bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Studies on the Microstructure of Epoxy-Cement Composites
Authors: Łukowski P.
Published: August 2016

Introduction of polymers into the cement composites improves same of the properties of concretes and mortars. Therefore, the polymer-cement composites are successfully used in construction. The model of microstructure formation in cement composites modified with thermoplastic polymer (pre-mix modifiers) has already been developed and successfully implemented. However, the formation of microstructure in the case of epoxy-cement composites ( containing post-mix modifier) demonstrates same peculiarities which should be taken into account when modelling the process. The microstructure of epoxy-cement composites and its formation is discussed in the paper. The model is offered, formulated on the basis of the microscopic observations and results of testing.
Three-Point Bending of Seven Layer Beams – Theoretical and Experimental Studies
Authors: Magnucka-Blandzi E. , Paczos P. , Wasilewicz P. , Wypych A.
Published: August 2016

The subject of the analytical and experimental studies therein is of two metal seven-layer beam - plate bands. The first beam - plate band is composed of a lengthwise trapezoidally corrugated main core and two crosswise trapezoidally corrugated cores of faces. The second beam - plate band is composed of a crosswise trapezoidally corrugated main core and two lengthwise trapezoidally corrugated cores of faces. The hypotheses of deformation of a normal to the middle surface of the beams after bending are formulated. Equations of equilibrium are derived based on the theorem of minimum total potential energy. Three-point bending of the simply supported beams is theoretically and experimentally studied. The deflections of the two beams are determined with two methods, compared and presented.
Life Cycle Cost Modelling of Buildings with Consideration of the Risk
Authors: Plebankiewicz E. , Zima K. , Wieczorek D.
Published: August 2016

The paper presents an approach to evaluating a building throughout its whole life cycle in relation to its sustainable development. It describes basic tools and techniques of evaluating and analysing the costs in the whole life cycle of the building, such as Life Cycle Assessment, Life Cycle Management, Life Cycle Cost and Social Life Cycle Assessment. The aim of the paper is to propose a model of cost evaluation throughout the building life cycle. The model is based on the fuzzy sets theory which allows the calculations to include the risks associated with the sustainable development, with the management of the investment and with social costs. Costs incurred in the subsequent phases of the building life cycle are analysed and modelled separately by means of a membership function. However, the effect of the analysis is a global cost evaluation for the whole life cycle of the building.
The Application of Multi-Criteria Analysis in the Evaluation of Partering Relations and the Selection of a Construction Company for the Purposes of Cooperation
Authors: Radziszewska-Zielina E.
Published: August 2016

The influence that general contractors and subcontractors have on the operation of a company is immense. Keeping this in mind, the authors have decided to develop and algorithm based on the analysis of partnering relations between construction companies that would select the best possible construction company for the purposes of cooperation. This algorithm, developed for a given construction company, is meant to support its decision-making system in the field of the selection of another construction company to cooperate with. The author has made references to earlier research, in which she had used the ELECTRE III method, and in which she bad analysed the possibility of applying the BIPOLAR method in order to solve the problem of the selection of a construction company to develop partnering relations with. The author provided an example of the calculations performed for a selection of construction companies.
Dynamics of an Orthotropic Railway Bridge in the Light of European Standards
Authors: Zbiciak A. , Oleszek R. , Michalczyk R.
Published: August 2016

The paper presents selected aspects of dynamic numerical simulations of an orthotropic steel railway bridge loaded by high-speed trains. The model of moving loads was adopted in accordance with the models set out in the applicable standards. The current European code requirements are referred in which the computer calculations of the dynamic response of the structure are the basis for assessing the suitability of the structure to carry high-speed rail traffic (v > 160 km/h). In this research the calculations are based on the author’s method of generating traffic loads in Abaqus FEM environment. It is emphasized in the paper that in most commercial FEM codes (including Abaqus), moving loads are not implemented in modules responsible for defining of loads. The author’s approach to this issue allowed to obtain results confirming its adequacy. In the longer term, the authors will develop a plan to adapt this algorithm in order to generate traffic loads on bridges discretized as spatial and plane numerical models.
Statistical analysis of entropy generation in longitudinally finned tube heat exchanger with shell side nanofluid by a single phase approach
Authors: Konchada Pavan Kumar , Pv Vinay , Bhemuni Varaprasad
Published: August 2016

The presence of nanoparticles in heat exchangers ascertained increment in heat transfer. The present work focuses on heat transfer in a longitudinal finned tube heat exchanger. Experimentation is done on longitudinal finned tube heat exchanger with pure water as working fluid and the outcome is compared numerically using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) package based on finite volume method for different flow rates. Further 0.8% volume fraction of aluminum oxide (Al2O3) nanofluid is considered on shell side. The simulated nanofluid analysis has been carried out using single phase approach in CFD by updating the user-defined functions and expressions with thermophysical properties of the selected nanofluid. These results are thereafter compared against the results obtained for pure water as shell side fluid. Entropy generated due to heat transfer and fluid flow is calculated for the nanofluid. Analysis of entropy generation is carried out using the Taguchi technique. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results show that the inlet temperature on shell side has more pronounced effect on entropy generation.
Ethics-related practices in Internet-based applied linguistics research
Authors: Tao Jian , Shao Qing , Gao Xuesong
Published: August 2016

Drawing on an analytic framework developed from ethical research guidelines and the relevant literature, this study analyzes and discusses the ways ethical issues were addressed by authors of 72 relevant journal articles on online self-representation in the field of applied linguistics. The results illustrate how researchers undertook efforts to fulfill ethical responsibilities in Internet-based research. They show how researchers’ self-narrated concerns and contextual conditions have mediated ethics-related research practices as reported in these studies. The results indicate the need for researchers to enhance critical awareness and assessment of potential ethical issues when conducting Internet-based research. Such critical awareness is essential for researchers to initiate and sustain an ongoing dialogue concerning ethics-related research practices in Internet-based applied linguistics research.
On the performance of commercially available corrosion-resistant nickel alloys: a review
Authors: Sequeira César A.C. , Cardoso David S.P. , Amaral Luís , Šljukić Biljana , Santos Diogo M.F.
Published: August 2016

The corrosion behavior of nickel (Ni)-based alloys used for low-temperature aqueous or condensed systems is reviewed in detail in this paper. Commercially available pure Ni, nickel-copper (Ni-Cu), nickel-molybdenum (Ni-Mo), nickel-chromium-molybdenum (Ni-Cr-Mo), and nickel-chromium-iron (Ni-Cr-Fe) alloys as well as cast Ni-based alloys are addressed. It is shown that Ni-Cr-Mo alloys are multipurpose alloys that can be used in both reducing and oxidizing conditions. Special attention is given to a few Ni alloys, which not only extend the range of usefulness of existing alloys by overcoming their limitations but are also reliable and cost-effective and have opened new areas of applications.
Double Acceptance Sampling Plan for Time-Truncated Life Tests Based on Half Normal Distribution
Authors: Al-Omari Amer I. , Al-Nasser Amjad D. , Gogah Fatima Salem
Published: August 2016

In this work, we investigate a double acceptance sampling plan (DASP) based on truncated life tests when the lifetime of a product follows the half normal distribution. By fixing the consumer’s confidence level, the minimum sample sizes of the first and second samples needful to assert the specified mean life are calculated. The operating characteristic values and the minimum ratios of the mean life to the specified life are also analyzed. Several important tables are provided and a numerical example is given to illustrate the results.
Tri-Band CPW-Fed Stub-Loaded Slot Antenna Design for WLAN/WiMAX Applications
Authors: Li Jianxing , Guo Jianying , He Bin , Zhang Anxue , Liu Qing Huo
Published: August 2016

A novel uniplanar CPW-fed tri-band stub-loaded slot antenna is proposed for wireless local area network (WLAN) and worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) applications. Dual resonant modes were effectively excited in the upper band by using two identical pairs of slot stubs and parasitic slots symmetrically along the arms of a traditional CPW-fed slot dipole, achieving a much wider bandwidth. The middle band was realized by the fundamental mode of the slot dipole. To obtain the lower band, two identical inverted-L-shaped open-ended slots were symmetrically etched in the ground plane. A prototype was fabricated and measured, showing that tri-band operation with 10-dB return loss bandwidths of 150 MHz from 2.375 to 2.525 GHz, 725 MHz from 3.075 to 3.8 GHz, and 1.9 GHz from 5.0 to 6.9 GHz has been achieved. Details of the antenna design as well as the measured and simulated results are presented and discussed.
Świętosława – Skandynawistka
Authors: Chojnacki Hieronim
Published: August 2016

The article deals with Świętosława (also known as Sigrid the Haughty, Sigrid Storråd, Gunhilda), a figure from the early days of Polish statehood and Christianity, member of the Piast dynasty, a queen of Sweden, Denmark and Norway, a mother of the Canute the Great, a (Viking) king of England and finally both Slav and Pole, and British, and Nordic can be approached from various perspectives. The particularly appealing appears however the opportunity to reflect on the Nordic dimension in Polish social thought, culture and politics.

Świętosława faced a challenge of learning the Nordic people, their language, and all this that is included in the programme of Scandinavian studies at the University of Gdansk “from inside”. Her situation resembles the one investigated by Jerzy Szacki in his sociological survey of tradition. It refers to learning oneself an others once the safe boundary is overstepped and the first step towards what is foreign, different and perhaps shocking is made. It relates to the authentic adventure of migration, but also to education and cross-culture communication promoting mutual understanding of differences and to new perspectives for community development. Finally, it concerns the geopolitical implications of northern dimension for the Polish political ethos, culture and education
Erich von Mendelssohn, Autor und Früher Vermittler Nordischer Literatur
Authors: Kreutzer Gert
Published: August 2016

This contribution is to commemorate Erich von Mendelssohn (1887-1913), a gifted author and a translator of medieval and modern Scandinavian, especially Danish literature, who lamentably passed away at a very young age. It contains a short biography of von Mendelssohn and deals with his poetic (including a so far unknown poem) and prosaic works (Phantasten, Die Heimkehr, Nacht und Tag, Juliana) on one hand and his translations from Danish (works from J. P. Jacobsen, Thit Jensen, and Svend Fleuron) and Old (several sagas) and New Icelandic (Einar H. Kvaran) on the other.
Et naivt forsøg på forståelse – dansk samling og Tyskland
Authors: Øhrgaard Per
Published: August 2016

In the 1930s, one of several small anti-parliamentarian, more or less authoritarian movements in Denmark was “Dansk Samling” (Danish Unity, see note 3), by its critics labeled as fascist or even nazi, in its self-understanding above all Christian and national and thus strongly opposed to any import of German ideology. In 1938, some of its members attended a meeting in Lübeck, and later that same year the movement’s periodical published “greetings to Germany” - a rather naive attempt at reaching a dialogue, but still without giving in on crucial matters.
Frost und Gedächtnis
Authors: Seiler Thomas
Published: August 2016

Critics have interpreted Tarjei Vesaas’s novel The Ice Palace (1963) in psychological terms as a kind of rite-of-passage fable of two eleven-year-old girls, Siss and Unn. The latter dies in a magic Ice Palace short after their first meeting in Unn’s house. The novel’s plot is about how Siss is dealing with the loss. Other scholars put the emphasis on the folkloristic elements or read the text as an allegorical one, as a piece of art dealing with art.

In the following article I would like to read The Ice Palace as a poetic treatise on the relationship between mourning, melancholy on the one hand and commemoration, memorialization on the other.
“Foran loven”
Authors: Zańko Aldona
Published: August 2016

The novel The trial, telling the story of the groundless arrest and prosecution of the bank clerk Josef K., remains one of the bestknown and most influential works written by Franz Kafka. Depicting the pointless struggle of a man placed at the mercy of a remote, inaccessible authority, it gives a symbolic account of the human condition in the modern era, characterised by the lack of universal truth, estrangement, confusion and existential impotence. Grasping the very idea of existential modernity, the novel provides ongoing inspiration for a great number of modernist and postmodernist writers all over the world, including Scandinavia. In the article presented below, The trial is examined as an intertext within the genre of the Scandinavian short prose, as it unfolds at breakthrough of modernism and postmodernism. Starting with the literary and critical works of the Danish modernist Villy Sørensen, and moving forward throughout the Danish and Norwegian minimalism of the 1990's, the paper discusses a range of different aspects of The trial, as they reappear in the short stories written by some of the main representatives of the Scandinavian short story. In this way, the article elucidates the relevance of Kafka's novel as an intertext for contemporary Scandinavian short fiction, as well as draws attention to the dialogical dimension of the genre.
På Spaning Efter En Halvglömd Genre
Authors: Żmuda-Trzebiatowska Magdalena
Published: August 2016

The article is a presentation of partial research on litanic verse in Swedish literature carried out within the project “Litanic Verse in the Culture of European Regions”. Starting from the origins of the litanic genre, described by Witold Sadowski, the author analyses Karin Boye’s poem “Bön till solen” („Prayer to the Sun”), paying special attention to the presence of the three litanic genes: the ektenial, the polyonymic and the chairetismic. As the typical stylistic figures and structural solutions occur in the poem, a conclusion can be drawn that “Bön till solen” is an example of preservation of litanic patterns in the Swedish literary tradition.
Geotourism Aspects of the Lufeng Dinosaur National Geopark in Yunnan Province, China
Authors: Daněk Tomáš , Skupien Petr
Published: August 2016

The Lufeng Dinosaur National Geopark in Yunnan province, China, is important part of geoheritage with a great scientific and aesthetic value. The area has been under scientific research since 1938 when the first dinosaur fossils were discovered here by geologist Bian Meinian and technician Wang Cunyi. Professor Yang announced the discovery of new early Jurassic herbivore prosauropod by Lufeng in 1941, which he gave the name Lufengosaurus huenei. In 2004, the area was listed as the China`s National Geopark. It was opened for visitors in 2008. Besides the high scientific value, the geopark is also an important resource for science based and educational tourism. This paper briefly introduces the history of scientific research, the basic geology of the site and the most important fossils discovered here. The main characteristics, geodiversity, and geotourism of fossil geoheritage in the area are discussed here.
Flora and vegetation of dry grasslands of Northeastern Ukraine, and problems of diversity conservation
Authors: Ronkin Vladimir , Savchenko Galina
Published: August 2016

The aim of this study was to describe the flora and vegetation of the grasslands of Northeastern Ukraine and to analyse how the steppe vegetation responds to grazing or its abandonment. We studied two gully systems in the east of the Kharkiv Region: the Regional Landscape Park “The Velykyi Burluk-Steppe” (steppe grasslands on chernozem soils; 10 sites) and the National Nature Park “Dvorichanskyi” (steppe grasslands on chalky outcrops; 5 sites). Long-term monitoring data exist for both these sites starting in 1991, shortly after grazing intensity reduced. We recorded the major grassland plant communities (reflecting their successional status) as well as their dominant species. Tree and scrub encroachment increased after management ceased. We conclude that (i) heterogeneous grazing (including ungrazed patches) in space and time is necessary in order to preserve grassland biodiversity in our study system; (ii) erosion of chalky outcrops (natural erosion as well as driven by cattle grazing) is a key factor promoting the richness of cretaceous species in steppe grassland.
Water Buffaloes grazing behaviour at the Lake Kerkini National Park, Northern Greece
Authors: Tsiobani Eleni T. , Yiakoulaki Maria D. , Hasanagas Nikolaos D. , Menexes Georgios , Papanikolaou Konstantinos
Published: August 2016

The monthly variation of Greek water buffaloes’ grazing behaviour was investigated at the Lake Kerkini National Park in Greece. Direct observations were carried out on six female buffaloes for two consecutive days every month for a one-year period, and the time spent (in minutes) on their grazing-related activities (feeding, moving, wallowing, standing, ruminating, drinking, and lying) was recorded. Moreover, social and aggressive interactions and self-grooming were recorded as number of events. Also, the daily distance travelled by buffaloes was recorded with a handheld GPS. Buffaloes travelled on average 6.9 km/day, and they walked their longest distance in June (10.7 km/day) and their shortest in September (2.9 km/day). They spent more time (P<0.05) on feeding (309.2 min/day) compared to moving (121.7 min/day), wallowing (27.9 min/day), standing (20.2 min/day), ruminating (15.4 min/day), drinking (4.7 min/day) and lying (4.2 min/day). Greek water buffaloes seem to be sociable rather than aggressive animals as they devote to these activities on average 18.2 vs 0.5 events/day. We can conclude that the animals adjust their grazing behaviour to climatic conditions and the availability of forage resources.
Grasslands of intermontane basins of Central Caucasus: land use legacies and present-day state
Authors: Belonovskaya Elena , Gracheva Raisa , Shorkunov Ilya , Vinogradova Vera
Published: August 2016

Mountain semi-natural grasslands of intermontane basins of Central Caucasus, North Ossetia-Alania and the history of its land use were studied. It was found that post-forest, meadow-steppe and partially subalpine grasslands in the study area had been used as croplands for centuries and have been transformed into grazing lands about 60 years ago. In the last 20 years, the grasslands have been underused. It was revealed that current spatial distribution of grasslands is different from the classic scheme of natural climate-induced vegetation distribution. Species composition of meadow steppes is similar in different locations and does not reflect climatic differences of “dry” leeward and “wet” windward slopes of the intermontane basins. Present-day soils reflect parent material differences and erosion degree, but not topography-induced local climate specificity. However, discovered buried soils showed contrasting soil diversity on the southern and northern slopes. It is assumed that the present convergence of soil cover and vegetation is a result of long homogenising human impact and relatively short grassland development.
Soil macrofauna (invertebrates) of Kazakhstanian Stipa lessingiana dry steppe
Authors: Bragina Tatyana М.
Published: August 2016

Stipa lessingiana steppes used to be prevalent on the dry Trans-Ural denudation plains, particularly, on the Sub-Ural and the Turgay Plateau. But, most of them have been lost because they were plowed up during the Virgin Land campaign in the second part of 20th century. This paper presents a detailed study of the faunistic composition and the structure of soil-dwelling invertebrate communities (macrofauna) of a temperate-dry bunch feather grass steppe in the Turgai Plateau (Northern-Turgai physical-geographical province of steppe Kazakhstan, Kostanay Oblast). The study site is located in the territory of the Naurzum State Nature Reserve, a part of the UNESCO World Heritage site “Saryarka Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan”, where remnants of Virgin S. lessingiana steppes have been preserved to the present day. This region is the driest and most continental in climate of all the dry steppes of Kazakhstan. The total abundance and biomass of soil invertebrate communities in the investigated site were lower than in the northern and western steppe areas. Soil invertebrates are among the major components that determine the functioning of terrestrial natural ecosystems.
Numeric syntaxonomical analysis of communities of the Molinia caerulea complex in Southwestern of Ukraine
Authors: Budzhak Vasyl V. , Chorney Іllia І. , Tokariuk Аlla І. , Kuzemko Аnna А.
Published: August 2016

The aims of the paper are: i) to establish the coenotic affinity of each species of the Molinia caerulea complex in the southwest of Ukraine, ii) to present the results of a comparative analysis of the syntaxa in which include Molinia, iii) to explain possible reasons for the expansion of Molinia caerulea in the studied area. The study area ranges from the basins of the Upper Prut River to the Upper Siret River in Ukraine. To determine the coenotical affinity of the studied species, 134 relevés were analysed. The data analysis was carried out using the Modified TWINSPAN algorithm provided by the JUICE software. Ecological features of the communities were analyzed by means of a DCA-ordination and phytoindication assessment. It was revealed that in the studied region the species of the Molinia caerulea complex are characterized by a relatively wide coenotic and ecological range and that they can be attributed to different communities of 4 vegetation classes: Molinio-Arrhenatheretea (Polygono bistortae-Trisetion flavescentis, Molinion cearuleae, Arrhenatherion elatioris alliances), Festuco-Brometea (Bromion erecti alliance), Mulgedio-Aconitetea (Calamagrostion villosae alliance), Oxycocco-Sphagnetea (Sphagnion magellanici alliance). This paper presents the results of the floristic composition analyses outlines some ecological peculiarities and discusses the conservational values of the identified syntaxa.
Breakage Characteristics of Granulated Food Products for Prediction of Attrition during Lean-Phase Pneumatic Conveying
Authors: Kotzur Benjamin A. , Bradley Michael S. A. , Berry Robert J. , Farnish Richard J.
Published: August 2016

Pneumatic conveying is utilised in a variety of industries to convey food products exhibiting diverse handling characteristics. Attrition of particles caused by this conveying process can result in a number of undesirable outcomes such as loss in product quality or issues in subsequent handling processes. The ability to predict the breakage behaviour of particulate materials is desirable in both new system design and resolving issues in existing plants. This work considers two different particulate materials (Salt and Golden Breadcrumbs) across a range of particle sizes, and quantifies their breakage behaviour under varying impact conditions. Narrow size fractions of each material were degraded; material retained on 250 µm and 355 µm sieves for Salt, and 500 µm, 710 µm and 1,000 µm sieves for Golden Breadcrumbs. Velocity was found to be the most influential factor with respect to particle attrition. The results from the narrow size fraction tests were superimposed to form a simulated full size distribution breakage behaviour, which was then compared to the experimentally determined behaviour. A good agreement was found, however the proportion of material predicted for size fractions smaller than 355 µm for Golden Breadcrumbs and 180 µm for Salt was under-predicted. Recommendations for increasing accuracy of the prediction method are given.
Cultivating linguistic flexibility in contexts of super-diversity
Authors: Faulstich Orellana Marjorie , Rodriguez-Minkoff Andrea C.
Published: August 2016

In this article we embrace the call that Flores and Lewis (this issue) put forth for situating research on linguistic “super-diversity” within particular historical, cultural and social contexts, challenging monolingual norms, and acknowledging ideological forces that drive the “sociopolitical emergence” of particular language practices. Using ethnographic and audiotaped data, we explore emergent linguistic practices in an after-school program in Los Angeles that in important ways both mimics and amplifies the diverse migration flows that characterize super-diversity. Focusing on linguistic interactions in this site, we question the tendency in research on super-diversity to celebrate translingual practices without consideration of power relations, including locally specific ideologies of language as manifested in both explicit and implicit forms. We examine linguistic practices that emerged and took shape as new members entered our space, identifying translingual and transcultural competencies that participants displayed as they “read” the local context and made choices about what language forms to utilize. We suggest that these may be largely unrecognized skills that are cultivated in contexts of super-diversity. At the same time, we sound a warning note about the constricted nature of the forms of language that came to predominate in this space. Finally, we highlight practices that were designed to disrupt hegemonic notions of language, support linguistic flexibility, and capitalize on the possibilities that super-diverse linguistic and cultural contexts offer.
3 Comments on “An Austrian Defense of the Euro”
Authors: Gentier Antoine
Published: August 2016

Professor Huerta de Soto has proposed a defense of the Euro using the argumentation of the Austrian School of economics. Huerta de Soto main argument relies on the federal monopoly of money is a preferable situation than the monetary nationalism that prevailed before. Our article aims to open a debate on the question of the Euro. The main argument used in the discussion relies on the fiscal question. Public deficits and public debts in the Euro zone seem to dominate monetary institutions issues.
The Euro as a Proxy for the Classical Gold Standard? Government Debt Financing and Political Commitment in Historical Perspective
Authors: Hoffmann Andreas
Published: August 2016

The paper addresses some similarities and differences in the institutional set-up of the classical gold standard and European Monetary Union (EMU). I argue that giving up monetary nationalism and committing to the rules of either the gold standard or EMU initially seemed to restrict the scope of state action. Therefore, the euro – like previously the gold standard – provided some (fiscal) policy credibility. Policy credibility was a main determinant of capital market integration and low government borrowing costs in Europe under both systems. However, I shall emphasize that the membership in the gold or euro club itself did not force reforms and spending cuts upon countries that faced crisis and debt problems. The article suggests that the institutional set-ups of the gold standard and EMU determined the degree of commitment to them and the way in which countries reacted to deal with debt problems.
In Defense of the Euro: An Austrian Perspective (With a Critique of the Errors of the ECB and the Interventionism of Brussels)
Authors: Huerta de Soto Jesús
Published: August 2016

Economists of the Austrian School are supporters of the gold standard because it hinders and restricts arbitrary policies and rulers: it disciplines the behavior of all the agents involved in the democratic process and encourages people to act orderly and morally. It is, in fact, an obstacle to the lies and demagoguery because it spreads and facilitates transparency and truth in social relations. The creation of the euro in 1999 and its final implementation in 2002 assumed the disappearance of monetary nationalism and flexible exchange rates in most of continental Europe. We will discuss the errors committed by the European Central Bank. It is now seen how the different states of the European Monetary Union have given and completely lost their monetary autonomy, that is to say the ability to manipulate their local currency to serve political needs. In this sense, the euro has therefore acted, at least for the countries of the euro area, very similar to that which was, in its time, the gold standard manner. This is why the euro should be considered a real equivalent, albeit imperfect, of the gold standard.
Raymond Boudon as Social Theorist: A Comparison with Ludwig von Mises
Authors: Fillieule Renaud
Published: August 2016

This comparison between Boudon and Mises focuses on the main tenets of their respective conceptions of social science. It covers action theory, the theory of belief, the epistemology of social science, and also addresses the topic of liberalism.
The Political Economy of Lighthouses: Some Further Considerations
Authors: Carnis Laurent
Published: August 2016

Lighthouse and the Trinity House case have triggered extensive debate on the possibility of private production of public goods and, more especially, lighthouse services provision. This contribution sums up current academic debate about lighthouse provision. It shows that the English system of lighthouse services provision cannot be rigorously considered as an example of private provision. Some historical experiences have shown that private provision was possible, although governmental hindrances restrained a full-fledged market process provision. This contribution defends the interest of mobilizing a political economy perspective for an understanding of the different frameworks and institutional designs for providing such services. Some national cases illustrate and sustain the proposed political economy framework.
Complexity and Technocracy: The Hayekian Critique of Neoclassical Law & Economics
Authors: Dantas Bruno Carvalho
Published: August 2016

This essay will employ theoretical tools from the Austrian school of economics in order to study law as a social system and develop a more accurate comprehension of its functions and of the evolutionary processes to which it is subject. By building up from Hayek’s theories of institutions and complex phenomena, both of which emphasize the “spontaneous” nature of social phenomena vis-à-vis proposals of conscious “steering” by means of central planning, we’ll try to show how neoclassical approaches to legal theory are based on unrealistic assumptions about human cognition and, as such, turn out to be a subclass of the so-called “constructivist” thought, severely criticized by Hayek in his works. At the end of the article, we’ll discuss in passing some internal difficulties with the Hayekian approach itself.
Hydrological and Morphological Changes of the Lower Danube Near Mohács, Hungary
Authors: Nagy Judit , Kiss Tímea
Published: August 2016

Various direct human impacts changed the hydro-morphology of the Danube during the last centuries. The aims of the present study are (1) to analyze the water regime of the Danube River using the data of Mohács gauging station (1900-2013), and (2) to study the channel development (1952-2014) in connection with water regime changes and human impacts at a section near Bogyiszló (upstream of Mohács). According to the results the height of low water stages decreased by approx. 136 cm (1.2 cm/year), and new, high record flood stages were measured too. The discharge values appertaining to the same low water stages doubled, thus nowadays almost twice as much water flows through the cross-section of the channel at a given stage as at the beginning of the studied period. As the duration of low stages increased, the sandbar development intensified, thus the channel became narrower (by 48% at some places) and deeper thalweg evolved. Therefore, a smaller cross-section for flood-waves evolved, affecting the height of flood. These changes affect shipping, as due to riverbed incision and decrease of low water stages, the lowest shipping water level has to be set repeatedly at lower stages. Besides water extraction from the channel will have difficulties, thus irrigation and industrial cooling water supply will be limited in the future.
Open Source Web GIS Solutions in Disaster Management – with Special Emphasis on Inland Excess Water Modeling
Authors: Juhász Levente , Podolcsák Ádám , Doleschall János
Published: August 2016

In recent years, the increased frequency of inland excess water in the Carpathian Basin gets more and more attention. The authors developed a web based pilot application for disaster management, with special emphasis on inland excess water hazard management. Free and open source software was used to generate a model, and our work was based on Web GIS standards (OGC), which makes further development possible. The developed Web GIS application provides functions to support the data collection regarding channels and ditches, and on-line hydrological analysis based on OGC Web Processing Services (WPS). Hydrological analysis aims to visualize the areas potentially at risk, depending on different precipitation quantities and various values of influencing factors. In order to run the prototype a sample data set was gathered including reference maps, technical parameters and current condition of canals and ditches. The methodology of crowdsourcing can produce valuable Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI) that can fulfill the data requirements of disaster management applications. The prototype supports Crowdsourcing in the following aspects: free user access to the system’s analysis functionality, stakeholders may digitize the position of ditches, modify the status of the existing ditch system according to current conditions and add or modify parameters relevant for the analysis. The application demonstrated the usability of stakeholder generated geographic information and web processing for disaster management. The idea of integrating user-generated data into the various tasks of a disaster management agency is promising. However, maintaining data quality and standards compliance remain important issues.
When soundscape meets architecture
Authors: Schulte-Fortkamp Brigitte , Jordan Pamela
Published: August 2016

The harmonization of noise indicators, noise
mapping, and action plans delivers basic administrative
information not only for noise abatement in highly noisepolluted
areas, but also for comparisons across built environments
regionally and internationally. However, such
activities do not provide any tools or essential knowledge
for the more demanding tasks required in designing and
planning sustainable built environments that are supportive
to wellbeing and health. Without knowing the determining
factors behind dose-response curves [1, 2], the decision
process for developing action plans is unnecessarily
restricted. Optional courses of action for handling a noise
problem cannot be sufficiently considered without understanding
the full context—physical, cultural, emotional—
of noise’s effect on people. Therefore, an approach for
considering these many angles must involve diverse fields
of practice and interdisciplinary approaches. One such
methodology is the multidimensional Soundscape Approach,
which emphasizes how the acoustic environment
is perceived, experienced, and/or understood by a person
or people in context. Relying on principles of the Soundscape
Approach, two urban green spaces will be examined
regarding noise abatement strategies in relation to visitors’
experiential expectations. It will be shown how and why
soundscape is an invaluable tool in detecting and analyzing
needs for an adequate acoustic environment, accounting
for people’s concerns and integrating their local expertise
to guide the process of planning, designing and maintaining
sites.
Partnership and Race in Mission Encounters in Tanzania
Authors: Christian Elaine Elisabeth
Published: August 2016

I examine racial and ethnic dynamics in encounters between Tanzanian church personnel,
and visiting American partners or short-term missionaries. Contemporary mission work in Tanzania is
situated within a historical context that includes, but is not ultimately determined by, race or ethnicity.
Several kinds of engagements and partnerships exist between American religious organisations and the
Tanzanian church, which I describe ethnographically, and discuss how encounters between Tanzanian
Christians and American visitors become ethnically inflected. Two cases—encounters with Maasai and
Chagga people respectively—provide a comparative illustration. Finally, I address the role played by
new types of partnership between Tanzanian and American religious organisations, and how themes of
hospitality and identities as guests and hosts contribute to encounters between American and Tanzanian
Christians. In these encounters, multiple areas of shifting meanings of race come together, resulting in
disjunctures of understanding. I suggest that these disjunctures, coupled with the guest-host dynamic
and the lack of in-depth knowledge characteristic of short-term mission in general, reveal patterns of
social inequality and tensions inherent in the changing context of Christian mission.
Interactions across Multiple Stimulus Dimensions in Primary Auditory Cortex
Authors: Sloas David C. , Zhuo Ran , Xue Hongbo , Chambers Anna R. , Kolaczyk Eric , Polley Daniel B. , Sen Kamal
Published: August 2016

Although sensory cortex is thought to be important for the perception of complex objects, its specific role in representing complex stimuli remains unknown. Complex objects are rich in information along multiple stimulus dimensions. The position of cortex in the sensory hierarchy suggests that cortical neurons may integrate across these dimensions to form a more gestalt representation of auditory objects. Yet, studies of cortical neurons typically explore single or few dimensions due to the difficulty of determining optimal stimuli in a high dimensional stimulus space. Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) provide a potentially powerful approach for exploring multidimensional stimulus spaces based on real-time spike feedback, but two important issues arise in their application. First, it is unclear whether it is necessary to characterize cortical responses to multidimensional stimuli or whether it suffices to characterize cortical responses to a single dimension at a time. Second, quantitative methods for analyzing complex multidimensional data from an EA are lacking. Here, we apply a statistical method for nonlinear regression, the generalized additive model (GAM), to address these issues. The GAM quantitatively describes the dependence between neural response and all stimulus dimensions. We find that auditory cortical neurons in mice are sensitive to interactions across dimensions. These interactions are diverse across the population, indicating significant integration across stimulus dimensions in auditory cortex. This result strongly motivates using multidimensional stimuli in auditory cortex. Together, the EA and the GAM provide a novel quantitative paradigm for investigating neural coding of complex multidimensional stimuli in auditory and other sensory cortices.
Characterization of a Single Genomic Locus Encoding the Clustered Protocadherin Receptor Diversity in Xenopus tropicalis
Authors: Etlioglu Hakki E , Sun Wei , Huang Zengjin , Chen Wei , Schmucker Dietmar
Published: August 2016

Clustered protocadherins (cPcdhs) constitute the largest subgroup of the cadherin superfamily, and in mammals are grouped into clusters of α-, β-, and γ-types. Tens of tandemly arranged paralogous Pcdh genes of the Pcdh clusters generate a substantial diversity of receptor isoforms. cPcdhs are known to have important roles in neuronal development, and genetic alterations of cPcdhs have been found to be associated with several neurological diseases. Here, we present a first characterization of cPcdhs in Xenopus tropicalis. We determined and annotated all cPcdh isoforms, revealing that they are present in a single chromosomal locus. We validated a total of 96 isoforms, which we show are organized in three distinct clusters. The X. tropicalis cPcdh locus is composed of one α- and two distinct γ-Pcdh clusters (pcdh-γ1 and pcdh-γ2). Bioinformatics analyses assisted by genomic BAC clone sequencing showed that the X. tropicalis α- and γ-Pcdhs are conserved at the cluster level, but, unlike mammals, X. tropicalis does not contain a β-Pcdh cluster. In contrast, the number of γ-Pcdh isoforms has expanded, possibly due to lineage-specific gene duplications. Interestingly, the number of X. tropicalis α-Pcdhs is identical between X. tropicalis and mouse. Moreover, we find highly conserved as well as novel promoter elements potentially involved in regulating the cluster-specific expression of cPcdh isoforms. This study provides important information for the understanding of the evolutionary history of cPcdh genes and future mechanistic studies. It provides an annotated X. tropicalis cPcdh genomic map and a first molecular characterization essential for functional and comparative studies.
Detecting Recombination Hotspots from Patterns of Linkage Disequilibrium
Authors: Wall Jeffrey D , Stevison Laurie S
Published: August 2016

With recent advances in DNA sequencing technologies, it has become increasingly easy to use whole-genome sequencing of unrelated individuals to assay patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) across the genome. One type of analysis that is commonly performed is to estimate local recombination rates and identify recombination hotspots from patterns of LD. One method for detecting recombination hotspots, LDhot, has been used in a handful of species to further our understanding of the basic biology of recombination. For the most part, the effectiveness of this method (e.g., power and false positive rate) is unknown. In this study, we run extensive simulations to compare the effectiveness of three different implementations of LDhot. We find large differences in the power and false positive rates of these different approaches, as well as a strong sensitivity to the window size used (with smaller window sizes leading to more accurate estimation of hotspot locations). We also compared our LDhot simulation results with comparable simulation results obtained from a Bayesian maximum-likelihood approach for identifying hotspots. Surprisingly, we found that the latter computationally intensive approach had substantially lower power over the parameter values considered in our simulations.
Comparative Analysis of Regions with Distorted Segregation in Three Diploid Populations of Potato
Authors: Manrique-Carpintero Norma C , Coombs Joseph J , Veilleux Richard E , Buell C Robin , Douches David S
Published: August 2016

Genes associated with gametic and zygotic selection could underlie segregation distortion, observed as alterations of expected Mendelian genotypic frequencies in mapping populations. We studied highly dense genetic maps based on single nucleotide polymorphisms to elucidate the genetic nature of distorted segregation in potato. Three intra- and interspecific diploid segregating populations were used. DRH and D84 are crosses between the sequenced doubled monoploid DM 1-3 516 R44 Solanum tuberosum Group Phureja and either RH89-039-16 S. tuberosum or 84SD22, a S. tuberosum × S. chacoense hybrid. MSX902 is an interspecific cross between 84SD22 and Ber83 S. berthaultii × 2 × species mosaic. At the 0.05 significance level, 21%, 57%, and 51% of the total markers mapped in DRH, D84, and MSX902 exhibited distorted segregation, respectively. Segregation distortion regions for DRH were located on chromosomes 9 and 12; for D84 on chromosomes 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and 8; and on chromosomes 1, 2, 7, 9, and 12 for MSX902. In general, each population had unique segregation distortion regions and directions of distortion. Interspecific crosses showed greater levels of distorted segregation and lower recombination rates as determined from the male parents. The different genomic regions where the segregation distortion regions occurred in the three populations likely reflect unique genetic combinations producing distorted segregation.
Relationships Between RNA Polymerase II Activity and Spt Elongation Factors to Spt- Phenotype and Growth in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Cui Ping , Jin Huiyan , Vutukuru Manjula Ramya , Kaplan Craig D
Published: August 2016

The interplay between adjacent transcription units can result in transcription-dependent alterations in chromatin structure or recruitment of factors that determine transcription outcomes, including the generation of intragenic or other cryptic transcripts derived from cryptic promoters. Mutations in a number of genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae confer both cryptic intragenic transcription and the Suppressor of Ty (Spt-) phenotype for the lys2-128∂ allele of the LYS2 gene. Mutants that suppress lys2-128∂ allow transcription from a normally inactive Ty1 ∂ promoter, conferring a LYS+ phenotype. The arrangement of transcription units at lys2-128∂ is reminiscent of genes containing cryptic promoters within their open reading frames. We set out to examine the relationship between RNA Polymerase II (Pol II) activity, functions of Spt elongation factors, and cryptic transcription because of the previous observation that increased-activity Pol II alleles confer an Spt- phenotype. We identify both cooperating and antagonistic genetic interactions between Pol II alleles and alleles of elongation factors SPT4, SPT5, and SPT6. We find that cryptic transcription at FLO8 and STE11 is distinct from that at lys2-128∂, though all show sensitivity to reduction in Pol II activity, especially the expression of lys2-128∂ found in Spt- mutants. We determine that the lys2-128∂ Spt- phenotypes for spt6-1004 and increased activity rpo21/rpb1 alleles each require transcription from the LYS2 promoter. Furthermore, we identify the Ty1 transcription start site (TSS) within the ∂ element as the position of Spt- transcription in tested Spt- mutants.