bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adjudicating constitutional rights in administrative law
Authors: Hickman Tom
Published: December 2015

The article examines how courts apply bills of rights to administrative decisions. It adopts a comparative perspective, analysing the law in the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand. It is found that the courts in each jurisdiction have taken a different approach in relation to the two central issues – namely, (1) whether courts decide for themselves whether rights have been violated or whether they adopt a secondary reviewing role; and (2) whether bills of rights are used as a means of imposing enhanced requirements on decision makers in terms of how they reach their decisions, beyond common law requirements of relevancy and proper purposes. The article argues that the preferred approach is for courts to decide for themselves whether protected rights have been infringed and for them to protect such rights indirectly through the development of requirements applicable to the process of decision making, targeted at ensuring that administrators reach rights-compliant decisions in the first instance. Procedural requirements, if appropriately nuanced and context specific, need not lead to formalism in decision making. The article develops this model, described as the ‘shared responsibility model,’ and contrasts it with the approach taken by the courts in both Canada and the United Kingdom.
Effect of Mineral Fillers on the Oxidative Aging of Asphalt Binders
Authors: Moraes Raquel , Bahia Hussein
Published: December 2015

Aging of asphalt binders is induced by chemical or physicochemical changes during production of pavement and throughout its service life. Although binder aging in pavement always occurs while binders are in contact with aggregates and mineral filler, in most laboratory aging studies and in current specifications, asphalt binders are individually aged without accounting for aggregate induced interactions. Past research has had conflicting findings, as it attributes mitigating or catalytic effects to the presence of mineral fillers in asphalt binders with oxidative aging. Thus, in the present study it was hypothesized that evaluation of asphalt oxidative aging without taking into account the interactive effect of the presence of mineral fillers was inadequate as a specification tool. The effect of mineral fillers on oxidative aging of asphalt was investigated with accelerated aging of mastics (asphalt and fillers) in a pressure aging vessel (PAV) and by measuring the changes in stiffness and glass transition temperature ( Tg). The testing matrix included an aging evaluation of mastics containing different fillers, mineralogy, and surface area. The results showed that the low-temperature behavior of aged mastic could be modified by controlling filler concentration and type. The fillers acted as an agent adsorbing heavy fractions of asphalt binder and therefore reduced stiffness and changing Tg. During oxidative aging of asphalt binders and mastics, diffusion and adsorption mechanisms played a role in the rate of aging of asphaltic material. The results provided insight on the potential for selecting a mineral filler concentration and mineralogy type to reduce the impact of oxidative aging and possibly improve the service life of pavement.
Laboratory Tests and Numerical Simulations of Mixing Superheated Virgin Aggregate with Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement Materials
Authors: Zhang Kun , Wen Haifang , Hobbs Andrew
Published: December 2015

The use of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) in asphalt mix contributes to sustainable construction. However, a high percentage of RAP in asphalt mix causes concern about compromising the performance of asphalt pavement, especially cracking. The binder transfer and blending between RAP and virgin aggregate during production in an asphalt plant is a critical procedure that affects the performance of the asphalt mix. The heating of RAP by superheated virgin aggregate and the transfer of RAP binder can affect the degree to which virgin binder and RAP binder are blended and thus affect the performance of mixes containing RAP. Several parameters, such as RAP percentage, mixing time, and RAP moisture content, can affect the heating of RAP and the degree of blending between the virgin binder and RAP binder. To increase the understanding of RAP heating and RAP binder transfer, laboratory tests and numerical simulations that employed the discrete element method (DEM) were conducted for this study to investigate the temperature evolution and amount of RAP binder transfer during the mixing of superheated virgin aggregate and RAP materials in a laboratory drum mixer. The results indicated that a longer mixing time or higher superheated virgin aggregate temperature was needed for cases with a high RAP content and high RAP moisture content. The DEM simulations were found to be a promising method for studying the mixing process of superheated virgin aggregate blended with RAP materials. In the future, such DEM simulations could be applied to guide the mix production process for RAP mixes.
Fatigue Performance Evaluation of Rubberized Porous European Mixture by Simplified Viscoelastic Continuum Damage Model
Authors: Xie Zhaoxing , Shen Junan , Earnest Mathew , Li Bo , Jackson Mike
Published: December 2015

The study investigated the fatigue performance of rubberized porous European mix (PEM) and control PEM and the influence introducing methods of crumb rubber modifier (CRM) on the fatigue performance of PEM. Four PEM mixtures were used: rubberized PEM in dry process, rubberized PEM in wet process, rubberized PEM with terminal blend binder, and control styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) modified PEM. Dynamic modulus and direct tension fatigue tests were performed with an asphalt mixture performance tester system. The fatigue test data were analyzed by the simplified viscoelastic continuum damage theory. There were four main results. First, the rutting resistance of the rubberized PEM in the dry process was similar to that of the wet process but slightly lower than that of the rubberized PEM with the terminal blend binder and SBS modified PEM. Second, the fatigue cracking resistance of the rubberized PEM in the dry process was similar to that of the wet process but significantly lower than those of the rubberized PEM with the terminal blend binder and SBS modified PEM. Third, the use of smaller size CRM and transpolyoctenamer (TOR) in the dry process may have made the properties of the dry process PEM close to those of the wet process. However, the 10% CRM or 4.5% TOR used in the study could not make rubberized PEMs produce longer fatigue life like the control SBS modified PEM. Fourth, the introduction of SBS into rubberized PEM by the terminal blend method may have significantly improved the fatigue performance of PEM.
Correlating Laboratory Test Methodologies to Measure Skid Resistance of Pavement Surfaces
Authors: Nataadmadja Adelia D. , Wilson Douglas J. , Costello Seosamh B. , Do Minh Tan
Published: December 2015

The skid resistance performance of surface aggregates can be assessed in the laboratory with a polishing device that is designed to simulate traffic polishing actions, coupled with a skid resistance measuring device. The standard laboratory test has historically been the polished stone value (PSV) test, as specified in British Standard EN 1097-8:2009. However, as the technology has advanced and traffic volume and composition on the roads have changed, other devices and methodologies have been developed in an attempt to provide better assessment of the skid resistance performance of surface aggregates. This study compared two alternative laboratory tests, the Auckland pavement polishing device (APPD) and the Wehner–Schulze (WS) devices, in assessing the skid resistance performance of three New Zealand greywacke aggregates. This paper discusses the variations in APPD and its corresponding skid resistance measuring device, the dynamic friction tester (DFT) and the effect of macrotexture in the APPD-DFT test. The results demonstrate a good relationship between the APPD-DFT and PSV tests and no relationship between the WS and PSV tests. However, the APPD and WS tests correlate well. The study used only three greywacke aggregates; therefore, no conclusive results can be drawn on the relationship between these laboratory tests as yet.
Potential of Group Incentive Schemes to Encourage Use of Driving Safety Apps
Authors: Musicant Oren , Lotan Tsippy , Grimberg Einat
Published: December 2015

Encouraging young drivers to use driving feedback systems (referred to here as “green boxes”) is a challenge. Prior research and experience have indicated that adoption of green boxes has been minimal, primarily because of insufficient motivation. Research has also demonstrated that providing feedback from green boxes to young drivers or their parents has reduced the frequency of risky behavior. This study investigated the possible benefits of providing group incentives to encourage the use of green boxes among young drivers. The specific green box used in this study was a smartphone app that needed to be initiated at the beginning of each trip. Once initiated, the app monitored driving behavior in terms of g-force events, provided a score and feedback, and shared the driving information with a predefined sponsor. This study built and expanded on a previous study by making the duration of the experiment longer and by allowing participants to recruit their friends to help the group win its rewards. Despite the more demanding scheme, the results obtained repeated the success of the previous study: all eligible participants downloaded the app and used it to win the rewards for the group. Additionally, friends were recruited by participants to use the app to help the group win rewards (without acquiring any personal rewards for themselves). Once all prespecified rewards were achieved within the allotted period, the young drivers stopped using the app. This study confirms again that barriers to adoption of the green box app by young drivers can be overcome by choosing low-cost, suitable group incentive schemes.
Evaluation of a Risk Awareness Perception Training Program on Novice Teen Driver Behavior at Left-Turn Intersections
Authors: McDonald Catherine C. , Kandadai Venk , Loeb Helen , Seacrist Thomas , Lee Yi-Ching , Bonfiglio Dana , Fisher Donald L. , Winston Flaura K.
Published: December 2015

Collisions at left-turn intersections are among the most prevalent types of serious crashes involving teen drivers, and inadequate surveillance is a key factor. The Risk Awareness and Perception Training (RAPT) program has been shown to be effective in improving anticipation of latent hazards. The goal of this study was to determine whether RAPT Version 3 (RAPT-3) improved the intersection turning behaviors of novice teen drivers when the hazards were not latent and frequent glancing to multiple locations at the intersection was needed. Teens drivers age 16 to 18 years with ≤ 180 days of licensure were randomly assigned to (a) an intervention group that received RAPT-3 training (trained group, n = 18) or (b) a control group that received no training (untrained group, n = 19). Both groups completed the RAPT-3 baseline assessment, and the trained group completed the RAPT-3 training and the RAPT-3 post-assessment. Training effects were evaluated in a driving simulator. Simulator (gap selection errors and collisions) and eye tracker (traffic check errors) metrics from six left-turn stop sign–controlled intersections in the Simulated Driving Assessment (SDA) were analyzed. The trained group scored significantly higher in the RAPT-3 postassessment than in the RAPT-3 baseline assessment (p < .0001). There were no significant differences between the trained and untrained teens in the SDA in either traffic check and gap selection errors or collisions. Although trained teens learned about hazard anticipation related to latent hazards, learning did not translate to performance differences in left-turn stop sign–controlled intersections at which the hazards were not latent. The findings point to a need for further research to better understand teens' challenges with left-turn intersections.
Older Adults as Cutaway Bus Passengers: User-Centered Literature Review
Authors: Souders Dustin J. , Gepner Bronislaw , Charness Neil , Wekezer Jerry
Published: December 2015

This literature review focuses on human factors issues affecting the safe use of cutaway buses (i.e., a bus body carried by a van or truck chassis) by older adults. Cutaway buses are often used as shuttles for assisted living facilities, in demand–response and paratransit services such as dial-a-ride, and in mainstream public transportation and shuttle systems. Because of the scarcity of data gathered specifically on the subject of U.S. cutaway buses, this review uses international statistics on paratransit, demand–response, special transportation services, and dial-a-ride services as substitutes, because these are the areas of public transportation that most frequently use such vehicles. The first section of the report takes a user-centered approach in reviewing some factors related to older adults' driving cessation and how public transportation systems using cutaway buses help make this life change easier. Also reviewed are the age-related physiological changes that decrease the ability of older adult passengers to withstand a motor vehicle crash and that limit the mobility of older adults in boarding or alighting the bus and navigating the cabin. The second section reviews bus crash statistics to understand what types of injuries and outcomes are associated with older passengers in different types of motor vehicle crashes. Finally, areas of concern and possible solutions to improve the safety of older adults using cutaway buses are presented.
Preliminary Investigation of Circumstances Contributing to Fatal Crashes Involving Law Enforcement Officers
Authors: Maistros Alexander R. , Schneider William H.
Published: December 2015

Over the past several decades, the number of fatal crashes in the United States has steadily declined. This decline is the result, at least in part, of the combined efforts of the three E's: engineering, education, and enforcement. Although these overall trends have shown promising results, there remain specific groups with alarming fatal crash rates. One of these groups, in particular, is law enforcement officers. Because police officers are a unique group with very particular job requirements, these crashes must be evaluated separately from crashes involving the general population. This study investigated 3 years of police-related fatal crash data to determine what contributing circumstances needed to be further investigated to reduce the trend in crashes. Data from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System were used to develop a logistic regression model to determine the statistically significant factors in 220 fatal crashes involving law enforcement officers from 2010 through 2012. It was found that a crash was less likely to be fatal if the officer was wearing a seat belt and if there was more than one occupant in the vehicle at the time of the crash. Conversely, the law enforcement officer was more likely to be the fatality when the crash was speed-related.
Value of Confirmation Lights and Their Unintended Impact on Driver Compliance and Deterrence to Running a Red Light
Authors: Boakye Kwaku F. , Fitzsimmons Eric J. , Schrock Steven D. , Lindheimer Tomás E.
Published: December 2015

In the United States, red light running (RLR) continues to be a safety concern for many communities with signalized intersections. In 2012, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that nationwide, RLR had resulted in 683 fatalities and 133,000 injury-related crashes. Confirmation lights have been deployed in many communities as a countermeasure to aid law enforcement in reducing RLR violations; however, the effectiveness of confirmation lights has not been well documented. This research study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of confirmation lights at signalized intersections for the purpose of reducing RLR violations. Confirmation lights were installed for the protected left-turn movements at two signalized intersections in Lawrence, Kansas. In addition to the two treatment sites, 11 comparison sites, including six spillover intersections and five control intersections, were studied. A before–after analysis was conducted with field-based violation data. Without changing the local, traditional police department–run RLR enforcement program during the study period, video data were collected before installation, and 1 month and 3 months after installation. A test of proportions found a statistically significant 42% reduction in left-turning RLR violations 3 months after the installation of confirmation lights at the treatment sites. An analysis of RLR time into red with chi-square tests indicated that the system was less effective in changing the time from the onset of red until the mean RLR violation occurred. Overall, the presence of the confirmation lights at the signalized intersection indicated effectiveness in both reducing the number of RLR violations and also changing driver behavior.
Registration of ‘UI Platinum’ Hard White Spring Wheat
Authors: Chen J. , Wheeler J. , O'Brien K. , Zhao W. , Klassen N. , Zhang J. , Bowman B. , Wang Y. , Jackson C. , Marshall J. M. , Chen X.M.
Published: December 2015

‘UI Platinum’ (Reg. No. CV‐1112, PI 672533) hard white spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was developed by the Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station and released in 2014. UI Platinum was derived from the cross ‘Blanca Grande’ × ‘Jerome’ and tested under experimental numbers A01178S, IDO694, and IDO694C. UI Platinum was released for its improved grain yield and desirable bread and whole grain end‐use quality in irrigated and high rainfall production areas. Grain yield, end‐use quality, and resistance to stripe rust (caused by Puccinia striiformis Westend f. sp. tritici) of UI Platinum are better or equivalent to the three widely grown hard white spring cultivars ‘SnowCrest’, ‘WB Idamax’, and ‘WB Paloma’. UI Platinum is also 1 to 2 d earlier and 2 to 3 cm shorter than WB Idamax and WB Paloma. The University of Idaho Agricultural Experiment Station will maintain breeder and foundation seed of UI Platinum. This cultivar is protected under the US Plant Variety Protection Title V and all seed requests should be sent to the inventor/breeder during the period of protection. Registered and certified seed production and sales will be handled by LimaGrain Cereal Seeds and Lansing Trade Group LLC.
Quantitative Neuroimaging Software for Clinical Assessment of Hippocampal Volumes on MR Imaging
Authors: Ahdidan Jamila , Raji Cyrus A. , DeYoe Edgar A. , Mathis Jedidiah , Noe Karsten Ø. , Rimestad Jens , Kjeldsen Thomas K. , Mosegaard Jesper , Becker James T. , Lopez Oscar
Published: December 2015

Background: Multiple neurological disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD), mesial temporal sclerosis, and mild traumatic brain injury manifest with volume loss on brain MRI. Subtle volume loss is particularly seen early in AD. While prior research has demonstrated the value of this additional information from quantitative neuroimaging, very few applications have been approved for clinical use. Here we describe a US FDA cleared software program, NeuroreaderTM, for assessment of clinical hippocampal volume on brain MRI. Objective: To present the validation of hippocampal volumetrics on a clinical software program. Method: Subjects were drawn (n = 99) from the Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Initiative study. Volumetric brain MR imaging was acquired in both 1.5 T (n = 59) and 3.0 T (n = 40) scanners in participants with manual hippocampal segmentation. Fully automated hippocampal segmentation and measurement was done using a multiple atlas approach. The Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC) measured the level of spatial overlap between NeuroreaderTM and gold standard manual segmentation from 0 to 1 with 0 denoting no overlap and 1 representing complete agreement. DSC comparisons between 1.5 T and 3.0 T scanners were done using standard independent samples T-tests. Results: In the bilateral hippocampus, mean DSC was 0.87 with a range of 0.78–0.91 (right hippocampus) and 0.76–0.91 (left hippocampus). Automated segmentation agreement with manual segmentation was essentially equivalent at 1.5 T (DSC = 0.879) versus 3.0 T (DSC = 0.872). Conclusion: This work provides a description and validation of a software program that can be applied in measuring hippocampal volume, a biomarker that is frequently abnormal in AD and other neurological disorders.
Divergent Longitudinal Propagation of White Matter Degradation in Logopenic and Semantic Variants of Primary Progressive Aphasia
Authors: Tu Sicong , Leyton Cristian E. , Hodges John R. , Piguet Olivier , Hornberger Michael
Published: December 2015

Background: Clinico-pathological distinction of primary progressive aphasia (PPA) can be challenging at clinic presentation. In particular, cross-sectional neuroimaging signatures across the logopenic (lvPPA) and semantic (svPPA) variants are difficult to establish, with longitudinal profiles showing greater divergence. Objective: Assess longitudinal propagation of white matter degradation in lvPPA and svPPA to determine disease progression over time, and whether this reflects distinct underlying pathology. Method: A cohort of 27 patients with dementia (12 lvPPA; 15 svPPA) and 12 healthy controls were assessed at baseline and 1-year follow-up on the Addenbrooke’s Cognitive Examination-Revised and Sydney Language Battery. Diffusion weighted images were collected at both time-points and analyzed for longitudinal white matter change using DTI-TK and TBSS. Results: LvPPA patients showed a significant decline in naming and repetition, over 1 year, while svPPA patients declined in naming and comprehension. Longitudinal imaging revealed widespread bilateral degradation of white matter tracts in lvPPA over a 1-year period with early involvement of the left posterior inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF). SvPPA demonstrated focal left lateralized white matter degradation involving the uncinate fasciculus (UF) and anterior ILF, propagating to the right UF with disease progression. Conclusions: LvPPA and svPPA cohorts showed distinct longitudinal cognitive and white matter profiles. We propose differences in multi-centric and focal white matter dysfunction in lvPPA and svPPA, respectively, reflect underlying pathological differences. The clinical relevance of white matter degradation and mechanisms underlying disease propagation are discussed.
The Incidence of Benzodiazepine and Related Drug Use in Persons with and without Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Saarelainen Laura , Taipale Heidi , Koponen Marjaana , Tanskanen Antti , Tolppanen Anna-Maija , Tiihonen Jari , Hartikainen Sirpa
Published: December 2015

Background: Benzodiazepines and related drugs (BZDR) are occasionally used to treat certain symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). However, the risks related to BZDR use are high in older persons. Although frequent BZDR use has been reported in persons with AD, no previous study has focused specifically on the incidence of BZDR use in this population. Objective: We investigated the incidence of BZDR use in persons with and without AD during a five-year follow-up. Methods: The Finnish nationwide, register-based MEDALZ cohort includes all AD cases who received a clinically verified AD diagnosis in 2005–2011 (n = 70,718) and their matched comparison persons. Incidence of BZDR, including benzodiazepines (lorazepam, oxazepam, temazepam, alprazolam, chlordiazepoxide, diazepam, and nitrazepam) and Z-drugs (zolpidem and zopiclone), use was investigated in the cohort from two years before to three years after the diagnosis of AD. Further, initial BZDRs were investigated. Results: The incidence of BZDR use was higher in persons with AD starting from 12 months before the diagnosis and peaked at six months after the diagnosis of AD (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 2.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.5–2.8). Benzodiazepines were more frequently initiated by persons with AD, with the incidence peaking at six months after the diagnosis (IRR = 4.5, 95% CI = 4.1–4.9) and remaining over three times higher than in comparison persons until three years after the diagnosis. Conclusion: Early symptomatic treatment with BZDRs is contrary to AD treatment guidelines. As BZDRs impair cognition, the observed early treatment with BZDRs may complicate the monitoring of AD treatment effectiveness.
Depressive Symptoms and Small Hippocampal Volume Accelerate the Progression to Dementia from Mild Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Chung Jun Ku ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Plitman Eric , Nakajima Shinichiro , Chakravarty M. Mallar , Caravaggio Fernando , Takeuchi Hiroyoshi , Gerretsen Philip , Iwata Yusuke , Patel Raihaan , Mulsant Benoit H. , Graff-Guerrero Ariel
Published: December 2015

Previous studies have highlighted that decreased hippocampal volume, an early neural correlate of dementia, is commonly observed in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, it is unclear whether neurodegenerative and resultant clinical trajectories are accelerated in MCI patients with concomitant depressive symptoms, leading to a faster conversion to dementia stages than those who are not depressed. No longitudinal study has investigated whether depressed amnestic MCI (DEP+aMCI) patients show an earlier onset of progression to dementia than non-depressed amnestic MCI (DEP-aMCI) patients and whether progressive hippocampal volume reductions are related in the conversion process. Using data from Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, we examined 2-year follow-up data from 38 DEP+aMCI patients and 38 matched DEP-aMCI patients and compared their ages of conversion from aMCI to AD and trajectories of progressive hippocampal volume changes. DEP+ and DEP- patients were defined as having baseline Geriatric Depression Scale scores of 5 or above and 0, respectively. DEP+ converters showed earlier ages of conversion to dementia (p = 0.009) and greater left hippocampal volume loss than both DEP- converters and DEP+ non-converters over the 2-year period (p = 0.003, p = 0.001, respectively). These findings could not be explained by changes in total brain volume, differences in their clinical symptoms of dementia, daily functioning, or apolipoprotein E4 genotypes. No difference in conversion rate to dementia or progressive hippocampal volume change was found between DEP+ patients and DEP-patients, which suggested depressive symptoms themselves may not lead to progression of dementia from MCI. In conclusion, there is a synergistic effect of depressive symptoms and smaller left hippocampal volume in MCI patients that accelerates conversion to dementia.
Isolation and characterization of lignin from okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) fibre and stick
Authors: Jahan M Sarwar , Alam D , Rahman M Mostafzur , Quaiyyum MA
Published: December 2015

The okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) plant consists of bast fiber and core (stick). The bast fibre of okra plant was characterized with high ?-cellulose (56.7%) and low lignin (12.6%) and stick withlow ?-cellulose (34.3%) and high lignin (25.2%) content. Lignin was isolated from the fiber and stick by acidolytic dioxane method and characterized for elemental analysis, methoxyl analysis and FTIR and 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The C9 formulas for okra stick and fibre lignin were C9H9.61O4.63(OCH3)1.24 and C9H8.61O4.66(OCH3)1.49, respectively. Both of the lignins were of the guaiacyl-syringyl type. The bands of FT-IR spectrum at 1327 cm-1, 1122 cm-1 and 837 cm-1 associated with syringyl unit was higher in okra fibre lignin than in the okra stick lignin. The structural analysis revealed that the average numbers of proton of ?-O-4 (H? & H?) per C9 unit in okra stick and fibre lignin were 1.53 and 1.20, respectively. The ?-O-4 units in these lignins had predominately erythro stereochemistry type.Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 50(4), 257-262, 2015
Simulation of Structure, Track and Landfall of Tropical Cyclone Bijli Using WRF-ARW Model
Authors: Rayhun KM Zahir , Quadir DA , Chowdhury MA Mannan , Ahasan MN , Haque MS
Published: December 2015

An attempt was made to simulate the structure, track, landfall and a few dynamical aspects of the tropical cyclone Bijli that formed over the Bay of Bengal using WRF-ARW model. WRF model was run in a single domain using KF cumulus parameterization schemes with WSM 3 micro physics and YSU planetary boundary layer scheme. The ARW model was run for 24, 48, 72 and 96 hrs to simulate structure, track and landfall of tropical cyclones Bijli. The different simulated parameters viz. minimum sea level pressure, maximum wind speed, convective available potential energy and relative vorticity have been studied. The results showed that the model is capable to forecast the formation of the first depression 60 - 78 hrs in advance. This indicates the high and unique predictive power of ARW model for predicting the tropical cyclone formation. The model generates a realistic structure of the tropical cyclones with high spatial details. This was possible due to the higher spatial resolution of the regional model. One of the outstanding findings of the study is that the model was successfully predicted the tracks, recurvature and probable areas and time of landfall of the selected tropical cyclone Bijli with high accuracy even in the 96 hrs predictions.Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Vol. 39, No. 2, 157-167, 2015
On T2 Space in L-topological Space
Authors: Islam Rafiqul , Hossain MS , Ali DM
Published: December 2015

The purpose of this paper was to construct seven concepts of T2-space in L-topological spaces. After giving the fundamental definitions, the authors established some relations among them. Further, the authors proved that all these definitions satisfy good extension property. Finally, it is shown that these definitions are hereditary, productive and projective.Journal of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences, Vol. 39, No. 2, 203-211, 2015
Legal Framework of Poverty Reduction in Bangladesh: An Analysis From The International Human Rights Law
Authors: Hasan Md Golam Mostofa
Published: December 2015

Abstract not availableNorthern University Journal of Law Vol.IV 2013; p.83-98
’Tourist Price’ and Diasporic Visitors: Negotiating the Value of Descent
Authors: Wagner Lauren B.
Published: December 2015

Marketplace exchange is implicitly both economic and social. Participants in marketplace encounters assemble into multidimensional categories of familiarity and difference, both through the material culture object for sale and through the interaction between vendors and clients within their transactions. This paper brings attention to the latter through microanalysis of one example from a corpus of recorded marketplace interactions of Moroccan diasporic visitors from Europe with marketplace vendors. This example illustrates a repeatedly observed bargaining strategy: to explicitly or implicitly claim the category of ‘a son/daughter of this country’ (weld/bint el-bled) as an argument to lower prices. While vendors did not straightforwardly refute this category of ‘descendant’, they often did respond by introducing other–sometimes seemingly contradictory–categorical differentiations they found relevant to finding a price. This article explores how vendors and diasporic customers negotiate these categories, and how categorization become significant for the emergent value of the goods under negotiation. Through turn-by-turn analysis, I demonstrate how interlocutors engage with ideas of ‘Moroccanness’ beyond ethnonational discourses of belonging, in that ‘doing being Moroccan’ while bargaining becomes a negotiation of being ‘Moroccan’ geographically, socially and economically, as resident in or out of Morocco.
Challenges for Plant Breeders from the View of Animal Nutrition
Authors: Flachowsky Gerhard , Meyer Ulrich
Published: December 2015

The question of how to feed the growing world population is very old, but because of the increase of population and possible climate change, currently it has an explosive impact. Plant breeding can be considered as the starting point for the whole human food chain. Therefore, high, stable and highly digestible yields of phytogenic biomass with low external inputs of non-renewable resources, such as water, fuel, arable land, fertilizers, etc.; low emissions of gases with greenhouse potential during cultivation; and high resistance against biotic and abiotic stressors, including adaptation to potential climate change, and a low concentration of undesirable substances in the plants are real challenges for plant breeders in the future. Virtually unlimited resources such as sunlight, nitrogen and carbon dioxide from the air as well as the genetic pool of microbes, plants and animals can be used to breed/develop optimal plants/crops. Biofortification of plants may also be an objective of plants breeders, but it is more important for human nutrition to avoid micronutrient deficiencies. A lower concentration of undesirable substances in the plants can be considered as more important than higher concentrations of micronutrients in plants/feeds. Animal nutritionists have various possibilities for feed additive supplementation to meet animal nutrient requirements. Examples to reduce undesirable substances in feed plants are discussed and shown in the paper. In summary, plant breeding has a large and strategic potential for global feed and food security. All breeding technologies may contribute to solving important global challenges, such as sustainable use of limited global resources, improved use of unlimited resources, adaption to climate change and lowering global greenhouse gas emission. More publically supported research seems to be necessary in this field. All methods of plant breeding that contribute to a more resource-efficient production of high and stable yields of available biomass should be used/combined.
Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers Applied to High Temperature Plates for Potential Use in the Solar Thermal Industry
Authors: Kogia Maria , Cheng Liang , Mohimi Abbas , Kappatos Vassilios , Gan Tat-Hean , Balachandran Wamadeva , Selcuk Cem
Published: December 2015

Concentrated Solar Plants (CSPs) are used in solar thermal industry for collecting and converting sunlight into electricity. Parabolic trough CSPs are the most widely used type of CSP and an absorber tube is an essential part of them. The hostile operating environment of the absorber tubes, such as high temperatures (400–550 °C), contraction/expansion, and vibrations, may lead them to suffer from creep, thermo-mechanical fatigue, and hot corrosion. Hence, their condition monitoring is of crucial importance and a very challenging task as well. Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers (EMATs) are a promising, non-contact technology of transducers that has the potential to be used for the inspection of large structures at high temperatures by exciting Guided Waves. In this paper, a study regarding the potential use of EMATs in this application and their performance at high temperature is presented. A Periodic Permanent Magnet (PPM) EMAT with a racetrack coil, designed to excite Shear Horizontal waves (SH0), has been theoretically and experimentally evaluated at both room and high temperatures.
On the Design of an Elegant CFO Estimate System with the Assistance of Pilots for OFDM Transmission
Authors: Lin Tsui-Tsai , Hwang Fuh-Hsin
Published: December 2015

We present an improved line search method of the carrier frequency offset (CFO) estimate technique for OFDM systems aided with pilots. Unlike the conventional approaches, prior knowledge of channel order is unnecessary for the presented scheme, because we apply an interpolation technique for obtaining the extended channel frequency response. The search mechanism of the proposed approach is primarily based on the criterion that CFO can be found by discovering the frequency that achieves the minimum value of the well-defined channel residual energy. In addition, we substitute the line search method with an iterative approach to reduce the proposed estimator’s complexity. Analytical and simulation results have been conducted to verify the efficacy of the proposed schemes in this paper.
Facile Synthesis of Yolk/Core-Shell Structured TS-1@Mesosilica Composites for Enhanced Hydroxylation of Phenol
Authors: Zou Houbing , Sun Qingli , Fan Dongyu , Fu Weiwei , Liu Lijia , Wang Runwei
Published: December 2015

In the current work, we developed a facile synthesis of yolk/core-shell structured TS-1@mesosilica composites and studied their catalytic performances in the hydroxylation of phenol with H2O2 as the oxidant. The core-shell TS-1@mesosilica composites were prepared via a uniform coating process, while the yolk-shell TS-1@mesosilica composite was prepared using a resorcinol-formaldehyde resin (RF) middle-layer as the sacrificial template. The obtained materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 sorption, Fourier transform infrared spectoscopy (FT-IR) UV-Visible spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The characterization results showed that these samples possessed highly uniform yolk/core-shell structures, high surface area (560–700 m2 g−1) and hierarchical pore structures from oriented mesochannels to zeolite micropores. Importantly, owing to their unique structural properties, these composites exhibited enhanced activity, and also selectivity in the phenol hydroxylation reaction.
Plasticizer Effects in the PVC Membrane of the Dibasic Phosphate Selective Electrode
Authors: Carey Clifton
Published: December 2015

The PVC membrane of an ion-selective electrode (ISE) sensitive to dibasic phosphate ions (HPO4-ISE) has not been optimized for maximum selectivity, sensitivity, and useable ISE lifetime and further work was necessary to improve its performance. Two areas of investigation are reported here: include the parameters for the lipophilicity of the plasticizer compound used and the amount of cyclic polyamine ionophore incorporated in the PVC membrane. Six candidate plasticizers with a range of lipophilicity were evaluated for their effect on the useable lifetime, sensitivity, and selectivity of the ISE against 13 different anions. Selectivity was determined by a modified fixed interferent method, sensitivity was determined without interferents, and the usable lifetime evaluated at the elapsed time where 50% of the HPO4-ISE failed (L50). The results show that choosing a plasticizer that has a lipophilicity similar to the ionophore’s results in the best selectivity and sensitivity and the longest L50.
Multiscale Simulations for Coupled Flow and Transport Using the Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method
Authors: Chung Eric , Efendiev Yalchin , Leung Wing , Ren Jun
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we develop a mass conservative multiscale method for coupled flow and transport in heterogeneous porous media. We consider a coupled system consisting of a convection-dominated transport equation and a flow equation. We construct a coarse grid solver based on the Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method (GMsFEM) for a coupled system. In particular, multiscale basis functions are constructed based on some snapshot spaces for the pressure and the concentration equations and some local spectral decompositions in the snapshot spaces. The resulting approach uses a few multiscale basis functions in each coarse block (for both the pressure and the concentration) to solve the coupled system. We use the mixed framework, which allows mass conservation. Our main contributions are: (1) the development of a mass conservative GMsFEM for the coupled flow and transport; (2) the development of a robust multiscale method for convection-dominated transport problems by choosing appropriate test and trial spaces within Petrov-Galerkin mixed formulation. We present numerical results and consider several heterogeneous permeability fields. Our numerical results show that with only a few basis functions per coarse block, we can achieve a good approximation.
Design and Thermodynamic Analysis of a Steam Ejector Refrigeration/Heat Pump System for Naval Surface Ship Applications
Authors: Ezgi Cüneyt , Girgin Ibrahim
Published: December 2015

Naval surface ships should use thermally driven heating and cooling technologies to continue the Navy’s leadership role in protecting the marine environment. Steam ejector refrigeration (SER) or steam ejector heat pump (SEHP) systems are thermally driven heating and cooling technologies and seem to be a promising technology to reduce emissions for heating and cooling on board naval surface ships. In this study, design and thermodynamic analysis of a seawater cooled SER and SEHP as an HVAC system for a naval surface ship application are presented and compared with those of a current typical naval ship system case, an H2O-LiBr absorption heat pump and a vapour-compression heat pump. The off-design study estimated the coefficient of performances (COPs) were 0.29–0.11 for the cooling mode and 1.29–1.11 for the heating mode, depending on the pressure of the exhaust gas boiler at off-design conditions. In the system operating at the exhaust gas boiler pressure of 0.2 MPa, the optimum area ratio obtained was 23.30.
Does Higher Education Level the Playing Field? Socio-Economic Differences in Graduate Earnings
Authors: Crawford Claire , Erve Laura
Published: December 2015

Education—and in particular higher education—is often regarded as a route to social mobility. For this to be the case, however, the link between family background and adult outcomes must be broken (or at least reduced) once we take account of an individual’s education history. This paper provides new evidence on differences in graduates’ earnings by socio-economic background, exploiting rich individual-level data to account for more of the ways in which graduates from different socio-economic backgrounds differ from each other than has been possible in previous research on this topic. We continue to find significant differences between the earnings of graduates from lower and higher socio-economic backgrounds, even after accounting for a rich array of characteristics, skills and experiences from before individuals went to university, as well as their labour market experiences subsequently. These results suggest that it is not enough simply to encourage more young people to go to university, or even to ensure that they graduate with “good” degrees; policymakers interested in increasing social mobility also need to focus on what happens to them once they leave university to ensure that higher education is truly able to “level the playing field” between those from different socio-economic backgrounds.
Modelling of Evaporator in Waste Heat Recovery System using Finite Volume Method and Fuzzy Technique
Authors: Chowdhury Jahedul , Nguyen Bao , Thornhill David
Published: December 2015

The evaporator is an important component in the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)-based Waste Heat Recovery (WHR) system since the effective heat transfer of this device reflects on the efficiency of the system. When the WHR system operates under supercritical conditions, the heat transfer mechanism in the evaporator is unpredictable due to the change of thermo-physical properties of the fluid with temperature. Although the conventional finite volume model can successfully capture those changes in the evaporator of the WHR process, the computation time for this method is high. To reduce the computation time, this paper develops a new fuzzy based evaporator model and compares its performance with the finite volume method. The results show that the fuzzy technique can be applied to predict the output of the supercritical evaporator in the waste heat recovery system and can significantly reduce the required computation time. The proposed model, therefore, has the potential to be used in real time control applications.
Energetic and Exergetic Analysis of Combined Cycle Power Plant: Part-1 Operation and Performance
Authors: Almutairi Abdulrahman , Pilidis Pericles , Al-Mutawa Nawaf
Published: December 2015

Energetic and exergetic analyses are conducted using operating data for Sabiya, a combined cycle power plant (CCPP) with an advanced triple pressure reheat heat recovery steam generator (HRSG). Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is carried out on the HRSG using a recent approach to differentiate between the sources of irreversibility. The proposed system was modelled using the IPSEpro software and further validated by the manufacturer’s data. The performance of the Sabiya CCPP was examined for different climatic conditions, pressure ratios, pinch point temperatures, high-pressure steam, and condenser pressure values. The results confirmed that 60.9% of the total exergy destruction occurs in the combustion chamber, which constitutes the main source of irreversibilities within a system. The exergy destruction was significantly affected by both the pressure ratio and the high-pressure steam, where the relation between them was seen to be inversely proportional. The high-pressure stage contributes about 50% of the exergy destruction within the HRSG compared to other stages and the reheat system, due to the high temperature difference between the streams and the large number of components, which leads to high energy loss to the surroundings. Numerous possibilities for improving the CCPP’s performance are introduced, based on the obtained results.
Effects of Cutting Intensity on Soil Physical and Chemical Properties in a Mixed Natural Forest in Southeastern China
Authors: Zhou Xinnian , Zhou Yuan , Zhou Chengjun , Wu Zhilong , Zheng Lifeng , Hu Xisheng , Chen Hanxian , Gan Jianbang
Published: December 2015

The mixed Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.), Masson’s pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.), and hardwood forest is a major forest type in China and of national and international importance in terms of its provision of both timber and ecosystem services. However, over-harvesting has threatened its long-term productivity and sustainability. We examined the impacts of timber harvesting intensity on soil physical and chemical properties 10 and 15 years after cutting using the research plots established with a randomized block design. We considered five treatments, including clear cutting and low (13.0% removal of growing stock volume), medium (29.1%), high (45.8%), and extra-high (67.1) intensities of selective cutting with non-cutting as the control. The impact on overall soil properties derived from principal component analysis showed increasing with a rise in cutting intensity, and the most critical impact was on soil nutrients, P and K in particular. Soil nutrient loss associated with timber harvesting even at a low cutting intensity could lead to nutrient deficits in this forest although most of the soil physical properties could be recovered under the low and medium intensities of cutting. These results indicate that clear cutting and the selective cutting of extra-high and high intensities should be avoided in this type of forest in the region.