bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Vocal differentiation parallels development of auditory saccular sensitivity in a highly soniferous fish
Authors: Vasconcelos Raquel O. , Alderks Peter W. , Ramos Andreia , Fonseca Paulo J. , Amorim M. Clara P. , Sisneros Joseph A.
Published: September 2015

Vocal differentiation is widely documented in birds and mammals but has been poorly investigated in other vertebrates, including fish, which represent the oldest extant vertebrate group. Neural circuitry controlling vocal behaviour is thought to have evolved from conserved brain areas that originated in fish, making this taxon key to understanding the evolution and development of the vertebrate vocal-auditory systems. This study examines ontogenetic changes in the vocal repertoire and whether vocal differentiation parallels auditory development in the Lusitanian toadfish Halobatrachus didactylus (Batrachoididae). This species exhibits a complex acoustic repertoire and is vocally active during early development. Vocalisations were recorded during social interactions for four size groups (fry: <2 cm; small juveniles: 2–4 cm; large juveniles: 5–7 cm; adults >25 cm, standard length). Auditory sensitivity of juveniles and adults was determined based on evoked potentials recorded from the inner ear saccule in response to pure tones of 75–945 Hz. We show an ontogenetic increment in the vocal repertoire from simple broadband-pulsed ‘grunts’ that later differentiate into four distinct vocalisations, including low-frequency amplitude-modulated ‘boatwhistles’. Whereas fry emitted mostly single grunts, large juveniles exhibited vocalisations similar to the adult vocal repertoire. Saccular sensitivity revealed a three-fold enhancement at most frequencies tested from small to large juveniles; however, large juveniles were similar in sensitivity to adults. We provide the first clear evidence of ontogenetic vocal differentiation in fish, as previously described for higher vertebrates. Our results suggest a parallel development between the vocal motor pathway and the peripheral auditory system for acoustic social communication in fish.
Predator-induced defences inDaphnia longicephala: location of kairomone receptors and timeline of sensitive phases to trait formation
Authors: Weiss Linda C. , Leimann Julian , Tollrian Ralph
Published: September 2015

The freshwater crustacean Daphnia adapts to changing predation risks by forming inducible defences. These are only formed when they are advantageous, saving associated costs when the defence is superfluous. However, in order to be effective, the time lag between the onset of predation and the defence formation has to be short. Daphnia longicephala develop huge protective crests upon exposure to chemical cues (kairomones) from its predator the heteropteran backswimmer Notonecta glauca. To analyse time lags, we determined kairomone-sensitive stages and the developmental time frames of inducible defences. Moreover, we looked at additive effects that could result from the summation of prolonged kairomone exposure. Kairomones are perceived by chemoreceptors and integrated by the nervous system, which alters the developmental program leading to defence formation. The underlying neuronal and developmental pathways are not thoroughly described and surprisingly, the location of the kairomone receptors is undetermined. We show that D. longicephala start to sense predator cues at the onset of the second juvenile instar, defences develop with a time lag of one instar and prolonged kairomone exposure does not impact the magnitude of the defence. By establishing a method to reversibly impair chemosensors, we show the first antennae as the location of kairomone-detecting chemoreceptors. This study provides fundamental information on kairomone perception, kairomone-sensitive stages, developmental time frames and lag times of inducible defences in D. longicephala that will greatly contribute to the further understanding of the neuronal and developmental mechanisms of predator-induced defences in Daphnia.
Functional morphology and kinematics of terrestrial feeding in the largescale foureyes (Anableps anableps)
Authors: Michel Krijn B. , Aerts Peter , Gibb Alice C. , Van Wassenbergh Sam
Published: September 2015

A major challenge for aquatic vertebrates that invade land is feeding in the terrestrial realm. The capacity of the gape to become parallel with the ground has been shown to be a key factor to allow fishes to feed on prey lying on a terrestrial surface. To do so, two strategies have been identified that involve a nose-down tilting of the head: (1) by pivoting on the pectoral fins as observed in mudskippers, and (2) curling of the anterior part of the body supported by a long and flexible eel-like body as shown in eel-catfish. Although Anableps anableps successfully feeds on land, it does not possess an eel-like body or pectoral fins to support or lift the anterior part of the body. We identified the mechanism of terrestrial prey capture in A. anableps by studying kinematics and functional morphology of the cranial structures, using high-speed video and graphical 3D reconstructions from computed tomography scans. In contrast to the previously described mechanisms, A. anableps relies solely on upper and lower jaw movement for re-orientation of the gape towards the ground. The premaxilla is protruded anteroventrally, and the lower jaw is depressed to a right angle with the substrate. Both the lower and upper jaws are selectively positioned onto the prey. Anableps anableps thereby uses the jaw protrusion mechanism previously described for other cyprinodontiforms to allow a continued protrusion of the premaxilla even while closing the jaws. Several structural adaptations appear to allow more controlled movements and increased amplitude of anterior and ventral protrusion of the upper jaw compared with other cyprinodontiforms.
Magneto-Sensitive Ni/C Adsorbents: Synthesis, Properties and Applications
Authors: Galaburda Mariia V. , Bogatyrov Viktor M. , Oranska Olena I. , Zieba Jadwiga Skubiszewska , Gun'ko Vladimir M. , Sternik Dariusz
Published: September 2015

A series of microporous carbons (chars) containing various amounts of magnetic Ni nanoparticles were prepared using a simple procedure. The resorcinol–formaldehyde polymers containing nickel(II) acetate was carbonized to produce chars (labelled as Ni/C-20, Ni/C-35 and Ni/C-50). All chars were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption and scanning electron microscopy methods. The formation of Ni crystallites (18 nm in size) occurs in carbon spheres measuring 1–2 μm in diameter. The Raman spectra show that the content of Ni influences the carbon structure. Dye-separation performance by Ni/C was investigated using methylene blue. The adsorption capacity was 26.6, 20.8 and 15.1 mg/g for Ni/C-20, Ni/C-35 and Ni/C-50, respectively.
Adsorption of Selected Amino Acids at the Mercury/Aqueous Solution Interface from the Chlorate (VII) and Its Dependence on the Supporting Electrolyte Concentration
Authors: Nosal-Wiercińska Agnieszka , Grochowski Mariusz , Wiśniewska Małgorzata , Tyszczuk-Rotko Katarzyna , Yilmaz Selehattin , Yagmur Sultan , Saglikoglu Gulsen , Yanik Susan
Published: September 2015

In this study, we compared the adsorption of methionine, cysteine and cystine at the mercury/chlorate (VII) interface. Changes in the surface tension with the potential of the zero charge γz and relative surface excess Γ' of methionine, cysteine and cystine as a function of their concentration indicate that the adsorption of the studied amino acids increases in the order of methionine > cystine > cysteine. For all the systems examined, linear dependences ln[×(1–Θ)/Θ = f(Θ)] (Frumkin isotherm) and ln (Γ/c) = f(Γ') (virial isotherm) were obtained. Changes in the adsorption parameters as a function of the supporting electrolyte concentration indicate the competitive adsorption of amino acids and ClO4− ions and electrostatic interactions between the water dipoles and adsorbates in the double layer.
Structure of Electrical Double Layer at the Metal Oxide with Proteins/NaCl Electrolyte Solution Interface
Authors: Janusz W. , Klymenko N.Y. , Skwarek E. , Chibowski S. , Skubiszewska-Zięba J. , Galagan N.P. , Jurewnoy K.N. , Zarko V.
Published: September 2015

Adsorption of proteins on metal oxides is important in many fields of life. We carried out studies on deposition (adsorption) of proteins (bovine serum albumin, BSA) on oxides at different pH values (2.5, 4.8 and 7). The oxide samples were of the SiO2/BSA, ST20(SiO2/TiO2)/BSA and SA1(SiO2/Al2O3)/BSA types. NaCl solution was used as a basic electrolyte. It was found that the adsorption of BSA-type protein on the surface of studied oxides changes the character of functional groups that are responsible for charge formation at the adsorbent/electrolyte solution interface, eventually causing a shift of isoelectric point towards higher pH values. The effect of change of functional groups surface properties depends on pH at which the protein was deposited on the matrix surface.
Diels–Alder Reaction as a Tool to Modify the Surface of Polymeric Microspheres
Authors: Grochowicz Marta , Pączkowski Przemysław , Gawdzik Barbara
Published: September 2015

The study describes the synthesis of glycidyl methacrylate microspheres cross-linked with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate. With the use of suspension–emulsion polymerization, microspheres with different degrees of cross-linking were prepared. Their chemical modification involved several steps: at the beginning, the epoxide ring was opened using sodium cyclopentadienide; in the next step, materials with grafted cyclopentadiene fragments were then subjected to Diels–Alder reaction with maleic anhydride; in the last step, the anhydride groups were turned into carboxylic groups. To confirm the attachment of cyclopentadiene to the microspheres surface, the material obtained was treated with fluorescence marker N-(1-pyrene) maleimide. The resulting material has fluorescent properties in the UV wavelength of 366 nm. Moreover, to confirm the chemical structure of modified materials, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis was performed. Thermal stability in inert atmosphere of prepared microspheres was determined. It was found that chemical modification of the microspheres surface improves their thermal resistance. On the basis of this study, it can be assumed that the Diels–Alder reaction is an expedient tool to obtain microspheres having carboxyl and hydroxyl groups, which can be an interesting option as stationary phases in chromatography.
Irreversible Adsorption Deformation of Layer Structures
Authors: Kutarov Volodymyr V. , Tarasevich Yuri I. , Aksenenko Eugene V.
Published: September 2015

In the framework of macroscopic thermodynamics of deformation, expressions are proposed for the calculation of deformation isotherms along the adsorption and desorption branches of the hysteresis loop within the linear and elastic deformation domains. With the assumption of spatially homogeneous (in the statistical sense) medium and scale-invariant behaviour of the relaxation rate, the generalized equation is proposed for the calculation of the hysteresis loop throughout the entire range of the adsorbate pressure in the bulk phase. In this equation, the irreversibility parameter is the governing one. The proposed equations are verified for the benzene adsorption–desorption isotherm on the organosubstituted synthetic fluorhectorite.
Preparation and Structural Properties of Bimetallic Noble Metals Nanoparticles in SBA-15 Systems
Authors: Zienkiewicz-Strzałka M. , Pikus S.
Published: September 2015

New noble bimetallic materials composed of platinum/silver, platinum/palladium and palladium/silver arrangements of nanoparticles supported on mesoporous ordered silica support were obtained and characterized. Ammine complexes of noble metals ([Pt(NH3)4]Cl2), [Ag(NH3)2]OH and ([Pd(NH3)4]Cl2)) were used as nanoparticles sources. The selected ammine complexes of noble metals were proven to be an easy solution for obtaining good quality materials in comparison with other sources. Bimetallic materials were synthesized by traditional impregnation technique, making the proposed procedure simple and reproducible. Our studies demonstrated that there are significant differences between types of materials and thermal stability of their metal precursor and their decomposition mechanisms. The X-ray diffraction results showed that the obtained metal crystallites exhibited different sizes depending on the kind of noble metal, as indicated by significant differences in intensity and width of diffraction profiles for metal phases. Such difference in sizes of individual components causes different kinds of interaction between metal nanoparticle and solid support. The binding energy of reactants depends on the particle size. This difference was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements. The obtained materials were characterized by various techniques suitable for surface characterization with particular emphasis on high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.
Adsorption of Silver Nanoparticles on Glass Beads Surface
Authors: Polowczyk Izabela , Koźlecki Tomasz , Bastrzyk Anna
Published: September 2015

Colloidal silver is widely used owing to its specific properties, which enable it to be applied in various fields. In this work, adsorption of commercially available silver nanoparticles (AgNPs; NanoSilver PVP 1000) on glass beads was investigated. The glass microspheres (70–110 μm) were used as model particles. The adsorption of AgNPs on the glass beads surface was investigated in terms of adsorbent dosage. The adsorption isotherm was determined with the adsorbent dosage of 100 g/l and the AgNPs in range 100–1000 mg/l. It was found that adsorption isotherm data best fitted the Langmuir model. Kinetics of AgNPs adsorption onto glass beads followed a pseudo-second-order model. The interaction between glass microspheres surface and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-coated AgNPs is due to hydrogen bonding with oxygen of carbonyl groups of PVP and silanol groups on the glass surface.
Knowledge management methods in next-generation E/U Learning systems
Authors: Бождай Александр , Bozhday Aleksandr , Бершадский Александр , Bershadskiy Aleksandr , Мкртчан Вардан , Mkrtchan Vardan
Published: September 2015

The article discusses the methods of knowledge management for E/U-Learning systems, which will provide the opportunities for the construction of a unified all-pervasive electronic educational environment. Authors analyze the development of a new phase of e-learning (E-Learning 3.0) in which will play an important role distributed computer systems, cloud computing, mobile personal devices and wireless networks, artificial intelligence and virtual reality tools. Today, there is a fundamental scientific problem of creating a unified interstate intellectual environment for e-education services. This environment should include heterogeneous forms of knowledge representation, interstate standards and forms of learning, international faculty and student teams. The article suggests a possible knowledge management methods and the approach to the construction of an all-pervading intellectual environment for e-learning services. The proposed approach is based on the integration of multiple technologies, such as: service-oriented design, engineering of DSPL (Dynamic Software Product Lines), wireless telecommunications, interaction of intelligent e-learning agents. Structural basis of this approach is interconnected pair of intelligent software agents: student’s and teacher’s software agents. These agents are able to adapt itself: to the current level of student’s knowledge; to the available software, hardware and network equipment; to the current demands of the environment (e.g. labor markets); to the modern educational standards. As a basis of software agents self-adaptation is a mathematical variability model, including the three basic features hierarchy: educational content, interface, software and technical support. Application of such variability model does not require recompilation of the source code (to make changes in the agents properties) and allows to organize a continuous process of e-learning and significantly increase the life cycle of the entire system of distance learning. Moreover, the authors propose a service-oriented scheme for knowledge flows management. The article will be useful for experts in e-learning, developers of service-oriented systems and for managers in the field of socio-economic systems.
Quality of education as essential for sustainable development of Russia
Authors: Краковская Ирина , Krakovskaya Irina , Гуськова Надежда , Guskova Nadezhda , Слушкина Юлиана , Slushkina Yuliana
Published: September 2015

The article substantiates the role of higher education quality in meeting the challenges of sustainable development of economy and society, its conformance to current and future needs of economy and society. The article also shows the results of the research in this area obtained by scientists of the management Department of Ogarev Mordovia State University during the preparation for the International conference «Lifelong Education Sustainable Development». Questioning of pupils, students, teachers, employers and public authorities of a number of regions of the Russian Federation (Mordovia Republic, Novosibirsk, Tambov, Penza and Moscow regions) allowed to study the public opinion about the quality of higher education in Russia, about its conforming to current and future needs of the economy and society, on the necessity of lifelong learning; to identify areas for further development of Russian higher education and its quality improvement in the interests of sustainable development.
Learning Context-Sensitive Domain Ontologies from Folksonomies: A Cognitively Motivated Method
Authors: Lau Raymond Y. K. , Zhao J. Leon , Zhang Wenping , Cai Yi , Ngai Eric W. T.
Published: September 2015

Ontology is the backbone of the Semantic Web, helping users search for relevant resources from the Web of linked data. The existing context-free mapping approach between tags and concepts fails to address the problems of social synonymy and social polysemy when ontologies are induced from folksonomies. The novel contributions of this paper are threefold. First, grounded in the cognitively motivated category utility measure, a novel basic-level concept mining algorithm is developed to construct semantically rich concept vectors to alleviate the problem of social synonymy. Second, contextual aspects of ontology learning are exploited via probabilistic topic modeling to address the problem of social polysemy. Third, a novel context-sensitive domain ontology learning algorithm that combines link- and content-based semantic analysis is developed to identify both taxonomic and associative relations among concepts. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first successful research that exploits a cognitively motivated method to learn context-sensitive domain ontologies from folksonomies. By using the Open Directory Project ontology as a benchmark, we examined the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms based on social annotations crawled from three different folksonomy sites. Our experimental results show that the proposed ontology learning system significantly outperforms the best baseline system by 13.83% in terms of taxonomic F-measure. The practical implication of our research is that high-quality ontologies are constructed with minimal human intervention to facilitate concept-driven retrieval of linked data and the knowledge-based interoperability among enterprises.
On the Minimization Over Sparse Symmetric Sets: Projections, Optimality Conditions, and Algorithms
Authors: Beck Amir , Hallak Nadav
Published: September 2015

We consider the problem of minimizing a general continuously differentiable function over symmetric sets under sparsity constraints. These type of problems are generally hard to solve because the sparsity constraint induces a combinatorial constraint into the problem, rendering the feasible set to be nonconvex. We begin with a study of the properties of the orthogonal projection operator onto sparse symmetric sets. Based on this study, we derive efficient methods for computing sparse projections under various symmetry assumptions. We then introduce and study three types of optimality conditions: basic feasibility, L-stationarity, and coordinatewise optimality. A hierarchy between the optimality conditions is established by using the results derived on the orthogonal projection operator. Methods for generating points satisfying the various optimality conditions are presented, analyzed, and finally tested on specific applications.
Spectroscopic Characteristics of Carbon Dots (C-Dots) Derived from Carbon Fibers and Conversion to Sulfur-Bridged C-Dots Nanosheets
Authors: Vinci John C. , Ferrer Ivonne M. , Guterry Nathan W. , Colón Verónica M. , Destino Joel F. , Bright Frank V. , Colón Luis A.
Published: September 2015

We synthesized sub–10 nm carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) consistent with photoluminescent carbon dots (C-dots) from carbon fiber starting material. The production of different C-dots fractions was monitored over seven days. During the course of the reaction, one fraction of C-dots species with relatively high photoluminescence was short-lived, emerging during the first hour of reaction but disappearing after one day of reaction. Isolation of this species during the first hour of the reaction was crucial to obtaining higher-luminescent C-dots species. When the reaction proceeded for one week, the appearance of larger nanostructures was observed over time, with lateral dimensions approaching 200 nm. The experimental evidence suggests that these larger species are formed from small C-dot nanoparticles bridged together by sulfur-based moieties between the C-dot edge groups, as if the C-dots polymerized by cross-linking the edge groups through sulfur bridges. Their size can be tailored by controlling the reaction time. Our results highlight the variety of CNP products, from sub–10 nm C-dots to ∼200 nm sulfur-containing carbon nanostructures, that can be produced over time during the oxidation reaction of the graphenic starting material. Our work provides a clear understanding of when to stop the oxidation reaction during the top-down production of C-dots to obtain highly photoluminescent species or a target average particle size.
Transnationale Perspektiven
Authors: Glorius Birgit
Published: September 2015

Während die theoretische Reflexion transnationaler Theorieansätze in der Migrationsforschung weit fortgeschritten ist, bestehen nach wie vor große Defizite bei der empirischen Operationalisierung ihrer Basishypothesen. Der Band möchte diese Erkenntnislücke verkleinern helfen. Er wendet die transnationale Forschungsperspektive auf das empirische Beispiel polnischer Migranten in Leipzig an und identifiziert verschiedene Typen transnationaler Lebensformen sowie die wesentlichen Einflussfaktoren für deren Herausbildung. Die Ergebnisse der Studie tragen zur Präzisierung und Systematisierung des Transnationalismus-Diskurses bei und zeigen den besonderen Nutzwert - aber auch die Grenzen - einer transnationalen Forschungsperspektive gegenüber »klassischen« Theorieansätzen.
Domestic work count! Characteristics and transformations of the domestic service in Spain
Authors: Martínez Buján Raquel
Published: September 2015

This paper explores the characteristics of and transformations that Spanish domestic service has undergone in the since 2000. The paper also analyzes the domestic service’s contribution to the Spanish economy since the beginning of the country’s economic crisis. Relying on quantitative analysis of the domestic work data from the Active Population Survey, the most relevant changes identified are the increase of its demand and the consolidation of migrants workers in it. The paper also looks at the tasks carried out in the households of employers. The recent conversion of the domestic services in a nonprofessional care sector seems to mitigate the burden of personal care work that Spanish families aim to provide to their older relatives. This transformation of domestic work into care work has changed some traditional features of this occupation: the outcomes of qualitative data show changes in the intensification of the tasks carried out, a tendency to higher male workers, a reappearance of live-in workers, and key modifications in the relationship between employer families and employees. Finally, this paper incorporates a short assessment of Real Royal Decree 1620/2011 (which regulates domestic service) and Law 39/2006 (Law on the Promotion of Personal Autonomy and Care for Dependent Persons) to analyze which is the legal space delegate to the labor category related with the non-professional caregivers in private homes.
The Brezis–Nirenberg problem for nonlocal systems
Authors: Faria Luiz F. O. , Miyagaki Olimpio H. , Pereira Fabio R. , Squassina Marco , Zhang Chengxiang
Published: September 2015

By means of variational methods
we investigate existence, nonexistence as well as regularity of weak solutions
for a system of nonlocal equations involving the fractional laplacian
operator and with nonlinearity reaching the critical growth and interacting, in
a suitable sense, with the spectrum of the operator.
P.Tebt. Suppl. 1519: frammento di petizione
Authors: Mascellari Roberto
Published: September 2015

Edition of a fragment of a petition found in Tebtunis, probably related to an act of violence perpetrated by a group of people. The bottom of the document is preserved, with the standard request formulae, the identification of the petitioner, and the date (22nd September 98 AD).
Drei neue Papyrusfragmente zur Wirtschafts- und Verwaltungsgeschichte Ägyptens
Authors: Gruber Christian-Jürgen
Published: September 2015

The following three papyrus documents shed some light on the finances of a Ptolemaic or Roman household and on the financial administration of Egypt in Roman and Byzantine times. The household account may be one of the first accounts returning to accounting in the silver standard. The second document is a list most likely to be attributed to a logistērion on the nome level, and the third is a request for a boēthos to facilitate the tax collection.
Effect of Nitrogen, Boron, Zinc and Molybdenum Application on Yield of Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) on Greyic Phaeozem in the Czech Republic
Authors: Hlisnikovský L. , Kunzová E. , Hejcman M. , Škarpa P. , Menšík L.
Published: September 2015

The sunflower is a newly planted crop in the Czech Republic, which represents the northern edge of the species’ range, and there is a lack of information about the effect of nutrient application on yield components. To fill this gap, we performed a fertilizer experiment on Greyic Phaeozem over the years 2008–2012 to evaluate the effects of N, B, Zn and Mo application on achenes yield. We compared the control (C) without any N fertilizer, N treatments (N 60, N 90, N120 kg N ha−1) and N treatments accompanied with micronutrients (N 90+B – 0.3 kg B ha−1, N 90+Zn – 0.35 kg Zn ha−1, N 90+Mo – 0.125 kg Mo ha−1). The mean achenes yield over all years ranged from 3.9 in C to 4.34 t ha−1 in N 60. Achenes yield over all treatments ranged from 3.04 in 2008 to 4.91 t ha−1 in 2010. We concluded that sunflower can be produced with application rate up to 60 kg N ha−1 on highly productive soils in the Czech Republic and for similar other soils in the region. The increase in N application above 60 kg N ha−1 can decrease achenes yield. Application of B and Zn achieved slightly higher, while the addition of Mo slightly lower achenes yields when compared to the treatment with the same level of N and without micronutrients addition. We concluded that the application of micronutrients at the sites with sufficient content of those micronutrients in soil has almost no effect on achenes and biomass yield. Achenes and biomass yield was primarily affected by weather conditions in particular years, affecting plant growth, disease and predatory occurrence. Fertilizer treatments did not significantly affect the weight of achenes per head, weight of thousand achenes, the number of achenes per head, the number of heads per ha and number of achenes per ha during the experiment. The significant effect of the year was recorded, showing major effect of weather conditions on above mentioned parameters.
Study of Factors Effecting Surface Roughness and Tool Tip Temperature in Step Turning Using Factorial Technique
Authors: Siva Prasad Kondapalli
Published: September 2015

The paper focuses on the effect of various process parameters like spindle speed, feed, depth of cut, nose radius and machining condition on the Tool tip temperature and surface roughness in step turning process is investigated by using Factorial Technique. Five factors- Two levels are used and total 32 experiments are performed. The coefficients are calculated by using regression analysis and the model is constructed. The adequacy of the developed model is checked using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) technique. By using the mathematical model the main and interaction effect of various process parameters on tool tip temperature and surface roughness are studied.
Soft Sensing Method Of LS-SVM Using Temperature Time Series For Gas Flow Measurements
Authors: Xu Weiqing , Fan Zichuan , Cai Maolin , Shi Yan , Tong Xiaomeng , Sun Junpeng
Published: September 2015

This paper proposes a soft sensing method of least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) using temperature time series for gas flow measurements. A heater unit has been installed on the external wall of a pipeline to generate heat pulses. Dynamic temperature signals have been collected upstream of the heater unit. The temperature time series are the main secondary variables of soft sensing technique for estimating the flow rate. A LS-SVM model is proposed to construct a non-linear relation between the flow rate and temperature time series. To select its inputs, parameters of the measurement system are divided into three categories: blind, invalid and secondary variables. Then the kernel function parameters are optimized to improve estimation accuracy. The experiments have been conducted both in the single-pulse and multiple-pulse heating modes. The results show that estimations are acceptable.
Accurate Frequency Estimation Based On Three-Parameter Sine-Fitting With Three FFT Samples
Authors: Liu Xin , Ren Yongfeng , Chu Chengqun , Fang Wei
Published: September 2015

This paper presents a simple DFT-based golden section searching algorithm (DGSSA) for the single tone frequency estimation. Because of truncation and discreteness in signal samples, Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) are inevitable to cause the spectrum leakage and fence effect which lead to a low estimation accuracy. This method can improve the estimation accuracy under conditions of a low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and a low resolution. This method firstly uses three FFT samples to determine the frequency searching scope, then – besides the frequency – the estimated values of amplitude, phase and dc component are obtained by minimizing the least square (LS) fitting error of three-parameter sine fitting. By setting reasonable stop conditions or the number of iterations, the accurate frequency estimation can be realized. The accuracy of this method, when applied to observed single-tone sinusoid samples corrupted by white Gaussian noise, is investigated by different methods with respect to the unbiased Cramer-Rao Low Bound (CRLB). The simulation results show that the root mean square error (RMSE) of the frequency estimation curve is consistent with the tendency of CRLB as SNR increases, even in the case of a small number of samples. The average RMSE of the frequency estimation is less than 1.5 times the CRLB with SNR = 20 dB and N = 512.
The Analysis Of Accuracy Of Selected Methods Of Measuring The Thermal Resistance Of IGBTs
Authors: Górecki Krzysztof , Górecki Paweł
Published: September 2015

In the paper selected methods of measuring the thermal resistance of an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) are presented and the accuracy of these methods is analysed. The analysis of the measurement error is performed and operating conditions of the considered device, at which each measurement method assures the least measuring error, are pointed out. Theoretical considerations are illustrated with some results of measurements and calculations.
La calidad y el valor percibido en el transporte de mercancías en España y su importancia en la segmentación de clientes
Authors: Gil Saura Irene , Berenguer Contri Gloria , Ruiz Molina María Eugenia , Ospina Pinzón Santiago
Published: September 2015

En el estudio académico de las actividades logísticas y específicamente del transporte de mercancías, se ha señalado la influencia de la calidad del servicio en la generación y percepción de valor, así como la importancia de estos dos constructos en el proceso de evaluación del servicio en este entorno particular. En este trabajo se pretende identificar y caracterizar segmentos de empresas que prestan servicios de gestión del transporte internacional de mercancías (transitarias), con base en el valor que perciben del servicio recibido de sus principales proveedores de transporte de mercancías. A través de la realización de un análisis factorial exploratorio sobre una muestra de 205 empresas transitarias en España, se establece una propuesta de estructura multidimensional de la calidad del servicio; a partir de la aplicación del análisis de componentes principales categórico (CATPCA), se observan las relaciones entre los segmentos identificados y las diferentes variables, y dimensiones de la calidad que fueron identificadas, concluyéndose la existencia de una relación directa y positiva entre valor y calidad del servicio.
Cobalt Sulfide-Graphene (CoSG) Composite based Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitors
Authors: Ramachandran R , Nirmala Grace A , Subramaniam Chittur K
Published: September 2015

Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitors, EDLC, using Cobalt sulfide- Graphene (CoSG) composite electrodes, were fabricated and the storage process was studied. CoSG composite was prepared by a simple chemical route. X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) and Field Emission Scanning Electron microscopy (FESEM) were used to characterized the as prepared composites which indicated formation of Co S phase. Solutions of perfluorosulfonic acid and Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF) were used as electrode binding material. The storage capacitance of the composites were studied in 1M KCl and 6M KOH electrolytes using standard electrochemical techniques like cyclic voltammetry, CV, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, EIS, and discharge profiles. The capacitance was estimated for various binder concentrations for both the electrolytes. The concentration of perflurosulfonic acid binder of 0.8 wt% and PVDF of 0.04 wt% showed optimized specific capacitances of 657.8 F/gm and 1418.8 F/g, respectively. Some of the problems in storage density in activated carbon, like varying micro or meso pores, poor ion mobility due to varying pore distribution, low electrical conductivity, can be overcome by using Graphene and composites of Graphene. Graphene in various structural nomenclatures have been used by different groups for charge storage. Optimization of the electrode structure in terms of blend percentage, binder content and interface character in the frequency and time domain provides insights to the double layer interface structure.
An Important Episode in the Evolution of Romanian Identity in the 18ᵗʰ Century: from Uniatism to the Transylvanian School
Authors: Untea Ionut
Published: September 2015

The article focuses on the process, events and attempts from the end of the 17ᵗʰ and the beginning of the 18ᵗʰ century to unite the Romanian Orthodox Church or rather a part of it belonging to the Orthodox Metropolitan of Transylvania with the Roman Catholic Church. The author analyzes the challenges and consequences of such a union for the Romanian identity. To overcome the controversies and strengthen a common Romanian identity, the cultural program of the Transylvanian School movement was initiated.
The Position of Palestinian Jerusalem Christians and Patriarchates on the Status of Jerusalem – comparison and analysis of research findings
Authors: Buśko Michał
Published: September 2015

The paper discusses a question of Palestinian Jerusalem Christian (PJCh) position on the problem of Jerusalem status. It presents a part of findings of a research that was undertaken to investigate PJCh preferable solution to Jerusalem problem. The main aim of the paper is to discuss similarities and differences of official and common level perspective of the problem. The problem has been approached through the analysis of written sources issued by Jerusalem patriarchates and analysis of the questionnaire that had been used to investigate common PJCh position of Jerusalem status.
Vertical stratification and effect of petiole and dry leaf size on arthropod feeding guilds in Cecropia pachystachya(Urticaceae)
Authors: Novais SMA , Alvarenga AS , Falcão LAD , Neves FS
Published: September 2015

AbstractThis study aimed to test for vertical stratification and the effects of dry leaf size on herbivore and predator arthropods and petiole length on insect borers in Cecropia pachystachya. The leaves were sampled in three strata: attached to the plant, suspended on the vegetation and on the ground. We detected vertical stratification only in the guild of predator arthropods associated with dry leaves, with lower richness and abundance in the attached stratum. In addition, larger leaves positively affected the insect herbivore fauna, whereas the richness and abundance of insect borers increased with petiole length. The greater isolation of leaves attached to trees relative to the surrounding vegetation likely creates greater difficulty for dispersal and colonization by non-winged predators such as spiders. Larger dry leaves provide more shelter against predators and climate variations for insect herbivores. Moreover, larger petioles increase the availability of resources and nesting sites for insect borers. These results are consistent with other studies that found a similarity in the structure of feeding guilds across vertical strata and with studies that showed an increase in species richness and abundance of free-feeding insect herbivores with increasing structural complexity of their host.
Growth of Paecilomyces variotii in B0 (diesel), B100 (biodiesel) and B7 (blend), degradation and molecular detection
Authors: Gassen J , Bento FM , Frazzon APG , Ferrão MF , Marroni IV , Simonetti AB
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe introduction of biodiesel to diesel may allow the fuel to be more susceptible to microorganism growth, especially during incorrect storage. To evaluate the effect of adding biodiesel in pure diesel on the growth of Paecilomyces variotii, microcosms containing pure diesel (B0), blend diesel/biodiesel (B7) and pure biodiesel (B100) were used. In microcosm with minimal mineral medium and B0, B7 or B100, after 60 days, the biomass (dry weight) formed at interface oil-water in B7 and B100 was significantly higher when compared to that of B0. Infrared analysis showed reduction of the carbonile fraction in B7 and B100 suggesting formation of intermediate compounds in B7. To monitor possible contamination of fuel storage tank by P. variotii samples were collected and analysed by specific-PCR assay for detection of P. variotii spores in the aqueous phase. This method was able to detect a minimum of 103 spores ml–1, corresponding to 0.0144 ng µl–1 of DNA. Specificity was tested against Aspergillus fumigatus and Pseudallescheria boydii.
Does the habitat structure control the distribution and diversity of the Odonatofauna?
Authors: Souza AM , Fogaça FNO , Cunico AM , Higuti J
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe statement that the habitat complexity and structure govern the abundance and diversity of biological communities has been widely investigated. In this context, we assumed the hypothesis of habitat heterogeneity, that is, the higher habitat complexity leads to greater diversity of Odonata. In addition, we analyzed the influence of habitat structure on the distribution of this community, and evaluated the effects of abiotic variables. Odonata larvae were collected with sieves and by electrofishing in ten neotropical streams belonging to the Pirapó River basin. Forty species of Odonata were registered, which were distributed in eight families, Libellulidae stood out with the highest richness. The high gamma diversity and distribution of Odonata were associated with habitat heterogeneity in these streams. However, the abiotic variables also seem to affect the distribution of Odonata species, in view of the impact of the land use in the vicinity of streams.
Gastrointestinal parasites of maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus, Illiger 1815) in a suburban area in southeastern Brazil
Authors: Massara RL , Paschoal AMO , Chiarello AG
Published: September 2015

AbstractWe examined 42 maned wolf scats in an unprotected and disturbed area of Cerrado in southeastern Brazil. We identified six helminth endoparasite taxa, being Phylum Acantocephala and Family Trichuridae the most prevalent. The high prevalence of the Family Ancylostomatidae indicates a possible transmission via domestic dogs, which are abundant in the study area. Nevertheless, our results indicate that the endoparasite species found are not different from those observed in protected or least disturbed areas, suggesting a high resilience of maned wolf and their parasites to human impacts, or a common scenario of disease transmission from domestic dogs to wild canid whether in protected or unprotected areas of southeastern Brazil.
Jaw musculature of Cyclarhis gujanensis (Aves: Vireonidae)
Authors: Previatto DM. , Posso SR.
Published: September 2015

AbstractCyclarhis gujanensis is a little bird which feeds on high number of large preys, such frogs, lizards, snakes, bats and birds. As there are few studies on the cranial anatomy of this species, we aimed to describe the cranial myology to contribute to the anatomical knowledge of this species and to make some assumptions about functional anatomy. Thus, we described the muscles from the jaw apparatus (external and internal adductor muscles, the muscles of the pterygoid system and the depressor muscles of the mandible). The adductor system is the greatest and multipinulated, particularly in its origin in the caudal portion of the temporal fossa. The depressor jaw muscles systems are enlarged with many components in complexity. The most of jaw apparatus muscles are short, but the strength (biting or crushing forces) from short feeding apparatus fibers probably is increased by high number of components and pinnulation. These anatomical aspects of the muscles indicate a considerable force in the jaws, without which C. gujanensis probably could not cut their prey into smaller pieces. However, functional approaches to analysis of forces of the muscle fibers are needed to corroborate / refute the hypotheses mentioned above.
Feather mites (Acari, Astigmata) associated with birds in an Atlantic Forest fragment in Northeastern Brazil
Authors: Silva HM , Hernandes FA , Pichorim M
Published: September 2015

AbstractThe present study reports associations between feather mites (Astigmata) and birds in an Atlantic Forest fragment in Rio Grande do Norte state, in Brazil. In the laboratory, mites were collected through visual examination of freshly killed birds. Overall, 172 individuals from 38 bird species were examined, between October 2011 and July 2012. The prevalence of feather mites was 80.8%, corresponding to 139 infested individuals distributed into 30 species and 15 families of hosts. Fifteen feather mite taxa could be identified to the species level, sixteen to the genus level and three to the subfamily level, distributed into the families Analgidae, Proctophyllodidae, Psoroptoididae, Pteronyssidae, Xolalgidae, Trouessartiidae, Falculiferidae and Gabuciniidae. Hitherto unknown associations between feather mites and birds were recorded for eleven taxa identified to the species level, and nine taxa were recorded for the first time in Brazil. The number of new geographic records, as well as the hitherto unknown mite-host associations, supports the high estimates of diversity for feather mites of Brazil and show the need for research to increase knowledge of plumicole mites in the Neotropical region.
Sobre a esfingofauna da Ilha de Maracá e da Serra de Pacaraima, Roraima (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae)
Authors: Motta Catarina da Silva , Ferreira Ruth Leila M. , Aguiar Nair O.
Published: September 2015

São listadas as espécies de esfingídeos coletadas na Ilha de Maracã e na Serra de Pacaraima, em Roraima.
Pipunculidae (Diptera) da Estação Ecológica de Maracá e da localidade de Pacaraima, Roraima, Brasil.
Authors: Rafael J. A. , Rosa M. S. S.
Published: September 2015

As espécies de pipunculidae da Estação Ecológica de Maracá e de Pacaraima, Brasil, são registradas. Dezesseis espécies foram identificadas ao nível específico; dessas, dez são novas à ciência, mas apenas cinco são descritas neste trabalho: Amazunculus claripennis, Cephalosphaera pacaraima, C. semispiralis, Elmohardyia praecipuae E. raraimensis.
A museologia na web: sistema de informação sobre patrimônio cultural na era digital
Authors: Mello Janaina Cardoso de , Luz Fabiano Conceiçao Lima , Montijano Maria Márcia Crisanto Leão , Andrade Ângela Maria Ferreira de
Published: September 2015

O artigo busca compartilhar a experiência do programa "Sistemas de Informação, cyber cultura e digitalização do patrimônio sergipano: a museologia na web" a partir da elaboração e manutenção de uma web site com um arquivo digital com entrevistas orais e captação de imagens pelos moradores mantenedores da cultura imaterial em Laranjeiras - SE. Aliada a essa produção de equipamentos culturais digitais para a área de Ciências Sociais Aplicadas estão dois subprojetos centrados na utilização de softwares livres para a organização de um banco de dados com textos sobre museologia, memória e patrimônio disponibilizados online e a criação de um dicionário eletrônico de termos museológicos a ser utilizado como ferramenta de pesquisa, base conceitual e conteúdo facilitador da relação ensino-aprendizagem nos cursos de museologia. Para os cursos graduação em Museologia tais iniciativas enquadram-se como inovação tecnológica na área prioritária de Tecnologia da Informação.
Feeding and reproductive ecology of Cichla piquiti Kullander & Ferreira, 2006 within its native range, Lajeado reservoir, rio Tocantins basin
Authors: Marto Vanilcia Clementino de Oliveira , Akama Alberto , Pelicice Fernando Mayer
Published: September 2015

Cichla piquiti is endemic to the Tocantins-Araguaia river basin, but information about its biology is restricted to populations introduced in other basins. In order to fill this gap, we investigated the feeding ecology and reproductive dynamics of C. piquiti in Lajeado reservoir, rio Tocantins. A total of 270 fish were collected between November 2010 and October 2011. The diet is rich and composed of at least 23 resources, predominantly fish (at least 19 species). We observed no clear influence of sex, periods and ontogeny on diet, which was basically composed of Characidae and Cichlidae. Considering its reproductive dynamics, immature, reproductive and non-reproductive fish were recorded during the whole study, and reproductive effort did not differ among periods. Cichla piquiti also showed no pattern of energy allocation between reproductive and somatic activities. These results indicate that reproduction is occurring throughout the year and that this activity is not synchronized among individuals. In conclusion, this study presented valuable information on the ecology of C. piquiti within its natural range, which may subsidize management programs to conserve local stocks. This information may also provide theoretical insights to explain why C. piquiti , a voracious predator, is so harmful when introduced in non-Amazonian reservoirs.