bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
RSA Problem for Varying Traffic in Flexible Optical Networks
Authors: Olszewski Ireneusz
Published: May 2015

The problem of service time-varying traffic in flexible transparent optical networks, assuming that the incoming connections and their duration are not known in advance, is considered in this work. Time-varying traffic requires dynamic spectrum allocation for connections implemented in the network. In the considered problem, a path with the required spectrum around the reference frequency is determined for each incoming connection by the routing algorithm. In order to take into account the dynamic spectrum allocation for the connections in the network, two spectrum expansion/- contraction schemes have been applied on the basis of which the average blocking probability for the incoming request additional slot was determined.
3D Segmentation of Funnel Flow Boundary During Silo Emptying
Authors: Waktola Selam , Babout Laurent , Grudzien Krzysztof
Published: May 2015

The paper presents an automatic method for segmenting 3D tomography images of a funnel flow area, during silo emptying process. For generating 3D images the silo model was scanned using X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) system. The method has been applied for a chosen single slice from 3D image. The image segmentation is based on the variance of pixels calculation in defined interrogation window (or kernel). The analysis of Signalto- Noise-Ratio (SNR) of the given image allows to improve the contrast in the image and facilitate the detection the boundary between funnel area and stagnant zone. The obtained results of image segmentation show a high potential in the silo flow investigation using in-situ experiment using X-ray visualization. Additionally, the study indicates that, the separation of the silo area into the funnel and stagnant zone parts is a very challenging task especially for the top and bottom area of silo where the contrast is the smallest.
A Method for Thiarubrine Canals Extraction in Optical Coherence Tomography Images of Schkuhria Pinnata Roots
Authors: Sekulska-Nalewajko Joanna , Gocławski Jarosław , Wielanek Marzena , Gajewska Ewa , Tamborski Szymon
Published: May 2015

This paper presents a method of automatic recognition of thiarubrine canals in images obtained with Optical Coherence Tomography technique. The plant material was the Ri-transformed root culture of South American herb Schkuhria pinnata. The series of highresolution OCT B-scans for the study were collected using custom made experimental system operating light of 800 nm central wavelength. The method reduces significant artefacts and uses region growing approach adapted to specific features of OCT images. Results of the identification have been compared with data obtained by specialist for selected B-scans. The algorithm accuracy was also verified using a simple numeric phantom.
Migrants and healthcare within the European Union
Authors: Nagy Raluca
Published: May 2015

The investigation of migration can help us understand how the types of migration interact with each other as well as with the various local/national ‘immobilities’. Migrants pose special challenges to healthcare systems, in their origin as well as destination countries. Available data on this topic, following EU interests and policies, focuses on health problems of vulnerable migrant groups, often directed exclusively to issues that can affect the local population. This paper aims to set some explanatory contexts when it comes to the relationship between migration and healthcare within the European context.
The structure of mnemonic revolutions
Authors: Rusu Mihai-Stelian
Published: May 2015

This article proposes an evolutionary model of collective memory built on the concept of mnemonic revolution. It tries to go beyond the apparently mutual exclusive theories existing in sociological literature by integrating them into a comprehensive conceptualization. The first part of the study begins with the presentation of competing theories of collective memory developed over time. The second step presents the theoretical formula resulting from the adoption of a broader time frame (longue durée). This formula also takes into consideration the introduction of the concepts of mnemonic revolution and mnemonic reform. Mnemonic revolution is defined as a major break occurred in the structure of collective memory, which succeeds in a sociopolitical revolution, whereby the entire representation of the past is abandoned and the social labor of constructing a new retrospective vision of the past is initiated. Mnemonic reform includes the adjustable changes and the superficial reconfiguration through which the general image of the past that is incorporated into the collective memory is slightly calibrated depending on the evolution of the social system. The final part presents in a synthetic manner the way in which I sought the empirical validation of the notions developed in order to capture the dynamics of collective memory.
Mosaics of Inclusion: Reflections on Thames Chase Community Forest
Authors: Pinder Ruth
Published: May 2015

This paper reflects on a practitioner-grounded metaphor – the mosaic – as a means to think the relationship between health and the environment in two policy initiatives, a walking and a conservation group. These were both part of Thames Chase Community Forest, a UK-based nature program to combat ill-health, poverty and social exclusion for those on the fringe of large urban conurbations. Using multiple research methods, the paper questions the simple, literal, equal-but-separate notions of the two pre-set policy parameters to show how the solidarity that mattered could not be fixed in advance. It was a mosaic-in-the-making, that came to life along the way, within the shifting ground of patterned regularities, people and happenings that often escape the net of rapid approaches to ethnographic policy research. Such reflections might usefully offer fresh soundings for policy-makers to contemplate, not merely a blueprint to be followed.
Domesticating Feelings Through Short Message Service (SMS)
Authors: Moise Raluca
Published: May 2015

Starting from the ostentatious presence of the SMS for teenagers, I attempted to identify the values of its appropriation process and to outline the trajectory of SMS within teenage culture. My argument is that the SMS develops two interpenetrating usage trajectories: an individual and a collective line, the later bearing a marked cultural logic. The relation between the object of consumption and the individual is framed by specific values of usage and regulated by cultural practices. In this article, I will present the factors that regulate the individual usage of the SMS, incorporating this form of communication in teens’ universe. Through ethnographic fieldwork in Romania, I have carried out participant observation and interviews in places that are frequented by teenagers and I have collected and analyzed more than 300 text messages, written by teenagers in daily personal journals of communication.
Music and Youth in Brazilian Contemporary Society
Authors: Barbosa Lívia , Veloso Letícia , Dubeux Veranise
Published: May 2015

Based on qualitative and quantitative research with 1,080 youth in the Brazilian cities of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Porto Alegre, this article analyzes the role of music in the constitution of young people's everyday lives. Focusing on how youth obtain, store, and listen to music, as well as on how they describe the presence of music in their lives, we argue that music – facilitated by digital technology – permeates and gives meaning to young people's lives in a way more pervasive than ever before, to the extent that, in their words, it constitutes the ‘soundtrack’ of each individual life. We propose to understand this puzzling statement through a material culture framework, and to do so we ask: how do youth currently give meaning to music as a key feature of life, and how do music and the objects through which it is experienced constitute life as such?
The Configuration of ‘Young’ Spaces in Brasil in the late 1960s: Pop Domesticity Through the Perspective of the Magazine Casa & Jardim
Authors: dos Santos Marinês Ribeiro , Pedro Joana Maria , Rial Carmen
Published: May 2015

The pop movement appeared in industrial Western societies as a manifestation of the urban youth culture. It is frequently associated with the worldwide behavioral revolution of the sixties. Part of the youth population used pop expressions with irreverent and strong visual impact as generation markers. This article affirms that pop artifacts of the 1960s and 1970s found in Brazilian interior decoration are part of the material culture of that period as included in domestic spaces designed for youth. We argue that pop artifacts and interior decoration in the country both expressed and shaped new behavioral patterns among young people. Our sources are particular representations of domestic spaces published in issues of the popular magazine Casa & Jardim.
Application Of Strain Gauges In Measurements Of Strain Distribution In Complex Objects
Authors: Tutak Piotr
Published: May 2015

This article presents an application of strain gauges in measurements of strain which occurs in charge air cooler during the thermal cycle test. The work shows the main idea of measuring system based on strain gauges and important aspects that should be considered when performing measurement. In this article there has been also presented construction and principle operation of a strain gauge measurement system.
GPFIS-Control: A Genetic Fuzzy System For Control Tasks
Authors: Koshiyama Adriano S. , Vellasco Marley M. B. R. , Tanscheit Ricardo
Published: May 2015

This work presents a Genetic Fuzzy Controller (GFC), called Genetic Programming Fuzzy Inference System for Control tasks (GPFIS-Control). It is based on Multi-Gene Genetic Programming, a variant of canonical Genetic Programming. The main characteristics and concepts of this approach are described, as well as its distinctions from other GFCs. Two benchmarks application of GPFIS-Control are considered: the Cart-Centering Problem and the Inverted Pendulum. In both cases results demonstrate the superiority and potentialities of GPFIS-Control in relation to other GFCs found in the literature.
New Ranking Method For Fuzzy Numbers By Their Expansion Center
Authors: Wang Zhenyuan , Zhang-Westmant Li
Published: May 2015

Based on the area between the curve of the membership function of a fuzzy number and the horizontal real axis, a characteristic as a new numerical index, called the expansion center, for fuzzy numbers is proposed. An intuitive and reasonable ranking method for fuzzy numbers based on this characteristic is also established. The new ranking method is applicable for decision making and data analysis in fuzz environments. An important criterion of the goodness for ranking fuzzy numbers, the geometric intuitivity, is also introduced. It guarantees coinciding with the natural ordering of the real numbers.
Repulsive Self-Adaptive Acceleration Particle Swarm Optimization Approach
Authors: Ludwig Simone A.
Published: May 2015

Adaptive Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) variants have become popular in recent years. The main idea of these adaptive PSO variants is that they adaptively change their search behavior during the optimization process based on information gathered during the run. Adaptive PSO variants have shown to be able to solve a wide range of difficult optimization problems efficiently and effectively. In this paper we propose a Repulsive Self-adaptive Acceleration PSO (RSAPSO) variant that adaptively optimizes the velocity weights of every particle at every iteration. The velocity weights include the acceleration constants as well as the inertia weight that are responsible for the balance between exploration and exploitation. Our proposed RSAPSO variant optimizes the velocity weights that are then used to search for the optimal solution of the problem (e.g., benchmark function). We compare RSAPSO to four known adaptive PSO variants (decreasing weight PSO, time-varying acceleration coefficients PSO, guaranteed convergence PSO, and attractive and repulsive PSO) on twenty benchmark problems. The results show that RSAPSO achives better results compared to the known PSO variants on difficult optimization problems that require large numbers of function evaluations.
Temporal Analysis Of Adaptive Face Recognition
Authors: Akhtar Zahid , Rattani Ajita , Foresti Gian Luca
Published: May 2015

Aging has profound effects on facial biometrics as it causes change in shape and texture. However, aging remains an under-studied problem in comparison to facial variations due to pose, illumination and expression changes. A commonly adopted solution in the state-of-the-art is the virtual template synthesis for aging and de-aging transformations involving complex 3D modelling techniques. These methods are also prone to estimation errors in the synthesis. Another viable solution is to continuously adapt the template to the temporal variation (ageing) of the query data. Though efficacy of template update procedures has been proven for expression, lightning and pose variations, the use of template update for facial aging has not received much attention so far. Therefore, this paper first analyzes the performance of existing baseline facial representations, based on local features, under ageing effect then investigates the use of template update procedures for temporal variance due to the facial age progression process. Experimental results on FGNET and MORPH aging database using commercial VeriLook face recognition engine demonstrate that continuous template updating is an effective and simple way to adapt to variations due to the aging process.
Investment Costs of the Building Envelope Reconstructions
Authors: Výskala Miloslav
Published: May 2015

The article is aimed at the design of the measurements improving the thermal-technical properties of the building envelope from the point of view of the economic evaluation. The starting point for the evaluation of economic aspects is the quantification of the partial and total costs according to the individual constructions of the building envelope in relation to the earlier requirements. The result is the determination of the minimal thickness of the thermal insulation i.e. the determination of the corresponding properties of the building envelope. Described procedure represents the first step for the consecutive modelling of the potential investment options while comply with the optimal level according to Directive 2010/31/ES (EPBD II).
Effect of the Flow of Large Water Droplets on the Water Mist Sprays
Authors: Beda László , Szikra Csaba
Published: May 2015

The purpose of this study is to investigate the velocity field generated by water droplets with relatively large diameter that has great effect on the movement of several orders of magnitude smaller particles. A CFD model, Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) version 5.5.3 was used for the numerical simulation. The data obtained from the numerical studies are analysed.
Construction of Residental Buildings on Columns as an Alternative to Construction in Areas Exposed to Floods
Authors: Kušar Domen , Volgemut Mateja
Published: May 2015

Floods that have in recent years become a constant in developed areas are raising the issue of how to adapt to nature when constructing housing. The construction of retarding basins and high dikes are the most frequently used alternatives of protecting the urban environment. Such a practice is most commonly found in Europe where it however, has unfortunately shown itself on several times, not to be the most effective. People from North America who live in areas often affected by floods, build their housing on columns. In Slovenia, not much thought is given to this, which is probably the result of the traditional mentality that promotes the building of massive residential houses and the issue of structural engineering that involves the so-called soft ground floor. New materials and new structural principles make construction on columns possible, which has been proven by the example of the residential building on low bearing soil in the seismic and flood risk area of the Ljubljana Marshes.
Financial Stability – Comparative Analysis: Montenegro, Serbia and the Netherlands
Authors: Vučinić Milena
Published: May 2015

The global financial crisis has had far-reaching effects on financial systems and economies all over the world, thus putting the importance of safeguarding financial stability in the focus of interest of the global economy.

This paper presents the importance of safeguarding financial stability and building a strong financial system with developed early identification and successful management of risks, i.e. a system resilient to shocks and capable of overcoming them.

The paper focus is on the issue of financial stability of Montenegro, given through comparative analysis of the financial stability safeguarding frameworks in the Netherlands and the Republic of Serbia. The paper aims to present the regulatory institutional framework for safeguarding financial stability, and the measures that the countries take in order to achieve stability of their macroeconomic environment and financial system. The comparison of the characteristics and the approach to safeguarding the banking sector is particularly emphasised due to its major influence on the financial system stability.
Experience from geodetic very long baseline
interferometry observations at Onsala using a
digital backend
Authors: Kareinen N. , Haas R.
Published: May 2015

The Onsala Space Observatory has installed a
modern digital backend for geodetic and astronomical
Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI). This system
consists of a Digital Base-Band Converter (DBBC) and a
Mark 5B+ recorder. From 2011 until late 2014 this new
system was run for geodetic VLBI observations in parallel
with the old system consisting of a Mark 4 rack and
Mark 5A recording system. Several of these observed sessions
were correlated at the correlator in Bonn including
both data sets. We present results from the analysis and
comparison of these sessions. Both the original observed
delays and corresponding geodetic parameters are compared.
No significant differences are detected, for either
the raw observations or for the geodetic parameters. This
shows that the digital backend can be used operationally
for geodetic VLBI observations.
Estimating the rainfall erosivity factor from monthly precipitation data in the Madrid Region (Spain)
Authors: Hernando David , Romana Manuel G.
Published: May 2015

The need for continuous recording rain gauges makes it difficult to determine the rainfall erosivity factor (Rfactor) of the Universal Soil Loss Equation in regions without good spatial and temporal data coverage. In particular, the R-factor is only known at 16 rain gauge stations in the Madrid Region (Spain). The objectives of this study were to identify a readily available estimate of the R-factor for the Madrid Region and to evaluate the effect of rainfall record length on estimate precision and accuracy. Five estimators based on monthly precipitation were considered: total annual rainfall (P), Fournier index (F), modified Fournier index (MFI), precipitation concentration index (PCI) and a regression equation provided by the Spanish Nature Conservation Institute (RICONA). Regression results from 8 calibration stations showed that MFI was the best estimator in terms of coefficient of determination and root mean squared error, closely followed by P. Analysis of the effect of record length indicated that little improvement was obtained for MFI and P over 5- year intervals. Finally, validation in 8 additional stations supported that the equation R = 1.05·MFI computed for a record length of 5 years provided a simple, precise and accurate estimate of the R-factor in the Madrid Region.
Statistical Disclosure Limitation in the Presence of Edit Rules
Authors: Kim Hang J. , Karr Alan F. , Reiter Jerome P.
Published: May 2015

We compare two general strategies for performing statistical disclosure limitation (SDL) for continuous microdata subject to edit rules. In the first, existing SDL methods are applied, and any constraint-violating values they produce are replaced using a constraint-preserving imputation procedure. In the second, the SDL methods are modified to prevent them from generating violations. We present a simulation study, based on data from the Colombian Annual Manufacturing Survey, that evaluates the performance of the two strategies as applied to several SDL methods. The results suggest that differences in risk-utility profiles across SDL methods dwarf differences between the two general strategies. Among the SDL strategies, variants of microaggregation and partially synthetic data offer the most attractive risk-utility profiles.
The cotton mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) as a new insect pest on tomato plants in Egypt
Authors: Ibrahim Samah Sayed , Moharum Fatma Abdelhalim , Abd El-Ghany Nesreen Mohamed
Published: May 2015

Recently, the mealybug Phenacoccus solenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) was recorded as a new pest on tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill) growing in Egypt. The mealybugs specimens were collected from tomato plants in the Qalyoubia governorate during summer season of 2014. The mealybug was identified as P. solenopsis based on the morphological characters and taxonomic key of this species. This study represents the first record of P. solenopsis as a new insect pest attacking tomato plants in Egypt
Electric Vehicles Mileage Extender Kinetic Energy Storage
Authors: Jivkov Venelin , Draganov Vutko , Stoyanova Yana
Published: May 2015

The proposed paper considers small urban vehicles with electric hybrid propulsion systems. Energy demands are examined on the basis of European drive cycle (NEUDC) and on an energy recuperation coefficient and are formulated for description of cycle energy transfers. Numerical simulation results show real possibilities for increasing in achievable vehicle mileage at the same energy levels of a main energy source - the electric battery. Kinetic energy storage (KES), as proposed to be used as an energy buffer and different structural schemes of the hybrid propulsion system are commented. Minimum energy levels for primary (the electric battery) and secondary (KES) sources are evaluated. A strategy for reduced power flows control is examined, and its impact on achievable vehicle mileage is investigated. Results show an additional increase in simulated mileage at the same initial energy levels.
Building and Programming a Smart Robotic System for Distinguishing Objects Based on their Shape and Colour
Authors: Sharari T. M.
Published: May 2015

This paper presents a robotic system designed for holding and placing objects based on their colour and shape. The presented robot is given a complete set of instructions of positions and orientation angles for each manipulation motion. The main feature in this paper is that the developed robot used a combination of vision and motion systems for holding and placing the work-objects, mounted on the flat work-plane, based on their shapes and colors. This combination improves the flexibility of manipulation which may help eliminate the use of some expensive manipulation tasks in a variety of industrial applications. The robotic system presented in this paper is designed as an educational robot that possesses the ability for holding-and-placing operations with limited load. To process the various instructions for holding and placing the work objects, a main control unit - Manipulation Control Unit (MCU) is used as well as a slave unit that performed the actual instructions from the MCU.
Multicriteria approach for selecting the most vulnerable watershed for developing a management plan/ Użycie wielu kryteriów do wyboru najbardziej wrażliwej zlewni w projektowaniu planu zarządzania
Authors: Zardari Noorul Hassan , Naubi Irena Binti , Roslan Nur Asikin Binti , Shirazi Sharif Moniruzzaman
Published: May 2015

Listing of watershed management goals/targets is one of the integral parts of the management plan for a watershed. In this paper, we have listed 18 watershed management targets for which the Malaysian watersheds could possibly be managed in future. Based on the listed watershed management targets, the priority ranking of 18 targets is developed from the relative importance weights obtained from a survey conducted from 29 stakeholders. Three weighting methods (SWING, SMART, and SMARTER) were applied to elicit weights. We found that the SMART (Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique) weighting method was a favorable method for eliciting stable sets of weights for the watershed management targets. The SWING weighting method produces better weights than the SMARTER method. The listed watershed management targets will assist watershed managers and decision makers in decision making to use available resources (e.g. water quality, land-use, groundwater, and many other resources) in a more efficient and sustainable manner. The efficient utilization of all resources within a watershed will ultimately save watersheds (more specifically the urbanized watersheds) from further deterioration caused by unchecked infrastructure development activities
Monitoring the Vitality of Isoëtes Lacustris by Using a Non-Destructive Method
Authors: Vöge Margrit
Published: May 2015

The aim of ongoing studies was to expand the non-destructive monitoring of Isoëtes lacustris (Vöge 2004) resulting in a description of the vitality and structure of the population. The influence of the environment on the development of the plant was the subject of extended studies carried out between 1995 and 2014 in more than 100 lakes throughout Europe. The environment was characterized through conductivity, pH and Secchi depth of the lake water and the accompanying submersed plant species, as well as the plant performance through the mean number of leaves of 20 sporogenous plants. The counting of the leaves was performed whilst diving. The vitality level was defined based on Vöge (2004) and related to the environmental conditions; these are referred to in the context. The inventory of the accompanying plant species may reflect a changing environment. The method is demonstrated through case examples. A highly significant correlation between the mean and the smallest number of leaves of sporogenous plants enables separating juvenile from adult plants. Finally, recent results show a relationship between the vitality level and the structure of the population.
Cyclic sedimentation pattern in Lake Veetka, southeast Estonia: a case study
Authors: Saarse Leili
Published: May 2015

A sediment core from Lake Veetka, southeast Estonia, 1077 cm in length and covering 10,500 calibrated years, was examined using loss-on-ignition, grain-size distribution and AMS 14C dating to reconstruct depositional dynamics. The studied core, recovered from the northern part of the lake, shows a cyclic pattern of organic and mineral matter concentration with cycle durations of 100-400 years. Cyclicity is displayed better in sediments laid down between 9,200 and 5,600 cal BP. Within two time windows (5,600-5,100 cal BP and from 1,200 cal BP to the present), sediment composition changed drastically on account of a high and fluctuating mineral matter content, obviously driven by different factors. Little Ice Age cooling is characterised by the highest proportion of mineral matter, and the Medieval Warm Period is typified by high organic matter content. The cyclic change of organic and mineral matter has been related to climate dynamics, most likely an alternation of wet and dry conditions, changes in the water level of the lake and differences in bioproduction
Charging of the Electric Vehicles in Private Sector: Technical and Economic Aspects
Authors: Grackova L. , Oleinikova I. , Klavs G.
Published: May 2015

The economic aspect considered in the work is related to the charging of an electric vehicle (EV) at a single private house when this is done every day. To perform the relevant cost estimation it was necessary to determine: the average annual electricity consumption under the condition of everyday charging an EV and the average electricity consumption off the mains for covering a distance of 100 km by an EV and the time in hours for its charging. Comparison is made for the day-time intervals from which it is possible to choose the preferable for proper loading the electric line and the most beneficial for the consumer. Under analysis are two EV connection scenarios for 100 individual households from which 10%, 20% and 30% have EVs, with 8-h duration of each charging at the current of 13A. The authors consider the consumption and electric energy payment packages which - with planned opening of the electric energy market on January 1, 2015 - will offer the clients the enterprises rendering services on the electric energy sale.
On the nature of filamentary superconductivity in metal-doped hydrocarbon organic materials
Authors: Hillesheim D. , Gofryk K. , Sefat A. S.
Published: May 2015

High temperature superconductivity in K-doped 1,2:8,9-dibenzenopentacene (C
Effect of heat treatment on the shape of the hyperfine field induction distributions and magnetic properties of amorphous soft magnetic Fe62Co10Y8B20 alloy
Authors: Gruszka Konrad M. , Nabiałek Marcin , Błoch Katarzyna , Olszewski Jacek
Published: May 2015

Thermal treatment, undertaken at just below the crystallization temperature, has led to nanocrystallization and has had a significant impact on the shape of the hyperfine field induction distributions of Fe62Co10Y8B20 alloy and on its soft magnetic properties. In the amorphous ferromagnetic alloys, it is possible to indirectly determine the effect of the structure stresses, resulting from the presence of structural defects, on the soft magnetic properties of these materials. It has been found that a change in the parameters associated with the presence of structural defects affects the shape of the hyperfine field distributions of 57Fe.
Mean hyperfine fields at 57Fe in dilute iron-based alloys studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy
Authors: Idczak Rafał , Konieczny Robert , Chojcan Jan
Published: May 2015

The room temperature Mössbauer spectra of 57Fe were measured for numerous dilute iron-based alloys Fe1−

x
D
x
(D = Al, Co, Cr, Mn, Mo, Ni, Os, Pt, Re, Ru, Ta, Ti, V, W, Zn), annealed at 1270 K for 2 h before the measurements. The spectra were analyzed using the Hesse–Rübartsch method in order to determine the mean hyperfine magnetic field  at the 57Fe nuclei as a function of concentration x of the minority component of the alloy. As the binary alloys are one-faze solid solutions of an element D in iron, a linear relationship between  and x is observed. The result supports the suggestion that Mössbauer spectroscopy is a useful tool for the study of dissolution of different elements in iron.
Mössbauer spectroscopy of reduced forms of a Fe-tetraphenylporphyrine complex
Authors: Kaczmarzyk Tomasz , Rutkowska Iwona , Dziliński Kazimierz
Published: May 2015

Molecular and electronic structure changes during successive reduction of a Fe-tetraphenylporphyrin chloride [Fe(III)(TPP):Cl] complex are reported on the basis of Mössbauer spectroscopy and DFT calculations. It is established that the attachment of additional electrons to a neutral Fe(III)(TPP):Cl molecule leads to significant shortening of Fe-N distances at the first stage of the reduction Fe(III)(TPP):Cl → Fe(II)(TPP) and lengthening of these bonds at the second stage Fe(II)(TPP) → Fe(I)(TPP). Changes of other bond lengths of the porphyrin ring also appear but in less degree. Interaction of Fe(II) and Fe(I)(TPP) with tetrahydrofuran (THF) solvent is considered. Electron configuration of Fe(II)(TPP) corresponds to intermediate-spin (S = 1) state and in the case of Fe(I)(TPP) low-spin state (S = ½) is observed. Electron density distribution in Fe(II)- and Fe(I)(TPP) complexes, in association with Mössbauer data, is analyzed. Good correlation between experimental and theoretical results was obtained.
Atomic short-range order in mechanically synthesized iron based Fe-Zn alloys studied by 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy
Authors: Konieczny Robert , Idczak Rafał
Published: May 2015

Mechanical alloying method was applied to prepare nanocrystalline iron-based Fe1−

x
Zn
x
solid solutions with x in the range 0.01 ≤ x ≤ 0.05. The structural properties of the materials were investigated with the Mössbauer spectroscopy by measuring the room temperature spectra of 57Fe for as-obtained and annealed samples. The spectra were analyzed in terms of parameters of their components related to unlike surroundings of the iron probes, determined by different numbers of zinc atoms existing in the neighborhood of iron atoms. The obtained results gave clear evidence that after annealing process, the distribution of impurity atoms in the first coordination spheres of 57Fe nuclei is not random and it cannot be described by binomial distribution. The estimated, positive values of the short-range order parameters suggest clustering tendencies of Zn atoms in the Fe-Zn alloys with low zinc concentration. The results were compared with corresponding data derived from Calphad calculation and resulting from the cellular atomic model of alloys by Miedema.
Analysis of heat capacity and Mössbauer data for LuZnSn2 compound
Authors: Łątka Kazimierz , Przewoźnik Janusz , Żukrowski Jan , Verbovytskyy Yuriy , Gonçalves Antonio Pereira
Published: May 2015

New analysis of heat capacity data is presented for LuZnSn2 compound that takes into account anharmonic effects together with the existence of Einstein modes. 119mSn Mössbauer spectroscopy was used to monitor the hyperfine parameters at the two crystallographically inequivalent Sn sites in the studied compound. The problem of non-unique mathematical resonance spectrum description and the problem how to choose physically meaningful set of hyperfine parameters will be thoroughly discussed. Measured quadrupole interaction constants by 119mSn Mössbauer spectroscopy give estimations for Vzz
component of electric field gradient tensor at both Sn sites in LuZnSn2.
Effects of Co, Ni, and Cr addition on microstructure and magnetic properties of amorphous and nanocrystalline Fe86−xMxZr7Nb2Cu1B4 (M = Co, Ni, CoCr, and Cr, x = 0 or 6) alloys
Authors: Łukiewska Agnieszka , Świerczek Jan , Hasiak Mariusz , Olszewski Jacek , Zbroszczyk Józef , Gębara Piotr , Ciurzyńska Wanda
Published: May 2015

Mössbauer spectra and thermomagnetic curves for the Fe86−

x
M
x
Zr7Nb2Cu1B4 (M = Co, Ni, CoCr, and Cr, x = 0 or 6) alloys in the as-quenched state and after the accumulative annealing in the temperature range 600–800 K for 10 min are investigated. The parent Fe86Zr7Nb2Cu1B4 amorphous alloy is paramagnetic at room temperature, and substitution of 6 at.% of Fe by Co, Ni, and CoCr changes the magnetic structure – the alloys become ferromagnetic, whereas replacing 6 at.% of Fe with Cr preserves the paramagnetic state. After the heat treatment at 600 K, the decrease of the average hyperfine field induction, as compared to the as-quenched state, is observed due to the invar effect. After this annealing, the Curie temperature for all investigated alloys decreases. The accumulative annealing up to 800 K leads to the partial crystallization; α-Fe or α-FeCo grains with diameters in the range of 12–30 nm in the residual amorphous matrix appear.
Determination of hyperfine fields and atomic ordering in NiMnFeGe exhibiting martensitic transformation
Authors: Satuła Dariusz , Szymański Krzysztof , Rećko Katarzyna , Olszewski Wojciech , Kalska-Szostko Beata
Published: May 2015

The hyperfine fields and atomic ordering in Ni1−

x
Fe
x
MnGe (x = 0.1, 0.2, 0.3) alloys were investigated using X-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy at room temperature. The X-ray diffraction measurements show that the samples with x = 0.2, 0.3 crystallized in the hexagonal Ni2In-type of structure, whereas in the sample with x = 0.1, the coexistence of two phases, Ni2In- and orthorhombic TiNiSi-type of structures, were found. The Mössbauer spectra measured with x = 0.2, 0.3 show three doublets with different values of isomer shift (IS) and quadrupole splitting (QS) related to three different local surroundings of Fe atoms in the hexagonal Ni2In-type structure. It was shown that Fe atoms in the hexagonal Ni2In-type structure of as-cast Ni1−

x
Fe
x
MnGe alloys are preferentially located in Ni sites and small amount of Fe is located in Mn and probably in Ge sites. The spectrum for x = 0.1 shows the doublets in the central part of spectrum and a broad sextet. The doublets originate from the Fe atoms in the paramagnetic state of hexagonal Ni2In-type structure, whereas the sextet results from the Fe atoms in orthorhombic TiNiSi-type structure.
Magnetic and structural properties of Sc(Fe1−xSix)2 Laves phases studied by Mössbauer spectroscopy and neutron diffraction
Authors: Wiertel Marek , Surowiec Zbigniew , Budzyński Mieczysław , Sarzyński Jan , Beskrovnyi Anatoly I.
Published: May 2015

The aim of the presented paper is to study an influence of replacement of Fe atoms by Si atoms in quasibinary Sc(Fe1−

x
Si
x
)2 Laves phases on their structural and magnetic properties. Powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and neutron diffraction (ND) measurements carried out at different temperatures from 4.3 K up to about 700 K revealed that samples were single phase with cubic C15 structure for Si concentration x from 0.05 to 0.20 and hexagonal C14 structure for higher concentration. The results of 57Fe Mössbauer measurements showed that the Sc(Fe1−

x
Si
x
)2 compounds with x ≤ 0.30 are ferrimagnetic at 4.3 K. At temperature 80 K in the samples with x = 0.20 and 0.30, a magnetic cluster spin-glass state has been observed, as ferrimagnetic long-range order disappears. Such picture was supported by the results of ND measurements carried out at 8 K, which confirmed the lack of long-range order for x above 0.10 and an occurrence of hyperfine field distributions in the corresponding Mössbauer spectra. At room temperature, samples with x ≥ 0.20 became paramagnetic. A substitution of Si atoms for Fe ones leads to a decreasing of mean values of hyperfine magnetic fields in samples under investigation. From the neutron diffraction pattern analysis of Sc(Fe0.90Si0.10)2Fe magnetic moment was determined as to be equal to 1.5 μB at 8 K. Combining this result with a value of hyperfine magnetic field on 57Fe probes, the hyperfine coupling constant A in Sc(Fe0.90Cu0.10)2 phases is estimated at about 11.6 T/μB at 8 K.
Organizational Flexibility, Employee Security, and Organizational Efficiency – a Case Study of Slovenian Public and Private Sector Organizations
Authors: Kozjek Tatjana , Ferjan Marko
Published: May 2015

Background: Literature defines different types of flexibility and security with regard to work. Regardless of which type of flexibility or security is discussed, the consequences for individuals, organizations or employers and society are significant.

Purpose: The purpose of the research was to compare and analyse the correlation between the different types of flexibility and security in work and organizational efficiency.

Methodology: Data was gathered using the Computer-Assisted Web Interview (CAWI) method. A link to an online questionnaire was e-mailed to randomly selected organisations across all economic sectors in Slovenia that had a published e-mail address, either in business directories or on a company website. We asked them to forward our e-mail to their employees. The correlation between different variables was used for data analysis.

Results: The results of our research show that there is a low positive level of correlation between different types of flexibility and security in the context of work and also between different types of flexibility in work and organizational efficiency. The correlation between different types of security in work and organizational efficiency is positive and medium strong.

Conclusion: It is recommended that the legislators be aware of the importance of their correlation with organizational efficiency when preparing legislative amendments regarding introduction of the flexibility and security in the field of work.
Physical Activity During Therapy of Self- Disorder Among Patients with Schizophrenia.A Phenomenological Understanding of the Relationship Between Healing and Physical Activity
Authors: Toft Jim
Published: May 2015

Studies indicate that physical activity has a positive effect both physiologically and socially for psychologically ill and vulnerable people, and that this effect is the same or greater for psychologically well-functioning people. In spite of this, treatment sites often hesitate to include sports and physical activity as part of the treatment offered. This article argues that there is a strong correlation between the body and mind, but from a different point of view than that adopted by the prevalent scientific research in the field. Specifically, I elucidate how the mind-body relationship and self-consciousness are influenced by physical activity for people with schizophrenia, and argue that symptoms are relieved as a result of physical activity. Consciousness has a bodily component that, for people with schizophrenia, is less well-integrated in the consciousness than for psychologically well-functioning people, and sports and physical activity can help facilitate this integration. My argument is based partly on phenomenological concepts and partly on an empirical research project concerning physical activity for people with schizophrenia. The conclusion is that their level of functioning and self-assessed quality of life increased markedly through physical activity. The purpose of the present article is thus partly to qualify the treatment chosen for people with schizophrenia, and partly to qualify the theoretical discussion concerning the role played by the body and physical activity in connection with consciousness and relief.
Removal of chlorophenols from aqueous solutions by sorption onto walnut, pistachio and hazelnut shells
Authors: Kuśmierek Krzysztof , Świątkowski Andrzej
Published: May 2015

The efficiency of walnut, pistachio and hazelnut shells to remove three monochlorophenols (2-CP, 3-CP and 4-CP) from aqueous solutions has been investigated. To describe the kinetic data pseudo-first and pseudo-second order models were used. The kinetics data were fitted better into the pseudo-second order model with the coefficient of determination values greater than 0.99. The k2 values increased in the order 4-CP < 3-CP < 2-CP. Sorption was also analyzed as a function of solution concentration at equilibrium. The experimental data received were found to be well described by the Freundlich isotherm equation. Effectiveness of chlorophenols removal from water on the walnut, pistachio and hazelnut shells was comparable. Individual differences in sorption of monochlorophenols were also negligible.
Effect of waste rubber powder as filler for plywood application
Authors: Ong Huei Ruey , Khan Maksudur R. , Yousuf Abu , Jeyaratnam Nitthiyah , Prasad D.M. Reddy
Published: May 2015

The study investigated the suitability of waste rubber powder (WRP) use as filler in adhesive formulation for plywood application. Melamine Urea Formaldehyde (MUF) was employed as resin for formulating the wood adhesive. To improve chemical properties and bonding quality of adhesive, WRP was treated by different chemicals like 20% nitric acid, 30% hydrogen peroxide and acetone solution. The treated WRP were analysed by XRD and it showed that inorganic compounds were removed and carbon was remained as major component under the treatment of 20% HNO3. The treatment improved the mechanical properties like shear strength and formaldehyde emission of plywood (high shear strength and low formaldehyde emission). The physico-chemical interaction between the wood, resin and filler was investigated using fourier transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) technique and the interactions among N-H of MUF and C=O of wood and WRP were identified. The morphology of wood-adhesive interface was studied by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and light microscope (LM). It showed that the penetration of adhesives and fillers through the wood pores was responsible for mechanical interlocking. Therefore, chemically treated WRP proved its potential use as filler in MUF based adhesive for making plywood.
Studies on the effect of coal particle size on biodepyritization of high sulfur coal in batch bioreactor
Authors: Singh Sradhanjali , Srichandan Haragobinda , Pathak Ashish , Gahan Chandra Sekhar , Lee Sujeong , Kim Dong-Jin , Kim Byoung-Gon
Published: May 2015

The moderate thermophilic mix culture bacteria were used to depyritize the Illinois coal of varying particle sizes (-100 μm, 100-200 μm, +200 μm). Mineral libration analysis showed the presence of pyrite along with other minerals in coal. Microbial depyritization of coal was carried out in stirred tank batch reactors in presence of an iron-free 9K medium. The results indicate that microbial depyritization of coal using moderate thermophiles is an efficient process. Moreover, particle size of coal is an important parameter which affects the efficiency of microbial depyritization process. At the end of the experiment, a maximum of 75% pyrite and 66% of pyritic sulphur were removed from the median particle size. The XRD analysis showed the absence of pyrite mineral in the treated coal sample. A good mass balance was also obtained with net loss of mass ranging from 5-9% showing the feasibility of the process for large scale applications.
Monitoring and remediation technologies of organochlorine pesticides in drainage water
Authors: Ismail Ahmed , Derbalah Aly , Shaheen Sabry
Published: May 2015

This study was carried out to monitor the presence of organochlorine in drainage water in Kafr-El-Sheikh Governorate, Egypt. Furthermore, to evaluate the efficiencies of different remediation techniques (advanced oxidation processes [AOPs] and bioremediation) for removing the most frequently detected compound (lindane) in drainage water. The results showed the presence of several organochlorine pesticides in all sampling sites. Lindane was detected with high frequency relative to other detected organochlorine in drainage water. Nano photo-Fenton like reagent was the most effective treatment for lindane removal in drainage water. Bioremediation of lindane by effective microorganisms (EMs) removed 100% of the lindane initial concentration. There is no remaining toxicity in lindane contaminated-water after remediation on treated rats relative to control with respect to histopathological changes in liver and kidney. Advanced oxidation processes especially with nanomaterials and bioremediation using effective microorganisms can be regarded as safe and effective remediation technologies of lindane in water.