bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On (h; k)-Dichotomy and (h; k)-Trichotomy of Noninvertible Evolution Operators in Banach Spaces
Authors: Kovács Monteola Ilona , Megan Mihail , Mihiţ Claudia Luminiţa
Published: March 2015

The paper considers some concepts of (h, k)-dichotomy and (h, k)-trichotomy for noninvertible evolution operators in Ba- nach spaces. A characterization of the (h, k)-trichotomy of an evolution operator in terms of (h, k)-dichotomy for two associated evolution operators is given. As applications of this result, charac- terizations for nonuniform exponential trichotomy and nonuniform polynomial trichotomy are obtained.
On First Countability of a New Hyperspace Topology
Authors: Sen Ritu
Published: March 2015

In this paper the notion of first countability of the hyperspace (θ (X), τ ) has been studied and being compared with that of X.
Vertical distribution of Cu, Ni and Zn in Brunic Arenosols and Gleyic Podzols of the supra-flood terrace of the Słupia River as affected by litho-pedogenic factors
Authors: Jonczak Jerzy
Published: March 2015

The aim of the study was to assess the influence of lithological and pedogenic factors in the shaping of Cu, Ni and Zn distribution patterns in the profiles of Brunic Arenosols and Gleyic Podzols of the lower supra-flood terrace of the Słupia River, which is located outside the range of significant anthropogenic sources of pollution with these metals.

The contents of the investigated metals were analysed in aqua regia extracts of samples collected from three profiles of Brunic Arenosols, formed from river sands, and three profiles of Gleyic Podzols, formed from river sands transformed by eolian processes.

In general, river sands contained higher amounts of Ni and Zn (2.6 - 6.9 mg·kg-1 Ni; 10.3 - 16.2 mg·kg-1 Zn) compared to eolian sands (1.2 - 2.4 mg·kg-1 Ni; 3.3 - 17.3 mg·kg-1), while the content of copper tended to be higher in eolian sands (1.3 - 1.9 mg·kg-1) than river sands (0.1 - 1.5 mg·kg-1). The observed differences between the two types of sand are due to the loss of fine granulometric fractions and various minerals during eolian processes. Higher concentrations of the investigated metals in soil solum as compared to parent material are due to their uptake from deeper parts of the soil by roots and subsequent return to the soil surface as a component of litterfall. Therefore, the highest concentrations of Cu, Ni and Zn were observed in ectohumus. In the mineral component of the soil, the highest concentrations were observed in organic matter-rich A and B horizons, which indicate close interactions between heavy metals, humic substances and iron oxides.

The vertical distribution of the investigated metals in the profiles of Gleyic Podzols indicates their leaching during podzolization. The observed contents of Cu, Ni and Zn, both in Brunic Arenosols and Gleyic Podzols, were lower than the geochemical background, which confirms that anthropogenic contamination of the studied area with these metals is marginal
Occurrence of black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) in the State Forests in Poland
Authors: Bijak Szymon , Czajkowski Maciej , Ludwisiak Łukasz
Published: March 2015

Among the invasive tree species identified in Polish forests, black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) appears to pose the greatest threat. The objective of this study was i), to determine the abundance of this species in the forests managed by the State Forests National Forest Holding (PGLLP) and ii), to characterise the ecological conditions that it is found in. The source data was obtained from the State Forests Information System (SILP) database. In Polish forests, black cherry mostly occurs as an understory plant and is present in a total area of 99,185 hectares, which is 1.4% of the forest area under the management of the PGLLP. Although Prunus serotina can be found within a wide range of habitats, it most commonly occurs on sites that can be considered average in terms of fertility (mixed coniferous and mixed deciduous types) developed primarily on rusty soils (podzols).
Survival and growth of the Melolontha spp. grubs on the roots of the main forest tree species
Authors: Woreta Danuta , Sukovata Lidia
Published: March 2015

The survival, weight and relative growth rate (RGR) of the Melolontha spp. grubs feeding on roots of Quercus
petraea, Q. robur, Fagus sylvatica, Betula pendula, Larix decidua, Alnus glutinosa and Pinus sylvestris, were examined.
Overall, the youngest grubs L1 were the most affected by food quality. The mortality of the grubs feeding on the
roots of A. glutinosa changed most rapidly and, consequently, LT50 was the shortest (25.9 days), whereas the slowest
changes in mortality with the highest LT50 values were observed on the two oak species (54.9 and 44.9 days on Q.
robur and Q. petraea, respectively). The RGRs of the L1 grubs were the highest on oaks, F. sylvatica and B. pendula.
The overall rate of survival of the older grubs was high (66.7–100%). It was the lowest on the roots of B. pendula (L2
grubs) and L. decidua (L3 grubs), which at the same time displayed the highest RGRs.
The interpretation of the results is difficult due to the lack of basic knowledge on the potential effects of food quality
and other factors on grub metamorphosis. There is no doubt, however, that among the seven tested tree species the
roots of A. glutinosa are the least favorable for the Melolontha grubs’ performance.
Mitigation of Humic Acid Inhibition in Anaerobic Digestion of Cellulose by Addition of Various Salts
Authors: Azman Samet , Khadem Ahmad , Zeeman Grietje , Van Lier Jules , Plugge Caroline
Published: March 2015

Humic compounds are inhibitory to the anaerobic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass. In this study, the impact of salt addition to mitigate the inhibitory effects of humic compounds was investigated. The experiment was conducted using batch tests to monitor the anaerobic hydrolysis of cellulose in the presence of humic acid. Sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron salts were tested separately for their efficiency to mitigate humic acid inhibition. All experiments were done under mesophilic conditions (30 °C) and at pH 7. Methane production was monitored online, using the Automatic Methane Potential Test System. Methane production, soluble chemical oxygen demand and volatile fatty acid content of the samples were measured to calculate the hydrolysis efficiencies. Addition of magnesium, calcium and iron salts clearly mitigated the inhibitory effects of humic acid and hydrolysis efficiencies reached up to 75%, 65% and 72%, respectively, which were similar to control experiments. Conversely, potassium and sodium salts addition did not mitigate the inhibition and hydrolysis efficiencies were found to be less than 40%. Mitigation of humic acid inhibition via salt addition was also validated by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy analyses, which showed the binding capacity of different cations to humic acid.
Kählerian Information Geometry for Signal Processing
Authors: Choi Jaehyung , Mullhaupt Andrew
Published: March 2015

We prove the correspondence between the information geometry of a signal filter and a Kähler manifold. The information geometry of a minimum-phase linear system with a finite complex cepstrum norm is a Kähler manifold. The square of the complex cepstrum norm of the signal filter corresponds to the Kähler potential. The Hermitian structure of the Kähler manifold is explicitly emergent if and only if the impulse response function of the highest degree in z is constant in model parameters. The Kählerian information geometry takes advantage of more efficient calculation steps for the metric tensor and the Ricci tensor. Moreover, α-generalization on the geometric tensors is linear in α . It is also robust to find Bayesian predictive priors, such as superharmonic priors, because Laplace–Beltrami operators on Kähler manifolds are in much simpler forms than those of the non-Kähler manifolds. Several time series models are studied in the Kählerian information geometry.
Current Harmonics Compensation in Microgrids Exploiting the Power Electronics Interfaces of Renewable Energy Sources
Authors: Bouloumpasis Ioannis , Vovos Panagis , Georgakas Konstantinos , Vovos Nicholas
Published: March 2015

This work presents a method of current harmonic reduction in a distorted distribution system. In order to evaluate the proposed method a grid with high-order current harmonics is assumed. The reduction of current distortion is feasible due to the pulse modulation of an active filter, which consists of a buck-boost converter connected back-to-back to a polarity swapping inverter. For a practical application, this system would be the power electronic interface of a Renewable Energy Source (RES) and therefore it changes a source of harmonics to a damping harmonics system. Using the proposed method, the current Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) of the grid is reduced below the acceptable limits and thus the general power quality of the system is improved. Simulations in the MATLAB/SIMULINK platform and experiments have been performed in order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.
A Low-Cost Wheat Bran Medium for Biodegradation of the Benzidine-Based Carcinogenic Dye Trypan Blue Using a Microbial Consortium
Authors: Lade Harshad , Kadam Avinash , Paul Diby , Govindwar Sanjay
Published: March 2015

Environmental release of benzidine-based dyes is a matter of health concern. Here, a microbial consortium was enriched from textile dye contaminated soils and investigated for biodegradation of the carcinogenic benzidine-based dye Trypan Blue using wheat bran (WB) as growth medium. The PCR-DGGE analysis of enriched microbial consortium revealed the presence of 15 different bacteria. Decolorization studies suggested that the microbial consortium has high metabolic activity towards Trypan Blue as complete removal of 50 mg∙L−1 dye was observed within 24 h at 30 ± 0.2 °C and pH 7. Significant reduction in TOC (64%) and COD (88%) of dye decolorized broths confirmed mineralization. Induction in azoreductase (500%), NADH-DCIP reductase (264%) and laccase (275%) proved enzymatic decolorization of dye. HPLC analysis of dye decolorized products showed the formation of six metabolites while the FTIR spectrum indicated removal of diazo bonds at 1612.30 and 1581.34 cm−1. The proposed dye degradation pathway based on GC-MS and enzyme analysis suggested the formation of two low molecular weight intermediates. Phytotoxicity and acute toxicity studies revealed the less toxic nature of the dye degradation products. These results provide experimental evidence for the utilization of agricultural waste as a novel low-cost growth medium for biodegradation of benzidine-based dyes, and suggested the potential of the microbial consortium in detoxification.
Association between Air Pollutants and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality in Wuhan, China
Authors: Liu Yisi , Chen Xi , Huang Shuqiong , Tian Liqiao , Lu Yuan'an , Mei Yan , Ren Meng , Li Na , Liu Li , Xiang Hao
Published: March 2015

We examined the associations of daily mean concentrations of ambient air pollutants (particulate matter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitric oxide (NO2)) and daily cardiovascular diseases (CVD) mortality in Wuhan, China using a case-crossover design to analyze four years of data (2006–2009) collected from the Hubei Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the Wuhan Environmental Protection Bureau. From 2006 to 2009, daily average concentrations of PM10, SO2 and NO2 were 115.60 µg/m3, 53.21 µg/m3 and 53.08 µg/m3, respectively. After adjusting for temperature and relative humidity, a 10 µg/m3 increase in SO2 and NO2 over a 24-h period was associated with CVD mortality relative risk (R.R.) of 1.010 (95% CI: 1.000, 1.020) for SO2 and 1.019 (95% CI: 1.005, 1.033) for NO2, but there was no significant association between increases in PM10 and mortality. Subgroup analysis on by gender showed a significant association of 1.026 (95% CI: 1.007, 1.045) between NO2 and CVD among males, while no significant statistical effect was shown among females. Subgroup analysis by age showed that for those older than 65 years, every 10 µg/m3 increase in NO2 was associated with a 1.6% (95% CI: 0.1%, 3.1%) increase in CVD mortality. Subgroup analysis on different types of CVD showed that every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10 and SO2 were significantly associated with an approximately 1.012 (95% CI: 1.002, 1.022) and 1.021 (95% CI: 1.002, 1.040) increase, respectively, in ischemic heart disease (ICH) mortality. In conclusion, exposure to NO2 is significantly associated with CVD mortality. Larger, multi-center studies in Chinese cities are being currently conducted to validate these findings.
The NBA’s Maximum Player Salary and the Distribution of Player Rents
Authors: Hastings Kelly , Stephenson Frank
Published: March 2015

The NBA’s 1999 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) included provisions capping individual player pay in addition to team payrolls. This study examines the effect the NBA’s maximum player salary on player rents by comparing player pay from the 1997–1998 and 2003–2004 seasons while controlling for player productivity and other factors related to player pay. The results indicate a large increase in the pay received by teams’ second highest and, to a lesser extent, third highest paid players. We interpret this result as evidence that the adoption of the maximum player salary shifted rents from stars to complementary players. We also show that the 1999 CBA’s rookie contract provisions reduced salaries of early career players.
Understanding FRET as a Research Tool for Cellular Studies
Authors: Shrestha Dilip , Jenei Attila , Nagy Péter , Vereb György , Szöllősi János
Published: March 2015

Communication of molecular species through dynamic association and/or dissociation at various cellular sites governs biological functions. Understanding these physiological processes require delineation of molecular events occurring at the level of individual complexes in a living cell. Among the few non-invasive approaches with nanometer resolution are methods based on Förster Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET). FRET is effective at a distance of 1–10 nm which is equivalent to the size of macromolecules, thus providing an unprecedented level of detail on molecular interactions. The emergence of fluorescent proteins and SNAP- and CLIP- tag proteins provided FRET with the capability to monitor changes in a molecular complex in real-time making it possible to establish the functional significance of the studied molecules in a native environment. Now, FRET is widely used in biological sciences, including the field of proteomics, signal transduction, diagnostics and drug development to address questions almost unimaginable with biochemical methods and conventional microscopies. However, the underlying physics of FRET often scares biologists. Therefore, in this review, our goal is to introduce FRET to non-physicists in a lucid manner. We will also discuss our contributions to various FRET methodologies based on microscopy and flow cytometry, while describing its application for determining the molecular heterogeneity of the plasma membrane in various cell types.
In Silico Analysis of the Genes Encoding Proteins that Are Involved in the Biosynthesis of the RMS/MAX/D Pathway Revealed New Roles of Strigolactones in Plants
Authors: Marzec Marek , Muszynska Aleksandra
Published: March 2015

Strigolactones were described as a new group of phytohormones in 2008 and since then notable large number of their functions has been uncovered, including the regulation of plant growth and development, interactions with other organisms and a plant’s response to different abiotic stresses. In the last year, investigations of the strigolactone biosynthesis pathway in two model species, Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa, resulted in great progress in understanding the functions of four enzymes that are involved in this process. We performed in silico analyses, including the identification of the cis-regulatory elements in the promoters of genes encoding proteins of the strigolactone biosynthesis pathway and the identification of the miRNAs that are able to regulate their posttranscriptional level. We also searched the databases that contain the microarray data for the genes that were analyzed from both species in order to check their expression level under different growth conditions. The results that were obtained indicate that there are universal regulations of expression of all of the genes that are involved in the strigolactone biosynthesis in Arabidopsis and rice, but on the other hand each stage of strigolactone production may be additionally regulated independently. This work indicates the presence of crosstalk between strigolactones and almost all of the other phytohormones and suggests the role of strigolactones in the response to abiotic stresses, such as wounding, cold or flooding, as well as in the response to biotic stresses.
Wear Tests of a Potential Biolubricant for Orthopedic Biopolymers
Authors: Thompson Martin , Hunt Ben , Smith Alan , Joyce Thomas
Published: March 2015

Most wear testing of orthopedic implant materials is undertaken with dilute bovine serum used as the lubricant. However, dilute bovine serum is different to the synovial fluid in which natural and artificial joints must operate. As part of a search for a lubricant which more closely resembles synovial fluid, a lubricant based on a mixture of sodium alginate and gellan gum, and which aimed to match the rheology of synovial fluid, was produced. It was employed in a wear test of ultra high molecular weight polyethylene pins rubbing against a metallic counterface. The test rig applied multidirectional motion to the test pins and had previously been shown to reproduce clinically relevant wear factors for ultra high molecular weight polyethylene. After 2.4 million cycles (125 km) of sliding in the presence of the new lubricant, a mean wear factor of 0.099 × 10−6 mm3/Nm was measured for the ultra high molecular weight polyethylene pins. This was over an order of magnitude less than when bovine serum was used as a lubricant. In addition, there was evidence of a transfer film on the test plates. Such transfer films are not seen clinically. The search for a lubricant more closely matching synovial fluid continues.
Preparation and Electrochemical Characterization of Mesoporous Polyaniline-Silica Nanocomposites as an Electrode Material for Pseudocapacitors
Authors: Zu Lei , Cui Xiuguo , Jiang Yanhua , Hu Zhongkai , Lian Huiqin , Liu Yang , Jin Yushun , Li Yan , Wang Xiaodong
Published: March 2015

Mesoporous polyaniline-silica nanocomposites with a full interpenetrating structure for pseudocapacitors were synthesized via the vapor phase approach. The morphology and structure of the nanocomposites were deeply investigated by scanning electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermal gravimetric analysis and nitrogen adsorption-desorption tests. The results present that the mesoporous nanocomposites possess a uniform particle morphology and full interpenetrating structure, leading to a continuous conductive polyaniline network with a large specific surface area. The electrochemical performances of the nanocomposites were tested in a mixed solution of sulfuric acid and potassium iodide. With the merits of a large specific surface area and suitable pore size distribution, the nanocomposite showed a large specific capacitance (1702.68 farad (F)/g) due to its higher utilization of the active material. This amazing value is almost three-times larger than that of bulk polyaniline when the same mass of active material was used.
Nanostructured Titanium-10 wt% 45S5 Bioglass-Ag Composite Foams for Medical Applications
Authors: Jurczyk Karolina , Adamek Grzegorz , Kubicka Marcelina , Jakubowicz Jaroslaw , Jurczyk Mieczyslaw
Published: March 2015

The article presents an investigation on the effectiveness of nanostructured titanium-10 wt% 45S5 Bioglass-1 wt% Ag composite foams as a novel class of antibacterial materials for medical applications. The Ti-based composite foams were prepared by the combination of mechanical alloying and a “space-holder” sintering process. In the first step, the Ti-10 wt% 45S5 Bioglass-1 wt% Ag powder synthesized by mechanical alloying and annealing mixed with 1.0 mm diameter of saccharose crystals was finally compacted in the form of pellets. In the next step, the saccharose crystals were dissolved in water, leaving open spaces surrounded by metallic-bioceramic scaffold. The sintering of the scaffold leads to foam formation. It was found that 1:1 Ti-10 wt% 45S5 Bioglass-1 wt% Ag/sugar ratio leads to porosities of about 70% with pore diameter of about 0.3–1.1 mm. The microstructure, corrosion resistance in Ringer’s solution of the produced foams were investigated. The value of the compression strength for the Ti-10 wt% 45S5 Bioglass-1 wt% Ag foam with 70% porosity was 1.5 MPa and the Young’s modulus was 34 MPa. Silver modified Ti-10 wt% 45S5 Bioglass composites possess excellent antibacterial activities against Staphylococcus aureus. Porous Ti-10 wt% 45S5 Bioglass-1 wt% foam could be a possible candidate for medical implants applications.
Cadmium-Containing Carbonic Anhydrase CDCA1 in Marine Diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii
Authors: Alterio Vincenzo , Langella Emma , De Simone Giuseppina , Monti Simona
Published: March 2015

The Carbon Concentration Mechanism (CCM) allows phytoplakton species to accumulate the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) necessary for an efficient photosynthesis even under carbon dioxide limitation. In this mechanism of primary importance for diatoms, a key role is played by carbonic anhydrase (CA) enzymes which catalyze the reversible hydration of CO2, thus taking part in the acquisition of inorganic carbon for photosynthesis. A novel CA, named CDCA1, has been recently discovered in the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii. CDCA1 is a cambialistic enzyme since it naturally uses Cd2+ as catalytic metal ion, but if necessary can spontaneously exchange Cd2+ to Zn2+. Here, the biochemical and structural features of CDCA1 enzyme will be presented together with its putative biotechnological applications for the detection of metal ions in seawaters.
Economical Synthesis of 13C-Labeled Opiates, Cocaine Derivatives and Selected Urinary Metabolites by Derivatization of the Natural Products
Authors: Karlsen Morten , Liu Huiling , Johansen Jon , Hoff Bård
Published: March 2015

The illegal use of opiates and cocaine is a challenge world-wide, but some derivatives are also valuable pharmaceuticals. Reference samples of the active ingredients and their metabolites are needed both for controlling administration in the clinic and to detect drugs of abuse. Especially, 13C-labeled compounds are useful for identification and quantification purposes by mass spectroscopic techniques, potentially increasing accuracy by minimizing ion alteration/suppression effects. Thus, the synthesis of [acetyl-13C4]heroin, [acetyl-13C4-methyl-13C]heroin, [acetyl-13C2-methyl-13C]6-acetylmorphine, [N-methyl-13C-O-metyl-13C]codeine and phenyl-13C6-labeled derivatives of cocaine, benzoylecgonine, norcocaine and cocaethylene was undertaken to provide such reference materials. The synthetic work has focused on identifying 13C atom-efficient routes towards these derivatives. Therefore, the 13C-labeled opiates and cocaine derivatives were made from the corresponding natural products.
Enteral Nutrition Support to Treat Malnutrition in Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Authors: Altomare Roberta , Damiano Giuseppe , Abruzzo Alida , Palumbo Vincenzo , Tomasello Giovanni , Buscemi Salvatore , Lo Monte Attilio
Published: March 2015

Malnutrition is a common consequence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Diet has an important role in the management of IBD, as it prevents and corrects malnutrition. It is well known that diet may be implicated in the aetiology of IBD and that it plays a central role in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal-tract disease. Often oral nutrition alone is not sufficient in the management of IBD patients, especially in children or the elderly, and must be combined with oral supplementation or replaced with tube enteral nutrition. In this review, we describe several different approaches to enteral nutrition—total parenteral, oral supplementation and enteral tube feeding—in terms of results, patients compliance, risks and and benefits. We also focus on the home entaral nutrition strategy as the future goal for treating IBD while focusing on patient wellness.
Sourdough Fermentation of Wheat Flour does not Prevent the Interaction of Transglutaminase 2 with α2-Gliadin or Gluten
Authors: Engström Niklas , Sandberg Ann-Sofie , Scheers Nathalie
Published: March 2015

The enzyme transglutaminase 2 (TG2) plays a crucial role in the initiation of celiac disease by catalyzing the deamidation of gluten peptides. In susceptible individuals, the deamidated peptides initiate an immune response leading to celiac disease. Several studies have addressed lactic fermentation plus addition of enzymes as a means to degrade gluten in order to prevent adverse response in celiacs. Processing for complete gluten degradation is often harsh and is not likely to yield products that are of comparable characteristics as their gluten-containing counterparts. We are concerned that incomplete degradation of gluten may have adverse effects because it leads to more available TG2-binding sites on gluten peptides. Therefore, we have investigated how lactic acid fermentation affects the potential binding of TG2 to gluten protein in wheat flour by means of estimating TG2-mediated transamidation in addition to measuring the available TG2-binding motif QLP, in α2-gliadin. We show that lactic fermentation of wheat flour, as slurry or as part of sourdough bread, did not decrease the TG2-mediated transamidation, in the presence of a primary amine, to an efficient level (73%–102% of unfermented flour). Nor did the lactic fermentation decrease the available TG2 binding motif QLP in α2-gliadin to a sufficient extent in sourdough bread (73%–122% of unfermented control) to be useful for celiac safe food.
Spectroscopic Remote Sensing of Non-Structural Carbohydrates in Forest Canopies
Authors: Asner Gregory , Martin Roberta
Published: March 2015

Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) are products of photosynthesis, and leaf NSC concentration may be a prognostic indicator of climate-change tolerance in woody plants. However, measurement of leaf NSC is prohibitively labor intensive, especially in tropical forests, where foliage is difficult to access and where NSC concentrations vary enormously by species and across environments. Imaging spectroscopy may allow quantitative mapping of leaf NSC, but this possibility remains unproven. We tested the accuracy of NSC remote sensing at leaf, canopy and stand levels using visible-to-shortwave infrared (VSWIR) spectroscopy with partial least squares regression (PLSR) techniques. Leaf-level analyses demonstrated the high precision (R2 = 0.69–0.73) and accuracy (%RMSE = 13%–14%) of NSC estimates in 6136 live samples taken from 4222 forest canopy species worldwide. The leaf spectral data were combined with a radiative transfer model to simulate the role of canopy structural variability, which led to a reduction in the precision and accuracy of leaf NSC estimation (R2 = 0.56; %RMSE = 16%). Application of the approach to 79 one-hectare plots in Amazonia using the Carnegie Airborne Observatory VSWIR spectrometer indicated the good precision and accuracy of leaf NSC estimates at the forest stand level (R2 = 0.49; %RMSE = 9.1%). Spectral analyses indicated strong contributions of the shortwave-IR (1300–2500 nm) region to leaf NSC determination at all scales. We conclude that leaf NSC can be remotely sensed, opening doors to monitoring forest canopy physiological responses to environmental stress and climate change.
Design of a Hybrid (Wired/Wireless) Acquisition Data System for Monitoring of Cultural Heritage Physical Parameters in Smart Cities
Authors: Diego Fernando-Juan , Esteban Borja , Merello Paloma
Published: March 2015

Preventive conservation represents a working method and combination of techniques which helps in determining and controlling the deterioration process of cultural heritage in order to take the necessary actions before it occurs. It is acknowledged as important, both in terms of preserving and also reducing the cost of future conservation measures. Therefore, long-term monitoring of physical parameters influencing cultural heritage is necessary. In the context of Smart Cities, monitoring of cultural heritage is of interest in order to perform future comparative studies and load information into the cloud that will be useful for the conservation of other heritage sites. In this paper the development of an economical and appropriate acquisition data system combining wired and wireless communication, as well as third party hardware for increased versatility, is presented. The device allows monitoring a complex network of points with high sampling frequency, with wired sensors in a 1-wire bus and a wireless centralized system recording data for monitoring of physical parameters, as well as the future possibility of attaching an alarm system or sending data over the Internet. This has been possible with the development of three board’s designs and more than 5000 algorithm lines. System tests have shown an adequate system operation.
Adaptive Software Architecture Based on Confident HCI for the Deployment of Sensitive Services in Smart Homes
Authors: Vega-Barbas Mario , Pau Iván , Martín-Ruiz María , Seoane Fernando
Published: March 2015

Smart spaces foster the development of natural and appropriate forms of human-computer interaction by taking advantage of home customization. The interaction potential of the Smart Home, which is a special type of smart space, is of particular interest in fields in which the acceptance of new technologies is limited and restrictive. The integration of smart home design patterns with sensitive solutions can increase user acceptance. In this paper, we present the main challenges that have been identified in the literature for the successful deployment of sensitive services (e.g., telemedicine and assistive services) in smart spaces and a software architecture that models the functionalities of a Smart Home platform that are required to maintain and support such sensitive services. This architecture emphasizes user interaction as a key concept to facilitate the acceptance of sensitive services by end-users and utilizes activity theory to support its innovative design. The application of activity theory to the architecture eases the handling of novel concepts, such as understanding of the system by patients at home or the affordability of assistive services. Finally, we provide a proof-of-concept implementation of the architecture and compare the results with other architectures from the literature.
A Wafer Level Vacuum Encapsulated Capacitive Accelerometer Fabricated in an Unmodified Commercial MEMS Process
Authors: Merdassi Adel , Yang Peng , Chodavarapu Vamsy
Published: March 2015

We present the design and fabrication of a single axis low noise accelerometer in an unmodified commercial MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) process. The new microfabrication process, MEMS Integrated Design for Inertial Sensors (MIDIS), introduced by Teledyne DALSA Inc. allows wafer level vacuum encapsulation at 10 milliTorr which provides a high Quality factor and reduces noise interference on the MEMS sensor devices. The MIDIS process is based on high aspect ratio bulk micromachining of single-crystal silicon layer that is vacuum encapsulated between two other silicon handle wafers. The process includes sealed Through Silicon Vias (TSVs) for compact design and flip-chip integration with signal processing circuits. The proposed accelerometer design is sensitive to single-axis in-plane acceleration and uses a differential capacitance measurement. Over ±1 g measurement range, the measured sensitivity was 1fF/g. The accelerometer system was designed to provide a detection resolution of 33 milli-g over the operational range of ±100 g.
Evaluation of Calcium Fluoroaluminosilicate Based Glass Ionomer Luting Cements Processed Both by Conventional and Microwave Assisted Methods
Authors: P. Nagaraja , Srinivasan Keloth , Adhikari A. , Satapathy Lakshmi
Published: March 2015

Calcium fluoroaluminosilicate glasses (CAS) are used in the formulation of glass ionomer cements for dental applications. However, the cements obtained from CAS glasses were found to be radiolucent. In this study, the influence of substituting Zn, Sr and Mg for Ca of CAS glasses was investigated with respect to the structure and setting characteristics, mechanical properties, and radiopacity of cements designed for luting applications. Three glass compositions based on substitution of Zn, Sr and Mg for Ca at 1:1 molar ratio was synthesized. They were coded as the G 021 (Ca: Zn), G 022 (Ca: Sr), G 023 (Ca: Mg). G 021 and G 022 glasses were processed by conventional melt quench route, whereas G 023 was processed by microwave melt–quench route. Each glass was then mixed with Fuji Type I GIC liquid in order to evaluate the properties of novel cements at different powder/liquid ratios. X-ray diffraction and Fourier Transform-Infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed the structure of the processed glasses. The average particle size of the processed glass powders was within specification limits for luting applications (<15 μm). The substitution of Zn, Sr and Mg for Ca at 1:1 molar ratio increased the reactivity of the respective glasses. This has been reflected in their respective setting characteristics and mechanical properties. The optimal combination of setting time, strength and radiopacity for the cements examined here was shown by G 022 cements. The microwave melting can be utilized for processing ionomer glasses as it did not alter the structure and properties of G 023 cement.
Géographie, environnement, écologie (Geography, environment, ecology)
Authors: Veyret Yvette
Published: March 2015

Résumé - L'environnement, défini par rapport aux groupes humains et aux sociétés, recouvre les notions de ressources, de contraintes et de risques.

Les effets de l'aménagement du milieu et l'impact du milieu dans le choix d'aménagement, doivent être envisagés en relation avec une solide connaissance des processus et des dynamiques caractéristiques du géosystème terre et cela à différentes échelles spatiales.

Les démarches géographique et écologique sont examinées et discutées. L'écologisme et ses dérives sont également considérés. La géographie, science de l'homme aménageant le milieu, occupe donc une place majeure au sein du courant dit « écologiste » qui se manifeste largement en cette fin du vingtième siècle.
La géographie physique entre les sciences de la Terre et la géographie humaine (Physical geography between Earth sciences and human geography)
Authors: Moissenet Étienne
Published: March 2015

Résumé - Bilan des difficultés rencontrées actuellement par la géographie physique française sur le terrain institutionnel : concurrence et appétits des Sciences de la Terre, négation de l'intérêt géographique des milieux et de l'environnement par une tendance de la géographie humaine française.
L'évolution de l'emploi féminin dans le monde : une caractéristique du changement social (The evolution of the work of the women in the world : a feature of the social change)
Authors: Dumont Gérard-François
Published: March 2015

Abstract - The employment of women is growing in the whole of the countries of the world, even though it reaches higher levels in the industrial countries (old and new) than in the developing countries. This evolution comes from multiple causes and carries on various inferences.
Reconstruction of chronic triceps tendon avulsion using synthetic mesh graft in a dog
Authors: Ambrosius L. , Arnoldy C. , Waller K. R. , Little J. P. , Bleedorn J. A.
Published: March 2015

Avulsion of the triceps tendon insertion was diagnosed in a two-year-old Poodle mixed breed dog 10 weeks after traumatic injury. Diagnosis was confirmed with clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The tendon was reconstructed using tension-relieving sutures augmented with a synthetic degradable porous polyurethane urea onlay mesh graft. The repair was immobilized using a transarticular external skeletal fixator with staged increases in elbow flexion. Treatment was successful, with signs of healing confirmed by MRI and normal clinical function one year after surgery. The successful outcome in this case suggests that surgical repair of a chronic triceps tendon injury using a synthetic mesh augmentation may be successful in similar cases.
Seven new species of Spathidexia Townsend (Diptera: Tachinidae) reared from caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica
Authors: Fleming AJ , Wood D. Monty , Janzen Daniel , Hallwachs Winnie , Smith M. Alex
Published: March 2015

We describe seven new species of Spathidexia (Diptera: Tachinidae) reared from Area de Conservación Guanacaste (ACG), northwestern Costa Rica. All were reared from ­various species of ACG caterpillars during an ongoing inventory of caterpillars, their food plants and their parasitoids. By coupling morphology, photographic documentation, life history and molecular data, we provide a clear and concise description of each species. All are known to be previously undescribed as a result of a comprehensive study of the genus by DMW. Spathidexia atripalpus sp. n., Spathidexia juanvialesi sp. n., Spathidexia marioburgosi sp. n., Spathidexia luisrobertogallegosi sp. n., Spathidexia luteola sp. n., Spathidexia hernanrodriguezi sp. n. and Spathidexia aurantiaca sp. n. are all authored and described by Fleming and Wood. Minthodexiopsis Townsend is proposed by Wood as a new synonym of Spathidexia. A new combination proposed by Wood as a result of the new synonymy is S. flavicornis (Brauer & Bergenstamm) comb. n.
The Impact of Corruption on Entrepreneurship
Authors: Avnimelech Gil , Zelekha Yaron
Published: March 2015

There is a consensus that corruption may result in high societal costs. A growing body of research reveals the negative effects of corruption on a variety of economic indicators. This chapter presents a literature review on the impact of corruption on entrepreneurship. It allows us to suggest that one of the transition channels through which corruption has impacted growth is entrepreneurship. The main channels in which corruption impacts entrepreneurship is through reduced incentives for entrepreneurial activity and reduced trust within the system. The authors present evidence that the negative impact of an incremental increase in the level of corruption on entrepreneurship is more harmful in developed countries than in developing countries. Thus, they stress the need for more research in this area with the aim of establishing appropriate frameworks for the fight of corruption in both developing and developed countries and suggest significant gains from anti-corruption efforts, especially in developed countries.
Windows on Corporate Ethics
Authors: van Tonder Christian L.
Published: March 2015

Corporate disasters arising from ethical failures have irreversibly eroded the public's trust in organisations. Predictably, executives' public commitments to ethical practices are now routinely viewed with scepticism. Although this obscures the identification of organisations' authentic ethical orientation, organisational change practices can reveal this ethical orientation i.e. function as ‘windows' on corporate ethics. Extending earlier work by Van Tonder, it is argued that organisational change practices have an implicit propensity for risk and harm, substantially ‘fit' with ethical frameworks and are consequently amenable to analysis on a range of ethical parameters. Employing ethics heuristics adapted for organisational change, Quaker Oats' acquisition of Snapple is analysed to reveal how change practices function as ‘windows' on corporate ethics. The implications for management are briefly considered.
Strategic Management Overview and SME in Globalized World
Authors: Baporikar Neeta
Published: March 2015

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in each economy. Some of them even became market leaders from an international perspective. This stands in stark contrast to the fact that scientific and strategic management research up to date has only rudimentarily covered the field of strategic management of SMEs. Globalization is not a trend, a fad, or an isolated phenomenon. It is an inescapable force. If anticipated and understood, it is a powerful opportunity. If not, it can swiftly destroy businesses and drown organizations. Meanwhile the concern for globalization and its effect on SMEs has grown tremendously over the recent decade. Hence, strategic management becomes critical and deserves more attention due to the threats and opportunities globalization exposes and offers SMEs to at the same time. This chapter intends to make a contribution to this research gap by means of raising the question whether strategic management is feasible and/or necessary for SMEs, identifying suitable concepts of strategic management and their applicability for SMEs so that they can maintain their independence and at the same time blossom to their fullest extent.
Are Persuasive Technologies Really Able to Communicate?
Authors: Linder Christian
Published: March 2015

Since a while the ethics of persuasive technology (PT) have been discussed. One interesting approach is the assessment of PTs in the light of discourse ethics and the speech-act theory as proposed recently. While some see such an approach as promising, the author will illustrate that the application of discourse ethics is only appropriate for a few limited persuasive strategies. It is argued that most often PT does not provide the essentials of a discourse; reason or arguments to convince the counterpart. In line with discourse ethics the elements of speech-act theory refer to the preconditions every debater has to subscribe to in order to reach a mutual understanding that is the ultimate goal of a discourse. It is evident that PT has to deal with serious problems in order to fulfill the preconditions such as comprehensibility, truth, truthfulness and legitimacy. If discourse ethics is the theoretical framework which reflects the moral content of PT, the intention of the designer and his arguments or reasons have to be taken into account. It is argued that this often contradicts the purpose of persuasion or manipulation if PT is applied. This paper provides propositions that should ensure that the design of PT fulfill the basic requirements of discourse ethics.
Ethics for Students Means Knowing and Experiencing
Authors: Roberts Cynthia , Roper Carolyn D.
Published: March 2015

There is growing interest in ethics education and the literature is replete with methods for approaching this complex and challenging subject. This chapter reviews the state of ethics education in business programs from infusion across the curriculum to standalone courses, the potential impact it may have on ethical behavior, and outlines several approaches to addressing ethics in the classroom. An instructional module in ethical decision making, grounded in scholarly literature, is presented. The authors discuss implications for practice and suggest utilizing several approaches from multiple perspectives to facilitate the development of ethical thought and action.
Natural Resources and Welfare
Authors: Dunn Leslie , Dunn Robert
Published: March 2015

This chapter examines the link between natural resource intensity and welfare for U.S. states from 1980 through 2009. Previous literature has examined the relationship between resource abundance and economic growth and, ultimately, the existence of a resource curse. The vast majority of these studies have utilized international data sets and focused strictly on economic growth. This chapter utilizes a sub-national data set of U.S. states and focuses on the impact of resources on welfare and development as measured by seven indicators. The findings show a negative relationship between natural resource intensity and welfare. After disaggregating resources into point or diffuse sources, it is found that point resources are likely to be more detrimental to welfare. Two prominent transmission channels of the resource curse, education and rent seeking, are examined and are found to have significant relationships with resource intensity. Finally, Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) estimation is used to explicitly identify the direct and indirect effects of resources on welfare.
Risk-Based Selection of Portfolio
Authors: Panja Soma , Roy Dilip
Published: March 2015

This chapter examines the closeness between the optimum portfolio and portfolio selected by an investor who follows a heuristic approach. There may be basically two ways of arriving at an optimum portfolio – one by minimizing the risk and the other by maximizing the return. In this chapter, the authors propose to strike a balance between these two. The optimum portfolio has been obtained through a mathematical programming framework so as to minimize the portfolio risk subject to return constraint expressed in terms of coefficient of optimism (a), where a varies between 0 to 1. Simultaneously, the authors propose to develop four heuristic portfolios for the optimistic and pessimistic investors, risk planners, and random selectors. Given the optimum portfolio and a heuristic portfolio, City Block Distance has been calculated to measure the departure of the heuristic solution from the optimum solution. Based on daily security wise data of ten companies listed in Nifty for the years 2004 to 2008, the authors have obtained that when the value of a lies between 0 to 0.5, the pessimistic investor's decision is mostly closest to the optimum solution, and when the value of a is greater than 0.5, the optimistic investor's decision is mostly near to the optimum decision. Near the point a = 0.5, the random selectors and risk planners' solutions come closer to the optimum decision. This study may help the investors to take heuristic investment decision and, based on his/her value system, reach near to the optimum solution.
Business Ethics, Strategy, and Organizational Integrity
Authors: Rendtorff Jacob Dahl
Published: March 2015

With a focus on the role of integrity in relation to business ethics versus economic strategy, this chapter contains following sections: 1) the concept of organizational integrity as a moral notion as it is described in the work of Lynn-Sharp Paine on organizational integrity, 2) the concept of integrity as an economic notion as it is described in the recent work of Michael Jensen—this section discusses recent efforts in the business economics literature to consider integrity as an important notion of strategy—, 3) Paine contra Jensen: a virtue or a workability concept of integrity—here, the authors discuss the basic dilemmas and problems of integrating integrity, economic performance, and strategy in the perspective of the two theories about integrity of Paine and Jensen.