bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Elatostema scaposum sp. nov. (Urticaceae) from Guizhou, China
Authors: Yang Zhi‐Rong , Duan Lin‐Dong , Lin Qi
Published: June 2011

Elatostema scaposum Q. Lin & L. D. Duan (Urticaceae: Elatostema sect. Pellionioides W. T. Wang), a new species from Libo County, Guizhou Province, China, is described and illustrated. This species was found growing at the base of a large limestone chamber at an altitude of ca 800 m a.s.l., and differs from all other species in Elatostema sect. Pellionioides W. T. Wang by scapiform male inflorescences (axillary in other species of Elatostema sect. Pellionioides).
Process Factors Influence on Cavity Pressure Behavior in Microinjection Moulding
Authors: Griffiths C. A. , Dimov S. S. , Scholz S. , Hirshy H. , Tosello G.
Published: June 2011

Process monitoring of microinjection moulding (μIM) is of crucial importance when analysing the effect of different parameter settings on the process and then in assessing its quality. Quality factors related to cavity pressure can provide valuable information about the process dynamics and also about the filling behavior of different polymer melts. In this paper, a pressure sensor mounted inside a tool cavity was employed to analyse maximum cavity pressure, pressure increase rate during filling and pressure work. The influence of four μIM parameters, melt temperature, mould temperature, injection speed, and packing pressure on these three pressure-related process parameters was investigated. A design of experiment study was conducted by moulding a test part, a microfluidic component, in three different polymer materials, PP, ABS, and PC. The results show a similar process behavior for all three polymers, in particular a higher injection speed led to a reduction of the pressure work while a lower mould temperature reduces the pressure rate.
Determination of Disk Diffusion and MIC Quality Control Guidelines for JNJ-Q2, a Novel Quinolone
Authors: Ross James E. , Liverman Lisa C. , Jones Ronald N.
Published: June 2011

JNJ-Q2 is a novel fluorinated 4-quinolone in development for treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. This quality control (QC) study was performed to establish ranges for control strains:
Staphylococcus aureus
ATCC 29213 (0.004 to 0.015 μg/ml),
Enterococcus faecalis
ATCC 29212 (0.015 to 0.06 μg/ml),
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
ATCC 27853 (0.5 to 2 μg/ml and 17 to 23 mm),
Escherichia coli
ATCC 25922 (0.008 to 0.03 μg/ml and 30 to 36 mm),
Haemophilus influenzae
ATCC 49247 (0.002 to 0.015 μg/ml and 31 to 39 mm),
Streptococcus pneumoniae
ATCC 49619 (0.004 to 0.015 μg/ml and 28 to 35 mm), and
S. aureus
ATCC 25923 (32 to 38 mm). These ranges will be crucial in evaluating JNJ-Q2 potency as it progresses through clinical trial development.
A KIND OF NEW CONTINUOUS LIMITS OF AN INTEGRABLE COUPLING SYSTEM FOR DISCRETE AKNS HIERARCHY
Authors: YU FA-JUN
Published: June 2011

We present a kind of new continuous limits of an integrable coupling system for discrete AKNS hierarchy by using of Lie algebra sl(4). By introducing a complex discrete spectral problem, a coupling lattice hierarchy is derived. It is shown that a new sequence of combinations of complex lattice spectral problem converges to the integrable couplings of soliton equation hierarchy, which has the integrable coupling system of AKNS hierarchy as a continuous limit.
TRANSIENT HYDROMAGNETIC FLOW OF A VISCOUS FLUID
Authors: HAYAT T. , NEOSSI NGUETCHUE S. N. , MAHOMED F. M.
Published: June 2011

This investigation deals with the time-dependent flow of an incompressible viscous fluid bounded by an infinite plate. The fluid is electrically conducting under the influence of a transverse magnetic field. The plate moves with a time dependent velocity in its own plane. Both fluid and plate exhibit rigid body rotation with a constant angular velocity. The solutions for arbitrary velocity and magnetic field is presented through similarity and numerical approaches. It is found that rotation induces oscillations in the flow.
MODIFIED PROJECTION METHOD FOR GENERAL VARIATIONAL INEQUALITIES
Authors: BNOUHACHEM ABDELLAH , NOOR MUHAMMAD ASLAM , SHENG ZHAOHAN
Published: June 2011

In this paper, we suggest and analyze a modified descent-projection method for solving general variational inequalities. The method makes use of a descent direction to produce the new iterate and can be viewed as an improvement of the descent-projection method by using a new step size. We also prove the global convergence of the proposed method. An example is given to illustrate the efficiency and its comparison with other methods. Since the general variational inequalities include quasi variational inequalities and implicit complementarity problems as special cases, results proved in this paper continue to hold for these problems.
ENHANCEMENT OF ENERGY PRODUCT WITH INSERTION OF Ti BETWEEN EXCHANGE COUPLED Sm–Co AND Fe LAYERS
Authors: SHAHZAD FURRUKH , SIDDIQI SAADAT ANWAR , YAN SHI-SHEN , SABIEH ANWAR M. , RAMAY S. M.
Published: June 2011

Bilayers of Sm – Co / Fe have been fabricated on 70 nm Cr buffered Si (100) substrate at an elevated temperature of 650°C by the help of DC and RF magnetron sputtering. Very thin layers (0–0.7 nm) of Ti were introduced at the interface of the Sm – Co and Fe phases. The samples were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and alternating gradient magnetometer (AGM). All the samples showed strong exchange coupling and single phase behavior. The rise and fall in magnetization and energy product were observed with increasing Ti interlayer thickness. Energy product (BH) max value was found increased by 44% for 0.2 nm Ti interlayer as compared to the sample without Ti layer at interface.
CALCULATION OF THE DAMPING CONSTANT AND ACTIVATION ENERGY FOR RAMAN MODES IN (NH4)2SO4
Authors: YURTSEVEN H. , KARACALI H. , KIRACI A.
Published: June 2011

The temperature dependence of the damping constant is calculated for various Raman modes in ( NH 4)2 SO 4 by the expressions derived from the soft mode–hard mode coupling model and the energy fluctuation model. The expressions for the damping constant are fitted to the measured Raman bandwidths and then the activation energies are extracted, which are equal to ~0.2 eV for the Raman modes studied. The damping constant of a soft mode is also calculated and the activation energy (~0.1 eV) is deduced in this crystal. Values of the activation energies obtained here, can be compared with the value of k B T C = 0.02 eV for ( NH 4)2 SO 4. This indicates that this ferroelectric material undergoes an order–disorder transition. It is concluded that the observed behaviour of ( NH 4)2 SO 4 can be described reasonably by the soft mode–hard mode coupling model considered here.
ELECTRICAL, MAGNETIC AND DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF Zn1-xCdxO SYSTEM
Authors: KAMRUZZAMAN M. , KHAN M. K. R. , RAHMAN M. M. , KARAL M. A. S. , SHAHJAHAN M. , AHSAN M. RAFIQUL
Published: June 2011

The ternary system Zn 1-x Cd x O (x = 0.00, 0.01, 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15) samples have been synthesized by the solid solution route. The synthesized samples were characterized by their electrical, magnetic and dielectric properties. The resistivity of the samples decreases with increase of Cd concentration and temperature, respectively. The activation energy at 339 K varies from 0.426 to 0.146 eV. The ternary system possesses a negative mass susceptibility having pair of electrons confirmed by the magnetic mass susceptibility measurement. The dielectric constant of the samples increases with increase of Cd and decreases with frequency initially and then remains constant.
ELECTRIC DIPOLE AGGREGATES IN VERY DILUTE POLAR LIQUIDS: THEORY AND EXPERIMENTAL EVIDENCE
Authors: YINNON TAMAR A. , YINNON CARMI A.
Published: June 2011

We show that rotational excited aggregates with an electric dipole moment may be created in polar liquids. Under proper storage conditions, the life times of the aggregates are very long, e.g., days and even years. In solutions, the aggregates are composed of solvent molecules only or a combination of these and solute particles. The process steps leading to the formation of the aggregates are: (1) vigorous succussing the liquid or its solution; (2) adding nonsuccussed liquid; (3) repetition of step (1) and (2). In solutions, formation of the aggregates requires that these steps are repeated until the concentration is reduced below a solvent and solute specific molarity, which under room temperature and pressure conditions, typically, is of the order of 10-4M or below. The characteristics of liquids containing aggregates with an electric dipole, theoretically derived in this paper, conform to the experimentally observed ones, reported in the literature.
REMOTE-SENSING EXPERT CLASSIFICATION OF LAND USE/LAND COVER TYPES USING FRACTAL DIMENSIONS OVER A SUBTROPICAL HILLY REGION IN CHINA
Authors: ZHU JI , LIN ZIYU , LI XIAOZHOU
Published: June 2011

In the work, a simple and reliable algorithm is presented to calculate the fractal dimension of single pixel for the remote sensing images, and the fractal dimension values obtained by the algorithm proposed in this work have positive correlation with the complexity of surface features. On the basis of a scene of Landsat7 ETM+ (i.e., Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus) data and the proposed algorithm, expert classification models and fractal technique were introduced to identify the ground objects in a Chinese subtropical hilly region, where surface features are very diverse and complex. In the work, the different land use/land cover types, especially the different vegetation categories were successfully identified using the ETM+ image, and this classification has an overall accuracy of 80.25% and a K hat of 0.7738, which are higher than those of the traditional supervised classification.
PREDICTABILITY OF MOVING AVERAGE RULES AND NONLINEAR PROPERTIES OF STOCK RETURNS: EVIDENCE FROM THE CHINA STOCK MARKET
Authors: Wang Zhigang , Zeng Yong , Pan Heping , Li Ping
Published: June 2011

This paper investigates the predictability of moving average rules for the China stock market. We find that buy signals generate higher returns and less volatility, while returns following sell signals are negative and more volatile. Moreover, the bootstrapping results indicate that the asymmetrical patterns of return and volatility between buy and sell signals cannot be explained by four popular linear models of returns, especially the phenomenon of negative sell returns. We then test the nonlinear dynamic process of returns. Although the existing artificial neural network (ANN) model can replicate the negative sell returns, it fails to capture the volatility patterns of buy and sell returns. Furthermore, we introduce the conditional heteroskedasticity structure into the ANN model and find that the revised ANN model cannot only explain the predictability of returns, but can also capture the patterns of buy and sell volatility, which are never achieved by any linear model of returns tested in the related literature. Therefore, we conclude that the moving average trading rules can pick up some of the hidden nonlinear patterns in the dynamic process of stock returns, which may be the reason why they can be used to predict price changes.
Lanthanide Aluminates as Dielectrics for Non-Volatile Memory Applications: Material Aspects
Authors: Adelmann C. , Swerts J. , Richard O. , Conard T. , Popovici M. , Meersschaut J. , Afanas’ev V. V. , Breuil L. , Cacciato A. , Opsomer K. , Brijs B. , Tielens H. , Pourtois G. , Bender H. , Jurczak M. , Houdt J. Van , Elshocht S. Van , Kittl J. A.
Published: June 2011

The lanthanide aluminates GdAlO3and LuAlO3have been examined for integration into advanced non-volatile memory devices. From a materials point of view, a number of physical properties of the material need to be understood prior to successful device integration, such ase.g.band gap, dielectric permittivity, or crystallization behavior. In addition to these material properties, the layers may have to withstand high thermal budgets during device processing such that thermal stability and interdiffusion in contact with surrounding materials become important.
Spatial structure of multiwhisker receptive fields in the barrel cortex is stimulus dependent
Authors: Le Cam Julie , Estebanez Luc , Jacob Vincent , Shulz Daniel E.
Published: June 2011

The tactile sensations mediated by the whisker-trigeminal system allow rodents to efficiently detect and discriminate objects. These capabilities rely strongly on the temporal and spatial structure of whisker deflections. Subthreshold but also spiking receptive fields in the barrel cortex encompass a large number of vibrissae, and it seems likely that the functional properties of these multiwhisker receptive fields reflect the multiple-whisker interactions encountered by the animal during exploration of its environment. The aim of this study was to examine the dependence of the spatial structure of cortical receptive fields on stimulus parameters. Using a newly developed 24-whisker stimulation matrix, we applied a forward correlation analysis of spiking activity to randomized whisker deflections (sparse noise) to characterize the receptive fields that result from caudal and rostral directions of whisker deflection. We observed that the functionally determined principal whisker, the whisker eliciting the strongest response with the shortest latency, differed according to the direction of whisker deflection. Thus, for a given neuron, maximal responses to opposite directions of whisker deflections could be spatially separated. This spatial separation resulted in a displacement of the center of mass between the rostral and caudal subfields and was accompanied by differences between response latencies in rostral and caudal directions of whisker deflection. Such direction-dependent receptive field organization was observed in every cortical layer. We conclude that the spatial structure of receptive fields in the barrel cortex is not an intrinsic property of the neuron but depends on the properties of sensory input.
Circulating Cell-Free DNA in Plasma of Never Smokers with Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma Receiving Gefitinib or Standard Chemotherapy as First-Line Therapy
Authors: Lee Young Joo , Yoon Kyong-Ah , Han Ji-Youn , Kim Heung Tae , Yun Tak , Lee Geon Kook , Kim Hyae Young , Lee Jin Soo
Published: June 2011

Purpose: Circulating cell-free DNA (CFDNA) was investigated as potential screening or prognostic markers in a variety of cancers. This study investigated its clinical significance in a homogeneous group of lung cancer patients.

Experimental Design: We analyzed the blood samples of 134 never smokers with advanced lung adenocarcinoma, who were enrolled in a prospective randomized phase III study (First-SIGNAL) comparing gefitinib with gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) as first-line therapy. The amount of plasma CFDNA was measured by real-time quantitative PCR targeting the human ACTB genomic sequence. The patients were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of baseline plasma CFDNA.

Results: Baseline plasma CFDNA did not correlate with primary tumor size (P = 0.961), whereas the number of metastatic sites correlated significantly with baseline plasma CFDNA (P = 0.015). In the GP arm, the low-CFDNA group showed a lower response rate than the middle- or high-CFDNA group (26.1%, 57.9%, and 60.9%, respectively; P = 0.035). However, in the gefitinib arm, there was no difference in response rate between the three CFDNA groups (57.1%, 47.4%, and 51.9%; respectively; P = 0.825). The high tertile CFDNA group showed a significantly shorter survival than the low tertile CFDNA group (median overall survival, 16.0 vs. 28.6 months, respectively; P = 0.030). The risk of death increased with increased baseline plasma CFDNA (HR = 1.23, 95% CI, 1.01–1.50; P = 0.045).

Conclusion: High plasma CFDNA is associated with aggressive tumor behavior and poor survival outcomes in these patients. Clin Cancer Res; 17(15); 5179–87. ©2011 AACR.
Effect of Progesterone Withdrawal on Hypothalamic Mechanisms Related to Prolactin Release in Late Pregnant Rats
Authors: Bonafede Melisa M. , Valdez Susana R. , Campo Verde Arboccó Fiorella , Pennacchio Gisela E. , Soaje Marta , Jahn Graciela A.
Published: June 2011

Background/Aims: Progesterone (P4) fall provoked by spontaneous or prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α)-induced luteolysis in late pregnant rats triggers a prolactin (PRL) surge 12–24 h later. Methods: To investigate the hypothalamic mechanism mediating this response, we determined expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), PRL receptors (long form, PRLRlong), estrogen-α (ERα) and ERβ, P4 (PR) A and B receptors, and STAT5a, STAT5b, suppressors of cytokine signaling 1 (SOCS1), SOCS3 and CIS at mRNA (by semiquantitative and real-time RT-PCR) and protein (by Western blot only for TH, ERα and PRs) levels, and dopamine and DOPAC (by high-performance liquid chromatography) contents in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) 24 h after luteolysis induced by a PGF2α analogue (cloprostenol, 25 µg/rat s.c. at 8 and 12 h on day 19 of pregnancy). Results: PGF2α treatment decreased circulating P4 and estradiol and increased PRL and the estradiol/P4 ratio. MBH DOPAC and DOPAC/dopamine ratio fell, indicating decreased dopaminergic transmission. PRLRlong, PRB and ERα mRNA increased. ERα and PR proteins were not modified. However, TH protein and mRNA did not change. PRA, the small PR isoform, was much more abundant than PRB, the isoform considered to mediate P4 genomic actions. STAT5a, SOCS1 and SOCS3 mRNA were also increased. Conclusion: The P4 fall induced by PGF2α treatment induces PRL release through diminution in MBH dopaminergic transmission without change in TH expression. The increased PRLR along with elevated circulating PRL may be responsible for maintaining high TH expression through activation of short-loop feedback mechanisms, counteracting the effect of the fall in circulating P4. In parallel, SOCS expression contributes to limit PRL signaling.
Predicting Societal Corruption Across Time
Authors: O’Connor Seini , Fischer Ronald
Published: June 2011

Across cultures, corruption is widely thought to be a destructive social phenomenon. Despite considerable efforts to understand its causes, there are still gaps in our understanding of how country corruption levels change over time. This study provides new insights by comparing the influence of societal values, wealth and political institutions on corruption for 59 countries from 1980 to 2008. Results suggest that self-expression societal values, wealth, and government size separate those countries that are less corrupt from those that are more corrupt. However, within countries, only increasing wealth is related to decreasing corruption, and this relationship varies across countries. This finding suggests that cross-sectional analyses provide an inadequate understanding of the dynamics of corruption over time; and that attempting to import institutions or impose values from low-corruption countries onto high-corruption countries is unlikely to be an effective short-term corruption-reduction strategy.
NeurphologyJ: An automatic neuronal morphology quantification method and its application in pharmacological discovery
Authors: Ho Shinn-Ying , Chao Chih-Yuan , Huang Hui-Ling , Chiu Tzai-Wen , Charoenkwan Phasit , Hwang Eric
Published: June 2011

Background

Automatic quantification of neuronal morphology from images of fluorescence microscopy plays an increasingly important role in high-content screenings. However, there exist very few freeware tools and methods which provide automatic neuronal morphology quantification for pharmacological discovery.

Results

This study proposes an effective quantification method, called NeurphologyJ, capable of automatically quantifying neuronal morphologies such as soma number and size, neurite length, and neurite branching complexity (which is highly related to the numbers of attachment points and ending points). NeurphologyJ is implemented as a plugin to ImageJ, an open-source Java-based image processing and analysis platform. The high performance of NeurphologyJ arises mainly from an elegant image enhancement method. Consequently, some morphology operations of image processing can be efficiently applied. We evaluated NeurphologyJ by comparing it with both the computer-aided manual tracing method NeuronJ and an existing ImageJ-based plugin method NeuriteTracer. Our results reveal that NeurphologyJ is comparable to NeuronJ, that the coefficient correlation between the estimated neurite lengths is as high as 0.992. NeurphologyJ can accurately measure neurite length, soma number, neurite attachment points, and neurite ending points from a single image. Furthermore, the quantification result of nocodazole perturbation is consistent with its known inhibitory effect on neurite outgrowth. We were also able to calculate the IC50 of nocodazole using NeurphologyJ. This reveals that NeurphologyJ is effective enough to be utilized in applications of pharmacological discoveries.

Conclusions

This study proposes an automatic and fast neuronal quantification method NeurphologyJ. The ImageJ plugin with supports of batch processing is easily customized for dealing with high-content screening applications. The source codes of NeurphologyJ (interactive and high-throughput versions) and the images used for testing are freely available (see Availability).
Source-receiver compression scheme for full-waveform seismic inversion
Authors: Habashy T. M. , Abubakar A. , Pan G. , Belani A.
Published: June 2011

We have developed a source-receiver compression approach for reducing the computational time and memory usage of the acoustic and elastic full-waveform inversions. By detecting and quantifying the extent of redundancy in the data, we assembled a reduced set of simultaneous sources and receivers that are weighted sums of the physical sources and receivers used in the survey. Because the numbers of these simultaneous sources and receivers could be significantly less than those of the physical sources and receivers, the computational time and memory usage of any gradient-type inversion method such as steepest descent, nonlinear conjugate gradient, contrast-source inversion, and quasi-Newton methods could be reduced. The scheme is based on decomposing the data into their principal components using a singular-value decomposition approach, and the data reduction is done through the elimination of the small eigenvalues. Consequently, this would suppress the effect of noise in the data. Moreover, taking advantage of the redundancy in the data, this compression scheme effectively stacks the redundant data, resulting in an increased signal-to-noise ratio. For demonstration of the concept, we produced inversion results for the 2D acoustic Marmousi and BP models for surface measurements and an elastic model for crosswell measurements. We found that this approach has the potential to significantly reduce computational time and memory usage of the Gauss-Newton method by 1–2 orders of magnitude.
Reducing two-way splitting error of FFD method in dual domains
Authors: Zhang Jin-Hai , Yao Zhen-Xing
Published: June 2011

The Fourier finite-difference (FFD) method is very popular in seismic depth migration. But its straightforward 3D extension creates two-way splitting error due to ignoring the cross terms of spatial partial derivatives. Traditional correction schemes, either in the spatial domain by the implicit finite-difference method or in the wavenumber domain by phase compensation, lead to substantially increased computational costs or numerical difficulties for strong velocity contrasts. We propose compensating the two-way splitting error in dual domains, alternately in the spatial and wavenumber domains via Fourier transform. First, we organize the expanded square-root operator in terms of two-way splitting FFD plus the usually ignored cross terms. Second, we select a group of optimized coefficients to maximize the accuracy of propagation in both inline and crossline directions without yet considering the diagonal directions. Finally, we further optimize the constant coefficient of the compensation part to further improve the overall accuracy of the operator. In implementation, the compensation terms are similar to the high-order corrections of the generalized-screen method, but their functions are to compensate the two-way splitting error rather than the expansion error. Numerical experiments show that optimized one-term compensation can achieve nearly perfect circular impulse responses and the propagation angle with less than 1% error for all azimuths is improved up to 60° from 35°. Compared with traditional single-domain methods, our scheme can handle lateral velocity variations (even for strong velocity contrasts) much more easily with only one additional Fourier transform based on the two-way splitting FFD method, which helps retain the computational efficiency.
Sclerotome-derived Slit1 drives directional migration and differentiation of Robo2-expressing pioneer myoblasts
Authors: Halperin-Barlev Osnat , Kalcheim Chaya
Published: June 2011

Pioneer myoblasts generate the first myotomal fibers and act as a scaffold to pattern further myotome development. From their origin in the medial epithelial somite, they dissociate and migrate towards the rostral edge of each somite, from which differentiation proceeds in both rostral-to-caudal and medial-to-lateral directions. The mechanisms underlying formation of this unique wave of pioneer myofibers remain unknown. We show that rostrocaudal or mediolateral somite inversions in avian embryos do not alter the original directions of pioneer myoblast migration and differentiation into fibers, demonstrating that regulation of pioneer patterning is somite-intrinsic. Furthermore, pioneer myoblasts express Robo2 downstream of MyoD and Myf5, whereas the dermomyotome and caudal sclerotome express Slit1. Loss of Robo2 or of sclerotome-derived Slit1 function perturbed both directional cell migration and fiber formation, and their effects were mediated through RhoA. Although myoblast specification was not affected, expression of the intermediate filament desmin was reduced. Hence, Slit1 and Robo2, via RhoA, act to pattern formation of the pioneer myotome through the regulation of cytoskeletal assembly.
DeltaC and DeltaD interact as Notch ligands in the zebrafish segmentation clock
Authors: Wright Gavin J. , Giudicelli François , Soza-Ried Cristian , Hanisch Anja , Ariza-McNaughton Linda , Lewis Julian
Published: June 2011

We describe the production and characterisation of two monoclonal antibodies, zdc2 and zdd2, directed against the zebrafish Notch ligands DeltaC and DeltaD, respectively. We use our antibodies to show that these Delta proteins can bind to one another homo- and heterophilically, and to study the localisation of DeltaC and DeltaD in the zebrafish nervous system and presomitic mesoderm (PSM). Our findings in the nervous system largely confirm expectations from previous studies, but in the PSM we see an unexpected pattern in which the localisation of DeltaD varies according to the level of expression of DeltaC: in the anterior PSM, where DeltaC is plentiful, the two proteins are colocalised in intracellular puncta, but in the posterior PSM, where DeltaC is at a lower level, DeltaD is seen mainly on the cell surface. Forced overexpression of DeltaC reduces the amount of DeltaD on the cell surface in the posterior PSM; conversely, loss-of-function mutation of DeltaC increases the amount of DeltaD on the cell surface in the anterior PSM. These findings suggest an explanation for a long-standing puzzle regarding the functions of the two Delta proteins in the somite segmentation clock – an explanation that is based on the proposition that they associate heterophilically to activate Notch.
Bioaccumulation of polonium (210Po) and uranium (234U, 238U) in plants around phosphogypsum waste heap in Wiślinka (northern Poland)
Authors: Borylo A. , Skwarzec Bogdan
Published: June 2011

In the study the activities of polonium 210Po and uranium 234U, 238U in plants, collected near phosphogypsum waste heap in Wiślinka (northern Poland), were determined by using the alpha spectrometry. The obtained results revealed that the concentrations of 210Po, 234U, and 238U in the analyzed plants were differentiated. In the analyzed flora organisms the highest amounts of polonium and uranium were found in ruderal plant samples as well as willow samples (Salix viminalis) from protection zone of phosphogypsum waste heap. The concentrations of 210Po, 234U and 238U in the analyzed plants were higher in roots than in green parts of plants. The higher concentrations of 210Po and 238U radionuclides were estimated for hydrophyte (common sedge Carex nigra Reichard), the favourite habitat of which is particularly wet meadow and for plants co llected in the vicinity of phosphogypsum waste heap. The major source of polonium and uranium in analyzed plants is root system. The values of 234U/ 238U activity ratio in all analyzed plants are closed to one, what indicated that source of uranium in analyzed plants is phoosphogypsum. The highest uranium and polonium concentrations were characterized for plants, which are covered with tomentose.

The comparability polonium and uranium contents were confirmed in edible plants, but higher accumulation was determined in ripe species than immature species of vegetables. The higher polonium and uranium concentrations were noticed in green parts of plant, the lower in roots. Polonium concentration in cultivated plants samples was not species diverse. Therefore, the significant source of polonium and uranium in analyzed plants is wet and dry atmospheric falls gathering the soil and air dust from phosphogypsum waste dump.

The maximum 210Po and 238U radionuclides concentrations were found in green parts of red beet (Beta vulgaris esculenta), the minimum in garden radish (Raphanus radicula). That's interesting too, that both species have hypocotyls tubers, but tuber of red beet is large than garden radish. In our opinion these differences may be connected with turgidity because leaves and root of radish garden were withered.
Relacionamentos entre as espécies autógamas de Cuphea P. Browne seção Brachyandra koehne (Lythraceae)
Authors: Graham Shirley A
Published: June 2011

A seção Brachyandra, uma das 13 seções de Cuphea, é excepcional por compreender a maioria das espécies autógamas do gênero. A maior parte das outras espécies de Cuphea, embora autocompatíveis, são alógamas protândricas. A seção Brachyandra é definida pela presença de estames com filetes curtos e profundamente inseridos no tubo floral, caracteres diretamente relacionados à autogamia. Entre as espécies da seção, existem poucas diferenças na morfologia floral e os caracteres vegetativos são variáveis e sobrepostos. As similaridades poderiam ser atribuídas à recente especiação dentro de um grupo monofilético, definido pela aquisição do modo autógamo de reprodução, ou a seção poderia ser polifilética, com similaridades resultantes de convergência, dirigidas pela mudança de alógamas para autógamas. A morfologia do pólen e da semente, descrita agora para este grupo, sugere que a seção Brachyandra não seja monofilética, mas sim que compreenda um mínimo de três diferentes linhas evolutivas, representadas por: 1) quatro espécies com sementes aladas e pólen oblato, sincolporado e estriado, com poros proeminentes; 2) duas espécies com sementes grandes e não aladas e pólen psilado, sem poros proeminentes e leves espessamentos interaperturados; 3) oito espécies com sementes pequenas, não aladas e quase esferoidais, pólen não sincolpado, psilado a rugulado. A variação neste último grupo sugere que o mesmo seja derivado de mais do que um ancestral. Na análise cladística, as espécies da seção Brachyandra ocorrem dentro de ciados de espécies das seções Euandra, Pseudochvaea, Trispernuun e Amazoniana. Os resultados indicam que não existe base filogenética sólida para o reconhecimento da seção Brachyandra como presentemente definida.
Microbiological investigation of peppermint and pumpkin seed kernels drying in batch dryer
Authors: Matavulj Milan , Martinov Milan , Karaman Maja , Veselinov Branislav , Adamovic Dusan
Published: June 2011

The goal of this research was to investigate improvement of drying method of
peppermint and pumpkin kernels (hull-less pumpkin seed) with the aim to get
as best microbiological quality of products as possible. Small and medium
scale producers of medicinal plants in most cases perform it in batch dryers,
which offer optimal output rate. Disadvantages of this dryer type are slower
through-heating of upper layers, with the resulting increase of microbial
count. In this paper, results of investigation of drying characteristics in
batch dryer expressed through the changes of count of bacteria and microfungi
are presented. The drying regime was applied in three different phases, and
different material batch heights. Obtained results show that microbial count
has increased in the upper layer during process of peppermint drying, while
the temperature was less than 45?C for a long period. However, during the
final drying phase in this layer, the temperature was also over 45?C, and the
final microbial count was almost the same for upper and lower levels. During
the treatment of pumpkin kernels in all of cases number of microorganisms
indicated that the treated pumpkin grains belonged to the 3B qualitative
group or to the 4B for phase drying respectively, and to the 4A for control
group according to the Europaean Pharmacopoeia. The results obtained suggest
that the treatment of hull-less pumpkin seed with even higher temperatures of
drying agents, for example 70?C or 80?C, in the first phase should be
investigated. After that phase, the second phase would follow, using
temperature of 60?C, and the method with shifting mode should be applied.
Scarabidae: Intermediate host for Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus
Authors: Pavlovic Ivan , Kulisic Zoran , Tambur Zoran , Protic Nada
Published: June 2011

ltd. za kontrolu kvaliteta, Beograd
KW Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus % coleopteras % swine's % epysootiology
KR nema
Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus infestation is parasitosis caused by
Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus Adult forms parasite in small intestine of
swine. Development of parasite is happening through intermediate hosts -
coleopteras from Scarabaeidae family (Melolontha vulgaris, Cetonia aurata,
Polyphilla fullo, Anomalia vitis etc). Infection begins when swines ingest
infected coleopteras. Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus infestation is
encountered in swines in extensive breeding, as well as in wild boars.
Negotiating Power: Interviews with the Policy Elite — Stories from Hungary Lost between Genres
Authors: Neumann Eszter
Published: June 2011

This article looks at methodological issues arising from collecting data from policy makers. Interview episodes highlight how the processes of role-ascription and the negotiation of competences between the interviewee and the interviewer can be meaningful in terms of the analysis of ‘elite interviews’. In the interviews, the interactions reveal how the informant makes sense of the relation between research, knowledge and policy-making. In illustrating how the informant presents himself/herself as policy-maker and ascribes the role of the researcher, the data condense the efforts to bridge different cognitive worlds on both sides and help us understand the working of the institutional-organizational context within which the informant is embedded. This negotiation may be very complex indeed if the informant wishes to maintain a positioning as a researcher as well as a policy-maker, something that is increasingly common as evidence-informed policy-making brings research and policy into closer relationship. The article draws on the experiences of interviewing and data collection for the KnowandPol project, with attention to the politics of the specific context of Hungary. It concludes that context is highly significant in both negotiating and making sense of interviews with policy-makers. It highlights the specific circumstances of enquiry in post-Socialist regimes, where uncertainty about role and status is present on both sides. With the scientization of policy-making, policy-makers as commissioners of various analyses tend to understand themselves as competent readers of social sciences who are also conversant with social science discourse. This also shapes their expectations towards the interview situation and the way they want to present themselves.
Reconfigurable Control for a Scara Robot Using RBF Networks
Authors: Khireddine Mohamed , Boutarfa Abdelhalim
Published: June 2011

Reconfigurable Control for a Scara Robot Using RBF Networks

Faults in an industrial process could be timely detected and diagnosed in many cases. It is possible to subsequently reconfigure the control system so that it can safely continue its operation (possibly with degraded performance) until the time comes when it can be switched off for maintenance. In order to minimize the chances for drastic events such as a complete failure, safety-critical systems must possess the properties of increased reliability and safety. Faults in robotic systems are inevitable. They have diverse characteristics, magnitudes and origins, from the familiar viscous friction to Coulomb/Sticktion friction, and from structural vibrations. This paper presents an on-line environmental fault detection, isolation and an accommodation scheme.
Suboptimal Rake Finger Allocation: Performance and Complexity Tradeoffs
Authors: Baltzis Konstantinos , Sahalos John
Published: June 2011

Suboptimal Rake Finger Allocation: Performance and Complexity Tradeoffs

Optimal finger placement improves significantly the performance of RAKE receivers. However, due to its high complexity, it is rarely applied in mobile systems with large channel spread. In this paper, we evaluate the merits of suboptimal finger allocation in terms of performance and complexity. A subset of the RAKE fingers is optimally positioned based on the received signal correlation properties while the rest of them are uniformly distributed within the channel spread. The tradeoffs between performance and complexity of the method are discussed. Results show that optimizing half finger positions lead to similar performance with the full optimization scheme. Finally, comparisons with conventional and optimal receivers exhibit the advantages of the method.
Detection and Classification of Power Quality Disturbancewaveform Using MRA Based Modified Wavelet Transfrom and Neural Networks
Authors: Chandrasekar Perumal , Kamaraj Vijayarajan
Published: June 2011

Detection and Classification of Power Quality Disturbancewaveform Using MRA Based Modified Wavelet Transfrom and Neural Networks

In this paper, the modified wavelet based artificial neural network (ANN) is implemented and tested for power signal disturbances. The power signal is decomposed by using modified wavelet transform and the classification is carried by using ANN. Discrete modified wavelet transforms based signal decomposition technique is integrated with the back propagation artificial neural network model is proposed. Varieties of power quality events including voltage sag, swell, momentary interruption, harmonics, transient oscillation and voltage fluctuation are used to test the performance of the proposed approach. The simulation is carried out by using MATLAB software. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme offers superior detection and classification compared to the conventional approaches.
Thin-Film Silicon PV Technology
Authors: Zeman Miroslav
Published: June 2011

Thin-Film Silicon PV Technology

Thin-film silicon solar cell technology is one of the promising photovoltaic technologies for delivering low-cost solar electricity. Today the thin-film silicon PV market (402MWpproduced in 2008) is dominated by amorphous silicon based modules; however it is expected that the tandem amorphous/microcrystalline silicon modules will take over in near future. Solar cell structures based on thin-film silicon for obtaining high efficiency are presented. In order to increase the absorption in thin absorber layers novel approaches for photon management are developed. Module production and application areas are described.
Properties of FeCo Nanopowder Prepared by Chemical Synthesis
Authors: Zábranský Karel , Schneeweiss Oldřich
Published: June 2011

Properties of FeCo Nanopowder Prepared by Chemical Synthesis

Chemical synthesis of binary Fe-Co oxalate was used for preparation of Fe-Co nanoparticles. X-ray difftaction spectra recorded during temperature treatment in reduction atmosphere show two main stages of transformation: amorphization of the oxalate mixture and formation of Fe-Co nanoparticles. After X-ray diffraction high temperature treatment the nanoparticles with 50 nm mean crystallite were found. Comparison of magnetic properties during and after different type of temperature treatment shows that coercivity and saturation magnetic polarization are sensitive in dependence on sample condition, length of treatment and temperature. Analysis of Mössbauer spectra reveal several components which were ascribed different phases during temperature treatments.
Vectorial Command of Induction Motor Pumping System Supplied by a Photovoltaic Generator
Authors: Makhlouf Messaoud , Messai Feyrouz , Benalla Hocine
Published: June 2011

Vectorial Command of Induction Motor Pumping System Supplied by a Photovoltaic Generator

With the continuous decrease of the cost of solar cells, there is an increasing interest and needs in photovoltaic (PV) system applications following standard of living improvements. Water pumping system powered by solar-cell generators are one of the most important applications. The fluctuation of solar energy on one hand, and the necessity to optimise available solar energy on the other, it is useful to develop new efficient and flexible modes to control motors that entrain the pump. A vectorial control of an asynchronous motor fed by a photovoltaic system is proposed. This paper investigates a photovoltaic-electro mechanic chain, composed of a PV generator, DC-AC converter, a vector controlled induction motor and centrifugal pump. The PV generator is forced to operate at its maximum power point by using an appropriate search algorithm integrated in the vector control. The optimization is realized without need to adding a DC-DC converter to the chain. The motor supply is also ensured in all insolation conditions. Simulation results show the effectiveness and feasibility of such an approach.
Applications of mathematical methods in the supervision of the technical safety of water constructions
Authors: Hakáč J. , Bednárová E.
Published: June 2011

Applications of mathematical methods in the supervision of the technical safety of water constructions

In this paper, we present the use of time series (stochastic models) in order to predict water seepage in the wells of water constructions. The aim of this paper is to assess the agreement between the predicted and measured levels of the water seepage in the wells of the Liptovska Mara water construction. We assume that the predicted values will match the values that were measured. The ability to predict the level of the water in observation wells and the total filtration stability of water constructions by using real measures in a time series is a desirable step in ensuring adequate safety with the possibility of remedying potential defects at an early stage.
Impact of Tumour Volume on the Potential Efficacy of Therapeutic Vaccines
Authors: Gulley James L. , Madan R.A. , Schlom J.
Published: June 2011

With the recent approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration of the first therapeutic vaccine for cancer, the long-awaited goal of harnessing a patient’s immune system to attack cancer through this modality is finally realized. However, as researchers in the field of cancer immunotherapy continue to perform randomized definitive studies, much remains to be learned about potential surrogate endpoints and appropriate patient populations for therapeutic vaccines. The present review addresses available data from clinical trials of immunotherapeutic agents relevant to the selection of appropriate patient populations. We believe that the weight of evidence supports the use of immunotherapy earlier in the disease course and in patients with less aggressive disease, and that the relevant findings have important implications for the design of clinical trials with therapeutic vaccines.
Angoulême, 2011
Authors: Beaty Bart
Published: June 2011

The 2011 Festival International de la Bande Dessinée (FIBD) in Angoulême saw the return of enormous crowds to the medieval town in south-western France, and for the first time in many years the event felt uncomfortably crowded and difficult to navigate. This year’s edition of the Festival benefited from a lack of major ongoing controversies. Past issues relating to funding from the town and department have been (at least temporarily) resolved, and the construction that disrupted the event for many years in the 2000s has been complete for some time now. Nonetheless, the show lacked energy and many of the exhibits came across as lacklustre. The major topic of discussion at the show was the strike by salaried employees of L’Association, an occurrence that hung a gloomy cloud over events.
Mycobacteria in Terrestrial Small Mammals on Cattle Farms in Tanzania
Authors: Durnez Lies , Katakweba Abdul , Sadiki Harrison , Katholi Charles R. , Kazwala Rudovick R. , Machang'u Robert R. , Portaels Françoise , Leirs Herwig
Published: June 2011

The control of bovine tuberculosis and atypical mycobacterioses in cattle in developing countries is important but difficult because of the existence of wildlife reservoirs. In cattle farms in Tanzania, mycobacteria were detected in 7.3% of 645 small mammals and in cow's milk. The cattle farms were divided into “reacting” and “nonreacting” farms, based on tuberculin tests, and more mycobacteria were present in insectivores collected in reacting farms as compared to nonreacting farms. More mycobacteria were also present in insectivores as compared to rodents. All mycobacteria detected by culture and PCR in the small mammals were atypical mycobacteria. Analysis of the presence of mycobacteria in relation to the reactor status of the cattle farms does not exclude transmission between small mammals and cattle but indicates that transmission to cattle from another source of infection is more likely. However, because of the high prevalence of mycobacteria in some small mammal species, these infected animals can pose a risk to humans, especially in areas with a high HIV-prevalence as is the case in Tanzania.
Contributions of agricultural plants and soils to N2O emission in a farmland
Authors: Li J. , Lee X. , Yu Q. , Tong X. , Qin Z. , Macdonald B.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. The goal of this study was to quantify the roles of plants and soil in the N2O budget of a cropland in North China. Plant and soil N2O fluxes were measured with transparent and dark plant chambers and soil chambers, respectively, in three adjacent fields of fertilized cotton, fertilized maize and unfertilized soybean. During the observation period, the soil flux was 448 ± 89, 230 ± 74 and 90 ± 14 μg N2O m−2 h−1 in cotton, maize and soybean fields, respectively. The plant flux was 54 ± 43 and 16 ± 41 μg N2O m−2 h−1, about 10 % and 26 % to the total ecosystem flux, for the cotton and the soybean field, respectively. Ignoring the contribution of plants would cause an obvious underestimation on the ecosystem N2O flux. The influence of sunlight on plant N2O flux was insignificant. However, in the cotton field, the responses of the plant N2O flux to air temperature and soil ammonium content were significant under sunlight but insignificant under darkness, suggesting that stomatal activity might influence the release process. In the cotton field, temperature sensitivity of plant N2O emission was 1.13, much lower than the value of soil flux (5.74). No relationship was found between plant N2O flux and soil nitrate content. It was implied that nitrate reduction in plants might not be the main source of plant N2O emission under field conditions. The seasonal patterns of the soil and plant N2O emissions were similarly affected by fertilization, indicating that plants might serve as a passive conduit transporting N2O produced in the soil.