bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
DG Mix and Energy Storage Units for Optimal Planning of Self-Sufficient Micro Energy Grids
Authors: Zidan Aboelsood , Gabbar Hossam
Published: August 2016

Micro energy grids have many merits and promising applications under the smart grid vision. There are demanding procedures for their optimal planning and performance enhancement. One of the key features of a micro energy grid is its ability to separate and isolate itself from the main electrical network to continue feeding its own islanded portion. In this paper, an optimal sizing and operation strategy for micro energy grids equipped with renewable and non-renewable based distributed generation (DG) and storage are presented. The general optimization objective is to define the best DG mix and energy storage units for self-sufficient micro energy grids. A multi-objective genetic algorithm (GA) was applied to solve the planning problem at a minimum optimization goal of overall cost (including investment cost, operation and maintenance cost, and fuel cost) and carbon dioxide emission. The constraints include power and heat demands constraints, and DGs capacity limits. The candidate technologies include CHPs (combined heat and power) with different characteristics, boilers, thermal and electrical storages, and renewable generators (wind and photovoltaic). In order to assess different configuration options and components sizes, several case studies for a typical micro energy grid have been presented.
Physical, Chemical, and Biological Properties of Soil under Decaying Wood in a Tropical Wet Forest in Puerto Rico
Authors: Zalamea Marcela , González Grizelle , Lodge Deborah
Published: August 2016

Decaying wood is related to nutrient cycling through its role as either a sink or source of nutrients. However, at micro scales, what is the effect of decaying logs on the physical, chemical, and biotic characteristics of the soil underneath? We took samples from a 0 to 5 cm depth under and a 50 cm distance away from decaying logs (Dacryodes excelsa and Swietenia macrophylla) at 2 stages of decay, and measured soil temperature, total and available nutrients, and root length in a tropical wet forest. We found decaying wood affected physical, chemical, and biotic properties of the underlying soil. Soil temperature was less variable under the decaying logs than away from the logs. Soil under the decaying wood had fewer roots, and lower NO3− and Mg2+ availability than samples collected a distance of 50 cm away from the logs. Tree species and decay stage were important factors defining the effect of decaying wood on the distribution of available nutrients. Ca2+, Mg2+, and K+ levels were higher in the soil associated with the youngest logs, and were higher near S. macrophylla logs. Heavy metals were also higher in the soil located near the younger logs independent of the species; other metal ions such as Al3+ and Fe3+ were higher in the soil associated with D. excelsa and the oldest logs. These results indicate decaying wood can contribute to and generate spatial heterogeneity of soil properties.
Improved Multi-Sensor Satellite-Based Aboveground Biomass Estimation by Selecting Temporally Stable Forest Inventory Plots Using NDVI Time Series
Authors: Urbazaev Mikhail , Thiel Christian , Migliavacca Mirco , Reichstein Markus , Rodriguez-Veiga Pedro , Schmullius Christiane
Published: August 2016

Accurate estimates of aboveground biomass (AGB) are crucial to assess terrestrial C-stocks and C-emissions as well as to develop sustainable forest management strategies. In this study we used Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data acquired at L-band and the Landsat tree cover product together with Moderate Resolution Image Spectroradiometer (MODIS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series data to improve AGB estimations over two study areas in southern Mexico. We used Mexican National Forest Inventory (INFyS) data collected between 2005 and 2011 to calibrate AGB models as well as to validate the derived AGB products. We applied MODIS NDVI time series data analysis to exclude field plots in which abrupt changes were detected. For this, we used Breaks For Additive Seasonal and Trend analysis (BFAST). We modelled AGB using an original field dataset and BFAST-filtered data. The results show higher accuracies of AGB estimations using BFAST-filtered data than using original field data in terms of R2 and root mean square error (RMSE) for both dry and humid tropical forests of southern Mexico. The best results were found in areas with high deforestation rates where the AGB models based on the BFAST-filtered data substantially outperformed those based on original field data (R2BFAST = 0.62 vs. R2orig = 0.45; RMSEBFAST = 28.4 t/ha vs. RMSEorig = 33.8 t/ha). We conclude that the presented method shows great potential to improve AGB estimations and can be easily and automatically implemented over large areas.
Chinese Public Attention to the Outbreak of Ebola in West Africa: Evidence from the Online Big Data Platform
Authors: Liu Kui , Li Li , Jiang Tao , Chen Bin , Jiang Zhenggang , Wang Zhengting , Chen Yongdi , Jiang Jianmin , Gu Hua
Published: August 2016

Objective: The outbreak of the Ebola epidemic in West Africa in 2014 exerted enormous global public reaction via the Internet and social media. This study aimed to investigate and evaluate the public reaction to Ebola in China and identify the primitive correlation between possible influence factors caused by the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa and Chinese public attention via Internet surveillance. Methods: Baidu Index (BDI) and Sina Micro Index (SMI) were collected from their official websites, and the disease-related data were recorded from the websites of the World Health Organization (WHO), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and U.S. National Ministries of Health. The average BDI of Internet users in different regions were calculated to identify the public reaction to the Ebola outbreak. Spearman’s rank correlation was used to check the relationship of epidemic trends with BDI and SMI. Additionally, spatio-temporal analysis and autocorrelation analysis were performed to detect the clustered areas with the high attention to the topic of “Ebola”. The related news reports were collected from authoritative websites to identify potential patterns. Results: The BDI and the SMI for “Ebola” showed a similar fluctuating trend with a correlation coefficient = 0.9 (p < 0.05). The average BDI in Beijing, Tibet, and Shanghai was higher than other cities. However, the disease-related indicators did not identify potential correlation with both indices above. A hotspot area was detected in Tibet by local autocorrelation analysis. The most likely cluster identified by spatiotemporal cluster analysis was in the northeast regions of China with the relative risk (RR) of 2.26 (p ≤ 0.01) from 30 July to 14 August in 2014. Qualitative analysis indicated that negative news could lead to a continuous increase of the public’s attention until the appearance of a positive news report. Conclusions: Confronted with the risk of cross-border transmission of the infectious disease, online surveillance might be used as an innovative approach to perform public communication and health education through examining the public’s reaction and attitude.
Fabrication of a Cell Fixation Device for Robotic Cell Microinjection
Authors: Xie Yu , Zhou Yunlei , Xi Wenming , Zeng Feng , Chen Songyue
Published: August 2016

Automation of cell microinjection greatly reduces operational difficulty, but cell fixation remains a challenge. Here, we describe an innovative device that solves the fixation problem without single-cell operation. The microarray cylinder is designed with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) material surface to control the contact force between cells and the material. Data show that when the injection velocity exceeds 1.5 mm/s, microinjection success rate is over 80%. The maximum value of the adhesion force between the PDMS plate and the cell is 0.0138 N, and the need can be met in practical use of the robotic microinjection.
Urinary Metabolomic Approach Provides New Insights into Distinct Metabolic Profiles of Glutamine and N-Carbamylglutamate Supplementation in Rats
Authors: Liu Guangmang , Cao Wei , Fang Tingting , Jia Gang , Zhao Hua , Chen Xiaoling , Wu Caimei , Wang Jing
Published: August 2016

Glutamine and N-carbamylglutamate can enhance growth performance and health in animals, but the underlying mechanisms are not yet elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of glutamine and N-carbamylglutamate supplementation in rat metabolism. Thirty rats were fed a control, glutamine, or N-carbamylglutamate diet for four weeks. Urine samples were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics, specifically high-resolution 1H NMR metabolic profiling combined with multivariate data analysis. Glutamine significantly increased the urine levels of acetamide, acetate, citrulline, creatinine, and methymalonate, and decreased the urine levels of ethanol and formate (p < 0.05). Moreover, N-carbamylglutamate significantly increased the urine levels of creatinine, ethanol, indoxyl sulfate, lactate, methymalonate, acetoacetate, m-hydroxyphenylacetate, and sarcosine, and decreased the urine levels of acetamide, acetate, citrulline, creatine, glycine, hippurate, homogentisate, N-acetylglutamate, phenylacetyglycine, acetone, and p-hydroxyphenylacetate (p < 0.05). Results suggested that glutamine and N-carbamylglutamate could modify urinary metabolome related to nitrogen metabolism and gut microbiota metabolism. Moreover, N-carbamylglutamate could alter energy and lipid metabolism. These findings indicate that different arginine precursors may lead to differences in the biofluid profile in rats.
Road Network Extraction from VHR Satellite Images Using Context Aware Object Feature Integration and Tensor Voting
Authors: Maboudi Mehdi , Amini Jalal , Hahn Michael , Saati Mehdi
Published: August 2016

Road networks are very important features in geospatial databases. Even though high-resolution optical satellite images have already been acquired for more than a decade, tools for automated extraction of road networks from these images are still rare. One consequence of this is the need for manual interaction which, in turn, is time and cost intensive. In this paper, a multi-stage approach is proposed which integrates structural, spectral, textural, as well as contextual information of objects to extract road networks from very high resolution satellite images. Highlights of the approach are a novel linearity index employed for the discrimination of elongated road segments from other objects and customized tensor voting which is utilized to fill missing parts of the network. Experiments are carried out with different datasets. Comparison of the achieved results with the results of seven state-of-the-art methods demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed approach.
Conceptual Framework for the Development of an Indicator System for the Assessment of Regional Land Subsidence Disaster Vulnerability
Authors: Chen Yu
Published: August 2016

This paper aims to develop a set of valid and reliable indicators to evaluate the regional land subsidence disaster vulnerability. The proposed indicator system can provide effective theoretical support for further land subsidence risk evaluation and risk management. This study transfers the qualitative analysis of land subsidence vulnerability to quantitative evaluation by developing a universal land subsidence vulnerability indicator system and outlining a corresponding vulnerability analysis framework. The land subsidence vulnerability analysis in Xixi-Chengnan area, Jiangsu Province, China used as the case study to prove the applicability and the simplified use of the proposed system. Based on the flexibility of the proposed universal indicator system, indicators can be added into and deleted from the system, according to the actual situation in a certain study area.
Almost Contact Metric Structures on 5-Dimensional Nilpotent Lie Algebras
Authors: Özdemir Nülifer , Solgun Mehmet , Aktay Şirin
Published: August 2016

We study almost contact metric structures on 5-dimensional nilpotent Lie algebras and investigate the class of left invariant almost contact metric structures on corresponding Lie groups. We determine certain classes that a five-dimensional nilpotent Lie group can not be equipped with.
Colletotrichum species causing anthracnose disease of chili in China
Authors: Diao Y.-Z. , Zhang C. , Liu F. , Wang W.-Z. , Liu L. , Cai L. , Liu X.-L.
Published: August 2016

Anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum species is a serious disease of more than 30 plant genera. Several Colletotrichum species have been reported to infect chili in different countries. Although China is the largest chiliproducing country, little is known about the species
that have been infecting chili locally. Therefore, we collected samples of diseased chili from 29 provinces of China, from which 1285 strains were isolated. The morphological characters of all strains were observed and compared, and multi-locus phylogenetic analyses (ITS, ACT, CAL, CHS-1,
GAPDH, TUB2, and HIS3) were performed on selected representative strains. Fifteen Colletotrichum species were identified, with C. fioriniae, C. fructicola, C. gloeosporioides, C. scovillei, and C. truncatum being prevalent. Three new species, C. conoides, C. grossum,
and C. liaoningense, were recognised and described in this paper. Colletotrichum aenigma, C. cliviae, C. endophytica, C. hymenocallidis, C. incanum, C. karstii, and C. viniferum were reported for the first time from chili. Pathogenicity of all species isolated from chili
was confirmed, except for C. endophytica. The current study improves the understanding of species causing anthracnose on chili and provides useful information for the effective control of the disease in China.
WITNESSING THE BIRTH OF THE RED SEQUENCE: ALMA HIGH-RESOLUTION IMAGING OF
AND DUST IN TWO INTERACTING ULTRA-RED STARBURSTS AT z = 4.425
Authors: Oteo I. , Ivison R. J. , Dunne L. , Smail I. , Swinbank A. M. , Zhang Z-Y. , Lewis A. , Maddox S. , Riechers D. , Serjeant S. , Werf P. Van der , Biggs A. D. , Bremer M. , Cigan P. , Clements D. L. , Cooray A. , Dannerbauer H. , Eales S. , Ibar E. , Messias H. , Michałowski M. J. , Pérez-Fournon I. , Kampen E. van
Published: August 2016

Exploiting the sensitivity and spatial resolution of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, we have studied the morphology and the physical scale of the interstellar medium—both gas and dust—in SGP 38326, an unlensed pair of interacting starbursts at z = 4.425. SGP 38326 is the most luminous star bursting system known at z > 4, with a total IR luminosity of L
IR ∼ 2.5 × 1013
L
⊙ and a star formation rate of ∼ 4500 M
⊙ yr−1. SGP 38326 also contains a molecular gas reservoir among the most massive yet found in the early universe, and it is the likely progenitor of a massive, red-and-dead elliptical galaxy at z ∼ 3. Probing scales of ∼0.″1 or ∼800 pc we find that the smooth distribution of the continuum emission from cool dust grains contrasts with the more irregular morphology of the gas, as traced by the [C ii] fine structure emission. The gas is also extended over larger physical scales than the dust. The velocity information provided by the resolved [C ii] emission reveals that the dynamics of the two interacting components of SGP 38326 are each compatible with disk-like, ordered rotation, but also reveals an ISM which is turbulent and unstable. Our observations support a scenario where at least a subset of the most distant extreme starbursts are highly dissipative mergers of gas-rich galaxies.
ON ELECTRON-SCALE WHISTLER TURBULENCE IN THE SOLAR WIND
Authors: Narita Y. , Nakamura R. , Baumjohann W. , Glassmeier K.-H. , Motschmann U. , Giles B. , Magnes W. , Fischer D. , Torbert R. B. , Russell C. T. , Strangeway R. J. , Burch J. L. , Nariyuki Y. , Saito S. , Gary S. P.
Published: August 2016

For the first time, the dispersion relation for turbulence magnetic field fluctuations in the solar wind is determined directly on small scales of the order of the electron inertial length, using four-point magnetometer observations from the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission. The data are analyzed using the high-resolution adaptive wave telescope technique. Small-scale solar wind turbulence is primarily composed of highly obliquely propagating waves, with dispersion consistent with that of the whistler mode.
Data Management in Internet of Things
Authors: Sutagundar Ashok V. , Hatti Daneshwari
Published: August 2016

This chapter gives overview of Internet of Things (IoT), various issues in IoT and describes data management in IoT. IoT is emerging technology which interconnects things through the Internet. Things present in the surrounding are communicated and control the objects without human intervention. IoT helps in performing two way communications among various heterogeneous devices by using cloud storage and cloud computing. IoT mainly concentrates on communication, so the vast amount of data generated from plenty of devices is to be managed as it consumes lot of memory. Data management includes data processing techniques such as data filtering, aggregation, compression, data archiving. Various processing techniques eliminate the irrelevant data, reduce communication overhead and enhance bandwidth, storage space and Quality of service.
Eigenvector Centrality-Based Mobile Target Tracking in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Meghanathan Natarajan
Published: August 2016

We propose an eigenvector centrality-based tracking algorithm to trace the trajectory of a mobile Radioactive Dispersal Device (RDD) in a wireless sensor network. The sink constructs an adjacency matrix in which the entry for edge (i, j) is the sum of the signal strengths reported by sensor nodes i and j in their respective neighborhoods over a sampling time period. The sink uses this adjacency matrix as the basis to determine the Eigenvector Centralities (EVC) of the vertices with respect to the radioactive signals sensed in the neighborhood. We hypothesize that sensor nodes that have a high EVC (suspect nodes) for the sampling time period are within the vicinity of the RDD within that period. We propose that the arithmetic mean (calculated by the sink) of the X and Y coordinates of the suspect sensor nodes be considered as the predicted location of the RDD at a time instant corresponding to the middle of the sampling time period. We evaluate the difference between the predicted and exact locations of the RDD trajectory over time as a function of different operating parameters.
Are Climate Change Adaptation Policies a Game Changer?
Authors: Buse Chris G.
Published: August 2016

The health impacts of climate change have received significant attention in the international scholarly literature. Despite this, there is an absence of research evaluating existing policies aimed at promoting and protecting population health. This chapter provides an implementation analysis of the Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS), 2008/2014--the provincial policy statement that governs mandatory public health activities in the province which includes taking action on climate change. This chapter responds to two specific questions: First, how are Ontario's 36 regional health units interpreting and implementing this policy statement; and second, how are those interpretations translated into practice. Using a web-scan and in-depth interviews with practitioners from twenty Ontario health units, this paper presents four interpretations of the OPHS, a typology of best practices related to regional adaptation, and policy recommendations to bolster domestic and international adaptive capacity to emerging infectious diseases associated with climate change, and a variety of other health-related climate impacts.
In-Situ Oxidative Degradation of Emerging Contaminants in Soil and Groundwater Using a New Class of Stabilized MnO2 Nanoparticles
Authors: Han Bing , Liu Wen , Zhao Dongye
Published: August 2016

Emerging Organic Contaminants (EOCs) such as steroidal estrogen hormones are of growing concern in recent years, as trace concentrations of these hormones can cause adverse effects on the environmental and human health. While these hormones have been widely detected in soil and groundwater, effective technology has been lacking for in-situ degradation of these contaminants. This chapter illustrates a new class of stabilized MnO2 nanoparticles and a new in-situ technology for oxidative degradation of EOCs in soil and groundwater. The stabilized nanoparticles were prepared using a low-cost, food-grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) as a stabilizer. The nanoparticles were then characterized and tested for their effectiveness for degradation of both aqueous and soil-sorbed E2 (17ß-estradiol). Column tests confirmed the effectiveness of the nanoparticles for in-situ remediation of soil sorbed E2. The nanoparticle treatment decreased both water leachable and soil-sorbed E2, offering a useful alternative for in-situ remediation of EOCs in the subsurface.
Assessment of Advanced Biological Solid Waste Treatment Technologies for Sustainability
Authors: Yasar Duygu , Celik Nurcin
Published: August 2016

53.8% of annually generated US Municipal Solid Waste was discarded in landfills by 2012. However, landfills fail to provide a sustainable solution to manage the waste. The State of Florida has responded to the need of establishing sustainable SWM systems by setting an ambitious 75% recycling goal to be achieved by 2020. To this end, Advanced Biological Treatment (ABT) and Thermal Treatment (ATT) of municipal solid waste premise a sustainable solution to manage the waste as it drastically reduces the volume of waste discarded in landfills and produces biogas that can be used to generate energy. In this chapter, ABT and ATT technologies are analyzed; and their advantages and disadvantages are examined from a sustainability perspective. A comprehensive top-to-bottom assessment of ABT technologies is provided for Florida using Analytic Hierarchy Process based on the collected subject matter expert rankings.
Antibody-Mediated Rejection in Solid Organ Transplant
Authors: Petty Michael
Published: August 2016

Within a little more than a decade, the transplant of human organs for end-stage organ disease became a reality. The early barriers to successful long-term graft and patient survival were related to the inability to effectively control the immune system such that it would not attack the donor tissue but would still recognize and destroy invading organisms and cells. As immunosuppressive therapy has been refined and proper matching of donors and recipients has been improved, hyperacute rejection has become a rare occurrence and acute rejection has been markedly controlled. However, antibody-mediated rejection remains an important impediment to increased survival of transplanted organs. This article provides readers with a broad overview of the immune system, discusses mechanisms of transplant rejection, and details prevention, detection, and treatment of antibody-mediated rejection in solid organ transplant.
MAGE-C2–Specific TCRs Combined with Epigenetic Drug-Enhanced Antigenicity Yield Robust and Tumor-Selective T Cell Responses
Authors: Kunert Andre , van Brakel Mandy , van Steenbergen-Langeveld Sabine , da Silva Marvin , Coulie Pierre G. , Lamers Cor , Sleijfer Stefan , Debets Reno
Published: August 2016

Adoptive T cell therapy has shown significant clinical success for patients with advanced melanoma and other tumors. Further development of T cell therapy requires improved strategies to select effective, yet nonself-reactive, TCRs. In this study, we isolated 10 TCR sequences against four MAGE-C2 (MC2) epitopes from melanoma patients who showed clinical responses following vaccination that were accompanied by significant frequencies of anti-MC2 CD8 T cells in blood and tumor without apparent side effects. We introduced these TCRs into T cells, pretreated tumor cells of different histological origins with the epigenetic drugs azacytidine and valproate, and tested tumor and self-reactivities of these TCRs. Pretreatment of tumor cells upregulated MC2 gene expression and enhanced recognition by T cells. In contrast, a panel of normal cell types did not express MC2 mRNA, and similar pretreatment did not result in recognition by MC2-directed T cells. Interestingly, the expression levels of MC2, but not those of CD80, CD86, or programmed death-ligand 1 or 2, correlated with T cell responsiveness. One of the tested TCRs consistently recognized pretreated MC2+ cell lines from melanoma, head and neck, bladder, and triple-negative breast cancers but showed no response to MHC-eluted peptides or peptides highly similar to MC2. We conclude that targeting MC2 Ag, combined with epigenetic drug-enhanced antigenicity, allows for significant and tumor-selective T cell responses.
The Need for Psychosocial Interventions to Facilitate the Transition to Extended-Release Naltrexone (XR-NTX) Treatment for Opioid Dependence: A Concise Review of the Literature
Authors: Ramsey Susan E. , Rounsaville Dan , Hoskinson Randall , Park Tae Woo , Ames Evan G. , Neirinckx Victor D. , Friedmann Peter
Published: August 2016

Given the increase of opioid dependence and opioid-related morbidity and mortality, improving treatment options for individuals with opioid dependence warrants increased attention. This article provides a concise review of work in this area. Remission from opioid dependence can be very difficult to sustain, particularly in the absence of opioid replacement or opioid antagonist therapy. For those who wish to transition from opioid use or opioid replacement therapy to opioid antagonist therapy, a significant challenge can be the period of withdrawal symptoms that must be endured prior to the initiation of opioid antagonist therapy. Studies that have incorporated psychosocial interventions into detoxification protocols have found that they can result in improved treatment outcomes. Interventions based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy have shown promise in the treatment of clinical disorders that present with symptoms similar to those of opioid withdrawal and have been found to positively impact outcomes among those tapering from methadone. However, the use of an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-based intervention has yet to be studied among opioid-dependent patients transitioning to XR-NTX, and its value to those transitioning to XR-NTX is currently unknown.
Fluorescent biological aerosol particle measurements at a tropical
high-altitude site in southern India during the southwest
monsoon season
Authors: Valsan A. E. , Ravikrishna R. , Biju C. V. , Pöhlker C. , Després V. R. , Huffman J. A. , Pöschl U. , Gunthe S. S.
Published: August 2016

Abstract. An ultraviolet aerodynamic particle sizer (UV-APS) was continuously operated for the first time during two seasons to sample the contrasting winds during monsoon and winter to characterize the properties of fluorescent biological aerosol particles (FBAPs), at a high-altitude site in India. Averaged over the entire monsoon campaign (1 June–21 August 2014), the arithmetic mean number and mass concentrations of coarse-mode (> 1 µm) FBAPs were 0.02 cm−3 and 0.24 µg m−3, respectively, which corresponded to  ∼  2 and 6 % of total aerosol loading, respectively. Average FBAP number size distribution exhibited a peak at  ∼  3 µm, which is attributed to the fungal spores, as supported by scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, and these results are consistent with previous studies made for FBAPs. During 11 weeks of measurements the variability of the total coarse-mode particle number (TAP) concentration was high compared to that observed in FBAP number concentrations. The TAP and FBAP number concentrations measured at this site were strongly dependent on changes in wind direction and rainfall. During periods of westerly/southwesterly winds with heavy persistent rainfall, the TAP and FBAP concentrations exhibited very low values (1.3 and 0.005 cm−3, respectively) with no significant diurnal variations, whereas during periods of northerly winds with scattered rainfall FBAPs exhibited relatively high concentration values (0.05 cm−3) with pronounced diurnal variations, which were strongly coupled with diurnal variations in meteorological parameters. The campaign-averaged FBAP number concentrations were shown to correlate with daily patterns of meteorological parameters and were positively correlated with relative humidity (RH; R2  =  0.58) and negatively with temperature (R2  =  0.60) and wind speed (R2  =  0.60). We did not observe any significant positive correlation with precipitation as reported by previous researchers from selected areas. These measurement results confirm the fact that the ratio of PBAPs to TAP is strongly dependent on particle size and location and thus may constitute a significant proportion of total aerosol particles.
Thermal impacts of engineering activities and vegetation layer on permafrost
in different alpine ecosystems of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, China
Authors: Wu Qingbai , Zhang Zhongqiong , Gao Siru , Ma Wei
Published: August 2016

Abstract. Climate warming and engineering activities have various impacts on the thermal regime of permafrost in alpine ecosystems of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Using recent observations of permafrost thermal regimes along the Qinghai–Tibet highway and railway, the changes of such regimes beneath embankments constructed in alpine meadows and steppes are studied. The results show that alpine meadows on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau can have a controlling role among engineering construction effects on permafrost beneath embankments. As before railway construction, the artificial permafrost table (APT) beneath embankments is not only affected by climate change and engineering activities but is also controlled by alpine ecosystems. However, the change rate of APT is not dependent on ecosystem type, which is predominantly affected by climate change and engineering activities. Instead, the rate is mainly related to cooling effects of railway ballast and heat absorption effects of asphalt pavement. No large difference between alpine and steppe can be identified regarding the variation of soil temperature beneath embankments, but this difference is readily identified in the variation of mean annual soil temperature with depth. The vegetation layer in alpine meadows has an insulation role among engineering activity effects on permafrost beneath embankments, but this insulation gradually disappears because the layer decays and compresses over time. On the whole, this layer is advantageous for alleviating permafrost temperature rise in the short term, but its effect gradually weakens in the long term.
AVALIAÇÃO MULTITEMPORAL DO USO E COBERTURA DO SOLO DA BACIA HIDROGRÁFICA DO RIBEIRÃO JOÃO LEITE UTILIZANDO IMAGENS LANDSAT-5
Authors: Oliveira Wellington Nunes de , Ferreira Nilson Clementino
Published: August 2016

A análise do uso e cobertura do solo é uma das etapas fundamentais pararealização do planejamento estratégico de conservação e manejo de umabacia hidrográfica. Este trabalho teve por objetivo analisar a paisagemda Bacia Hidrográfica do Ribeirão João Leite, localizada no Estado deGoiás, a noroeste da cidade de Goiânia, utilizando Sistema de InformaçãoGeográfica (SIG) e Sensoriamento Remoto, com o intuito elaborar umdiagnóstico ambiental. Uma análise multitemporal realizada com imagensobtidas pelo sensor Thematic Mapper (TM), acoplado ao satélite Landsat-5,entre os anos de 1985 e 2011, demonstrou que na Bacia Hidrográfica doRibeirão João Leite houve um decréscimo na área de remanescentes devegetação nativa em 7,4% e que, dentre os municípios que compõem abacia, Anápolis foi o que mais apresentou supressão dessas áreas (11,1%).O resultado desta análise merece atenção das instituições que tratam dagestão ambiental, pois a degradação da vegetação nativa remanescenteinfluencia diretamente na qualidade ambiental da paisagem da bacia, a qualtem como um de seus usos o abastecimento urbano de água de municípiosda Região Metropolitana de Goiânia.
Some thoughts on a student survey
Authors: Molnár István
Published: August 2016

The paper analyzes a survey of college students and describes its major findings. The object of the survey, involving 154 students, was to discover and highlight the problems that arise in taking the course Economic Mathematics I. The paper, as the summary of the first phase of a research project, wishes to present these problems, ways that may lead out of them, and possible means of help that can be offered to those taking the course.
Practice based course of Information Technology Service Management for BSc students
Authors: Erdélyi Krisztina
Published: August 2016

Currently IT systems are primarily observed as sets of services, for example finance services can be accessed via the Internet. The IT background of an enterprise has strategic importance in its activity, but it is also important, that IT helps the enterprise supporting course of business really from the background. To implement this kind of conception, IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) provides practical advices.
The paper describes the topic of an optional course which introduces BSc students to the subject of IT Service Management the way that it can be used as a practice supplement beside theory courses of IT Service Management.
How to teach computer programming if our goal is the International Olympiad in Informatics
Authors: Király Sándor
Published: August 2016

Nowadays if a student in Hungary (age between 17-20 years old) wants to be the member of the Hungarian selected team (has four members) to participate in the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), first, he has to qualify himself in the first fifteen of the National Secondary School Competition (OKTV) in the programming category after the III. round. Then he should be in the first four place after the sixth round of the Selection Competition. Being successful is necessary that the student wants to start studying computer programming at least in the 9th school year and he needs a teacher who prepares him. In the last nine years three students of the author have participated in five Olympics and two of them won gold and bronze medals. This article wants to demonstrate the methods that a teacher needs to use to teach students in 9th school year for computer programming, to be the member of the Hungarian National Team after three or four years.
Combinatorics teaching experiment
Authors: Csabay Károly , Daragó József
Published: August 2016

Teaching combinatorics has got its conventional method. One has to see: the combinatorical formations won't be follow each other by a heuristic way. The formulas kept by pupils seem to come from "deus ex machina". We try to offer now an alternative way to approach combinatorical concepts from a nontraditional direction and point of view.
Can a language be before “the first programming language”?
Authors: Menyhárt László
Published: August 2016

I would like to present a potential new language which can be before "the first programming language". We can use this to write down the algorithms and source code can be generated from this. The keyword is XML. This can be used for describing algorithms, easy to check the syntax and the semantic. Source code can be transformed with XSLT. So the usage of this new language can help us to answer the question, which is the best first programming language?
On two long lasting delusions in the history of equations
Authors: Klukovits Lajos
Published: August 2016

Almost everybody was thought, that the 9th century Moshlem mathematician al-Khwarismi was the inventor of two powerful methods – called by him as al-jabr and al-muqabala – in solving quadratic equations. The second belief is that between Leonardo's Liber abaci and Luca Pacioli's Summa... happened nothing interesting in algebra. We will show that both beliefs are false by giving examples from the antiquity and analyzing Mediaeval Italian manuscripits.
Probabilistic thinking, characteristic features
Authors: Szitányi Judit
Published: August 2016

This paper is the first step in a series of a general research project on possible development in probability approach. Our goal is to check with quantitative methods how correct our presumptions formulated during our teaching experience were. In order to get an answer to this question, we conducted a survey among third-year students at our college about their general and scientific concepts as well as about the way they typically think.
Teaching Gröbner bases
Authors: Maróti György
Published: August 2016

In this article we offer a demonstration of how the StudentGroebner package, a didactic oriented Maple package for Gröbner basis theory, could assist the teaching/learning process. Our approach is practical. Instead of expounding on deep didactic theory we simply give examples on how we imagine experimental learning in classroom. The educational goal is to prepare the introduction of two sophisticated algorithms, the division algorithm and Buchberger's algorithm, by gathering preliminary knowledge about them.
Virtual worlds in education – best practice, design and research considerations
Authors: Turcsányi-Szabó Márta , Csízi Ladislav , Végh Ladislav
Published: August 2016

The article briefly describes and characterizes the virtual worlds, different kinds of virtual worlds and possibilities of their use in education. The virtual worlds beyond the passive learning opportunities offer active, constructive and collaborative learning possibilities as well. In the middle section of this article we present the most common ways of different kinds of learning methods, which are illustrated by practical examples as well. In the final sections of the article we deal with the design research approach of 3D virtual worlds.
Metadata and education
Authors: Forczek Erzsébet
Published: August 2016

This article is a (possible) conceptual educational model, which introduces data representation, information storage and retrieval possibilities on the Web in a way analogous to the levels of organization of metadata.
The model uses the traditional library and information systems as a starting point, referring to the levels and types of information organization, and describes directions of its development. General acquaintance with the dominant organizational levels and types helps to understand the information organization on the internet, the coexistence of both structured and unstructured elements, the closedness and deficiencies of the content of information, and also helps to find possible ways of correcting these deficiencies. One of the main advantages of model-driven approaches is that they, by using the well-known classical systems, make tangible the development of physical and content data organization types and levels of organization of information for medical students that usually do not possess informatics knowledge.
The conceptual model presented in details in the article can provide a basis for a general introduction to metadata and to develop curricula equally appropriate for traditional face to face classes, trainings and online courses.
Teaching meaningful mathematics with the Computer Algebra System MAXIMA using the example of inequalities
Authors: Fuchs Karl Josef
Published: August 2016

The paper was originally motivated by the request to accentuate the meaningful contribution of inequalities in Mathematics Education. Additionally nationwide approved competences such as estimating come to the fore when organizing mathematical contents along some central Big Ideas. Not least the integration of computers enriches the reasonable discussion of inequalities by modern well accepted methodological principles. The freeware MAXIMA is used as Computer Algebra System (CAS) representatively.
Teaching centroids in theory and in practice
Authors: András Szilárd , Tamási Csaba
Published: August 2016

The main aim of this paper is to present an inquiry-based professional development activity about the teaching of centroids and to highlight some common misconceptions related to centroids. The second aim is to emphasize a major hindering factor in planning inquiry based teaching/learning activities connected with abstract mathematical notions. Our basic problem was to determine the centroid of simple systems such as: systems of collinear points, arbitrary system of points, polygons, polygonal shapes. The only inconvenience was that we needed practical activities where students could validate their findings and calculations with simple tools. At this point we faced the following situation: we have an abstract definition for the centroid of a finite system of points, while in practice we don't even have such systems. The same is valid for geometric objects like triangles, polygons. In practice we have triangular objects, polygonal shapes (domains) and not triangles, polygons. Thus in practice for validating the centroid of a system formed by 4,5,... points we also need the centroid of a polygonal shape, formed by an infinite number of points. We could use, of course, basic definitions, but our intention was to organize inquiry based learning activities, where students can understand fundamental concepts and properties before defining them.
Development of classification module for automated question generation framework
Authors: Gyöngyösi Erika , Kovács László , Bednarik László
Published: August 2016

Automatic question generation is in the focus of recent researches which includes bordering disciplines like education, text mining, knowledge-engineering. The elaborated system generates multi-choice questions from textbooks without using an external semantic database. One of the base modules of the system is the classification module defining the extracted word. This paper describes modules of the framework including a detailed analysis of the classification part. We show the operability of the elaborated system through a practical test.
On the past of a famous theorem
Authors: Klukovits Lajos
Published: August 2016

The well-known Theorem of Pythagoras asserts a relation among the sides of any right-angled triangle. It can be found any secondary school textbook. An interesting question whether this result due to the Pythagoreans from the VIth century BC, or it was known in earlier civilizations. The first answer is a vague yes. According to the legends the Egyptian rope-stretchers used a triangle with sides 3,4,5 units to create right angle. But are there real evidences that this result was known earlier? We will argue that in almost all river-valley civilizations it was known and used.
Central axonometry in engineer training and engineering practice
Authors: Kovács András Zsolt
Published: August 2016

This paper is concerned with showing a unified approach for teaching central and parallel projections of the space to the plane giving special emphasis to engineer training. The basis for unification is provided by the analogies between central axonometry and parallel axonometry. Since the concept of central axonometry is not widely known in engineering practice it is necessary to introduce it during the education phase. When teaching axonometries dynamic geometry software can also be used in an interactive way. We shall provide a method to demonstrate the basic constructions of various axonometries and use these computer applications to highlight their similarities. Our paper sheds light on the advantages of a unified approach in such areas of engineering practice as making hand drawn plans and using CAD-systems.
The golden ratio and Viéte’s formula
Authors: García-Caballero Esther M. , Moreno Samuel G. , Prophet Michael P.
Published: August 2016

Viéte's formula uses an infinite product to express. In this paper we find a strikingly similar representation for the Golden Ratio.
High School Students’ Topic Preferences and Oral Development in an English-only Short-term Intensive Language Program
Authors: Hsieh Hui-Chen
Published: August 2016

Developing the ability to speak English is a daunting task that has long been omitted in a test-driven pedagogy context (Chang, 2011; Li, 2012a, 2012b; Chen & Tsai, 2012; Katchen, 1989, 1995). Since speaking is not tested for school admissions, most students are not motivated to learn it (Chang, 2011; Chen & Tsai, 2012). Now, globalization makes English Lingua Franca; speaking English is definitely bound to be one key capability to connect oneself with the world (Graddol, 2007). Thus, teachers strive to help learenrs learn English by selecting appropriate and interesting topics to motivate them to learn more effectively (Dörnyei & Csizér, 1998; Spratt, Pulverness & Williams, 2011), especially in speaking. However, with only one internationally published research on Taiwanese college students’ topics preference (Chen, 2012) and none on high school students, selecting appropriate topics seems challenging. Consequently, this study intended to investigate the potential topics that motivated learners to practice speaking and their oral performance. The results show that learners preferred topics related to their daily life and their speaking improved in terms of speech unit, clause unit, and words uttered.
Uncertainty and Cybernetics
Authors: Farkhari Fateme
Published: August 2016

Cybernetics is an interdisciplinary science that explores the way of control and relation in machines and animals. The relation is the largest and most key element in cybernetic systems without which monitoring and feedback will be meaningless. Information is the key element of relation. Thus, addressing the concept of information, information flow, and its influencing factors are the most important issues in cybernetics. This study aims to investigate the lack and deficiency in the information or the uncertainty from the perspective of cybernetics. It should be noted that risk increases positive entropy, system instability, leads it towards the maximum chaos and destruction. To avoid it, it needs to use the negative entropy or adding information to the network.
Vivência de mulher idosa tabagista
Authors: Caldeira Sebastião , Parecy Silvana Maria , Maraschin Maristela Salete , Ross Claudia , Machineski Gicelle Galvan , Ribeiro Sara Alves
Published: August 2016

Este estudio tiene como objetivo comprender las motivaciones de la mujer adulta mayor fumadora participante de un grupo antitabaco conducido según la Fenomenología Social de Alfred Schütz. Participaron 10 mujeres adultas mayores de octubre a noviembre de 2012. Emergieron cuatro categorías: ambigüedad entre el anhelo y el poder dejar de fumar; percepción de la actuación profesional en el antitabaco; perspectivas de vida y expectativas ante los profesionales y servicios. La mujer adulta mayor comprende los peligros del tabaquismo y juntamente con el equipo aúna esfuerzos para tomar medidas resolutivas. Los programas antitabaco deben ser fomentados pues permiten disminuir daños y aumentar las posibilidades de interrumpir el vicio. Las acciones del equipo multidisciplinario podrán contribuir a mejorar la comprensión de las necesidades de cada usuario y , con un tratamiento eficaz, ayudar a que abandonen la costumbre de fumar.