bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distinguishing Aerosols from Clouds in Global, Multispectral Satellite Data with Automated Cloud Classification Algorithms
Authors: Hutchison Keith D. , Iisager Barbara D. , Kopp Thomas J. , Jackson John M.
Published: April 2008

A new approach is presented to distinguish between clouds and heavy aerosols with automated cloud classification algorithms developed for the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) program. These new procedures exploit differences in both spectral and textural signatures between clouds and aerosols to isolate pixels originally classified as cloudy by the Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) cloud mask algorithm that in reality contains heavy aerosols. The procedures have been tested and found to accurately distinguish clouds from dust, smoke, volcanic ash, and industrial pollution over both land and ocean backgrounds in global datasets collected by NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor. This new methodology relies strongly upon data collected in the 0.412-μm bandpass, where smoke has a maximum reflectance in the VIIRS bands while dust simultaneously has a minimum reflectance. The procedures benefit from the VIIRS design, which is dual gain in this band, to avoid saturation in cloudy conditions. These new procedures also exploit other information available from the VIIRS cloud mask algorithm in addition to cloud confidence, including the phase of each cloudy pixel, which is critical to identify water clouds and restrict the use of spectral tests that would misclassify ice clouds as heavy aerosols. Comparisons between results from these new procedures, automated cloud analyses from VIIRS heritage algorithms, manually generated analyses, and MODIS imagery show the effectiveness of the new procedures and suggest that it is feasible to identify and distinguish between clouds and heavy aerosols in a single cloud mask algorithm.
Performance of Commercial Radiometers in Very Low Temperature and Pressure Environments Typical of Polar Regions and of the Stratosphere: A Laboratory Study
Authors: Su Wenying , Dutton Ellsworth , Charlock Thomas P. , Wiscombe Warren
Published: April 2008

Characterizing the performance of ground-based commercial radiometers in cold and/or low-pressure environments is critical for developing accurate flux measurements in the polar regions and in the upper troposphere and stratosphere. Commercially available broadband radiometers have a stated operational temperature range of, typically, −20° to +50°C. Within this range, their temperature dependencies of sensitivities change less than 1%. But for deployments on high-altitude platforms or in polar regions, which can be much colder than −20°C, information on temperature dependency of sensitivity is not always available. In this paper, the temperature dependencies of sensitivities of popular pyranometers and pyrgeometers manufactured by Kipp and Zonen were tested in a thermal-vacuum chamber. When their body temperature is lowered to −60°C, pyranometer sensitivity drops by 4%–6% from the factory-default specification. Pyrgeometer sensitivity increases by 13% from the factory-default specification during a similar temperature change. When the chamber pressure is lowered from 830 to 6 hPa, the sensitivity decreases by about 2% for the pyranometer, and increases by about 2% for the pyrgeometer. Note that these temperature and pressure dependencies of sensitivities are specific for the instruments that were tested and should not be applied to others. These findings show that for measurements suitable for climate studies, it is crucial to characterize temperature and/or pressure effects on radiometer sensitivity for deployments on high-altitude platforms and in polar regions.
Warming Break Trends and Fractional Integration in the Northern, Southern, and Global Temperature Anomaly Series
Authors: Gil-Alana Luis A.
Published: April 2008

This paper deals with the estimation of time trends in temperature anomaly series. However, instead of imposing that the estimated residuals from the time trends are covariance stationary processes with spectral density that is positive and finite at the zero frequency [I(0)], the author allows them to be fractionally integrated. In this context, a new procedure for testing fractional integration with segmented trends is applied to the northern, southern, and global temperature anomaly series. The results show that the three series are fractionally integrated, and the warming effects are substantially higher after the break in all cases.
On the Aliasing and Resolving Power of Sea Level Low-Pass Filtered onto a Regular Grid from Along-Track Altimeter Data of Uncoordinated Satellites: The Smoothing Strategy
Authors: Tai Chang-Kou
Published: April 2008

It is shown that smoothing (low-pass filtering) along-track altimeter data of uncoordinated satellites onto a regular space–time grid helps reduce the overall energy level of the aliasing from the aliasing levels of the individual satellites. The rough rule of thumb is that combining N satellites reduces the energy of the overall aliasing to 1/N of the average aliasing level of the N satellites. Assuming the aliasing levels of these satellites are roughly of the same order of magnitude (i.e., assuming that no special signal spectral content significantly favors one satellite over others at certain locations), combining data from uncoordinated satellites is clearly the right strategy. Moreover, contrary to the case of coordinated satellites, this reduction of aliasing is not achieved by the enhancement of the overall resolving power. In fact (by the strict definition of the resolving power as the largest bandwidths within which a band-limited signal remains free of aliasing), the resolving power is reduced to its smallest possible extent. If one characterizes the resolving power of each satellite as a spectral space within which all band-limited signals are resolved by the satellite, then the combined resolving power of the N satellite is characterized by the spectral space that is the intersection of all N spectral spaces (i.e., the spectral space that is common to all the resolved spectral spaces of the N satellites, hence the smallest). It is also shown that the least squares approach is superior to the smoothing approach in reducing the aliasing and upholding the resolving power of the raw data. To remedy one of the shortcomings of the smoothing approach, the author recommends a multismoother smoothing strategy that tailors the smoother to the sampling characteristics of each satellite. Last, a strategy based on the least squares approach is also described for combining data from uncoordinated satellites.
Optimization of an Observing System Design for the North Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation
Authors: Baehr Johanna , McInerney David , Keller Klaus , Marotzke Jochem
Published: April 2008

Three methods are analyzed for the design of ocean observing systems to monitor the meridional overturning circulation (MOC) in the North Atlantic. Specifically, a continuous monitoring array to monitor the MOC at 1000 m at different latitudes is “deployed” into a numerical model. The authors compare array design methods guided by (i) physical intuition (heuristic array design), (ii) sequential optimization, and (iii) global optimization. The global optimization technique can recover the true global solution for the analyzed array design, while gradient-based optimization would be prone to misconverge. Both global optimization and heuristic array design yield considerably improved results over sequential array design. Global optimization always outperforms the heuristic array design in terms of minimizing the root-mean-square error. However, whether the results are physically meaningful is not guaranteed; the apparent success might merely represent a solution in which misfits compensate for each other accidentally. Testing the solution gained from global optimization in an independent dataset can provide crucial information about the solution’s robustness.
Importance Functions for RESTART Simulation of Highly-Dependable Systems
Authors: Villén-Altamirano José
Published: April 2008

RESTART is a widely applied accelerated simulation technique that allows the evaluation of very low probabilities. In this method a number of simulation retrials are performed when the process enters regions of the state space where the chance of occurrence of the rare event is higher. Formulas for evaluating the optimal number of regions and retrials have been provided in previous papers. Guidelines were also provided for obtaining a suitable function, the importance function, used to define the regions. This paper provides a simple importance function that can be useful for RESTART simulation of models of many highly dependable systems. Some eXamples from the literature illustrate the application of this importance function. Steady-state unavailability of balanced systems is accurately estimated within short computational times, and also the unavailability of an unbalanced system but with much more computational effort.
Where in the World is School Psychology?
Authors: Jimerson Shane R. , Skokut Mary , Cardenas Santiago , Malone Heather , Stewart Kaitlyn
Published: April 2008

This study examined each of the 192 Member States of the United Nations to address three important questions: (1) how many countries have professionals who provide school psychology services; (2) which countries do and do not have school psychologists; (3) what evidence of school psychology is available in each country. Of the 192 Member States of the United Nations there was evidence of school psychology in 83. Furthermore, this study revealed evidence of: regulations that require school psychologists to be licensed, registered or credentialed in 29 countries; professional associations specifically for school psychologists in 39 countries; university preparation programs for school psychologists in 56 countries and doctoral preparation programs in school psychology in 19 countries. This study advances our knowledge of the profession of school psychology as of 2007.
Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Among Behaviourally At-Risk Children
Authors: Galanaki Evangelia P. , Polychronopoulou Stavroula A. , Babalis Thomas K.
Published: April 2008

The aim of this study was to examine the associations between loneliness/social dissatisfaction and teacher-identified behavioural risk during late childhood. A broad range of behaviour problems, as well as academic adjustment, are assessed, in order to specify in which types of behaviour and academic problems loneliness/social dissatisfaction is most likely to occur. Forty-six fifth and sixth graders who were in the borderline or clinical spectrum on the basis of their total Teacher's Report Form score completed the Children's Loneliness and Social Dissatisfaction Scale, and were compared with 50 students who did not have behaviour problems. Overall, the behaviourally at-risk group experienced more loneliness/social dissatisfaction than the comparison group. Loneliness was a more strong correlate of the variables studied than social dissatisfaction. For the behaviourally at-risk students, the strongest positive associations were found between loneliness and social problems, withdrawn/depressed behaviour and inattention; a trend for a negative association between loneliness and hyperactivity/impulsivity, as well as rule-breaking behaviour was also found. Children having both internalizing and externalizing problems experienced more loneliness than children with either internalizing or externalizing problems. Academic adjustment (i.e. academic performance, how much a student is learning and how happy he/she is) had negative links with loneliness. Several hypothetical explanations are offered and suggestions for research and action are made.
Predicting Cigarette Use Among Hawai`i Adolescents
Authors: Else 'Iwalani R.N. , Hishinuma Earl S. , Goebert Deborah A. , Nishimura Stephanie T. , Baker Suzanne
Published: April 2008

The aim of the study was to determine rates and correlates and to predict cigarette use for Hawaiian and non-Hawaiian adolescents in Hawai`i. Data were collected on a multi-ethnic adolescent sample of 7,317 students in five high schools from three islands in the state of Hawai`i from 1992—1996. Psychopathology symptoms, school measures, environment and suicide/self injury accounted for the most variance in cigarette use. Non-Hawaiians (especially immigrant groups), females, speaking non-standard English, lower socioeconomic status and higher rates of suicide/self injury were related to cigarette use. Hawaiian culture was a small, but significant risk factor. For adolescents, psychopathology, school, environmental factors, the role of culture and the growing ethnic diversity of youth should be considered in smoking prevention and cessation interventions.
Social Passivity and Grades Achieved Among Adolescents in Junior High School
Authors: Paulsen Erik , Bru Edvin
Published: April 2008

The main objective of this study was to gain knowledge as to how social passivity in school is related to the grades pupils achieve. The relation between social passivity and school grades received in eight different subjects, varying according to familiarity to teachers, demands of cooperation with peers and demands for public display of learning results were investigated. Five hundred and one pupils in grades 8, 9 and 10 (aged 13—16 years) from two secondary schools in a city in the southern part of Norway participated in the study. Results indicate a tendency for the more socially passive pupils to receive significantly lower grades than the more socially active pupils in subjects characterized by low familiarity to teachers, high demands of cooperation with peers and high demands for public display of learning results, such as oral and practical-esthetical subjects. In contrast, no tendency for lower grades among the socially passive pupils was found for mathematics.
Communicating Care in Insulin Therapy
Authors: Anand Sandip , Kumar Anant
Published: April 2008

The current study was carried out to find out patients’ needs related to insulin therapy, and to understand the current practices and missing links from the public health perspective. The study was conducted in urban Delhi. The sample was selected using the multi-stage sampling technique. Structured interviews were used to collect data from respondents. In all, 279 interviews were conducted, out of which 96 respondents were patients of type 1 and 183 of type 2 diabetes. The patients participating in the study were taking at least one shot of insulin per day. Findings indicate that diagnosis of diabetes is a stressful event in an individual's life, and insulin therapy adds to this stress. This needs special attention from doctors and family members considering its psychological impact, which is missing in currently available treatment practices. It was also found that the whole emphasis of treat-ment was on curative aspects rather than preventive and promotive aspects given that diabetes is an emerging public health problem. Further, the study highlights various other associated factors that need to be addressed from the patient's perspective.
Contraceptive Services of the District Health System in Tribal and Rural Areas of Visakhapatnam District, Andhra Pradesh
Authors: Varma G.R. , Babu B.V.
Published: April 2008

The present article reports communities’ acceptance of and perceptions on contraceptive services provided by district health system among tribal and rural population of Andhra Pradesh, India. The study has been conducted in two tribal and two rural developmental blocks of Visakhapatnam district. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected from married women of the age up to 40 years. Around 72 per cent of tribal women and 85 per cent of rural women had used or were currently using contraception. Currently the number of contraception users are higher among rural than tribal areas. The predominant method among both tribal and rural areas is female sterilisation, that is, tubectomy. These results suggest that despite the increased emphasis on contraceptive choice and on spacing methods in government programmes, female sterilisation continues to dominate the method mix, and spacing methods still account for only a negligible amount of contraceptive use. A majority of women received information on family planning from government health staff. Similarly, government institutions are the main source of contraception in both tribal and rural areas. Though, the quality of pre- and post-contraception care among the community is very important, the perceptions of the community on contraception care are not at desirable levels. Also, remarkably higher number of women who have undergone tubectomy (33 per cent of tribal and 45 per cent of rural women) had experienced various problems. These findings emphasise the continuing need to strengthen post-operative care and counselling for sterilisation acceptors. Some of the indicators of contraceptive service outreach are poor among the Scheduled Tribes as well as in rural population. Thus, the centralized top-down planning of healthcare services could not facilitate the tribal and rural people to articulate needs for services.
Higher education in health promotion in Europe: a comparative analysis of master's level training programmes using HP-Source.net
Authors: König Claudia , Mittelmark Maurice B.
Published: April 2008

This report summarises opportunities in Europe for master's degree level training in health promotion. Using data available at www.HP-Source.net, 105 study programmes at 71 institutions, spread over 20 European countries, were identified that include health promotion as a main subject. The programmes were analysed along a number of dimensions, including title, learning objectives, curricula, learning and teaching methods, entry requirements, duration, accreditation, language(s) of instruction and participation in European educational structures. The present analysis reveals great diversity along all these dimensions, but also several clusters of programmes that offer quite similar education in health promotion. Of special interest is the range of options available in Europe for length of study, ranging from one to two years, with part-time as well as full-time options. (Promot Educ, 2008; 15 (1): pp 30-35)
The Provision and Nature of ADHD Services for Children/Adolescents in the UK: Results from a Nationwide Survey
Authors: Tettenborn Michael , Prasad Suyash , Poole Lynne , Steer Chris , Coghill David , Harpin Valerie , Speight Nigel , Myttas Nikos
Published: April 2008

The Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Observational Research in Europe (ADORE) project aims to describe the relationship between prescribed treatment regimen and quality of life in ADHD patients across Europe over a 2-year period. As an adjunct to the ADORE study, a survey was conducted to assess the availability and range of ADHD treatment services in the UK. A questionnaire was developed to assess service provision at 20 UK ADORE sites. These data give information regarding the assessment process (i.e. the formal psychological instrumentation used), whether information is requested from schools, and what other medical and allied health care specialities are frequently involved in the diagnosis. Results of the survey provide an important insight into the ADHD-related services provided by ADORE centres, as well as highlighting the availability and limitations of such services.
Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties of Children and Young People at Entry into Care
Authors: Sempik Joe , Ward Harriet , Darker Iain
Published: April 2008

Emotional and behavioural difficulties of a sample of children and young people were identified at the point of entry to local authority care by analysis of social work case files. The files indicated high levels of need, including that in children aged under 5. Bedwetting was identified as an important issue related to the physical health and emotional well-being of looked-after children. There was an association between bedwetting and emotional and behavioural problems. Analysis of placement types at entry to care showed that significantly more boys than girls were first placed in residential care.
Facets of Structure and Adaptation: A Qualitative Study of Time-limited Psychotherapy with Children Experiencing Difficult Family Situations
Authors: Haugvik Marianne , Johns Unni
Published: April 2008

We present here a qualitative study of nine time-limited therapies with children. Time-limited psychotherapy with children is a structured therapeutic method, where the objectives and contents are individual for each child. The number of hours for the therapy is contracted together with the child and the parents. The goal of the therapy is formulated as a shared focus based on the needs of the individual child. The focus is expressed metaphorically and is decided upon together with the child and parents before the therapy is commenced. The therapist's task is to connect the material that the child brings in to the sessions to the agreed focus. The study showed that a clear framework gave the children and the families the necessary security during the therapy process. Attunement to the children's experiences within this framework invited the children to communicate their experiences. Parents, teachers and therapists reported in all cases a positive change after the therapies had been concluded.
Crime and silence
Authors: Hallsworth Simon , Young Tara
Published: April 2008

This article examines the constitutive role that silence performs in relation to crime; an area of study that remains relatively under theorized in criminological traditions more attuned to examining the noise that those party to the criminal act engage in, rather than the silence they also do. This article seeks to rectify this deficit by considering silence as the absent presence of crime. It outlines a methodological approach for excavating silence and applies it through undertaking a substantive analysis of the silence that perpetrators, control agents, bystanders and victims do.
Media perception of freedom of the press
Authors: Himelboim Itai , Limor Yehiel
Published: April 2008

This study explores perceptions of freedom of the press by those who practice it: journalists and media organizations. References to freedom of the press in codes of ethics worldwide were analyzed according to the respective characteristics of organizations and the political-economic status of each country considered. The findings show that the concern journalists express about their freedom is not necessarily related to with the level of freedom of the press prevailing in their respective countries. Moreover, the codes of developing countries primarily display concern about the most fundamental freedoms of all.
Mayday, Mayday! Newspaper framing anti-globalizers!
Authors: Meade Rosie
Published: April 2008

This article provides a critical analysis of the discourses employed in the Irish Independent's anticipatory coverage of the `Day of the Welcomes' demonstrations that occurred in Dublin during 2004. These demonstrations were organized by a broad church of `anti-globalization' activists who sought to use the coincidence of EU enlargement and the May Day holiday as an opportunity to highlight alternative visions of the European project. As Ireland's biggest selling `quality' newspaper, the Irish Independent has had a significant role in framing public debates about key social and political questions in this state. I show how, in the run up to the `Day of the Welcomes', the Irish Independent's coverage discredited both the political aspirations and the potential conduct of protesters. The overwhelming thrust of this coverage was to sanction dominant ideologies in relation to neo-liberalism, EU expansionism and the place of dissent in Irish society.
Ministerial Formation and Theological Education in Ghana: Prospects and Challenges
Authors: Atta-Baffoe Victor
Published: April 2008

The inconsistency between theological education and parish life is a sign of the breakdown of a theological paradigm for doing and communicating theology in Africa today. The role of Scripture within the framework of an Anglican tradition is now a matter of examination. There are biblical foundations for ministerial formation but they need to relate to the current situation of ministry. The only theological seminary in Ghana is St Nicholas, where the staff are indigenous but the programme offered is Western and imported. The result is that ministerial formation has failed to meet the needs of the people of Ghana. The way forward demands a thorough revision of the present course content and a focus on the needs of the particular time and place that is modern Ghana.
Theological Education and Anglican Identity in South Africa
Authors: Trisk Janet , Pato Luke
Published: April 2008

Theological education should take full account of the context in which it operates and authors share a commitment to a broadly defined liberation theology which takes the experience of the poor as its starting point. Focus is on the College of the Transfiguration in Grahamstown, a city with an unemployment rate of over 50 percent. The College supports not only theological education but also integrates ministerial and spiritual formation. The political context of South Africa has influenced the shape of theology even though students come from many other places. The contextualization thrust of the theology is shaped by a commitment to Outcomes Based Education. Anglican studies curriculum is shaped by this method and aims for a capacity to describe such things as Anglican identity, polity and beliefs. This is carried out in the absence of any sustained robust discourse on Anglican identity in the Anglican Communion.
A Spirituality of Reconciliation: Encouragement for Anglicans from a Roman Catholic Perspective
Authors: Sheldrake Philip
Published: April 2008

The essay is a manifesto for keeping faith with the Christian vocation of reconciliation in the face of painful conflicts within the Anglican Communion. Its fundamental conviction is that, theologically speaking, reconciliation lies at the heart of Christian identity. The first part of the article concentrates on the key questions of the meaning and process of reconciliation, defined as ‘making space for what is other’, historically, psychologically and spiritually. The second part of the article focuses on the specifically Christian characteristics of reconciliation in terms of two theological themes, the catholicity of God (and its corollary the catholicity of the Church) and hospitality and in terms of spirituality related to insights from the Rule of St Benedict, Anglican sources and the practice of the Eucharist. The article concludes with brief reflections on the importance of applying wisdom from the Christian tradition of discernment to the current situation in the Communion.
Effect of Zn addition on steady state creep characteristics of Sn–3·3Ag solder alloy
Authors: Fawzy A. , Habib N. , Sobhy M. , Nassr E. , Saad G.
Published: April 2008

The materials used in the present study are Sn–3·3 wt-%Ag and Sn–3·3Ag–1Zn (wt-%) alloys. Effect of stress σ, aging temperature Ta and aging time ta, on the creep resistance of the alloys under investigation had been studied. Creep tests were performed at room temperature (300 K) under the effect of different constant loads ranged from 2·5 to 4 N on specimens pre-aged at the temperatures 353, 373, 393 and 413 K. At each aging temperature the specimens were heated for the different periods of time 1, 20 and 50 h. The steady state creep rate of the present alloys was found to be related to the applied stress with exponent n. This exponent was found to be decreased with increasing aging temperature Ta and/or time of aging ta. Addition of 1 wt-%Zn to the binary Sn–3·3 wt-%Ag solder alloy affected its creep resistance. It was found to decrease with increasing both Ta and/or ta. This was attributed to coalesce and enhancement of the particle sizes of the intermetallic compound Ag3Sn during aging at high temperatures (0·6–0·7 Tm) which subsequently led to the decrease in the pinning action of these particles and consequently leading to decreasing the creep resistance in the aged alloy. Moreover, increasing Ta and/or ta increases the coarsening rate of grain sizes in both solder alloys from which it can be considered as another reason for the softening effect of increasing Ta and/or ta. Microstructural changes were investigated by optical, electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction measurements.
Preparation of Ni–Cr alloy foams by electrodeposition technique
Authors: Duan D. L. , Li S. , Ding X. J. , Jiang S. L.
Published: April 2008

Metallic foams have many applications in industry and are made using various methods. However, no suitable method for heating Ni–Cr alloy foam has been available. A method of preparing Ni–Cr alloy foam by an electrodeposition technique is described in the present paper. The method includes the following steps: establishing electrical conductivity of organic foam; electroplating of a Ni layer; electroplating of a Cr layer; eliminating the organic matrix and a homogenisation heat treatment. The plating solutions and process parameters of electrodeposition are introduced in detail. Homogenisation of the samples was carried out in a sealed quartz tube at 1100°C and the homogenisation time was determined by experiment and calculation. Experimental results are shown indicating that the Ni–Cr alloy foam made by this electrodeposition technique had a three-dimensional reticulated structure and formed a single phase Ni based solid solution. Also, the apparent resistivity was measured and it is demonstrated that the higher resistivity of the foam gave it good electrical heating properties.
Effects of co-doping on elastic modulus for zirconia based ternary ceramic materials
Authors: Huang X. , Yang Q.
Published: April 2008

The effect of co-doping on the elastic modulus of 7 wt-% yttria stabilised zirconia has been investigated through nanoindentation tests of five ternary zirconia based oxides in the present study. It is revealed that the samples co-doped with pentavalent oxides, in general, have a lower elastic modulus compared to the samples co-doped with trivalent oxides. Co-dopant cations with larger mass show a significant impact on the reduction of the elastic modulus. Both large cation radius and increased oxygen vacancy concentration decrease the elastic modulus.
Properties, processability and weldability of a novel affordable creep resistant nickel base superalloy
Authors: Tancret F. , Bellini M.
Published: April 2008

A recently designed heat resistant alloy for operation ∼750°C in power plant, named FT750DC, of composition Ni–20Cr–5Fe–3·5W–2·3Al–2·1Ti–0·07C–0·4Si–0·005B (wt-%), is fully characterised. Creep rupture and damage is investigated, as well as Charpy impact toughness. The alloy processability is also assessed: castability (comparison between measured microsegregation and Scheil simulation), forgeability (hot tensile ductility, strain hardening and recrystallisation behaviour), γ′ aging heat treatment (gamma-prime precipitation kinetics) and weldability (GTAW/TIG). It is demonstrated that this material, made affordable by avoiding the use of expensive alloying elements, with a creep rupture life in excess of 100 000 h at 750°C under 100 MPa, is easily castable, forgeable and weldable. It can therefore be favourably compared to concurrent alloys for fossil fuel or nuclear power plant applications (like the coal fired ultra supercritical steam power plant, or the nuclear high temperature gas cooled reactor) currently under assessment, such as alloys 230, 617, 625, 740, HX, etc.
Effect of minor change in composition on toughness of weldmetal for repair of turbine blades made of martensitic stainless steel
Authors: Das C. R. , Albert S. K. , Bhaduri A. K. , Srinivasan G. , Ramasubbu V.
Published: April 2008

Repair welding procedure for cracked turbine blades, made of 13Cr–2˙6Ni–1˙1Mo martensitic stainless steel, has been developed using gas tungsten arc welding process and a twin wire filler metal. The twin wire consists of a 1˙5 mm diameter ER 16-8-2 and a 2˙0 mm diameter ER 410 filler wires tack welded along the length of the two filler wires. A two stage post-weld heat treatment at 675°C for 2 h and 615°C for 4 h, such that the first heat treatments is above the Ac 1 temperatures of the weld metal and the second is just below its Ac 1 temperature; has been found to be suitable for obtaining good mechanical properties for the weldment. The weldment has a good combination of transverse weldment strength and weldmetal toughness, with its room temperature yield strength and Charpy V notch impact toughness being similar to that of the turbine blade material.
Dry and wet nano-scale impact dynamics of rough surfaces with or without a self-assembled monolayer
Authors: Teodorescu M , Rahnejat H
Published: April 2008

In nanoscale conjunctions, molecular interactions cannot be ignored, nor surface energy effects, adhesion of surface asperities, or their stiction by any wetting action of an intervening fluidic media. Many experimental micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) are prone to failure or malfunction due to structural degradation (wear and damage) of their load-bearing and power-transmitting conjunctions. Remedial solutions have been attempted by surface treatments, such as the introduction of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) that adhere to the surfaces, and which are hydrophobic in nature. The physics of many of the contributing phenomena, such as adhesion, meniscus action, or electrostatics, are reasonably well understood, but their interactions under small-scale impacting condition is less investigated. The problem has a transient nature, owing to inertial dynamics, surface topography, attractive surface energy of asperities, and formation of any condensates. The interplay between these kinetics, using the established models, can be quite complex, particularly with regard to prediction of contact area and pull-off force in rebound of impacting pairs. The behaviour can vary from near classical Hertzian to that dominated by adhesion. The repercussions can be very significant in power transmission or load bearing for these small devices. This paper attempts to contribute to the growing understanding of contact behaviour in smallscale.
NO-sensing characteristics of ZnO nanorods prepared by the ultrasound radiation method
Authors: Kim J-W , Park S-M , Oh E-G , Yu J-B , Byun H-G , Jeong S-H , Huh J-S
Published: April 2008

In this study, zinc oxide (ZnO) sensors were fabricated from ZnO nanorods prepared by ultrasound radiation method, and their gas-sensing properties were investigated for nitric oxide (NO), trimethylamine ((CH3)3N), hydrogen sulphide (H2S), carbon monoxide (CO), and methyl mercaptan (CH3SH). In the procedure, zinc nitrate hydrate (Zn(NO3)2·6H2O) and hexamethyleneteramine (C6H12N4,) were dissolved in deionized water and then the solution was irradiated with high-intensity ultrasound radiation for 1 h by employing a direct immersion of titanium horn. The length of the ZnO nanorods was from 250 nm to 500 nm and the diameter was from 40 nm to 80 nm. The size of the ZnO nanorods can be controlled by the concentration of the solution. The sensing characteristics of these nanostructures were investigated for three kinds of sensor fabricated by different concentrations (0.01, 0.005, and 0.001 M) of solution. It was observed that the property of the sensors was influenced by the morphology. The crystal structure and ceramic microstructure of the ZnO nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Quantum dot-enabled chemical sensors: The detection of hydrocarbons with a high degree of sensitivity and selectivity
Authors: Zhao Zhouying , Arrandale M , Vassiltsova O , Petrukhina M A , Carpenter M A
Published: April 2008

Nanocomposite films comprised of cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots embedded in polymer matrices were studied for their potential development and use as highly sensitive and selective hydrocarbon sensing materials. Multi-level selectivity enhancement characteristics have been incorporated into the design of this nanocomposite system to provide the high level of selectivity required for future field measurements. This has been achieved by using a combination of stabilizing and surface-modifying groups attached to the surface of CdSe semiconductor quantum dots (QDs). Benzoic acid (BA), pentafluorbenzoic acid (FBA), or naphthylamine (NA) were used as the surface-modifying groups. The modified QDs were embedded into a poly (methyl methacrylate) polymer film. Reversible photoluminescence (PL) changes of the QDs were observed upon exposure to toluene and xylenes vapours. A comparison of the sensitivity and selectivity of the QD—BA, QD—FBA, and QD—NA films was made for 50 ppm toluene in nitrogen (N2) and 50 ppm xylenes in N2 exposures to reveal that the QD—FBA film had the best overall performance.
Visualizing and Constructing Cycles in the Simplex Method
Authors: Avis David , Kaluzny Bohdan , Titley-Péloquin David
Published: April 2008

Most examples of cycling in the simplex method are given without explanation of how they were constructed. An exception is Beale's example built around the geometry of the dual simplex method in the plane [Beale, E. 1955. Cycling in the dual simplex method. Naval Res. Logist. Quart. 2(4) 269–275]. Using this approach, we give a simple geometric explanation for a number of examples of cycling in the simplex method, including Hoffman's original example [Hoffman, A. 1953. Cycling in the Simplex Algorithm. National Bureau of Standards, Washington, D.C.]. This gives rise to a simple method for generating examples with cycles.
Schlachtfeld Bundesrepublik? Europa, die deutsche Luftwaffe und der Strategiewechsel der NATO 1958 bis 1968
Authors: Krüger Dieter
Published: April 2008

Vorspann

Hätte das Verteidigungskonzept der NATO funktioniert? Was wäre aus der Bundesrepublik im Falle eines Atomkriegs geworden? Wie souverän war dieser Staat eigentlich? Während des Kalten Krieges ist viel über diese Fragen spekuliert worden; sichere Antworten waren aber kaum möglich. Das hat sich mittlerweile geändert. Auf der Grundlage der nun zugänglichen Quellen zeichnet Dieter Krüger ein Bild über die westdeutsche Sicherheitspolitik, das neu ist und auch bestürzend.
Der Bürger als Schreibtischtäter. Der Fall Kurt Blanke
Authors: Jungius Martin , Seibel Wolfgang
Published: April 2008

Vorspann

Rechtsanwalt, Koordinator der Judenverfolgung in Frankreich und Oberbürgermeister in Celle nach 1945 – das sind die Kapriolen einer Karriere, die so oder so ähnlich tausendfach zu konstatieren ist. Die Geschichtswissenschaft steht hier vor vielen Fragen: worin besteht das innere Kontinuum? Und was bewog einen unbescholtenen hervorragenden Juristen ohne Bindung an die NS-Vernichtungsideologie, aktiv an der Judenverfolgung mitzuwirken? Martin Jungius und Wolfgang Seibel rollen einen solchen Fall auf und entdecken dabei einen neuen Typus: den Bürger als Schreibtischtäter.
A rádiófrekvenciás ablatio helye a malignus daganatok kezelésében. Lehetőségek és korlátokr
Authors: Bánsághi Zoltán
Published: April 2008

Absztrakt

Az alábbi összefoglaló közlemény keretén belül – elsősorban a primer és áttéti májdaganatokra vonatkozóan – szeretném pillanatnyi állásának megfelelően áttekinteni a rádiófrekvenciás daganatroncsolás helyét a komplex onkoterápiában. Ez a hely az elmúlt 15 évben – számos vitával övezve – folyamatosan változott, és bizonyos, hogy a módszer helykeresése, integrálódása még nem ért a végére. Az alábbiakban rögzített pillanatfelvétel – annak minden vállalt esetlegességével – reményeim szerint arra szolgálhat, hogy az ennek tükrében kibontakozó szélesebb, társszakmákat is bevonó megbeszélések segítsenek a májdaganatok hazai ellátásának további fejlődésében.
A pancreas solid pseudopapillaris tumorar
Authors: Hajdú Nóra , Belágyi Tibor , Gyűrűs Péter , Oláh Attila
Published: April 2008

Absztrakt

A pancreas solid pseudopapillaris neoplasia (SPN) egy ritka, alacsony malignitasú daganat, amely általában fiatal nőkben alakul ki. Alacsony incidenciájának köszönhetően sem a diagnosztika, sem a kezelés terén nem születtek még egyértelmű szakmai ajánlások. Vizsgálatunk célja egy hazai sebészeti centrumban SPN miatt kezelt betegek klinikai adatainak elemzése és tapasztalataink összehasonlítása a nemzetközi eredményekkel. A győri Petz Aladár Megyei Oktató Kórház Sebészeti Centrumában 2004 és 2007 között SPN miatt pancreasresectión átesett 4 beteg adatait elemeztük retrospektív módon a klinikai adatok alapján. SPN miatt kezelt betegeink mindegyike nő volt, életkoruk 17–49 év. A preoperatív vizsgálatok, főleg a CT-kép alapján felállított SPN diagnózisát posztoperatív patológiai vizsgálatokkal igazoltuk. A mai napig folytatott utánkövetés szerint minden betegünk – a szükséges radikalitást biztosító, de lehetőség szerint szervmegtartó műtétet követően – tumormentes, és életminőségük is megfelelő. Saját tapasztalataink alapján a CT-vizsgálat alapján nagy valószínűséggel felállítható az SPN preoperatív diagnózisa. Az R0-resectiót biztosító, de csak korlátozott radikalitású műtét megfelelő kezelési stratégia az SPN megoldására.
Thoracoabdominalis aneurysma hybrid megoldásar
Authors: Dzsinich Csaba , Hüttl Kálmán , Cavarra Gaetano , Dzsinich Máté
Published: April 2008

Absztrakt

Az endograftok az aortaaneurysmák sebészi kezelésének lehetőségeit kiszélesítették, alkalmazzák őket az aortaív és a thoracoabdominalis aorta tágulatainak megoldására is. A nagy mellékágak keringését az endograftbeültetés előtt biztosítani kell. Az utóbbi években tapasztalatot szereztünk az aortaív aneurysmáinak hybrid kezelésével. 2007 januárjában egy 79 éves nőbetegnél thoracoabdominalis hybrid műtétre vállalkoztunk. A Crawford IV. típusú aortaaneurysma felső hasi fájdalmat okozott, átmérője 60 mm volt, és 80 mm-es aortaszakaszt érintett, involválta a truncus coeliacus szájadékát is. Megfelelő distalis rögzítési zóna kialakítására szükségessé vált a truncus coeliacus lekötése és keringésének extraanatomicus helyreállítása. Az aorta infrarenalis szakaszáról 8 mm-es PTFE graftot vezettünk antepancreaticus úton az arteria lienalisra. Ezután a truncus coeliacust az aorta szintjében elvarrtuk. Az arteria lienalison át a coeliaca valamennyi ága megfelelő keringéshez jutott. A lép vérellátását a gastroepiploicus arteria biztosította. Négy nappal később a bal arteria femoralison át 34 mm átmérőjű 15 cm hosszú Thoracic excludert vezettünk a thoracoabdominalis aortába és lefedtük az aneurysmát. A distalis rögzítőpont az a. mesenterica szájadékáig ért. A beavatkozást a beteg jól viselte, sebei pp gyógyultak, panaszmentesen távozott. A 12 hónappal később végzett CT-vizsgálat jó coeliacakeringést és az aneurysma involutióját bizonyította. A beteg panaszmentes. Hazánkban ez volt az első thoracoabdominalis hybrid műtét.
Primer vékonybél T-sejtes lymphoma operált eseter
Authors: Alzubi Ali , Zöllei István , Krenács László , Intzédy Katalin , Hudák János
Published: April 2008

Absztrakt

A vékonybelek elsődleges rosszindulatú daganatai ritkák. Jelenleg még nem áll rendelkezésre specifikus vizsgálati módszer, amely biztosítaná ezen betegség korai felismerését. A szerzők egy diagnosztikai nehézséget okozó primer vékonybél T-sejtes lymphoma esetét mutatják be egy 66 éves nőbetegük kapcsán, aki hasi panaszok, tapintható hasi terime miatt került kivizsgálásra. A műtét előtti labor-, endoscopos, hasi UH- és CT-vizsgálatok nem vezettek pontos diagnózishoz. A gyomor-bél passage-vizsgálat viszont leírt egy belső vékonybélfistulát, de az eredetét nem tudta tisztázni. Ezt követően történt a hasűri exploratio, amelynek során az észlelt tumor, a belső fistulával együtt, eltávolításra került. A szövettani vizsgálat primer vékonybél T-sejtes lymphomát igazolt. E lelet birtokában indult a haematologiai kezelés. Három hónappal később multiplex áttétek jelentek meg a beteg tüdejében. A vékonybéltumorok felismerése még napjainkban is nehézséget okoz. A diagnózis felállítása és a megfelelő kezelés megkezdése emiatt sokszor késik. A jövőben a kapszulás endoscopia vizsgálat pontosíthatja a műtét előtti diagnózist, azonban e kórkép szövettani verifikáláshoz és kezeléséhez a sebészi feltárás továbbra is elengedhetetlen.
A posztoperatív mesenterialis panniculitisről egy sikerrel kezelt eset kapcsánr
Authors: Bognár Gábor , Forgács Bence , István Gábor , Bereczky Bíborka , Berczi Lajos , Ledniczky György , Ondrejka Pál
Published: April 2008

Absztrakt

A mesenterialis panniculitis minden hasi műtéten átesett beteget érinthet. A betegség klinikai és patológiai képe nem egységes, ennek megfelelően a terápiája is más a különböző stádiumaiban. E stádiumokat egyesek vitatják, és egy betegség különféle manifesztációinak tartják őket, míg mások folyamatában látják a betegség kialakulását. Egy 65 éves férfi betegünknél két ízben alakult ki posztoperatív fibrotisáló, meseneterialis panniculitis. Az első alkalommal laparoscopos sigmaresectiót követően észleltük a teljes mesosigmát érintő folyamatot. Az ekkor végzett Hartmann-műtét után, a tervezett vastagbél-rekonstrukciót követően másodszor is kialakult a betegség, mely ekkor a teljes mesenteriumot és a mesocolon-lemezeket involválta. Az exploratio során sebészi intervenció nem volt kivitelezhető. A beteg antibiotikum, steroid, tartós parenteralis táplálás és nasogastricus szonda mellett 3 hét alatt meggyógyult. Konzervatív sikerrel kezelt esetünk kapcsán ismertetjük e sokarcú betegséget és a kezelés lehetőségeit.
Endproducts and receptor of advanced glycation and lipoxidation (AGE, ALE, RAGE) and chronic diseases – a food perspective
Authors: Bengmark Stig , Hajdú Nóra
Published: April 2008

Background: Chronic diseases as well as complications to acute and chronic disease are repeatedly associated with accumulation in the body of glycated and lipoxidated proteins and peptides. These molecules are strongly associated with activation of a specific receptor called RAGE and a long-lasting exaggerated level of inflammation in the body. Methods: PubMed reports in excess of 5000 papers plus about 14000 articles about the related HbA1c, most of them published in the last five years. Most of available abstracts have been read and circa 800 full papers studied in detail. Results: RAGE, a member of the immunoglobulin superfamily of cell surface molecules and receptor for advanced glycation endproducts, functions as a master switch, induces sustained activation of NF-κB, suppresses a series of endogenous autoregulatory functions and converts long-lasting pro-inflammatory signals into sustained cellular dysfunction and disease. Its activation is associated with high levels of dysfunctioning proteins in body fluids and tissues, and strongly associated with a series of diseases from allergy and Alzheimer to rheumatoid arthritis and urogenital disorders. Heat-treatment, irradiation and ionisation of foods increase the content in foods of AGE/ALE. Conclusions: Some processed foods are much like tobacco smoking great contributors to accumulation of glycated and lipoxidated molecules in the tissues. Change of life style: avoidance of foods rich in deranged proteins and peptides and increased consumption of antioxidants, especially polyphenols counteracts such a development.