bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Management of intracranial hemorrhage in patients with left ventricular assist devices
Authors: Wilson Thomas J. , Stetler William R. , Al-Holou Wajd N. , Sullivan Stephen E. , Fletcher Jeffrey J.
Published: March 2013

Object

The authors conducted a study to review outcomes and management in patients in whom intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) develops during left ventricular assist device (LVAD) therapy.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included all adult patients (18 years of age or older) at a single institution who underwent placement of an LVAD between January 1, 2003, and March 1, 2012. The authors conducted a detailed medical chart review, and data were abstracted to assess outcomes in patients in whom ICH developed compared to those in patients in whom ICH did not develop; to compare management of antiplatelet agents and anticoagulation with outcomes; to describe surgical management employed and outcomes achieved; to compare subtypes of ICH (intraparenchymal, subdural, and subarachnoid hemorrhage) and their outcomes; and to determine any predictors of outcome.

Results

During the study period, 330 LVADs were placed and 36 patients developed an ICH (traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage in 10, traumatic subdural hematoma in 8, spontaneous intraventricular hemorrhage in 1, and spontaneous intraparenchymal hemorrhage in 17). All patients were treated with aspirin and warfarin at the time of presentation. With suspension of these agents, no thromboembolic events or pump failures were seen and no delayed rehemorrhages occurred after resuming these medications. Intraparenchymal hemorrhages had the worst outcomes, with a 30-day mortality rate in 59% compared with a 30-day mortality rate of 0% in patients with traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhages and 13% in those with traumatic subdural hematomas. Five patients with intraparenchymal hemorrhages were managed with surgical intervention, 4 of whom died within 60 days. The only factor found to be predictive of outcome was initial Glasgow Coma Scale score. No patients with a Glasgow Coma Scale score less than 11 survived beyond 30 days. Overall, the development of an ICH significantly reduced survival compared with the natural history of patients on LVAD therapy.

Conclusions

The authors' data suggest that withholding aspirin for 1 week and warfarin for 10 days is sufficient to reduce the risk of hemorrhage expansion or rehemorrhage while minimizing the risk of thromboembolic events and pump failure. Patients with intraparenchymal hemorrhage have poor outcomes, whereas patients with traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage or subdural hematoma have better outcomes.
Form drag on pressure ridges and drag coefficient in the northwestern Weddell Sea, Antarctica, in winter
Authors: Bing Tan , Peng Lu , Zhijun Li , Runling Li
Published: February 2013

Surface elevation data for sea ice in the northwesternty - Weddell Sea, Antarctica, collected by a helicopter-borne laser altimeter during the Winter Weddell Outflow Study 2006, were used to estimate the form drag on pressure ridges and its contribution to the total wind drag, and the air-ice drag coefficient at a reference height of 10 m under neutral stability conditions (Cdn(10)). This was achieved by partitioning the total wind drag into two components: form drag on pressure ridges and skin drag over rough sea-ice surfaces. The results reveal that for the compacted ice field, the contribution of form drag on pressure ridges to the total wind drag increases with increasing ridging intensity Ri (where Ri is the ratio of mean ridge height to spacing), while the contribution decreases with increasing roughness length. There is also an increasing trend in the air-ice drag coefficient Cdn(10) as ridging intensity Ri increases. However, as roughness length increases, Cdn(10) increases at lower ridging intensities (Ri < 0.023) but decreases at lower ridging intensities (0.023 < Ri < 0.05). These opposing trends are mainly caused by the dominance of the form drag on pressure ridges and skin drag over rough ice surfaces. Generally, the form drag becomes dominant only when the ridging intensity is sufficiently large, while the skin drag is the dominant component at relatively larger ridging intensities. These results imply that a large value of Cdn(10) is caused not only by the form drag on pressure ridges, but also by the skin drag over rough ice surfaces. Additionally, the estimated drag coefficients are consistent with reported measurements in the northwestern Weddell Sea, further demonstrating the feasibility of the drag partition model.
Allelopathic Studies on Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum)
Authors: Sultana Shamima , Asaduzzaman Md
Published: March 2013

Declining crop yield due to weeds and their resistance to herbicides are major constraint for successful crop productions. Milk thistle (Silybum marianum) is common weed species in Australian cropping rotation. Allelopathic potentiality of milk thistle on different crops has been documented sporadically, but there is no literature on about ryegrass and canola. Therefore, a laboratory based allelopathic extracts bioassay was conducted. The hot water extracts was prepared from milk thistle plant parts added into water with ration of 1: 10 (plant sample: distilled water) where mixture was heated 10 minutes. After heat treatment samples was immediately sieved and centrifuged and the resulted solution was treated as 100% concentration. Separately, to get the fresh water extract plant sample was added into water (1:10) and kept 24 hours in room temperature. After 24 hours, the sample was sieved and centrifuged and collected samples result was treated 100% concentrations. To obtain 50% concentration, both hot and fresh samples were diluted with distilled water. Therefore the experiment was conducted with five different treatment concentrations (0, 50% hot water extracts, 50% fresh water extracts, 100% hot water extracts and 100% fresh water extracts). The experiment was comprised with RCBD design with three replications under control conditions. During experimental period the allelopathic effects of donor species on germination and seedling growth of ryegrass and canola was observed. Results shows, germination and seedling growth of both receiver species are inhibited by milk thistle extracts. Extracts from fresh water at 100% was more toxic to receiver species followed by 50% concentration of fresh and 100% from hot water extracts. This concentration reduced the root, shoot growth of ryegrass and canola 84.971%, 84.269% and 89.898%, 87.394%, respectively. The result also revealed that allelopathic pattern of hot water extracts was same however; it is less toxic to both receiver species. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijarit.v2i1.14007 Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 2 (1): 62-67, June, 2012
Growth and Yield Performance of Chingi, Heteropneustes fossilis and Koi, Anabas testudineus in Bangladesh under Semi-Intensive Culture Systems
Authors: Chakraborty BK , Nur NN
Published: March 2013

Production potential of shingi, Heteropneustes fossilis and koi, Anabas testudineus in polyculture were assessed at a stocking density of 2, 47,000 and 3, 70,500 ha-1, respectively in treatment T1 and T2. Monoculture of H. fossilis and A. testudineus was designed at a stocking density of 2, 47,000 ha-1 in treatment T3 and T4, respectively. Culture period of shingi was 120 days and koi was 100 days in all treatments. All fingerlings were of the same age at stocking, with a mean weight of 2.54±0.08 g for shingi and 0.50±0.01 g for koi, respectively. Commercial fish feeds (30.0% crude protein) supplied at the rate of 100 to 5% of total biomass twice daily. Fish production in treatment T1, T2, T3 and T4 were 18,803±111, 12,388±115, 10,042±5 kg ha-1 day-120 and 22,176±7 kg ha-1 day-100, respectively. The feed conversion ratio (FCR) was significantly (P<0.05) lower in T4 than that of the other three treatments. The net financial benefits incurred from treatment T1, T2, T3 and T4 were Bangladeshi Taka 17,65,769; 6,691; 15,83,990 and 16,29,409 BDT ha-1, respectively. The mean differences of gross yields and net benefits among different treatments were significant (P<0.05). The polyculture technology of shingi and koi, and monoculture technology of koi may help to meet the dietary needs and improve the socio-economic status of the people of Bangladesh.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijarit.v2i2.14010 Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 2 (2): 15-24, December, 2012
Reponse of Different Combinations of Manure and Fertilizers to the Yield of Rape Crop
Authors: Baliyan SP , Baliyan PS , Rao KS Madhava
Published: March 2013

This study was an attempt to determine the effect of different combinations of manure and fertilizers on the yield of rape crop so as to improve yield by recommending the best combination of manure and fertilizers to the rape growers in Botswana. Rape crop was planted on farmers field in a complete randomized block design where nine different combinations of manure and fertilizers, namely, chicken manure (Ch); Ch and NPK (2:3:2); Ch and Fe (Iron); Ch, NPK and Fe; Ch and Urea; Ch, NPK and Urea; Ch, Urea and Fe; Ch, NPK, Urea and Fe; and control (No application of manure and fertilizer) were considered. Each fertilizer combination was replicated four times in a total of thirty six plots in the layout of the experiment. The data on rape yield was collected. The leaves of rape were harvested three times a month and the rape yield (in kg) was recorded in a harvest sheet. A two way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed using the SPSS software. The results indicated that fertilizer combination of chicken manure, NPK and Urea produced the highest yield of rape which was 2.61 times higher than the yield produced by the control plots (where no manure and fertilizer was applied) and therefore, a fertilizer combination of chicken manure, NPK and Urea was recommended to the rape growers. Suggested future studies included the comparative profitability of different fertilizer combinations as well as the effects of different doses of the organic and inorganic fertilizers on rape production. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijarit.v2i2.14013 Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 2 (2): 44-47, December, 2012
Assessment of Use of Indigenous Maize Storage Practices among Farmers in Anambra State, Nigeria
Authors: Ajani EN , Onwubuya EA
Published: March 2013

The study assessed the use of indigenous maize storage practices among farmers in Anambra State, Nigeria. Data for the study was collected by the use of interview schedule from a sample of 60 respondents. Percentage, mean score and standard deviation were used for analyzing data collected for the study. Results revealed that the farmers were using indigenous technologies such as baskets, aerial (over fire) in the kitchen, bare floors, among others in storing maize. The respondents indicated that they stored maize cobs undehusked in order to overcome wastage and obtained information about indigenous storage of maize from parents and fellow farmers. Major problems militating against effective storage of maize include: attack of pests such as rodents and weevils, diseases, termite attack and use of poor quality storage materials. The respondents indicated that use of materials free from termite, clearing of surroundings against fire disaster; use of durable materials treated with insecticides will help to solve the problems. The study recommends that provision of appropriate and affordable storage structures should be made available to the maize farmers in order to avoid wasting of the produce under storage. This will help to ensure food security among rural farm households. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ijarit.v2i2.14014 Int. J. Agril. Res. Innov. & Tech. 2 (2): 48-53, December, 2012
Heterogeneous Photocatalysis: Recent Advances and Applications
Authors: Ibhadon Alex , Fitzpatrick Paul
Published: March 2013

Semiconductor heterogeneous photocatalysis, the subject of this review, is a versatile, low-cost and environmentally benign treatment technology for a host of pollutants. These may be of biological, organic and inorganic in origin within water and air. The efficient and successful application of photocatalysis demands that the pollutant, the catalyst and source of illumination are in close proximity or contact with each other. The ability of advanced oxidation technology to remove low levels of persistent organic pollutants as well as microorganisms in water has been widely demonstrated and, progressively, the technology is now being commercialized in many areas of the world including developing nations. This review considers recent developments in the research and application of heterogeneous semiconductor photocatalysis for the treatment of low-level concentrations of pollutants in water and air using titanium dioxide as a “model” semiconductor. The review considers charge transport characteristics on the semiconductor surface, photocatalyst reactor design and organic degradation mechanistic pathways. The effects of photoreactor operating parameters on the photocatalytic process are discussed in addition to mineralization and disinfection kinetics.
Characteristics of Methane Hydrate Formation in Artificial and Natural Media
Authors: Zhang Peng , Wu Qingbai , Yang Yuzhong
Published: March 2013

The formation of methane hydrate in two significantly different media was investigated, using silica gel as an artificial medium and loess as a natural medium. The methane hydrate formation was observed through the depletion of water in the matrix, measured via the matrix potential and the relationship between the matrix potential and the water content was determined using established equations. The velocity of methane hydrate nucleation slowed over the course of the reaction, as it relied on water transfer to the hydrate surfaces with lower Gibbs free energy after nucleation. Significant differences in the reactions in the two types of media arose from differences in the water retention capacity and lithology of media due to the internal surface area and pore size distributions. Compared with methane hydrate formation in silica gel, the reaction in loess was much slower and formed far less methane hydrate. The results of this study will advance the understanding of how the properties of the environment affect the formation of gas hydrates in nature.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor Family in Ascidians, Halocynthia roretzi (Sea Squirt). Its High Expression in Circulatory System-Containing Tissues
Authors: Samarghandian Saeed , Shibuya Masabumi
Published: March 2013

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-VEGF Receptor (VEGFR) system is an important pathway for regulation of angiogenesis. However, its evolutionary development, particularly the step from invertebrates to vertebrates, is still largely unknown. Here, we molecularly cloned the VEGFR-like gene from Halocynthia roretzi, a species belonging to the Tunicata, the chordate subphylum recently considered the sister group of vertebrates. The cDNA encoded a homolog of human VEGFR, including the transmembrane domain, and the tyrosine kinase domain with a kinase-insert region, which was designated S. sq VEGFR (GenBank AB374180). Similar to Tunicates including ascidians in the phylogenetic tree, the Amphioxus, another chordate, is located close to vertebrates. However, S. sq VEGFR has a higher homology than the Amphioxus VEGFR-like molecule (GenBank AB025557) to human VEGFR in the kinase domain-2 region. The S. sq VEGFR mRNA was expressed at highest levels in circulatory system-containing tissues, suggesting that S. sq VEGFR plays an important role in the formation or maintenance of circulatory system in Tunicates, Halocynthia roretzi.
Mitogen-Activated Protein (MAP) Kinase Scaffolding Proteins: A Recount
Authors: Meister Melanie , Tomasovic Ana , Banning Antje , Tikkanen Ritva
Published: March 2013

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway is the canonical signaling pathway for many receptor tyrosine kinases, such as the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor. Downstream of the receptors, this pathway involves the activation of a kinase cascade that culminates in a transcriptional response and affects processes, such as cell migration and adhesion. In addition, the strength and duration of the upstream signal also influence the mode of the cellular response that is switched on. Thus, the same components can in principle coordinate opposite responses, such as proliferation and differentiation. In recent years, it has become evident that MAPK signaling is regulated and fine-tuned by proteins that can bind to several MAPK signaling proteins simultaneously and, thereby, affect their function. These so-called MAPK scaffolding proteins are, thus, important coordinators of the signaling response in cells. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the research on MAPK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway scaffolders. We will not only review the well-known members of the family, such as kinase suppressor of Ras (KSR), but also put a special focus on the function of the recently identified or less studied scaffolders, such as fibroblast growth factor receptor substrate 2, flotillin-1 and mitogen-activated protein kinase organizer 1.
Differential Protein Expression in Response to Abiotic Stress in Two Potato Species: Solanum commersonii Dun and Solanum tuberosum L.
Authors: Folgado Raquel , Panis Bart , Sergeant Kjell , Renaut Jenny , Swennen Rony , Hausman Jean-Francois
Published: March 2013

Better knowledge on responses to dehydration stress could help to improve the existing cryopreservation protocols for potato, since plant tissues processed for cryopreservation are often submitted to similar in vitro stress conditions. Cryopreservation (the best method of conservation for vegetatively propagated plants) of potato still needs to be standardized to make it available and to conserve the wide diversity of this crop. In the present work, the response to osmotic stress and chilling temperature was investigated in two potato species, Solanum tuberosum and its relative, frost-tolerant S. commersonii. After 14 days of exposure, different growth parameters, such as shoot length and number of leaves, were measured. Furthermore, differentially abundant proteins were identified after performing 2-fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis (2-DIGE) experiments, and soluble carbohydrates were analyzed by High Performance Anion Exchange Chromatography with Pulsed Amperometric Detection (HPAEC-PAD). The results show different responses in both species depending on the stress treatment. Focusing on the differences in growth parameters during the treatments, Solanum commersonii seems to be more affected than S. tuberosum cv. Désirée. At the molecular level, there are some differences and similarities between the two potato species studied that are dependent on the type of stressor.
Non-Coding RNAs: Functional Aspects and Diagnostic Utility in Oncology
Authors: Kim Taiho , Reitmair Armin
Published: March 2013

Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) have been found to have roles in a large variety of biological processes. Recent studies indicate that ncRNAs are far more abundant and important than initially imagined, holding great promise for use in diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic applications. Within ncRNAs, microRNAs (miRNAs) are the most widely studied and characterized. They have been implicated in initiation and progression of a variety of human malignancies, including major pathologies such as cancers, arthritis, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. Their surprising stability in serum and other bodily fluids led to their rapid ascent as a novel class of biomarkers. For example, several properties of stable miRNAs, and perhaps other classes of ncRNAs, make them good candidate biomarkers for early cancer detection and for determining which preneoplastic lesions are likely to progress to cancer. Of particular interest is the identification of biomarker signatures, which may include traditional protein-based biomarkers, to improve risk assessment, detection, and prognosis. Here, we offer a comprehensive review of the ncRNA biomarker literature and discuss state-of-the-art technologies for their detection. Furthermore, we address the challenges present in miRNA detection and quantification, and outline future perspectives for development of next-generation biodetection assays employing multicolor alternating-laser excitation (ALEX) fluorescence spectroscopy.
Compact Mass Flow Meter Based on a Micro Coriolis Flow Sensor
Authors: Sparreboom Wouter , Van de  Geest Jan , Katerberg Marcel , Postma Ferry , Haneveld Jeroen , Groenesteijn Jarno , Lammerink Theo , Wiegerink Remco , Lötters Joost
Published: March 2013

In this paper we demonstrate a compact ready-to-use micro Coriolis mass flow meter. The full scale flow is 1 g/h (for water at a pressure drop < 1 bar). It has a zero stability of 2 mg/h and an accuracy of 0.5% reading for both liquids and gases. The temperature drift between 10 and 50 °C is below 1 mg/h/°C. The meter is robust, has standard fluidic connections and can be read out by means of a PC or laptop via USB. Its performance was tested for several common gases (hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, argon and air) and liquids (water and isopropanol). As in all Coriolis mass flow meters, the meter is also able to measure the actual density of the medium flowing through the tube. The sensitivity of the measured density is ~1 Hz.m3/kg.
Ulososides and Urabosides — Triterpenoid Saponins from the Caribbean Marine Sponge Ectyoplasia ferox
Authors: Colorado Jhonny , Muñoz Diana , Marquez Diana , Marquez Maria , Lopez Juan , Thomas Olivier , Martinez Alejandro
Published: February 2013

Three new triterpene glycosides, named ulososide F (1), urabosides A (2) and B (3), together with the previously reported ulososide A (4), were isolated from the Caribbean marine sponge Ectyoplasia ferox. Their structures were elucidated using extensive interpretation of 1D and 2D-NMR data, as well as HRESIMS. The aglycon of all compounds is a rare 30-norlonastane and the sugar residues were identified after acid hydrolysis and GC analyses. Cytotoxicities of the isolated compounds were evaluated against Jurkat and CHO cell lines by a MTT in vitro assay as well as a hemolysis assay. Unexpectedly, all these saponin derivatives showed very low activity in our bioassays.
Synthesis of Pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinolines by Multicomponent 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition
Authors: Dumitrascu Florea , Georgescu Emilian , Georgescu Florentina , Popa Marcel , Dumitrescu Denisa
Published: February 2013

Pyrrolo[2,1-a]isoquinoline derivatives were synthesized by one-pot three-component reactions starting from isoquinoline, 2-bromoacetophenones and different non-symmetrical acetylenic dipolarophiles using 1,2-epoxypropane as solvent. The structure of the compounds was assigned by IR and NMR spectroscopy.
Synthesis of New BINAP-Based Aminophosphines and Their 31P-NMR Spectroscopy
Authors: Anstiss Christopher , Karuso Peter , Richardson Mark , Liu Fei
Published: March 2013

BINAP aminophosphines are prevalent N,P-bidentate, chiral ligands for asymmetric catalysis. While modification via the BINAP-nitrogen linkage is well explored and has provided a diverse body of derivatives, modification of the other substituents of the phosphorous center is another avenue in generating new congeners of this important class of chiral ligands. Herein reported are new BINAP aryl aminophosphines with electron rich or deficient substituents on the aryl rings. This scalable synthesis converted readily available starting material, (S)-BINOL, to a key intermediate (S)-NOBIN, from which the final chiral aminophosphines were prepared via a palladium-catalyzed, phosphonylation reaction. The aryl substituents are able to modify the electronic properties of the phosphorous center as indicated by the range of 31P-NMR shifts of these new ligands. A computational analysis was performed to linearly quantitate contributions to the 31P-NMR shifts from both resonance and field effects of the substituents. This correlation may be useful for designing and preparing other related aminophosphines with varying ligand properties.
Grafting of Polycaprolactone on Oxidized Nanocelluloses by Click Chemistry
Authors: Benkaddour Abdelhaq , Jradi Khalil , Robert Sylvain , Daneault Claude
Published: March 2013

The main objective of this work is the grafting of polycaprolactone diol (PCL) on the surface of oxidized nanocelluloses (ONC) in order to enhance the compatibility between the hydrophilic cellulose nanofibres and the hydrophobic polymer matrix. This grafting was successfully realized with a new strategy known as click chemistry. In this context, the oxidized nanocelluloses bearing alkyl groups (ONC-PR) were prepared by reacting amino groups of propargylamine (PR) with carboxyl groups of ONC. In parallel, PCL was converted into azido-polycaprolactone (PCL-N3) in two steps: (i) tosylation of polycaprolactone (PCL-OTs) and (ii) conversion of PCL-OTs into PCL-N3 by nucleophilic displacement using sodium azide. Finally, ONC-PR was reacted with PCL-N3 in heterogeneous conditions through click chemistry in order to prepare polycaprolactone grafted oxidized nanocellulose (ONC-g-PCL), which could be suitable for improving the interfacial adhesion in the composite materials. The grafted samples were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (13C-NMR) spectroscopic techniques.
Gut Microbiota as Potential Therapeutic Target for the Treatment of Cow’s Milk Allergy
Authors: Canani Roberto , Di Costanzo Margherita
Published: March 2013

Cow’s milk allergy (CMA) continues to be a growing health concern for infants living in Western countries. The long-term prognosis for the majority of affected infants is good, with about 80% naturally acquiring tolerance by the age of four years. However, recent studies suggest that the natural history of CMA is changing, with an increasing persistence until later ages. The pathogenesis of CMA, as well as oral tolerance, is complex and not completely known, although numerous studies implicate gut-associated immunity and enteric microflora, and it has been suggested that an altered composition of intestinal microflora results in an unbalanced local and systemic immune response to food allergens. In addition, there are qualitative and quantitative differences in the composition of gut microbiota between patients affected by CMA and healthy infants. These findings prompt the concept that specific beneficial bacteria from the human intestinal microflora, designated probiotics, could restore intestinal homeostasis and prevent or alleviate allergy, at least in part by interacting with the intestinal immune cells. The aim of this paper is to review what is currently known about the use of probiotics as dietary supplements in CMA.
River Courses Affected by Landslides and Implications for Hazard Assessment: A High Resolution Remote Sensing Case Study in NE Iraq–W Iran
Authors: Othman Arsalan , Gloaguen Richard
Published: March 2013

The objective of this study is to understand the effect of landslides on the drainage network within the area of interest. We thus test the potential of rivers to record the intensity of landslides that affected their courses. The study area is located within the Zagros orogenic belt along the border between Iraq and Iran. We identified 280 landslides through nine QuickBird scenes using visual photo-interpretation. The total landslide area of 40.05 km2 and their distribution follows a NW–SE trend due to the tectonic control of main thrust faults. We observe a strong control of the landslides on the river course. We quantify the relationship between riverbed displacement and mass wasting occurrences using landslide sizes versus river offset and hypsometric integrals. Many valleys and river channels are curved around the toe of landslides, thus producing an offset of the stream which increases with the landslide area. The river offsets were quantified using two geomorphic indices: the river with respect to the basin midline (Fb); and the offset from the main river direction (Fd). Hypsometry and stream offset seem to be correlated. In addition; the analysis of selected river courses may give some information on the sizes of the past landslide events and therefore contribute to the hazard assessment.
Enhanced Processing of 1-km Spatial Resolution fAPAR Time Series for Sugarcane Yield Forecasting and Monitoring
Authors: Duveiller Grégory , López-Lozano Raúl , Baruth Bettina
Published: March 2013

A processing of remotely-sensed Fraction of Absorbed Photosynthetically Active Radiation (fAPAR) time series at 1-km spatial resolution is established to estimate sugarcane yield over the state of São Paulo, Brazil. It includes selecting adequate time series according to the signal spatial purity, using thermal time instead of calendar time and smoothing temporally the irregularly sampled observations. A systematic construction of various metrics and their capacity to predict yield is explored to identify the best performance, and see how timely the yield forecast can be made. The resulting dataset not only reveals a strong spatio-temporal structure, but is also capable of detecting both absolute changes in biomass accumulation and changes in its inter-annual variability. Sugarcane yield can thus be estimated with a RMSE of 1.5 t/ha (or 2%) without taking into account the strong linear trend in yield increase witnessed in the past decade. Including the trend reduces the error to 0.6 t/ha, correctly predicting whether the yield in a given year is above or below the trend in 90% of cases. The methodological framework presented here could be applied beyond the specific case of sugarcane in São Paulo, namely to other crops in other agro-ecological landscapes, to enhance current systems for monitoring agriculture or forecasting yield using remote sensing.
A Reliability-Based Multi-Algorithm Fusion Technique in Detecting Changes in Land Cover
Authors: Zhang Penglin , Shi Wenzhong , Wong Man , Chen Jiangping
Published: March 2013

Detecting land use or land cover changes is a challenging problem in analyzing images. Change-detection plays a fundamental role in most of land use or cover monitoring systems using remote-sensing techniques. The reliability of individual automatic change-detection algorithms is currently below operating requirements when considering the intrinsic uncertainty of a change-detection algorithm and the complexity of detecting changes in remote-sensing images. In particular, most of these algorithms are only suited for a specific image data source, study area and research purpose. Only a number of comprehensive change-detection methods that consider the reliability of the algorithm in different implementation situations have been reported. This study attempts to explore the advantages of combining several typical change-detection algorithms. This combination is specifically designed for a highly reliable change-detection task. Specifically, a fusion approach based on reliability is proposed for an exclusive land use or land cover change-detection. First, the reliability of each candidate algorithm is evaluated. Then, a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation is used to generate a reliable change-detection approach. This evaluation is a transformation between a one-way evaluation matrix and a weight vector computed using the reliability of each candidate algorithm. Experimental results reveal that the advantages of combining these distinct change-detection techniques are evident.
Gas Sensors Characterization and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) Hardware Implementation for Gas Identification Using a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA)
Authors: Benrekia Fayçal , Attari Mokhtar , Bouhedda Mounir
Published: March 2013

This paper develops a primitive gas recognition system for discriminating between industrial gas species. The system under investigation consists of an array of eight micro-hotplate-based SnO2 thin film gas sensors with different selectivity patterns. The output signals are processed through a signal conditioning and analyzing system. These signals feed a decision-making classifier, which is obtained via a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) with Very High-Speed Integrated Circuit Hardware Description Language. The classifier relies on a multilayer neural network based on a back propagation algorithm with one hidden layer of four neurons and eight neurons at the input and five neurons at the output. The neural network designed after implementation consists of twenty thousand gates. The achieved experimental results seem to show the effectiveness of the proposed classifier, which can discriminate between five industrial gases.
La sexualité infantile à l'épreuve des psychostimulants
Authors: Guinard Maïa , Cohen de Lara Aline , Chambry Jean , Delteil Florence , Lacaze Emmanuelle , Billard Catherine
Published: March 2013

Les auteurs proposent d’appréhender la question des processus de changement en psychopathologie psychanalytique de l’enfance à partir des épreuves projectives de deux enfants diagnostiqués tda/h . Ces enfants ont été reçus à deux reprises : lors d’une évaluation initiale puis après deux ans de prise en charge médicamenteuse et psychothérapique. L’analyse des processus de changements prendra en compte plusieurs critères dégagés par les auteurs : l’étude des modalités de traitement de l’excitation et du travail de liaison affect/représentation, l’appréhension de la répartition entre investissements narcissiques et objectaux, l’étude des capacités adaptatives, l’analyse des modalités identificatoires, et enfin l’appréhension de l’équilibre entre l’angoisse et l’organisation défensive.
Dépression chez l'enfant et élaboration de la perte : test/retest après une psychothérapie
Authors: Alsancak Sönmez Burçin
Published: March 2013

Après quelques remarques générales sur le concept de dépression et de dépression infantile, l’auteur propose d’interroger la dépression d’un enfant à partir d’une vignette clinique. En s’appuyant sur les tests projectifs (Rorschach, tat et cat ), l’auteur met en évidence la différence test/retest avant et après la thérapie. L’enfant dépressif présente des représentations fragiles, des assises narcissiques déficientes. Après la thérapie, les tests projectifs révèlent un enfant plus confiant dans son identité.
Fantasmes œdipiens et inhibition défensive dans l'anorexie mentale à l'adolescence
Authors: Vibert Sarah
Published: March 2013

Bien qu’associés de façon privilégiée aux fonctionnements limites, les troubles des conduites alimentaires sont sous-tendus par des organisations psychiques variées et loin d’apparaître aussi stéréotypées que les manifestations comportementales qui les sous-tendent. À l’appui d’observations cliniques et de réflexions théoriques, l’auteur s’intéresse à l’impact du sexuel dans les troubles des conduites alimentaires malgré la prégnance manifeste de la problématique de perte d’objet, à la lueur de deux études de cas dont les procédures défensives sont fort différentes voire opposées. Leur mise en écho permet de saisir avec davantage d’acuité les problématiques sous-jacentes aux symptômes anorexiques/boulimiques et notamment la fonction que l’inhibition est susceptible de revêtir au sein de certaines organisations sous-tendant ces conduites. Elle semble constituer dans certains cas un aménagement défensif destiné à lutter contre la proximité des fantasmes incestueux et parricides dont l’expression apparaît transparente dans d’autres.
Mourir pour être un homme : tentatives de suicide et identité sexuelle à l'adolescence
Authors: Bonnichon Delphine , Verdon Benoît
Published: March 2013

Partant du constat que les garçons suicidants invoquent la nécessité de faire preuve de leur virilité, il importe d’en saisir les soubassements fantasmatiques. L’entrelacs des fantasmes œdipiens et pré-œdipiens y apparaît ordonnancé par leur coloration particulièrement sadique. Mais un tel sadisme vient obérer la fonction du fantasme de pénétration anale et avec elle la reprise active de la puissance virile. Il constitue également un point de butée aux ressources sadomasochistes dans lequel l’adolescent pourrait puiser pour traverser le tumulte de l’acquisition génitale. Alors, en dernière instance le geste suicidaire dénonce la précarité du fantasme de pénétration anale entre hommes tout en faisant appel à une figure masculine puissante.
Le traitement de l'affect chez les enfants dysphasiques
Authors: Taly Véronika
Published: March 2013

Face aux perturbations des représentations de mot rencontrées chez les enfants présentant un trouble spécifique du développement du langage oral, ou encore appelé dysphasique, l’auteur interroge l’autre versant de la pulsion qu’est l’affect. Ainsi à l’aide de la méthodologie projective, le traitement de l’affect et son destin sont interrogés auprès de cette population d’enfants.
Effect of garlic oil supplementation on the glutathione redox system of broiler chickens fed with T-2 toxin contaminated feed
Authors: Ancsin Zs. , Erdélyi M. , Balogh K. , Szabó-Fodor J. , Mézes M.
Published: March 2013

The aim of present study was to investigate whether garlic essential oil with natural organosulfur compounds that possess free radical scavenging activity is able to alleviate the adverse effects of T-2 toxin. In a two-weeks feeding trial with 14-day old Cobb cockerels (n=15 per group) housed in batteries, twelve experimental treatments were applied. The basal diet was experimentally contaminated with T-2 toxin at concentrations of 0, 0.52, 1.05 or 2.05 mg/kg and at each contamination level garlic oil was added at a dosage rate of 0, 0.3 or 1.5 g/kg, respectively. The experimental diets were fed for 14 days. In the first week of the trial, production traits showed numerically lower body weights, a lower feed intake, and subsequently higher feed to gain ratios in the animals exposed to T-2 toxin-contaminated diets. This effect became non-significant in the second week. Garlic oil supplementation at the lower dose of 0.3 mg/kg resulted in a significantly lower body weight gain at the highest T-2 toxin contamination level. The malondialdehyde concentration did not show any dose-related changes. The level of reduced glutathione was significantly higher in blood plasma as a result of the lower (0.3 g/kg) garlic oil supplementation and as an effect of T-2 toxin challenge in red blood cell haemolysate. Glutathione peroxidase activity showed the same trend. The results showed that the lower (0.3 g/kg) but not the higher (1.5 g/kg) dose of garlic oil supplementation had desirable effects on the measured redox parameters, eliminating some of the adverse effects of feeding T-2 toxin contaminated diet.
Outros corpos: imigração, saúde e etnopolíticas da cidadania
Authors: Pussetti Chiara , Barros Vitor
Published: March 2013

No contexto recente da União Europeia os assuntos relacionados com a imigração tomaram uma importância fundamental na atividade governamental, criando a necessidade de estudar, categorizar e monitorizar as populações migrantes, assim como promover a sua integração. Este artigo explora a ideia de que, entrelaçados com retóricas como a da “pobreza” e a “vulnerabilidade”, os programas sociais de cariz assistencialista que tomam por objeto as populações migrantes desfavorecidas equacionam o objetivo da redução da pobreza com o objetivo de orientar a sua conduta no sentido de hábitos e projetos de vida mais responsáveis e saudáveis. Este artigo irá também explorar, centrando-se no contexto português, como estas intervenções são inerentemente racializadas, constituindo um tipo de etnopolítica dirigida a populações imigrantes, concebidas como necessitadas e desfavorecidas – não apenas de recursos económicos mas também de recursos de cidadania. Partindo de um conjunto de debates sobre o governo do corpo e da saúde no liberalismo avançado, o artigo sugere tópicos para uma nova agenda de investigação sobre pobreza, risco, imigração e o sector da saúde pública.
O destino como projeto? Racionalidades leigas de promoção da saúde
Authors: Silva Luísa Ferreira da
Published: March 2013

A responsabilidade de procurar orientação médica em caso de doença tornou-se uma imposição interiorizada na generalidade da população a partir de finais do século XIX. A segunda metade do século XX alargou essa preocupação à prevenção do adoecer e, nas últimas décadas do século, à de promoção da saúde, numa estratégia que se caracteriza pela ênfase na capacidade do indivíduo para gerir os riscos. Essa é a normatividade que dá conteúdo ao “saudável” como “estilo de vida” a nível dos comportamentos individuais. A nossa pesquisa sobre o pensamento leigo de saúde mostra que as racionalidades leigas são mais complexas do que supõem os modelos de educação para a saúde e que a subjetividade cultural influencia as avaliações que justificam as escolhas relativas à saúde. Encarar a saúde como projeto que se constrói não é a atitude dominante no pensamento leigo onde saúde (ainda) rima com destino. O texto começa por apresentar a história da construção social de saúde e segue pela apresentação e discussão dos resultados de pesquisa empírica sobre “o saudável”.
The Idea of a Green New Deal in a Quintuple Helix Model of Knowledge, Know-How and Innovation
Authors: Barth Thorsten D.
Published: February 2013

The climate change and the financial and economical crises are posing new challenges to the quality of democracies. This article is about the discussion of a correlation between a potential Green New Deal project and the scientific innovation model of a Quintuple Helix in advanced democracies to demonstrate that the sought for knowledge, sustainability, and green development can imply an excess in quality of democracies. Conclusion of the discussion is that the social and scientific subsystems of a democracy must, as part of a new deal, take over new tasks. At the same time, a new scientific cooperation and exchange system between advanced democracies should be implemented on an international level.
The Evaluation of the Implementation of Sustainability Norms
Authors: Pülzl Helga , Wydra Doris
Published: February 2013

Since the Brundtland report the world is still struggling to solve the riddle of sustainability. If there is no “blueprint” for implementing sustainable development, the practical meaning has to emerge out of an interactive process of social dialogue and reflection. Sustainability therefore goes through a constant process of redefinition and interpretation. This question of values and different approaches to implementation becomes particularly important when decision-making and the evaluation of the implementation is taking place in different fora. According to the dominant paradigm the policy process is a linear exercise of problem solving, i.e., the problem is identified, data for the problem analysis is collected and according advice is given to the policy-maker to enable his decision, which is then implemented. The implementation is evaluated by experts who determine the merit, worth or value of the result of this process, thus deciding upon its effectiveness. Against this dominant view, the authors hold that the purpose of evaluation and policy analysis is more than simply “client-oriented” advice, but should be rather about democratic dialogue and critique. Building on the methods of practical deliberation a model for evaluating sustainable development is built using the example of forest policy.
TQM for Sustainable Development through NPD in Developing Countries
Authors: Taddese Fasil , Osada Hiroshi
Published: February 2013

Challenged with intense market competition, developing countries are searching for methods to ensure sustainable development through business performance. In this regard, TQM and NPD play a major role. However, research is limited in the area of addressing the contextual link between TQM, NPD, and sustainable development. Therefore, this paper examines the relationship between the three and the outcome of the relationship. The results show that TQM in the context of NPD for sustainable development in developing countries focuses on adaptive products through incremental improvements on production technology, NPD system, product development, production process, and employee know-how. It is also found that TQM revolutionizes the conventional R&D system by enhancing innovation capabilities. It reduces development costs and time alleviating financial limitations. The results further reveal that process focus on the TQM framework has contributed to sustainable ecology management through various environmental management systems.
When Low-Carbon means Low-Cost
Authors: Salter Stephen J.
Published: February 2013

Ecology is often discussed as a matter of balance, in which environmental protection must be affordable and not interfere with jobs or the economy. At the same time, the economy is based on wastefulness. It has been estimated that the embodied energy in wasted food in the United States is greater than the energy available from the production of ethanol and from the annual yield from petroleum drilling in the outer continental shelf (Cuéllar & Webber, 2010). In addition, rising demand for fossil fuels is being met by sources that bring increasing environmental risk. This paper summarizes the industrial ecology aspects of a 2010 study completed by a cross-functional team of specialists in ecology, engineering, economics, and governance in Vancouver, Canada. The Integrated Resource Recovery Study, Metro Vancouver North Shore Communities (the North Shore Study) modeled the value of producing reclaimed water, electricity, and heat from wastewater, clean organic wood waste, and waste heat from industry simultaneously. The results suggest that this integrated approach could yield significant ecological benefits, and reduce the community’s greenhouse gas emissions by 25%. In addition, revenues from sales of recovered heat, water, greenhouse gas credits, and fertilizer could significantly reduce the cost of municipal waste management to taxpayers.
The Best Desalination Technology for the Persian Gulf
Authors: Adibfar Akbar
Published: February 2013

One in six people worldwide do not have access to safe freshwater. The world has been divided into 3 areas: Scarce, Stressed and Sufficiently available potable water by World Health Organization (WHO). The countries around Persian Gulf in the Middle East are in Scarcity area. Desalination solution has been proved as the primary response to water scarcity. This region ranks among the world’s top ten desalinating countries, namely, in descending order: Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Qatar. There are some key parameters in selecting different technologies for desalination, including temperature. The temperature can be quite low in some countries such as Australia, while it is rather high in Persian Gulf. Total dissolved Solid (TDS) which is representative of salinity is a critical factor, similar to temperature, in selecting the desalination technology. The value encountered in Persian Gulf is extremely high as compared to the normal range of sea water salinity. The three principal desalination technologies used all over the world are multi-stage flash (MSF), reverse osmosis (RO), and multi-effect distillation (MED). This study looks at the different aspects of development such as costs, capabilities and state-of-the-art technologies. A comparative analysis of these technologies is presented and the best technology from financial and technical point of view is introduced and discussed.