bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Antroponimia Żydów w przestrzeni nazewniczej międzywojennej Bydgoszczy – system imion
Authors: Jaracz Małgorzata
Published: June 2015

Jewish anthroponymy in the naming space of interwar Bydgoszcz – the system of given names

The article discusses the problem of given names of Jews who lived in Bydgoszcz between 1920 and 1939. The diaspora counted at most two thousand (about 1,5% of the total population) and, apart from Poznań, it was the largest concentration of Jews in the Poznań voivodeship. The data was extracted from a list of contribution payers of the Jewish religious community from 1939. The current paper continues the research started in my previous article (Jaracz 2007) (‘Last names of Bydgoszcz Jews in the context of the Polish anthroponymic system’).
O sposobach tworzenia nazw miejscowości w świetle etymologii ludowej
Authors: Rogowska-Cybulska Ewa
Published: June 2015

On creation of place names in the light of folk etymology

The paper discusses the ways in which Polish place names were created, in the light of their folk etymologies. The author uses the example of selected morphological reinterpretations of place names from various regions of Poland. By comparing folk-etymologized place names, and the words and expression that they indicate as bases for derivation, the paper shows that, in fact, folk etymology divides Polish toponyms into similar structural categories as scientific etymology: the primary, the secondary, and the compound. Very few re-etymologized place names do not fit into any of these types. In details, however, pseudoetymologies differ from the results of onomastic research with regard to the methods of creation of place names. Among other differences, the former tend to prefer certain structural types, especially compounds, and display a greater degree of tolerance for phonetic differences.
Spontaniczne nabywanie umiejętności wymowy wybranych elementów segmentalnych w języku hiszpańskim przez rodowitych użytkowników języka polskiego – studium przypadku
Authors: Sobański Tomasz
Published: June 2015

Spontaneous acquisition of pronunciation of selected segmental elements in Spanish, by native speakers of Polish. A case study

A contrastive analysis of the phonology and phonetics of the native and a foreign tongue cannot foresee all pronunciation errors in the foreign language; their character needs to be established experimentally. The goal of this paper is to determine whether subjects can spontaneously acquire the pronunciation of selected sounds of Spanish, and whether the form of the stimulus (written vs. oral) influences the phonetic correctness of the result. The experiment was conducted on two students. The corpus was made up by an oral statement (reading of a series of sentences), and free answers to oral questions. The results show that correct pronunciation occurs when sounds are identical in both languages, and to a certain degree, when L2 sounds are absent from L1. Errors arise when sounds are similar but not identical in L1 and L2. The correctness of realization increases during free speech, and the increase is independent from the skill level of the subject.
ASP, The Art and Science of Practice: Three Challenges for a Lean Enterprise in Turbulent Times
Authors: Brown Karen A. , Schmitt Thomas G. , Schonberger Richard J.
Published: June 2015

A lean enterprise ties together and synchronizes all elements of its value-delivery system to provide for the needs of target customers. Organizations applying lean concepts in a systematic manner have been highly successful from operational, market, and financial perspectives. Once effectively in place, however, lean value-delivery systems can be more easily derailed than their leaders imagine, particularly in turbulent times. We identify three potential challenges for lean enterprises: (1) locked operating model: failure to change the value-delivery system in response to market and economic disruptions; (2) backward drift to pre-lean practices: regression toward wasteful inventory accumulations, backlogs, and complexity; (3) lean islands: isolation of lean practices within the walls of the company. Our observations at Quadrant Homes as it navigated the Great Recession, supplemented by our research at other companies, leads to recommendations for lean organizations to apply in countering these challenges.
The Role of Community Colleges in Strengthening Access to Employment for Individuals With Disabilities
Authors: White Julie A.
Published: June 2015

Community colleges have a mission to provide access to postsecondary education. As such, they enroll nearly half of all U.S. undergraduates, with 12% of enrollees indicating that they are students with disabilities (American Association of Community Colleges, 2015). This article describes Onondaga Pathways to Careers (OPC), a pilot project which will research, develop, test, and evaluate innovative systems models for providing inclusive integrated education and career development services to youth and young adults with disabilities, including those with significant disabilities. OPC will implement a model program to improve transition planning for youth and young adults with disabilities through secondary education, into and through supportive community college pathways, and ultimately into skilled employment for which they have trained and which will offer living wages, benefits, and opportunities for advancement. OPC fully embraces what the Americans With Disabilities Act declared in 1990: that “the Nation's proper goals regarding individuals with disabilities are to assure equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency….” This article will provide an overview of OPC while also discussing the importance of interagency collaborations to improve outcomes for youth and young adults with disabilities.
Unjustified Isolation Is Discrimination: The Olmstead Case Against Overbroad and Undue Organizational and Public Guardianship
Authors: Hatch Margaret “Jenny” , Crane Samantha Alexandra , Martinis Jonathan G.
Published: June 2015

Over the past 3 decades, research has found that overbroad and undue guardianship—guardianship imposed on people who can use less restrictive alternatives to guardianship in order to make their own decisions, with or without support—can lead to negative life outcomes and deny basic rights and opportunities. This article presents the case of Margaret “Jenny” Hatch, a woman with Down syndrome who, even though she had successfully lived and worked in the community and wished to continue to do so, was placed under plenary, organizational guardianship and forced to live in a segregated group home and work in a sheltered workshop. After recounting Ms. Hatch's case, this article reviews the harm that can result from overbroad and undue guardianship and argues that Ms. Hatch's guardianship violated her rights under Title II of the Americans With Disabilities Act. Finally, the article makes recommendations for future “Olmstead” advocacy focused on ensuring access to integrated, community-based living and employment for people with disabilities under organizational or public guardianship.
Fuzzy-PID control algorithm of a loop reactor for microbial corrosion testing
Authors: Rangel-Miranda D. , Alaniz-Lumbreras D. , Castano Victor
Published: June 2015

The thermal control of loop reactor utilized to run hydrodynamic tests of microbical corrosion, where full control of the temperature is crucial, is presented. Since the accuracy of the temperature is critical along the pipe trajectory for the microbial culture, it must be controlled with an accuracy of ± 0.5°C, which is achieved by an implemented fuzzy-PID (Proportional Integral and Derivative) control algorithm, capable to provide the accuracy at the temperature range required. The system counts with an especially-designed software to program the desired temperature. Several tests were carried out at different temperatures and water volumes to characterize the rising time and thermal inertia presented by the system. As a result, the performance and power consumption were notability improved.
Understanding the influence of traction on the Eigen behaviour of torsional vibrations in individual-wheel drives
Authors: Yeap Khang Zhun , Müller Steffen
Published: June 2015

This article presents a model-based analysis of the influence of traction on the Eigen behaviour of torsional vibrations in individual-wheel drives (IWDs) of a high-performance road vehicle. As a significant motivation, measurement samples from test drives are presented and representative vibration behaviours are highlighted. For the analysis, linearised models representing the interaction of an IWD with traction are utilised. The significance of the analysis results is demonstrated through comparisons with the measurement samples and corresponding interpretations.
PI control synthesis for event-triggered control systems
Authors: Reimann Sven , Wu Wei , Liu Steven
Published: June 2015

Event-triggered control aims at reducing the resource utilization, especially the communication over the feedback link, while
guaranteeing a certain control performance. Although setpoint tracking problems are common in practice, the majority of the proposed
approaches in literature focus on regulation problems. Therefore, an event-triggered PI control design strategy with guaranteed
performance is proposed in this paper, where both the event-triggering condition and the PI controller are implemented
periodically. Based on a quadratic cost function, the PI control design problem is introduced and formulated as an LMI optimization
problem. Comparisons with other approaches in the literature are made by simulation and by experimental studies to demonstrate the
effectiveness of the proposed strategy.
Creation of an iBook aimed at medical students – a student’s perspective
Authors: Melton William
Published: June 2015

Background: At Manchester Medical School, students enter the clinical environment having received only limited teaching of cardiovascular examination. This is delivered during a 1-h lecture and 1 h of clinical teaching. I thought this was an insufficient amount of teaching and decided to try and rectify this issue. Six months into year 1 of clinical teaching, the students complete a 4-week Personal Excellence Pathway project, which is designed to help students explore areas of interest to them. To rectify the perceived lack of teaching, I created an interactive iBook that demonstrates in a detailed way how to examine a patient’s cardiovascular system.

Methods: The iBook was created using iBooks Author, a free Apple product. It is interactive and easy to use. I built it using free editing software such as iMovie and iPhoto. Full explanations and demonstrations of the examination itself and of the signs elicited were created using video, audio, clinical images, and links to a glossary. This core content was acquired by spending time in clinics, filming a consultant performing the examination, and acquiring images of clinical features on the wards.

Results: Overall, given the breadth and depth of the subject covered, the iBook took less time to create than I had expected. Recording the video contents took far less time than expected. Obtaining the clinical images for the relevant signs took longer than expected.

Conclusions: Many students now use iPads and Apple laptops as an integral part of their work. The creation of such an interactive iBook that is interesting and widely accessible by the students can be very beneficial to the medical student population. In this 4-week project, I showed that it is possible for a student to create an innovative learning tool in a short amount of time that can enrich the education of fellow students at medical school.
E-learning innovations for the education of general practitioners at the Bavarian Virtual University (BVU) – a model for other countries
Authors: Vogel Barbara , Kormann Christina , Mehring Michael , Schneider Antonius , Offenbächer Martin , Kohls Niko , Schelling Jörg
Published: June 2015

Background: The Bavarian Virtual University (BVU) offers resources to develop and implement e-learning courses and allows open access to information and provides the capacity to share information. Students of Bavarian universities can participate easily in these courses. Thus, the barriers to enter a university are now much lower. E-learning will be supported by the use of the learning and authoring software CASUS®. It optimises the creation of virtual patients and guarantees a common standard and a high quality throughout the whole e-learning course.

Methods: This paper describes the application process of proposals at BVU and the development process of online courses with CASUS® using the example of “General Practice”. The conceptual structure of the program and its specific rationale is presented herein. In addition, the number of participating students is analysed when the online course is integrated in the curriculum or when it is not.

Results: The e-learning course General Practice includes a total of 48 scenarios. They focus on the heuristics in General Practice of prevention and primary care. If the online courses are integrated in the curriculum, the number of students participating in e-learning courses increases. The integration of virtual patients (VPs) into practical training may improve the perceived benefit. Probably, there is no need for examinations to prove students’ knowledge if they can apply contents in the practical training. To answer this question, an evaluation of students’ and teachers’ perspective is needed. In addition, it is challenging to define one level of education for students of different universities. Hence, new methods are needed to develop and evaluate generally accepted standards that fit all participating universities and their students.

Conclusions: The application of proposals at BVU and creating VPs with the learning and authoring system CASUS® can be highly recommended to other universities, as well as the establishment of organisations like BVU in other countries.
Evaluation of three educational use cases for using Virtual Patients in Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs): a Delphi study
Authors: Stathakarou Natalia , Zary Nabil , Kononowicz Andrzej A.
Published: June 2015

Background: Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) extended with Virtual Patients (VPs) may foster specific medical skills. In particular, three educational use cases have been proposed to enable interactivity and foster clinical reasoning skills training: collective evaluation of decision making in the context of uncertainty, collective repurposing of cases with division of discussion into subgroups, and computational models in short cases for flexible selection and adaptive learning with VPs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the educational strengths and weaknesses of the proposed use cases.

Methods: We went through a two-round modified Delphi process. A panel of experts was formed and asked with open-ended questions to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each use case. The obtained responses were categorized thematically; four specific aspects of the use cases were isolated. In the second phase, the panel was asked to read the collected, categorized responses and prioritize the use cases focusing on each of the four identified aspects.

Results: Six experts participated in the process. According to their opinion, decision making in uncertain context was the most feasible in implementation and in fostering clinical reasoning skills training; cultural repurposing was judged to leverage the MOOC potential the most; and computational models in short cases were considered the most interesting use case for the learners.

Conclusions: The use cases were validated and prioritized; the Delphi approach brought insights into the use cases’ potential benefits, threats, and challenges.
Degradation of magnetic nanoparticles mimicking lysosomal conditions followed by AC susceptibility
Authors: Gutiérrez Lucía , Romero Sonia , da Silva Gustavo B. , Costo Rocío , Vargas Maria D. , Ronconi Célia M. , Serna Carlos J. , Veintemillas-Verdaguer Sabino , del Puerto Morales María
Published: June 2015

A deeper knowledge on the effects of the degradation of magnetic nanoparticles on their magnetic properties is required to develop tools for the identification and quantification of magnetic nanoparticles in biological media by magnetic means.

Citric acid and phosphonoacetic acid-coated magnetic nanoparticles have been degraded in a medium that mimics lysosomal conditions. Magnetic measurements and transmission electron microscopy have been used to follow up the degradation process.

Particle size is reduced significantly in 24 h at pH 4.5 and body temperature. These transformations affect the magnetic properties of the compounds. A reduction of the interparticle interactions is observed just 4 h after the beginning of the degradation process. A strong paramagnetic contribution coming from the degradation products appears with time.

A model for the
Role of JAK2 V617F mutation and aberrant expression of microRNA-143 in myeloproliferative neoplasms
Authors: Benati Marco , Montagnana Martina , Danese Elisa , De Matteis Giovanna , Veneri Dino , Paviati Elisa , Guidi Gian Cesare
Published: June 2015

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are clonal myeloid disorders characterized by the overproduction of mature blood cells. The pathogenetic hallmark of MPNs is the dysregulation of JAK-STAT signaling, usually associated with the

In total 78 patients with a clinical diagnosis of polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET) and idiopathic myelofibrosis (IM), made according to the WHO 2008 criteria, were included in the study. Twenty healthy subjects were checked as controls. Quantification of

The miR-143 expression in MPNs patients was 2.97-fold higher than in controls.

Our findings of aberrant miR-143 expression support the concept that factors other than
Adenosine deaminase, dipeptidyl peptidase-IV activities and lipid peroxidation are increased in the saliva of obese young adult
Authors: Chielle Eduardo Ottobelli , Bonfanti Gabriela , De Bona Karine Santos , Moresco Rafael Noal , Moretto Maria Beatriz
Published: June 2015

Obesity is the hallmark of the metabolic syndrome representing a major global health problem. It is considered a state of chronic inflammation with minimal exploration of salivary biomarkers. Thus, the intent of the present study was to assess the activities of salivary dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV), adenosine deaminase (ADA) and lipid peroxidation in obese young and overweight young subjects.

ADA, DPP-IV activities and lipid peroxidation were investigated in saliva, as well as insulin, glucose, HbA

Salivary ADA and DPP-IV activities as well as lipid peroxidation were higher in patients with obesity compared to the normal weight group. Correlations between ADA/DPP-IV activities, lipid peroxidation/ADA activity, ADA activity/hip circumference and BMI/weight were observed.

Our results indicate that the increase in the salivary ADA and DPP-IV activities as well as in the lipid peroxidation could be related of the regulation to various aspects of adipose tissue function and inflammatory obesity. It is suggested that these salivary biomarkers may be used as biochemical test in clinical abnormalities present in obesity, in the absence of oral inflammatory diseases.
Preservation of urine free catecholamines and their free O-methylated metabolites with citric acid as an alternative to hydrochloric acid for LC-MS/MS-based analyses
Authors: Peitzsch Mirko , Pelzel Daniela , Lattke Peter , Siegert Gabriele , Eisenhofer Graeme
Published: June 2015

Measurements of urinary fractionated metadrenalines provide a useful screening test to diagnose phaeochromocytoma. Stability of these compounds and their parent catecholamines during and after urine collection is crucial to ensure accuracy of the measurements. Stabilisation with hydrochloric acid (HCl) can promote deconjugation of sulphate-conjugated metadrenalines, indicating a need for alternative preservatives.

Urine samples with an intrinsically acidic or alkaline pH (5.5–6.9 or 7.1–8.7, respectively) were used to assess stability of free catecholamines and their free O-methylated metabolites over 7 days of room temperature storage. Stabilisation with HCl was compared with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid/metabisulphite and monobasic citric acid. Catecholamines and metabolites were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Free catecholamines and their O-methylated metabolites were stable in acidic urine samples over 7 days of room temperature storage, independent of the presence or absence of any stabilisation method. In contrast, free catecholamines, but not the free O-methylated metabolites, showed rapid degradation within 24 h and continuing degradation over 7 days in urine samples with an alkaline pH. Adjustment of alkaline urine samples to a pH of 3–5 with HCl or 4.8–5.4 with citric acid completely blocked degradation of catecholamines. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid/metabisulphite, although reducing the extent of degradation of catecholamines in alkaline urine, was largely ineffectual as a stabiliser.

Citric acid is equally effective as HCl for stabilisation of urinary free catecholamines and minimises hazards associated with use of strong inorganic acids while avoiding deconjugation of sulphate-conjugated metabolites during simultaneous LC-MS/MS measurements of free catecholamines and their free O-methylated metabolites.
Spray dried calcium gelled arabinoxylan microspheres: A novel carrier for extended drug delivery
Authors: Lee Cheah Jue , Nah Chew Sin , Teng Chin Siew , Jun Wee Wen , Saravanan Muniyandy
Published: June 2015

Arabinoxylan (AX) microspheres were formulated by ionotropic gelation for extended drug delivery. AX from Plantago ovata was tested for gelation with aluminium, barium, calcium, magnesium, and iron(III) chloride. Only calcium was found to lead to weak gelation with AX. The conventional needle extrusion produced fragile AX beads with calcium and hence the spray drying process was adopted for the preparation of metronidazole hydrochloride (MH) loaded AX microspheres. MH loading in AX microspheres was 30.8 mass %, 31.9 mass %, and 29.3 mass % in formulations gelled with 0.05 g, 0.1 g, and 0.15 g of calcium chloride per 100 mL of solution, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed the crystallinity reduction of MH in microspheres. The surface of drug loaded calcium gelled AX microsphere was rougher than that of an ungelled one. Interactions of calcium with AX and the amorphous nature of the drug in the microspheres were evidenced by infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies. Calcium-induced gelation can extend the drug release to over 90 min in 0.1 M HCl despite the hydrophilic nature of AX and the high solubility of metronidazole.
Characterization and optimization of mesoporous magnetic nanoparticles for immobilization and enhanced performance of porcine pancreatic lipase
Authors: Shao Yong-Bo , Jing Tao , Tian Jing-Zhi , Zheng Yong-Jie , Shang Ming-Hui
Published: June 2015

In this paper, Fe
Violent audiovisual content and social consequences: The moderating role of aggression in adolescents
Authors: Brändle Gaspar , M. Cardaba Miguel Angel , Rivera Reynaldo G.
Published: June 2015

Numerous studies have linked the consumption of violent audiovisual content to the increase of aggressive cognitions and behaviors. This research aims to clarify whether the possible harmful consequences of violent videogames might vary depending on an individual variable such as trait aggressiveness. A correlational study was carried out among 6,130 teenagers (average age of 13.8 years) from two European countries, in which it became evident, by means of multiple regression analyses, that there was a positive correlation between the use of violent videogames and aggressive behavioral intentions. More relevantly, these correlations were greater amongst those subjects with higher scores on the Aggression Scale. Finally, when analyzing the subjective experiences of users of violent videogames, the more aggressive individuals manifested a greater desire to imitate the characters of the interactive content, admitting that they ended up more agitated even when their initial objective was to relieve tension or relax. Practical and theoretical implications (e.g., Catharsis theory) of those results are discussed.
Young people and television fiction. Reception analysis
Authors: Lacalle Charo
Published: June 2015

This article presents the findings of an audience research conducted with 86 young Spanish people aged 15 to 29 years. The investigation examines the modes of reception of television fiction, and the impact of the shows on the viewers. Friends’ influence on the choice of program, and the tendency to use social networks to comment on the shows and to talk about themselves, underline the crucial role played by TV fiction and new technologies in socialization processes. While most participants criticized the propensity of television fiction to build extreme stereotypes, they also showed a clear predilection for Spanish programs, and admitted that their characters often offer inspiration to face everyday problems.
Pharmacogenetics of drug-metabolizing enzymes in Italian populations
Authors: Serpe Loredana , Canaparo Roberto , Scordo Maria Gabriella , Spina Edoardo
Published: June 2015

Drug-metabolizing enzymes play a major role in the biotransformation and subsequent elimination of most drugs and xenobiotics from the body. Both phase I and phase II enzymes are highly polymorphic. Inter-individual differences in genes coding for drug-metabolizing enzymes are important for understanding variability in drug response and for individualization of drug prescription. The prevalence of genetic polymorphisms in drug metabolism varies widely with ethnicity, and marked differences in the distribution of allelic variants of genes encoding drug-metabolizing enzymes have been documented in populations of different racial origin. This review aimed to summarize the available studies on genetic polymorphisms associated with drug metabolism conducted in Italian populations and to compare the frequency of the various metabolizer phenotypes and most common variant alleles (and resulting genotypes) with corresponding values from other populations. Notably, published data are not extensive, and most studies were performed on relatively low numbers of individuals. In general, the frequency of polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 (CYP) genes as well as in the investigated phase II enzymes in the Italian population was similar to values reported for other Caucasian populations. However, the prevalence of CYP2D6 gene duplication among Italians was found to be very high, confirming the higher frequency of CYP2D6 ultrarapid metabolizers in the Mediterranean area compared to Northern Europe. It is worth noting that a geographic gradient in the flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 polymorphism distribution was also seen, the Italian population showing higher similarity to other Mediterranean populations than to North Europeans.
Constraint Effects on Torque-Actuated Bistable Energy Harvesters
Authors: Porter Daniel A. , Berfield Thomas A.
Published: June 2015

The effect of boundary conditions on a bistable device that buckles into an “S” shape and utilizes polyvinylidene fluoride is evaluated. Four permutations with different center constraints are the perfectly pinned circular steel, rigid glued circular steel, 3×1 and 5×1 3D printed rectangle polylactic acid prototypes. Using a load of 30 MΩ, which was close to the optimal load resistance, frequency sweeps in the forward and reverse directions indicated different nonlinearities depending on if the device is buckled or not. Peak resonant frequencies for the devices are around 18 to 30 Hz with bistable actuation occurring as low as 0.3 g
rms. Damping was measured using logarithmic decrement, linear and nonlinear half-power methods. Results showed that the devices have an average damping ratio of 4.1%. The buckled 3×1 mm device with short compliance arms generated 12.6 μW at 21.1 Hz when swept forward at 0.4 g
rms and had the highest figure-of-merit (FoMBW) metric of all devices tested. Unbuckled devices tended to exhibit a spring stiffening nonlinearity while buckled devices obtained higher power outputs in the forward direction but could have their operating frequencies significantly lowered if swept backward. All buckled devices tested during a chirp input could be promoted to high-energy orbits for enhanced performance.
On some inequalities for functions whose
absolute values of the second derivatives are α-, m-,
(α,m)-logarithmically convex
Authors: Karabayir İbrahi̇m , Tunç Mevlüt , Yüksel Ebru
Published: June 2015

In this paper, we establish some new Hadamard-type inequalities using
elementary well-known inequalities for functions whose
absolute values of the second derivatives are α-, m-, (α,m)-logarithmically convex.
Synthesis of fire retardants based on N and P and poly(sodium silicate-aluminum dihydrogen phosphate) (PSADP) and testing the flame-retardant properties of PSADP impregnated poplar wood
Authors: Zhang Xiaoteng , Mu Jun , Chu Demiao , Zhao Yang
Published: June 2015

The development of fire retardants (FRs) is an approximative process of optimization. In this context, a novel water-soluble formulation with poly(sodium silicate-aluminum dihydrogen phosphate) (PSADP) has been developed, aiming at reduced hygroscopicity and enhanced leaching resistance of poplar wood in combination with nitrogen-phosphorus (NP) FR (FRNP). After treatment of wood with FRNP and PSADP in vacuum, the following data of the samples were determined: rate of hydroscopicity, leaching resistance, heat release rate (HRR), total HR (THR), effective combustion heat, mass loss, and concentration of flue gas. FR distribution in the wood’s inner surface was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA). Results show that PSADP and FRNP have favorable synergistic effects on moisture resistance and flame retardance. Smoke density (SD) of NP and PSADP treated samples shows a significant reduction relative to that of NP. NP-PSADP treated samples form more char with carbon layers of higher density. At the same time, FRNP-PSADP is evenly distributed over the inner wood surfaces and penetrates the cell cavities of the poplar wood.
Computational Fluid Dynamics-Based Hydrodynamics Studies in Packed Bed Columns: Current Status and Future Directions
Authors: Malang Jameson , Kumar Perumal , Saptoro Agus
Published: June 2015

A careful review of the literature reveals that extensive research has been done on the hydrodynamics in packed bed columns using turbulence models. It can be noted that the choice of turbulence model is influenced by the number of phases, type of fluid, Reynolds number range and the type of packing. Thus, comparison of turbulence models for the selection of a suitable model assumes great importance for the better prediction of flow pattern. This is due to the fact that poor prediction of the flow pattern can lead to a limited heat and mass transfer model as the rate of transfer processes in packed bed is governed by the hydrodynamics of the packed bed. The aim of this paper is to give a review of the computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based hydrodynamics studies of packed bed columns with the primary interest of studying pressure drop and drag coefficient in packed beds. From the literature survey in Science Direct database, more than 48,000 papers related to packed bed columns have been published with more than 3,000 papers focused on the hydrodynamic studies of the bed to date. Unfortunately, there are only a few studies reported on the hydrodynamics of packed columns under supercritical fluid condition. Therefore, it is imperative that the future work has to focus on the hydrodynamics of supercritical packed column and particularly on the selection of suitable turbulence model.
Transesterification of Degummed Jatropha curcas Oil Using Tri-potassium Phosphate as Base Catalyst
Authors: Satyanarayana Murthy Y. V. V. , Resapu Rajeswara R. , Satyanarayana M. R. S. , Jogi Ramakrishna
Published: June 2015

Jatropha curcas oil and methanol are transesterified using potassium triphosphate as base catalyst. The effects of methanol to oil molar ratio, reaction temperature, stirring speed, catalyst concentration, solubility and its reusability on the yield of biodiesel are investigated. The base catalyst tri-potassium phosphate (K3PO4) is found to be highly suitable for oils having less than 1.5% free fatty acids (FFA). Highest biodiesel yield (approximately 92%) is acquired under optimum conditions of 9:1 methanol to oil molar ratio, 2% catalyst at 70°C reaction temperature at a stirring speed of 650 rpm. The chemical activity of K3PO4 is found to be similar to that of base catalyst potassium hydroxide (KOH) and the catalyst solubility in biodiesel as determined by atomic absorption spectra is only 4.81 ppm. It has been found that K3PO4 is highly hygroscopic and its reusability drastically decreases upon further usage and it can be reused only in wetted condition for three continuous usages with drastic reduction in catalytic strength. The biodiesel samples prepared were tested for several physicochemical properties and compared with the values of European biodiesel standards. The fatty acid methyl esters (FAME), also referred to as jatropha methyl esters (JME) in this paper, have been analyzed by gas chromatography and thermogravimetric analysis.
Dying with dementia: most frequent symptoms. A review of the literature / Sterben mit Demenz: die häufigsten Symptome. Eine Literaturübersicht
Authors: Koppitz Andrea , Waldboth Veronika , Dreizler Jutta , Imhof Lorenz
Published: June 2015

Sensing, observing and interpreting the symptoms of persons suffering from dementia is very challenging. The difficulties lie in their restricted capacity to communicate and irregular transitions from a chronic-stable to an acute-critical condition both in the course of their symptoms and in the slow but continuous process of deterioration.

The aim of this integrative literature review was to identify the symptoms dementia patients present in the final twelve months of their lives and to identify instruments for symptom assessment. To this end, a comprehensive literature search within the electronic databases Medline® (PubMed), Cinahl® (EBSCO), PsycINFO® (OVID) and Cochrane Library for systematic reviews® and for clinical trials® in both German and English was performed including publications from January 2000 to July 2012.

Six symptoms were identified as frequent and common in the end-of-life phase of people with dementia: respiratory distress, pain, mood swings, restricted mobility, restricted food and fluid intake and behavioural and psychosocial symptoms. Knowledge of atypical symptom manifestation requires critical reflection about perceptions and observations, interpretation of these observations, development of assumptions and location within the context of everyday life in the meaning of clinical reasoning.
“Amaphi ama-subjects eniwa-enjoy-ayo esikolweni?”: Code-switching and language practices among bilingual learners in the Eastern Cape
Authors: Ron Simango Silvester
Published: June 2015

The speech behaviour in which at least two distinct languages are used in the same conversation (code-switching) is a pervasive feature found in the language produced by fluent bilinguals, particularly when the speakers engage in informal conversation. The multilingual context of South Africa ensures that code-switching is not only a common phenomenon, but that it is probably the most natural speech pattern for presenting multiple identities of self. This study explored the language practices of isiXhosa learners at different stages of an English-medium grade school to determine (a) the stage at which code-switching between isiXhosa and English emerges as a feature of informal speech and (b) the extent to which increased competence in English affects the nature of code-switching which may in turn serve as an indicator of language shift from isiXhosa to English. The study revealed that as early as the Foundation Phase code-switching seems to be a prominent feature of informal speech in certain contexts. More importantly the study revealed that, contrary to expectations, increased competence in English does not necessarily lead to language shift from isiXhosa to English, but rather it leads to more integrated usage of both English and isiXhosa.
Investigating literacy narratives among ethno-linguistically diverse South African students
Authors: Carstens Adelia
Published: June 2015

This article reports on a study of pre-service teachers’ literacy narratives in a South African institution of higher learning. Literacy self-narratives of 57 students were collected and analysed for categories and themes under narrator and sponsor identities through the use of AtlasTi software. The results of the study show the role of historical, cultural and political contexts in shaping literacy identities of student teachers. The results also show huge disparities of literacy experiences among different racial and gender groupings, which highlight social and educational opportunities. Using New literacies and Multiliteracies frameworks, I consider how these literacy challenges may be transformed to facilitate a just and equitable society. Particular implications of the students’ constructions of literacy identities are considered at the end of the article.
Chemical Composition and Amounts of Mineral Elements in Honeybee-Collected Pollen in Relation to Botanical Origin
Authors: Taha El-Kazafy Abdou
Published: June 2015

This study was conducted at the apiary of the Agricultural and Veterinary Training and Research Station, King Faisal University, Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. The purpose was to study the relationship between the botanical origin and chemical composition of bee-collected pollen. The amount of mineral elements present in bee-collected pollen was also studied. The composition of pollen loads showed the maximum contents of dry matter, ash, glucose, fructose, magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P), and manganese (Mn) for the date palm; the maximum contents of protein, calcium (Ca), and zinc (Zn) for alfalfa; the maximum contents of fiber, and copper (Cu) for the sunflower; the maximum contents of the lipids and iron (Fe) for summer squash; and the maximum contents of sodium (Na), and potassium (K) for rape. Calcium was found to be correlated in a significantly (p<0.01) positive way with K, Na, Mg, P, Mn, and Zn. Copper, though, was correlated in a significantly (p<0.01) negative way with Ca, Mg, P, Mn, and Zn. The high levels of protein, ash, glucose, and fructose, and low lipid content found in bee-pollen from the date palm and from alfalfa, mean that pollen from the date palm and from alfalfa make an excellent food supplement. It was concluded, that the chemical composition of beecollected pollen can be correlated with the plant species from which pollen was collected.
The Effects of Pollen Protein Content on Colony Development of the Bumblebee, Bombus Terrestris L.
Authors: Baloglu Güney Hikmet , Gurel Fehmi
Published: June 2015

The effects of pollen protein content on the colony development of Bombus terrestris were investigated by feeding queens and queenright colonies with four different pollen diets. We used three kinds of commercially available pure pollen (Cistus spp. 11.9%, Papaver somniferum 21.4%, and Sinapis arvensis 21.8% crude protein). We also used a mixture which was made up of equal weights of these pure pollens (18.4 % crude protein). All queens and colonies were fed with sugar syrup and pollen diets ad libitum (28 ± 1 ℃, 65 ± 5% RH). Until there were 50 workers reached, colonies fed with the Cistus pollen diet (167.4 ± 28.9 g) consumed significantly more pollen than colonies fed with the Papaver pollen diet (140.7 ± 15.7 g), the mixed pollen diet (136.2 ± 20.1 g) or colonies fed with the Sinapis pollen diet (132.4 ± 22.6 g). The date when there were 50 workers reached was approximately one week later in the colonies fed with the Cistus, and colonies fed with the Papaver diet than in the colonies fed with the Sinapis diet, and for colonies fed with the mixed pollen diets. Considering 8 tested criteria, the best performances were observed using the Sinapis, and using the mixed pollen diets. The lowest performances were observed using the Cistus pollen diet. Results showed that pollen sources play an important role in commercial bumblebee rearing. Results also showed that the polyfloral pollen diets are more suitable for mass rearing of bumblebees than the unifloral pollen diets.
Antioxidant and Tyrosinase Inhibitory Properties of Aqueous Ethanol Extracts from Monofloral Bee Pollen
Authors: Zhang Hongcheng , Wang Xue , Wang Kai , Li Chunyang
Published: June 2015

Bee pollen has been used for many years in traditional medicine and supplementary nutrients. Bee pollen is mainly composed of nutrients and bioactive substances which might act as potential antioxidants and tyrosinase inhibitors. In this study, 14 species of monofloral bee pollen from China were collected to analyse their antioxidant and tyrosinase inhibitory properties. Our results revealed that virtually all the bee pollen samples possessed powerful antioxidant or tyrosinase inhibitory activities. These properties varied greatly depending on the fl oral species and extraction solvents. To extract phenolics of various species of bee pollen, the most effective solvent may be a solvent which is a 75 wt. % ethanol/water. Extracts of wuweizi, rape, phellodendron, apricot, and dandelion pollen had stronger antioxidant activities; on the other hand, those of apricot, camellia, and sunflower presented excellent tyrosinase inhibitory activities. In addition, we may have found a novel discovery: that apricot pollen exhibits both powerful antioxidant and strong tyrosinase inhibitory activities.
The Valuation of a Patent through the Real Options Approach: A Tutorial
Authors: Iazzolino Gianpaolo , Migliano Giuseppe
Published: June 2015

The importance of knowledge and other intangible activities for the success of an enterprise have been broadly recognized over the last few years. In this paper a tutorial is illustrated on the valuation of a patent through the real options approach (ROA), since the use of the discounted cash flow (DCF) methods, such as the net present value (NPV), seems to show issues when evaluating opportunities, such as the ones offered by intangible activities. The logic underlying ROA is tightly based on financial options and, in this sense, uncertainty can be seen as an opportunity, and not necessarily as a threat and its effect on the value of an activity can become positive. The patent analysed (registered in 2009) is a patent by the Alfa Group (this is not the real name of the firm but is used here for privacy reasons), which is a worldwide leader in the production of Getters, metallic elements that, through a chemical absorption process, keep the devices in which they are embedded in vacuum status. Such equipment is used in lightning systems, monitor screens, flat screen TVs, etc. In this tutorial, an ROA has been developed in order to demonstrate how the value of intangible assets can be estimated by using an Italian case study that can be useful for further studies and uses.
The distribution of quadratic residues and non-residues in the Goldwasser–Micali type of cryptosystem. II
Authors: Justus Benjamin
Published: June 2015

We provide three statistical laws concerning the limit distribution of quadratic residues and quadratic non-residues in

ℤ
/
N
ℤ

${\mathbb {Z}/N\mathbb {Z}}$

, where

N
=
p
q

${{N= pq}}$

is
an RSA modulus used in the Goldwasser–Micali cryptosystem.
Cryptanalysis of the MORE symmetric key fully homomorphic encryption scheme
Authors: Tsaban Boaz , Lifshitz Noam
Published: June 2015

The fully homomorphic symmetric encryption scheme MORE encrypts
random keys by conjugation with a random invertible matrix over an RSA modulus.
We provide a known-ciphertext cryptanalysis recovering a linear dependence
among any pair of encrypted keys.
Conservation-dissipation formalism of irreversible thermodynamics
Authors: Zhu Yi , Hong Liu , Yang Zaibao , Yong Wen-An
Published: June 2015

We propose a conservation-dissipation formalism (CDF) for coarse-grained descriptions of irreversible processes. This formalism is based on a stability criterion for non-equilibrium thermodynamics. The criterion ensures that non-equilibrium states tend to equilibrium in long time. As a systematic methodology, CDF provides a feasible procedure in choosing non-equilibrium state variables and determining their evolution equations. The equations derived in CDF have a unified elegant form. They are globally hyperbolic, allow a convenient definition of weak solutions, and are amenable to existing numerics. More importantly, CDF is a genuinely nonlinear formalism and works for systems far away from equilibrium. With this formalism, we formulate novel thermodynamics theories for heat conduction in rigid bodies and non-isothermal compressible Maxwell fluid flows as two typical examples. In these examples, the non-equilibrium variables are exactly the conjugate variables of the heat fluxes or stress tensors.
The new theory generalizes Cattaneo's law or Maxwell's law in a regularized and nonlinear fashion.
Anti-Müllerian hormone in children: a ten-year prospective longitudinal study (EarlyBird 39)
Authors: Jeffery Alison , Streeter Adam J. , Hosking Joanne , Wilkin Terence J. , Nelson Scott M.
Published: June 2015

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is produced by Sertoli cells of the testes and granulosa cells of the ovary. There are limited prospective longitudinal data assessing AMH concentrations throughout childhood in both sexes.

This study aimed to examine AMH throughout childhood with particular reference to the relationship of AMH to pubertal development in both sexes.

This is a prospective longitudinal non-intervention cohort study with annual sampling for participants aged 5–14 years.

Community cohort study.

A total of 307 healthy children (170 boys) recruited at 5 years from randomly selected schools in Plymouth, UK, participated in this study. Data sets are complete in 76% of the children at 14 years of age.

Annual measures of serum AMH, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH), Tanner stage (TS).

Boys: AMH was stable from 5 to 7 years, increased slightly from 8 to 10 years, then declined at TS2. This decline was preceded by rising FSH and the appearance of LH. AMH correlated inversely with gonadotrophic hormones during puberty. Girls: AMH increased slightly between 6 and 10 years, peaking during the final prepubertal year before returning to near baseline levels at TS3. Inverse correlations between AMH and FSH were apparent during the prepubertal years.

Our longitudinal data clarified the development of individual AMH levels over a 10-year period. We described modest late prepubertal peaks in both boys and girls, and confirmed the pubertal decline in boys. The inverse association of AMH with gonadotrophins in young females supports its role as a marker of ovarian function, while the precise role for AMH in relation to testicular function in young males remains unclear.