bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
No Evidence for Spread of Plasmodium falciparum Artemisinin Resistance to Savannakhet Province, Southern Laos
Authors: Mayxay Mayfong , Khanthavong Maniphone , Chanthongthip Odai , Imwong Mallika , Lee Sue J. , Stepniewska Kasia , Soonthornsata Bongkot , Pongvongsa Tiengkham , Phompida Samlane , Hongvanthong Bouasy , Ringwald Pascal , White Nicholas J. , Newton Paul N.
Published: March 2012

We conducted an open-label, randomized clinical trial to assess parasite clearance times (PCT) and the efficacy of 4 mg/kg (group 1, n = 22) and 2 mg/kg (group 2, n = 22) of oral artesunate for three days followed by artemether-lumefantrine in patients with uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria at Xepon Interdistrict Hospital, Savannakhet Province in southern Laos. Slides were read in duplicate. The overall mean (95% confidence interval; range) PCT in hours was 23.2 (21.2–25.3; 12–46) and 22.4 (20.3–24.5; 12–46) for the first and second microscopists, respectively (P = 0.57). Ten (23%) patients remained parasitemic on day 1 after treatment (4 [18%] in group 1 and 6 [27%] in group 2; P = 0.47). No patient had patent asexual parasitemia on the second and third days of treatment. The 42-day polymerase chain reaction–corrected cure rates were 100% in both treatment groups. Serious adverse events did not develop during or after treatment in any patients. In conclusion, no evidence of P. falciparum in vivo resistance to artesunate was found in southern Laos.
Successful Oral Therapy for Severe Falciparum Malaria: The World Health Organization Criteria Revisited
Authors: Kopel Eran , Marhoom Enbal , Sidi Yechezkel , Schwartz Eli
Published: March 2012

We report a successful treatment of severe falciparum malaria in a non-immune adult patient with 30% parasitemia treated with the 6-dose oral regimen of artemether plus lumefantrine combination therapy alone. We have also retrospectively searched our tertiary center's database for similar cases and we have found two additional severe malaria cases, resolved uneventfully with oral regimen. These cases might indicate a need to specifically address the definition of severe and complicated malaria in non-immune patients either in designated guidelines or as an explicit addition to the historical World Health Organization criteria.
Ballistic Impact Perforation into GLARE Targets: Experiment, Numerical Modelling and Investigation of Aluminium Stacking Sequence
Authors: Sabouri Hadi , Ahmadi Hamed , Liaghat Gholam
Published: March 2012

Experimental investigation of high velocity perforation of 2/1 and 3/2 GLARE 3 target panels with flat ended projectile was presented. Also, numerical simulations were carried out using explicit nonlinear finite element software, LS-DYNA, considering strain rate hardening effects. The ballistic limit was determined experimentally and numerically. Some GLARE 3/2 laminates with different Aluminium thickness is considered. The Aluminium thickness varies in frontal, medial and distal layers of GLARE, while the thickness of glass/epoxy layers is constant, and the ballistic limit and absorbed energy of each GLARE target is determined numerically. Specific absorbed energy is defined as goal function and should be maximized. The laminate with maximum specific absorbed energy is determined. In addition, energy absorbing portion of each layer is determined. There is a reasonable agreement between numerical and experimental results.
Ride Analysis of an Indian Railway Coach using Lagrangian Dynamics
Authors: Sharma Rakesh Chandmal
Published: March 2012

This paper details a coupled vertical-lateral 37 degrees of freedom mathematical model of an Indian Railway general sleeper ICF coach is formulated using Lagrangian dynamics. In this analysis, the vertical and lateral irregularities of railway track are incorporated as a random function of time. The simulated results are compared with the experimental data obtained through actual rail vehicle testing. The ride comfort is evaluated incorporating ISO 2631-1 standard.
Thermo-structural Analysis of 3D Composites for Reusable Vehicle Applications
Authors: Santhosh B. , Nandakumar C.G. , Sundararajan S.
Published: March 2012

Reusable launch vehicles are designed for multiple missions and it undergoes severe aerodynamic loading conditions during its operation. Nosecap is one such hot structure in a reusable vehicle, which is a doubly curved conical structure whose cross-section varies with respect to height. Carbon-Carbon composite is mainly used in these hot environments. Generally the 3D composite structures for the hot structures are made from 3D textile preforms. The Nosecap experiences high temperature variations during the re-entry phase of the flight. Heat transfer analysis and thermo-structural analysis of the Nosecap are essential for estimating the design margins. The output of heat transfer analysis, which is the temperature distribution with respect to time, will be added to the corresponding pressure loads for carrying out thermo-structural analysis. Analytical methodology has been arrived at based on Representative Unit Cells for evaluating the 3D composites properties from the basic unidirectional material properties. In the present study thermo-mechanical properties of 3D Carbon-Carbon composite has been determined and selection of the best suitable textile preform has been addressed based on heat transfer and thermo-structural analysis of Nosecap using the finite element software NASTRAN. A total thermo-structural design procedure has been presented with the support of suitable numerical investigations.
Beltrami flow structure in a diffuser. Quasi-cylindrical approximation
Authors: González Rafael , Page Ricardo , Sartarelli Andrés Salvador
Published: March 2012

We determine the flow structure in an axisymmetric diffuser or expansion region connecting two cylindrical pipes when the inlet flow is a solid body rotation with a uniform axial flow of speeds $\Omega$ and U, respectively. A quasi-cylindrical approximation is made in order to solve the steady Euler equation, mainly the Bragg-Hawthorne equation. As in our previous work on the cylindrical region downstream [R González et al., Phys. Fluids 20, 24106 (2008); R. González et al., Phys. Fluids 22, 74102 (2010), R González et al., J. Phys.: Conf. Ser. 296, 012024 (2011)], the steady flow in the transition region shows a Beltrami flow structure. The Beltrami flow is defined as a field $v_B$ that satisfies $\omega_B=\nabla \times v_B= \gamma v_B$, with $\gamma=constant$. We say that the flow has a Beltrami flow structure when it can be put in the form $v = U e_z + \Omega r e_{\theta} + v_B$, being U and $\Omega$ constants, i.e it is the superposition of a solid body rotation and translation with a Beltrami one. Therefore, those findings about flow stability hold. The quasi-cylindrical solutions do not branch off and the results do not depend on the chosen transition profile in view of the boundary conditions considered. By comparing this with our earliest work, we relate the critical Rossby number $\vartheta_{cs}$ (stagnation) to the corresponding one at the fold $\vartheta_{cf}$ [J. D. Buntine et al., Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 449, 139 (1995)].Received: 29 August 2011,, Accepted: 29 February 2012; Edited by: J-P. Hulin; DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4279/PIP.040002Cite as: R González, R Page, A S Sartarelli, Papers in Physics 4, 040002 (2012)
Comment on "Tropospheric temperature response to stratospheric ozone recovery in the 21st century" by Hu et al. (2011)
Authors: McLandress C. , Perlwitz J. , Shepherd T. G.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. In a recent paper Hu et al. (2011) suggest that the recovery of stratospheric ozone during the first half of this century will significantly enhance free tropospheric and surface warming caused by the anthropogenic increase of greenhouse gases, with the effects being most pronounced in Northern Hemisphere middle and high latitudes. These surprising results are based on a multi-model analysis of CMIP3 model simulations with and without prescribed stratospheric ozone recovery. Hu et al. suggest that in order to properly quantify the tropospheric and surface temperature response to stratospheric ozone recovery, it is necessary to run coupled atmosphere-ocean climate models with stratospheric ozone chemistry. The results of such an experiment are presented here, using a state-of-the-art chemistry-climate model coupled to a three-dimensional ocean model. In contrast to Hu et al., we find a much smaller Northern Hemisphere tropospheric temperature response to ozone recovery, which is of opposite sign. We suggest that their result is an artifact of the incomplete removal of the large effect of greenhouse gas warming between the two different sets of models.
Long-term in situ measurements of NOx and NOy at Jungfraujoch 1998–2009: time series analysis and evaluation
Authors: Pandey Deolal S. , Brunner D. , Steinbacher M. , Weers U. , Staehelin J.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. We present an analysis of the NOy (NOx + other oxidized species) measurements at the high alpine site Jungfraujoch (JFJ, 3580 m a.s.l.) for the period 1998–2009, which is the longest continous NOy data set reported from the lower free troposphere worldwide. Due to stringent emission control regulations, nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions have been reduced significantly in Europe since the late 1980s as well as during the investigation period. However, the time series of NOy at JFJ does not show a consistent trend but a maximum during 2002 to 2004 and a decreasing tendency thereafter. The seasonal cycle of NOy exhibits a maximum in the warm season and a minimum in the cold months, opposite to measurements in the PBL, reflecting the seasonal changes in vertical transport and mixing. Except for summer, the seasonal mean NOx concentrations at JFJ show a high year-to-year variability which is strongly controlled by short episodic pollution events obscuring any long-term trends. The low variability in mean and median NOx values in summer is quite remarkable indicating rapid photochemical conversion of NOx to higher oxidized species (NOz) of the NOy family on a timescale shorter than the time required to transport polluted air from the boundary layer to JFJ. In order to evaluate the quality of the NOy data series, an in-situ intercomparison with a second collocated NOy analyzer with a separate inlet was performed in 2009–2010 which showed an overall agreement within 10% including all uncertainties and errors.
Projected change in atmospheric nitrogen deposition to the Baltic Sea towards 2020
Authors: Geels C. , Hansen K. M. , Christensen J. H. , Ambelas Skjøth C. , Ellermann T. , Hedegaard G. B. , Hertel O. , Frohn L. M. , Gross A. , Brandt J.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. The ecological status of the Baltic Sea has for many years been affected by the high input of both waterborne and airborne nutrients. The focus here is on the airborne input of nitrogen (N) and the projected changes in this input, assuming the new National Emission Ceilings directive (NEC-II), currently under negotiation in the EU, is fulfilled towards the year 2020. With a set of scenario simulations, the Danish Eulerian Hemispheric Model (DEHM) has been used to estimate the development in nitrogen deposition based on present day meteorology combined with present day (2007) or future (2020) anthropogenic emissions. Applying a so-called tagging method in the DEHM model, the contribution from ship traffic and from each of the nine countries with coastlines to the Baltic Sea has been assessed. The annual deposition to the Baltic Sea is estimated to 203 k tonnes N for the present day scenario (2007) and 165 k tonnes N in the 2020 scenario, giving a projected reduction of 38 k tonnes N in the annual load in 2020. This equals a decline in nitrogen deposition of 19%. The results from 20 model runs using the tagging method show that of the total nitrogen deposition in 2007, 52% came from emissions within the bordering countries. By 2020, this is projected to decrease to 48%. For some countries the projected decrease in nitrogen deposition arising from the implementation of the NEC-II directive will contribute significantly to compliance with the reductions agreed on in the provisional reduction targets of the Baltic Sea Action Plan. This underlines the importance of including projections like the current in future updates of the Baltic Sea Action Plan.
The formaldehyde budget as seen by a global-scale multi-constraint and multi-species inversion system
Authors: Fortems-Cheiney A. , Chevallier F. , Pison I. , Bousquet P. , Saunois M. , Szopa S. , Cressot C. , Kurosu T. P. , Chance K. , Fried A.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. For the first time, carbon monoxide (CO) and formaldehyde (HCHO) satellite retrievals have been used together with methane (CH4) and methyl choloroform (CH3CCl3 or MCF) surface measurements in a complex inversion system. The CO and HCHO are, respectively from MOPITT and OMI instruments. The multi-species and multi-satellite dataset inversion is done for the 2005–2008 period. The robustness of our results is evaluated by comparing our posterior-modeled concentrations with several sets of independent measurements of atmospheric mixing ratios. The inversion results lead to significant changes from the prior to the posterior, in terms of magnitude and seasonality of the CO and CH4 surface fluxes and of the 3-D HCHO production by non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs). The latter is significantly decreased, indicating an overestimation of the biogenic NMVOCs emissions, such as isoprene, in the GEIA inventory. CO and CH4 surface emissions are increased by the inversion, from 1037 to 1409 Tg CO and from 489 to 528 TgCH4 on average for the 2005–2008 period. CH4 emissions present significant interannual variability and a joint CO–CH4 fluxes analysis reveals that tropical biomass burning probably played a role in the recent increase of atmospheric methane.
Statistics of severe tornadoes and severe tornado outbreaks
Authors: Malamud B. D. , Turcotte D. L.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. The standard measures of the intensity of a tornado in the USA and many other countries are the Fujita and Enhanced Fujita scales. These scales are based on the damage that a tornado causes. Another measure of the strength of a tornado is its path length of touchdown, L. In this study we consider 4061 severe tornadoes (defined as L≥10 km) in the continental USA for the time period 1981–2010 (USA Storm Prediction Center Severe Weather Database). We find for individual severe tornadoes: (i) The noncumulative frequency-length statistics of severe tornado touchdown path lengths, 20 < L < 200 km, is well approximated by an inverse power-law relationship with exponent near 3. (ii) There is a strong linear scaling between the number of severe tornadoes in a year and their total path lengths in that year. We then take the total path length of severe tornadoes in a day, LD, as a measure of the strength of a 24-hour USA tornado outbreak. We find that: (i) On average, the number of days per year with at least one continental USA severe tornado (path length L≥10 km) has increased 16% in the 30-year period 1981–2010. (ii) The daily numbers of severe tornadoes in a USA outbreak have a strong power-law relationship (exponent 0.87) on their daily total path lengths, LD, over the range 20 < LD < 1000 km dy−1. (iii) The noncumulative frequency-length statistics of tornado outbreaks, 10 < LD < 1000 km dy−1, is well approximated by an inverse power-law relationship with exponent near 1.7. We believe that our robust scaling results provide evidence that touchdown path lengths can be used as quantitative measures of the systematic properties of severe tornadoes and severe tornado outbreaks.
Middle atmosphere response to different descriptions of the 11-yr solar cycle in spectral irradiance in a chemistry-climate model
Authors: Swartz W. H. , Stolarski R. S. , Oman L. D. , Fleming E. L. , Jackman C. H.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. The 11-yr solar cycle in solar spectral irradiance (SSI) inferred from measurements by the SOlar Radiation & Climate Experiment (SORCE) suggests a much larger variation in the ultraviolet than previously accepted. We present middle atmosphere ozone and temperature responses to the solar cycles in SORCE SSI and the ubiquitous Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) SSI reconstruction using the Goddard Earth Observing System chemistry-climate model (GEOS CCM). The results are largely consistent with other recent modeling studies. The modeled ozone response is positive throughout the stratosphere and lower mesosphere using the NRL SSI, while the SORCE SSI produces a response that is larger in the lower stratosphere but out of phase with respect to total solar irradiance above 45 km. The modeled responses in total ozone are similar to those derived from satellite and ground-based measurements, 3–6 Dobson Units per 100 units of 10.7-cm radio flux (F10.7) in the tropics. The peak zonal mean tropical temperature response using the SORCE SSI is nearly 2 K per 100 units F10.7 – 3 times larger than the simulation using the NRL SSI. The GEOS CCM and the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) 2-D coupled model are used to examine how the SSI solar cycle affects the atmosphere through direct solar heating and photolysis processes individually. Middle atmosphere ozone is affected almost entirely through photolysis, whereas the solar cycle in temperature is caused both through direct heating and photolysis feedbacks, processes that are mostly linearly separable. Further, the net ozone response results from the balance of ozone production at wavelengths less than 242 nm and destruction at longer wavelengths, coincidentally corresponding to the wavelength regimes of the SOLar STellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment (SOLSTICE) and Spectral Irradiance Monitor (SIM) on SORCE, respectively. A higher wavelength-resolution analysis of the spectral response could allow for a better prediction of the atmospheric response to arbitrary SSI variations.
Untangling hydrological pathways and nitrate sources by chemical appraisal in a stream network of a reservoir catchment
Authors: Yevenes M. A. , Mannaerts C. M.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. The knowledge of water source contributions to streamflow is important for understanding chemical contamination origins and the status of biogeochemical cycling in stream networks of catchments. In this study, we evaluated whether a limited number of spatially distributed geochemical tracer data sampled during different hydrological seasons were sufficient to quantify water flow pathways and nitrate sources in a catchment. Six geochemical water constituents (δ2H, δ18O, Cl−, SO2−4, Na+, NO−3 and K+) of precipitation, stream water, alluvial sediment pore water and shallow groundwater of a 352 km2 agricultural catchment in the Alentejo region of Portugal were analysed. Exploratory data analysis and end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) were performed to estimate the water source mixing proportions. Residual analysis of principal components was used to identify the appropriate geochemical tracers and the number of end-members (water sources and flow paths), and their proportional contributions to streamflow were quantified. Spearman's rank correlation analysis was further used to identify nitrate origins in the streamflow. Results showed that, when using data from both wet and dry seasons, streamflow chemistry was strongly influenced by shallow groundwater. When only wet season data were modelled, streamflow chemistry was controlled and generated by three end-members: shallow groundwater, alluvial sediment pore water and precipitation. Isotope signatures of stream water were located mostly below the local meteoric water line (LMWL) and plotted along a local evaporation line (LEL), reflecting the permanence in the streamflow of shallow groundwater subjected to prior evaporation. Interpretation of isotope signatures during summer showed an isotopic enrichment in both streamflow and shallow groundwater. Measured and historical stream nitrate concentrations appeared to be strongly related to shallow groundwater. In addition, two hydrochemical data outliers for almost every solute from two sample points were identified by the analysis and could be related to local waste water outfalls. The results of this study have improved our understanding of water source contributions to streamflow in the catchment, and also yielded indications of nitrate consumption related to biogeochemical processes in the streamflow network. Moreover, we could conclude that the relatively limited geochemical spatial sample database used in this study was an adequate input for the end-member mixing analysis and diagnostic tools to quantify water sources and nitrate origins in the streamflow of the catchment.
Sophus Peter Tromholt: an outstanding pioneer in auroral research
Authors: Moss K. , Stauning P.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. The Danish school teacher Sophus Peter Tromholt (1851–1896) was self-taught in physics, astronomy, and auroral sciences. Still, he was one of the brightest auroral researchers of the 19th century. He was the first scientist ever to organize and analyse correlated auroral observations over a wide area (entire Scandinavia) moving away from incomplete localized observations. Tromholt documented the relation between auroras and sunspots and demonstrated the daily, seasonal and solar cycle-related variations in high-latitude auroral occurrence frequencies. Thus, Tromholt was the first ever to deduce from auroral observations the variations associated with what is now known as the auroral oval termed so by Khorosheva (1962) and Feldstein (1963) more than 80 yr later. He made reliable and accurate estimates of the heights of auroras several decades before this important issue was finally settled through Størmer's brilliant photographic technique. In addition to his three major scientific works (Tromholt, 1880a, 1882a, and 1885a), he wrote numerous short science notes and made huge efforts to collect historical auroral observations (Tromholt, 1898). Furthermore, Tromholt wrote a large number of popular science articles in newspapers and journals and made lecture tours all over Scandinavia and Germany, contributing to enhance the public educational level and awareness. He devoted most of his life to auroral research but as a self-taught scientist, he received little acclaim within the contemporary academic scientific society. With his non-academic background, trained at a college of education – not a university – he was never offered a position at a university or a research institution. However, Sophus Tromholt was an outstanding pioneer in auroral research.
Intercomparison of two meteorological limited area models for quantitative precipitation forecast verification
Authors: Oberto E. , Milelli M. , Pasi F. , Gozzini B.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. The demand for verification of numerical models is still very high, especially for what concerns the operational Quantitative Precipitation Forecast (QPF) used, among others, for evaluating the issuing of warnings to the population. In this study, a comparative verification of the QPF, predicted by two operational Limited Area Models (LAMs) for the Italian territory is presented: COSMO-I7 (developed in the framework of the COSMO Consortium) and WRF-NMM (developed at NOAA-NCEP). The observational dataset is the precipitation recorded by the high-resolution non-GTS rain gauges network of the National Civil Protection Department (NCPD) over two years (2007–2008). Observed and forecasted precipitation have been treated as areal quantity (areal average of the values accumulated in 6 and 24 h periods) over the 102 "warning areas", defined by the NCPD both for administrative and hydrological purposes. Statistics are presented through a series of conventional indices (BIAS, POD and POFD) and, in addition, the Extreme Dependency Score (EDS) and the Base Rate (BS or 1-BS) have been used for keeping into account the vanishing of the indices as the events become rare. Results for long-period verification (the whole 2 yr) with increasing thresholds, seasonal trend (3 months period), diurnal error cycle and error maps, are presented. Results indicate that WRF has a general tendency of QPF overestimation for low thresholds and underestimation for higher ones, while COSMO-I7 tends to overestimate for all thresholds. Both models show a seasonal trend, with a bigger overestimation during summer and spring, while during autumn and winter the models tend to be more accurate.
In situ determination of the remote sensing reflectance: an inter-comparison
Authors: Zibordi G. , Ruddick K. , Ansko I. , Moore G. , Kratzer S. , Icely J. , Reinart A.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. Inter-comparison of data products from simultaneous measurements performed with independent systems and methods is a viable approach to assess the consistency of products and additionally to investigate uncertainties. Within such a context the inter-comparison called Assessment of In Situ Radiometric Capabilities for Coastal Water Remote Sensing Applications (ARC), was carried out at the Acqua Alta Oceanographic Tower in the Northern Adriatic Sea to explore the accuracy of in situ data products from various in- and above-water optical systems and methods. Measurements were performed under almost ideal conditions including: a stable deployment platform, clear sky, relatively low sun zenith angles and moderately low sea state. Additionally, except for one, all optical sensors involved in the experiment were inter-calibrated through a post-field absolute radiometric calibration performed with the same standards and methods. Inter-compared data products include: spectral water-leaving radiance Lw(λ), above-water downward irradiance Ed (0+,λ) and remote sensing reflectance Rrs(λ). Data products from the various measurement systems/methods were directly compared to those from a single reference system/method. Results for Rrs(λ) indicate spectrally averaged values of relative differences comprised between –1 and +6 %, while spectrally averaged absolute values of relative differences vary from approximately 6 % for the above-water systems/methods to 9 % for buoy-based systems/methods. The agreement between Rrs(λ) spectral relative differences and estimates of combined uncertainties of the inter-compared systems/methods is noteworthy.
Pore formation during dehydration of a polycrystalline gypsum sample observed and quantified in a time-series synchrotron X-ray micro-tomography experiment
Authors: Fusseis F. , Schrank C. , Liu J. , Karrech A. , Llana-Fúnez S. , Xiao X. , Regenauer-Lieb K.
Published: March 2012

Abstract. We conducted an in-situ X-ray micro-computed tomography heating experiment at the Advanced Photon Source (USA) to dehydrate an unconfined 2.3 mm diameter cylinder of Volterra Gypsum. We used a purpose-built X-ray transparent furnace to heat the sample to 388 K for a total of 310 min to acquire a three-dimensional time-series tomography dataset comprising nine time steps. The voxel size of 2.2 μm3 proved sufficient to pinpoint reaction initiation and the organization of drainage architecture in space and time. We observed that dehydration commences across a narrow front, which propagates from the margins to the centre of the sample in more than four hours. The advance of this front can be fitted with a square-root function, implying that the initiation of the reaction in the sample can be described as a diffusion process. Novel parallelized computer codes allow quantifying the geometry of the porosity and the drainage architecture from the very large tomographic datasets (20483 voxels) in unprecedented detail. We determined position, volume, shape and orientation of each resolvable pore and tracked these properties over the duration of the experiment. We found that the pore-size distribution follows a power law. Pores tend to be anisotropic but rarely crack-shaped and have a preferred orientation, likely controlled by a pre-existing fabric in the sample. With on-going dehydration, pores coalesce into a single interconnected pore cluster that is connected to the surface of the sample cylinder and provides an effective drainage pathway. Our observations can be summarized in a model in which gypsum is stabilized by thermal expansion stresses and locally increased pore fluid pressures until the dehydration front approaches to within about 100 μm. Then, the internal stresses are released and dehydration happens efficiently, resulting in new pore space. Pressure release, the production of pores and the advance of the front are coupled in a feedback loop.
A New Proof of the Existence of Free Lie Algebras and an Application
Authors: Bonfiglioli Andrea , Fulci Roberta
Published: March 2012

The existence of free Lie algebras is usually derived as a consequence of the Poincaré-Birkhoff-Witt theorem. Moreover, in order to prove that (given a set and a field of characteristic zero) the Lie algebra
of the Lie polynomials in the letters of (over the field ) is a free Lie algebra generated by , all available proofs use the embedding of a Lie algebra into its enveloping algebra . The aim of this paper is to give a much
simpler proof of the latter fact without the aid of the cited embedding nor of
the Poincaré-Birkhoff-Witt theorem. As an application of our result and of
a theorem due to Cartier (1956), we show the relationships existing
between the theorem of Poincaré-Birkhoff-Witt, the theorem of Campbell-Baker-Hausdorff, and the existence of free Lie algebras.
Role of Vitamin D in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Lương Khanh , Nguyễn Lan
Published: March 2012

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is the second most common form of neurodegeneration in the elderly population. Clinically, it is characterized by tremor, rigidity, slowness of movement, and postural imbalance. A significant association between low serum vitamin D and PD has been demonstrated, suggesting that elevated vitamin D levels might provide protection against PD. Genetic studies have helped identify a number of proteins linking vitamin D to PD pathology, including the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II, the vitamin D receptor (VDR), cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6), chromosome 22, the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 gene (PARP-1), neurotrophic factor (NTF), and Sp1 transcription factor. Vitamin D has also been implicated in PD through its effects on L-type voltage-sensitive calcium channels (L-VSCC), nerve growth factor (NGF), matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), prostaglandins (PGs) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), reactive oxygen species (ROS), and nitric oxide synthase (NOS). A growing body of evidence suggests that vitamin D supplementation may be beneficial for PD patients. Among the different forms of vitamin D, calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3) is best indicated for PD, because it is a highly active vitamin D3 metabolite with an appropriate receptor in the central nervous system (CNS).
Effect of Stepwise Replacement of LiF by Bi2O3 and of Annealing on Optical Properties of LiF⋅B2O3 Glasses
Authors: Arora Susheel , Kundu Virender , Goyal D. R. , Maan A. S.
Published: March 2012

Bismuth fluoroborate glasses with compositions xBi2O3⋅(40-x)LiF⋅60  B2O3  (x=0,5,10,15,  and  20) are synthesized by melt-quench method. Optical characterization was carried out to examine variation of optical band gap energy (Eg) and Urbach energy (EU) with respect to the concentration. It reflects the effect of stepwise replacement of non-oxide and less polarizable LiF by an oxide and more polarizable (Bi2O3) group on the optical properties of the samples. The value of Eg decreases with increase in concentration of Bi2O3. The samples were subjected to annealing at different temperatures (300°C, 350°C, and 400°C), and the effect of annealing on the optical properties of various samples was again studied. Annealing affects remarkably the values of Eg and EU in the samples with x=0.
Some Almost Lacunary Double Sequence Spaces Defined by Orlicz Functions in 2-Normed Spaces
Authors: Tug Orhan
Published: March 2012

Das and Patel (1989) introduced two new sequence spaces which are called lacunary almost convergent and lacunary strongly almost convergent sequence spaces. Móricz and Rhoades (1988) defined and studied almost P-convergent double sequences spaces. Savaş and Patterson (2005) introduce the almost lacunary strong P-convergent double sequence spaces by using Orlicz functions and examined some properties of these sequences spaces. In this paper, some almost lacunary double sequences spaces are given by using 2-normed spaces.
A Curvelet Domain Face Recognition Scheme Based on Local Dominant Feature Extraction
Authors: Imtiaz Hafiz , Fattah Shaikh Anowarul
Published: March 2012

A feature extraction algorithm is introduced for face recognition, which efficiently exploits the local spatial variations in a face image utilizing curvelet transform. Although multi-resolution ideas have been profusely employed for addressing face recognition problems, theoretical studies indicate that digital curvelet transform is an even better method due to its directional properties. Instead of considering the entire face image, an entropy-based local band selection criterion is developed for feature extraction, which selects high-informative horizontal bands from the face image. These bands are segmented into several small spatial modules to capture the local spatial variations precisely. The effect of modularization in terms of the entropy content of the face images has been investigated. Dominant curvelet transform coefficients corresponding to each local region residing inside the horizontal bands are selected, based on the proposed threshold criterion, as features, which not only drastically reduces the feature dimension but also provides high within-class compactness and high between-class separability. A principal component analysis is performed to further reduce the dimensionality of the feature space. Extensive experimentation is carried out upon standard face databases and a very high degree of recognition accuracy is achieved even with a simple Euclidean distance based classifier.
On Almost Hyper-Para-Kähler Manifolds
Authors: Merker Jochen
Published: March 2012

In this paper it is shown that a -dimensional almost symplectic manifold can be endowed with an almost paracomplex structure , , and an almost complex structure , , satisfying for , for and , if and only if the structure group of can be reduced from (or ) to . In the symplectic case such a manifold is called an almost hyper-para-Kähler manifold. Topological and metric properties of almost hyper-para-Kähler manifolds as well as integrability of are discussed. It is especially shown that the Pontrjagin classes of the eigenbundles of to the eigenvalues depend only on the symplectic structure and not on the choice of .
Thermodynamics/Dynamics Coupling in Weakly Compressible Turbulent Stratified Fluids
Authors: Tailleux Rémi
Published: March 2012

In traditional and geophysical fluid dynamics, it is common to describe stratified turbulent fluid flows with low Mach number and small relative density variations by means of the incompressible Boussinesq approximation. Although such an approximation is often interpreted as decoupling the thermodynamics from the dynamics, this paper reviews recent results and derive new ones that show that the reality is actually more subtle and complex when diabatic effects and a nonlinear equation of state are retained. Such an analysis reveals indeed: (1) that the compressible work of expansion/contraction remains of comparable importance as the mechanical energy conversions in contrast to what is usually assumed; (2) in a Boussinesq fluid, compressible effects occur in the guise of changes in gravitational potential energy due to density changes. This makes it possible to construct a fully consistent description of the thermodynamics of incompressible fluids for an arbitrary nonlinear equation of state; (3) rigorous methods based on using the available potential energy and potential enthalpy budgets can be used to quantify the work of expansion/contraction in steady and transient flows, which reveals that is predominantly controlled by molecular diffusive effects, and act as a significant sink of kinetic energy.
On Maximum Principles for -Metaharmonic Equations
Authors: Mareno A.
Published: March 2012

We study homogeneous linear elliptic partial differential equations of even order. Several maximum principle results are deduced for such equations as well as a priori bounds for certain boundary value problems.
Comparing Lung Cancer Risks in Sweden, USA, and Japan
Authors: Hallberg Örjan , Johansson Olle
Published: March 2012

Objective. To develop a conceptual model for lung cancer rates to describe and quantify observed differences between Sweden and USA contra Japan. Method. A two-parameter lognormal distribution was used to describe the lung cancer rates over time after a 1-year period of smoking. Based on that risk function in combination with smoking prevalence, the calculated age-standardized rates were adjusted to fit reported data from Japan, Sweden, and the USA by parameter variation. Results. The risk of lung cancer is less in Japan than in Sweden and in the USA at the same smoking prevalence and intensity. Calculated age-specific rates did also fit well to reported rates without further parameter adjustments. Conclusions. This new type of cancer model appears to have high degree of predictive value. It is recommended that data from more countries are studied to identify important life-style factors related to lung cancer.
Overview of Intermetallic Sigma () Phase Precipitation in Stainless Steels
Authors: Hsieh Chih-Chun , Wu Weite
Published: March 2012

The phase which exists in various series of stainless steels is a significant subject in steels science and engineering. The precipitation of the phase is also a widely discussed aspect of the science and technology of stainless steels. The microstructural variation, precipitation mechanism, prediction method, and effects of properties of phase are also of importance in academic discussions. In the first section, a brief introduction to the development and the precipitation characteristics (including morphologies and precipitation sites) of phase in stainless steels is presented. In the second section, the properties effect, prediction method, processing effect, elemental addition, retardation method and Thermo-Calc simulation of the phase in stainless steels are highlighted.
Incidental and Intentional Instruction on Discussion Techniques: Assessing Complexity Issue
Authors: Rahimpour Massoud , Mohamadi Zohre
Published: March 2012

Although both incidental and intentional instructions provide a medium for acquiring the communicative language, they suffer from a number of oversimplifications. Whereas the majority of studies in these paradigms have addressed second language (L2) grammatical development, there has been a growing interest in the effect of these types of instruction on pragmatic development, conversation gambits, and speech acts. The purpose of the present paper is to compare these types of instruction in promoting learning of discussion techniques. Learner performance was analyzed on the basis of the mean occurrence of discussion techniques (giving opinions and presenting series of arguments) in implicitly and explicitly instructed group using independent t-test. The quality of leaner language produced in each group was further analyzed in terms of complexity measuring the complexity of utterances and length of the turns. The results were all in favor of intentional instruction.
Existence of Positive Solution to the Cauchy Problem for a Fractional Diffusion Equation with a Singular Nonlinearity
Authors: Shi Ailing , Zhang Shuqin
Published: March 2012

Fractional diffusion equations describe an anomalous diffusion on fractals. In this paper, by means of the successive approximation method and other analysis technique, we present a local positive solution to Cauchy problem for a fractional diffusion equation with singular nonlinearity. The fractional derivative is described in the Caputo sense.
A pretensão à correção como parâmetro dogmático do ativismo judicial
Authors: Baio Lucas Seixas , Charur Alan Ibn
Published: March 2012

Esse trabalho tem a finalidade de questionar a necessidade de uma vinculação do intérprete ao texto base da norma, como condição de legitimidade das práticas judiciais ditas ativistas, conforme defende Elival da Silva Ramos em Ativismo Judicial parâmetros dogmáticos (2010). Para tanto, o conceito de pretensão à correção proposto por Robert Alexy em sua obra, Conceito e Validade do Direito, há de ser o referencial teórico principal, juntamente com a tese do autor acerca do Direito como um caso especial do discurso prático geral. Dessa forma, após uma breve introdução acerca do tema, apresentaremos a posição do doutrinador brasileiro para analisar em que consiste, à luz do sobredito conceito de pretensão à correção, delimitando, principalmente, como esse vem a derivar da teoria do caso especial. Ao final, questionar-se-á a legitimidade de tal tese dogmática de vinculação em termos de ativismo judicial, quando analisada a partir das teorias de Alexy.
Direito ao território e multiculturalismo
Authors: Heinen Juliano
Published: March 2012

Aborda-se, por meio desse artigo, a tentativa do Estado moderno em conciliar a perspectiva coletiva com a individual. Esse discurso, necessariamente, passa pela abordagem da perspectiva jurídico-dogmática do multiculturalismo, tendo como expoente pragmático o direito ao território. O acesso a tal direito, no entanto, não tem sido tranquilo, sendo alvo de tensionamentos. Em razão disso, busca-se abordar nesse estudo, como o direito ao território vem sendo encarado, tanto em nível normativo quanto em nível jurisprudencial.
O pensamento comunitarista: uma análise do conflito cultural da “lei do véu islâmico” na França, na perspectiva de Charles Taylor
Authors: Rinck Juliano Aparecido
Published: March 2012

Esse artigo tem como objetivo aferir, de maneira científica e metodológica, o conflito existente entre o Universalismo e o Comunitarismo na questão dos Direitos Humanos, tendo como base de discussão o caso das mulheres islâmicas na França, a partir do pensamento do filosofo comunitarista Charles Taylor, ao tratar da importância do reconhecimento dos indivíduos pelo meio no qual estão inseridos, ou seja, pelos outros agentes sociais pela própria sociedade: hoje o aparato estatal.
Os atos de desobediência civil do Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem-Terra – MST: direito à insurgência e direito insurgente
Authors: Guterres José Augusto , Pazello Ricardo Prestes
Published: March 2012

O artigo analisa as ações do Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra – MST para a conquista e efetivação de direitos sociais, especialmente o de acesso à terra, para o que as ocupações de latifúndios são o principal instrumento. Apresentam-se alguns elementos fundamentais do MST e algumas de suas formas de atuação mais comuns, cujos aspectos essenciais são em seguida analisados do ponto de vista jurídico e, principalmente, à luz do conceito de desobediência civil, por sua vez sustentado a partir de referenciais teóricos condizentes com a realidade latino-americana, dando azo à reflexão sobre o direito à insurgência e sobre um direito insurgente.
Louisville launches innovative RBF project
Authors: Ball Kay
Published: March 2012

Louisville Water Company has provided a safe, abundant, and high‐quality supply of drinking water to people in and around Louisville, Ky., since 1860.
3‐ and 4‐Uloses Derived from N‐Acetyl‐D‐glucosamine: A Unique Pair of Complementary Organocatalysts for Asymmetric Epoxidation of Alkenes
Authors: Schöberl Christof , Jäger Volker
Published: March 2012

The 4‐ulose and the 3‐ulose, both derived in two steps from the α‐methyl glycoside of N‐acetyl‐D‐glucosamine (GlcNAc), act as organocatalysts in the asymmetric epoxidation of alkenes, with unprecedented complementary enantioselectivity. The best results are found with α,β‐unsaturated esters as substrates, with enantiomeric ratios up to 90:10 and 11:89, respectively.
Selective, Green Synthesis of Six‐Membered Cyclic Carbonates by Lipase‐Catalyzed Chemospecific Transesterification of Diols with Dimethyl Carbonate
Authors: Pyo Sang‐Hyun , Hatti‐Kaul Rajni
Published: March 2012

A facile and green synthesis of six‐membered cyclic carbonates, the potential monomers for isocyanate‐free polyurethanes and polycarbonates, was achieved by transesterification of diols with dimethyl carbonate catalyzed by immobilized Candida antarctica lipase B, Novozym®435, followed by thermal cyclization in a solvent‐free medium. The difference in the chemospecificity of the lipase for the primary, secondary and tertiary alcohols as acyl acceptors was utilized to obtain a highly chemoselective synthesis of the cyclic carbonate in high yield. In the lipase‐catalyzed reaction with diols, the product contained almost equal proportions of mono‐ and di‐carbonates with 1,3‐propanediol having two primary alcohols, a higher proportion of mono‐carbonate with 1,3‐butanediol having a primary and a secondary alcohol, and mainly mono‐carbonate with 3‐methyl‐1,3‐butanediol having a primary and a tertiary alcohol. The chemospecificity of cyclic carbonates formed by thermal treatment at 90 °C was closely related to the proportion of mono‐carbonate. The yield of cyclic carbonate was 99.3% with 3‐methyl‐1,3‐butanediol, 85.5% with 1,3‐butanediol, and 43.2% with 1,3‐propanediol.
Observations on the Sexual Segment of the Kidney of Snakes with Emphasis on Ultrastructure in the Yellow‐Bellied Sea Snake, Pelamis platurus
Authors: Sever David M. , Rheubert Justin L. , Gautreaux Jillian , Hill Toren G. , Freeborn Layla R.
Published: March 2012

The sexual segment of the kidney (SSK) is an accessory sex structure in male lizards and snakes (Squamata). We describe histology of the SSK in 12 species of snakes, including one from the basal Scolecophidia, Leptotyphlops dulcis, and from the more advanced Alethinophidia, species from the Acrochordidae (Acrochordus granulatus), Homalopsidae (Cerberus rynchops), Uropeltidae (Teretrurus sanguineus), and eight species from the Elapidae, including six species of sea snakes. We also describe the ultrastructure of the SSK of the sea snake, Pelamis platurus. The SSK of L. dulcis does not include the ureter but does include distal convoluted tubules (DCTs) and collecting ducts. In all other snakes examined, the SSK is limited to the DCTs and does not differ in histology by any consistent character. We found apparently mature individuals of several species with inactive SSKs. Hypertrophied SSKs give positive reactions for protein secretions but variable reactions for carbohydrates. Ultrastructure of the SSK of P. platurus reveals nuclei situated medially in the epithelium and mature electron dense secretory vacuoles in other areas of the cytoplasm. Product release is apocrine. Junctional complexes only occur at the luminal border, and intercellular canaliculi become widened and are open basally. No cytologically unique characters occur in the SSK of P. platurus. The ancestral condition of the SSK in squamates is the presence of simple columnar epithelium specialized for secretion of a protein + carbohydrate product that matures and is released seasonally. Anat Rec, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.