bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technical and financial analysis of combined cycle gas turbine
Authors: Khan Arshad
Published: April 2012

This paper presents technical and financial models which were developed in
this study to predict the overall performance of combined cycle gas turbine
plant in line with the needs of independent power producers in the
liberalized market of power sector. Three similar sizes of combined cycle gas
turbine power projects up to 200 Megawatt of independent power producers in
Pakistan were selected in-order to develop and drive the basic assumptions
for the inputs of the models in view of prevailing Government of Pakistan?s
two components of electricity purchasing tariff that is energy purchase price
and capacity purchase price at higher voltage grid station terminal from
independent power producers. The levelized electricity purchasing tariff over
life of plant on gaseous fuel at 60 percent plant load factor was 6.47 cent
per kilowatt hour with energy purchase price and capacity purchase prices of
3.54 and 2.93 cents per kilowatt hour respectively. The outcome of technical
models of gas turbine, steam turbine and combined cycle gas turbine power
were found in close agreement with the projects under consideration and
provides opportunity of evaluation of technical and financial aspects of
combined cycle power plant in a more simplified manner with relatively
accurate results. At 105 Celsius exit temperature of heat recovery steam
generator flue gases the net efficiency of combined cycle gas turbine was
48.8 percent whereas at 125 Celsius exit temperature of heat recovery steam
generator flue gases it was 48.0 percent. Sensitivity analysis of selected
influential components of electricity tariff was also carried out.
Study of entropy generation in a slab with non-uniform internal heat generation
Authors: El Haj
Published: April 2012

Analysis of entropy generation in a rectangular slab with a nonuniform
internal heat generation is presented. Dimensionless local and total entropy
generation during steady state heat conduction through the slab are obtained.
Two different boundary conditions have been considered in the analysis, the
first with asymmetric convection and the second with constant slab surface
temperature. Temperature distribution within the slab is obtained
analytically. The study investigates the effect of some relevant
dimensionless heat transfer parameters on entropy generation. The results
show that there exists a minimum local entropy generation but there does not
exist a minimum total entropy generation for certain combinations of the heat
transfer parameters. The results of calculations are presented graphically.
Experimental study on two-phase pressure drop of air-water in small diameter tubes at horizontal orientation
Authors: Autee Arun , Rao Srinivasa , Puli Ravikumar , Shrivastava Ramakant
Published: April 2012

Experimental results of adiabatic two-phase pressure drop in small diameter
tubes are presented in this work. Air-water mixture is used as the working
substance. Four test sections made of transparent acrylic tubes of different
internal diameters ranging from 3.0 mm to 8.0 mm are used with different test
section lengths from 150 mm to 400 mm. The investigation is carried out
within the range of mass flux of water 16.58 -3050 kg/m2s, mass flux of air
8.25-204.10 kg/m2s and total mass flux 99.93-3184.69 kg/m2s. Some of the
existing correlations for macro and mini-channels are compared with the
experimental data. Based on the experimental data; a new correlation has been
developed to predict two-phase pressure drop in horizontal channels.
A comprehensive study on waste heat recovery from internal combustion engines using organic Rankine cycle
Authors: Tahani Mojtaba , Javan Saeed , Biglari Mojtaba
Published: April 2012

There are a substantial amount of waste heat through exhaust gas and coolant
of an Internal Combustion Engine. Organic Rankine cycle is one of the
opportunities in Internal Combustion Engines waste heat recovery. In this
study, two different configurations of Organic Rankine cycle with the
capability of simultaneous waste heat recovery from exhaust gas and coolant
of a 12L diesel engine were introduced: Preheat configuration and Two-stage.
First, a parametric optimization process was performed for both
configurations considering R-134a, R-123, and R-245fa as the cycle working
fluids. The main objective in optimization process was maximization of the
power generation and cycle thermal efficiency. Expander inlet pressure and
preheating temperature were selected as design parameters. Finally,
parameters like hybrid generated power and reduction of fuel consumption were
studied for both configurations in different engine speeds and full engine
load. It was observed that using R-123 as the working fluid, the best
performance in both configurations was obtained and as a result the 11.73%
and 13.56% reduction in fuel consumption for both preheat and Two-stage
configurations were found respectively.
Evaluation of detection of Toxoplasma gondii DNA in animal blood samples by quantitative PCR
Authors: Luptakova Lenka , Valencakova Alexandra , Balent Pavol , Malcekova Beata , Petrovova Eva
Published: April 2012

Aim of the study: The purpose of this study was to find out the relationship between the phase of infection (acute or persistent) and the ability of quantitative PCR to detect DNA of Toxoplasma gondii in circulating leukocytes in blood. Methodology: Animal serum samples were examined (50 sheep, 47 dogs, 32 dairy cows, 91 wild boars and 36 rabbits) for the occurrence of IgM and IgG antibodies to T. gondii by ELISA. Uncoagulated blood samples from the same animals were examined for the detection of T. gondii DNA in circulating leukocytes by real-time PCR. Results: Only IgM antibodies, characteristic for acute infection, were detected in 45 of the 256 serum samples (17.6%). Only IgG antibodies, corresponding with chronic infection, were detected in 120 of the 256 samples (46.8%). In 91 of the 256 samples (35.5%) neither IgM or IgG were detected by ELISA. For real-time PCR, animals were divided into three groups based on the serological results: (group I — acute infection, group II — chronic infection, and group III — no infection). In group I, the presence of T. gondii DNA was detected in 9 out of 45 samples (20%), whereas in group II only 1 of 120 samples was positive for T. gondii DNA (0.8%). In group III, no DNA of T. gondii (0/91 samples) was detected by real-time PCR. Significance: The proof of DNA by real-time PCR in IgM positive samples was statistically significant in comparison to IgG positive samples (P<0.0001).
Increased antidepressant-like effect of desipramine combined with central stimulants (caffeine and amphetamine) in mice
Authors: Robles-Molina Evelyn , Millán Daniel , Hong Enrique , Huang Fengyang , Villafaña Santiago
Published: April 2012

Desipramine is a widely used antidepressive agent that inhibits the reuptake of noradrenaline and serotonin, and central stimulants such as caffeine and amphetamine help to release noradrenaline and serotonin. This work aimed to evaluate whether the combination of these agents could produce a stronger antidepressant-like effect than either of the drugs alone. To this end, male mice were treated with different doses of desipramine, caffeine, amphetamine, desipramine-caffeine and desipramine-amphetamine. The results showed that all drugs produced decreased immobility time in the forced swimming model. The combined treatment of desipramine (0.31, 1.0 or 3.1 mg/kg i.p.) with caffeine or amphetamine (0.31 or 1 mg/kg i.p.) reduced immobility time greater than either of those drugs alone. The combined treatment of desipramine (0.31, 1 and 3.1 mg/kg i.p.) with amphetamine or caffeine (0.1 and 1 mg/kg i.p.) did not increase the motor activity significantly compared to the control. These results also suggested that drugs which promote the release of noradrenaline and serotonin could increase antidepressant-like effect of desipramine.
Gene polymorphisms of CETP and apolipoprotein E in elderly subjects with cognitive impairment
Authors: Niculescu Loredan , Toma Laura , Ianas Olga , Sima Anca
Published: April 2012

The association of cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) and apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene polymorphisms with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is under debate. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between APOE and CETP genotypes with healthy ageing. We analysed 267 elderly subjects (55 to 80+ years), 163 with MCI and 104 healthy, and 50 healthy control subjects (35 to 55 years) from a Romanian population. Biochemical parameters and thyroid hormones were assayed in plasma. APOE and CETP TaqIB gene polymorphisms were determined. Elderly subjects had higher frequency of ɛ3/ɛ2 genotype (14.6% vs. 4%, P<0.001) than controls. Elderly subjects with MCI had lower high density lipoproteins (HDL) cholesterol (P=0.031), apoA-I (P=0.018), T3 (P=0.002), T4 (P=0.028) and TSH (P=0.001) hormone levels, higher systolic blood pressure (P=0.005), lower frequency of CETP B2 allele than the age-matched subjects. Healthy elderly subjects had CETP B2 allele associated with higher plasma apoA-I (P=0.021), lower circulating collagen (P=0.001) levels, and an increased frequency of the combined APOE ɛ2- CETP B2 genotype (18.3%) relative to MCI elderly subjects (7.6%, P=0.011). Healthy elderly subjects are characterized by higher HDL cholesterol, apoA-I levels and higher frequency of the combined APOE ɛ2 and CETP B2 alleles, indicating this pattern as representative for healthy ageing.
From Theory to Bench Experiment by Computer-assisted Drug Design
Authors: Schneider Gisbert
Published: April 2012

Tight integration of computer-assisted molecular design with practical realization by medicinal chemistry will be essential for finding next-generation drugs that are optimized for multiple pharmaceutically relevant properties. ETH Zürich has established an interdisciplinary research
group devoted to exploring the potential of this scientific approach by combining expertise from pharmaceutical chemistry and computer sciences. In this article, some of the group's activities and projects are presented. A current focus is on machine-learning applications aiming at hit and
lead structure identification by virtual screening and de novo design. The central concept of 'adaptive fitness landscapes' is highlighted along with practical examples from drug discovery projects.
Surface and Interfacial Chemistry
Authors: Copéret Christophe
Published: April 2012

Based on a molecular approach combining controlled surface chemistry, advanced spectroscopic methods, in particular solid-state NMR, and computational chemistry, it is possible to develop single-site species and to control the growth of nanoparticles on supports. This allows the generation
of highly efficient catalysts combining the advantages of both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts and function materials with defined properties.
Total Synthesis of Apigenin
Authors: Wang Jin , Zhou Rong-Guang , Wu Ting , Yang Tao , Qin Qi-Xue , Li Ii , Yang Bo , Yang Jian
Published: April 2012

An efficient method for the synthesis of apigenin (4’,5,7-trihydroxyflavone, a traditional medicine) from phloroglucinol and anisaldehyde has been developed. This transformation features a green method for hydroxyl protection as methyl ethers and a different way for cyclisation using iodine in DMSO. The overall yield of 40% is satisfactory.
Synthesis and Hg2+ Recognition of Novel Azobenzene Derivatives Bearing Heterocyclic Units
Authors: Gao Yan , Song Jian , Wang Wei
Published: April 2012

Four novel azobenzene derivatives, 4,4'-bis(CH2SAr)azobenzene (Ar = different heterocyclic units), have been prepared and characterised by IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, MS and elemental analysis. Their complexation properties to different heavy and transition metal ions have been studied by UV and fluorescence spectra. The compound 4,4'-bis(4,6-dimethyl-pyrimidine-2-ylmethylthio)azobenzene shows selective recognition of Hg2+.
Synthesis, Crystal Structure and Properties of [Zn2(C9H6N7O)4]·5(H2O)
Authors: Zhu Yu-Fang , Xia Hua
Published: April 2012

The complex [Zn2(C9H6N7O)4]·5(H2O) has been synthesised by the reaction of 2,4,6-tris(imidazol-1-yl)-1,3,5-s-triazine and ZnCl2. Its crystal structure shows that the Zn2+ is coordinated by three imidazolyl nitrogen atoms and one carboxylic oxygen atom of the 4,6-di(1-imidazolyl)-2-carbonyl-1,3,5-triazine ligand, formed during the reaction. The complex shows fluorescence quenching, which could provide a new method of detecting Zn2+.
The Trajectories of Yachts and Snot: Strategies for Generative Designers
Authors: Keulemans Guy
Published: April 2012

The interrogation of generative design practice with concepts from Deleuze and Guattari's A Thousand Plateaus can lead to an understanding of how creative forces are used by generative designers. The shared notion of hyperspaces, respectively parameter space and rhizomatic space, defined as smooth or striated, allows the construction of analogies producing a framework for investigating the development and presentation of form. Richard Dawkins (together with several designers inspired by his biomorphs) and Marcel Wanders, representative of the divergent forms to which generative design has developed since its conception, are used to illustrate and interrogate this framework. From this interrogation the concept of trajectory (inward or outward), the direction in which smooth spaces are explored and striated space constructed, is proposed as a means to guide generative practice.
Anomalous Magnetization Enhancement and Frustration in the Internal Magnetic Order on (Fe0.69Co0.31)B0.4 Nanoparticles
Authors: Molina-Concha Belén , Zysler Roberto D. , Romero Héctor
Published: April 2012

We have studied the internal magnetic order of 3-nm (Fe0.69Co0.31)0.6B0.4 amorphous nanoparticles. These nanoparticles were dispersed in a non-magnetic matrix (non-interacting nanoparticles) to contrast them with the powder samples, where strong interparticle interactions are present. In similar fashion to the bulk alloy, this system exhibits a saturation magnetization maximum as a function of Fe composition near 69 at% Fe for the powder and dispersed samples at all temperatures. The saturation magnetization (MS) of the dispersed sample shows anomalous behavior, revealing frustration in the internal magnetic order of the particles. Unexpectedly, the MS of the non-interacting sample at low temperatures is larger than the corresponding bulk alloy or the calculated value of MS for the same Fe-Co composition. By contrast, the powder sample has low MS values and it is approximately constant in temperature.
CARD15/NOD2, CD14 and Toll-like 4 Receptor Gene Polymorphisms in Saudi Patients with Crohn’s Disease
Authors: Azzam Nahla , Nounou Howaida , Alharbi Othman , Aljebreen Abedulrahman , Shalaby Manal
Published: April 2012

Crohn’s disease (CD) is a multifactorial disease with a genetic component and an observed association with genes related to the innate immune response. Polymorphisms in the CARD15/NOD2 gene, in addition to functional variants of the toll-like receptor-4 (TLR4) and CD14 genes, have been associated with the development of Crohn’s disease. There is no information about the frequency of these polymorphisms in the Saudi population. We examined the frequency of the three major CARD15/NOD2 risk alleles (Leu1007fsinsC, Arg702Trp, and Gly908Arg) and the TLR4 (Thr399Il) polymorphism as well as a functional polymorphism in the promoter of the CD14–159C/T in 46 Saudi CD patients and 50 matched controls. Genotyping was performed by allele-specific PCR or by restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. The mutant genotype frequencies of the Leu1007fsinsC, Arg702Trp and Gly908Arg in the patient group were 6.5, 21.7 and 6.5%, respectively, compared with frequencies of 0, 4 and 2%, respectively, in the control group. There were 15 patients who carried the mutant alleles for all three CARD15/NOD2 variants, Leu1007fsinsC, Arg702Trp and Gly908Arg, while none of the control candidates carried the three alleles. This genetic study provides evidence that the three major CARD15/NOD2 variant alleles and the CD14 −159C/T polymorphism are associated with Crohn’s disease (CD) susceptibility in the Saudi population; however, there is no evidence that the TLR4 (Thr399Il) or CARD15/NOD2 polymorphisms can be considered risk factors for Crohn’s disease.
Essential Oils in Combination and Their Antimicrobial Properties
Authors: Bassolé Imaël Henri Nestor , Juliani H. Rodolfo
Published: April 2012

Essential oils (EOs) have been long recognized for their antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, insecticidal and antioxidant properties. They are widely used in medicine and the food industry for these purposes. The increased interest in alternative natural substances is driving the research community to find new uses and applications of these substances. EOs and their components show promising activities against many food-borne pathogens and spoilage microorganisms when tested in vitro. In food systems, higher concentrations of EOs are needed to exert similar antibacterial effects as those obtained in in vitro assays. The use of combinations of EOs and their isolated components are thus new approaches to increase the efficacy of EOs in foods, taking advantage of their synergistic and additive effects. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview on the antimicrobial efficacy of these combinations. A survey of the methods used for the determination of the interactions and mechanisms involved in the antimicrobial activities of these combinations are also reported.
Towards the Development of an Evaluation Questionnaire for Academic Conferences
Authors: Lewis Clifford , Kerr Greg
Published: April 2012

Each year, academic conferences are held at destinations throughout the world. These conferences provide benefits to the host destination's economy as well as to the conference participants. Involving travel and accommodation, academic conferences can be classified as business tourism.
Academics often have a range of conferences from which to choose. The conference experience therefore may be important in the decision to reattend or recommend a conference to other potential attendees. While many conference organizers distribute a “conference evaluation sheet”
at the end of a conference, there is no evidence of a standardized questionnaire that evaluates the entire conference experience. The objective of this work is to make such a contribution by identifying the attributes that are deemed to be important to the academic conference attendee and
assigning a measurement scale for each attribute. The attributes are identified by way of a review of the services and tourism literature, and through semistructured interviews with academics. In addition to evaluating the entire conference experience, the questionnaire can be used to make
longitudinal comparisons of a conference, and comparisons between conferences.
Mental accounting and Festival visitors' expenditures: an exploration For new Factors
Authors: Mosely Michelle Y. , Chancellor Charles
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the theoretical concept of mental accounting to determine if festival visitors' budgeting practices influence expenditures. The exploratory findings from this study suggest that visitors' budgeting practices play a role in their festival expenditures.
results revealed that participants did not plan to spend more money at the festival than what they budget to spend on leisure activities in a typical weekend. This study also explored respondents' perspectives of other possible factors that influence their festival expenditures. Several new
factors emerged, such as festival prices, supporting community organizations, product quality, and need. recom men da tions are provided for further research.
Effect of Rheumatoid Arthritis on Volumetric Bone Mineral Density and Bone Geometry, Assessed by Peripheral Quantitative Computed Tomography in Postmenopausal Women Treated with Bisphosphonates
Authors: TOURNIS SYMEON , SAMDANIS VASILIOS , PSARELIS SAVAS , LIAKOU CHRYSA , ANTONIOU JULIA , GEORGOULAS THOMAS , DONTAS ISMINI , PAPAIOANNOU NIKOLAOS , GAZI SUSAN , LYRITIS GEORGE P.
Published: April 2012

Objective.

To investigate the effect of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) and bone geometry in postmenopausal women treated with bisphosphonates.

Methods.

Fifty-three postmenopausal women with RA and 87 control subjects, comparable in terms of age, body mass index, and years since menopause, underwent peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) of the nondominant tibia.

Results.

At 4% (trabecular site), trabecular bone mineral content (BMC) and vBMD (p < 0.001) were lower in the RA group, while trabecular area was comparable. At 38% (cortical site), cortical BMC (p < 0.01), area (p < 0.05), and thickness (p < 0.001) were lower in the RA group, whereas vBMD was comparable. Endosteal circumference was higher (p < 0.05), whereas periosteal circumference was comparable, indicating cancellization of cortical bone. In the RA group, muscle area was lower (p < 0.001), while at 14% polar stress strength index was significantly lower (p < 0.01) in patients with RA, indicating impairment of bone mechanical properties.

Conclusion.

RA is associated with negative effects on both cortical and cancellous bone in postmenopausal women treated with bisphosphonates. Cortical geometric properties are also adversely affected mainly by increased endosteal circumference, whereas trabecular geometric properties are generally preserved.
Increased Incidence and Impact of Upper and Lower Gastrointestinal Events in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis in Olmsted County, Minnesota: A Longitudinal Population-based Study
Authors: MYASOEDOVA ELENA , MATTESON ERIC L. , TALLEY NICHOLAS J. , CROWSON CYNTHIA S.
Published: April 2012

Objective.

To assess the incidence and mortality impact of upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) events in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to non-RA subjects.

Methods.

We identified incident upper and lower GI events and estimated their incidence rates using person-year methods in a population-based incident RA cohort of residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota, USA (1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria first fulfilled between January 1, 1980, and January 1, 2008) and non-RA subjects from the same population.

Results.

The study included 813 patients with RA and 813 non-RA subjects (mean followup 10.3 and 10.8 yrs, respectively); 68% women; mean age 55.9 yrs in both cohorts. The rate of upper GI events/100 person-years was 2.9 in RA versus 1.7 in the non-RA cohort (rate ratio 1.7, 95% CI 1.4, 2.2); for lower GI events, the rates were 2.1 in RA versus 1.4 in the non-RA cohort (rate ratio 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 1.9). The incidence of upper GI bleed, perforation, ulcer, obstruction, and any upper GI event in RA declined over calendar time; the incidence of lower GI events remained unchanged. Exposure to glucocorticoids, prior upper GI disease, abdominal surgery, and smoking were associated with lower GI events in RA. Both upper and lower GI events were associated with increased mortality risk in RA.

Conclusion.

There is increased risk of serious upper and lower GI events in RA compared to non-RA subjects, and increased GI-related mortality in RA. Prominent declines in incidence of upper, but not lower GI events in RA highlight the need for studies investigating lower GI disease in patients with RA.
Assessing extreme droughts in Spain during 1750–1850 from rogation ceremonies
Authors: Domínguez-Castro F. , Ribera P. , García-Herrera R. , Vaquero J. M. , Barriendos M. , Cuadrat J. M. , Moreno J. M.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. Among the different meteorological hazards, droughts are those with the highest socio-economical impact on the Iberian Peninsula. Drought events have been largely studied in the instrumental period, but very little is known about the characteristics of droughts in the preinstrumental period. In this work, several series of rogation ceremonies are used to identify severe droughts within the period 1750–1850. The overlapping of the rogation series with some instrumental series served to identify some climatic characteristics of rogation ceremonies: (a) during spring, rainfall deficits needed to celebrate rogation ceremonies are smaller than in any other season; (b) the hydrological deficit in a particular region increases with the number of locations celebrating rogations simultaneously. On the other hand, it was found that between 1750–1754 and 1779–1783 are probably the driest periods of the 101 analyzed years. Both show an important number of rogations all over Iberia and during all the seasons. The most extended drought of this period occurred during the spring of 1817, affecting 15 of the 16 locations studied. This drought was influenced by the Tambora eruption (1815). The study of the climate footprint of this eruption and its comparison with similar situations in the series suggest that the spring drought of 1824 may be associated with the eruptions of the Galunggung and Usu volcanoes (1822). Further studies are required to confirm this fact and understand the atmospheric mechanisms involved.
The Indus basin in the framework of current and future water resources management
Authors: Laghari A. N. , Vanham D. , Rauch W.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. The Indus basin is one of the regions in the world that is faced with major challenges for its water sector, due to population growth, rapid urbanisation and industrialisation, environmental degradation, unregulated utilization of the resources, inefficient water use and poverty, all aggravated by climate change. The Indus Basin is shared by 4 countries – Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and China. With a current population of 237 million people which is projected to increase to 319 million in 2025 and 383 million in 2050, already today water resources are abstracted almost entirely (more than 95% for irrigation). Climate change will result in increased water availability in the short term. However in the long term water availability will decrease. Some current aspects in the basin need to be re-evaluated. During the past decades water abstractions – and especially groundwater extractions – have augmented continuously to support a rice-wheat system where rice is grown during the kharif (wet, summer) season (as well as sugar cane, cotton, maize and other crops) and wheat during the rabi (dry, winter) season. However, the sustainability of this system in its current form is questionable. Additional water for domestic and industrial purposes is required for the future and should be made available by a reduction in irrigation requirements. This paper gives a comprehensive listing and description of available options for current and future sustainable water resources management (WRM) within the basin. Sustainable WRM practices include both water supply management and water demand management options. Water supply management options include: (1) reservoir management as the basin is characterised by a strong seasonal behaviour in water availability (monsoon and meltwater) and water demands; (2) water quality conservation and investment in wastewater infrastructure; (3) the use of alternative water resources like the recycling of wastewater and desalination; (4) land use planning and soil conservation as well as flood management, with a focus on the reduction of erosion and resulting sedimentation as well as the restoration of ecosystem services like wetlands and natural floodplains. Water demand management options include: (1) the management of conjunctive use of surface and groundwater; as well as (2) the rehabilitation and modernization of existing infrastructure. Other demand management options are: (3) the increase of water productivity for agriculture; (4) crop planning and diversification including the critical assessment of agricultural export, especially (basmati) rice; (5) economic instruments and (6) changing food demand patterns and limiting post-harvest losses.
Macropore flow of old water revisited: where does the mixing occur at the hillslope scale?
Authors: Klaus J. , Zehe E. , Elsner M. , Külls C. , McDonnell J. J.
Published: April 2012

Abstract. The mechanisms allowing the rapid release of stored water to streams are poorly understood. Here we use a tile drained field site to combine naturally structured soils at the hillslope scale with the advantage of at least partly controlled lower boundary conditions. We performed a series of three irrigation experiments combining hydrometric measurements with stable isotope and bromide tracers to better understand macropore-matrix interactions and stored water release processes at the hillslope scale. Stable isotope concentrations were monitored in the irrigation water, the tile drain discharge and the soil water before and after the experiment. Bromide was measured at mainly every 5–15 min in the tile drain hydrograph. Different initial conditions for each experiment were used to examine how pre-event soil moisture conditions influenced flow and transport. Different amounts of irrigation water were necessary to increase tile drain discharge above the base flow level. Hydrograph separation based on bromide data revealed that irrigation water contributions to peak tile drain discharge were on the order of 20%. Oxygen-18 and deuterium data were consistent with the bromide data and showed that pre-event soil water contributed significantly to the tile drain event flow. However, the isotopic composition of soil water converged towards the isotopic composition of irrigation water through the course of the experiment. Mixing calculations revealed that by the end of the irrigation experiments 20% of the soil water in the entire profile was irrigation water. The isotopic data showed that the pre-event water in the tile drain was mobilized in 20–40 cm soil depth were the macropore-matrix interaction leads to an initiation of macropore flow after a moisture threshold is exceeded.
Metal-On-Metal Bearings, Inflammatory Pseudotumours and Their Neurological Manifestations
Authors: Mann Bhupinder S. , Whittingham-Jones Paul M. , Shaerf Daniel A. , Nawaz Zuhair S. , Harvie Paul , Hart Alister J. , Skinner John A.
Published: April 2012

Metal-on-metal bearings have become more popular for hip arthroplasty in younger patients in the last 15 years. We present a review of the neurological consequences relating to such bearing surfaces illustrated by an appropriate case report. The mechanisms of increased metal ion production and pseudotumour formation are discussed. If unexplained neurology, hip/groin pain or a localised mass around the hip are present with a metal bearing hip then urgent referral to a specialist orthopaedic surgeon is warranted for consideration of exchange arthroplasty.
Governing Cooperative Quality Schemes
Authors: Moragues-Faus Ana M. , Ortiz-Miranda Dionisio
Published: April 2012

This paper describes the development, functioning and governance of quality assurance schemes for olive oil in three cooperative organizations. Two questions are addressed: first, how the construction of new quality schemes by cooperatives can lead to the fragmentation of the membership base, and hence the need for new institutional arrangements; and second, how the development of such schemes alters the interdependencies between parties (cooperative organization and its members), and how this is governed. The comparative analysis shows the relevance of the social and cultural contexts in shaping the mechanisms of governance, as well contributing to the policy debate in the European Union regarding new food quality schemes.
Food Availability and Household Food Security
Authors: Li Jianping , Shangguan Zhouping
Published: April 2012

The aim of this study was to understand the status of household food security in rural areas of west China, and to identify key factors that influence security and the measures that will reduce the numbers of undernourished and poor people. Face-to-face interviews were carried out with random households in six counties in different agricultural areas, resulting in 2,586 household questionnaires involving 9,810 household members. The survey data were then subject to statistical analysis. Household food security was associated with net household income or the ability to obtain food. These were significantly and negatively correlated; the majority of the total household income was used for education, medical care, smoking and personal activities such as weddings and funerals. Household food security was affected mainly by the willingness to purchase and the purchasing power of household members. Recommendations to safeguard household food security in rural areas of China include increasing household incomes and providing education on diet and nutrition.
Food Habit and Feeding Patterns of Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) in Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, Assam, India
Authors: Hazarika B. C. , Saikia P. K.
Published: April 2012

Food and feeding patterns of great Indian one-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) has been studied in Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park. Altogether 75 species of grasses, 27 species of herbs-shrubs, 27 species of trees, and 9 species of aquatic plants species were identified as a food-plant species of Indian Rhino in the study area. Of the total 75 species of grasses, 48 species had a relative dominance of <1.0. TheSaccharum spontaneumwas ranked as the highest relative dominance food-plant among grasses (relative dominance value, 8.45%), while theCyperus pilosusranked the lowest (relative dominance value, 0.08%). Among 27 herbs-shrubs species, three had a relative dominance of <1.0. TheDiplazium esculentumwas ranked the highest relative dominance food plants among herbs-shrubs food plants (relative dominance value, 13.83%), while the Solanum viarum was ranked the lowest (relative dominance value, 0.66%). All tree species had a relative dominance of >1.0. TheDalbergia sissooranked the highest among all trees (relative dominance value, 7.94%), while theAnthocephalus cadambaranked the lowest (value, 1.19%). Grasses constituted 86.66% of the total annual diet of Rhino, while the aquatic and woodland species constituted only 13.34% of the total annual diet. Altogether 71 plants species were identified as the Rhino food plants at Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park. Of which, grasses constituted the highest (42 species), followed by woodland species (trees, herbs-shrubs), (20 species) and aquatic plants (9 species). The grass speciesHemarthria compressacontributed a highest of 11.63%, while the aquatic plantPolygonum hydropiperwas the least of 0.01% in total annual diet. Out of total 42 food-plant species, 20 grass species had no selectivity. TheHemarthria compressawas the top ranking grass species that has been selected as food by the Indian Rhino. Altogether, 36 food-plants (24 grasses, 9 woodland species, and 3 aquatic species) were identified as the staple food that constituted 83.64% of the total annual diet. Study showed that ten top ranking food plants constituted 56.44% and 20 top ranking food plants constituted 72.19% of the total annual diet. Thus, the grass species alone have enough to provide food for Indian Rhino in Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park. Soil licking and crop depredation by the Indian Rhino were common in the fringe villages in study area.
Electromagnetic Waves in Variable Media
Authors: Brosa Ulrich
Published: April 2012

Two methods are explained to exactly solve Maxwell’s equations where permittivity, permeability, and conductivity may vary in space. In the constitutive relations, retardation is regarded. If the material properties depend but on one coordinate, general solutions are derived. If the properties depend on two coordinates, geometrically restricted solutions are obtained. Applications to graded reflectors, especially to dielectric mirrors, to filters, polarizers, and to waveguides, plain and cylindrical, are indicated. New foundations for the design of optical instruments, which are centered around an axis, and for the design of invisibility cloaks, plain and spherical, are proposed. The variability of material properties makes possible effects which cannot happen in constant media, e.g. stopping the flux of electromagnetic energy without loss. As a consequence, spherical devices can be constructed which bind electromagnetic waves
Exact Chirped Soliton Solutions for the One-Dimensional Gross– Pitaevskii Equation with Time-Dependent Parameters
Authors: Qina Zhenyun , Mu Gui
Published: April 2012

The Gross-Pitaevskii equation (GPE) describing the dynamics of a Bose-Einstein condensate at absolute zero temperature, is a generalized form of the nonlinear Schr¨odinger equation. In this work, the exact bright one-soliton solution of the one-dimensional GPE with time-dependent parameters is directly obtained by using the well-known Hirota method under the same conditions as in S. Rajendran et al., Physica D 239, 366 (2010). In addition, the two-soliton solution is also constructed effectively
L’acte de mariage du sculpteur Louis Jobin : solution de l’énigme
Authors: Carbonneau Diane
Published: April 2012

Dans le cadre d’une longue recherche généalogique, portant sur des familles Jobin de la région de Portneuf et de L’Ancienne-Lorette, l’auteur a consacré une partie de son étude au statuaire Louis Jobin, à ses origines et à sa famille. Cette note de recherche raconte comment, à force de détermination, l’acte de mariage de ce fameux personnage, qu’on n’espérait plus trouver, a finalement été découvert aux États-Unis. Vérifiant les données des travaux savants de ses prédécesseurs, l’auteur reprend le travail depuis le début, consultant les actes originaux et autres sources, interrogeant en outre les héritiers, en quête des moindres indices.
Cyril Simard, l’homme qui n’a jamais oublié ses origines
Authors: Simard Jean
Published: April 2012

Cyril Simard naît à Baie-Saint-Paul, au Québec, en 1938. Il retient de sa formation première l’influence déterminante de ses parents et de ses premiers maîtres : son père qui l’initie au commerce ; sa mère, à l’artisanat ; le frère Ernest Veilleux, à la musique ; le peintre René Richard, au dessin ; Mgr Félix-Antoine Savard, au musée et à l’écriture. Dans les années 1960, il devient architecte et se spécialise en artisanat et design. La carrière de Cyril Simard se partage en plusieurs volets : enseignement universitaire et pratique de l’architecture, direction de la Centrale d’artisanat, diffusion des connaissances par la télévision et le livre, conception et développement de projets au sein de la fonction publique québécoise, création du concept et du réseau des économusées. Il donne une longue entrevue dont nous reproduisons ici d’importants extraits qui forment une sorte de courtepointe en douze morceaux.
Auto-métamorphoses
Authors: Bouratsis Sofia Eliza
Published: April 2012

Les questions fondamentales liées à la connaissance de la nature du vivant, aux limites scientifiques et éthiques des possibilités du corps humain, mais aussi aux frontières qui séparent les êtres vivants et les machines, l’humain et l’animal, sont aujourd’hui au centre d’importants débats transdisciplinaires.

à partir des oeuvres d’art qui utilisent les méthodes biotechnologiques comme moyens et champs de questionnement, sont questionnées les potentialités insoupçonnées du vivant liées à ces avancées en mettant en évidence les esthétiques du méta-corps « recréé » et « reconstruit » de l’homme bionique.

Je présente cinq catégories « idéals-typiques » des esthétiques dubioart qui permettent de situer ces fictions artistiques dans le contexte de la réalité biotechnologique actuelle. Ces cinq « tableaux de pensée » ne sont évidemment pas hermétiques : corps translucide, prothèses du corps (symbiose de l’homme et de la machine), hybridités transspécifiques (rencontre avec l’absolument Autre), cultures du « semi-vivant » (nouvelles peaux et « bio-facts ») et désir d’ubiquité.
La connaissance scientifique aux frontières du bio-art : le vivant à l’ère du post-naturel
Authors: Abergel Élisabeth
Published: April 2012

C’est en situant le concept du vivant tel qu’appréhendé par les technosciences et la nouvelle bio-économie, que le texte tente d’articuler la place du bio-art dans la production de la connaissance scientifique. La notion d’objet-frontière est utilisée afin de comprendre le dialogue qui peut s’établir entre deux mondes hétérogènes autour du statut du vivant. D’un côté, le monde de l’art qui met en scène le vivant dans ses oeuvres en le manipulant de manière créative et qui s’immisce dans la pratique scientifique et biogénétique à des fins « est-éthiques » et politiques, et qui tente d’interroger l’avenir de l’humain en explorant les possibilités du vivant. De l’autre côté, le monde scientifique qui tente de s’approprier le vivant en le redéfinissant dans le contexte de la bio-économie dans une logique endogène de production des savoirs. L’article explore les façons dont l’univers du bio-art, en intervenant dans le vivant, peut ouvrir de nouveaux espaces de réflexion sur le statut du vivant dans un monde post-naturel.
Terminological Variation in Source Texts and Translations: A Pilot Study
Authors: Fernández-Silva Sabela , Kerremans Koen
Published: April 2012

In this article, it is assumed that the choice of terminological variants in specialized source texts is sometimes cognitively motivated and that this motivation is reflected in the choice of equivalents in the target texts. On the basis of a pilot study, we will present a method for comparing the cognitively motivated terminological variants in source texts and their translations. The corpus in the pilot study is composed of three Galician source texts and their English translations. The texts are scientific articles addressing the economic effects of environmental disasters on fisheries. A quantitative study was first carried out in which the number of unique terms in each source text was compared to the number of unique translations of these terms. Next, each unique combination of a source term and its translation equivalent was subjected to a qualitative analysis. A value was manually assigned in order to qualify the “cognitive distance” between the source term and its translation. Based on these values and the frequency of the translation pair in each bitext, we computed the “interlingual variation index” (IVI). Differences in results between the bitexts are linked to extra-linguistic factors related to the translation processes.
La poétique baroquisante de Marie-Claire Blais
Authors: Kyloušek Petr
Published: April 2012

En comparant les romans des années 1960 et ceux de la dernière période, l’article se propose de dégager quelques éléments de la poétique baroquisante de Marie-Claire Blais. L’analyse tente de cerner certains mécanismes générateurs de tensions, qu’il s’agisse de la relation entre l’écriture et la réalité, des discordances sémantiques, grammaticales ou narratives, de l’imaginaire à la fois antinomique et fusionnel, de la fragmentation contredite par la vision totalisante de l’harmonia mundi. La dynamique de l’affirmation/négation qui semble constitutive du « geste sémantique » de la romancière s’inscrit dans les tendances baroquisantes de la littérature québécoise.
Narration et traitement des personnages
Authors: Roy Nathalie
Published: April 2012

Il est commun de noter, dans l’oeuvre romanesque plus tardive de Marie-Claire Blais, l’absence d’une voix narrative distincte de celle de ses personnages. Toutefois, en limitant la médiation narrative à un rôle d’orchestration de ses monologues intérieurs, la critique tend à évacuer l’ambiguïté de cette paradoxale « transparence intérieure ». Cet article se propose d’analyser les stratégies narratives du cycle Soifs en partant du principe que l’écriture est d’« essence philosophique ». Il s’agit, plus particulièrement, de montrer en quoi ces stratégies mènent à un traitement des personnages qui jette constamment le doute sur le statut des voix et le lieu d’où elles parlent. L’auteure dégage ensuite quelques pistes de réflexion sur le caractère spéculatif de l’écriture, en posant l’hypothèse que l’usage de formes narratives et de stratégies d’écriture propres à la Modernité trouve chez Blais une portée épistémologique inattendue.
Virtual Topography: Poets, Painters, Publishers and the Reproduction of the Landscape in the Early Nineteenth Century
Authors: Fulford Tim
Published: April 2012

In this article I develop the work of a number of critics—Gillen Darcy Wood, Sophie Thomas, Peter Simonsen, Julia S. Carlson—who have recently begun to revise our understanding of the relationship of literary Romanticism, and in particular that of Wordsworth and Southey, to visual culture. I show first that new means of mechanical reproduction—the woodcut, the aquatint—combined with technological changes in book production, stimulated a new print genre known asViews—an ancestor of the coffee-table book and often a spin-off wherein the public could see engravings of the scenes their favourite landscape poets described. Pictures sold poets, and, for the first time in history, popular writers were marketed to a mass readership able—and avid—to buy images as well as words. Wordsworth and Southey were not popular writers and were not at first marketed as illustrated poets. And they at first disapproved of the visual turn of their culture. This disapproval, I show, was never consistent or total and in fact they strove to take advantage of the vogue for the visual, collaborating with artists to publish volumes ofViewsin which their writing was combined with engravings of landscape. And these collaborations, I argue, were greatly influential upon them, causing them to alter the form and style of their writing as well as the publication formats in which it appeared. Wordsworth and Southey, in their late work, became writers of a moralised picturesque—of words that deferred to pictured views and tourist sights—and that sought to derive truths about human nature, life and society from them. Departing from their earlier suspicion of the visual, and ofViews, they became practitioners, in conjunction with artists, of a virtual topography. Their continued marketing, in the 21stcentury, as part of the visual packaging of the Lake District in picture-book, DVD, and website is therefore not as contrary to what they stood for as it first might seem, shallow though it often is.
“Periodical Performance”: The Figure of the Editor in Nineteenth-Century Literary Magazines
Authors: Lendrum Chris
Published: April 2012

When John Scott and William Christie, representatives of the London Magazine and Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, met in their fatal 1821 duel, the conflict was between more than two men with sullied reputations: it was a between the editor figures of two competing publications. This essay examines those editorial personae, the distinctive editorial voices crafted by individual journals, and how they played a crucial role in establishing a publication in the changing periodical market while simultaneously obscuring that process. Explicating the content and purpose of a publication, the editor figure established a journal’s unique identity in the marketplace, but it also established a point of contact between a periodical and its readers, an invitation that encouraged readers to feel included in the world of the publication. This affective connection socialized readers, incorporating them into the culture of the periodical as participants rather than just consumers, but it also created a brand for a publication, a unique voice that distinguished it (and its readers) from competing publications. While that combination of personal connection and commercial aspiration would appear to be mutually exclusive, I argue that the figure of the editor attempts to reconcile that contradiction, uniting the overt commercial ambition of a publication with a familiar, even friendly, presence. Just as crucially, however, it also reveals how periodicals of that time were caught in a period of transition, when the need to survive in an increasingly competitive print market clashed with older modes of literary consumption.