. The sulfonic group content and the molecular weight (M

w
) of HSAL significantly increased, while the phenolic hydroxyl groups diminished by around 80% compared to AL. The color of HSAL turned to light yellow compared to the dark brown color of AL, that is, it stained less the fiber. The dispersity, heat stability, and dye uptake of dye bath with HSAL was significantly improved compared to sodium lignosulfonate, sulfomethylated AL, and dispersants of the naphthalene series.
Sphingosine kinase 2 deficiency increases proliferation and migration of renal mouse mesangial cells and fibroblasts
Authors: Schwalm Stephanie , Timcheva Tankica Maneva , Filipenko Iuliia , Ebadi Mahsa , Hofmann Lotte P. , Zangemeister-Wittke Uwe , Pfeilschifter Josef , Huwiler Andrea
Published: May 2015

Both of the sphingosine kinase (SK) subtypes SK-1 and SK-2 catalyze the production of the bioactive lipid molecule sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P). However, the subtype-specific cellular functions are largely unknown. In this study, we investigated the cellular function of SK-2 in primary mouse renal mesangial cells (mMC) and embryonic fibroblasts (MEF) from wild-type C57BL/6 or SK-2 knockout (SK2ko) mice. We found that SK2ko cells displayed a significantly higher proliferative and migratory activity when compared to wild-type cells, with concomitant increased cellular activities of the classical extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) and PI3K/Akt cascades, and of the small G protein RhoA. Furthermore, we detected an upregulation of SK-1 protein and S1P3 receptor mRNA expression in SK-2ko cells. The MEK inhibitor U0126 and the S1P1/3 receptor antagonist VPC23019 blocked the increased migration of SK-2ko cells. Additionally, S1P3ko mesangial cells showed a reduced proliferative behavior and reduced migration rate upon S1P stimulation, suggesting a crucial involvement of the S1P3 receptor. In summary, our data demonstrate that SK-2 exerts suppressive effects on cell growth and migration in renal mesangial cells and fibroblasts, and that therapeutic targeting of SKs for treating proliferative diseases requires subtype-selective inhibitors.
The molecular medicine of acid ceramidase
Authors: Frohbergh Michael , He Xingxuan , Schuchman Edward H.
Published: May 2015

Acid ceramidase (N-acylsphingosine deacylase, EC 3.5.1.23; AC) is the lipid hydrolase responsible for the degradation of ceramide into sphingosine and free fatty acids within lysosomes. The enzymatic activity was first identified over four decades ago and is deficient in two rare inherited disorders, Farber lipogranulomatosis (Farber disease) and spinal muscular atrophy with myoclonic epilepsy (SMA-PME). Importantly, AC not only hydrolyzes ceramide into sphingosine within acidic compartments, but also can synthesize ceramide from sphingosine at neutral pH, suggesting that the enzyme may have diverse functions depending on its subcellular location and the local pH. Within cells, AC exists in a complex with other lipid hydrolases and requires a polypeptide cofactor (saposin D) for full hydrolytic activity. Recent studies also have shown that AC is overexpressed in several human cancers, and that inhibition of this enzyme may be a useful cancer drug target. Aberrant AC activity has also been described in several other common diseases. The cDNA and gene (ASAH1) encoding AC have been isolated, several mouse models of AC deficiency have been constructed, and the recombinant enzyme is currently being manufactured for the treatment of Farber disease and SMA-PME. Current information concerning the biology of this enzyme and its role in human disease is reviewed within.
Common Driving Notification Protocol Based on Classified Driving Behavior for Cooperation Intelligent Autonomous Vehicle Using Vehicular Ad-Hoc Network Technology
Authors: Lin Che-Hung , Dong Fang-Yan , Hirota Kaoru
Published: May 2015

A protocol, called common driving notification protocol (CDNP), is proposed based on the classified driving behavior for intelligent autonomous vehicles, and it defines a standard with common messages and format for vehicles. The common standard format and definitions of CDNP packet make the autonomous vehicles have a common language to exchange more detail driving decision information of various driving situations, decrease the identification time for one vehicle to identify the driving decisions of other vehicles before or after those driving decisions are performed. The simulation tools, including NS- 3 and SUMO, are used to simulate the wireless data packet transmission and the vehicle mobility; the experiment results present that the proposed protocol, CDNP, can increase the reaction preparing time with maximum value 250 seconds, decrease the identification time and the average travel time. Prospectively, it is decided to implement the CDNP as a protocol stack in the Linux kernel to provide the basic protocol capability for real world transmission testing.
On Merging and Dividing Social Graphs
Authors: Held Pascal , Dockhorn Alexander , Kruse Rudolf
Published: May 2015

Modeling social interaction can be based on graphs. However most models lack the flexibility of including larger changes over time. The Barabási-Albert-model is a generative model which already offers mechanisms for adding nodes. We will extent this by presenting four methods for merging and five for dividing graphs based on the Barabási- Albert-model. Our algorithms were motivated by different real world scenarios and focus on preserving graph properties derived from these scenarios. With little alterations in the parameter estimation those algorithms can be used for other graph models as well. All algorithms were tested in multiple experiments using graphs based on the Barabási- Albert-model, an extended version of the Barabási-Albert-model by Holme and Kim, the Watts-Strogatz-model and the Erdős-Rényi-model. Furthermore we concluded that our algorithms are able to preserve different properties of graphs independently from the used model. To support the choice of algorithm, we created a guideline which highlights advantages and disadvantages of discussed methods and their possible use-cases.
An Emotional Expression Model for Educational-Support Robots
Authors: Jimenez Felix , Yoshikawa Tomohiro , Furuhashi Takeshi , Kanoh Masayoshi
Published: May 2015

With the growth of robot technology, robots that assist learning have attracted increasing attention. However, users tend to lose interest in educational-support robots. To solve this problem, we propose a model of emotional expression based on human-agent interaction studies. This model in which the agent autonomously expresses the user’s emotions establishes effective interactions between agents and humans. This paper examines the psychological effect of a robot that is operated by the model of emotional expressions and the role of this effect in prompting collaborative learning.
Botanical Characteristics of Polish Honeys from Natura 2000 Habitats
Authors: Wróblewska Anna , Stawiarz Ernest
Published: May 2015

Eighteen samples of honeys which were harvested over several beekeeping seasons from apiaries located in the area of the “Kózki” Nature Reserve (central-eastern Poland) were the subject of the present study. The “Kózki” Nature Reserve is included in the European Ecological Network Natura 2000 program. A microscopic analysis of the pollen sediment in the honeys showed the presence of 61 pollen types from 32 botanical families in the investigated material. There were represented by nectariferous (72.1%) and nonnectariferous plants (27.9%) and both entomophilous and anemophilous ones. The total number of pollen taxa in individual samples ranged from 13 to 37. The main sources of nectar from trees and shrubs were: Frangula alnus, Prunus, Robinia pseudacacia, Rubus, Salix, Tilia. The main sources of nectar from herbaceous plants were: Anthriscus, Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Centaurea cyanus, Taraxacum, and Trifolium repens. Four unifloral honeys (three fruit tree honeys and one lime honey) and fourteen multifloral honeys, with a significant percentage of pollen from several nectariferous plant taxa, were distinguished in the studied material.
Ovary Development in Honeybee (Apis Mellifera L.) Workers Under Co2 Narcosis, Caged Outside of the Colony
Authors: Berger Bruno , Poiani Silvana B. , Roat Thaisa C. , Cruz-Landim Carminda da
Published: May 2015

Exposure of A. mellifera workers to CO2 has been reported to decrease life span, induce behavioral changes, and inhibit the development of some glands and the ovaries. However, the use of CO2 is currently practiced among beekeepers and how the development of workers’ ovaries are affected is unknown. The present work aimed to evaluate the effect of CO2 on the ovaries of A. mellifera workers, using a morphological approach. Newly emerged, and 3, 5, and 10-day-old workers were exposed to saturated CO2 for 30 seconds, more than once. The ovaries were examined under light (LM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The ovaries of narcotized, 5-day-old workers exhibited long ovarioles with well-developed germarium, although oogenesis showed little development. While in the control group, the ovaries already exhibited cysts with cystocytes forming rosettes. At 10-days-old, the ovaries feature was variable; some of the ovaries showed ovarioles with many rosette cysts while others showed a high intensity of disorganization due to the beginning of cell death. The ovarioles of the ovaries of 15-day-old treated workers were morphologically varied as oogenesis showed little or no advance. In others cases, a complete disorganization with swollen cells and cell death features were observed. Germ cells of the ovaries of CO2-treated workers exhibited well-structured organelles, such as the Golgi complex, and larger amounts of mitochondria in the cytoplasm than the control group, but there was disorganization of the endoplasmic reticulum membranes. Our findings revealed that the exposure of workers to CO2 promotes impairment of oogenesis and ovarian degradation.
Applicability of three complementary relationship models for estimating actual evapotranspiration in urban area
Authors: Nakamichi Takeshi , Moroizumi Toshitsugu
Published: May 2015

The characteristics of evapotranspiration estimated by the complementary relationship actual evapotranspiration (CRAE), the advection-aridity (AA), and the modified advection-aridity (MAA) models were investigated in six pairs of rural and urban areas of Japan in order to evaluate the applicability of the three models the urban area. The main results are as follows: 1) The MAA model could apply to estimating the actual evapotranspiration in the urban area. 2) The actual evapotranspirations estimated by the three models were much less in the urban area than in the rural. 3) The difference among the estimated values of evapotranspiration in the urban areas was significant, depending on each model, while the difference among the values in the rural areas was relatively small. 4) All three models underestimated the actual evapotranspiration in the urban areas from humid surfaces where water and green spaces exist. 5) Each model could take the effect of urbanization into account.
Determinants of change in the duration of ice phenomena on the Vistula River in Toruń
Authors: Pawłowski Bogusław
Published: May 2015

Winter season temperatures are becoming warmer. However, the transformation of the ice regime on the Vistula River in Toruń has also been affected by river engineering. In particular, the construction and operation of the Włocławek Dam had a significant impact on ice processes. The article presents the results of an analysis determining the contribution of natural and anthropogenic factors to the duration of ice phenomena and ice cover on the Vistula River in the city of Toruń. Compared to the end of the nineteenth century, there has been a reduction in the duration of ice phenomena from 88 to 53 days and of ice cover from 40 to 7 days (in the period of 1882-2011). The article compares the duration of ice cover and winter temperature in three different periods: before the completion of river engineering works (1882-1907); for the controlled river (1908-1969), and for the controlled river with the Włocławek Dam upstream of Toruń (1970-2011). The results showed a significant role of these anthropogenic factors in the changes of the ice cover duration on the Vistula River in Toruń.
Clinical chorioamnionitis at term III: how well do clinical criteria perform in the identification of proven intra-amniotic infection?
Authors: Romero Roberto , Chaemsaithong Piya , Korzeniewski Steven J. , Kusanovic Juan P. , Docheva Nikolina , Martinez-Varea Alicia , Ahmed Ahmed I. , Yoon Bo Hyun , Hassan Sonia S. , Chaiworapongsa Tinnakorn , Yeo Lami
Published: May 2015

The diagnosis of clinical chorioamnionitis is based on a combination of signs [fever, maternal or fetal tachycardia, foul-smelling amniotic fluid (AF), uterine tenderness and maternal leukocytosis]. Bacterial infections within the amniotic cavity are considered the most frequent cause of clinical chorioamnionitis and an indication for antibiotic administration to reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity. Recent studies show that only 54% of patients with the diagnosis of clinical chorioamnionitis at term have bacteria in the AF and evidence of intra-amniotic inflammation. The objective of this study was to examine the performance of the clinical criteria for the diagnosis of chorioamnionitis to identify patients with microbial-associated intra-amniotic inflammation (also termed intra-amniotic infection).

This retrospective cross-sectional study included 45 patients with the diagnosis of clinical chorioamnionitis at term, whose AF underwent analysis for: 1) the presence of microorganisms using both cultivation and molecular biologic techniques [polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with broad primers], and 2) interleukin (IL)-6 concentrations by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The diagnostic performance (sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and likelihood ratios) of each clinical sign and their combination to identify clinical chorioamnionitis were determined using microbial-associated intra-amniotic inflammation [presence of microorganisms in the AF using cultivation or molecular techniques and elevated AF IL-6 concentrations (≥2.6 ng/mL)] as the gold standard.

: The accuracy of each clinical sign for the identification of microbial-associated intra-amniotic inflammation (intra-amniotic infection) ranged between 46.7% and 57.8%. The combination of fever with three or more clinical criteria did not substantially improve diagnostic accuracy.

In the presence of a fever during labor at term, signs used to diagnose clinical chorioamnionitis do not accurately identify the patient with proven intra-amniotic infection (i.e., those with microorganisms detected by culture or molecular microbiologic techniques and an associated intra-amniotic inflammatory response).
Verbal allocutivity in a crosslinguistic perspective
Authors: Antonov Anton
Published: May 2015

Allocutivity is a term coined to describe a phenomenon in Basque whereby, in certain pragmatic (and syntactic) circumstances, an addressee who is not an argument of the verb is systematically encoded in all declarative main clause conjugated verb forms. Although the term has been exclusively applied to Basque, similar phenomena are found in other languages as well. Indeed, despite certain differences in the degree of grammaticalization and usage, allocutive verb forms are attested in at least Pumé (isolate; Venezuela), Nambikwara (isolate; Brazil), Mandan (Siouan; North America), and Beja (Cushitic; Northeast Africa). The aim of this article is to propose a typology of verbal allocutivity in a crosslinguistic perspective, taking into consideration the locus of encoding, the manner in which it is encoded, the information concerning the addressee which is encoded, and the syntactic environments in which it can appear.
The Berber “state” distinction: Dependent marking after all? A commentary on Mettouchi & Frajzyngier (2013)
Authors: Arkadiev Peter
Published: May 2015

Critically reviewing the recent analysis of the distinction between the so-called “absolute” and “annexed” “states” in Kabyle (Berber) by
The development of regional differentiation of office construction in the Czech Republic: 1990–2010
Authors: Domalewski Pavel , Baxa Jan
Published: May 2015

The factors that were crucial for the construction of administrative buildings in the regional capitals of the Czech Republic are subject to examination in this article. One primary question is whether the development of office construction reflects the qualitative importance of the cities, or whether there are some other regularities in the spatial distribution of construction. To identify the key factors, controlled interviews with experts professionally involved in the construction of administrative buildings were carried out, and these data were then extended as part of a large-scale questionnaire survey with other experts on the issue. The results have confirmed the dominant position of the capital city of Prague in terms of its qualitative importance, as the remaining regional capitals have less than one-tenth of the volume of modern office building areas. The greatest differences in the construction of administrative buildings have been noted in Brno and Ostrava, despite the fact that they exhibit similar characteristics when considered in the light of respondent-determined factors.
The Passage of Time
Authors: Noonan Harold W.
Published: May 2015

Eric Olson argues that the dynamic view of time must be false. It requires that the question ‘How fast does time pass?’ has an answer. But its only possible answer, one second per second, is not an answer. I argue that Olson has failed to identify what is wrong with talk of time’s passage. Then I argue that, nonetheless, he is right to reject it. To say that time passes is analogous to saying that space is dense, and to ask about the rate of time’s passage is analogous to asking how dense space is. Since the questions are on a par the dynamic view of time, which requires that they are not, is mistaken.
Natural Properties and Atomicity in Modal Realism
Authors: Borghini Andrea , Lando Giorgio
Published: May 2015

The paper pinpoints certain unrecognized difficulties that surface for recombination and duplication in modal realism when we ask whether the following inter-world fixity claims hold true: 1) A property is perfectly natural in a world iff it is perfectly natural in every world where it is instantiated; 2) Something is mereologically atomic in a world iff all of its duplicates in every world are atomic. In connection to 1), the hypothesis of idlers prompts four variants of Lewis’s doctrine of perfectly natural properties, all deemed unsatisfactory for the purposes of duplication and recombination. By means of 2), instead, we show that the principle of recombination does not countenance the atomicity or non-atomicity of duplicates; but it should, because it is genuinely possible that: a) something, which is atomic, is non-atomic; and b) something, which is non-atomic, is atomic. In discussing 1) and 2), the paper substantiates a tension in Lewis’s metaphysics between modal intuitions and the reliance on the natural sciences.
Monte Carlo study of medium-energy electron penetration in aluminium and silver
Authors: Aydın Asuman , Peker Ali
Published: May 2015

Monte Carlo simulations are very useful for many physical processes. The transport of particles was simulated by Monte Carlo calculating the basic parameters such as probabilities of transmitted–reflected and angular-energy distributions after interaction with matter. Monte Carlo simulations of electron scattering based on the single scattering model were presented in the medium-energy region for aluminium and silver matters. Two basic equations are required the elastic scattering cross section and the energy loss. The Rutherford equation for the different screening parameters is investigated. This scattering model is accurate in the energy range from a few keV up to about 0.50 MeV. The reliability of the simulation method is analysed by comparing experimental data from transmission measurements.
Unravelling peptidomes by in silico mining
Authors: Koehbach Johannes , Jackson Kathryn A.V.
Published: May 2015

Peptides of great number and diversity occur in all domains of life and exhibit a range of pharmaceutically relevant bioactivities. The complexity of biological samples including human cells or tissues, plant extracts or animal venom cocktails, often impedes the discovery of novel bioactive peptides using mass spectrometrybased peptidomics analysis. An increasing number of publicly available genome and transcriptome datasets, together with refined bioinformatics analysis, allows for rapid identification of novel peptides which may have been previously unrecognized. Moreover, a combination of information extracted from
Modeling gene-covariate interactions in sparse regression with group structure for genome-wide association studies
Authors: Li Yun , O’Connor George T. , Dupuis Josée , Kolaczyk Eric
Published: May 2015

In genome-wide association studies (GWAS), it is of interest to identify genetic variants associated with phenotypes. For a given phenotype, the associated genetic variants are usually a sparse subset of all possible variants. Traditional Lasso-type estimation methods can therefore be used to detect important genes. But the relationship between genotypes at one variant and a phenotype may be influenced by other variables, such as sex and life style. Hence it is important to be able to incorporate gene-covariate interactions into the sparse regression model. In addition, because there is biological knowledge on the manner in which genes work together in structured groups, it is desirable to incorporate this information as well. In this paper, we present a novel sparse regression methodology for gene-covariate models in association studies that not only allows such interactions but also considers biological group structure. Simulation results show that our method substantially outperforms another method, in which interaction is considered, but group structure is ignored. Application to data on total plasma immunoglobulin E (IgE) concentrations in the Framingham Heart Study (FHS), using sex and smoking status as covariates, yields several potentially interesting gene-covariate interactions.
Once and Twice
Authors: Richard S. Kayne
Published: May 2015

The study of English once and twice yields evidence that each of them is actually a complex phrase containing two visible morphemes and one silent one. Neither is a simple lexical item. The -ce morpheme is akin to a postposition, despite English being primarily prepositional. The silent element associated with once and twice is a silent counterpart of time, represented as TIME. This instance of TIME is singular, even in the case of twice. There appears to be a link between TIME and the syntax of classifiers.

The presence of silent TIME with once and twice indirectly provides evidence for the presence in the human language faculty of other antecedentless silent nominal elements such as NUMBER. Silent elements of this sort are not visible (even via an antecedent) in the primary data available to the learner. Their properties, for example, their singularity or plurality and their licensing conditions, therefore provide us with a privileged window onto the invariant core of the language faculty itself.

The presence of silent elements such as TIME and NUMBER can, in part, be traced back to a principle of decompositionality, to the effect that the human language faculty imposes a maximum of one interpretable syntactic feature per lexical item.
Once upon an invisible TIME: On Frequentative Phrases in Chinese
Authors: Liao Wei-Wen Roger
Published: May 2015

In view of Kayne’s (2014) analysis, the English expressions of once, twice, and #-times are compared with the corresponding Chinese expression, #-ci. This paper shows that data from Chinese not only support Kayne’s analysis that treats the silent TIME as classifier, but they also suggest that the frequentative phrase may involve a silent NP and/or PP. The latter provides some possible modifications to Kayne’s original analysis of the suffix -ce.
Determinants and inverses of circulant matrices with complex Fibonacci numbers
Authors: Altınışık Ercan , Feyza Yalçın N. , Büyükköse Şerife
Published: May 2015

Let ℱn = circ (︀F*1 , F*2, . . . , F*n︀ be the n×n circulant matrix associated with complex Fibonacci numbers
F*1, F*2, . . . , F*n. In the present paper we calculate the determinant of ℱn in terms of complex Fibonacci
numbers. Furthermore, we show that ℱn is invertible and obtain the entries of the inverse of ℱn in terms of
complex Fibonacci numbers.
Participial Perception Verb Complements in Old English
Authors: Lowrey Brian
Published: May 2015

In this paper, I shall examine the complements of perception verbs in Old English involving a noun phrase and a present participle. What kind of perception is described by these structures? Do they evoke the perception of an event, or that of an entity? It will be shown here that there are good reasons to believe that an NP + present participle sequence could function as the equivalent of the traditional “AcI” construction when used with perception verbs. I shall also attempt to determine to what extent the syntax of this construction matches the semantics: is the internal argument of the perception verb the NP alone, or some kind of combination of the NP and the participle? This question is particularly interesting in the light of Declerck’s (1982) remarks on participle perception verb complements in modern English. Finally, I shall take a look at morphological parametres: sometimes the participle inflects to agree with the NP, whereas on other occasions it does not. What might the implications of this kind of variation be?
On the Auxiliary Status of Dare in Old English
Authors: Tomaszewska Magdalena
Published: May 2015

OE *durran ‘dare’ belongs to a group of the so-called preterite-present verbs which developed weak past tense forms replacing the originally strong forms throughout the paradigm. The present study hypothesizes that the potential sources of this development are related to the decay of the subjunctive mood in Old English. Further, this corpus-based study analyses the status of DARE in Old English, with the findings showing that the verb displayed both lexical and auxiliary verb characteristics. These results are juxtaposed and compared with the verb's developments in Middle English. The databases examined are the corpus of The Dictionary of Old English in Electronic Form (A-G) and the Innsbruck Computer Archive of Machine-Readable English Texts. In both cases, a search of potential forms was performed on all the files of the corpora, the raw results were then analysed in order to eliminate irrelevant instances (adjectives, nouns, foreign words, etc.). The relevant forms were examined with the aim to check the properties of DARE as a lexical and an auxiliary verb, and compare the findings with Molencki’s (2002, 2005) observations.
Design of UHPC Structural Members: Lessons Learned and ASTM Test Requirements
Authors: Sritharan Sri
Published: May 2015

Over the past decade, ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) has been used in several pilot projects, which included designing of different bridge components. In each case, it became clear that the design efficiency and cost effectiveness of the UHPC structural member was not possible when the conventional approaches developed for normal concrete members were followed. More efficient structural design solutions were realized when alternative geometries and/or unique properties of the UHPC were taken advantage of in the design process. Structural testing of these members and/or field testing of bridges designed with UHPC structural members showed that their performance was extremely satisfactory in spite of adopting new design concepts and alternative geometries. Drawing design experience from bridge girders to bridge decks to UHPC piles to wind turbine towers, this paper summarized the important lessons learned and established ASTM test requirements that could facilitate designing of cost-effective UHPC members and connections with satisfactory performance. In this process, ultimate strength for flexure, shear and torsion, fatigue resistance, serviceability issues and long-term behavior of different UHPC members were given consideration.
Compliance Costs of Regulation for Small Business
Authors: Lewis Phil , Richardson Alice , Corliss Michael
Published: May 2015

There has been growing concern about the extent of government regulation in Australia and its impact on small business. This paper examines the results of a survey of small businesses in NSW and Victoria regarding their experiences relating to compliance with government regulation, the costs to business, and factors inhibiting performance. The paper describes the development of the survey instrument, the administration of the survey, a description of the sample, results of the quantitative part of the survey, and an overview of business owners’ comments provided by respondents.
An empirical examination of the relationship between information security/business strategic alignment and information security governance domain areas
Authors: Yaokumah Winfred , Brown Steven
Published: May 2015

The purpose of this study was to examine empirically the extent of the relationships between information security governance (ISG) strategic alignment and other individual information security domain areas consisting of risk management, value delivery, performance measurement, and resource management in order to ascertain whether the domain areas were integrated for ISG success in Ghanaian organizations. Corporate governance theories, including agency theory, stakeholder theory, and organizational theory, were employed to explore the literature. These theories were mapped to strategic alignment, risk management, resource management, performance measurement, and value delivery domains of information security governance. Random sampling strategy was used and data were collected via web survey. The data analysis employed a linear regression analysis to determine the degree of correlation among the domain areas. The study found that relationships between information security governance strategic alignment and other ISG domains were positively statistically significant. Strategic alignment was related to risk management (R² = .836); to value delivery (R² = .718), to performance measurement (R² = .722), and to resource management (R² = .747). The results highlighted consistent importance of strategic alignment practices as a predictor of organizational information security risk management, performance measurement, resource management, and value delivery. This implies that effective information security governance strategic alignment greatly improves organizations’ risk management, resource management, performance measurement, and delivers business value. Therefore, organizations should improve strategic alignment attributes in order to attain effective information security governance.