bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Heap House by E. Carey
Authors: Hamilton Natalie
Published: April 2016

Carey, Edward. Heap House. Toronto: HarperCollins, 2014. Print.Heap House is Edward Carey’s first foray into young adult fiction. The author of two of the most original adult novels in recent years—Observatory Mansions and Alva and Irva—Carey brings his quirky and emotionally resonant style to Book One in the Iremonger trilogy.For generations, the Iremonger family has been responsible for “the Heaps,” a tremendous sea of trash outside an alternate-universe London with Dickensian echoes. The story has an Upstairs/Downstairs structure that is masterfully managed by Carey’s use of two protagonists: Clod Iremonger, gifted outcast of the Upstairs Iremongers, and Lucy Pennant, feisty orphan of the Downstairs Iremongers. The chapters alternate between protagonists, and the stories slowly intertwine as Clod and Lucy begin to uncover the dark secrets of the Iremonger family.Each of the protagonists faces significant challenges. Clod has the unusual ability to hear the voices of birth objects (objects assigned to each Iremonger at birth), and each object calls out a different name. This skill leaves him shunned by many family members. Clod is bullied by his wretched cousin Moorcus and has to face a dreaded coming of age ceremony involving an arranged marriage to an unpleasant cousin, Pinnalippy. Lucy is oppressed by the rules imposed on the servants downstairs and struggles to hang on to her identity and her memories in a house where she is stripped of everything but the name “Iremonger”. Accompanying these challenges faced by the two protagonists is the larger problem of the Heaps themselves, which certainly make the reader consider the environmental consequences of our culture of the disposable, as well as the way we accumulate unnecessary stuff in our consumer culture. The Heaps surround the house and provide a menacing backdrop for some intense scenes, while the objects inside the house begin to become threatening in their own, very unexpected, way.The chapters are accompanied by evocative and gloomy portraits of the occupants of Heap House with their birth objects. The illustrations create the effect for the reader of walking through the grand hall in a Victorian manor house lined with family portraits. As with his adult fiction, Carey creates a marvelous architectural space for this story.This is a family saga of such originality that readers will be swept away wondering where the tale will take them, and the story ends on a cliffhanger certain to leave readers anxious for the next installment. Suitable for ages 12 and up.Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: Natalie HamiltonNatalie Hamilton is a lifelong bibliophile who has worked as an instructor of English and Comparative Literature at the University of Alberta, MacEwan University, and Medicine Hat College. She recently interned with Dalkey Archive Press in Dublin, Ireland, where she edited a series of 10 Korean novels. She was a longtime employee of the greatly missed independent bookstore Greenwoods’ Bookshoppe in Edmonton.
The Blind Boy & the Loon by A. Arnaquq-Baril
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

Arnaquq-Baril, Alethea.  The Blind Boy & the Loon. Illus. Alethea Arnaquq-Baril and Dan Gies.  Iqaluit, NU:  Inhabit Media, Inc., 2014.  Print.This volume is unique among Inhabit Media’s publications in that it is produced from an animated short film called Lumaajuuq by accomplished Inuit filmmaker Arnaquq-Baril.  Both the text and the images have been converted from the film. Anarquq-Baril tells us that the story of Lumaajuuq is an old one and a very long one.  She has adapted and shortened it for the film.  It tells of a boy who was deliberately blinded by his mother and has his sight restored by a loon.  Subsequently, he tricks his mother into spearing a whale that will pull her into the sea, where she drowns and turns into the narwhal.  The story ends with the admonition that “every act of revenge is a link in a chain that can only be broken by forgiveness”.The text is brief and is presented in white on a black side-bar that runs to the left of each two-page image spread.  The black side-bar adds to the overall visual darkness of the book, reflecting the darkness of the story.  The images by Arnaquq-Baril and Daniel Gies are usually on black, dark blues, greys and browns. All of the images are uncluttered. The characters are drawn in profile, outlined in thick black line, while the backgrounds are shaded or layers of colour.  In contrast to other parts of the images, the boy consistently has an unnaturally white face, which makes him the focal point of each image.Overall this book does successfully make the conversion from film to print and makes another traditional story accessible to new audiences.  It would be a good addition to public school libraries, elementary school libraries and libraries collecting polar fiction.Highly recommended:  4 stars out of 4Reviewer:  Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.
Where Do You Look? by M. & N. Jocelyn
Authors: Aitken Leslie
Published: April 2016

Jocelyn, Martha and Nell Jocelyn.  Where Do You Look?  Toronto: Tundra Books, a Division of Random House of Canada, 2013. Print.This picture book is a playful exploration of homonyms—in this case, those that are spelled alike.  The text comprises a series of questions; e.g.,    “Where do you look for a letter?  In the mailbox?”  Or on the page?” The illustrations, which incorporate collage and photographic techniques, are colourful and well defined—perfect for story hour viewing.  The accompanying questions are an invitation to participate; children will enjoy guessing what further meanings of a word might next be illustrated.  Beyond story hour, the book is appropriate, both in terms of font size and vocabulary, for independent reading by beginners.A further possibility for this book is its use in English as a Second Language classes.  Gleaning the contextual meaning of a word is always difficult when learning a new language and the Jocelyns provide a light-hearted approach to the problem.  To avoid the sensitive issue of using a beginner’s book in a lesson for older students and adults, introduce it as something an ESL learner might like to share with a child.  (Confess: those of us who love children’s literature have been playing that card forever!)Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer:  Leslie AitkenLeslie Aitken’s long career in librarianship involved selection of children’s literature for school, public, special, and university collections.  She is a former Curriculum Librarian at the University of Alberta.
Under the Hood by C. Merlin
Authors: Campbell Sandy
Published: April 2016

Merlin,Christophe.   Under the Hood. Sommerville, MA.:  Candlewick Press, 2011.  Print. Interactive books are expensive to make and there are always compromises.    In this case the publishers have reduced some cost by making the front cover the title page and placing the publication information on the back cover.  Strangely, the author’s given name is not printed on the book at all. Under the Hood has many flaps that children can lift to see what is underneath.  Sometimes lifting a flap reveals another flap.  The story is about Mr. Bear’s car and garage.  When you open the book, you see the garage, with large wooden doors.  Open the flaps that are the double doors, and you see a tarped car.  When you lift the tarp, you see the car.  The text asks, “Is there anyone under the tarp?”  Open the car door flap and look into the car and see the word, “No” written on the inside of the door. This fun book also includes a large two-page fold out that allows you see the car up on a hoist, and has a pull-tab car that lets you race against an elephant on a motorcycle.  Many of the flaps reveal the mundane; bolts in a box or tools in a toolbox.  However, some hide visual surprises.  When you lift the armoured vehicle flap, you see gangsters who have stolen the truck and tied up the driver.  A tiny two-seater car folds out to be a dragster that has side-pipes with flames coming out of them.  In the last scene, where the text asks, “where is Mouse?”, lifting the hood on the tow-truck reveals Mouse, still in his mechanic’s coveralls, curled up with a pillow. The text is very simple, aimed at age three and up.  The vehicles are a late 1940’s or early 1950’s models.  The images are all solid blocks of colour outlined with heavy black outlines.    The colours are muted and the prints are made to look like badly printed woodcuts or block prints, giving the book the look of a comic with a “vintage” feel. This will be a book that is “loved to death”.   Even though the book is a reinforced trade edition, printed on fairly heavy card stock, children will want to repeatedly lift the flaps and they will wear out and tear.  Libraries with small budgets may want to invest in other volumes that will last longer.  Parents may want to keep Under the Hood as a “special” book that is only read under supervision. Recommended:  3 stars out of 4Reviewer:  Sandy CampbellSandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines.  Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.
Hacia un modelo sistémico-transaccional de análisis e intervención social
Authors: Saco Álvarez Alberto
Published: April 2016

El enfoque sistémico de la sociedad elaborado por Talcott Parsons (1959/1966; 1961/1968) ha sido criticado tanto por su "grandiosa" complejidad (Mills, 1959/87: 44 ss.) como por sus consecuencias, aparentemente conservadoras. Si bien el autor trata de "resacatar" al individuo para el análisis social, en una línea explícitamente weberiana (Parsons 1959/1966) el hecho es que acaba por "encerrar" al individuo en el estrecho margen de un sistema cultural que presupone con una existencia objetiva, algo que está más en la línea defendida por Durkheim. Luhmann (1966:35 ss.) también critica a Parsons la cerrazón de su esquema teórico, que da al sistema social una variedad limitada de posibilidades de acción.
ESP Data Analysis to Enhance Electrical Submersible Pump Run Life at Saudi Arabian Fields
Authors: Al-Sadah Hashim
Published: April 2016

More than 450 Electrical Submersible Pumps (ESP) have been installed in Saudi Arabia's Northern Area fields. Saudi Arabia's producing wells are characterized by high reservoir pressures, high production rates, H2S and low to mid-level water cuts. The produced reservoir formations are both carbonate and sandstone. ESPs are not only installed in low production wells but also in naturally flowing high rate wells where the ESP is left idle until incremental flow rate is needed at a later date.

This paper will highlight the major issues encountered with the utilization of ESP operations, together with the technical developments applied to realize longer ESP run-life objectives. Also presented are the field observations and analyses from troubleshooting, ESP pulls, and Dismantle Inspection and Failure Analysis (DIFA) procedures, implemented to enhance ESP run life. This data is combined to redefine the ESP design philosophies on a field-by-field basis. The technical enhancements made were to improve ESP performance in H2S, scale forming and corrosive environments.

The focus will be on case histories to discuss what was implemented and the methodologies that were used to overcome specific challenges encountered with the use of ESPs. The analysis will be an overview of more than 130 ESP failures from the period 2006 to 2013. During this time, more than 70 DIFA procedures were conducted and many recommendations were implemented, resulting in enhanced ESP run life for these fields. Based on the DIFA results, most failures were attributed to three main causes; damaged or burned Motor Lead Extension (MLE), burned motor and damaged penetrator. These three main causes of ESP failure will be the focal point for the case studies.
Investigation of Biodiesel-Based Drilling Fluid, Part 1: Biodiesel Evaluation, Invert-Emulsion Properties, and Development of a Novel Emulsifier Package
Authors: Li Wai , Zhao Xionghu , Ji Yihui , Peng Hui , Chen Bin , Liu Lan , Han Xiao
Published: April 2016

As a type of mono-alkyl ester, biodiesel exhibits great potential to serve as the base oil of drilling fluids substituting for conventional oil-based drilling fluids (OBDFs). This paper presents a series of laboratory investigations of water-in-biodiesel (invert) emulsion as the basis of a high-performance, environmentally friendly, and low-cost biodiesel-based drilling fluid (BBDF). Biodiesel produced from waste cooking oil was used to formulate a BBDF because of its high flashpoint, reliable storage stability, acceptable elastomeric material compatibility, nontoxicity, and excellent biodegradability. In light of the results of tests used to measure various properties, the biodiesel invert-emulsion chemistry, including the required hydrophile/lipophile balance (HLB), optimal emulsifier, effects of different additives (organophilic clay, calcium chloride, and lime), as well as hydrolytic stability, was studied. A biodiesel invert emulsion that remains stable after hot rolling at 120°C for 16 hours can be prepared with correct combinations of additives, thereby offering a firm foundation for designing BBDFs. The novel emulsifier package developed in this work is introduced as an achievement in the comprehensive usage of waste cooking oil because its feedstock is identical to that of biodiesel. An initial economic analysis of the use of biodiesel for drilling is also presented. Details of the formulations and properties of BBDFs derived from this fundamental research are discussed in another paper (Part 2).
Some characterizations of the exponential distribution based on order statistics
Authors: Milosevic Bojana , Obradovic Marko
Published: April 2016

In this paper some new characterizing theorems of the exponential
distribution based on the order statistics are presented. Some existing
results are generalized and the open conjecture by Arnold and Villasenor is
solved.
The Severity of Atopic Dermatitis Evaluated with the SCORAD Index and the Occurrence of Bronchial Asthma and Rhinitis, and the Duration of Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Celakovská Tarmilč , Bukač Josef
Published: April 2016

Background and Objective

The aim of this study was an evaluation of the dependence between the severity of atopic dermatitis evaluated with the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) index and the occurrence of other atopic diseases and parameters.

Methods

The complete dermatological and allergological examinations were performed. The statistical evaluation of the dependence between the occurrence of bronchial asthma, rhinitis and duration of the skin lesions, and the severity of atopic dermatitis was performed.

Results and Conclusion

Two hundred and eighty-three patients were examined: 89 men and 194 women (average [standard deviation] age, 26.2 ± 9.5 years). The significant relationship was recorded between the severity of atopic dermatitis and bronchial asthma, the occurrence of rhinitis, and the duration of the skin lesions.
Trigger of Bronchial Hyperresponsiveness Development may not always need Eosinophilic Airway Inflammation in Very Early Stage of Asthma
Authors: Obase Yasushi , Shimoda Terufumi , Kishikawa Reiko , Kohno Shigeru , Iwanaga Tomoaki
Published: April 2016

Background

Cough variant asthma (CVA), a suggested precursor of standard bronchial asthma (SBA), is characterized by positive bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and a chronic cough response to bronchodilator that persists for >8 weeks.

Objective

Airway inflammation, BHR, and airway obstructive damage were analyzed to assess whether CVA represents early or mild-stage SBA.

Methods

Patients with newly diagnosed CVA (n = 72) and SBA (n = 84) naive to oral or inhaled corticosteroids and without exacerbated asthma were subjected to spirometry, impulse oscillometry, BHR tests, sputum induction, and fractional exhaled nitric oxide measurements.

Results

In the patients with CVA, spirometry demonstrated higher forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) to forced vital capacity ratio, FEV1 percent predicted, flow volume at 50% of vital capacity % predicted, and flow volume at 25% of vital capacity % predicted values, and impulse oscillometry demonstrated lower R5–Z20, AX, and Fres, and higher X5 values. In addition, the fractional exhaled nitric oxide and sputum eosinophil numbers were lower and the PC20 was higher than in patients with moderate SBA. However, these factors were similar in the patients with CVA and in the patients with intermittent mild SBA. A significantly smaller proportion of the patients with CVA had increased sputum eosinophils than the patients with intermittent mild SBA (p < 0.0001). However, interestingly, among the patients with CVA, no significant differences in the PC20 values were found between the patients with and those without increased sputum eosinophils.

Conclusions

All measures of central and peripheral airway obstruction, eosinophilic inflammation, and airway hyperresponsiveness in patients with CVA were milder than in patients with moderate SBA but were similar to those of patients with intermittent mild SBA. In CVA, the BHR was not affected by airway eosinophilic inflammation, which indicated that the very early development of BHR may not always need airway eosinophilic inflammation.
Oral Mucosal Immunotherapy for Allergic Rhinitis: A Pilot Study
Authors: Reisacher William R. , Suurna Maria V. , Rochlin Kate , Bremberg Maria G. , Tropper Guy
Published: April 2016

Background

The sublingual mucosa has been used for many years to apply allergenic extracts for the purpose of specific immunotherapy (IT). Although sublingual IT (SLIT) is both safe and efficacious, the density of antigen-presenting cells is higher in other regions of the oral cavity and vestibule, which make them a potentially desirable target for IT.

Objective

To present the concept of oral mucosal IT (OMIT) and to provide pilot data for this extended application of SLIT.

Methods

An open-label, 12-month, prospective study was undertaken as a preliminary step before a full-scale clinical investigation. Twenty-four individuals with allergic rhinitis received IT by applying allergenic extracts daily to either the oral vestibule plus oral cavity mucosa by using a glycerin-based toothpaste or to the sublingual mucosa by using 50% glycerin liquid drops. Adverse events, adherence rates, total combined scores, rhinoconjunctivitis quality-of-life questionnaire scores, changes in skin reactivity, and changes in serum antibody levels were measured for each participant.

Results

No severe adverse events occurred in either group. The adherence rate was 80% for the OMIT group and 62% for the SLIT group (p = 0.61). Decreased total combined scores were demonstrated for both the OMIT group (15.6%) and the SLIT group (223%), although this decrease did not reach statistical significance in either group. Both groups achieved a meaningful clinical improvement of at least 0.5 points on rhinoconjunctivitis quality-of-life questionnaire. A statistically significant rise in specific immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) was seen in both groups over the first 6 months of treatment.

Conclusion

OMIT and SLIT demonstrated similar safety profiles and adherence rates. Measurements of clinical efficacy improved for both groups, but only changes in IgG4 achieved statistical significance. These pilot data provide enough evidence to proceed with a full-scale investigation to explore the role of OMIT in the long-term management of allergic rhinitis.
Single-cell MALDI Tandem Mass Spectrometry: Unambiguous Assignment of Small Biomolecules from Single Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Cells
Authors: Krismer Jasmin , Steinhoff Robert F. , Zenobi Renato
Published: April 2016

The analysis of compounds from single cells is a major challenge in analytical life science. Labeling strategies, for instance fluorescence detection, are well established for measuring proteins with single cell sensitivity, but they mostly fail to detect small molecules. More recently
mass spectrometry has entered the realm of single cell sensitivity and enables the label-free and highly parallelized detection of small biomolecules from single cells. The assignment of signals detected in single cells, however, generally has to rely on measurements in whole cell culture
extracts. Isobaric structures, contaminations, higher noise levels and the high variability in the abundance of peaks between single cells complicate the assignment of peaks in single-cell spectra. Tandem mass spectrometry would be very useful for compound identification via mass spectrometry
directly in single-cell analyses. Here we present the first single cell tandem mass spectra collected using matrix-assisted laser-desorption/ionization. The spectra obtained allow the assignment of most compounds detected in the spectra. We also show that the fragmentation is not restricted to the most abundant peaks in the spectra, but over a dynamic range of more than one order of magnitude.
Exotic Chemistry with Ultracold Rydberg Atoms
Authors: Saßmannshausen Heiner , Deiglmayr Johannes , Merkt Frédéric
Published: April 2016

We review recent experiments carried out with dense (1012 cm–3) ultracold (T = 40 ?K) samples of Cs atoms which have the goal to characterize, by high-resolution spectroscopy, the interactions between Cs atoms, Cs+ ions and electrons
that lead to the formation of metastable long-range molecules. The types of molecules observed in these experiments and the mechanisms leading to the aggregation of atoms in weakly bound molecules are very different from those encountered in warmer samples. In particular, we present results
on molecules with binding energies of less than 0.05 J/mol and discuss their properties in the context of a new category of molecular states arising from slow-electron–atom scattering and their relation to atomic and molecular Rydberg states. One of the astonishing aspects of these types
of molecules is that they can still be treated in good approximation in the realm of the Born-Oppenheimer approximation despite a huge electronic-state density. Non-Born-Oppenheimer effects are revealed by the decay of the molecules into neutral and charged fragments.
PH3 as a Phosphorus Source for Phosphinidene–Carbene Adducts and Phosphinidene–Transition Metal Complexes
Authors: Bispinghoff Mark , Grützmacher Hansjörg
Published: April 2016

The parent phosphinidene–carbene adduct NHC=PH is a versatile synthon in main group chemistry and can act as an electronically flexible ligand for transition metals. Previously, it could only be synthesized with sterically demanding N-aryl substituents. This paper describes
simple methods for the synthesis of NHC=PH adducts with varying steric demand from elemental phosphorus or easily accessible phosphorus sources. Furthermore, the reactivity of NHCs towards PH3 was investigated. It was shown how a NHC inserts into the P–H bond of PH3,
which opens up a route to NHC=PH adducts from an imidazolium salt and PH3. The adducts were used in the simple syntheses of bis(phosphinidene) mercury(II) and group 6 pentacarbonyl parent phosphinidene complexes. Their electronic and structural properties
were investigated to elucidate the influence of the NHC on the phosphinidene and identify possible applications.
Giant Host Red Blood Cell Membrane Mimicking Polymersomes Bind Parasite Proteins and Malaria Parasites
Authors: Najer Adrian , Thamboo Sagana , Palivan Cornelia G. , Beck Hans-Peter , Meier Wolfgang
Published: April 2016

Malaria is an infectious disease that needs to be addressed using innovative approaches to counteract spread of drug resistance and to establish or optimize vaccination strategies. With our approach, we aim for a dual action with drug- and 'vaccine-like' activity against malaria. By
inhibiting entry of malaria parasites into host red blood cells (RBCs) – using polymer vesicle-based (polymersome) nanomimics of RBC membranes – the life cycle of the parasite is interrupted and the exposed parasites are accessible to the host immune system. Here, we describe how
host cell-sized RBC membrane mimics, formed with the same block copolymers as nanomimics, also bind the corresponding malaria parasite ligand and whole malaria parasites, similar to nanomimics. This was demonstrated using fluorescence imaging techniques and confirms the suitability of giant
polymersomes (GUVs) as simple mimics for RBC membranes.
Efficient Synthesis of 4-Hydroxybenzo[h]Quinoline-2(1H)-One and Some Derivatives
Authors: Rufchahi E.O. Moradi , Pourbabaea M.
Published: April 2016

3-(Naphlhyl-1-amino)-3-oxopropanoic acid and N,N′-di(naphthyl-1-yl)malonamide were synthesised by the reaction of 1-naphthylamine with diethyl malonate under reflux. These two compounds were then separately cyclised to 4-hydroxybenzo[ h]quinolin-2-(1 H)-one in two different reactions in polyphosphoric acid. A series of esters and ethers of the 4-hydroxy group and some 3-substituted derivatives were prepared. The structures of the compounds were confirmed by infra-red NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis.
TRIPS and Innovative Capacity of Bangladeshs Pharmaceutical Industry: Promotion of Access to Essential Medicine
Authors: Chowdhury Mohammad Aktarul Alam
Published: April 2016

The WTO agreement on Trade- Related Aspect of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) evolved some significant flexibilities in the Intellectual Property Rights on pharmaceutical product, especially regarding right of access to affordable medicine for the developing and least developed countries people as recognized in its Doha Declaration and in a related post-declaration decision. However, provisions of granting uniform character of pharmaceutical patents in all developing and lest developed countries put forward a strong debate over the globe for ensuring access to essential medicine to the poorer section of the member states of the WTO. Though Bangladesh, as a least developed country, has extended time up to 2016 to implement the pharmaceutical patent complying with the provisions of the TRIPS, such flexibilities seem to be a great challenge especially for Bangladesh where local technological capabilities and developed infrastructures to produce generic version of medicine still in nascent stage. In this context, this article demonstrates whether, in term of socio-economical conditions of the developing and least developed countries, this Western-style of IP provisions, is suited for Bangladesh. This paper seeks to explore and argue that in the absence of a strong institutional innovative capacity and the local technical expertise, whether Bangladeshs pharmaceuticals sector can be able to supply marginal-cost substitutes of essential drug to other developing and least developed countries in the frame work of TRIPS flexibilities. To find out an effective and comprehensive solution this paper concentrates on theinnovative capacity and competitiveness of the pharmaceutical sector and status of current pharmaceutical regulation and patent law in Bangladesh.IIUC Studies Vol.10 & 11 December 2014: 111-126
Case Study of the Commercially Published ELT materials in Foundation of English Course Books 1 & 2
Authors: Chowdhury Md Yousuf Uddin Khaled
Published: April 2016

Brumfit (1979) has suggested that many commercially published ELT materials are little more than masses of rubbish, skilfully marketed. He perhaps rejects most of the published materials. However, in reality, it is observed that these ELT resources are the only available alternatives in the contexts where infra-structural limitations of language classrooms and the inefficiency of the language-teachers make the goal of language learning and teaching unreachable or unattainable for many of the learners. This paper, through a case study, aims at justifying the use of commercially published ELT coursebooks that are designed and used, considering the limitations and problems of the personally produced materials by untrained teachers. Nevertheless, these materials must consider the local market rather than the global markets so that they meet the needs of the local language learners and instructors. The case study implies that it is the selection or adaptation of the right materials for the specific learners that makes them effective or ineffective. It also suggests that the personally designed or locally produced materials too may make teaching and learning difficult and impossible sometimes.IIUC Studies Vol.10 & 11 December 2014: 173-182
Parametric Analysis of a Rotary Type Liquid Desiccant Air Conditioning System
Authors: Rafique M. , Rehman Shafiqur , Alhems Luai , Lashin Aref
Published: April 2016

Now days, air conditioning systems are a must for almost every commercial and residential building to achieve comfortable indoor conditions. The increasing energy demand, and increasing oil prices and pollution levels raise the need for alternative air conditioning systems which can efficiently utilize renewable energy resources. The liquid desiccant-based air conditioning method is pollution free and thermal energy-based cooling techniques can use low grade thermal energy resources like solar energy, waste heat, etc. These systems have an additional advantage of cleaning bacteria and fungi from the air. In this paper, a newly proposed rotary liquid desiccant air conditioning system has been investigated theoretically. Most direct contact liquid desiccant cooling systems have the problem of desiccant carryover which can be eliminated using the proposed system. The effects of various key parameters and climatic conditions on the performance of the system have been evaluated. The results showed that if the key parameters of the system are controlled effectively, the proposed cooling system has the ability to achieve the desired supply air conditions. The system can achieve high coefficient of performance (COP) under different conditions. The dehumidifier has a sensible heat ratio (SHR) in the range of 0.3–0.6 for different design, climatic, and operating conditions. The system can remove latent load efficiently in applications which require good humidity control.
In Silico Structure and Sequence Analysis of Bacterial Porins and Specific Diffusion Channels for Hydrophilic Molecules: Conservation, Multimericity and Multifunctionality
Authors: Vollan Hilde , Tannæs Tone , Vriend Gert , Bukholm Geir
Published: April 2016

Diffusion channels are involved in the selective uptake of nutrients and form the largest outer membrane protein (OMP) family in Gram-negative bacteria. Differences in pore size and amino acid composition contribute to the specificity. Structure-based multiple sequence alignments shed light on the structure-function relations for all eight subclasses. Entropy-variability analysis results are correlated to known structural and functional aspects, such as structural integrity, multimericity, specificity and biological niche adaptation. The high mutation rate in their surface-exposed loops is likely an important mechanism for host immune system evasion. Multiple sequence alignments for each subclass revealed conserved residue positions that are involved in substrate recognition and specificity. An analysis of monomeric protein channels revealed particular sequence patterns of amino acids that were observed in other classes at multimeric interfaces. This adds to the emerging evidence that all members of the family exist in a multimeric state. Our findings are important for understanding the role of members of this family in a wide range of bacterial processes, including bacterial food uptake, survival and adaptation mechanisms.
Characterization of Stripe Rust Resistance Genes in the Wheat Cultivar Chuanmai45
Authors: Yang Ennian , Li Guangrong , Li Liping , Zhang Zhenyu , Yang Wuyun , Peng Yunliang , Zhu Yongqing , Yang Zujun , Rosewarne Garry
Published: April 2016

The objective of this research was to characterize the high level of resistance to stripe that has been observed in the released wheat cultivar, Chuanmai45. A combination of classic genetic analysis, molecular and cytogenetic methods were used to characterize resistance in an F2 population derived from Chuanmai45 and the susceptible Chuanmai42. Inheritance of resistance was shown to be conferred by two genes in Chuanmai45. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) was used along with segregation studies to show that one gene was located on a 1RS.1BL translocation. Molecular markers were employed to show that the other locus was located on chromosome 4B. The defeated gene, Yr24/26, on chromosome 1BL was present in the susceptible parent and lines that recombined this gene with the 1RS.1BL translocation were identified. The germplasm, loci, and associated markers identified in this study will be useful for application in breeding programs utilizing marker-assisted selection.
Kai, M. Roles of RNA-Binding Proteins in DNA Damage Response. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2016, 17, 310
Authors: Kai Mihoko
Published: April 2016

The author would like to insert the citation after the following sentence, “These RBPs are detected on laser trackswithin one minute after laser irradiation, and are excluded from the laser tracks shortly (within 10–15 min, depending on conditions of laser irradiation) [1]”, in the paper published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences [2].[...]
Non-Coding RNAs in Cancer: An Interview with Dr. Martin Pichler
Authors:   International Journal of Molecular Sciences Editorial Office
Published: April 2016

In this issue, we are pleased and honored to have an interview with Professor Martin Pichler, who is the Collection Editor for the International Journal of Molecular Sciences Topical Collection of “Regulation by Non-Coding RNAs” [1].[...]
Sorption Kinetics on Open Carbon Nanohorn Aggregates: The Effect of Molecular Diameter
Authors: Russell Brice , Khanal Pravin , Calbi Maria , Yudasaka Masako , Iijima Sumio , Migone Aldo
Published: April 2016

We present the results of a study of the kinetics of adsorption on aggregates of open carbon nanohorns using argon and CF4 sorbates. We measured the equilibration times for each value of the sorbent loading along eight adsorption isotherms (four isotherms for each sorbate species). We found that: the equilibration times decrease as the sorbent loading (and the equilibrium pressure of the coexisting gas) increases, for a given temperature; and, that, for a given value of the sorbent loading, the equilibration times decrease with increasing temperature. When considering the effect of scaling of the temperatures by the respective critical temperatures we found that, at the same scaled temperature and at comparable loadings, the equilibration times for CF4 were longer than those for argon. We discuss a possible explanation for this result.
Reconstructing Face Image from the Thermal Infrared Spectrum to the Visible Spectrum
Authors: Kresnaraman Brahmastro , Deguchi Daisuke , Takahashi Tomokazu , Mekada Yoshito , Ide Ichiro , Murase Hiroshi
Published: April 2016

During the night or in poorly lit areas, thermal cameras are a better choice instead of normal cameras for security surveillance because they do not rely on illumination. A thermal camera is able to detect a person within its view, but identification from only thermal information is not an easy task. The purpose of this paper is to reconstruct the face image of a person from the thermal spectrum to the visible spectrum. After the reconstruction, further image processing can be employed, including identification/recognition. Concretely, we propose a two-step thermal-to-visible-spectrum reconstruction method based on Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA). The reconstruction is done by utilizing the relationship between images in both thermal infrared and visible spectra obtained by CCA. The whole image is processed in the first step while the second step processes patches in an image. Results show that the proposed method gives satisfying results with the two-step approach and outperforms comparative methods in both quality and recognition evaluations.
Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Nets for Strengthening Lava Stone Masonries in Historical Buildings
Authors: Cascone Santi , Sapienza Vincenzo , Lionti Irene , Porto Simona
Published: April 2016

The strengthening of masonries is a crucial step in building restoration works because of its relevance, mostly with regard to the improvement of building seismic behavior. Current building technologies are based on the use of steel nets which are incorporated into cement plasters. The use of steel has a number of contraindications that can be solved by using composite materials such as glass fiber nets, which have high mechanical characteristics and lightness, elasticity, corrosion resistance, and compatibility with lime plaster. Building interventions, that take into account the application of glass fiber nets, are very sustainable from several points of view, e.g., material production, in situ works, economic cost and durability. In Italy, several experiments have been carried out in situ with the aim of testing the mechanical characteristics of masonries which have been treated with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) nets. This paper deals with a series of in situ tests carried out during the restoration works of an important historical building located in Catania (Sicily, Italy). The results achieved are largely positive.
Le dommage écologique pur et l'article 31 du NCPC
Authors: Coudoing Nadège
Published: April 2016

L'article a pour objectif de déterminer si la réparation des dommages causés au milieu naturel sans qu'il y ait de répercussion sur les personnes (appelés « dommages écologiques purs ») est envisageable conformément aux règles régissant la responsabilité civile et l'action en réparation. L'article 31 du NCPC ouvre l'action en justice à ceux qui ont intérêt au succès de l'action, d'où découlera leur qualité pour agir, et à ceux qui ont expressément qualité en vertu de la loi. En matière de responsabilité, l'intérêt réside dans le préjudice personnel. Le « préjudice » vise les conséquences du fait brut et matériel que constitue le dommage ; l'adjectif « personnel » signifie que le préjudice est subi par une personne au sens juridique et par cette personne elle-même. Or, par définition, le préjudice écologique pur n'affecte aucune entité juridique, seulement le milieu naturel, et ne lèse pas des intérêts individuels mais des intérêts collectifs. Dès lors, il ne peut y avoir d'intérêt pour agir et la qualité ne peut découler que d'un texte légal, ce qui est le cas pour les associations de protection de l'environnement. Cette action est soumise à des conditions strictes dont la jurisprudence s'est progressivement affranchie, ce qui implique que ces associations ont un intérêt à agir en responsabilité. Cet intérêt est d'ordre existentiel en ce que la protection de l'environnement constitue la raison pour laquelle le groupement a été créé. En d'autres termes, l'association subit un préjudice « existentiel ». Mais alors, peut-on encore parler de « dommage écologique pur » ?
The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood and the Spectacle of Hama
Authors: Conduit Dara
Published: April 2016

The Syrian Muslim Brotherhood has been a key diplomatic player in the current Syrian uprising; a role that stands in stark contrast to its reputation among Western authors. This article argues that this chasm between the Brotherhood's practice and reputation is a legacy of the 1982
Hama massacre. The slaughter has become a “spectacle,” as per the theory of Guy Debord, leading Hama to take on an exaggerated significance in portrayals of the Brotherhood.
On the Relationship Between Musicianship and Contralateral Suppression of Transient-Evoked Otoacoustic Emissions
Authors: Stuart Andrew , Daughtrey Emma R.
Published: April 2016

Background:The medial olivocochlear (MOC) efferent reflex that modulates outer hair cell function has been shown to be more robust in musicians versus nonmusicians as evidenced in greater contralateral suppression of transient-evoked otoacoustic emissions (TEOAEs). All previous
research comparing musical ability and MOC efferent strength has defined musicianship dichotomously (i.e., high-level music students or professional classical musicians versus nonmusicians).Purpose:The objective of the study was to further explore contralateral suppression of TEOAEs
among adults with a full spectrum of musicianship ranging from no history of musicianship to professional musicians. Musicianship was defined by both self-report and with an objective test to quantify individual differences in perceptual music skills.Research Design:A single-factor
between-subjects and correlational research designs were employed.Study Sample:Forty-five normal-hearing young adults participated.Data Collection and Analysis:Participants completed a questionnaire concerning their music experience and completed the Brief Profile of Music
Perception Skills (PROMS) to quantify perceptual musical skills across multiple musical domains (i.e., accent, melody, tempo, and tuning). TEOAEs were evaluated with 60 dB peak equivalent sound pressure level click stimuli with and without a contralateral 65 dB sound pressure level white
noise suppressor. TEOAE suppression was expressed in two ways, absolute TEOAE suppression in dB and a normalized index of TEOAE suppression (i.e., percentage of suppression).Results:Participants who considered themselves musicians scored significantly higher on all subscales and total
Brief PROMS score (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between musicians and nonmusicians in absolute TEOAE suppression or percentage of TEOAE suppression (p > 0.05). There were no statistically significant correlations or linear predictive relationships
between subscale or total Brief PROMS scores with absolute and percentage of TEOAE suppression (p > 0.05).Conclusions:The findings do not support the notion of a graded enhancement of MOC efferent suppression among adults with varied degrees of musicianship from nonmusicians
to professional musicians.
Les dix caractéristiques du leader de demain
Authors: Dansereau Suzanne
Published: April 2016

Bien malin celui qui saurait prédire avec exactitude à quoi ressemblera le monde en 2025. Comment alors développer aujourd’hui nos talents pour qu’ils deviennent les leaders dont nos organisations auront besoin dans un avenir rapproché ? Nous avons interrogé près d’une dizaine d’experts à ce sujet. Tous s’accordent à dire que dans un environnement volatile, incertain, complexe et ambigu, le choix d’un leader ne portera pas tant sur des compétences précises que sur son potentiel de réussite. Voici dix qualités qui l’aideront à accroître ce potentiel.
Rodillo de enrejado Hyster, modelo
Authors: Chinchilla M.
Published: April 2016

El rodillo de enrejado Hyster, modelo D, consta de unas ruedas de 67 pulgadas de diámetro exterior, montadas en una armadura y bastidor sumamente resistentes. El enrejado que forma la superficie cilíndrica de cada rodillo consiste en barras de acero de 1,5 pulgadas de diámetro, entrelazadas para formar una malla cuadrada, con un espacio libre entre barras de 3,5x3,5 pulgadas. Las barras son de acero especial.
Sala de exposiciones
Authors: Levi Franco
Published: April 2016

Con motivo de celebrar el primer centenario en la Unidad nacional italiana se proyectó un edificio dedicado a exposiciones, ubicado en Turín (Italia), cuya fecha de terminación se hallaba seriamente condicionada.
Revestimientos de hormigón en carreteras
Authors: Schüepp W.
Published: April 2016

El autor, W. Schüepp, ingeniero diplomado, director de la S. A. des Routes en Betón de Wildegg (Suiza), dio una conferencia tratando de este mismo tema en el Instituto Eduardo Torroja de la Construcción y del Cemento. En este trabajo recogemos la exposición general que el destacado ingeniero expuso en su conferencia.
Piscina cubierta en Essen
Authors: Schneioer P. F.
Published: April 2016

El solar sobre el que se levanta la nueva piscina de Essen se halla entre dos calles, con un desnivel de tres metros de una a otra, en la zona antigua de la ciudad.
Laboratorio paulista de biología
Authors: Levi Rino , Cerqueira Cesar Roberto , Carvalho Franco Luís Roberto
Published: April 2016

Este moderno conjunto industrial está situado en la calle María Cándida, de la ciudad de Sao Paulo, en un amplio solar de casi dos hectáreas de extensión. Está destinado a la fabricación de productos farmacéuticos, principalmente de inyectables.
Recomendaciones europeas para el empleo de tornillos de alta resistencia en las estructuras de acero
Authors: Batanero J. , Heredia R.
Published: April 2016

Con el enlace de los perfiles de acero por medio de tornillos de alta resistencia, pretensados, se ha introducido en la construcción metálica un nuevo tipo de uniones, que resisten por rozamiento. Los tomillos de alta resistencia (exceptuados los calibrados) deberán quedar en el agujero con una cierta holgura; y, mediante apretadura de la tuerca o de la cabeza, tensarse en forma que las superficies de contacto de las piezas unidas quedan fuertemente presionadas, una contra otra, muy especialmente en las proximidades del agujero. Con ello el esfuerzo que actúa perpendicularmente al eje del tomillo es resistido por el rozamiento estático entre las superficies unidas; en tanto que, como consecuencia, la espiga del tomillo queda sometida a una tracción axil y a una torsión.
La presa Persenbeug-Ybbs
Authors: Konigshofer Ekwin
Published: April 2016

Terminada la primera guerra mundial los aprovechamientos hidroeléctricos en Austria tomaron un gran interés de tipo nacional y, claro está, todas las miradas se dirigían al Danubio.
Hotel Britania
Authors: Boks Ir. J. W. C. , Eijkelenboom W. , Middelhoek A.
Published: April 2016

Durante los últimos años de la segunda guerra mundial, el Gran Hotel Britania, en Flushing, fue el Cuartel General del ejército alemán sobre el estuario del río Scheldt.
Lloyd Center Portland, en Oregón
Authors: Graham John
Published: April 2016

Este importante Centro comercial resume, conjunta y perfecciona toda la experiencia de sus proyectistas en el tema. El programa previsto abarca un total de cien tiendas, grandes almacenes generales, almacenes de menor categoría y dos unidades, al menos, en cada una de las tiendas de uso normal.
Muelles pretensados en el estuario del río Tees
Authors: Halcrow William , Harris A. J. , Harris J. D.
Published: April 2016

Sobre las márgenes del río Tees, ya en su estuario, Middlesbrough (Inglaterra), se están terminando, actualmente, las obras de un muelle pretensado que permitirá atracar barcos de gran calado, puesto que se halla emplazado en aguas profundas, es decir, de unos 11 m de calado en mareas bajas de primavera. El muelle ha sido estudiado y proyectado por Sir William Halcrow & Partners, quienes, además de esta obra, se han encargado de otras también de tipo marítimo.
The European Union as a Chaotic System
Authors: Plaza i Font Joan Pere
Published: April 2016

From an analytical perspective, moreover, the study of the European Union, both as an actor and as an arena, has also precipitated many theoretical attempts to explain the genesis and the evolution of this object that has been even provocatively considered an Unidentified Political Object. This contribution will defend that Chaology's conceptual core may be of great help to overpass those quarrels, and that, surprisingly or not, these concepts do also fit in the theoretical assumptions driven by Historical Institutionalism, the analytical school that, since the 1990s has been proposing a suggestive approach to the European Integration process that to some extend challenge those that used to be the mainstream positions. All in all, this contribution has a two-folded objective. Firstly, it seeks to review the aforementioned debates through the lens of Chaos Theory to prove that in most cases, the reciprocal critics among the mainstream approaches to the European Union do actually lack of precise understanding of the basic features of any chaotic system. Secondly, it proposes few examples to illustrate this chaotic nature of the European integration process.