bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ontology of the False State
Authors: Testa Italo
Published: September 2015

In this paper I will argue that critical theory needs to make its socio-ontological commitments explicit, whilst on the other hand I will posit that contemporary social ontology needs to amend its formalistic approach by embodying a critical theory perspective. In the first part of my paper I will discuss how the question was posed in Horkheimer’s essays of the 1930s, which leave open two options: (1) a constructive inclusion of social ontology within social philosophy, or else (2) a program of social philosophy that excludes social ontology. Option (2) corresponds to Adorno’s position, which I argue is forced to recur to a hidden social ontology. Following option (1), I first develop a meta-critical analysis of Searle, arguing that his social ontology presupposes a notion of ‘recognition’ which it cannot account for. Furthermore, by means of a critical reading of Honneth, I argue that critical theory could incorporate a socio-ontological approach, giving value to the constitutive socio-ontological role of recognition and to the socio-ontological role of objectification. I will finish with a proposal for a socio-ontological characterization of reification which involves that the basic occurrence of recognition is to be grasped at the level of background practices.
Photonics of styrylquinoline dyads
Authors: Budyka Mikhail F.
Published: September 2015

Three types of bichromophoric styrylquinoline (SQ) dyads are discussed in the review: bisstyrylquinoline dyads, styrylquinoline-merocyanine dyads, and styrylquinoline-naphthol dyads, in comparison with the corresponding model monochromophoric compounds. A variety of photochemical and photophysical processes is observed in the dyads: photoluminescence, reversible and kinetic-driven one-way photoisomerization, [2+2]photocycloaddition with formation of a single rctt-isomer of the cyclobutane derivative, Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) where the SQ chromophore can act as an energy donor or acceptor. Operation of the dyads as photoswitches and molecular logic gates is also considered.
Comparison study of carbon black (CB) used as conductive filler in epoxy and polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA)
Authors: Phua Jin-Luen , Teh Pei-Leng , Ghani Supri Abdul , Yeoh Cheow-Keat
Published: September 2015

A comparison study between carbon black (CB) filled thermoset (epoxy) and thermoplastic, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), was done in this research. CB was introduced as the conductive filler in epoxy and PMMA at different filler loading, which ranged from 5 vol.% to 20 vol.%. The physical, mechanical, electrical and thermal stability properties were investigated. The incorporation of CB into both epoxy and PMMA increased the density, improved the thermal stability and electrical conductivity of the composites, reduced the coefficient of thermal expansion and weakened the flexural and fracture toughness properties of the composites.
Analysis of heat generation characteristics in ultrasonic welding of plastics under low amplitude conditions
Authors: Han Wei , Liu Jiping , Chong Daotong , Yan Junjie
Published: September 2015

Heat generation mechanism in processes of ultrasonic welding of plastics was not fully solved. Experiment results showed that increasing the amplitude increased the energy dissipated with the exception of low amplitudes, but no detailed analysis can be found in explaining this problem. This study proposed to investigate the heat-generating processes in such a condition with a new physically based model by solving the N-S equations. The increasing mean temperature profiles and the final temperature patterns are well agreed with previous researches. The results predicted that the distribution of heat generated in the welding zone was non-uniform. The highest temperature area changed its position with the variation of time and the amplitude of vibration. In low amplitude conditions, energy dissipation was found to firstly increase with a slight fluctuation, then decreased when the driven amplitude was larger than 5 μm. And different temperature distribution patterns were observed at these turning points.
Neuroprotective effects of glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide in Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Ji Chenhui , Xue Guo-Fang , Li Guanglai , Li Dongfang , Hölscher Christian
Published: September 2015

Glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) is a member of the incretin hormones and growth factors. Neurons express the GIP receptor, and GIP and its agonists can pass through the blood brain barrier and show remarkable neuroprotective effects by protecting synapse function and numbers, promoting neuronal proliferation, reducing amyloid plaques in the cortex and reducing the chronic inflammation response of the nervous system. Long-acting analogues of GIP that are protease resistant had been developed as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. It has been found that such GIP analogues show good protective effects in animal models of Alzheimer’s disease. Novel dual agonist peptides that activate the GIP receptor and another incretin receptor, glucagon-like peptide -1 (GLP-1), are under development that show superior effects in diabetic patients compared to single GLP-1 agonists. The dual agonists also show great promise in treating neurodegenerative disorders, and there are currently several clinical trials ongoing, testing GLP-1 mimetics in people with Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.
Metal-matrix composite fabricated with gas tungsten arc melt injection and precoated with NiCrBSi alloy to increase the volume fraction of WC particles
Authors: Liu Aiguo , Li Da , Meng Fanling , Sun Huanhuan
Published: September 2015

The volume fraction, dissolution, and segregation of WC particles in metal-matrix composites (MMCs) are critical to their wear resistance. Low carbon steel substrates were precoated with NiCrBSi coatings and processed with gas tungsten arc melt injection method to fabricate MMCs with high volume fraction of WC particles. The microstructures and wear resistance of the composites were investigated. The results showed that the volume fraction of WC particles increased with decreasing hopper height and was as high as 44% when hopper height was 100 mm. The dissolution of WC particles was minimal. The content of the alloying elements decreased from the top to the bottom of the matrix. More WC particles dissolved in the overlapping area, where Fe3W3C carbide blocks could be found. The wear loss of the MMCs after 40 min was 6.9 mg, which is 76 times less than that of the substrate after the 4 min test.
Introduction
Authors: Trips Carola , Kornfilt Jaklin
Published: September 2015

This volume is a collection of papers on typological and theoretical aspects of phrasal compounds. It is based on talks on this topic held during a workshop, funded by the DFG and the NSF, in June 2013 in Mannheim. The papers introduce new data from a number of languages like English, German, Italian, Greek, Turkish and some Turkic languages, and deal with this phenomenon from different theoretical perspectives, locating it on different levels of language and its interfaces. By comparing the phenomenon in different languages we seek to gain a better understanding of its structural, semantic and other properties.
Typological aspects of phrasal compounds in English, German, Turkish and Turkic
Authors: Trips Carola , Kornfilt Jaklin
Published: September 2015

This paper discusses the properties of phrasal compounds in English, German, Turkish and Sakha, a Turkic language. Two questions are addressed: 1. What is the formal status of elements building (phrasal) compounds? 2. How can we distinguish compounds from phrasal forms? A number of traditional definitions and criteria are discussed, and the result is that they do not suffice to properly account for compounds, let alone phrasal compounds. The languages under discussion are investigated and compared. The result is that in English, German and Turkish tight semantic relations exist between the phrasal non-head and head, but in Turkish additional structural restrictions apply, (especially in reference to the (non)-argument status of the head) which may be due to the rich morphology of this language. The study on Sakha reveals that some phrasal compound types are similar to the Turkish types, without being identical to them.
Antimicrobial triterpenes from the stem bark of Crossopteryx febrifuga
Authors: Chouna Jean Rodolphe , Tamokou Jean-de-Dieu , Nkeng-Efouet-Alango Pépin , Lenta Bruno Ndjakou , Sewald Norbert
Published: September 2015

Phytochemical investigation of the stem bark extract of Crossopteryx febrifuga resulted in the isolation of epimeric mixtures of 3β-urs-12,20(30)-diene-27,28-dioic acid and 18-epi-3β-urs-12,20(30)-diene-27,28-dioic acid (1), as well as: 3β-D-glucopyranosylurs-12,20(30)-diene-27,28-dioic acid and 18-epi-3β-D-glucopyranosylurs-12,20(30)-diene-27,28-dioic acid (2), together with some known compounds such as the monoglyceride of palmitic acid, as well as β-sitosterol and its glucoside. The structures of the isolated compounds were determined by application of spectroscopic methods. The MeOH extract and compounds 1 and 2 were examined for antimicrobial activity in in vitro assays against bacteria (Enterobacter aerogenes ATCC13048, Escherichia coli ATCC8739, Klebsiella pneumoniae ATCC11296, Staphylococcus aureus) and fungi (Candida parapsilosis, Candida albicans ATCC 9002 and Cryptococcus neoformans IP 90526). The tested samples showed selective activities. The antibacterial and antifungal activities of compound 2 (MIC=8–64 μg/mL) were in some cases equal to or even higher than those of the respective reference drugs chloramphenicol (MIC=16– 64 μg/mL) and nystatin (MIC=128–256 μg/mL).
Strategic waste management planning – the organization of municipal solid waste collection in Oulu, Finland
Authors: Piippo Sari , Saavalainen Paula , Kaakinen Juhani , Pongrácz Eva
Published: September 2015

Municipal solid waste management is a basic service that, in Finland, consists of collection, transportation and treatment systems provided by municipalities, waste management companies and producer responsibility organizations. The amount of municipal solid waste in Finland has risen quite steadily for many decades. In 2012, the recovery rate of municipal solid waste as material or energy was 67%. The Finnish Waste Act has been updated in 2012, with the key goal to further reduce waste amounts and progress recycling. The paper describes the best practices in strategic waste management planning and describes the organization of municipal solid waste in city of Oulu, Finland.
Revealing a Pre-neoplastic Renal Tubular Lesion by p-S6 Protein Immunohistochemistry after Rat Exposure to Aristolochic Acid
Authors: Gruia Alexandra , Gazinska Patrycja , Herman Diana , Ordodi Valentin , Tatu Calin , Mantle Peter
Published: September 2015

Aristolochic acid (AA) has, in the last decade, become widely promoted as the cause of the Balkan endemic nephropathy and associated renal or urothelial tumours, although without substantial focal evidence of the quantitative dietary exposure via bread in specific households in hyperendemic villages. Occasional ethnobotanical use of Aristolochia clematitis might be a source of AA, and Pliocene lignite contamination of well-water is also a putative health risk factor. The aim of this study was two-fold: to verify if extracts of A. clematitis and Pliocene, or AA by itself, could induce the development of renal or urothelial tumours, and to test the utility of the ribosomal protein p-S6 to identify preneoplastic transformation. Rats were given extracts of A. clematitis in drinking water or AA I, by gavage.  After seven months, renal morphology was studied using conventional haematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemistry for ribosomal p-S6 protein.  Plant extracts (cumulative AA approximately 1.8 g/kg b.w.) were tolerated and caused no gross pathology or renal histopathological change, with only faint diffuse p-S6 protein (except in the papilla) as in controls. Cumulative AA I (150 mg/kg b.w. given over 3 days) was also tolerated for seven months by all recipients, without gross pathology or kidney tumours. However, p-S6 protein over-expression was consistent particularly within the renal papilla. In one case given AA I, intense p-S6 protein staining of a proximal tubule fragment crucially matched the pre-neoplastic histology in an adjacent kidney section.  We briefly discuss these findings, which compound uncertainty concerning the cause of the renal or upper urinary tract tumours of the Balkan endemic nephropathy.
Nitrogen and carbon stable isotope variation in northeast Atlantic fishes and squids
Authors: Jennings S. , Cogan S. M.
Published: September 2015

Nitrogen and carbon stable isotope data are frequently used to describe the origins and transformations of organic matter. Nitrogen stable isotopes (δ15N) in tissue are used to estimate species' trophic levels, the extent of omnivory, food chain length, and community‐wide relationships between body size and trophic level; the latter leading to estimates of predator–prey mass ratios for parameterization, calibration, and validation of food web models. Carbon stable isotopes (δ13C) are used to identify pathways linking producers and consumers and for studies of migration and movement. Collectively, δ15N and δ13C, often with other stable isotopes such as δ34S, may be used to define the contribution of different producers and pathways to consumer production, to assess the trophic impacts of invasive species and habitat modification, and to predict past habitat use, movements, and migrations. Stable isotope data often complement dietary data (e.g., from stomach contents) in food web studies, because stable isotope composition is indicative of assimilated diet over months to years, depending on species, size, environment, and tissue type. There are relatively few large‐scale compilations of δ15N and δ13C data for marine species from offshore habitats, but such data facilitate comparative analysis and research into food web structure and function. The data provided comprise 5535 records for individuals of 62 species of fish and squid weighing 0.3 g to 17 920 g and sampled from the northeast Atlantic shelf seas (Celtic Sea, North Sea, Irish Sea, Channel) from 2002 to 2010. For every sampled individual the record lists: species name, date of sampling, position of sampling, body mass, percentage nitrogen in muscle tissue, percentage carbon in muscle tissue, and δ15N and δ13C natural abundance in muscle tissue. Awareness of, and access to, these data should catalyze and facilitate new research with stable isotopes, to improve understanding of marine biology, food web ecology, and human impacts on the environment.
A Parametric Study of Reservoir Cooling for Enhanced Recovery by Carbon Dioxide Flooding
Authors: Wang Zhenzhen , Khanzode Amey , Johns Russell T.
Published: September 2015

Slimtube experiments and analytical calculations show that minimum miscibility pressure (MMP) can significantly decrease with a relatively modest reduction in temperature. Compositional simulation, however, is often made under isothermal conditions even though a prior waterflood may have reduced reservoir temperature in the swept zones of the reservoir. This study uses computer simulation to examine how cooling by a prior waterflood can affect recovery during a carbon dioxide (CO2) flood by lowering the MMP in the swept zones.

The results show that for the cases considered, injection of cooler water can increase incremental oil recovery (IOR) significantly because of MMP reduction in the zones swept by the solvent. A parametric simulation study demonstrates how injection temperature, initial reservoir pressure, formation heterogeneity, formation thickness, heat transfer with the overburden/underburden formations, and water-alternating-gas (WAG) ratio may affect the IOR. The simulations are conducted by a long waterflood of up to 2.0 pore volumes injected before CO2 injection. The water during the secondary recovery is injected at several temperatures for selected 1D, 2D, and 3D flow models. CO2 solvent is then injected continuously, or in WAG mode, at the same waterflood-injection temperature. The increase in IORs (greater than what would have been obtained by a standard CO2 flood at original reservoir temperature) varied greatly depending on the flow dimension, initial reservoir pressure, level of heterogeneity, formation thickness, degree of energy gain from the surroundings, and injection temperature. Increases in recovery by CO2 flooding varied from a few percent to nearly 30% of original oil in place, with the highest recoveries occurring in 1D flow. For the same flow dimension, the largest increase in recoveries is achieved when the MMP is sufficiently reduced by temperature so that an otherwise immiscible or near-miscible flood becomes a multicontact miscible flood. The results demonstrate that including temperature variations in the simulations is important for floods that are nearly miscible because recoveries are most affected in that region. Further, including temperature variations could be very important to improve the quality of history matches used to understand the reservoir.
Manure Limits Wheat Yield Losses Due to Delayed Seeding
Authors: Lu Dianjun , Lu Feifei , Pan Junxiao , Cui Zhenling , Zou Chunqin , Chen Xinping , He Mingrong , Wang Zhenlin
Published: September 2015

Grain yields can be limited from delayed seeding worldwide. Perhaps yield suppressions can be overcome by applying farm manure. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of manure application and sowing date on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yield and population development. A field experiment was conducted over two seasons, with three sowing dates (early [ES]‐ 5 October; mid [M]‐ 10 October; late [LS]‐ 15 October) with or without manure application (each plot receiving same chemical N, P, and K fertilizer) in the North China Plain (NCP). Comparing early to LS, delayed sowing reduced wheat yield from 9.5 to 7.8 t ha−1. Furthermore, manure application provided a 16 and 11% yield compensation for the M and LS date treatments, respectively, but did not significantly increase yield for ES. These results were attributed to manure increasing the wheat pre‐winter tiller numbers for the mid‐seeding date and manure increasing the spring tiller numbers for the LS date. High tiller mortality rate of ES treatment with manure application resulted in similar spike number and wheat yield as no manure treatment. Manure application improved plant N, P, and K concentration and soil temperature at a depth of 5 cm (0.4°C for pre‐winter and 0.5–0.8°C for post‐stem elongation), actions that may be important for improving population development.
The Impact of Harvest Timing on Biomass Yield from Native Warm‐Season Grass Mixtures
Authors: McIntosh David W. , Bates Gary E. , Keyser Patrick D. , Allen Fred L. , Harper Craig A. , Waller John C. , Birckhead Jessie L. , Backus William M.
Published: September 2015

Interest in using native warm‐season grasses (NWSG), especially switchgrass (SG) (Panicum virgatum L.), as a biomass crop has increased due to the focus on renewable energy sources. There is the potential to utilize the early growth of these plants as a forage crop (i.e., hay), allowing the regrowth to be harvested as a fibrous biomass crop. The three species treatments were SG, a two‐way blend of big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii V.) and indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans L.) (BB+IG), and a three‐way mixture of SG, BB, and IG (SG+BB+IG). Harvest treatments were a harvest (BH) in late fall (for biomass), early‐boot harvest (for forage) followed by BH (EB+BH), or early‐seedhead harvest (for forage) followed by BH (ESH+BH). Delaying harvest from EB to ESH increased forage yield by 22% (P < 0.001). The SG and SG+BB+IG produced greater forage yield (averaged across both early harvest treatments) than BB+IG (10.1 and 9.1 vs. 5.5 Mg DM ha−1, respectively; P < 0.001). Across all NWSG treatments, biomass yield was reduced by 51% for EB+BH and 68% for ESH+BH compared to BH (P < 0.001). Total yield (forage + biomass) was greatest for ESH+BH with both SG and SG+BB+IG, whereas the mixture of SG+BB+IG provided the greatest total annual yield, 20.1 Mg DM ha−1 (P = 0.002). These results suggested that NWSG, grown in the mid‐South United States under a dual‐harvest system, can increase harvest options for producers by supplying acceptable forage yield for both early harvests and still provide biomass production.
The association effect of quaternary ammonium salt on carboxymethyl cellulose and its analytical applications
Authors: Wang Yanhua , Gao Chanjuan , Yang Shengke
Published: September 2015

Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) has been extensively used in petroleum, geology, common household chemicals, food, medicine and other industries, owing to its excellent water-soluble, emulsifying, water retention and film forming properties. It is known as ‘industrial monosodium glutamate’. However, the research of the test method on CMC is far behind the research of its actual application value. This study showed that, weak acid or weak basic medium, the carboxyl groups dissociated from CMC, existing as a big negative ion, which can form ion-association complexes with some quaternary ammonium cations through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. The absorption spectrum changes and Triton-X100 can increase the sensitivity of the system. The maximum absorption wavelengths are, respectively, about 256 nm for dodecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (LTAB), 244 nm for tetradecyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (TTAB) and 240 nm for cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) with CMC. The reactions show very high sensitivities and the maximum molar absorption coefficients are 1.10 × 104 L/(mol·cm) for LTAB system, 1.24 × 106 L/(mol·cm) for TTAB system and 1.78 × 106 L/(mol·cm) for CTAB system. This method is simple and rapid, and can be applied for the spectrophotometric determination of trace CMC in the supernatant of centrifuged drilling mud.
Modeling of coastal water contamination in Fortaleza (Northeastern Brazil)
Authors: Pereira S. P. , Rosman P. C. C. , Alvarez C. , Schetini C. A. F. , Souza R. O. , Vieira R. H. S. F.
Published: September 2015

An important tool in environmental management projects and studies due to the complexity of environmental systems, environmental modeling makes it possible to integrate many variables and processes, thereby providing a dynamic view of systems. In this study the bacteriological quality of the coastal waters of Fortaleza (a state capital in Northeastern Brazil) was modeled considering multiple contamination sources. Using the software SisBaHiA, the dispersion of thermotolerant coliforms and Escherichia coli from three sources of contamination (local rivers, storm drains and submarine outfall) was analyzed. The models took into account variations in bacterial decay due to solar radiation and other environmental factors. Fecal pollution discharged from rivers and storm drains is transported westward by coastal currents, contaminating strips of beach water to the left of each storm drain or river. Exception to this condition only occurs on beaches protected by the breakwater of the harbor, where counterclockwise vortexes reverse this behavior. The results of the models were consistent with field measurements taken during the dry and the rainy season. Our results show that the submarine outfall plume was over 2 km from the nearest beach. The storm drains and the Maceió stream are the main factors responsible for the poor water quality on the waterfront of Fortaleza. The depollution of these sources would generate considerable social, health and economic gains for the region.
Odanacatib: An Emerging Novel Treatment Alternative for Postmenopausal Osteoporosis
Authors: Schultz Thomas C , Valenzano Jonathan P , Verzella Jessica L , Umland Elena M
Published: September 2015

Odanacatib represents a novel treatment option in the approach of postmenopausal women. Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis experience a disturbance in bone remodeling wherein bone resorption exceeds bone formation. Cathepsin K is a lysosomal cysteine protease found primarily in osteoclasts that plays a major role in the breakdown of bone via its collagenase properties. Targeting a new area of pathophysiology, odanacatib inhibits cathepsin K to reduce bone resorption while preserving bone formation. Phase II and III trials have shown efficacy in increasing bone mineral density in the target treatment group. Overall, safety studies have found odanacatib to be well-tolerated and comparable to placebo; however, some imbalances in adverse events have been observed in the Phase III trials. Current and future studies will analyze the long-term ability of odanacatib in preventing bone fracture.
Endometriosis and Ovarian Reserve
Authors: Oral Engin , Demir Berfu , Inceboz Umit
Published: September 2015

Endometriosis is characterized by development of the endometrial tissue outside the uterus like ovary, pelvic peritoneum, pelvic organs, and affects 6–10% of reproductive-aged women. The prevalence of endometrioma is 17–44% of women with endometriosis [ 1 – 4 ]. Since endometriosis is mainly a disease for the women at their reproductive ages, it is important to consider ovarian reserve when managing the cases with ovarian endometriosis. There has been a long debate whether the endometrioma per se decreases the ovarian reserve and/or surgery for endometrioma – either by laparoscopy or by laparotomy – decreases it. Although the dispute for these questions is not totally settled down, in this article, we would like to give some clues for the answers in view of the literature.
Cloning and expression analysis of transcription factor RrTTG1 related to prickle development in rose (Rosa Rugosa)
Authors: Feng Li-Guo , Luan Xiao-Fang , Wang Jia , Xia Wei , Wang Meng , Sheng Li-Xia
Published: September 2015

A prickle is an acuminate protuberance formed by the deformation of plant
trichomes together with a few cortical cells. It is a type of multicellular
eglandular trichome with special morphology, which originates from the
phloem but is not connected to the xylem. Rosa rugosa is an important
ornamental/commercial plant and an important raw material in the food and
perfume industries. However, the firm prickles on its stems are inconvenient
to field management, the harvesting of flowers and garden management. The
TTG1 transcription factor related to the development of prickle was isolated
from R. rugosa in the present study. Its expression patterns in different
tissues and varieties were analyzed. Results showed the expression level of
the RrTTG1 gene was highest in the leaves, followed by the stems, but was
lower in the pericarps and petals. Moreover, the higher expression level of
the RrTTG1 gene in all tissues of the ?Ciguo rose?, as compared with that of
the ?Weihai wild rose?, follows the results of field morphological
observation. Therefore, the RrTTG1 transcription factor is likely to
regulate the development of rose prickles. This study allows for further
discussion on the molecular mechanisms of prickle formation and development
in R. rugosa and provides a molecular basis for the cultivation of roses
with fewer or no prickles via genetic engineering.
Seasonal variation of leaf ecophysiological traits of Iris variegata observed in two consecutive years in natural habitats with contrasting light conditions
Authors: Zivkovic Uros , Miljkovic Danijela , Barisic-Klisaric Natasa , Tarasjev Aleksej , Avramov Stevan
Published: September 2015

The amount and pattern of individual phenotypic responses to seasonal changes
in environmental conditions were determined in clones of Iris variegata
growing in differing light habitats. For the purpose of the study, 97 clonal
plants of the rhizomatous herb I. variegata that experienced different light
conditions in their two native habitats were selected: one along the top and
slope of sand dunes and one in woodland understories. Two fully expanded
leaves that had developed during spring, summer and fall in two consecutive
years were sampled from each of these clones. Six leaf traits affecting the
photosynthetic rate of a plant ? morphological (specific leaf area),
anatomical (stomatal density) and physiological (total chlorophyll
concentration, chlorophyll a/chlorophyll b ratio, carotenoid concentration,
chlorophyll a/carotenoid ratio) exhibited significant plastic responses in
the two different light habitats. To test whether these traits differ between
exposed and shaded habitats as well as during different vegetation periods,
we used the repeated model analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results of the
repeated ANOVA revealed statistically significant effects of year, habitat
and period of vegetation season. Patterns of changes during growing seasons
were year-specific for almost all analyzed traits.
Guidelines for Research Proposal Writing in the Social Sciences
Authors: Bhattachan Krishna Bahadur
Published: September 2015

No abstract available Himalayan Journal of Sociology & Anthropology Vol.1 2004 p.99-105
Global Solution of Today: A sociological perspective
Authors: Poudel Netra Narayan
Published: September 2015

No abstract available. Himalayan Journal of Sociology & Anthropology Vol.1 2004, p.193-211
Study on Productivity Improvement of Hill Goat Through Selective Breeding Programme
Authors: Pokharel P. K. , Neopane S. P.
Published: September 2015

An Attempt for the first time ever in the livestock species has been made to the production potentiality of hill goat through selective breeding. Two tier open nucleus breeding had been assiduously applied in order to enhance the genetic gain off hill goats. Breeding records of 221 does and 1462 kids in nucleus herd, and records of 968 does and 1622 kids in on-farm condition fathered selected bucks during 1998 to 2004 were considered for the study. Selection response of the breeding programme was calculated in terms of genetic gain. Response of selection for the first generation kids in nucleus flock at station was found to be 2.77 and 9.6 per cent generation for four and six month weights respectively. Similarly, overall twinning ability of hill goats for the period was increased by 0.73 per cent reaching the level of 68.75. In on-farm condition response of selection for first generation kids per year were 0.22, 7.01 and 7.41 percent for birth, four and six month weight respectively. Likewise, twinning frequency was improved by 27 percent indicating the level of 55. In both low and mid altitudes (up to 1100 masl) of eastern hill the selection program was found effective for improving the overall productivity of local hill goats, and could be equally effective for other parts of the country.  Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006 pp. 1-7
Effect of Non-Conventional and Conventional Fodder on Growth Performance of Goats in Farmers Field Condition
Authors: Tiwari M. R. , Tamrakar N. L. , Shrestha H. R.
Published: September 2015

The present experiment was carried out on farmers’ goats in their sheds in Rayale village of Kavre district for 150 days. Eighteen khari goats (both male and female), 8-12 months old and having similar body weight were randomly divided into three groups comprising of six individuals in each group. Three types of rations were formulated for the experimental goats. Feed intake by experimental goats in terms of green and dry matter was significantly different (P<0.05) between the treatment groups. Growth rate of the goats fed with top dressed maize stover (treatment 2) was higher than the treatment 3 (seasonal fodder adlib + 200 g concentrate mixture) and treatment 1 (1/2 maize stover silage + seasonal fodder adlib + 200 g concentrate mixture). The lowest average daily gain (ADG) was found in treatment 3 where goats were fed conventional fodder and grasses supplemented with concentrate (18.4 g) followed by treatment 1 (24.6 g).  Nepal Journal of Science and Technology  Vol. 7 2006
Plant Community Structure and Species Diversity in Ranibari Forest, Kathmandu
Authors: Maharjan S. R. , Bhuju D. R. , Khadka C.
Published: September 2015

The growth of urban population in Kathmandu has resulted in increased degradation of its forests and consequently increased recreational pressure on them. Ranibari forest (area 7.6 ha), situated at the north west region of Kathmandu valley represents a typical such forest in Kathmandu. Quantitative study was carried to assess the structural dimensions and analyze community structure of the forest. Samplings were done in 26 large quadrats (size: 25mx25m) for canopy stratum, 52 medium plots (size: 5mx5m) for understory stratum and 130 small plots (size: 1mx1m) for the study of ground vegetation. The forest was floristically rich with a total of 108 species belonging to 58 families and 92 genera. The canopy stratum was predominated by dense clumps of bamboos and tree species of regional flora such as Zizyphus incurva, Stranvaesia nussia, Persea duthiei, Engelhardtia spicata, Celtis australis, and Schima wallichii. The shrub vegetation was relatively poor, dominated by invasive alien Lantana camara and associated with Sarcococca coriacea and Ligustrum confusum. The low densities of seedling and sapling indicated weak regeneration in the forest. Human activities such as plantations have modified the natural habitat of the forest and brought patchiness. The trampling disturbance on the ground was found detrimental to the growth of seedlings and vegetation coverage though it added some herb species richness. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006
Mollusks as a Cheap Source of Animal Protein in Sarlahi District
Authors: Karna Ranju Rani , Shrestha Jiwan
Published: September 2015

The cheapest source of animal protein ever known are mollusks, the non -fish commodities. They are Ghonghi (Bellamya bengalensis), Doka (Pila globosa) and Sippy (Lamellidens marginalis) harvested from rivers, lakes, swamps, ditches and pools. In accordance with very high protein content of 57.46%, 60.52% and 52.59%, they offer an energy of 337.68, 364.01 and 330.38 in Kcal/100g of meat on dry basis respectively. Besides such dietary significance, they exhibit cultural, trade and medicinal values as well. But, still acceptional rate is highly restricted among only few lower ethnic groups like Dom, Paswan, Mushar, Dhangar, Danuwar and Tharu of Sarlahi district. This scenario really obstructs the developing country like Nepal to create a healthy population. Hence an objective of the study was to focus on applicabilities of those cheaper sources of protein in daily life alongwith their acceptance. However, the chemical parameters of the Mollusk’s habitat should be studied. It will be a great help for mass production, offering an opportunity to earn livelihood. In addition to this, pearl production through Sippy(L. marginalis) will certainly be a step towards an economic boom.  Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006
Micropropagation and Comparative Study of Chemical Components of Essential Oils of in-vitro and in-vivo Grown Mentha spicata L.
Authors: Paudel B. R. , Pant B.
Published: September 2015

Axenic shoot culture of Mentha spicata L. was established from young shoots of the plant naturally growing in the field. Large number of multiple shoots were observed on MS media supplemented with NAA (0.5ppm) and BAP (1ppm) within eight weeks of culture. Extensive root formation was observed on MS medium supplemented with 1 ppm NAA. Essential oils from both in vitro and in vivo samples showed l- carvone as a major constituent, however, the in vitro samples showed higher concentration of menthol than in vivo samples. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006
Effect of Dual Inoculation of Azolla on the Growth and Yield Paramaters of Rice in Dhaijan, Jhapa
Authors: Sapkota N. , Prasad B. N.
Published: September 2015

The present work was carried out aiming to determine the most appropriate method of application of Azolla as biofertilizer in the rice and to assess its impact on the yield and yield attributes of rice. Azolla growth as a monocrop and incorporated before rice transplantation followed by double inoculation gave encouraging results. Grain yield has been recorded up to 5.1t/ha which is 15.9% increment over control. Straw yield was up to 4.8t/ha which is 26.3% increase over control. Inoculation of Azolla seven days after rice transplantation followed by incorporation 30 days after inoculation and reinoculated 7 days after incorporation (T6) increased grain yield up to 5 t /ha which is 13.6 % increase over control and straw yield up to 4.8 t/ha which is 26.3% increase over control. In all plots treated with Azolla, increase in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content in leaf, straw and panicle has been recorded. Azolla incorporation plus application of 15 kg/ha urea as top dressing (T4) increased grain yield by 11.3% over control. Twice cropping of Azolla, once as a monocrop and once as an intercrop increased grain yield by 9.1% over control. Among the Azolla treated sets, lowest grain yield of 4.7 t/ha (6.8% increase over control) was obtained from the sets where Azolla was grown once as a monocrop (T3). Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006
Plant Diversity, Ethnobotany and Conservation Issues at Swoyambhu World Heritage, Kathmandu, Nepal
Authors: Shrestha Keshab
Published: September 2015

Lying at western corner of the Kathmandu city, the Swoyambhu hillock (1403.76m) represents a surviving pristine forest in the metropolitan capital of Nepal. Once an extension of Jamaca (2096m) with luxuriant sub-tropical forest is now invaded by dense human population and other developmental activities. This hillock is still rich with a total plant species of 319. Of them, 65 are trees, 43 shrubs, 194 herbs and 17 climbers. Northern slope of the hillock is rich in tree species with scattered patches of under-growing bushes and ferns, whereas southern, western and eastern slopes are much disturbed with exotic species of plants, creating challenges to the norms of the heritage standard. Domination by Pinus roxburghii (chire pine) and Eucalyptus, Jacaranda and Callistemon, etc are altering the indigenous nature of the hillock. And also the forested hillock has been randomly utilized for refreshment, yoga, ayurbedic remedy and food. Due to growing constructions and exploitations, the forested hillock is now facing a threat to maintain its pristine ecosystem. Nepal Journal of Science and Technology Vol. 7, 2006
Powder Activated Carbon Pretreatment of a Microfiltration Membrane for the Treatment of Surface Water
Authors: Song Yali , Dong Bingzhi , Gao Naiyun , Ma Xiaoyan
Published: September 2015

This study focused on the effect of powder activated carbon (PAC) adsorption on microfiltration (MF) membrane performance. The results showed that PAC pretreatment offered high organic matter removal rates for both dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and ultraviolet absorbance at 254 nm (UV254) during 10–200 mg/L PAC dosage. The removal efficiencies of organic matter by MF membrane filtration decreased with the increase of organic matter removal rate by PAC adsorption. PAC mainly removed organic matter of about 3 kDa molecular weight (MW). MF membrane maintained more than 5 kDa MW organic matter on the membrane after PAC adsorption. The results of membrane filtration indicated that PAC pretreatment slightly promoted membrane flux, regardless of PAC dosage. It seems that the organic matter fouling membrane was concentrated in more than 3 kDa MW. PAC removed markedly less than 3 kDa MW organic matter and had less effect on more than 3 kDa organic matter. Thus, PAC cannot reduce membrane fouling.
Environmental Restrictors to Occupational Participation in Old Age: Exploring Differences across Gender in Puerto Rico
Authors: Orellano-Colón Elsa , Mountain Gail , Rosario Marlene , Colón Zahira , Acevedo Sujeil , Tirado Janiliz
Published: September 2015

Many older adults face challenges that prevent them from accomplishing common daily activities such as moving around, home maintenance, and leisure activities. There is still a need to examine and understand how environmental factors impact daily participation across gender. This study sought to make a qualitative comparison of gender differences regarding environmental barriers to participation in daily occupations from the perspectives of older adults who live alone in Puerto Rico. Twenty-six Hispanic older adults, 70 years or older participated in this study. We used a descriptive qualitative research design in which researchers administered an in-depth interview to each participant. The results elucidated that women were more likely than men to experience restricted participation due to lack of accessibility of the built environment and transportation systems. The findings could help with the development of tailored, occupation-based, preventive interventions that address gender specific environmental barriers and promote greater participation among both women and men. Further research is required to explore whether these environmental barriers to occupational participation remain consistent across living situations, socioeconomic status and ethnicity.
Health and Quality of Life Perception in Older Adults: The Joint Role of Cognitive Efficiency and Functional Mobility
Authors: Forte Roberta , Boreham Colin , De Vito Giuseppe , Pesce Caterina
Published: September 2015

Cognitive and mobility functions are involved in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The present cross-sectional study aimed at investigating what facets of efficient cognition and functional mobility interactively contribute to mental and physical HRQoL. Fifty-six healthy older individuals (aged 65–75 years) were evaluated for mental and physical HRQoL, core cognitive executive functions (inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility), and functional mobility (walking) under single and dual task conditions. Multiple regression analyses were run to verify which core executive functions predicted mental and physical HRQoL and whether the ability to perform complex (dual) walking tasks moderated such association. Inhibitory efficiency and the ability to perform physical-mental dual tasks interactively predicted mental HRQoL, whereas cognitive flexibility and the ability to perform physical dual tasks interactively predicted physical HRQoL. Different core executive functions seem relevant for mental and physical HRQoL. Executive function efficiency seems to translate into HRQoL perception when coupled with tangible experience of the ability to walk under dual task conditions that mirror everyday life demands. Implications of these results for supporting the perception of mental and physical quality of life at advanced age are discussed, suggesting the usefulness of multicomponent interventions and environments conducive to walking that jointly aid successful cognitive aging and functional mobility.
In Vitro Studies of Polyhedral Oligo Silsesquioxanes: Evidence for Their Low Cytotoxicity
Authors: Janaszewska Anna , Gradzinska Kinga , Marcinkowska Monika , Klajnert-Maculewicz Barbara , Stanczyk Wlodzimierz
Published: September 2015

As scientific literature considers polyhedral oligosilsesquioxanes (POSS) as potential drug delivery systems, it is necessary to check their impact on mammalian cells. Toxicity of octaammonium chloride salt of octaaminopropyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (oap-POSS) towards two cell lines: mouse neuroblastoma (N2a) and embryonic mouse hippocampal cells (mHippoE-18) was studied. Experiments consisted of analysis of a cell cycle, cell viability, amount of apoptotic and necrotic cells, and generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). POSS caused a shift in the cell population from the S and M/G2 phases to the G0/G1 phase. However, the changes affected less than 10% of the cell population and were not accompanied by increased cytotoxicity. POSS did not induce either apoptosis or necrosis and did not generate reactive oxygen species. A cytotoxicity profile of POSS makes it a promising starting material as drug carrier.
Framework for automatic information extraction from research papers on nanocrystal devices
Authors: Dieb Thaer M , Yoshioka Masaharu , Hara Shinjiro , Newton Marcus C
Published: September 2015

To support nanocrystal device development, we have been working on a computational framework to utilize information in research papers on nanocrystal devices. We developed an annotated corpus called “ NaDev” (Nanocrystal Device Development) for this purpose. We also proposed an automatic information extraction system called “NaDevEx” (Nanocrystal Device Automatic Information Extraction Framework). NaDevEx aims at extracting information from research papers on nanocrystal devices using the NaDev corpus and machine-learning techniques. However, the characteristics of NaDevEx were not examined in detail. In this paper, we conduct system evaluation experiments for NaDevEx using the NaDev corpus. We discuss three main issues: system performance, compared with human annotators; the effect of paper type (synthesis or characterization) on system performance; and the effects of domain knowledge features (e.g., a chemical named entity recognition system and list of names of physical quantities) on system performance. We found that overall system performance was 89% in precision and 69% in recall. If we consider identification of terms that intersect with correct terms for the same information category as the correct identification, i.e., loose agreement (in many cases, we can find that appropriate head nouns such as temperature or pressure loosely match between two terms), the overall performance is 95% in precision and 74% in recall. The system performance is almost comparable with results of human annotators for information categories with rich domain knowledge information (source material). However, for other information categories, given the relatively large number of terms that exist only in one paper, recall of individual information categories is not high (39–73%); however, precision is better (75–97%). The average performance for synthesis papers is better than that for characterization papers because of the lack of training examples for characterization papers. Based on these results, we discuss future research plans for improving the performance of the system.
Predicting cytotoxicity of PAMAM dendrimers using molecular descriptors
Authors: Jones David E , Ghandehari Hamidreza , Facelli Julio C
Published: September 2015

The use of data mining techniques in the field of nanomedicine has been very limited. In this paper we demonstrate that data mining techniques can be used for the development of predictive models of the cytotoxicity of poly(amido amine) (PAMAM) dendrimers using their chemical and structural properties. We present predictive models developed using 103 PAMAM dendrimer cytotoxicity values that were extracted from twelve cancer nanomedicine journal articles. The results indicate that data mining and machine learning can be effectively used to predict the cytotoxicity of PAMAM dendrimers on Caco-2 cells.
AVERSION TO THE VARIABILITY OF PAY AND THE STRUCTURE OF EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION CONTRACTS
Authors: Chaigneau Pierre
Published: September 2015

This paper presents a new implication of an aversion toward the variance of pay (“risk aversion”) for the structure of managerial incentive schemes. In a principal-agent model in which the effort of a manager with mean-variance preferences affects the mean of a performance measure, we find that managerial compensation must be such that the variance of payments is decreasing in effort. From an ex-ante perspective, which is relevant for effort inducement, this maximizes the rewards associated to high effort, and the punishments associated to low effort. An important practical implication is that convex incentive contracts do not satisfy this necessary condition for optimality, which calls into question the practice of granting executive stock options. The paper therefore contributes to the debate on the efficiency of executive compensation.