bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sustainable Transport Visions: What Role for Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Vehicle Technologies?
Authors: Whitmarsh Lorraine , Wietschel Martin
Published: March 2008

Transport systems perform vital societal functions, but in their present state cannot be considered ‘sustainable’. Particular concerns in this respect include emissions, accidents, land use, noise and inaccessibility of amenities. Increasing attention is being focussed on hydrogen transport technologies as a possible means of achieving more sustainable transport. In this paper, we draw on expert stakeholder evidence and the wider literature to elucidate criteria for sustainable transport and determine the extent to which hydrogen transport technologies can meet these criteria. Our findings indicate that hydrogen could alleviate some of the problems in the transport sector associated with emissions and energy supply security. However, other transport problems are not mitigated – and some may even be exacerbated – by hydrogen use. Thus, we highlight the need for integrated transport policies and argue for more reflexive and inclusive societal debate about the impacts and beneficiaries of hydrogen transport technologies.
A Matter of Stability and Equity: The Case for Federal Action on Renewable Portfolio Standards in the U.S.
Authors: Sovacool Benjamin K.
Published: March 2008

Renewable portfolio standards (RPS) are a relatively novel way to promote renewable energy projects in the United States. Though more than half the states and the District of Columbia have taken the lead in mandating some form of RPS, none of the existing state programs are alike. The author proposes federal action to fix many of the problems plaguing individual state RPS programs and to persuade national policymakers, industries, and consumers to make a long-term commitment to renewable energy. If implemented properly, a nation-wide RPS could lower electricity rates for many consumers and utilities and may even induce more diversification in the electric utility industry.
On the Dynamics of Environmental Pollution: Simulation of the near Field of a Jet in Crossflow
Authors: Eleshaky Mohamed E.
Published: March 2008

This paper investigates numerically the complex flow in the near field of a rectangular jet discharging vertically downward into a uniform crossflow. This flow situation exists when pollutants generated from many industrial processes are released into the environment. Examples include those released from petrochemical plants, power plants, and desalination units. A thorough understating of turbulent dispersion of such pollutants is a first step towards the development of appropriate control methods. Using general purpose Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, the turbulent Navier-Stokes equations for unsteady, three-dimensional, incompressible flows are numerically solved in this study. The accuracy of this computational software is assessed by comparing the computed results with Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) measurements for two flow cases. Both cases (jet-to-crossflow velocity ratios 3 and 5) yield favorable agreement for the turbulence characteristics of the flow. The present computational methodology not only allows us to capture the coherent structures of the flowfield which include tornado-like vortices, counter-rotating vortices, and a horseshoe-type vortex, but also helps in understanding the mixing processes of pollutants with the ambient. This, in turn, may help in the utilization, enhancement, or suppression of selected vortices in many environmental pollution problems.
Calcium Channel TRPV6 Is Involved in Murine Maternal–Fetal Calcium Transport
Authors: Suzuki Yoshiro , Kovacs Christopher S , Takanaga Hitomi , Peng Ji-Bin , Landowski Christopher P , Hediger Matthias A
Published: March 2008

Maternal–fetal calcium (Ca2+) transport is crucial for fetal Ca2+ homeostasis and bone mineralization. In this study, the physiological significance of the transient receptor potential, vanilloid 6 (TRPV6) Ca2+ channel in maternal–fetal Ca2+ transport was investigated using Trpv6 knockout mice. The Ca2+ concentration in fetal blood and amniotic fluid was significantly lower in Trpv6 knockout fetuses than in wildtypes. The transport activity of radioactive Ca2+ (45Ca) from mother to fetuses was 40% lower in Trpv6 knockout fetuses than in wildtypes. The ash weight was also lower in Trpv6 knockout fetuses compared with wildtype fetuses. TRPV6 mRNA and protein were mainly localized in intraplacental yolk sac and the visceral layer of extraplacental yolk sac, which are thought to be the places for maternal–fetal Ca2+ transport in mice. These expression sites were co-localized with calbindin D9K in the yolk sac. In wildtype mice, placental TRPV6 mRNA increased 14-fold during the last 4 days of gestation, which coincides with fetal bone mineralization. These results provide the first in vivo evidence that TRPV6 is involved in maternal–fetal Ca2+ transport. We propose that TRPV6 functions as a Ca2+ entry pathway, which is critical for fetal Ca2+ homeostasis.
Proximal Femoral Structure and the Prediction of Hip Fracture in Men: A Large Prospective Study Using QCT
Authors: Black Dennis M , Bouxsein Mary L , Marshall Lynn M , Cummings Steven R , Lang Thomas F , Cauley Jane A , Ensrud Kristine E , Nielson Carrie M , Orwoll Eric S
Published: March 2008

The structure of the femoral neck contributes to hip strength, but the relationship of specific structural features of the hip to hip fracture risk is unclear. The objective of this study is to determine the contribution of structural features and volumetric density of both trabecular and cortical bone in the proximal femur to the prediction of hip fracture in older men. Baseline QCT scans of the hip were obtained in 3347 men ≥65 yr of age enrolled in the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study (MrOS). All men were followed prospectively for an average of 5.5 yr. Areal BMD (aBMD) by DXA was also assessed. We determined the associations between QCT-derived measures of femoral neck structure, volumetric bone density, and hip fracture risk. Forty-two men sustained incident hip fractures during follow-up: an overall rate of 2.3/1000 person-years. Multivariable analyses showed that, among the QCT-derived measures, lower percent cortical volume (hazard ratio [HR] per SD decrease: 3.2; 95% CI: 2.2–4.6), smaller minimal cross-sectional area (HR: 1.6; 95% CI: 1.2–2.1), and lower trabecular BMD (HR: 1.7; 95% CI: 1.2–2.4) were independently related to increased hip fracture risk. Femoral neck areal BMD was also strongly related to hip fracture risk (HR: 4.1; 95% CI: 2.7–6.4). In multivariable models, percent cortical volume and minimum cross-sectional area remained significant predictors of hip fracture risk after adjustment for areal BMD, but overall prediction was not improved by adding QCT parameters to DXA. Specific structural features of the proximal femur were related to an increased risk of hip fracture. Whereas overall hip fracture prediction was not improved relative to aBMD, by adding QCT parameters, these results yield useful information concerning the causation of hip fracture, the evaluation of hip fracture risk, and potential targets for therapeutic intervention.
Genetic Variation in the Patterns of Skeletal Progenitor Cell Differentiation and Progression During Endochondral Bone Formation Affects the Rate of Fracture Healing
Authors: Jepsen Karl J , Price Christopher , Silkman Lee J , Nicholls Fred H , Nasser Phillip , Hu Bin , Hadi Nicole , Alapatt Michael , Stapleton Stephanie N , Kakar Sanjeev , Einhorn Thomas A , Gerstenfeld Louis C
Published: March 2008

These studies examined how genetic differences that regulate architectural and bone material properties would be expressed during fracture healing and determine whether any of these features would affect rates of healing as defined by regain of strength. Controlled fractures were generated in three inbred strains of mice: A/J, C57Bl/6J (B6), and C3H/HeJ (C3H). Both the A/J and B6 strains showed faster healing than the C3H strain based on regains in strength and stiffness. Strain-specific architectural features such as moment of inertia, cross-sectional area, and cortical thickness were all recapitulated during the development of the callus tissues. None of these traits were directly relatable to rates of fracture healing. However, rates of healing were related to variations in the temporal patterns of chondrogenic and osteogenic lineage development. The B6 strain expressed the highest percentage of cartilage gene products and had the longest period of chondrocyte maturation and hypertrophy. The slowest healing strain (C3H) had the shortest period of chondrogenic development and earliest initiation of osteogenic development. Although the A/J strain showed an almost identical pattern of chondrogenic development as the C3H strain, A/J initiated osteogenic development several days later than C3H during fracture healing. Long bone growth plates at 28 days after birth showed similar strain-specific variation in cartilage tissue development as seen in fracture healing. Thus, the B6 strain had the largest growth plate heights, cell numbers per column, and the largest cell size, whereas the C3H columns were the shortest, had the smallest number of cells per column, and showed the smallest cell sizes. These results show that (1) different strains of mice express variations of skeletal stem cell lineage differentiation and (2) that these variations affect the rate of fracture healing.
Exogenous PTH and Endogenous 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D Are Complementary in Inducing an Anabolic Effect on Bone
Authors: Samadfam Rana , Xia Qingwen , Miao Dengshun , Hendy Geoffrey N , Goltzman David
Published: March 2008

PTH and 1,25(OH)2D each exert dual anabolic and catabolic skeletal effects. We assessed the potential interaction of PTH and 1,25(OH)2D in promoting skeletal anabolism by comparing the capacity of exogenous, intermittently injected PTH(1-34) to produce bone accrual in mice homozygous for the 1α(OH)ase-null allele [1α(OH)ase−/− mice] and in wildtype mice. In initial studies, 3-mo-old wildtype mice were either injected once daily (40 μg/kg) or infused continuously (120 μg/kg/d) with PTH(1–34) for up to 1 mo. Infused PTH reduced BMD, increased the bone resorption marker TRACP-5b, and raised serum calcium but did not increase serum 1,25(OH)2D. Injected PTH increased serum 1,25(OH)2D and BMD, raised the bone formation marker osteocalcin more than did infused PTH, and did not produce sustained hypercalcemia as did PTH infusion. In subsequent studies, 3-mo-old 1α(OH)ase−/− mice, raised on a rescue diet, and wildtype littermates were injected with PTH(1–34) (40 μg/kg) either once daily or three times daily for 1 mo. In 1α(OH)ase−/− mice, baseline bone volume (BV/TV) and bone formation (BFR/BS) were lower than in wildtype mice. PTH administered intermittently increased BV/TV and BFR/BS in a dose-dependent manner, but the increases were always less than in wildtype mice. These studies show that exogenous PTH administered continuously resorbs bone without raising endogenous 1,25(OH)2D. Intermittently administered PTH can increase bone accrual in the absence of 1,25(OH)2D, but 1,25(OH)2D complements this PTH action. An increase in endogenous 1,25(OH)2D may therefore facilitate an optimal skeletal anabolic response to PTH and may be relevant to the development of improved therapeutics for enhancing skeletal anabolism.
Fracture Risk in Type 2 Diabetes: Update of a Population-Based Study
Authors: Melton L Joseph , Leibson Cynthia L , Achenbach Sara J , Therneau Terry M , Khosla Sundeep
Published: March 2008

We found no significant excess of fractures among Rochester, MN, residents with diabetes mellitus initially recognized in 1950–1969, but more recent studies elsewhere have documented an apparent increase in hip fracture risk. To explore potential explanations for any increase in fractures, we performed an historical cohort study among 1964 Rochester residents who first met glycemic criteria for diabetes in 1970–1994 (mean age, 61.7 ± 14.0 yr; 51% men). Fracture risk was estimated by standardized incidence ratios (SIRs), and risk factors were evaluated in Andersen-Gill time-to-fracture regression models. In 23,236 person-years of follow-up, 700 diabetic residents experienced 1369 fractures documented by medical record review. Overall fracture risk was elevated (SIR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.2–1.4), but hip fractures were increased only in follow-up beyond 10 yr (SIR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.1–1.9). As expected, fracture risk factors included age, prior fracture, secondary osteoporosis, and corticosteroid use, whereas higher physical activity and body mass index were protective. Additionally, fractures were increased among patients with neuropathy (hazard ratio [HR], 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1–1.6) and those on insulin (HR, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.1–1.5); risk was reduced among users of biquanides (HR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.6–0.96), and no significant influence on fracture risk was seen with sulfonylurea or thiazolidinedione use. Thus, contrary to our earlier study, the risk of fractures overall (and hip fractures specifically) was increased among Rochester residents with diabetes, but there was no evidence that the rise was caused by greater levels of obesity or newer treatments for diabetes.
Miniature Compact Tension Specimens for Upper Shelf Fracture Toughness Measurements on RPV Steels
Authors: Lucon Enrico , Scibetta Marc
Published: March 2008

Miniature compact tension, MC(T), specimens (thickness B = 4.15 mm) have been recently investigated at SCK⋅CEN for measuring the fracture toughness of steels under fully ductile conditions (upper shelf regime). The first results of this assessment, made by comparison with results obtained from 1TC(T) samples of various RPV steels with quite different toughness properties, have been described in a previous paper by the same authors. It was observed that, although a systematic and significant underestimation of both critical toughness values and crack propagation resistance was observed for the MC(T) samples with respect to the bigger specimens, it is possible to establish an empirical correlation between the two geometries which allows deriving acceptable estimates of the material’s critical toughness. In this work, further investigations are presented, related to: (1) the behavior of MC(T) and 1TC(T) specimens in the crack tip blunting phase; (2) the role of work hardening in decreasing the tearing resistance of MC(T) specimens; and (3) the use of alternative parameters (crack-tip opening displacement, crack-tip opening angle, Ernst’s modified J-integral JM). Evidence is also presented which could justify a revision of the specimen measuring capacity (Jmax) in the current ASTM Standard E1820-05, which appears too severe and could be relaxed. Further work will include validating on irradiated materials the empirical correlations established between 1TC(T) and MC(T) test results.
Low-temperature crystallization induced by excimer laser irradiation of SrBi2Ta2O9 films
Authors: Seol Kwang Soo , Hiramatsu Hironao , Ohki Yoshimichi , Choi In-Hoon , Kim Yong-Tea
Published: March 2008

Transition of a SrBi2Ta2O9 precursor film from amorphous to crystalline was inducedby excimer laser irradiation. Both fluorite and perovskite crystalline structures in suchfilms were obtained by excimer laser irradiation at substrate temperatures between 200and 500 °C. Either an addition of excess bismuth in the precursor film or an increasein the substrate temperature enhanced the formation of the perovskite structure in theexcimer laser-induced annealing process, resulting in the perovskite crystalline phase ata relatively lower temperature of 500 °C. Such a low temperature is preferred whenSrBi2Ta2O9 is used in ferroelectric devices. The mechanism involved in thislaser-induced crystallization is also discussed.
Effects of whisker content and dimensions on theR-curve behavior of an alumina matrix composite reinforced with silicon carbide whiskers
Authors: Akatsu Takashi , Suzuki Minoru , Tanabe Yasuhiro , Yasuda Eiichi
Published: March 2008

A study was made of the effects of whisker content and dimensions on theR-curve behavior of an alumina matrix composite reinforced with silicon carbide whiskers. Experiments showed that the risingR-curve behavior is strongly enhanced by the increase in the volume fraction and the size of whiskers. Simulation based on a model of crack face whisker bridgings was made to elucidate the effects on theR-curve of the composite. The validity of the simulation was confirmed by good agreement between the experimental and the calculatedR-curves. In addition to theR-curve, the distribution of crack closure stresses as well as crack tip opening displacements was also calculated, which directly reflects crack face whisker bridging processes in the composite. Then the dependence of whisker content and dimensions on theR-curve was analytically discussed taking the bridging processes into account.
Rectifying and thermocouple junctions based on Portland cement
Authors: Wen Sihai , Chung D. D. L.
Published: March 2008

Rectifying and thermocouple junctions have been achieved using electrically dissimilar Portland cement pastes. The preferred junction is a pn-junction involving steel fiber cement paste (n-type) and carbon fiber cement paste (p-type). For this junction, the thermocouple sensitivity is 70 εV/°C.
Structure of heat-treated sol-gel SiO2 glasses containing silver
Authors: Garníca-Romo M. G. , González-Hernández J. , Hernández-Landaverde M. A. , Vorobiev Y. V. , Ruiz F. , Martínez J. R.
Published: March 2008

The crystallization of bulk amorphous SiO2 samples, prepared by the sol-gel method, was obtained by heat treatments in air at temperatures as low as 500 °C. This occurs when silver is added to the precursor solutions in an amount such that it forms aggregates embedded in the glass. Another requirement to observe the low-temperature glass crystallization is that the bulk samples must be prepared from precursor solutions with specific compositions. These compositions, have a high H2O/TEOS ratio, which produces an amorphous SiO2 structure with some structural similarities to cristobalite, the phase in which the SiO2 glass crystallizes.
Compositional distributions in nanoscale metallic multilayers studied using x-ray mapping
Authors: Keast V. J. , Misra A. , Kung H. , Mitchell T. E.
Published: March 2008

At very small layer spacings (< ∼2 nm) in Cu–Nb and Cu–Cr multilayers the Cu forms a metastable body-centered-cubic (bcc) structure and the films exhibit interesting mechanical properties. No information about the miscibility of bcc Cu in Nb or Cr is available and it is not known whether the films remain compositionally discrete. X-ray mapping in the analytical electron microscope has been used to study the compositional distributions in these films and show that they do remain discrete down to a layer spacing of 1.8 nm. A simple model for the experimentally measured distribution has been used to show that the expected analytical resolution has been achieved and that it should be possible to map layers with a spacing of 0.8 nm.
Crystallization and dielectric properties of SrO–BaO–Nb2O5–GeO2 tungsten–bronze glass–ceramics
Authors: Shyu Jiin-Jyh , Peng Hsin-Wei
Published: March 2008

The crystallization and dielectric properties of SrO–BaO–Nb2O5–GeO2 glass–ceramics were investigated. One- and two-stage heat-treatment methods were used to convert the parent glass to glass–ceramics. Strontium barium niobate (SBN) with a tetragonal tungsten-bronze structure formed as the major crystalline phase. When the crystallizing temperature/time was increased, the secondary crystalline BaGe2O5 phase coexisted with SBN. BaGe2O5 formed as a surface layer grown from the surface into the interior of the sample. The dendritic morphology of SBN crystals was examined. The glass–ceramics crystallized by two-stage heat treatment have higher dielectric constants than those crystallized by one-stage heat treatment. The highest dielectric constant that was obtained in the present glass–ceramics was 320. The glass–ceramics showed relaxor-type dielectric behavior.
Topological transformation of grains in three-dimensional normal grain growth
Authors: Wakai F. , Shinoda Y. , Ishihara S. , Domínguez-Rodríguez A.
Published: March 2008

The topological transformation of grains in three-dimensional normal grain growth was analyzed by Brakke's Surface Evolver method that simulated the boundary motion by curvature. The statistics on elemental processes, which change the number of faces f of a grain, were determined from the simulation. The distribution function of the number of faces P( f ) in a steady structure could be predicted from the difference in the current of grains arriving at and leaving from state f. For the disappearance of one grain, face-creation switching occurred 3.7 times and face-elimination switching occurred 13.2 times on the average.
Additive controlled crystallization of barium titanate powders and their application for thin-film ceramic production: Part II. From nano-sized powders to ceramic thin films
Authors: Grohe B. , Miehe G. , Wegner G.
Published: March 2008

Nano-sized barium titanate (BaTiO3) particles prepared by the sol-to-precipitate method in aqueous/organic medium served to obtain thin-layer ceramic films of the tetragonal electroactive phase. Poly(methacrylic acid) works efficiently to process the suspensions and to obtain green films. Sintering the green films under O2–Ar atmosphere gave thin-layered ceramics of a thickness of 0.5–1.0 mm with a dielectric constant of 3750 at 20 °C (1 kHz).
Narratives in Contest; or, Another Twist in the Narrative Turn
Authors: Phelan James
Published: March 2008

The narrative turn, the study of the nature and power of story and storytelling, continues to be one of the most significant movements in contemporary thought, influencing work in an ever-growing number of disciplines. Psychologists such as Jerome Bruner explore the “narrative identity thesis,” the idea that the very conception of selfhood depends on having a narrative of one's life. Scholars of the law such as Peter Brooks advance our understanding of the legal system by analyzing the myriad kinds of narrative—from confessions to closings—integral to it. Medical researchers such as Rita Charon find that treatment improves when doctors listen to patients' illness narratives rather than simply seek to identify patients' symptoms.
Why Lyric?
Authors: Culler Jonathan
Published: March 2008

Poetry is alive in our culture, but in its own world: Never have there been so many poets and poetry readings, books, journals, and online sites. Poetry has certainly seemed threatened, though, in schools and universities, where literary studies focus on prose fiction—narrative has become the norm of literature—or else on other sorts of cultural texts, which can be read symptomatically
Poems Out of Our Heads
Authors: Izenberg Oren
Published: March 2008

Let's start with the old new lyric studies. W. K. Wimsatt and Monroe Beardsley begin their classic essay “The Intentional Fallacy” with a few propositions, “abstracted to a degree where they seem to us axiomatic.” To elucidate the first of these (that although a poem is an intentional object, its author's intentions are not the standard by which artistic success is to be judged), the authors cite in passing Elmer Edgar Stoll's remark that “the words of a poem … come out of a head, not out of a hat.” Wimsatt and Beardsley do not linger long enough to provide a source for Stoll's aperçu; they move swiftly on from their initial metaphysical claim that the work of art is caused by the intentions of a “designing intellect” to the epistemological problem that the poem poses for the reader and critic: “How is he to find out what the poet tried to do?” (4). In answer, they famously declare that a poem, like a pudding or a machine, must “work”; that the evidence of its working is entirely “internal,” located in “the art of the poem itself” (4), its “semantics and syntax” and its “feats of style” (10, 4); and that these features, like puddings and machines or like the human beings that poems are about, are “object[s] of public knowledge” (5). Together, these propositions systematized for a second generation the program of reading—demanding, democratic—that had come to be known as the New Criticism.
Terrible Turks, Bedouin Poets, and Prussian Prophets: The Shifting Place of Islam in Herder's Thought
Authors: Almond Ian
Published: March 2008

In an examination of the varied responses to the Muslim Orient by the eighteenth-century German thinker Johann Gottfried von Herder, I try to locate the multiple identities he displayed in his treatment of Turks, the Koran, Arab thought, and the doctrines of Islam. What emerges is a series of different voices, employing different registers of language: a Christian response to Islam as a rival revelation-based monotheism (but, at the same time, a more sympathetic Protestant privileging of “Muhammadanism” as a belief system preferable to “papism”); a poetic register, in which “Muhammadans” move from spiritual ignorance to a status of aesthetic desirability; a philological response to the Muslim Orient, one whose emphasis on the Middle Eastern origins of European literature would assist Herder's project of the reprovincialization of Europe; and a nationalist vocabulary, one that would see the rise of Islam as a model for the emergence of Herder's German nation but that would also, paradoxically, express a Turcophobia that demonizes the Ottomans into the other of civilization.
Outbreak of Cryptosporidium parvum among children after a school excursion to an adventure farm, South West England
Authors: Hoek M. R. , Oliver I. , Barlow M. , Heard L. , Chalmers R. , Paynter S.
Published: March 2008

We present the results of an outbreak investigation on a Cryptosporidium parvum outbreak among 35 people, (27 students and 8 teachers), who participated in a school excursion to an outdoor adventure farm in South West England, from 22 to 26 May 2006. A cohort study was implemented to investigate possible sources of infection during the farm visit. The most likely transmission route was contact with faecally contaminated surface water following heavy rainfall, or consumption of water from the private well. Disinfection of the water reservoir was by chlorination, to which cryptosporidium is resistant. Supplemental disinfection or filtration methods of private water supplies on livestock farms may be needed. This study highlights the fact that epidemiological investigations of outbreaks as a result of environmental exposures are complex but important to inform the public and health professionals of the risks posed by private water supplies and outdoor activities. This is particularly so after heavy rainfall, as this may result in an increased effluent from faecally contaminated land, causing a wide variety of pathogens to wash into surface water and potentially, private wells. This poses risks for public health.
Water-related diseases outbreaks reported in Italy
Authors: Blasi Monica Francesca , Carere Mario , Pompa Maria Grazia , Rizzuto Elvira , Funari Enzo
Published: March 2008

Water related disease outbreak (WRDO) statistics in Italy from 1998 to 2005 have been discussed in this paper. The true incidence of WRDO is not reflected in the National Surveillance System (NSS), although this study has provided information on pathogens associated to different water sources, incidence in Regions and inadequacy of regulations. 192 outbreaks and 2546 cases of WRD were reported to the NSS, an average of 318 cases per year. Cases were associated to shellfish (58.79%), drinking water (39.94%) and agricultural products (1.25%). WRDs have been detected in 76% of Regions: central and southern Regions showed lower percentage of cases (35.4%) due to under-reporting. Most of WRD cases in the North were related to drinking water; WRDs in marine coastal Regions were mostly related to shellfish. 49% of Districts (Province) notified WRDs, including only 101 Municipalities. Pathogenic microorganisms were identified in a few cases from clinical investigations. They included enteric viruses, Norwalk viruses, Salmonella, Shigella, Giardia and Campylobacter. There is the need to improve the existing NSS in relation to WRDs. An adequate WRDs Surveillance System should be based on connection between health and environmental authorities, priority pathogens and critical areas identification, response capability and contingency plans.
Limits of pricing policy in curtailing household water consumption under scarcity conditions
Authors: Salman Amer , Al-Karablieh Emad , Haddadin Munther
Published: March 2008

A key policy question in designing urban water policy and institutional reforms is: what should be the appropriate structure of water charges to ensure long-term sustainability of water service? This is because water pricing touches on equity and on the willingness of the consumer to pay, but more on its affordability. This study focuses on understanding the nature of household demand for water, and attempts to express the household demand functions. A panel of data of 10,564 complete observations on water bills, drawn from a household expenditure survey conducted in 2003, is used to estimate domestic water demand function. Price and other dummy variables were used in the analysis and the results discussed. Specifically, the household water demand and the per capita demand are analysed, taking into consideration such variables as marginal price, rate structure premium and level of household income. The results show that the estimated water demand is inelastic and so is the income elasticity. The effect of the findings on water policy making in regard to pricing is cited. Limitations of price effectiveness as a tool to curtail water consumption are highlighted.
The multiple personalities of water conservation
Authors: Samani Z. , Skaggs R. K.
Published: March 2008

“Water conservation” means different things to different people and the principles of depletion and diversion are often confounded and misconstrued, particularly when the different perceptions of the value of water and units of analysis are involved. Many public policies and public and private investments have been implemented in the name of conserving water, particularly in irrigated agriculture. Unfortunately, many of these policies and investments cannot make additional water available to new users owing to the nature of closed basin hydrology. The assumption that farmers are low-efficiency irrigators is used to justify transfer of income and wealth to agricultural water users and others through direct investments and cost sharing programs. Instead, these programs serve to sustain and increase consumptive use of water in agriculture and disrupt the existing hydrologic balance. In arid climates, where deficit irrigation is practiced, conventional water conservation measures such as drip irrigation often result in increased depletion at the individual farm level and less water available for other users.

This paper discusses water conservation misconceptions, particularly those related to irrigated agriculture in the arid southwestern United States. Deficit irrigation is a common practice throughout the southwest, the region is experiencing rapid population growth and naturally limited water supplies have been exacerbated by current drought conditions. In this paper, the water conservation impacts of drip irrigation, irrigation scheduling and canal lining are discussed in the context of the hydrological assumptions that are used to promote these technologies. The potential of drip irrigation, irrigation scheduling and canal lining to sustain and increase crop evapotranspiration in deficit irrigation environments is illustrated.

Given hydrologic conditions, the authors conclude that accurate basin-wide accounting of water use, including equitable distribution based on existing legal entitlements would significantly contribute to water conservation efforts.
The human SOX18 gene: Expression analysis and characterization of its 5’ flanking region
Authors: Petrovic Isidora , Stevanovic Milena
Published: March 2008

The aim of this study was to establish an adequate in vitro model system for studying transcriptional regulation of the human SOX18 gene. The paper presents an analysis of expression of this gene in cultured cell lines and characterization of its 5' flanking region. Using RT-PCR, Northern and Western blot analysis, we demonstrated SOX18 expression in HeLa cells, indicating that this cell line provides a suitable model system for studying transcriptional regulation of the given gene. We also cloned, sequenced and for the first time characterized the human SOX18 5? flanking region. It is shown that the region 892 bp in size immediately upstream from the start codone harbors regulatory elements sufficient for transcription and represents an SOX18 promoter region.
Apolipoprotein B gene polymorphisms in patients from Serbia with ischemic cerebrovascular disease
Authors: Stankovic Aleksandra , Stankovic Sanja , Jovanovic-Markovic Zagorka , Zivkovic Maja , Djuric Tamara , Glisic-Milosavljevic Sanja , Alavantic D.
Published: March 2008

The plasma concentration of apoB has recently been reported to be the best lipid predictor of coronary heart disease. The possible associations of genetic markers in the apolipoprotein B gene (XbaI, EcoRI, MspI, Ins/Del, and 4311 A/G polymorphisms) were evaluated in patients with ischemic cerebrovascular disease (ICVD) and controls of equivalent BMI. The odds ratio for ICVD in the X+X+ genotype was 2.22, 95% CI 1.24-3.96 (P<0.05), while that for ICVD in the Ins/Ins genotype was 2.82, 95% CI 1.57-5.06 (P<0.05). The patients had significantly higher frequency of the 4311A allele compared to the controls (P<0.01). Our results support the assumption that apoB gene polymorphisms may contribute to the extent of cerebrovascular disease risk.
Effect of indole-3-acetic acid on pea root growth, peroxidase profiles and hydroxyl radical formation
Authors: Kukavica Biljana , Mitrovic Aleksandra , Mojovic M. , Veljovic-Jovanovic Sonja
Published: March 2008

Changes in growth, peroxidase profiles, and hydroxyl radical formation were examined in IAA (0.5-10 mg/l) treated pea plants grown hydroponically and in isolated roots in liquid in vitro culture. IAA inhibited root elongation, both in hydroponically grown pea plants and in isolated roots in vitro. A remarkable increase in the number of POD iso?forms was noticed in isolated roots grown in vitro, compared to the roots from plants grown hydroponically. IAA induced both disappearance of several root POD isoforms and hydroxyl radical formation in the root and the root cell wall.
Spectral sensitivity of the perch (Perca fluviatilis) from the Danube
Authors: Gacic Z. , Bajic A. , Milosevic Milena , Nikcevic M. , Mickovic B. , Damjanovic I.
Published: March 2008

In spectral sensitivity studies, electroretinograms (ERG) were recorded from the in situ eyecup of immobilized perch (Perca fluviatilis) electrofished in the floodplain zone of the Danube River. It is shown that the ERG b-wave is a good indicator of spectral sensitivity, although it reflects the activity of photoreceptors indirectly. With a maximum around 542 mm, the scotopic spectral sensitivity of perch obtained using fitted amplitude-log intensity functions for threshold calculation and two models developed in our laboratory for computer-assisted fitting of spectral sensitivity curves did not differ from the sensitivity determined using the microspectrophotometric and isolated pigment methods (maximum around 541 nm).
The genus Macrochaetosoma Absolon & Lang, 1933 (myriapoda, diplopoda, anthogonidae): Taxonomy, biogeography, and phylogeny
Authors: Makarov S. , Curcic B.P.M. , Tomic V.T. , Mitic B.M.
Published: March 2008

Two "subspecies" of the diplopod genus Macrochaetosoma Absolon & Lang, M. troglomontanum biokovense Mrsic & M. troglomontanum deleemanorum Gulicka are synonymized and attributed to M. troglomontanum Absolon & Lang. Abundant material from Montenegro and Herzegovina led us to reanalyze taxonomic relationships of member of the genus Macrochaetosoma (as well as these of some related taxa); some biogeographic and phylogenetic details are also briefly discussed.
On the implicational/non-implicational semantics of adjectives and adverbs occurring in an utterance which contains the information 'more than'
Authors: Ivic Milka
Published: March 2008

This paper considers Serbian adjectives and adverbs denoting qualification property Z in cases when they occur in an utterance of the type ?X is more Z than Y?. The author?s analysis makes it evident that, depending on the lexical meaning of the given adjective / adverb, Z either does, or does not imply that both the X and Y entities are qualified by it. She shows moreover how, by introducing the word jos into his utterance, the speaker succeeds to attribute the property Z to both X and Y in spite of its non-implicational meaning.
"Kazi rec" - pozitivna vrednost u jeziku
Authors: Radic Jovanka
Published: March 2008

(ruski) Nastojascaja rabota osnovyvaetsja na predstavlenii i analize faktov polucennyh v rezul'tate reakcii na stimul sapni/kazi/napisi rec. Sobrannye fakty privodjatsja v svjaz' s voprosami, kasajuscimisja priznakovosti 'izolirovannyh ponjatij' de Sossjura v jazyke. ?to problema ishodnoj ili pozitivnoj cennosti, zanimajuscaja central'noe mesto v ucenii F. de Sossjura. Dannye, sobrannye v rezul'tate oprosa lic razlicnogo vozrasta (deti s 3 do 15 let, studenty i opredelennoe cislo lic zrelogo vozrasta) pokazyvajut, cto v vnerecevyh situacijah, pocti vo vseh vozrastnyh gruppah, suscestvitel'noe casce vsego upotrebljajutsja v imenitel'nom padeze. Bolee znacitel'nye otstuplenija otmecajutsja u detej v vozraste 3-7 let, u kotoryh reakcija na stimul kazi rec byvaet suscestvitel'noe v akkuzative, zatem predlozenie, a reze vsego pojavljajutsja drugie edinicy. Esli ?ti rezul'taty sravnit' s razlicnymi vidami rezul'tatov, imejuscihsja v psihologii, nejropsihologii i lingvistike, nami sobrannyj material ukrepil uverennost', cto slovo, vernee slovo-ponjatie, javljaetsja ishodnoj cennost'ju i osnovnoj edinicej myslenija i reci, 'zivaja kletka', nerazlozimaja na ponjatie i slovo ili na ponjatie i znak. Dokazatel'stvom togo, cto slovo-ponjatie v soznanii vzroslyh lic javljaetsja osnovnoj osoznannoj edinicej, predstavljajuscej verojatno odnu iz obsceceloveceskih harakteristik, ukazyvaet takze tot fakt, cto na svoem rodnom jazyke zapisyvali tol'ko slova- -ponjatija i vzroslye predstaviteli drugogo jazyka, nerodstvennogo serbskomu. Avtor delaet vyvod, cto jazyk (langue) sostavljajut ponjatijnye slova (edinicy soznanija ili 'izolirovannye ponjatija'), t.e. suscestvitel'nye i vse drugie edinicy, nezavisimye ot recevoj situacii, oformljajusciesja i popolnjajusciesja znaceniem, vmeste s razvitiem ponjatij v ontogeneze. Vse drugie sredstva, kotorymi raspolagaet odin jazyk skrytno (latentno) soderzatsja v slovah-ponjatijah, v kotorye oni vstroeny, soglasno dejstvujuscim jazykovym normam.
Stability of carotenoids toward UV-irradiation in hexane solution
Authors: Cvetkovic Dragan , Markovic Dejan
Published: March 2008

The stabilities of four selected carotenoids dissolved in hexane, two carotenes and two xanthophylls, toward UV-irradiation of three different ranges (UV-A, UV-B and UV-C) were studied in this work. The carotenoids underwent bleaching via a probable free radical mediated mechanism following first-order kinetics. The bleaching rates were highly dependent on the input of the involved photons and, although not consistently, on the chemical structures of the investigated compounds. For the two xanthophylls, a possible role of oxygen associated with their bleaching cannot be neglected.
The charge percolation mechanism and simulation of Ziegler-Natta polymerizations, Part VII: Effects of the distribution of chromium active centers on silica on the polymerization of ethylene
Authors: Stoiljkovic Dragoslav , Pilic Branka , Bulajic Misa , Djurasovic Nebojsa , Ostrovskii Nikolaj
Published: March 2008

The charge percolation mechanism (CPM) of olefin polymerization in the presence of transition metal compounds has been applied to explain the polymerization of ethylene by silica supported chromium oxide. In the previous work of this series, the fundamental issues and mechanism of this polymeri?zation were presented. In this work the compatibility of the CPM with the em?pirical findings is confirmed. The CPM has been applied to explain: the appea?rance of an induction period; the deactivation of active centers and the forma?tion of oligomers; the effects of chromium concentration on the silica surface, the silica surface discontinuity and the pore size of silica on polymerization and the formation of the structure of polyethylene. A mathematical model has been derived to explain the effects of the CrOx/SiO2 ratio on the productivity of Phil?lips catalysts in the polymerization of ethylene. The empirical findings have also been confirmed by computer simulations.
Accelerator-driven sub-critical research facility with low-enriched fuel in lead matrix: Neutron flux calculation
Authors: Avramovic Ivana , Pesic Milan
Published: March 2008

The H5B is a concept of an accelerator-driven sub-critical research facility (ADSRF) being developed over the last couple of years at the Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia. Using well-known computer codes, the MCNPX and MCNP, this paper deals with the results of a tar get study and neutron flux calculations in the sub-critical core. The neutron source is generated by an interaction of a proton or deuteron beam with the target placed inside the sub-critical core. The results of the total neutron flux density escaping the target and calculations of neutron yields for different target materials are also given here. Neutrons escaping the target volume with the group spectra (first step) are used to specify a neutron source for further numerical simulations of the neutron flux density in the sub-critical core (second step). The results of the calculations of the neutron effective multiplication factor keff and neutron generation time L for the ADSRF model have also been presented. Neutron spectra calculations for an ADSRF with an uranium tar get (highest values of the neutron yield) for the selected sub-critical core cells for both beams have also been presented in this paper.
MIVOC method at the mVINIS ion source
Authors: Jovovic Jovica , Cvetic Jovan , Dobrosavljevic Aleksandar , Nedeljkovic Tanja , Jovanovic Biljana , Draganic Ilija
Published: March 2008

Based on the metal-ions-from-volatile-compounds (MIVOC) method with the mVINIS ion source, we have produced multiply charged ion beams from solid substances. Highly in tense, stable multiply charged ion beams of several solid substances with high melting points were extracted by using this method. The spectrum of multiply charged ion beams obtained from the element hafnium is presented here. For the first time ever, hafnium ion beam spectra were recorded at an electron cyclotron resonance ion source. Multiply charged ion beams from solid substances were used to irradiate the polymer, fullerene and glassy carbon samples at the channel for the modification of materials.
Patient doses and image quality in chest radiography: The influence of different beam qualities
Authors: Ciraj-Bjelac Olivera , Loncar Milan , Kosutic Dusko , Kovacevic Milojko , Arandjic Danijela
Published: March 2008

A simple method of assessing optimal X-ray beam quality in respect to patient exposure and image quality in chest screen-film radiography is presented here. Different beam qualities were generated by the use of various combinations of tube voltages (70 kV to 110 kV) and Al and Cu filter thick nesses. Patient doses were assessed by kerma-area product measurements. Simultaneously, image quality was evaluated by a twofold method: a clinical study applying European quality criteria for the radiographic technique of image on image of 126 patients and a multifunctional home-made dosimetric phantom with embedded test objects. The quantification of image quality criteria yields a simpler method of optimizing image quality and patient dose relationships. Modifications of radiographic practice, based on image quality assessment and dose measurements, resulted in significant dose reductions and preservation of image quality. Through the use of harder beam quality, dose reduction of up to a value of factor 3 were observed, compared to the doses from previously used radiographic techniques, implying that sufficient image quality does not necessarily imply higher doses. As a result of the optimization process, an optimal radiographic technique was suggested.
Theorem provers for substructural logics
Authors: Isakovic-Ilic Mirjana
Published: March 2008

We describe theorem provers for some decidable propositional substructural logics.
Forcing with propositional Lindenbaum algebras
Authors: Perovic Aleksandar
Published: March 2008

We prove equivalence between the forcing with propositional Lindenbaum algebras and the Cohen forcing with finite partial functions.
A logic with higher order conditional probabilities
Authors: Ognjanovic Zoran , Ikodinovic Nebojsa
Published: March 2008

We investigate probability logic with the conditional probability operators This logic, denoted LCP, allows making statements such as: P?s?, CP?s(? | ?) CP?0(? | ?) with the intended meaning "the probability of ? is at least s" "the conditional probability of ? given ? is at least s", "the conditional probability of ? given ? at most 0". A possible-world approach is proposed to give semantics to such formulas. Every world of a given set of worlds is equipped with a probability space and conditional probability is derived in the usual way: P(? | ?) = P(?^?)/P(?), P(?) > 0, by the (unconditional) probability measure that is defined on an algebra of subsets of possible worlds. Infinitary axiomatic system for our logic which is sound and complete with respect to the mentioned class of models is given. Decidability of the presented logic is proved.
Fin-set: A syntactical definition of finite sets
Authors: Presic Slavisa
Published: March 2008

We state Fin-set, by which one founds the notion of finite sets in a syntactical way. Any finite set {a1, a2,..., an} is defined as a well formed term of the form S(a1 + (a2 + (??? + (an?1 + an)???))), where + is a binary and S a unary operational symbol. Related to the operational symbol the term-substitutions (1) are introduced. Definition of finite sets is called syntactical because by two algorithms Set-alg and Calc one can effectively establish whether any given set-terms are equal or not equal. All other notions related to finite sets, like ?, ordered pair, Cartesian product, relation, function, cardinal number are defined as terms as well. Each of these definitions is recursive. For instance, ? is defined by x ? S(a1) iff x = a1 x ? S(a1 + ???+ an) iff x = a1 or x ? S(a2 + ???+ an) x/? ? (? denotes the empty set).
Dynamic analysis of 2-D and 3-D quasi-brittle solids and structures by D/BEM
Authors: Hatzigeorgiou George , Dimitri Beskos
Published: March 2008

A general boundary element methodology for the dynamic analysis of 2-D and 3-D solids and structures exhibiting quasi-brittle material behavior is presented. Inelasticity is modeled with the aid of the elastic damage theory. Strain rate and cyclic loading effects are also considered. The integral formulation of the problem employs the electrostatic fundamental solution and thus both surface and volume integrals due to inertia and inelasticity are created. Consequently the discrimination involves both the surface and the interior of the body. The singular integrals are evaluated by advanced numerical integration techniques, while Humboldt's step-by-step time integration scheme is used to obtain the dynamic response. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the proposed method and demonstrate its accuracy and potential. .
Some geometrical aspects of Bianchi type-I space time
Authors: Mohanty G. , Sahu R.C. , Sahoo P.K.
Published: March 2008

A problem of spatially homogeneous Bianchi type-I space-time is investigated in Einstein theory without source of gravitation. Some geometrical natures of the space-time are discussed.