bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surveillance of waterborne disease in European member states: a qualitative study
Authors: Risebro Helen L. , Hunter Paul R.
Published: September 2007

We sought to explore perceived strengths and weaknesses of surveillance systems for the detection of drinking-water-related illness in Europe based on the experience of individuals utilising such systems. We designed and conducted a qualitative semi-structured interview study with thematic analysis. Interviews took place in six European countries with seven experts in epidemiology, water and public health. Interviewees remarked upon variation between and within countries in laboratory and sampling protocols and reporting practice; these were felt to influence timeliness and sensitivity of laboratory- and clinician-report-based surveillance. Electronic reporting, reminders to report and direct report relay to national level were considered strengths of report-based surveillance. A need was expressed for more detailed case demographic information to facilitate outbreak detection. Existing infrastructure permitting, prescriptions data, anti-diarrhoeal pharmaceutical sales, absenteeism and consultations were cited as useful outbreak indicators. Information regarding consumer water quality complaints was highlighted as a potentially useful data source. Collaboration with water companies (concerning water distribution and incidents), and constructing and maintaining relationships with local and external data providers were cited as requisites of effective surveillance. Inter- and intra-organisational collaboration and information integration are likely to improve surveillance, leading to more astute estimates of the waterborne disease burden.
SCADA data and the quantification of hazardous events for QMRA
Authors: Nilsson P. , Roser D. , Thorwaldsdotter R. , Petterson S. , Davies C. , Signor R. , Bergstedt O. , Ashbolt N.
Published: September 2007

The objective of this study was to assess the use of on-line monitoring to support the QMRA at water treatment plants studied in the EU MicroRisk project. SCADA data were obtained from three Catchment-to-Tap Systems (CTS) along with system descriptions, diary records, grab sample data and deviation reports. Particular attention was paid to estimating hazardous event frequency, duration and magnitude. Using Shewart and CUSUM we identified ‘change-points’ corresponding to events of between 10 min and > 1 month duration in timeseries data. Our analysis confirmed it is possible to quantify hazardous event durations from turbidity, chlorine residual and pH records and distinguish them from non-hazardous variability in the timeseries dataset. The durations of most ‘events’ were short-term (0.5–2.3 h). These data were combined with QMRA to estimate pathogen infection risk arising from such events as chlorination failure. While analysis of SCADA data alone could identify events provisionally, its interpretation was severely constrained in the absence of diary records and other system information. SCADA data analysis should only complement traditional water sampling, rather than replace it. More work on on-line data management, quality control and interpretation is needed before it can be used routinely for event characterization.
Incidence of faecal contaminations in chlorinated and non-chlorinated distribution systems of neighbouring European countries
Authors: Hambsch Beate , Böckle Karin , van Lieverloo J. Hein M.
Published: September 2007

Data on E. coli incidence in drinking water samples have been evaluated for 4 European countries. Within the EC project MicroRisk, large volume sampling was done in the United Kingdom (with disinfectant residual), the Netherlands (mainly without disinfectant residual) and Germany (without disinfectant residual). No E. coli were found and very low background concentrations (< 10−4 per L) were calculated. Furthermore, data of 280,000 water samples collected in France (with disinfectant residual), the Netherlands and Germany (both with and without disinfectant residual) were evaluated for E. coli incidence. In total, similar results were obtained for Germany and the Netherlands. In France, significantly higher incidences occurred as more small rural supply systems were included. The detailed data evaluation revealed a slight increase of mean E. coli concentrations during distribution in Germany and the Netherlands, for both disinfected and non-disinfected supply zones. This suggests that, if technical measures are taken to avoid contamination during distribution, non-disinfected supply zones can be regarded as being as safe as disinfected supply zones. Furthermore, the indicator principle of E. coli for faecal contaminations is valid in non-disinfected supply zones. In chlorinated systems, on-line-monitoring of chlorine residuals represents a good means to detect ingress of organic material.
On integrating water yield models with forest planning efforts
Authors: Bettinger Pete , Holliday C. P. , Threadgill M. Scott , Hyldahl Carol A.
Published: September 2007

Forest planners provide decision makers with a wide array of information for making strategic decisions across broad landscapes. While wildlife and fisheries habitat concerns have strongly influenced the management of national forests over the past decade, the quantity and quality of water is now becoming one of the top priorities. Competition for downstream use of water and instream flows required to maintain or improve aquatic habitat conditions, suggest that the US Forest Service considers water yields to be an important measure of output from new forest plans. While significant research has been focused on the development of hydrologic models, the challenge is to now apply what has been learned to policy analysis. And when assessing a resource that moves across a landscape, a multi-ownership perspective may be needed. This paper describes the main aspects of water yield models and thoughts regarding the challenges planners and policy makers may face when integrating them with forest planning models.
Water reforms in developing countries: management transfers, private operators and water markets
Authors: Zekri Slim , Easter K. William
Published: September 2007

This paper analyzes the irrigation management transfer (IMT) experience in four middle-income developing countries and explores the links for private sector participation in providing water service and irrigation management. The four countries considered in the analysis are Mexico, Morocco, South Africa and Tunisia. The IMT program was successful where farmers had their water rights established, farms are medium and large scale with good access to markets and the government had a strong political willingness to empower users. The IMT programs that focused mainly on farmers' participation and empowerment through Water User Associations (WUA) have not been very successful. Private sector management has proved a feasible alternative in a number of countries. Experiences from Australia, China, France and Mali show that the private sector can efficiently manage irrigation systems and collect water charges, even in the absence of formal WUAs. Two additional alternatives could be of interest for irrigation schemes; these are management contracts and lease contracts. Another alternative would be to reform public entities and create new models that can ensure efficiency and transparency. The establishment of water rights is key in many cases since it guarantees access to water. The water rights are most effective in improving water use when allocated to farmers rather than to the private/public operator. After the establishment of water rights, farmers will have an incentive to organize in order to obtain better service. The paper also provides an overview of different types of water markets where private operators may play the intermediate role between willing buyers and sellers of water based on information obtained through the management of the network.
Generating efficient executable models for complex virtual experimentation with the Tornado kernel
Authors: Claeys Filip H.A. , Fritzson Peter , Vanrolleghem Peter A.
Published: September 2007

Virtual experimentation is a collective term that includes various model evaluation procedures such as simulation, optimization and scenario analysis. Given the complexity of the models used in these procedures, and the number of evaluations that is required to complete them, highly efficient model implementations are desired. Although water quality management is a domain in which complex virtual experimentation is often adopted, only relatively little attention has thus far been devoted to the automated generation of efficient executable models. This article reports on a number of promising results regarding executable model generation that were obtained in the scope of the Tornado kernel, using techniques such as equiv substitution and equation lifting.
Modeling phosphorus in the upper Etowah River basin: identifying sources under uncertainty
Authors: Lin Z. , Radcliffe D.E. , Beck M.B. , Risse L.M.
Published: September 2007

The Uniform Covering by Probabilistic Rejection (UCPR) algorithm was used, in conjunction with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, to identify P loads from point source and nonpoint source polluters in the upper Etowah River basin (UERB) in Georgia. The key findings of the research are as follows. The mean absolute error was preferred over the root mean square error as a search criterion for the UCPR algorithm when water quality observations are scarce. The undocumented P load from point sources in the UERB was consistently estimated as about 43 kg/d by the proposed method; but the method was not able to identify the broiler litter application rate to the poultry/beef operation pastures. Point sources (both documented and undocumented), poultry/beef operation pastures, and forests are the three major contributors of P. During 1992-1996, on average they accounted for 36.4, 31.7, and 17.2% of P load from the UERB, respectively.
Operation of a SHARON nitritation reactor: practical implications from a theoretical study
Authors: Volcke E.I.P. , Loccufier M. , Noldus E.J.L. , Vanrolleghem P.A.
Published: September 2007

This contribution deals with the behaviour of a SHARON reactor for nitrogen removal from wastewater streams with high ammonium concentrations. A system analysis is performed on a two-step nitrification model, describing the behaviour of such a reactor. Steady states are identified through direct calculation using a canonical state space model representation. Practical operation of a SHARON reactor aims at reaching ammonium conversion to nitrite only (nitritation), while suppressing further conversion to nitrate. It is shown how this desired behaviour can be obtained by setting the dilution rate dependent on the influent ammonium concentration. The impact of microbial growth characteristics on the suitable operating region is examined, as well as the effect of reactor temperature and pH. Advice is given for robust reactor design and operation.
Comparison of mixed liquor filterability measured with bench and pilot-scale membrane bioreactors
Authors: Nywening J.P. , Zhou H. , Husain H.
Published: September 2007

Parallel experimental tests to measure mixed liquor filterability for submerged membrane bioreactors were conducted over a six month period using three ZW-500 pilot plants and a ZW-10 lab-scale filterability apparatus. Non-air sparged conditions during the tests yielded operation behaviour that was equivalent to dead-end filtration. The fouling resistance increased linearly with the intercepted mass until a critical point was reached at which point significant cake compression was induced and the resistance began to increase exponentially. Although the point of cake compression appears to be dependent on the membrane module design, similar resistance per unit solid mass intercepted per unit area (Rmass) values were observed when the same mixed liquor was filtered. Coupled with the established correlation between the Rmass and the critical flux, it is suggested that the filterability test results from a side-stream, lab-scale module may be used to predict fouling potential in a full scale MBR wastewater treatment system without interrupting the full-scale MBR operation.
Development of a continuous protein and polysaccharide measurement method by Sequential Injection Analysis for application in membrane bioreactor systems
Authors: Mehrez R. , Ernst M. , Jekel M.
Published: September 2007

Polysaccharides and proteins are the main components of extracellular polymeric substances, which are considered to give a major contribution to the overall fouling potential of the MBR system. This work focuses on the automation of spectrophotometrical assays for protein and polysaccharide determination for on-line measurement in MBR. Sequential Injection Analysis (SIA) was identified as more suitable for continuous measurements. In screening tests the selection of an appropriate assay for the successful automation by means of SIA was carried out. Lowry Assay and Dubois Assay were chosen for protein and polysaccharide determination. Lowry Assay could be successfully automated by means of SIA. The automated method shows a lower sensitivity than the manual Lowry method, what can be contributed to specific characteristic of SIA. The confidence limit was calculated to 2.8 mg/L. The automated method shows in validation tests good correspondence with protein concentrations measured with the manual assay (R2=0.971). The successful establishment of the Dubois Assay for polysaccharides failed so far due to sensitivity problems.
A 20-Year Prospective Study of Childbearing and Incidence of Diabetes in Young Women, Controlling for Glycemia Before Conception
Authors: Gunderson Erica P. , Lewis Cora E. , Tsai Ai-Lin , Chiang Vicky , Carnethon Mercedes , Quesenberry Charles P. , Sidney Stephen
Published: September 2007

OBJECTIVE—We sought to determine whether childbearing increases incidence of type 2 diabetes after accounting for preconception glycemia and gestational glucose intolerance.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—A prospective, biracial cohort was examined up to five times during 1985–2006 in the multicenter, U.S. population–based Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study. The analysis included 2,408 women (1,226 black and 1,182 white) aged 18–30 years who were free of diabetes and had a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) <126 mg/dl at baseline. Incident diabetes was diagnosed by self-report, diabetes medication use, FPG ≥126 mg/dl, and/or plasma glucose ≥200 mg/dl after a 2-h oral glucose load. Time-dependent interim birth groups were those with zero and those with one or more births with or without gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), stratified by baseline parity. Complementary log-log models estimated relative hazards of incident diabetes by interim births adjusted for age, race, family history of diabetes, and baseline covariates (FPG, BMI, education, smoking, and physical activity).

RESULTS—Of 193 incident diabetes cases in 42,782 person-years (4.5 cases/1,000 person-years), 84 (44%) had one or more interim births. Among nulliparas at baseline, incident rates per 1,000 person-years were 3.2 (95% CI 2.4–4.1) for those with no births, 2.9 (1.8–3.9) for one or more births without GDM, and 18.4 (10.9–25.9) for one or more births with GDM; adjusted relative hazards (95% CI) were 0.9 (0.6–1.4) for one or more births without GDM and 3.8 (2.2–6.6) for one or more births with GDM versus no births.

CONCLUSIONS—Childbearing did not elevate diabetes incidence among those with normal glucose tolerance during pregnancy (without GDM). GDM conferred the highest risk of developing diabetes independent of family history of diabetes and preconception glycemia and obesity.
Assessment of mild hindlimb lameness during over ground locomotion using linear discriminant analysis of inertial sensor data
Authors: PFAU T. , ROBILLIARD J. J. , WELLER R. , JESPERS K. , ELIASHAR E. , WILSON A. M.
Published: September 2007

Reasons for performing study: Hindlimb lameness is common and can be difficult to diagnose or quantify in evaluating response to nerve blocks. An objective measure of lameness can also be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment's contribution to evidence‐based medicine. The inertial sensor system can be used to capture 6 degree of freedom movement during over ground locomotion and here was used to quantifytuber coxaemovement in nonlame and lame horses.

Hypothesis: Tuber coxaemovement is useful for discriminating between nonlame and lame horses.

Objectives: To measure left and righttuber coxaemovement in lame and nonlame horses during over ground locomotion and to implement a linear discriminant analysis to discriminate between lame and nonlame horses.

Methods: Two inertial sensors were attached to the skin over left and righttuber coxaeof 21 horses (9 mildly and 12 not lame). Horses were trotted on a hard surface. A total of 1021 strides were collected. For each stride 34 features were extracted from the dorsoventral and craniocaudal movement and used in 2 different classification scenarios (lame vs. nonlame or left lame, right lame and nonlame) using linear discriminant analysis.

Results: Six degree of freedom inertial sensors were successfully used to collect kinematic data continuously from left and righttuber coxaein horses during over ground locomotion. These data were used for an automated classification of lameness. In the first scenario, a sensitivity of 89% was achieved with a specificity of 75%. In the second scenario, all horses could be correctly assigned to the correct class in a simple 3 class reclassification test.

Potential relevance: A mobile system that reliably detects and quantifies hindlimb lameness in horses during unconstrained locomotion could be a valuable tool to perform an evidence‐based assessment of lameness in horses in a clinical setting, e.g. before and after nerve blocks or before and after surgery.
Preliminary study of mucosal IgA in the equine small intestine: specific IgA in cases of acute grass sickness and controls
Authors: NUNN F. G. , PIRIE R. S. , MCGORUM B. , WERNERY U. , POXTON I. R.
Published: September 2007

Reasons for performing study: There is much evidence to suggest that group III Clostridium botulinum (types C and D) are involved in the aetiology of equine grass sickness (EGS). Antibodies have been detected previously in the blood and high levels associated with resistance to disease. Specific mucosal antibodies in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract are likely to be important in protection, and this study was performed to ascertain if such antibodies could be detected and if their levels were related to disease state.

Objectives: To develop a method for quantifying IgA antibodies to C. botulinum types C and D in the GI tract of horses and to relate antibody levels to disease status.

Methods: Samples of tissue (n = 25: 6 duodenum, 7 jejunum and 12 ileum) were taken from acute grass sickness (AGS) cases and from control horses (n = 12; 4 samples from each site) at post mortem. They were extracted with the detergent saponin in the presence of protease inhibitors and assayed for total IgA, for specific IgA against botulinum neurotoxins types C and D (BoNT/C or BoNT/D), and against surface antigens of a BoNT/C negative strain of C. botulinum type C (SA) and of Clostridium tetani (TetSA), as a control. Specific IgA was expressed as percentage total IgA.

Results: Compared to controls, significantly higher levels of specific IgA against BoNT/C were detected in the jejunum (P = 0.04) and ileum (P = 0.02) of AGS cases. Similarly, higher specific levels against BoNT/D were demonstrated in duodenum (P = 0.01) and jejunum (P = 0.02). Significantly higher levels of IgA against SA were demonstrated only in duodenal samples (P = 0.01).

Conclusions: Levels of IgA antibody to BoNTs in control horses were at near undetectable levels, suggesting no recent exposure to toxins. In AGS cases, significantly higher levels of specific IgA were detected predominantly in jejunum and ileum.

Potential relevance: If specific IgA is protective then any successful vaccine for EGS should induce a mucosal response.
Do subcutaneous sutures increase risk of laparotomy wound suppuration?
Authors: COOMER R. P. C. , MAIR T. S. , EDWARDS G. B. , PROUDMAN C. J.
Published: September 2007

Reasons for performing study: Incisional drainage and suppuration occurs commonly following exploratory laparotomy; any technique with the potential to reduce the incidence of this complication warrants investigation.

Objectives: To determine if abandoning the use of subcutaneous sutures in laparotomy wound closure is safe and whether it reduces the risk of suppuration.

Methods: A randomised controlled study was carried out at 2 referral hospitals in the UK, involving 309 horses undergoing exploratory laparotomy; 150 horses underwent ‘2‐layer’ closure without a subcutaneous suture, while 159 underwent conventional ‘3‐layer’ closure. Information regarding degree of oedema and gross types of discharge was recorded daily; suppuration was defined as discharge of pus. Telephone follow‐up was carried out 30 days after hospital discharge to identify those complications occurring after that date and, thereafter, every 3 months. The influence of closure method on risk of wound suppuration was assessed by Chi‐squared analysis and by logistic regression. Time to suppuration was modelled using a Cox proportional hazards model.

Results: No catastrophic failures of 2‐layer closures were recorded. Prevalence of suppuration was not significantly different, being 18.7% and 23.9% for 2‐ and 3‐layer closures, respectively (OR = 1.37, 0.79–2.37, P = 0.263).

Conclusions and potential relevance: This study found no significant difference in prevalence or rate of wound suppuration in 2‐layer closures compared to conventional 3‐layer closure. Two‐layer closure is recommended as a safe alternative means of achieving ventral midline abdominal closure in horses.
Electromyographic activity of thepalatinusandpalatopharyngeusmuscles in exercising horses
Authors: HOLCOMBE S. J. , DERKSEN F. J. , ROBINSON N. E.
Published: September 2007

Reasons for performing study: Determining the respiratory related activity of thepalatinusandpalatopharyngeusmuscles in exercising horses is relevant because dysfunction of these muscles has been implicated in the pathogenesis of dorsal displacement of the soft palate.

Objective: To determine if thepalatinusandpalatopharyngeusmuscles have respiratory activity that increases with intensity in exercising horses.

Methods: Electromyographic activity was measured in thepalatinusandpalatopharyngeusmuscles using bipolar fine‐wire electrodes while the horses completed an incremental exercise treadmill protocol.

Results: Both muscles displayed synchronous expiratory activity that increased significantly (P<0.05) with exercise intensity. Phasic expiratory activity of thepalatinusincreased 390 ± 98%, whereas phasic expiratory activity of thepalatopharyngeusincreased by 198 ± 30% as the treadmill speed increased from 6 to 12 m/s.

Conclusions: The palatinusandpalatopharyngeusmuscles may be important respiratory muscles, functioning to stabilise the position of the soft palate during intense exercise.

Clinical relevance: The predominant expiratory activity of these muscles may be associated with specific muscle function related to exercise or distinct upper airway phenomena of an obligate nasal breather, such as the horse.
Antibodies to elastin peptides in sera of Belgian Draught horses with chronic progressive lymphoedema
Authors: van BRANTEGEM L. , de COCK H. E. V. , AFFOLTER V. K. , DUCHATEAU L. , HOOGEWIJS M. K. , GOVAERE J. , FERRARO G. L. , DUCATELLE R.
Published: September 2007

Reasons for performing study: Chronic progressive lymphoedema (CPL) is a recently recognised disease of the lymphatic system characterised by lesions in the skin of the lower legs in several draught horse breeds, including the Belgian Draught hourse. Clinical signs slowly progress and result in severe disfigurement of the limbs. Ideally, supportive treatment should be started early in the disease process. However early diagnosis and monitoring progression of CPL is still a challenge.

Hypothesis: Elastin changes, characterised by morphological alterations as well as increased desmosine levels, in the skin of the distal limbs of horses affected with CPL are probably associated with a marked release of elastin degradation products, which elicit production of circulating anti‐elastin antibodies (AEAbs) in the serum. An enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for detection of serum AEAbs may document elastin breakdown.

Methods: An ELISA technique was used to evaluate levels of AEAbs in sera of 97 affected Belgian Draught horses that were clinically healthy except for possible skin lesions, associated with CPL in their distal limbs. The horses were divided into 5 groups according to the severity of these skin lesions: normal horses (Group 1, n = 36), horses with mild lesions (Group 2, n = 43), horses with moderate lesions (Group 3, n = 8), horses with severe lesions (Group 4, n = 10) and, as a control, healthy Warmblood horses, unaffected by the disease (Group 5, n = 83).

Results: Horses with clinical signs of CPL had significantly higher AEAb levels compared to clinically normal Belgian Draught horses and to healthy Warmblood horses. These levels correlated with severity of lesions.

Conclusions: CPL in draught horses is associated with an increase of serum AEAbs.

Potential relevance: Evaluation of serum levels of AEAbs by ELISA might be a useful diagnostic aid for CPL. Pathological degradation of elastic fibres, resulting in deficient support of the distal lymphatics, is proposed as a contributing factor for CPL in Belgian Draught horses.
Strain rate dependency on deformation texture for pure polycrystalline tantalum
Authors: Bhattacharyya Abhishek , Rittel Daniel , Ravichandran Guruswami
Published: September 2007

The deformation texture of pure polycrystalline tantalum was characterized in the range of strain rates from 10−3 ∼10+3 s−1 at room temperature. Quasi-static tests were carried out on an MTS servohydraulic machine, whereas dynamic tests were carried out using a split Hopkinson pressure bar. Texture measurements were done using the electron backscattered diffraction set-up in the scanning electron microscope chamber. It was observed that the deformation texture was unaffected qualitatively by the strain rate variations, and was correlated to the insensitivity of the hardening behavior at different strain rates. Strain softening at high strain rate seemed to sharpen the texture.
Scheil–Gulliver simulation with partial redistribution of fast diffusers and simultaneous solid–solid phase transformations
Authors: Kozeschnik E. , Rindler W. , Buchmayr B.
Published: September 2007

A numerical procedure for the simulation of solidification and micro-segregation is presented. The iterative solution algorithm is based on the classical Scheil – Gulliver model; however, the new algorithm allows taking into account partial redistribution of fast diffusing elements and solid – solid phase transformations, such as the peritectic reaction in low-carbon steels. It is shown that, especially in interstitial/substitutional alloys such as steels, simulations performed with the new algorithm give considerably different predictions as compared to simulations carried out with the classical Scheil – Gulliver procedure. The new procedure is described in detail and the results are validated on experimental data, i. e. micro-segregation measurements, the determination of the brittle temperature range for hot-cracking and experimental data on the specific heat capacity during solidification.
Post-optimization elimination of inverted miscibility gaps
Authors: Malakhov Dmitri V. , Balakumar Thevika
Published: September 2007

Among numerous thermodynamic models of various systems published in recent decades, there is a small yet not negligible portion of assessments predicting an inverted miscibility gap in the liquid phase at elevated temperatures, a gap which in reality does not exist. Two methods to eliminate such a post-optimization artifact via a computationally simple correction of the excess Gibbs energy of the melt are proposed. Both methods employ optimization under topological constraints controlling the sign of the second derivative of the molar Gibbs energy of mixing with respect to concentration. Their applicability is demonstrated on the Sn – Zr system whose thermodynamic description incorporated in the COST 507 database leads to an unintended inverted miscibility gap.
Thermodynamic evaluation of the Au–Sn system
Authors: Grolier Vincent , Schmid-Fetzer Rainer
Published: September 2007

The Calphad method has been employed in order to generate a simple and robust thermodynamic description of the Au – Sn system. Inconsistencies in a previous thermodynamic assessment of this system are pointed out. The reassessment is based on the published original experimental data on phase equilibria and thermodynamic alloy properties, which have been critically evaluated. The particular behaviour of the mixing enthalpy of the liquid phase and the claimed short-range order are addressed. The substitutional solution model has been employed for the solution phases α-(Au), β-(Au10Sn) and ∊-(Au5Sn), while the intermediate phases ζ-Au5Sn, δ-AuSn, ∊-AuSn2 and η-AuSn4 are considered as stoichiometric phases. The assignment of reasonable values of thermodynamic parameters is further demonstrated by the consideration of absolute entropies and entropies of fusion of all the intermetallic compounds.
Vegard's law: a fundamental relation or an approximation?
Authors: Jacob K. T. , Raj Shubhra , Rannesh L.
Published: September 2007

Vegard's law has been used extensively in mineralogy, metallurgy and materials science for the past six decades. According to the law, unit cell parameters should vary linearly with composition for a continuous substitutional solid solution in which atoms or ions that substitute for each other are randomly distributed. Although the law was postulated on empirical evidence, several cases of both positive and negative deviations from this law have been documented. Its theoretical foundations have not been critically explored. Presented in this communication is an analysis of the law within the framework of solution thermodynamics. It is shown that the deviation from Vegard's law is expected even for thermodynamically ideal solutions when there is a significant difference in lattice parameters of the pure components. The law should be reclassified as an approximation valid for specific conditions. The approximation is valid for ideal solutions when the lattice parameters of the pure components differ by less than 5 %. For solid solutions with positive deviations from ideality, there will always be positive deviations from Vegard's law. For solid solutions with moderately negative deviations from ideality, positive deviation from linearity of lattice parameters caused by size mismatch can be compensated for by the attractive interaction between the components, resulting in compliance with Vegard's law.
Application of FactSage thermodynamic modeling of recycled slags (Al2O3–CaO–FeO–Fe2O3–SiO2–PbO–ZnO) in the treatment of wastes from end-of-life-vehicles
Authors: Jak E. , Hayes P. , Bale C. W. , Decterov S. A.
Published: September 2007

The FactSage thermochemical software and databases calculates complex, multi-component, multi-phase equilibria involving simultaneously slag, metal, ceramic, and gas phases, over wide ranges of temperature, oxygen potential and pressure. The databases are automatically accessed by the software and the outputs of the Gibbs free energy minimization calculations can be presented in ways that are convenient to engineering practice, and as functions of key process variables.

The new thermodynamic databases for slag and solid oxide phases in the Al2O3 – CaO – FeO – Fe2O3 – SiO2 – PbO – ZnO system have been developed by critical evaluation/optimization of all available phase equilibrium and thermodynamic data. By means of the optimization process, model parameters are found which reproduce all thermodynamic and phase equilibrium data within experimental error limits. Furthermore, the models permit extrapolation into regions of temperature and composition where data are not available.

Phase equilibrium calculations have been undertaken, that are of interest in the thermal treatment of Automobile Shredder Residue (ASR) in the Al2O3 – CaO – FeO – Fe2O3 – SiO2 – PbO – ZnO system. This 7-component system represents only the major components of ASR. There are at least a dozen other important components in ASR not to mention the organic matter. The operating conditions deviate from thermodynamic equilibrium and the oxygen potential during the treatment of wastes is not well established. Consequently, the calculated diagrams are intended only to give an idea to industrial engineers about the trends in the liquidus temperature, extent of crystallization and partial pressures of volatile components as functions of temperature, composition and oxygen potential. These diagrams may also help to identify the process variables that are most important for industrial practice significantly reducing the amount of experimental work that has to be done to optimize the operations.
Reassessment of the Al–Mn system and a thermodynamic description of the Al–Mg–Mn system
Authors: Du Yong , Wang Jiong , Zhao Jingrui , Schuster Julius Clemens , Weitzer Franz , Schmid-Fetzer Rainer , Ohno Munekazu , Xu Honghui , Liu Zi-kui , Shang Shunli , Zhang Wenqing
Published: September 2007

A thermodynamic optimization for the Al – Mn system is performed by considering reliable literature data and newly measured phase equilibria on the Al-rich side. Using X-ray diffraction, differential thermal analysis, and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy methods, the melting behavior of λ-Al4Mn was correctly elucidated, and two invariant reactions associated with λ-Al4Mn (L + μ-Al4Mn λ-Al4Mn at 721 ± 2 °C and L + λ-Al4Mn Al6Mn at 704 ± 2 °C) are observed. The model Al12Mn4(Al, Mn)10 previously used for Al8Mn5 was modified to be Al12Mn5(Al, Mn)9 based on crystal structure data. In addition, the high-temperature form of Al11Mn4 is included in the assessment. Employing fewer adjustable parameters than previous assessments, the present description of the Al – Mn system yields a better overall agreement with the experimental phase diagram and thermodynamic data. The obtained thermodynamic description for the Al – Mn system is then combined with those in the Al – Mg and Mg – Mn systems to form a basis for a ternary assessment. The thermodynamic parameters for ternary liquid and ternary compound Mn2Mg3Al18 (τ) are evaluated on the basis of critically assessed experimental data. The enthalpy of formation for τ resulting from CALPHAD (CALculation of PHAse Diagrams) approach agrees reasonably with that via first-principles methodology. Comparisons between the calculated and measured phase equilibria in the Al – Mg – Mn system show that the accurate experimental information is satisfactorily accounted for by the present description. A reaction scheme for the whole ternary system is presented for practical applications.
A Review of Rangeland Privatisation and Its Implications in the Tibetan Plateau, China
Authors: Zhaoli Yan , Ning Wu , Dorji Yeshi , Jia Ru
Published: September 2007

The Tibetan plateau of China is one of the world's major pastoral areas, in which rangeland management underwent fundamental changes in the twentieth century. This article reviews the rangeland privatisation process in the Tibetan plateau over the last ten years, examining cases from Hongyuan, Zoige and Maqu Counties in the eastern part of the plateau, Nyima County in the northwestern part and Dingri County in the southwestern part. Rangelands have been allocated to individual households or 'the least contracting unit' starting from 1996, but the process of rangeland privatisation was diverse and is still ongoing in the western part of the Tibetan plateau. Rangeland privatisation has some significant impacts on local people and their environment. First, many rangelands are inequitably allocated due to their highly variable topography, productivity and availability of water resources. Secondly, access to social and economic services has been made more difficult for some, while social conflicts have increased. Thirdly, privatisation of rangeland and sedentarisation of nomads needs matching infrastructure but that is still missing in many places. Meanwhile, privatisation of rangeland has led to increased labour inputs in some places and added more workload onto women and children. The article concludes that rangeland privatisation was intended to stop further rangeland degradation and to provide nomads with better lives. However, more study is needed on managing rangeland in an appropriate way.
The Adenauer Era: Anxieties and Traumas of Violence in the Postwar Period
Authors: Dülffer Jost
Published: September 2007

Researching and writing contemporary history move forward in a

certain rhythm. Today, the 1960s are the decade of major interest,

whereas the 1970s increasingly are becoming the testing ground of

new approaches and reinterpretations. By contrast, the 1950s seem

of little interest—with most of the issues solved and most sources

accessible. But this could be a false impression, especially if one

takes into account the dominant views on this period that have

become popular in the last years. After 1989/90, with the fall of the

Berlin Wall, the unification of Germany, and the end of the Cold

War, many historians developed and corroborated an interpretation

of the postwar decades—a now widely accepted master narrative of

the “German question.” With the benefit of hindsight, they claimed

that Konrad Adenauer’s policy of Western integration was a necessary

and inevitable course, which facilitated eventual reunification.

Other political options would have rendered the Federal Republic of

Germany (FRG) dangerously open to stronger communist pressure or

even would have presented the Soviet Union with the opportunity to

expand its empire to Germany as a whole.
The Origins of Chancellor Democracy and the Transformation of the German Democratic Paradigm
Authors: Mommsen Hans
Published: September 2007

The role of Konrad Adenauer in the proceedings of the Parliamentary Council in Bonn and his decision after his election as first federal chancellor not to form a coalition government with the Social Democratic Party paved the way to a fundamental transformation of the traditional German democratic paradigm versus the Anglo-Saxon concept of interaction between government and parliamentary opposition. The inherited pattern of constitutional democracy that had contributed to the structural weaknesses of Weimar parliamentarism was replaced by the concept of an interaction between government and opposition. Political parties took on the primary tasks of securing stable parliamentary majorities and providing sufficient electoral support for the chancellor. Adenauer's resolved political leadership, therefore, was an indispensable contribution to the reorientation of West German political culture from the former distrust of unrestricted parliamentary sovereignty toward Western democratic traditions.
Western Integration vs. Reunification? Analyzing the Polls of the 1950s
Authors: Kruke Anja
Published: September 2007

From the beginning of the West German state, a lot of public opinion polling was done on the German question. The findings have been scrutinized carefully from the 1950s onward, but polls have always been taken at face value, as a mirror of society. In this analysis, polls are treated rather as an observation technique of empirical social research that composes a certain image of society and its public opinion. The entanglement of domestic and international politics is analyzed with respect to the use of surveys that were done around the two topics of Western integration and reunification that pinpoint the “functional entanglement” of domestic and international politics. The net of polling questions spun around these two terms constituted a complex setting for political actors. During the 1950s, surveys probed and ranked the fears and anxieties that characterized West Germans and helped to construct a certain kind of atmosphere that can be described as “Cold War angst.” These findings were taken as the basis for dealing with the dilemma of Germany caught between reunification and Western integration. The data and interpretations were converted into “security” as the overarching frame for international and domestic politics by the conservative government that lasted until the early 1960s.
The “Social Market Economy” and its Impact on German European Policy in the Adenauer Era, 1949-1963
Authors: Thiemeyer Guido
Published: September 2007

This article focuses on the economic aspects of German European policy in the 1950s and raises the question whether the economic system of the Federal Republic of Germany, “Soziale Marktwirtschaft” had any impact on the European policy of the West German state. It argues that Social Market Economy as defined by Ludwig Erhard influenced German European policy in certain aspects, but there was a latent contradiction between the political approach of Konrad Adenauer and this economic concept. Moreover, this article shows that West German European policy was not always as supportive for European unity as it is often considered.
Adenauer, Erhard, and the Uses of Prosperity
Authors: Glenn Gray William
Published: September 2007

This essay explores the relationship between West Germany's “economic miracle” and the goal of reunification in the early postwar decades. It argues that Konrad Adenauer was reluctant to mobilize economic resources on behalf of German unity-instead he sought to win trust by proclaiming unswerving loyalty to the West. Ludwig Erhard, by contrast, made an overt attempt to exchange financial incentives for political concessions-to no avail. Both of these chancellors failed to appreciate how West Germany's increasing prosperity undermined its diplomatic position, at least in the near term, given the jealousies and misgivings it generated in Western capitals and in Moscow. Only a gradual process of normalization would allow all four of the relevant powers-France, Britain, the United States, and the USSR-to develop sufficient trust in the economically dynamic Federal Republic to facilitate the country's eventual unification.
'The Last Kulak' and Other Stories of Post-Privatisation Life in Chukotka's Tundra
Authors: Gray Patty A.
Published: September 2007

Privatisation of state farms in Russia precipitated a crisis in the reindeer herding economy. Chukotka once had the largest domestic reindeer herd in Russia, and the plummet in Chukotka's reindeer headcounts was steeper than anywhere else in the country. At the same time, reindeer herding in some regions of Russia, such as Yamal, remained relatively stable. This paper argues that much of the difference between Chukotka and other regions can be attributed to the particular, and very political, nature of the social relationship between local tundra-dwelling populations and the most immediate representative of the state apparatus that they face: the district administration. Using stories told by tundradwellers in one district of Chukotka, the paper explores the frustrations they experienced as their efforts to take more control of their own local situation were stymied by those in the bureaucracy above them. It concludes that politics and power relations should not be overlooked as a crucial factor in determining regionally-variable outcomes in post-privatisation reindeer herding in the Russian north, and can overpower or exacerbate economic and ecological factors.
Mobility and Technology: Understanding the Vulnerability of Two Groups of Nomadic Pastoralists to Reindeer Losses
Authors: Dwyer Mark James , Istomin Kirill Vladimirovich
Published: September 2007

Between the nineteenth and early twentieth century reindeer mortality, particularly that caused by outbreaks of Siberian anthrax (sibirka), was proportionately higher among Komi herds than amongst those of the Nenets, despite both groups pasturing animals in close proximity to one another, principally within the Bol'shezemel'skaya tundra. Intriguingly, to escape infected land caused by these outbreaks, the Komi emigrated to new regions whereas the Nenets appeared to be relatively unaffected. However, upon closer examination of historical data, it is apparent that proportionately the Nenets lost track of twice as many reindeer compared to the Komi. Previous studies, despite providing little if any concrete evidence, suggested that characteristics of the Komi reindeer herding system (technology) made their reindeer more susceptible to sickness than those of the Nenets. This study, which involved anthropological field research as well as the use of historical data and literature, focused on analysing the following characteristics of reindeer herding technology between the two groups: (a) veterinary knowledge (b) frequency of herd observation, (c) frequency of movement, (d) pattern of pasturing. It was found that: veterinary knowledge between Komi and Nenets was commensurate and thus cannot be used as an explanatory factor; Komi herds were more frequently observed than those of the Nenets; Komi moved more frequently than the Nenets and spent less time at encampments; and the migration routes of Komi were longer and their pasturing corridors narrower than those of the Nenets. Differences in herd observation explained the differences in lost reindeer between the Komi and Nenets. The Komi were less able to identify and treat sick reindeer due to more frequent movements, larger herd sizes and less frequent corralling of the main productive herd compared to the Nenets. The length of migration routes and narrowness of pasturing corridors reduced the Komis' pasturing flexibility and thus their ability to avoid infected pastures compared to the Nenets. These results are relevant to both historical and contemporary herding practices.
Kristall‐Engineering: eine holistische Darstellung
Authors: Desiraju Gautam R.
Published: September 2007

Kristall‐Engineering, d. h. das Konstruieren von molekularen Festkörpern, ist das Synthetisieren von funktionalen Festkörperstrukturen aus neutralen oder ionischen Baueinheiten, wobei die Aufbaustrategie intermolekulare Wechselwirkungen einbezieht. Wasserstoffbrücken, Koordinationsbindungen und andere, schwächer gerichtete Wechselwirkungen definieren Unterstrukturmuster, die in der Literatur als supramolekulare Synthone oder sekundäre Baueinheiten bezeichnet werden. Das Kristall‐Engineering weist beträchtliche Überlappungen mit der supramolekularen Chemie, der Röntgenkristallographie, den Materialwissenschaften und der Festkörperchemie auf, es bildet aber dennoch eine eigenständige Disziplin. Das Gebiet hebt die herkömmlichen Trennungslinien von organischer, anorganischer und physikalischer Chemie auf, sodass Ideen und Techniken aus unterschiedlichsten Forschungsbereichen einfließen. Der vorliegende Aufsatz soll einige aktuelle Herausforderungen in diesem sich schnell entwickelnden Gebiet beleuchten. Zu den behandelten Themen gehören die Beschaffenheit von intermolekularen Wechselwirkungen, deren Rolle beim Konstruieren von Kristallstrukturen, die oft voneinander abweichenden Auffassungen über die geometrischen und chemischen Modelle eines Molekülkristalls, die Beziehung dieser Modelle zur Polymorphie, die wissensgestützte Computervorhersage von Kristallstrukturen sowie Versuche zum Abbilden des Reaktionswegs der Kristallisation.