bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vasodilator Activity of the Essential Oil from Aerial Parts of Pectis brevipedunculata and Its Main Constituent Citral in Rat Aorta
Authors: Pereira Sharlene , Marques Andre , Sudo Roberto , Kaplan Maria , Zapata-Sudo Gisele
Published: March 2013

The essential oil of Pectis brevipedunculata (EOPB), a Brazilian ornamental aromatic grass, is characterized by its high content of citral (81.9%: neral 32.7% and geranial 49.2%), limonene (4.7%) and α-pinene (3.4%). Vasodilation induced by EOPB and isolated citral was investigated in pre-contracted vascular smooth muscle, using thoracic aorta from Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rats which was prepared for isometric tension recording. EOPB promoted intense relaxation of endothelium-intact and denuded aortic rings with the concentration to induce 50% of the maximal relaxation (IC50) of 0.044% ± 0.006% and 0.093% ± 0.015% (p < 0.05), respectively. The IC50 values for citral in endothelium-intact and denuded rings were 0.024% ± 0.004% and 0.021% ± 0.004%, respectively (p > 0.05). In endothelium-intact aorta, EOPB-induced vasorelaxation was significantly reduced by L-NAME, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor. The vasodilator activity of citral was increased in the KCl-contracted aorta and citral attenuated the contracture elicited by Ca2+ in depolarized aorta. EOPB and citral elicited vasorelaxation on thoracic aorta by affecting the NO/cyclic GMP pathway and the calcium influx through voltage-dependent L-type Ca2+ channels, respectively.
Trends and ENSO/AAO Driven Variability in NDVI Derived Productivity and Phenology alongside the Andes Mountains
Authors: Van Leeuwen Willem , Hartfield Kyle , Miranda Marcelo , Meza Francisco
Published: March 2013

Increasing water use and droughts, along with climate variability and land use change, have seriously altered vegetation growth patterns and ecosystem response in several regions alongside the Andes Mountains. Thirty years of the new generation biweekly normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI3g) time series data show significant land cover specific trends and variability in annual productivity and land surface phenological response. Productivity is represented by the growing season mean NDVI values (July to June). Arid and semi-arid and sub humid vegetation types (Atacama desert, Chaco and Patagonia) across Argentina, northern Chile, northwest Uruguay and southeast Bolivia show negative trends in productivity, while some temperate forest and agricultural areas in Chile and sub humid and humid areas in Brazil, Bolivia and Peru show positive trends in productivity. The start (SOS) and length (LOS) of the growing season results show large variability and regional hot spots where later SOS often coincides with reduced productivity. A longer growing season is generally found for some locations in the south of Chile (sub-antarctic forest) and Argentina (Patagonia steppe), while central Argentina (Pampa-mixed grasslands and agriculture) has a shorter LOS. Some of the areas have significant shifts in SOS and LOS of one to several months. The seasonal Multivariate ENSO Indicator (MEI) and the Antarctic Oscillation (AAO) index have a significant impact on vegetation productivity and phenology in southeastern and northeastern Argentina (Patagonia and Pampa), central and southern Chile (mixed shrubland, temperate and sub-antarctic forest), and Paraguay (Chaco).
A Sensitive Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensor for Zinc(II) with High Selectivity
Authors: Lv Yuanyuan , Cao Mingda , Li Jiakai , Wang Junbo
Published: March 2013

A new fluorescent Zn2+ chemosensor (P1) based on a functionalized porphyrin was synthesized and characterized. P1 displayed dramatic ratiometric variations in absorption and fluorescent emission spectra upon exposure to Zn2+ due to the formation of a 1:1 Zn2+/P1 complex. The sensor also exhibited high selectivity and sensitivity toward Zn2+ over other common metal ions in the physiological pH range with a detection limit of 1.8 mM. The sensor showed fast response times and excellent reproducibility, thus confirming its potential applicability as a fluorescent sensor for Zn2+ sensing.
ARBRES: Light-Weight CW/FM SAR Sensors for Small UAVs
Authors: Aguasca Albert , Acevo-Herrera Rene , Broquetas Antoni , Mallorqui Jordi , Fabregas Xavier
Published: March 2013

This paper describes a pair of compact CW/FM airborne SAR systems for small UAV-based operation (wingspan of 3.5 m) for low-cost testing of innovative SAR concepts. Two different SAR instruments, using the C and X bands, have been developed in the context of the ARBRES project, each of them achieving a payload weight below 5 Kg and a volume of 13.5 dm3 (sensor and controller). Every system has a dual receiving channel which allows operation in interferometric or polarimetric modes. Planar printed array antennas are used in both sensors for easy system integration and better isolation between transmitter and receiver subsystems. First experimental tests on board a 3.2 m wingspan commercial radio-controlled aircraft are presented. The SAR images of a field close to an urban area have been focused using a back-projection algorithm. Using the dual channel capability, a single pass interferogram and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) has been obtained which agrees with the scene topography. A simple Motion Compensation (MoCo) module, based on the information from an Inertial+GPS unit, has been included to compensate platform motion errors with respect to the nominal straight trajectory.
Population, Resources and Female Labor in the Raw Silk Industry of Nagano in Meiji Japan
Authors: Liao Tim
Published: March 2013

Gendered realities in local regions are a prominent issue in today’s global economy. However, the process of globalization in the late-19th century already involved the local Nagano women in an indispensable role in Japan’s raw silk industry. This paper studies the interplay between population growth and relatively limited resources in Nagano vis-à-vis the demand for female labor during the Meiji era, when Japan became a major raw silk producer. The local/regional constraints in Nagano interacted with economic globalization and gave Nagano its position in the global market. Therefore, we cannot ignore the consequences of local/regional constraints and advantages in global processes on female workers. Population pressure and environmental squeeze are found to have been important forces that integrated the local and regional in the global process of industrialization and trade, and together, they produced social outcomes, such as gender hierarchies in globalization and glocalization processes.
Asymmetrical Contributions to the Tragedy of the Commons and Some Implications for Conservation
Authors: Jacquet Jennifer , Frank David , Schlottmann Christopher
Published: March 2013

In Garrett Hardin’s popular essay on “The Tragedy of the Commons”, he presents a model of a shared commons where herdsmen graze their cattle to illustrate the tension between group and self-interest that characterizes so many social dilemmas. However, Hardin is not explicit that consumption can actually vary widely among herdsman, although later, when discussing population growth, he clarifies that “people vary”. People do indeed vary, and here we explore further the prevalence of asymmetrical contributions to the tragedy of the commons. We also provide several examples to demonstrate that asymmetries have been frequently underappreciated by conservation initiatives. Given that many of today’s major environmental problems, such as climate change, freshwater shortages, and overfishing, are problems of users or groups of users over-consuming common resources asymmetrically, we believe identifying patterns of consumption is a necessary first step in solving any social dilemma, and can help elucidate priority areas for conservation.
Usage problématique des jeux vidéo : deux cas cliniques
Authors: Bonnaire Céline , Rossé Elizabeth
Published: March 2013

Deux cas cliniques sont présentés dans cet article. Le premier se caractérise par une situation d’attente, que le jeu lui a permis de prolonger : malade, entouré de malades, en proie aux doutes liés à une séparation de parents qui, eux-mêmes, n’ont pas une vie sociale et affective satisfaisante, il retarde son entrée dans le monde des adultes. Le second pose un problème de diagnostic psychopathologique, notamment par sa difficulté à exprimer ou à vivre des affects, au point que sa thérapeute s’interroge, au-delà d’une possible alexithymie, sur l’éventualité de troubles graves de la personnalité, ou évoquant un syndrome d’Asperger. Dans les deux cas, c’est à travers les problèmes de jeu que les sujets peuvent aborder leurs difficultés. Ces descriptions cliniques démontrent toute l’importance des premiers contacts, dans une ambiance de non-jugement, voire de bienveillance, par rapport à la pratique du jeu, et de sa fonction d’automédication.
Treatment of Displaced Distal Clavicle Fractures With a Single Cortical Screw
Authors: Lin Hsi-Hsien , Wang Chien-Shun , Chen Cheng-Fong , Chiang Chao-Ching , Huang Ching-Kuei , Chen Wei-Ming , Liu Chien-Lin
Published: March 2013

The authors retrospectively evaluated the effects of a single cortical screw in the open reduction and internal fixation of displaced distal clavicle fractures. Fifteen patients without associated acromioclavicular joint dislocation were treated by open reduction and internal fixation with a single cortical screw (4.5-mm diameter, 60-mm length) between 2004 and 2011. Mean follow-up was 39.2 months (range, 13–84 months). Reduction with a fracture gap of less than 1 mm and solid union were achieved in all cases. Delayed superficial infection developed in 1 patient. All other patients had good to excellent final Constant-Murley functional results.
Flexion-distraction Injuries in Children and Adolescents
Authors: Knox Jeffrey Bruce , Knox Jennifer Asarias , Wimberly Robert Lane , Riccio Anthony I.
Published: March 2013

Educational Objectives

As a result of reading this article, physicians should be able to:

1.

Understand the spectrum of injuries associated with pediatric flexion-distraction injuries.

2.

Distinguish the different patterns of pediatric flexion-distraction injuries.

3.

Understand the treatment options and recommendations for pediatric flexion-distraction injuries.

4.

Review the associations between restraints and flexion-distraction injuries in children.

Flexion-distraction injuries represent an uncommon pattern of injury in the pediatric population. Although this is a well-studied topic in adults, the literature on such injuries in children and adolescents is relatively sparse, with only low levels of evidence available to guide treatment. These injuries carry a high rate of concomitant injuries and a high morbidity and mortality in this population. Proper understanding of these complex injuries is important to ensure proper management and avoid complications.
La détermination passive et quelques thématisations particulières en anglais médical
Authors: Carnet Didier
Published: March 2013

À partir d’exemples caractéristiques issus d’un corpus de 2 115 structures passives tirées de la revue britannique The Lancet, j’ai réalisé une classification originale de ces diathèses passives en trois grandes catégories, à savoir la détermination passive simple, la détermination passive complexe et la détermination passive tronquée. Après avoir précisé en quoi ces opérations de détermination correspondaient à une stratégie énonciative particulière — qu’elle soit réfléchie ou spontanée — mise en œuvre par les médecins, j’ai analysé quelques formes extrêmes, ou déterminations particulières, notamment celles présentées sous la forme d’adjectifs composés.
Developing Scholarly Teaching at a Research University
Authors: Benson Spencer A. , Smith Ann C. , Eubanks David B.
Published: March 2013

In this chapter, the authors explore how faculty learning communities that focus on teaching and student learning have been instrumental in transforming the perception of teaching as a “tax to be paid” into an engaging scholarly activity. Faculty engagement in learning communities devoted to teaching and learning facilitates the development of new knowledge and insights into teaching and student learning as well as new perceptions regarding the roles of teaching in the faculty’s professional career. Using a case study approach, the authors describe various examples of learning communities at the University of Maryland that have transformed perceptions about teaching.
Motivating Teaching Excellence
Authors: Felten Peter , Finley Ashley
Published: March 2013

Despite the widespread use of teaching awards in the United States, little is known about whether such awards influence faculty attitudes or behaviors on teaching. Similarly, there is a lack of systematic evidence to understand what motivates faculty beliefs and actions on teaching. This chapter explores what motivates U.S. faculty toward innovation and excellence in teaching. Drawing from a national study of faculty across twenty colleges and universities, the authors find that, like other professionals, U.S. faculty highly value the support of their colleagues, particularly as it applies to innovating in the classroom and pursuing engaged learning practices. They argue there is compelling evidence to suggest that the presence of intrinsic rewards for innovation in teaching (e.g. opportunities to discuss pedagogy with colleagues and building a campus culture supportive of teaching) has greater impact on critical faculty outcomes, such as job satisfaction and commitment, than extrinsic rewards like teaching awards and even stipends.
Evaluation of a Hybrid Mathematics Methods Course for Novice Teachers
Authors: Johnston Christopher J.
Published: March 2013

This paper reports the evaluation of a hybrid mathematics methods course for novice teachers. During a fifteen-week semester, participants met face-to-face for approximately 60% of the semester and took advantage of an online format for the other 40% of the semester. Online activities included asynchronous discussion board postings, synchronous chats as an entire class, synchronous chats in small groups, evaluation of technology tools, and electronic surveys. The researcher used participants’ feedback to evaluate the effectiveness of this hybrid format. In addition, the researcher reflected upon his own experiences as instructor to inform future course structure decisions. Within the context of the Rich Environments for Active Learning (REAL) framework, results suggest that cooperative support was a key component of the effectiveness of the experience. Further, participants emphasized one particular generative learning activity as an effective component of this course. Finally, this paper discusses implications for mathematics professional development facilitators.
Applying Probabilistic Adaptation to Improve the Efficiency of Intra-Query Load Balancing
Authors: Yellin Daniel M. , Buenabad-Chávez Jorge
Published: March 2013

In the context of adaptive query processing (AQP), several techniques have been proposed for dynamically adapting/redistributing processor load assignments throughout a computation to take account of varying resource capabilities. The effectiveness of these techniques depends heavily on when and to what they adapt processor load assignments, particularly in the presence of varying load imbalance. Most existing approaches to this problem use heuristics based only upon the current machine load levels. The authors provide an algorithm, prAdapt that probabilistically predicts the future load on processors, based upon the recent history. It uses this prediction to evaluate the expected performance of different alternative solutions, taking into account the cost of the adaptation itself. If it finds a better solution than the current load distribution policy, it adapts to that distribution. Using a simulation based evaluation; they compare prAdapt to other approaches for AQP reported in the literature. The authors’ simulation results indicate that prAdapt often outperforms these other approaches.
A Fully Reconfigurable Approach to Emergency Management
Authors: Tarchi Daniele , Petrini Valeria , Corazza Giovanni Emanuele
Published: March 2013

Emergency management is one of the most important areas where technology innovation has direct impact on social well-being and sustainability. In the past few years, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has proved to be instrumental to improve emergency management with particular focus on resilience, rapidity of response, adaptability to situations. To these ends, joint optimization of communication and computing is a promising cross-layer approach. Indeed, this paper is focused on the consideration of both cognitive and autonomic networking approaches when deploying an emergency management system. The cognitive approach was initially considered specifically for wireless communications, while the autonomic approach was initially introduced for managing complex computing systems; however, they share several similarities in dealing with fully reconfigurable systems. The future trend is to expand their influence toward the global optimization of the ICT infrastructure, as the authors show in this paper for the specific case of emergency management systems.
Identifying Influencers in Online Social Networks
Authors: Zhang Yifeng , Li Xiaoqing , Wang Te-Wei
Published: March 2013

Online social networks (OSNs) are quickly becoming a key component of the Internet. With their widespread acceptance among the general public and the tremendous amount time that users spend on them, OSNs provide great potentials for marketing, especially viral marketing, in which marketing messages are spread among consumers via the word-of-mouth process. A critical task in viral marketing is influencer identification, i.e. finding a group of consumers as the initial receivers of a marketing message. Using agent-based modeling, this paper examines the effectiveness of tie strength as a criterion for influencer identification on OSNs. Results show that identifying influencers by the number of strong connections that a user has is superior to doing so by the total number of connections when the strength of strong connections is relatively high compared to that of weak connections or there is a relatively high percentage of strong connections between users. Implications of the results are discussed.
Dynamic Student Modelling of Learning Styles for Advanced Adaptivity in Learning Management Systems
Authors: Graf Sabine , Kinshuk
Published: March 2013

Learning management systems (LMSs) are commonly used in e-learning; however, they typically do not consider the individual differences of students, including their different background knowledge, cognitive abilities, motivation, and learning styles. A basic requirement for enabling such systems to consider students’ individual characteristics is to know these characteristics first. This paper focuses on the consideration of learning styles and introduces a dynamic student modelling approach that monitors students’ behaviour over time and uses these data to build an accurate student model by frequently refining the information in the student model as well as by responding to changes in students’ learning styles over time. The proposed approach is especially useful for LMSs, which are commonly used by educational institutions for whole programs of study and therefore can monitor students’ behaviour over time, in different courses. The paper demonstrates how this approach can be integrated in an adaptive mechanism that enables LMSs to automatically generate courses that fit students’ learning styles and discusses how dynamic student modelling can help in identifying students’ learning styles more accurately, which enables the LMS to provide more accurate adaptivity and therefore support students’ learning processes more effectively.
Machine Learning Techniques Applied to Profile Mobile Banking Users in India
Authors: Carr M. , Ravi V. , Reddy G. Sridharan , Veranna D.
Published: March 2013

This paper profiles mobile banking users using machine learning techniques viz. Decision Tree, Logistic Regression, Multilayer Perceptron, and SVM to test a research model with fourteen independent variables and a dependent variable (adoption). A survey was conducted and the results were analysed using these techniques. Using Decision Trees the profile of the mobile banking adopter’s profile was identified. Comparing different machine learning techniques it was found that Decision Trees outperformed the Logistic Regression and Multilayer Perceptron and SVM. Out of all the techniques, Decision Tree is recommended for profiling studies because apart from obtaining high accurate results, it also yields ‘if–then’ classification rules. The classification rules provided here can be used to target potential customers to adopt mobile banking by offering them appropriate incentives.
How the FLOSS Research Community Uses Email Archives
Authors: Squire Megan
Published: March 2013

Artifacts of the software development process, such as source code or emails between developers, are a frequent object of study in empirical software engineering literature. One of the hallmarks of free, libre, and open source software (FLOSS) projects is that the artifacts of the development process are publicly-accessible and therefore easily collected and studied. Thus, there is a long history in the FLOSS research community of using these artifacts to gain understanding about the phenomenon of open source software, which could then be compared to studies of software engineering more generally. This paper looks specifically at how the FLOSS research community has used email artifacts from free and open source projects. It provides a classification of the relevant literature using a publicly-available online repository of papers about FLOSS development using email. The outcome of this paper is to provide a broad overview for the software engineering and FLOSS research communities of how other researchers have used FLOSS email message artifacts in their work.
Analysis of Accessibility Initiatives Applied to the Web
Authors: Lima Joselice Ferreira , Caran Gustavo Miranda , Molinaro Luiz Fernando R. , Garrossini Daniela Favarro
Published: March 2013

The objective of this study is to investigate the current accessibility initiatives applied to the Web and identify its main characteristics and trends. The method used was a literature review focused on work in the last twenty years in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Brazil, ranked according to their approaches, in six lines of study. As a result, points out the lack of studies that allow effective analysis of the accessibility of websites, and methods for continuous improvement of technical standards and recommendations. It follows, showing the application of usability metrics by Nielsen and ISO-9241 and the incorporation of research models of information behavior seeking for assessment of gaps in accessibility.
Sonochemical Decolourisation of Reactive Blue 21 and Acid Red 114 in the Presence of TiO2 and Rare Earths
Authors: Pankaj  , Goyal Shikha
Published: March 2013

The ultrasonic decolourisation of two commonly used textile dyes, Acid Red 114 (AR 114) and Reactive Blue 21 (RB 21), with different chromophoric groups, azo and phthalocyanine respectively, has been studied using TiO2 (consisting of mixture of crystalline and amorphous phases) in the presence of rare earths ions (Pr3+, Ce4+). The characterisation of TiO2 has been done through X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) and N2 adsorption techniques. The decolourisation of AR 114 was faster than for RB 21 under all the experimental conditions. Almost complete decolourisation of both dyes was achieved in 5 min in the presence of US+TiO2+Ce. Ce4+ was found to be more effective than Pr3+. The decolourisation reaction followed second order kinetics. The effects of initial dye concentration and amount of TiO2 on the decolourisation of dyes have been found to be in the order; US+TiO2+Ce > US+TiO2+Pr > US+Ce > US+Pr > US+TiO2 > TiO2 >US. The decolourisation rate increased with increase in TiO2 amount and decreased with increase in initial dye concentration.
Photocatalytic Degradation of Alachlor on Fe-TiO2-Immobilized on GAC under Black Light Irradiation Using Box-Behnken Design
Authors: Wantala Kitirote , Neramittagapong Sutasinee , Neramittagapong Arthit , Kasipar Kittipon , Khaownetr Suphakij , Chuichulcherm Sinsupha
Published: March 2013

The aim of this work was focused on the photocatalytic degradation of alachlor from aqueous solution using 10%wt Fe-TiO2, as 0.1%wt of Fe doped into TiO2 structure, immobilized on granular activated carbon (GAC) under black light irradiation. The extended photocatalytic conditions were studied as functions of catalyst loading, number of black light, and initial pH of solution using Response Surface Method (RSM) based on Box-Behnken design (BBD). Characterizations of the photocatalyst by TGA-DTA, and XRD were investigated. Photocatalyst was calcined at 400°C under nitrogen atmosphere. As a Result of calcinations, photocatalyst consisted of only graphite crystallite while the crystallite phases of TiO2 were not observed. The degradation results showed that the photocatalytic process gave the highest percent degradation comparing with adsorption and photolysis processes. The effects of three operating variables which are catalyst loading, number of black light, and initial pH of solution on the degradation efficiency of alachlor were examined. Photocatalyst loading was only significant parameter effecting for photocatalytic degradation of alachlor. The photocatalytic degradation slightly increased with increasing of number of black light while pH of solution did not affect photocatalytic degradation of alachlor. The photocatalytic process and adsorption process were affected from the initial alachlor concentrations as well.
Precise Calibration of Displacement Vector Map during Superplastic Deformation in Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystal
Authors: Yasuda Kouichi , Okamoto Taku
Published: March 2013

In previous papers, the present authors observed grain motion in tetragonal zirconia polycrystal during superplastic deformation, and showed the displacement vector map of 748 grains. The map had an interesting feature such as transient domain structure. However, the authors did not pay much attention to the measurement error at that time. In this paper, the influence of measurement error on the map was quantitatively investigated. After precise calibration, it was revealed that measurement error did not have much influence on the feature, and statistics of grain motion was discussed on the calibrated map.
Recent Insights on the Superplastic Behaviour of Ceramics
Authors: Gómez-García Diego , de Bernardi-Martín Santiago , Moshtaghioun Bibi Malmal , González-Romero Robert L. , Rodríguez Arturo Domínguez
Published: March 2013

Superplasticity is the ability exhibited by some fine-grained materials to be elongated a great deal with no failure. Such phenomenological definition accounts for the engineering view point of this remarkable property. From a fundamental basis, there is a full consensus to admit that it is essentially linked to the grain boundary motion under invariance of microstructure. Despite the great scientific effort carried out during the two last decades, or probably due to that, there is still a gap on the scientific comprehension of the equation describing superplasticity from a basic point of view, not to say about its potential extension to nanostructured materials. This paper presents the essential basis of a new model proposed to account for the main features of structural ceramics.
Superplastic Forming Response of a Friction Stir Processed Mg Alloy Sheet – A Numerical Approach
Authors: Albakri Mohammad , Mansoor Bilal , Albakri Ahmad , Khraisheh Marwan
Published: March 2013

Friction stir process (FSP) is a severe plastic deformation based secondary processing technique that can be utilized to engineer novel microstructures in metallic alloys. It is well known that such techniques are cumbersome and require significant experimental work and material to determine optimum processing conditions. Therefore in this work, we propose a new two step numerical approach, where: (i) CFD simulations coupled with Zener-Holloman relation are used to predict microstructure evolution in stirred, transition and heat affected zones of friction stir processed AZ31 Mg alloy sheets, (ii) Finite element simulations are carried out to evaluate superplastic forming characteristics of different microstructures developed after FSP. Simulation trends including forming pressure profiles, dome height evolution, and thickness distribution of friction stir processed sheets are compared with those of the base material. The proposed combination of numerical approaches to model both processing and forming aspects yields a powerful tool to study and optimize processing and forming technologies with limited experimentation.
Experimental Study of the Mechanical Behavior of Materials under Transient Regimes of Superplastic Deforming
Authors: Bylya Olga I. , Vasin Rudolf , Chistyakov Peter , Muravlev Anatoly
Published: March 2013

Transient regimes of deforming are always present in any technological process and can be taken into account and used more widely if properly studied. The behavior of the materials under such regimes is becoming even more interesting if initial microstructure is coarse grained and undergoes transformation in the process of deforming. One of the transient processes which happen in any Superplastic deformation is the initial stage of loading, before steady superplastic flow starts. Initial parts of stress-strain curves during superplastic deformation are not frequently studied experimentally but provide very important information about mechanical properties of material. They are also necessary for development and verification of the constitutive equations. The results of experimental analysis of the behaviour of titanium alloys under superplastic conditions at the initial stages of loading and also under unloading are presented here. Another type of transient regimes of deforming is represented by the strain rate jumps. In such kind of experiments if the amplitudes of the jumps are big enough, the shifts of the corresponding parts of the stress-strain curves about the basic ones (hardening or softening) can be observed depending on the amplitude of the jump and microstructure of the material. Some experimental results related to this effect are discussed in this paper. The applicability of some constitutive equations for description of the observed results is discussed. The necessity of involving visco-elastic properties of material for proper description of its behavior in some regimes of deforming is also mentioned.
Effect of Mg Content on High Strain Rate Superplasticity of Al-Mg-Sc-Zr Alloys Subjected to Equal-Channel Angular Pressing
Authors: Kaibyshev Rustam , Zhemchuzhnikova Daria , Mogucheva Anna
Published: March 2013

Aluminium alloys with a chemical compositions of Al–5.8%Mg–0.52%Mn–0.2%Sc–0.07%Zr–0.16%Fe-0.1%Si and Al-5.4%Mg-0.34%Mn-0.2%Sc-0.07%Zr-0.07%Fe-0.02Si (in weight %), denoted as 1570 and 1570C, respectively, were processed by equal-channel angular pressing (ECAP) at 300°C up to strain ε~12. Extensive grain refinement provided the formation of fully recrystallized structure with the average grain sizes of 0.7 and 0.6 μm, respectively. Tensile tests were carried out in the temperature interval 200–550oC at strain rates ranging from 10-4 to 10-1 s-1. Very high tensile elongations (>1000%) were achieved in the both alloys at T350oC and strain rates higher than 10-3 s-1.
Effect of Severe Caliber Rolling on Superplastic Properties of Mg-3Al-1Zn (AZ31) Alloy
Authors: Doiphode Rajendra , Kulkarni Rahul Ramesh , Murty S.V.S. Narayana , Prabhu Nityanand , Kashyap Bhagwati Prasad
Published: March 2013

Fine grains were developed in Mg-3Al-1Zn (AZ31) alloy by isothermal caliber rolling at five different temperatures in the range of 250-450°C. The samples of different grain sizes were deformed by constant strain rate and differential strain rate test techniques over the temperature range of 220-450 °C and strain rate range of 10-5 to 10-1 s-1. The effects of grain size, test temperature and strain rate on flow stSuperscSuperscript textript textress were analysed to develop the constitutive relationship for supSuperscript texterplastic deformation. The parameters of the constitutive relationship obtained from the constant strain rate tests and differential strain rate tests were used to find out the material constant A of the constitutive relationship.
Superplasticity in a 5024 Aluminium Alloy Processed by Severe Plastic Deformation
Authors: Mogucheva Anna , Tagirova Diana , Kaibyshev Rustam
Published: March 2013

The superplastic behaviour of an Al-4.6%Mg-0.35%Mn-0.2%Sc-0.09%Zr alloy was studied in the temperature range 250-500°C at strain rates ranging from 10-4 to 10-1 s-1. The AA5024 was subjected to equal channel angular pressing (ECAP) at 300°C up to ~12. The highest elongation-to-failure of ∼3300% was attained at a temperature of 450°C and an initial strain rate of 5.6×10-1 s-1. Regularities of superplastic behaviour of the 5024 aluminium alloy are discussed.
Current Status of Research and Development on Superplasticity at the Institute for Metals Superplasticity Problems
Authors: Mulyukov Radik R. , Nazarov Ayrat A. , Imayev Renat M.
Published: March 2013

Principles of fabrication of ultrafine grained bulk and sheet materials for superplastic deformation by the methods of multiple isothermal forging and warm rolling are formulated. New data on superplastic behaviour of commercial alloys, on diffusion bonding of similar and dissimilar materials, and superplastic forming of titanium alloys are presented. The recent application of the diffusion bonding and superplastic forming technology for the production of hollow blades is demonstrated.
Estimation of Input to Plastic Deformation of Non-Crystallographic Intergranular Slip
Authors: Perlovich Yuriy , Isaenkova Margarita , Krymskaya Olga , Fesenko Vladimir
Published: March 2013

The method was developed for quantitative estimation of inputs to plastic deformation of crystallographic and non-crystallographic modes of slip by data of X-ray texture measurements. The texture analysis allows to split material into fractions, deformed by predominant operation of crystallographic and non-crystallographic mechanisms, differing in final orientations of grains. Whereas texture maxima in pole figures correspond to grains, deformed by means of crystallographic slip and having predictable final orientations, texture minima are formed by grains, whose deformation does not submit to crystallographic regularities and therefore their orientations are deflected from stable positions or even prove to be arbitrary. These effects are demonstrated as applied to semi-products from Zr-based alloys, subjected to the deformation treatment at temperatures of the (α+β)-region of Zr-Nb phase diagram.
Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Extended Thymectomy in Myasthenic Children
Authors: Sonzogni Rita , Novellino Lorenzo , Benigni Alberto , Busi Ilaria , Khotcholava Magda , Spotti Angelica , Sonzogni Valter
Published: March 2013

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disease marked by weakness of voluntary musculature. Medical and surgical therapy of adult myasthenia is well documented. There is little pediatric surgical evidence, only a few case reports being available. The aim of this paper is to verify whether the surgical and anesthesiological techniques can warrant an early and safe discharge from the operating room. The secondary aim is to assess the presence of perioperative indicators that can eventually be used as predictors of postoperative care. During the years 2006-2009, 10 pediatric patients were treated according to a surgical approach based on video assisted thoracoscopic extended thymectomy (VATET). Standard preoperative evaluation is integrated with functional respiratory tests. Anesthetic induction was made with propofol and fentanyl/remifentanyl and maintenance was obtained with sevoflurane/desflurane/propofol ± remifentanyl. A muscle relaxant was used in only one patient. Right or left double-lumen bronchial tube (Ruesch Bronchopart® Carlens) placement was performed. Six patients were transferred directly to the surgical ward while 4 were discharged to the intensive care unit (ICU); ICU stay was no longer than 24 h. Length of hospital stay was 4.4±0.51 days. No patient was readmitted to the hospital and no surgical complications were reported. Volatile and intravenous anesthetics do not affect ventilator weaning, extubation or the postoperative course. Paralyzing agents are not totally contraindicated, especially if short-lasting agents are used with neuromuscular monitoring devices and new reversal drugs. Perioperative evaluation of the myasthenic patient is mandatory to assess the need for postoperative respiratory support and also predict timely extubation with early transfer to the surgical department. Availability of new drugs and of reversal drugs, the current practice of mini-invasive surgical techniques, and the availability of post anesthesia care units are the keys to the safety and successful prognosis of patients affected by MG who undergo thymectomy.
Ground penetrating radar
Authors: Pilon J A
Published: March 2013

The widespread use of ground penetrating radar (GPR) with a mixture of success and failure has Led to a greater understanding of where GPR is likely to work and where it won't. The ability to quantitative/y predict and emulate the response of simple targets has
been needed for some time and is now easily achieved with simple PC programs. This paper de scribes some procedures for interactive radar modelling which can be used to define parameters for optimal system configuration prior to field survey work. The procedures for estimating radar range, for
generating synthetic radargrams, and for calculating simple ray tracing travel time are outlined; examples of results are presented. The techniques have been developed from the necessity of understanding and explaining field observations and are now used prior to a survey to optimize survey
parameters.
Geology, Stevenson Ridge (northwest part), Yukon
Authors: Ryan J J , Zagorevski A , Williams S
P , Roots C , Ciolkiewicz W , Hayward N , Chapman J B
Published: March 2013

The northwestern Stevenson Ridge map sheet (parts of NTS 115-J and K) is underlain by Paleozoic to Paleogene rocks that locally host Au mineralization. The backbone of the Dawson Range is underlain by the mid-Cretaceous Whitehorse plutonic suite. Late Devonian
metamorphosed volcanic, plutonic and sedimentary rocks of the White River assemblage and the Late Triassic Snag Creek suite gabbro occur southwest of the Dawson Range. These rocks are structurally overlain by a thrust sheet of the Early Permian Harzburgite Peak complex. The north side of the Dawson
Range is characterized by Paleozoic rocks typical of the Yukon-Tanana terrane, including Permian Klondike schist, Permian Sulphur Creek plutonic suite and pre-Devonian Snowcap assemblage. The White River assemblage and the Yukon-Tanana terrane are juxtaposed along the post-Triassic Moose Creek
thrust, which is partly demarcated by lozenges of peridotite. Late Cretaceous and younger faults occur throughout the area but have only modest offsets.
Knowledge and practices related to bovine brucellosis transmission amongst livestock workers in Yewa, south-western Nigeria
Authors: Adesokan Hezekiah K. , Alabi Peter I. , Stack Judy A. , Cadmus Simeon I.B.
Published: March 2013

Brucellosis is an endemic disease in the animal population in Nigeria and of major public health importance, particularly amongst livestock workers who are ignorant of the risk of Brucella infection. Therefore, to gain insight into the knowledge and practices related to brucellosis transmission amongst livestock holders (LH) and livestock marketers (LM) in Yewa, an international livestock trading centre in south-western Nigeria, we conducted an interviewbased study using a cluster sampling technique. In all, a total of 157 respondents comprising 54 LH and 103 LM were interviewed. Two-thirds (69.5%) of the two groups had poor knowledge of brucellosis with no significant difference between them (p = 0.262). Furthermore, consumption of unpasteurised milk, uncooked meat and its products, co-habitation with animals, and poor hygiene were significant risk practices identified as possible means of transfer of Brucella infection from animals to humans amongst these livestock workers (p 0.05). In conclusion, our findings revealed that poor knowledge and practices related to the consumption of unpasteurised or unboiled dairy products, contaminated beef, and unhygienic practices are factors that will facilitate Brucella infections amongst livestock workers in Nigeria. Therefore, there is a need for more public health enlightenment programmes, as well as implementation of brucellosis control measures in the cattle populations.
Numerical Study of Quantized Vortex Interaction in the Ginzburg-Landau Equation on Bounded Domains
Authors: Bao Weizhu , Tang Qinglin
Published: March 2013

In this paper, we study numerically quantized vortex dynamics and their interaction in the two-dimensional (2D) Ginzburg-Landau equation (GLE) with a dimensionless parameterε> 0 on bounded domains under either Dirichlet or homogeneous Neumann boundary condition. We begin with a review of the reduced dynamical laws for time evolution of quantized vortex centers in GLE and show how to solve these nonlinear ordinary differential equations numerically. Then we present efficient and accurate numerical methods for discretizing the GLE on either a rectangular or a disk domain under either Dirichlet or homogeneous Neumann boundary condition. Based on these efficient and accurate numerical methods for GLE and the reduced dynamical laws, we simulate quantized vortex interaction of GLE with differentεand under different initial setups including single vortex, vortex pair, vortex dipole and vortex lattice, compare them with those obtained from the corresponding reduced dynamical laws, and identify the cases where the reduced dynamical laws agree qualitatively and/or quantitatively as well as fail to agree with those from GLE on vortex interaction. Finally, we also obtain numerically different patterns of the steady states for quantized vortex lattices under the GLE dynamics on bounded domains.
Healthy Workplaces? A Survey of Massachusetts Employers
Authors: Tremblay Patricia A. , Nobrega Suzanne , Davis Letitia , Erck Elizabeth , Punnett Laura
Published: March 2013

Purpose.

This study examines worksite health promotion (WHP) and occupational health and safety (OHS) activities by Massachusetts employers, and the extent to which workplaces with programming in one domain were more likely to have the other as well.

Design.

In 2008, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health surveyed a stratified sample of Massachusetts worksites.

Setting.

A mailed questionnaire to be completed by workplace representatives.

Subjects.

Massachusetts worksites returning the questionnaire.

Measures.

Questionnaire items about worksite characteristics, WHP, and some OHS practices.

Analysis.

We scored levels of WHP and OHS activity; examined the relationship between activities in the two domains by employer characteristics; and assessed self-reported coordination between them.

Results.

The 890 responding worksites had higher scores for OHS (mean = 48% of practices, SD = 24%) than WHP (mean = 20%, SD = 12%). The difference between these scores varied by a factor of two across industry sectors and was smallest for workforces of 100+ employees (p = .001). Employers with no unionized workers reported fewer activities in both domains (p < .0001). Only 28% of respondents reported always/often coordinating OHS and WHP efforts; these organizations had more activities overall in both domains.

Conclusion.

Larger and unionized workplaces in Massachusetts were more likely to offer both WHP and OHS programming. Self-reported coordination was somewhat associated with more activity in both domains, although levels of WHP activity varied widely.
Validation of an Association Rule Mining-Based Method to Infer Associations Between Medications and Problems
Authors: McCoy A. , Henkin S. , Flaherty M. , Sittig D. , Wright A.
Published: March 2013

Background: In a prior study, we developed methods for automatically identifying associations between medications and problems using association rule mining on a large clinical data warehouse and validated these methods at a single site which used a self-developed electronic health record. Objective: To demonstrate the generalizability of these methods by validating them at an external site.

Methods: We received data on medications and problems for 263,597 patients from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Faculty Practice, an ambulatory practice that uses the Allscripts Enterprise commercial electronic health record product. We then conducted association rule mining to identify associated pairs of medications and problems and characterized these associations with five measures of interestingness: support, confidence, chi-square, interest and conviction and compared the top-ranked pairs to a gold standard.

Results: 25,088 medication-problem pairs were identified that exceeded our confidence and support thresholds. An analysis of the top 500 pairs according to each measure of interestingness showed a high degree of accuracy for highly-ranked pairs.

Conclusion: The same technique was successfully employed at the University of Texas and accuracy was comparable to our previous results. Top associations included many medications that are highly specific for a particular problem as well as a large number of common, accurate medication-problem pairs that reflect practice patterns.

Citation: Wright A, McCoy A, Henkin S, Flaherty M, Sittig D. Validation of an association rule mining-based method to infer associations between medications and problems. ppl Clin Inf 2013; 4: 100–109

http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2012-12-RA-0051
Ética e estética em Mário de Andrade
Authors: Breunig Tiago Hermano
Published: March 2013

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7917.2008v13n1p122A naturalização de uma tipologia musical brasileira representativa de uma entidade nacional, pressuposta pela construção de uma tradição a partir do pensamento marioandradiano, coloca o leitor perante a aparente contraditoriedade da proposta de um sentido produzido para o aspecto sensorial por meio da palavra. O objetivo do presente trabalho consiste em analisar a valorização marioandradiana da imediaticidade funcional, com a qual emerge contraditoriamente o valor eterno do ethos. Para tanto, a incorporação da palavra pelo som se torna um aparato fundamental, mas ao contaminar o som com seu sentido, a palavra imprime a sua opacidade.
Modeling of the Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio wave signal profile due to solar flares using the GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation coupled with ionospheric chemistry
Authors: Palit S. , Basak T. , Mondal S. K. , Pal S. , Chakrabarti S. K.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. X-ray photons emitted during solar flares cause ionization in the lower ionosphere (~ 60 to 100 km) in excess of what is expected from a quiet sun. Very Low Frequency (VLF) radio wave signals reflected from the D region are affected by this excess ionization. In this paper, we reproduce the deviation in VLF signal strength during solar flares by numerical modeling. We use GEANT4 Monte Carlo simulation code to compute the rate of ionization due to a M-class and a X-class flare. The output of the simulation is then used in a simplified ionospheric chemistry model to calculate the time variation of electron density at different altitudes in the lower ionosphere. The resulting electron density variation profile is then self-consistently used in the LWPC code to obtain the time variation of the VLF signal change. We did the modeling of the VLF signal along the NWC (Australia) to IERC/ICSP (India) propagation path and compared the results with observations. The agreement is found to be very satisfactory.