bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rational modes determination of traction motors loading-back for electric rolling stock in mainline and industrial transport
Authors: A. M. Afanasov
Published: October 2014

Purpose. Loading-back systems are used for post-maintenance acceptance tests of electric traction motors of electric rolling stock (ERS) in mainline and industrial transport. The aim of the research is justification of choice method of the rational loading-back parameters of traction electric motors during the tests for heating. Methodology. At the heart of the choice method justification of the rational loading-back parameters is a theory of heating the homogeneous solid body and well-known methods of heating calculations of traction electric machines. Findings. Expediency of heating tests for electric traction motors at load currents equal to the starting current (for ERS of mainline transport) or fifteen minutes current (for ERS of industrial transport) was substantiated. It was shown that this increase of load current will reduce the electricity costs of the tests for 20–30% and shorten the tests duration for three–four times while ensuring the corrected power minimum of energy sources in loading-back system. Originality. It is shown that the energy costs for heating tests of the traction motors can be reduced by both the increasing the energy efficiency of the loading-back system and by the optimizing of loading mode of traction electric machines. Choice technique of rational modes of loading-back for electric traction motors of rolling stock in mainline and industrial transport was grounded. Practical value. Load current increase of traction electric motors during their tests for heating will reduce the total electricity consumption for the acceptance tests, reduce test time and total material costs for repair of the electric traction motors of rolling stock in mainline and industrial transport.
Concept of the minimum energy passenger car with use of unconventional energy sources
Authors: V. A. Gabrinets  , I. V. Tytarenko
Published: October 2014

Purpose. The paper is aimed to consider the concept of creation of the minimum energy passenger car with use of nonconventional energy sources and the walls that have enhanced thermal insulation properties. Мethodology. The types of heat losses, as well as their value were analyzed. The alternative sources of energy are considered for heating. Their potential contribution to the overall energy balance of the passenger car is analyzed. Impact on the car design of the enhanced wall thermal insulation, solar energy inflow through the transparent windows and energy release of passengers are quantitatively evaluated. Findings. With the maximum possible use of all unconventional energy sources and the rational scheme solutions of conditioning and heating systems energy the costs for these needs for a passenger car can be reduced by 40-50%. Originality. New types of energy to maintain the heat balance of the car in the winter period is proposed to use firstly. New schematics solutions for environmental control system of the car both in winter and in summer periods were offered. Practical value. Introduction of the proposed scheme solutions and approaches to ensure the comfortable conditions for passengers may be implemented on an existing park of passenger cars and do not require a major re-equipment of systems that have already been installed.
Improvement ways of accounting and internal audit of enterprise receivables
Authors: V. D. Zelikman  , YU. A. Sonina
Published: October 2014

Purpose. Determination and substantiation of ways to improve accounting and internal audit of receivables at the enterprises. Methodology.The basic principles and ways for improvement of accounting and internal audit systems that should help Ukrainian enterprises to optimize receivables are considered. Findings. It is proved that the receivables optimization is possible on the basis of improving its accounting and internal audit. The basic ways for improvement of accounting and internal audit of receivable are determined. They are: improvement of normative coverage of receivables at the enterprises; providing further harmonization of financial and tax accounting in the part of formation of the doubtful debt receivables, accounting of bad and doubtful receivables and etc. The formation of department for internal audit to control the doubtful and bad debts; providing the timely control of the receivables and payables ratio; determination and support of the optimal value of the receivables at the enterprises. Originality. Improvement of accounting and internal audit of receivables at the enterprises by the way of development of internal audit system and optimization of the receivables size. Practical value. The proposed recommendations will improve the accounting and internal audit system of receivables at the enterprises of Ukraine.
Level of psychological and psychophysical readiness of students for professional labor on railway
Authors: V. V. Pichurin
Published: October 2014

Purpose. Railway transport specialties make high demands to the development of number of characteristics in psychological and psycho-physical spheres of the specialist person. For the purposeful work organization on effective forming of these spheres the students should have clear information about the existing trends. It is necessary to determine these trends. Methodology. Techniques of psychological diagnosis are used in the research. Namely: rating scale of the level of situational and personal anxiety (Ch. Spilberger); the questionnaire of subjective control level (Ye. F. Bazhin), developed on the basis of Dzh. Rotter’s locus of control scale; Munsterberg test, Bourdon correction task); special physical exercises to assess the sensorimotor characteristics (action speed, stability of the vestibular reactions). Findings. Existing trends concerning the development level of students: situational and personal anxiety, level of subjective control, attention selectiveness, concentration and attention fixation, speed of action, stability of the vestibular reactions were determined. Originality. Innovation in the research is the identification in the development level of railway students of some indicators of psychological and psychophysical readiness for professional work. Practical value. The data obtained during the research give the idea of the existing realities with regard to psychological and psychophysical readiness of railway students for the professional work. This is the basis for the focused effort organization concerning the formation of students' psychological and psychophysical readiness during training sessions.
Achievement Goals in Students With Learning Disabilities, Emotional or Behavioral Disorders, and Low IQ Without Special Educational Needs
Authors: Schwab Susanne
Published: October 2014

This study focuses on the goal orientations of students with and without special educational needs (SEN). The sample (mean age 13 years, 10 months) was composed of 37 students with low IQ, but without SEN; 37 students who were diagnosed as having learning disability (LD); and 37 students having emotional or behavioral disorders (ED). The groups were matched by IQ and gender. The results showed that students without SEN scored significantly higher in mastery goal orientation, significantly lower in performance-avoidance orientation, and had a lower work-avoidance orientation than students with LD or ED. Students with ED showed a significantly lower performance-approach orientation than students without SEN and students with LD. Results from correlational and regression analyses showed that SEN is always an explaining variable for goal orientation and that group differences cannot be explained by IQ, gender, actual achievement, self-estimation of achievement, and school anxiety.
How Multiple External Representations Can Help or Constrain Learning in Science
Authors: Corradi David , Trinenuh Dawit Tibebu , Clarebout Geraldine , Elen Jan
Published: October 2014

Redundant information has been found to be an important factor that can limit or enhance learning with multiple external representations (MER). As such, it is seen as a crucial factor in understanding how MER can help increase conceptual understanding with low prior knowledge learners, especially when these representations are presented in a sequence. In this study, multiple levels of redundant information are compared with each other to understand how redundancy determines learning with MER when these MER are sequenced. Ninety-two participants, undergraduates in education (age: M = 19.92 years, SD = 2.78 years), with low prior knowledge of the subject of chemistry participated in pretest-intervention-posttest randomized design to study texts and pictorial representations in a sequence. More specifically, we compared (a) 0% redundancy in MER, (b) 25% redundancy, (c) 50% redundancy, and (d) 100% redundancy. Results indicate that partial redundant information leads to the largest increase in understanding and ideas remembered.
Investigating the Association Between Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Periodontitis
Authors: Loke Weiqiang , Girvan Thomas , Ingmundson Paul , Verrett Ronald , Schoolfield John , Mealey Brian L.
Published: October 2014

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder characterized by disruptions of normal sleep architecture. Chronic periodontitis is a chronic disease of the periodontium that elicits a general inflammatory response to local dental plaque. It has been suggested that periodontal disease may increase in severity with increasingly severe OSA because both disease entities share common inflammatory pathways, acting synergistically to alter the host response. The aim of this study is to analyze the association between severity of OSA and the prevalence/severity of periodontitis.

Methods: One hundred patients from a large veterans administration sleep study center (n = 26 normal, n = 21 mild, n = 19 moderate, n = 34 severe) diagnosed with an overnight polysomnogram underwent a comprehensive periodontal examination. Periodontal parameters measured included the following: 1) mean periodontal probing depth (PD); 2) clinical attachment level (CAL); 3) gingival recession; and 4) percentage of sites with bleeding on probing, plaque, PD ≥5 mm, and CAL ≥3 mm.

Results: Seventy‐three percent of the sampled population had moderate/severe periodontal disease. χ2 analyses revealed no significant differences in the prevalence of periodontal disease between the apnea–hypopnea index (AHI) groups, with a negligible Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.246 between AHI severity and periodontal disease severity categories. Analysis of covariance indicated a significant association between AHI severity categories and percentage of sites with plaque, after adjusting for age. Multivariable logistic regression analysis predicting moderate/severe periodontitis with AHI score, age, and smoking status indicated a significant association with age (P = 0.028) but no significant association with the other two predictors.

Conclusion: OSA was not significantly associated with the prevalence of moderate/severe periodontitis and the periodontal parameters examined, except percentage plaque.
Alveolar Bone Loss Is Associated With Circulating Anti‐Citrullinated Protein Antibody (ACPA) in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Gonzalez Shawneen M. , Payne Jeffrey B. , Yu Fang , Thiele Geoffrey M. , Erickson Alan R. , Johnson Paul G. , Schmid Marian J. , Cannon Grant W. , Kerr Gail S. , Reimold Andreas M. , Sokolove Jeremy , Robinson William H. , Mikuls Ted R.
Published: October 2014

Background: This study examines: 1) alveolar bone loss (ABL), a hallmark of periodontitis, in anti‐citrullinated protein antibody (ACPA)‐positive rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients versus control patients with osteoarthritis (OA); and 2) the association of ABL with RA disease activity and ACPA concentrations, including multiple antigen–specific ACPA.

Methods: This multicenter case‐control study includes 617 patients diagnosed with RA (n = 287) or OA (n = 330). Panoramic radiographs were taken; patients were categorized into low, moderate, or high tertiles based on mean percentage ABL. Serum ACPA was measured using second‐generation anticyclic citrullinated peptide enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and a multiplex platform to assess distinct antigen‐specific ACPA. A generalized linear mixed model for binary data was used to compare stratified ABL in RA versus OA patients. Associations of moderate and high ABL (versus low) with RA disease activity and severity measures were examined using multivariate regression. Antigen‐specific ACPA responses were compared among ABL tertiles using significance analysis of microarrays.

Results: ACPA‐positive patients with RA had a significantly higher mean percentage of sites with ABL >20% compared with patients with OA (P = 0.03). After multivariate adjustment, greater ABL was significantly associated with higher serum ACPA concentration (P = 0.004), 28‐joint Disease Activity Score (P = 0.023), health assessment questionnaire disability (P = 0.05), tender joint count (P = 0.02) and joint space narrowing scores (P = 0.05) among patients with RA. ACPAs targeting citrullinated vimentin and histone were significantly higher in moderate and high ABL groups versus low, regardless of smoking status (q <0.1%).

Conclusions: Greater ABL was associated with higher ACPA, consistent with findings at articular sites. ACPA targeting could provide novel insight into important linkages between RA and periodontitis.
Impact of Cigarette Smoking on Clinical Outcomes of Periodontal Flap Surgical Procedures: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis
Authors: Kotsakis Georgios A. , Javed Fawad , Hinrichs James E. , Karoussis Ioannis K. , Romanos Georgios E.
Published: October 2014

Background: Periodontal flap surgery is frequently used to remove subgingival deposits, yielding consequential reductions in gingival inflammation and probing depth (PD) with a gain in clinical attachment level (CAL) to treat advanced periodontal disease. However, clinical studies have reported diminished periodontal healing in smokers compared with non‐smokers. The aim of the present systematic review and meta‐analysis was to assess the impact of cigarette smoking on clinical outcomes following periodontal flap surgical procedures.

Methods: A systematic electronic review of articles relevant to periodontal flap surgical procedures in smokers was conducted from 1977 to March 2014 inclusive, using predefined, optimized search strategies. Meta‐analyses were done separately for changes in the two primary outcomes of PD and CAL.

Results: The initial search yielded 390 titles and abstracts. After screening, eight controlled clinical studies were finally selected. Three studies were assessed as having a low risk of bias, two as having moderate risk of bias, and three as having a high risk of bias. Qualitative assessment of the articles consistently showed an improved treatment effect among non‐smokers versus smokers. The reduction in PD in smokers and non‐smokers ranged from 0.76 to 2.05 mm and 1.27 to 2.40 mm, respectively. For CAL, the gain in non‐smokers versus smokers ranged from 0.29 to 1.6 mm and 0.09 to 1.2 mm, respectively. Meta‐analysis on eight studies reporting on 363 study participants demonstrated an increased reduction in mean (95% confidence interval) PD of 0.39 (0.33 to 0.45) mm. Similar results were found for mean gain in CAL (0.35 [0.30 to 0.40] mm, n = 4 studies).

Conclusions: Considering the relatively homogenous information available, the authors conclude that active smokers could be candidates for periodontal flap surgical procedures. However, the magnitude of the therapeutic effect is compromised in smokers compared with non‐smokers. Therefore, cigarette smokers should be: 1) encouraged to abstain from smoking; and 2) thoroughly informed preoperatively of substantial reduction in clinical outcomes compared with non‐smokers.
Painful Ununited Fracture of the Posterior Process of the Talus in an Adolescent Dancer
Authors: Kao Hsuan-Kai , Gamble James G.
Published: October 2014

Case:

Fractures of the talus in children and adolescents are uncommon and generally involve the body or neck of the talus. We present a thirteen-year-old dancer with an ununited fracture of the posterior process of the talus that was initially thought to be a painful os trigonum.

Conclusion:

This injury was confused with a painful os trigonum. We found that the size of the fragment, the extent to which the fracture line undercut the tibial plafond, and the findings on magnetic resonance imaging were helpful in clarifying the diagnosis of the fracture.
Decision making with consonant belief functions: Discrepancy resulting with the probability transformation method used
Authors: Cinicioglu Esma
Published: October 2014

Dempster?Shafer belief function theory can address a wider class of
uncertainty than the standard probability theory does, and this fact appeals
the researchers in operations research society for potential application
areas. However, the lack of a decision theory of belief functions gives rise
to the need to use the probability transformation methods for decision
making. For representation of statistical evidence, the class of consonant
belief functions is used which is not closed under Dempster?s rule of
combination but is closed under Walley?s rule of combination. In this
research, it is shown that the outcomes obtained using both Dempster?s and
Walley?s rules do result in different probability distributions when
pignistic transformation is used. However, when plausibility transformation
is used, they do result in the same probability distribution. This result
shows that the choice of the combination rule and probability transformation
method may have a significant effect on decision making since it may change
the choice of the decision alternative selected. This result is illustrated
via an example of missile type identification.
Fee Discounting and Audit Quality Following Audit Firm and Audit Partner Changes: Chinese Evidence
Authors: Huang Hua-Wei , Raghunandan K , Huang Ting-Chiao , Chiou Jeng-Ren
Published: October 2014

Issues related to low-balling of initial year audit fees and the resultant impact on audit quality have received significant attention from regulators in many countries. Using 9,684 observations from China during the years 2002–2011, we find that there is a significant initial year audit fee discount following an audit firm change when both of the signing audit partners are different from the prior year. The evidence is mixed if one or both of the signing partners from the prior year also moves with the client to the new audit firm. We find evidence of audit fee discounting in our analysis of fee levels, but not in our analysis of changes in audit fees from the prior year. Sanctions for problem audits and greater earnings management are more likely when there is an audit firm change that involves two new signing partners together with initial year audit fee discounting.
Shell Games: The Long-Term Performance of Chinese Reverse-Merger Firms
Authors: Lee Charles M. C. , Li Kevin K. , Zhang Ran
Published: October 2014

We examine the financial health and performance of reverse mergers (RMs) that became active on U.S. stock markets between 2001 and 2010, particularly those from China (around 85 percent of all foreign RMs). As a group, RMs are early-stage companies that typically trade over the counter. However, Chinese RMs (CRMs) tend to be more mature and less speculative than either their U.S. counterparts or a group of exchange-industry-size-matched firms. As a group, CRMs outperformed their matched peers from inception through the end of 2013, even after including most of the firms accused of accounting fraud. CRMs that receive private investment in public equity (PIPE) financing from sophisticated investors perform particularly well. Overall, despite the negative publicity, we find little evidence that CRMs are inherently toxic investments. Our results shed light on the risk-performance trade-off for CRMs, as well as the delicate balance between credibility and access in well-functioning markets.

JEL Classifications: G34; M41; N20
The Effectiveness of the R&D Tax Credit: Evidence from the Alternative Simplified Credit
Authors: Finley Andrew R. , Lusch Stephen J. , Cook Kirsten A.
Published: October 2014

We examine the influence of the Alternative Simplified Credit (ASC) on firms' research and development (R&D) spending. The ASC remedies a perceived flaw with the previous R&D tax credit regime that excluded firms with high R&D intensities during their fixed-base periods and/or high sales in the previous four years from claiming a credit. We document a large increase in R&D tax credit eligibility following the enactment of the ASC, and find that its effect on R&D spending was positive relative to firms not utilizing this new credit-calculation option. Specifically, we estimate that the ASC induced an additional $2.26 of R&D spending for every dollar of forgone tax revenue. These results provide evidence that the ASC has spurred R&D investment in a setting where firms have a choice between two credit-calculation methods.

JEL Classifications: H25, H32, O31
The Perceived Impact of Journal of Information Systems on Promotion and Tenure
Authors: Janvrin Diane J. , Lim Jee-Hae , Peters Gary F.
Published: October 2014

During the promotion and tenure process, most institutions evaluate whether the candidate has published in high-quality research journals. This study examines the perceived impact of the Journal of Information Systems (JIS) on the promotion and tenure process. The research surveys 149 accounting information systems professors and 36 accounting department leaders. Results suggest that 62 percent of respondents indicated the JIS was very impactful on the promotion and tenure process, while 34 percent perceived the journal to play only a supportive role to higher-ranked journals. Further, senior scholars hold a higher perception of JIS's impact, while those who have served as external reviewers for promotion and tenure committees hold lower perceptions. Finally, results indicate a negative association between perceived promotion and tenure impact and whether the respondent is from a private institution, a larger-sized institution, and if the institution offers a doctoral program.

Data Availability: All data used in this study are available upon request. The survey may be found in the online resources.
Ciliary Inclusion Disease: Report of a New Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia Variant
Authors: Wartchow Eric P. , Jaffe Ronald , Mierau Gary W.
Published: October 2014

Biopsies from 6 children with clinical presentations suggestive of primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) displayed respiratory epithelial cells with disorganized accumulations of basal bodies within the cytoplasm and large intracytoplasmic vesicles into which projected numerous microvilli and cilia. Microvilli, but few cilia, were present at the cell surface. Ultrastructural study revealed a variety of nonspecific abnormalities but demonstrated the cilia generally to be morphologically normal, suggesting that the cause of cilia malfunction was not any recognized primary cause or secondary effect. Repeat studies from 2 patients produced similar findings. It is proposed that this entity, termed ciliary inclusion disease, represents a variant form of PCD manifesting as a consequence of improper ciliogenesis caused by inhibited cytoskeleton-regulated migration of basal bodies to the luminal surface of the airway respiratory epithelial cells.
Is Democracy Possible Without a Restriction of the Suffrage?
Authors: Alfano Vincenzo
Published: October 2014

Today, the concept of democracy seems inextricably linked with that of universal suffrage. But is it true? To let that anyone with a given age has the right to vote is a very good democratic practice, or would prefer to question the criteria for access to this right, perhaps to develop new systems? The current crisis of democracy in the Western world is symptomatic of a detriment of the political consciousness of the people? And yet it is very likely to be admissible and that only from the mass, the large numbers, rises the better choices? In this paper I try to answer these questions, drawing from personal opinions and thoughts, which I hope will inspire questions and curiosity in those who, like me, believes that any system is always perfectible, and that its aim should be to that perfection, without fear of asking uncomfortable questions. Personally, in fact, I can accept democracy as “the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried”, to quote a famous statement by Winston Churchill. But not for that I give up, and I try other ways. Ways that are more satisfying, more fair and keep us away from the horrors that only an angry mob can do.
Can Indicators Bridge the Gap between Science and Policy? An Exploration into the (Non)Use and (Non)Influence of Indicators in EU and UK Policy Making
Authors: Sébastien Léa , Bauler Tom , Lehtonen Markku
Published: October 2014

This article examines the various roles that indicators, as boundary objects, can play as a science-based evidence for policy processes. It presents two case studies from the EU-funded POINT project that analyzed the use and influence of two highly different types of indicators: composite indicators of sustainable development at the EU level and energy indicators in the UK. In both cases indicators failed as direct input to policy making, yet they generated various types of conceptual and political use and influence. The composite sustainable development indicators served as “framework indicators”, helping to advocate a specific vision of sustainable development, whereas the energy indicators produced various types of indirect influence, including through the process of indicator elaboration. Our case studies demonstrate the relatively limited importance of the characteristics and quality of indicators in determining the role of indicators, as compared with the crucial importance of “user factors” (characteristics of policy actors) and “policy factors” (policy context).
Editorial: a human being is a human being is a human being is a human being–the issue of migration in Europe and the responses of adult education
Authors: Kurantowicz Ewa , Salling Olesen Henning , Wildemeersch Danny
Published: October 2014

Not Available.
Extending the Individual Level of Virtuality: Implications of Task Virtuality in Virtual and Traditional Settings
Authors: Orhan Mehmet
Published: October 2014

Virtuality in organizations has usually been treated as a characteristic that is observed either at a team or organizational level. However, the penetration of new technologies into our lives has transformed the entire design of organizations and teams. Not only has the design of teams and organizations changed, but the context and design of our jobs have also been impacted. Today, even employees in traditional team settings use electronic communication tools to work with multiple dispersed contacts outside of their teams and organizations, such as colleagues, clients or suppliers, who do not share the same geographical location. With all of these changes, virtuality can no longer be considered as a concept that is exclusive to virtual team members. In today’s organizations, to some extent, everyone’s tasks involve non-face-to-face contacts, irrespective of team virtuality. It therefore becomes crucial to identify the task virtuality phenomenon in organizations. With this paper, the example of Yahoo! is used as a case study to illustrate how task virtuality can be relevant for the design of organizations. Additionally, the proposed two-dimensional framework integrates both team virtuality and task virtuality elements in organizations. This framework is novel in that it not only allows us how to conceptualize the task virtuality, but also provides practical guidance for managers to identify and understand the factors leading to high task virtuality and to deal with the resulting complexities.
Definition of Impulsivity and Related Terms Following Traumatic Brain Injury: A Review of the Different Concepts and Measures Used to Assess Impulsivity, Disinhibition and other Related Concepts
Authors: Kocka Andrea , Gagnon Jean
Published: October 2014

Impulsivity is a common and debilitating sequela following traumatic brain injury (TBI), but there is no consensual definition or measure to assess this construct. The following review aims to elucidate the differences and resemblances between impulsivity, disinhibition and other related terms following brain injury and the instruments that are commonly used to measure these constructs. To do so, a search through different databases was conducted in order to find articles that mention and define impulsivity, disinhibition, impulse control, regulation deficits, dyscontrol and risky behavior. The concepts that stand out from the literature, the measures used, the similarities, the differences between these concepts are observed. The fit with the UPPS model of impulsivity, according to which impulsivity is a multidimensional concept composed of four distinct dimensions (urgency, perseverance, premeditation and sensation-seeking) is discussed.
Experimental Investigation and Discussion on the Mechanical Endurance Limit of Nafion Membrane Used in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell
Authors: Xiao Yang , Cho Chongdu
Published: October 2014

As a solution of high efficiency and clean energy, fuel cell technologies, especially proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC), have caught extensive attention. However, after decades of development, the performances of PEMFCs are far from achieving the target from the Department of Energy (DOE). Thus, further understanding of the degradation mechanism is needed to overcome this obstacle. Due to the importance of proton exchange membrane in a PEMFC, the degradation of the membrane, such as hygrothermal aging effect on its properties, are particularly necessary. In this work, a thick membrane (Nafion N117), which is always used as an ionic polymer for the PEMFCs, has been analyzed. Experimental investigation is performed for understanding the mechanical endurance of the bare membranes under different loading conditions. Tensile tests are conducted to compare the mechanical property evolution of two kinds of bare-membrane specimens including the dog-bone and the deeply double edge notched (DDEN) types. Both dog-bone and DDEN specimens were subjected to a series of degradation tests with different cycling times and wide humidity ranges. The tensile tests are repeated for both kinds of specimens to assess the strain-stress relations. Furthermore, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation and water absorption measurement were conducted to speculate the cause of this variation. The initial cracks along with the increasing of bound water content were speculated as the primary cause.
Performance Evaluation of an Anti-Lock Braking System for Electric Vehicles with a Fuzzy Sliding Mode Controller
Authors: Guo Jingang , Jian Xiaoping , Lin Guangyu
Published: October 2014

Traditional friction braking torque and motor braking torque can be used in braking for electric vehicles (EVs). A sliding mode controller (SMC) based on the exponential reaching law for the anti-lock braking system (ABS) is developed to maintain the optimal slip value. Parameter optimizing is applied to the reaching law by fuzzy logic control (FLC). A regenerative braking algorithm, in which the motor torque is taken full advantage of, is adopted to distribute the braking force between the motor braking and the hydraulic braking. Simulations were carried out with Matlab/Simulink. By comparing with a conventional Bang-bang ABS controller, braking stability and passenger comfort is improved with the proposed SMC controller, and the chatting phenomenon is reduced effectively with the parameter optimizing by FLC. With the increasing proportion of the motor braking torque, the tracking of the slip ratio is more rapid and accurate. Furthermore, the braking distance is shortened and the conversion energy is enhanced.
Beyond Cultural History? The Material Turn, Praxiography, and Body History
Authors: Clever Iris , Ruberg Willemijn
Published: October 2014

The body came to be taken seriously as a topic of cultural history during the “corporeal” or “bodily” turn in the 1980s and 1990s. Soon, however, critique was raised against these studies’ conceptualization of the body as discursively shaped and socially disciplined: individual bodily agency and feeling were felt to be absent in the idea of the material body. This article critically analyzes new approaches in the field of body history, particularly the so-called “material turn”. It argues that the material turn, especially in the guise of praxiography, has a lot to offer historians of the body, such as more attention to material practices, to different kinds of actors and a more open eye to encounters. Potential problems of praxiographical analyses of the body in history include the complicated relationship between discourses and practices and the neglect of the political and feminist potential of deconstructive discourse analyses. However, a focus on the relationship between practices of knowledge production and the representation of the body may also provide new ways of opening up historical power relations.
Towards Global QSAR Model Building for Acute Toxicity: Munro Database Case Study
Authors: Chavan Swapnil , Nicholls Ian , Karlsson Björn , Rosengren Annika , Ballabio Davide , Consonni Viviana , Todeschini Roberto
Published: October 2014

A series of 436 Munro database chemicals were studied with respect to their corresponding experimental LD50 values to investigate the possibility of establishing a global QSAR model for acute toxicity. Dragon molecular descriptors were used for the QSAR model development and genetic algorithms were used to select descriptors better correlated with toxicity data. Toxic values were discretized in a qualitative class on the basis of the Globally Harmonized Scheme: the 436 chemicals were divided into 3 classes based on their experimental LD50 values: highly toxic, intermediate toxic and low to non-toxic. The k-nearest neighbor (k-NN) classification method was calibrated on 25 molecular descriptors and gave a non-error rate (NER) equal to 0.66 and 0.57 for internal and external prediction sets, respectively. Even if the classification performances are not optimal, the subsequent analysis of the selected descriptors and their relationship with toxicity levels constitute a step towards the development of a global QSAR model for acute toxicity.
Synthesis and Sar Study of Diarylpentanoid Analogues as New Anti-Inflammatory Agents
Authors: Leong Sze , Faudzi Siti , Abas Faridah , Aluwi Mohd , Rullah Kamal , Wai Lam , Bahari Mohd , Ahmad Syahida , Tham Chau , Shaari Khozirah , Lajis Nordin
Published: October 2014

A series of ninety-seven diarylpentanoid derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their anti-inflammatory activity through NO suppression assay using interferone gamma (IFN-γ)/lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. Twelve compounds (9, 25, 28, 43, 63, 64, 81, 83, 84, 86, 88 and 97) exhibited greater or similar NO inhibitory activity in comparison with curcumin (14.7 ± 0.2 µM), notably compounds 88 and 97, which demonstrated the most significant NO suppression activity with IC50 values of 4.9 ± 0.3 µM and 9.6 ± 0.5 µM, respectively. A structure–activity relationship (SAR) study revealed that the presence of a hydroxyl group in both aromatic rings is critical for bioactivity of these molecules. With the exception of the polyphenolic derivatives, low electron density in ring-A and high electron density in ring-B are important for enhancing NO inhibition. Meanwhile, pharmacophore mapping showed that hydroxyl substituents at both meta- and para-positions of ring-B could be the marker for highly active diarylpentanoid derivatives.
Studies Regarding As(V) Adsorption from Underground Water by Fe-XAD8-DEHPA Impregnated Resin. Equilibrium Sorption and Fixed-Bed Column Tests
Authors: Ciopec Mihaela , Negrea Adina , Lupa Lavinia , Davidescu Corneliu , Negrea Petru
Published: October 2014

The characteristics of arsenic adsorption onto Fe-XAD8-DEHPA resin were studied on the laboratory scale using aqueous solutions and natural underground waters. Amberlite XAD8 resin was impregnated with di(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (DEHPA) via the dry method of impregnation. Fe(III) ions were loaded onto the impregnated resin by exploiting the high affinity of arsenic towards iron. The studies were conducted by both in contact and continuous modes. Kinetics data revealed that the removal of arsenic by Fe-XAD8-DEHPA resin is a pseudo-second-order reaction. The equilibrium data were modelled with Freundlich Langmuir and Dubinin Radushkevich (D-R) isotherms and it was found that the Freundlich model give the poorest correlation coefficient. The maximum adsorption capacity obtained from the Langmuir isotherm is 22.6 µg As(V)/g of Fe-XAD8-DEHPA resin. The mean free energy of adsorption was found in this study to be 7.2 kJ/mol and the ΔG° value negative (−9.2 kJ/mol). This indicates that the sorption process is exothermal, spontaneous and physical in nature. The studied Fe-XAD8-DEHPA resin showed excellent arsenic removal performance by sorption, both from synthetic solution and the natural water sample, and could be regenerated simply by using aqueous NaOH or HCl solutions.
State-Dependent Molecular Dynamics
Authors: Yang Ciann-Dong , Weng Hung-Jen
Published: October 2014

This paper proposes a new mixed quantum mechanics (QM)—molecular mechanics (MM) approach, where MM is replaced by quantum Hamilton mechanics (QHM), which inherits the modeling capability of MM, while preserving the state-dependent nature of QM. QHM, a single mechanics playing the roles of QM and MM simultaneously, will be employed here to derive the three-dimensional quantum dynamics of diatomic molecules. The resulting state-dependent molecular dynamics including vibration, rotation and spin are shown to completely agree with the QM description and well match the experimental vibration-rotation spectrum. QHM can be incorporated into the framework of a mixed quantum-classical Bohmian method to enable a trajectory interpretation of orbital-spin interaction and spin entanglement in molecular dynamics.
FPGA-Based Smart Sensor for Drought Stress Detection in Tomato Plants Using Novel Physiological Variables and Discrete Wavelet Transform
Authors: Duarte-Galvan Carlos , Romero-Troncoso Rene , Torres-Pacheco Irineo , Guevara-Gonzalez Ramon , Fernandez-Jaramillo Arturo , Contreras-Medina Luis , Carrillo-Serrano Roberto , Millan-Almaraz Jesus
Published: October 2014

Soil drought represents one of the most dangerous stresses for plants. It impacts the yield and quality of crops, and if it remains undetected for a long time, the entire crop could be lost. However, for some plants a certain amount of drought stress improves specific characteristics. In such cases, a device capable of detecting and quantifying the impact of drought stress in plants is desirable. This article focuses on testing if the monitoring of physiological process through a gas exchange methodology provides enough information to detect drought stress conditions in plants. The experiment consists of using a set of smart sensors based on Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to monitor a group of plants under controlled drought conditions. The main objective was to use different digital signal processing techniques such as the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) to explore the response of plant physiological processes to drought. Also, an index-based methodology was utilized to compensate the spatial variation inside the greenhouse. As a result, differences between treatments were determined to be independent of climate variations inside the greenhouse. Finally, after using the DWT as digital filter, results demonstrated that the proposed system is capable to reject high frequency noise and to detect drought conditions.
Les expériences rurales vues de la ville, et vice versa (The rural scene seen from the city, and vice versa)
Authors: Landy Frederic
Published: October 2014

Studying urban decentralisation and joint management of irrigation and forest shows that "decentralisation" does not always mean popular participation. Who participates ? For whom ? are questions to be raised. Problems of horizontal and vertical integration are hurdles to be addressed with a geographical approach : integration inside a network is difficult if spatial management units are too small ; different management units and rules can overlap along successive reforms ; finally, an apex level of management must work for the sake of equity.
Gestion « scientifique et rationnelle » des ressources forestières indiennes ? Une application des modèles d'aménagement de l'espace par séparation (Toward a sustainable management of indian forests land and resources ? From technical to participatory models of forest management)
Authors: Bon Emmanuel
Published: October 2014

Since the early 1990s, the Joint Forest Management (JFM) program attests for a significant change in both the Indian Forest Policy orientation and administrative ethos regarding the participation of stakeholders in forest management. However, the Central Government policy framework allows considerable discretion to State governments and administrations for implementing this agenda. The JFM program raised as much interest as questions on both motivations and capacity of the forest administration to reform itself. The first part of the paper reviews the Indian forest policy over the last fifty years. The second part of the paper acknowledges the success and failures of ongoing reforms.
Les montagnes post-soviétiques, crises et mutations (Post-soviet mountains : crisis and mutations)
Authors: Dufaure Jean-Jacques , Thorez Pierre
Published: October 2014

Since the collapse of the USSR and the creation of new independent States, mountainous regions suffered particularly difficult times. As marginal lands in the Soviet system, they are now abandoned or, in the worse case, involved into conflicts. Due to the transformation of former federal borders into sovereign state borders, new territories became landlocked. As a consequence of the highly felt economic crisis, temporary or definitive out migration often continues towards either foothills or other countries. Some regions, cut off from their traditional markets, for instance in Georgia and in the Pamir, are quite different from other ones like Daghestan, where links with markets have been maintained. Some regions are badly on the decline, whilst others are able to adapt to the new environment. Yet, in many places, factors of renewal do appear.
Crises et évolution des questions écologiques au Caucase (Crisis and evolution of the ecological questions in Caucasus)
Authors: Beroutchachvili Nicolas
Published: October 2014

Devenu un des points chauds de la planète sur le plan géopolitique, le Caucase présente une situation paradoxale. Si les crises ethniques et économiques ont durement touché les populations, elles ont plutôt affaibli la charge anthropique sur l'environnement. La chute des productions agricoles et industrielles, la régression du tourisme ont diminué les facteurs de pollution. Cette situation a cependant son revers avec l'apparition de territoires non contrôlés ou la multiplication d'activités illégales. L'article tente défaire le point sur les différents facteurs qui caractérisent l 'évolution de l 'état environnemental du Caucase et les perspectives de son utilisation plus rationnelle.
La géographie de la population et le nettoyage ethnique en ex-Yougoslavie (Population geography and ethnic cleansing informer Yugoslavia)
Authors: Roux Michel
Published: October 2014

This paper proposes a typology of ethnie cleansing, emphasizes how difficult it is to take all its aspects into account, then deals with its effects on the population of the affected territories : number of inhabitants, ethnic structure, birth-rate, mortality, age structure, distribution of population between towns and surrounding country, migratory perspectives. The examples are taken in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.
La géographie face au nettoyage ethnique - vers une géographie inhumaine (Geography facing ethnic cleansing - Toward a geography of violence)
Authors: Rosière Stéphane
Published: October 2014

Cet article répond à un double objectif : expliquer pourquoi les phénomènes du type nettoyage ethnique sont longtemps restés en dehors des réflexions des géographes, et souligner l'impact des politiques d'homogénéisation menées par les Etats. Depuis Pierre George dans les années cinquante, la géographie humaine et la géographie de la population expliquent la répartition des peuples en fonction de facteurs naturels, économiques et historiques. Cette dernière catégorie ne paraît pourtant pas opératoire et devrait être remplacé par les facteurs politiques qui mettraient en exergue le rôle des Etats et l'effet de leurs politiques d'homogénéisation. L 'homogénéité ethnique apparaît en effet comme le meilleur garant de la légitimité et de la sécurité des Etats-nations. Celle-ci est recherchée par deux façons, soit en développant des in-politics (assimilation forcée), soit des ex-politics (expulsion ou extermination). Ces politiques impliquent une violence graduelle qui va de mesures de rétorsion culturelle jusqu 'au génocide. Parmi les ex-politics, le « nettoyage » s 'impose comme une pratique de masse puisque, en un siècle près de 100 millions d'individus ont eu à en subir les conséquences.
Useful insights from evolutionary biology for developing perennial grain crops1
Authors: DeHaan Lee R. , Van Tassel David L.
Published: October 2014

Annual grain crops dominate agricultural landscapes and provide the majority of calories consumed by humanity. Perennial grain crops could potentially ameliorate the land degradation and off‐site impacts associated with annual grain cropping. However, herbaceous perennial plants with constitutively high allocation to harvestable seeds are rare to absent in nature. Recent trade‐off theory models suggest that rugged fitness landscapes may explain the absence of this form better than sink competition models. Artificial selection for both grain production and multiyear lifespan can lead to more rapid progress in the face of fitness and genetic trade‐offs than natural selection but is likely to result in plant types that differ substantially from all current domestic crops. Perennial grain domestication is also likely to require the development of selection strategies that differ from published crop breeding methods, despite their success in improving long‐domesticated crops; for this purpose, we have reviewed literature in the areas of population and evolutionary genetics, domestication, and molecular biology. Rapid domestication will likely require genes with large effect that are expected to exhibit strong pleiotropy and epistasis. Cryptic genetic variation will need to be deliberately exposed both to purge mildly deleterious alleles and to generate novel agronomic phenotypes. We predict that perennial grain domestication programs will benefit from population subdivision followed by selection for simple traits in each subpopulation, the evaluation of very large populations, high selection intensity, rapid cycling through generations, and heterosis. The latter may be particularly beneficial in the development of varieties with stable yield and tolerance to crowding.