bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Empirical Study of Chinese EFL Classroom Teaching: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach
Authors: Gao Youmei , Zhang Yun
Published: November 2014

An empirical study of Chinese EFL learners has been carried out in the authentic Chinese EFL classroom on the campus of Tianjin Foreign Studies University, with an aim to verify how and why the cognitive linguistic approach can facilitate L2 or FL learners in the process of learning English as a second or a foreign language. The statistical analysis of the data showed that the EC outperformed the CC both on lexical and grammatical proficiency and on their metaphorical and pragmatic or sociolinguist competence after the classroom treatment. The study has concluded that using CMs and IMs as the motivator and organizer in the process of learning English as a foreign language, the cognitive approach benefits L2 or FL learners with respect to comprehension and retention of memory.
The Role of al-Madāʾinī’s Students in the Transmission of His Material
Authors: Lindstedt Ilkka
Published: November 2014

This paper, a study in Arabic historical and bio-bibliographical literature, traces the role and importance of the historian al-Madāʾinī’s (d. ca. 228/843–844) students and tradents in the transmission of his historical material (khabars). The article discusses the question to what extent the “audited transmission model” of Gregor SCHOELER is applicable to al-Madāʾinī and his circle. The implications of this study concern the whole Arabic historiography of the second–dthird/eighth–ninth centuries.
An asymptomatic mother diagnosed with 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase deficiency after newborn screening
Authors: Kör Deniz , Mungan Neslihan Önenli , Yılmaz Berna Şeker , Öktem Murat
Published: November 2014

3-Methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase (3-MCC) deficiency is an autosomal recessively inherited disease of leucine catabolism. It is the most commonly observed organic acidemia where tandem mass spectrometry can be performed in newborn screening. The clinical phenotypes may differ from neurological involvement in newborns to asymptomatic adults. Diagnosis is made by increased 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid in blood and 3-methylcrotonylglycine in urine.

We would like to present an interesting case of a 32-year-old asymptomatic mother, who was investigated metabolically and diagnosed with 3-MCC deficiency, after a 7-day-old healthy baby referred to our unit with the preliminary diagnosis of organic academia during her extended newborn screening.

All of the metabolic findings of the baby were normal except for very low carnitine levels. Her mother’s total and free carnitine levels were also extremely low. Urine organic acid analysis revealed excessively increased 3-methylcrotonylglycine and 3-hydroxyisovaleric acid. Acylcarnitine profile showed markedly elevated C5 hydroxy 3 hydroxyisovalerylcarnitine and decreased C2 acetylcarnitine. In order to confirm the diagnosis of 3-methylcrotonylglycinuria, molecular analysis was done, and IVS3-1G>C/p.T556I compound heterozygote mutation was detected. p.T556I is a novel mutation.

We would like to emphasize performing extended metabolic investigations in case of suspicion of metabolic disease in order to diagnose metabolic diseases both in babies and in asymptomatic mothers.
“Mista, Are You in a Good Mood?”: Stylization to Negotiate Interaction in an Urban Hawai’i Classroom
Authors: Lamb Gavin
Published: November 2014

The transgressive use of language by out-group speakers, or crossing is used in a variety of ways to achieve both affiliative and disaffiliative ends among youths. However, crossing can also be used as an affiliative resource in asymmetrical power relations between teachers and students. Reporting on the findings of a 1.5 year ethnography of an English/language arts classroom at a multilingual and multiethnic public middle school in Hawai’i, this paper explores one teacher’s use of stylization practices which take the form of crossing. The teacher stylizes students’ voices through ventriloquizing, which is an affiliative resource when strategically embedded in ritual oppositional frames of interaction. However, when embedded in other interactional frames, this transgressive use of language results in acts of insult or mocking. I analyze audio recordings of naturally occurring interaction to explore how Hawai’i Creole (or Pidgin) is used transgressively in reported speech by the teacher, an “out-group” individual, for negotiating interactions in his English language arts classroom. Instances of transgressive language emerge as artfully performed strategies that provide a rich site for the construction of affiliative identities. The use of crossing allows the teacher to take liminal stances between offense and respect to strategically manage student participation in this diverse classroom. These findings point to the important role that crossing plays in acts of identity through reported speech where the performance of crossing within positively valued, jocular oppositional classroom rituals demonstrates the capacity for crossing as a contributing factor to the emergence of a shared sense of community in the classroom.
Triazines removal by selective polymeric adsorbent
Authors: Ronka Sylwia , Kujawska Małgorzata , Juśkiewicz Honorata
Published: November 2014

The objective of the study was to investigate sorption of simazine, atrazine, propazine and terbuthylazine on specific polymeric adsorbent and thereby evaluate the possibility of triazine-based herbicide removal from the aqueous solution. In order to obtain polymer adsorbent for triazines removal, the poly(divinylbenzene) was synthesized in radical polymerization using bead polymerization, and modified with maleic anhydride in Diels–Alder reaction with subsequent base hydrolysis. The porous material containing carboxyl groups was obtained. Experiments have been performed in single and multi-component mixtures of herbicide in the ppm concentration range. Introduction of carboxyl groups into polymer structure resulted in obtaining specific interactions, such as hydrogen bonds between modified poly(divinylbenzene) and triazines, therefore intensification of adsorption was observed. Calculated distribution coefficients of triazines (K = 2600–35 100) testify to their effective removal from aqueous solutions on the studied adsorbent. Selective sorption of triazines is observed and explained in relation to the binding mechanism which involve hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding. The effect of the adsorbate structure on the ability to form specific interactions with the tested adsorbent was investigated. The kinetic of sorption and the parameters of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms for the studied systems were determined.
Detecting extra dimensions by Hydrogen-like atoms
Authors: Wan-Ping Zhou , Peng Zhou , Hao-Xue Qiao
Published: November 2014

We reconsider the idea in spectroscopy of detecting
extra dimensions by regarding the nucleus as a
homogeneous sphere. In our results, it turns out that the
gravitational potential inside the nucleus is much stronger
than the potential induced by a particle in the same regime
in ref. [16], and thus a more significant correction of the
ground state energy of hydrogen-like atoms is obtained,
which can be used to determine the existence of ADD’s extra
dimensions. In order to get a larger order of magnitude
for the correction, it is better to apply our theory to high-Z
atoms or muonic atoms, where the volume of the nucleus
can’t be ignored and the relativistic effect is important. Our
work is based on the Dirac equation in aweak gravity field,
and the result is more precise.
Neural Substrates of View-Invariant Object Recognition Developed without Experiencing Rotations of the Objects
Authors: Okamura Jun-ya , Yamaguchi Reona , Honda Kazunari , Wang Gang , Tanaka Keiji
Published: November 2014

One fails to recognize an unfamiliar object across changes in viewing angle when it must be discriminated from similar distractor objects. View-invariant recognition gradually develops as the viewer repeatedly sees the objects in rotation. It is assumed that different views of each object are associated with one another while their successive appearance is experienced in rotation. However, natural experience of objects also contains ample opportunities to discriminate among objects at each of the multiple viewing angles. Our previous behavioral experiments showed that after experiencing a new set of object stimuli during a task that required only discrimination at each of four viewing angles at 30° intervals, monkeys could recognize the objects across changes in viewing angle up to 60°. By recording activities of neurons from the inferotemporal cortex after various types of preparatory experience, we here found a possible neural substrate for the monkeys' performance. For object sets that the monkeys had experienced during the task that required only discrimination at each of four viewing angles, many inferotemporal neurons showed object selectivity covering multiple views. The degree of view generalization found for these object sets was similar to that found for stimulus sets with which the monkeys had been trained to conduct view-invariant recognition. These results suggest that the experience of discriminating new objects in each of several viewing angles develops the partially view-generalized object selectivity distributed over many neurons in the inferotemporal cortex, which in turn bases the monkeys' emergent capability to discriminate the objects across changes in viewing angle.
Mirror Neuron Activation Prior to Action Observation in a Predictable Context
Authors: Maranesi Monica , Livi Alessandro , Fogassi Leonardo , Rizzolatti Giacomo , Bonini Luca
Published: November 2014

A fundamental capacity of social animals consists in the predictive representation of upcoming events in the outside world, such as the actions of others. Here, we tested the activity of ventral premotor area F5 mirror neurons (MNs) while monkeys observed an experimenter performing (Action condition) or withholding (Inaction condition) a grasping action, which could be predicted on the basis of previously presented auditory instructions. Many of the recorded MNs discharged only during action observation (Action MNs), but one-third also encoded the experimenter's withheld action (Inaction MNs). Interestingly, while most of Action MNs exhibited reactive discharge during action observation, becoming active after the go signal, the majority of Inaction MNs showed predictive discharge. MN population activity as a whole displayed an overall predictive activation pattern, becoming active, on average, 340 ms before the go signal. Furthermore, MNs became active earlier when the observed action was performed in the monkeys' extrapersonal rather than peripersonal space, suggesting that context-based neural prediction of others' actions plays different roles depending on the monkeys' ability to interact with the observed agent.
Biological Monitoring Method for Urinary Neonicotinoid Insecticides Using LC‐MS/MS and Its Application to Japanese Adults
Authors: Ueyama June , Nomura Hiroshi , Kondo Takaaki , Saito Isao , Ito Yuki , Osaka Aya , Kamijima Michihiro
Published: November 2014

Biological Monitoring Method for Urinary Neonicotinoid Insecticides Using LC‐MS/MS and Its Application to Japanese Adults: Jun UEYAMA, et al. Department of Pathophysiological Laboratory Sciences, Field of Radiological and Medical Laboratory Sciences, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine—

Objectives

Agricultural use of neonicotinoid (NEO) insecticides has been increasing in recent years, but their biological monitoring methods have been scarcely reported. In this study, we developed and validated a rapid and sensitive method for quantifying urinary NEO concentrations using high‐performance liquid chromatography‐tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS).

Methods

After phosphate‐induced acidification of a urine sample, urinary NEOs were trapped by a solid‐phase extraction column and eluted with methanol for acetamiprid, imidacloprid, thiacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin and dinotefuran and with an acetonitrile and methanol solution (1:1, v/v) containing 5% NH3 for nitenpyram. Aseparation analysis was performed by LC‐MS/MS within 10 minutes for the sample. This method was applied to first morning urine obtained from 52 Japanese (40.9 ± 10.5 years old, mean ± standard deviation) without occupational NEO exposure.

Results

The linear dynamic ranges and their limit of quantification (LOQ, signal to noise ratio=10) levels were 0.3−20 or 50 μg/l (r=0.998−0.999) and 0.05−0.36 μg/l, respectively. The absolute recovery was 64−95%, and the intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were less than 16.4% (relative standard deviation, %RSD). This method was successfully applied for analysis of NEOs in human urine samples obtained from 52 adults. The frequencies of individuals who showed more than LOD levels was above 90% for imidacloprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin and dinotefuran, more than 50% for acetamiprid and thiacloprid and 29% for nitenpyram.

Conclusions

These results indicated that our new method could be applied to biological monitoring of NEO exposure even at environmental exposure levels in Japanese adults without occupational spraying histories.
OPTIMIZATION OF EXTRACELLULAR ACID PROTEASE PRODUCTION FROM ASPERGILLUS NIGER BY FACTORIAL DESIGN
Authors: Vijay Kalaskar Vishalkirti , Kasinathan Narayanan , Mallikarjuna Subrahmanyam Volety , Venkata Rao Josyula
Published: November 2014

The cultural conditions for acid protease production by Aspergillus niger was optimised using factorial design experiments and one factor-at-a time approach. In the production medium casein served as substrate and protease activity was measured in terms of tyrosine yield. The yield was further improved through UV mutation. Tyrosine yield amounted to 29.22 mg / g on casein substrate. Protease from this microbial strain was mesophilic. The enzyme was stable over a wide temperature range (30 to 45 °C) with maximum activity at 40 °C and showed better activity under acidic conditions. Also the extracted protease exhibited good tolerance towards organic solvents, surfactants and showed an increase in activity in presence of Ca2+. UV mutant showed 37.2 % increase in yield over the natural selectant and had better pH and thermostability. SDS PAGE showed 27.5 kDa as molecular size of the enzyme. This was further confirmed by zymography and gel filtration (Sephadex G-50). An improved enzyme yield and a better pH and thermal stability were achieved by using a combination of cultural condition optimization and mutation technique.
RECOVERY OF ASPERGILLUS ENDO-GLUCANASE PRODUCED ON SOLID SUBSTRATE: A DOE BASED APPROACH
Authors: Mukherjee Sibabrata , Kulkarni Sujata , Kulkarni Milind
Published: November 2014

The endo-glucanase (E.C. 3.2.1.4) was produced by Aspergillus terreus adopting solid state fermentation (SSF) using agro residues as main substrate. To recover the enzyme from the fermented mass, different extraction liquids were tried and 10% aqueous solution of glycerol was found to be superior. When the selected extractant was applied at different ratio to the fermented solid mass, maximum enzyme was recovered at 1:5 (w/v) ratio. The other process parameters (time, temperature and mixing speed) effects on the enzyme recovery were subsequently studied by response surface methodology (RSM). Box-Bhenken Design of experiment (BBDOE) was exploited for the analysis of interactive effects of the independent variables. The optimization was done following the numerical approach focusing reduction in utility cost without compromising the endo-glucanse activity. Based on the predicted solution the validation experiments were carried out and finally 32 IU/g of endo-glucanase was recovered at room temperature, at a mixing speed of 100 rpm in 2.65 h which was very close to the predicted response. The optimization evidenced more than two times betterment in enzyme recovery than the un-optimized state. The model developed was found to be robust for process analysis. Repetitive extraction had revealed that maximum endo-glucanase recovery was required of two cycles of extraction at optimized conditions.
EFFECT OF ZEARALENONE ON HAEMATOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF PORCINE BLOOD IN VITRO
Authors: Capcarova Marcela , Dufalova Lea , Zbynovska Katarina , Kalafova Anna
Published: November 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the haematological parameters of porcine blood after mycotoxin zearalenone (ZEN) exposure in vitro. Samples of porcine blood were incubated with ZEN: 10 µ.ml-1 in E1 group, 100 µg.ml-1 in E2 group, and 1000 µg.ml-1 in E3 group for 4 hours at 37oC. The group without any addition served as the control. ZEN caused significant decrease of white blood cells count and lymphocyte count in all experimental groups when compared to the control. Regarding red blood cells (RBC) ZEN significantly decreased the number of RBC in porcine blood followed by increase of haemolysis and decrease of haemoglobin and haematocrit. The count of platelets was significantly decreased in all experimental groups against the control. The results of this study confirm toxicological effect of ZEN on blood cells.
Very Low Birth Weight, Infant Growth, and Autism-Spectrum Traits in Adulthood
Authors: Pyhälä Riikka , Hovi Petteri , Lahti Marius , Sammallahti Sara , Lahti Jari , Heinonen Kati , Pesonen Anu-Katriina , Strang-Karlsson Sonja , Eriksson Johan G. , Andersson Sture , Järvenpää Anna-Liisa , Kajantie Eero , Räikkönen Katri
Published: November 2014

OBJECTIVES:

We examined whether adults born preterm at very low birth weight (VLBW; <1500 g) differ from term-born adults in autism-spectrum traits, and whether among VLBW adults, growth in infancy is associated with these traits.

METHODS:

A total of 110 VLBW and 104 term-born adults of the Helsinki Study of Very Low Birth Weight Adults completed the Autism-Spectrum Quotient yielding total, social interaction, and attention to detail sum scores. Growth in weight, length, and head circumference from birth to term and from term to 1 year of corrected age was determined as standardized residuals reflecting growth conditional on previous history.

RESULTS:

VLBW adults scored higher than term-born controls on social interaction sum score, indicating higher autism-spectrum traits. In contrast, they scored lower on attention to detail sum score, indicating lower autism-spectrum traits. Within the VLBW group, faster growth in weight, length, and head circumference from birth to term was associated with lower total and social interaction sum scores. In this group, growth from term to 1 year was not associated with autism-spectrum traits.

CONCLUSIONS:

Among those born preterm at VLBW, the risk for higher levels of autism-spectrum traits, particularly related to social interaction, may persist into adulthood. Faster growth from birth to term may ameliorate these effects, suggesting that targeted interventions could aid long-term neurodevelopment.
A Randomized Trial on Screening for Social Determinants of Health: the iScreen Study
Authors: Gottlieb Laura , Hessler Danielle , Long Dayna , Amaya Anais , Adler Nancy
Published: November 2014

BACKGROUND:

There is growing interest in clinical screening for pediatric social determinants of health, but little evidence on formats that maximize disclosure rates on a wide range of potentially sensitive topics. We designed a study to examine disclosure rates and hypothesized that there would be no difference in disclosure rates on face-to-face versus electronic screening formats for items other than highly sensitive items.

METHODS:

We conducted a randomized trial of electronic versus face-to-face social screening formats in a pediatric emergency department. Consenting English-speaking and Spanish-speaking adult caregivers familiar with the presenting child’s household were randomized to social screening via tablet computer (with option for audio assist) versus a face-to-face interview conducted by a fully bilingual/bicultural researcher.

RESULTS:

Almost all caregivers (96.8%) reported at least 1 social need, but rates of reporting on the more sensitive issues (household violence and substance abuse) were significantly higher in electronic format, and disclosure was marginally higher in electronic format for financial insecurity and neighborhood and school safety. There was a significant difference in the proportion of social needs items with higher endorsement in the computer-based group (70%) than the face-to-face group (30%).

CONCLUSIONS:

Pediatric clinical sites interested in incorporating caregiver-reported socioeconomic, environmental, and behavioral needs screening should consider electronic screening when feasible, particularly when assessing sensitive topics such as child safety and household member substance use.
Defects in Epitaxial lift-off Thin Si Films/Wafers and Their Influence on the Solar Cell Performance
Authors: Sopori Bhushan , Devayajanam Srinivas , Basnyat Prakash , Moutinho Helio , Reedy Robert , VanSant Kaitlyn , Ravi T.S. , Hao Ruiying , Vatus Jean , Nag Somnath
Published: November 2014

In this paper, we will describe the nature of defects and impurities in thick epitaxial-Si layers and their influence on the cell efficiency. These wafers have very low average dislocation density. Stacking faults (SFs) are the main defect in epi layers. They can occur in many configurations—be isolated, intersecting, and nested. When nested, they can be accompanied by formation of coherent twins resulting in dendritic growth, with pyramids protruding out of the wafer surface. Such pyramids create large local stresses and punch out dislocations. The main mechanism of dislocation formation is through pyramids. Stacking faults degrade solar cell performance. Analyses of the solar cells have revealed that the nested SFs have a controlling effect on the solar cell performance. A well-controlled growth can minimize defect generation and produce wafers that can yield cell efficiencies close to 20%.
Determinantes individuais e contextuais da cárie em crianças brasileiras de 12 anos em 2010
Authors: Freire Maria do Carmo Matias , Reis Sandra Cristina Guimarães Bahia , Figueiredo Nilcema , Peres Karen Glazer , Moreira Rafael da Silveira , Antunes José Leopoldo Ferreira
Published: November 2014

OBJETIVO: Estimar a prevalência e gravidade de cárie em crianças brasileiras e sua associação com fatores individuais e contextuais. MÉTODOS: Foram utilizados os dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde Bucal (SBBrasil 2010), em uma amostra de 7.247 crianças de 12 anos. Os dados foram coletados por meio de exames clínicos e entrevistas. As variáveis dependentes foram as prevalências de cárie (dentes permanentes cariados, perdidos ou obturados [CPOD] ≥ 1 e CPOD ≥ 4). Foram realizadas análises bivariadas (teste de Rao-Scott) e multinível (regressão de Poisson). As variáveis individuais foram sociodemográficas, condição periodontal e relato de incômodo ao escovar os dentes. Os fatores contextuais foram a presença de água fluoretada, a porcentagem de domicílios ligados à rede de abastecimento de água e a renda mediana do município. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de CPOD ≥ 1 foi 56,0%. O CPOD médio foi igual a 2,04 (IC95% 1,76;2,31) e 22,2% das crianças tinham CPOD ≥ 4. A experiência de cárie foi significantemente mais elevada em crianças de cor de pele preta, parda e amarela; em famílias com renda mais baixa; em crianças com cálculo dentário ou sangramento gengival; e naquelas que relataram incômodo ao escovar. Viver em cidades sem água fluoretada, com menor cobertura da rede de abastecimento de água e com renda mediana baixa foram fatores contextuais associados à doença. CONCLUSÕES: A prevalência de cárie em crianças brasileiras de 12 anos foi baixa, de acordo com os critérios da Organização Mundial da Saúde. Houve significantes desigualdades geográficas e socioeconômicas nos níveis da doença.
Desigualdades na prevalência de cárie dentária não tratada em crianças pré-escolares no Brasil
Authors: Ardenghi Thiago Machado , Piovesan Chaiana , Antunes José Leopoldo Ferreira
Published: November 2014

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a influência de desigualdades sociais de ordem individual e contextual na experiência de cárie dentária não tratada em crianças no Brasil. MÉTODOS: Os dados sobre a prevalência de cárie dentária foram obtidos do Projeto Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde Bucal – SBBrasil 2010, levantamento epidemiológico de saúde bucal com amostra representativa para o país e cada uma de suas macrorregiões geográficas. Crianças de cinco anos de idade (n = 7.217) em 177 municípios foram examinadas e seus responsáveis responderam ao questionário. Características contextuais referentes aos municípios em 2010 (renda mediana, fluoretação da água e proporção de domicílios com abastecimento de água) foram informadas pela Fundação Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. O estudo de associação utilizou modelos multinível de análise de regressão de Poisson. RESULTADOS: A prevalência de cárie não tratada foi de 48,2%; mais da metade da amostra apresentou ao menos um dente decíduo com experiência de cárie. O índice de cárie na dentição decídua ceo-d médio foi 2,41, sendo maior para as regiões Norte e Nordeste. Crianças de cor da pele preta e parda, e aquelas com renda familiar menos elevada tiveram maior prevalência de cárie não tratada. No nível contextual, renda mediana no município e adição de flúor na água de abastecimento associaram-se inversamente com a prevalência do desfecho. CONCLUSÕES: Desigualdades na prevalência de cárie não tratada persistem, afetando as crianças com dentição decídua no Brasil. O planejamento de medidas públicas para a promoção de saúde bucal deve considerar o efeito de fatores contextuais como determinante de riscos individuais.
Autopercepção da saúde bucal entre adultos na região Nordeste do Brasil
Authors: Vale Edivânia Barbosa do , Mendes Antônio da Cruz Gouveia , Moreira Rafael da Silveira
Published: November 2014

OBJETIVO: Identificar a autopercepção da saúde bucal por adultos e variáveis associadas. MÉTODOS: Estudo realizado com os dados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde Bucal SBBrasil 2010 relativos a 2.456 adultos de 35 a 44 anos da região Nordeste. A variável dependente foi a autopercepção da saúde bucal. As variáveis independentes foram agrupadas em: demográficas, predisposição/facilitação, condição de saúde bucal e relacionadas à autopercepção da necessidade de tratamento. O teste de Rao e Scott foi utilizado para avaliar a associação entre essas variáveis. O efeito das variáveis independentes sobre o desfecho foi avaliado pelo modelo de regressão logística multinominal segundo modelo hierarquizado, em duas etapas: análise simples e análise múltipla hierarquizada. RESULTADOS: A autopercepção positiva da saúde bucal foi observada em 37% dos participantes. No modelo final, as características diretamente associadas a essa autopercepção foram: ser branco, ter renda familiar superior a R$ 500,00, possuir número de bens acima da mediana, ter maior número de dentes hígidos, não apresentar sangramento, não necessitar de prótese, Oral Impacts on Daily Performances = 0, não necessitar de tratamento e ter ido ao dentista há menos de três anos. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados mostram que a autopercepção da saúde bucal dos adultos residentes no Nordeste brasileiro está diretamente associada a uma estrutura multidimensional de fatores. As baixas condições econômicas associadas às condições clínicas deficientes dessa população causam grande impacto na sua autopercepção da saúde bucal.
In Reply
Authors: van der Heijden Lizz , Dijkstra P.D. Sander , van de Sande Michiel A.J. , Kroep Judith R. , Nout Remi A. , van Rijswijk Carla S.P. , Bovée Judith V.M.G. , Hogendoorn Pancras C.W. , Gelderblom Hans
Published: November 2014

The authors respond to the observations and remarks of Cavanna et al. concerning the clinical guidance paper on giant cell tumor of bone (GCTB) in the era of denosumab and update the paper with respect to the European Medicines Agency's recent positive opinion recommending denosumab for the treatment of adults and skeletally mature adolescents with GCTB that is unresectable or for which surgical resection is likely to result in severe morbidity
Metal effects on histological and biochemical parameters of common rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus L.)
Authors: Georgieva Elenka , Stoyanova Stela , Velcheva Iliana , Vasileva Tonka , Bivolarski Veselin , Iliev , Ilia , Yancheva Vesela
Published: November 2014

The present study aimed to evaluate the current contamination status of Topolnitsa Reservoir, which is located in a region with intensive copper mining. The reservoir has been continually contaminated with metals over the last few decades. As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations were measured in surface water samples and in the liver of common rudd, Scardinius erythrophthalmus (L.), in three different seasons: spring, summer, and autumn. The morphological structure of the fish liver was examined and the hepatic LDH, ALAT, and ASAT activities were measured. In general, metal concentrations in the water varied, but As and Cu were present in all three seasons at levels higher than the maximum permissible levels set by law. The metal concentrations in the fish liver were significantly higher than in the water. Histological alterations were classified as degenerative changes (granular, vacuolar, hydropic, and fatty degeneration), necrotic changes (necrobiosis) - karyopyknosis, karryorehsis, and karyolyzis, and necrosis)); and changes in blood vessels (hyperemia in sinusoids and major blood vessels). Higher LDH, ALAT, and ASAT activities in fish livers were measured in comparison to reference fish. In addition, the ALAT activity in the livers of S. erythrophthalmus from Topolnitsa Reservoir was significantly higher in the summer. Overall, it can be concluded that the metal-contaminated waters of Topolnitsa Reservoir lead to negative changes in the common rudd tissues at the cellular level including impaired structure and enhanced enzymatic activity in the fish liver.
Does diet overlap among larval and 0+ fish species decrease with ontogenetic development?
Authors: Bogacka-Kapusta Elżbieta , Kapusta Andrzej
Published: November 2014

The aim of the study was to determine the degree of overlap in the feeding niches of early developmental stages of roach, Rutilus rutilus (L.), perch, Perca fluviatilis L., bleak, Alburnus alburnus (L.) and sunbleak, Leucaspius delineatus (Heckel). The hypotheses were that (i) larvae of different fish species of similar body sizes feed on similar food, and that (ii) smaller fish compete with larger ones for similar prey. The results of the analysis was to answer the question of whether the diet overlap of juvenile fish stages decreases with ontogenetic development. The study was conducted for two years (2001-2002) in two shallow, polymictic, eutrophic lakes. The diets of early developmental stages of fish species of similar body sizes differed. The few instances of diet overlap resulted from the abundance of food resources in the environment. However, fish of smaller body sizes exploited the same food resources as did individuals of the same species that belonged to different cohorts.
The Eastern Partnership and the EU-Turkey Energy Relations
Authors: Demiryol Tolga
Published: November 2014

This article discusses the prospects and challenges of energy cooperation between the European Union (EU) and Turkey within the context of the Eastern Partnership (EaP). Part of the EaP agenda is to advance energy cooperation between the EU and the partner states, particularly regarding the diversification of import routes. As an energy corridor between the EU and the hydrocarbon-rich Caspian states, Turkey is a strategic asset for European energy security. Turkey also has economic ties and political capital in the Caspian region that can help the EU reach out to its eastern partners. Despite robust incentives for cooperation, however, the EU-Turkey energy partnership has so far failed to meet mutual expectations. This article argues that this is primarily due to the inability of the two actors to credibly commit to regional energy cooperation. Commitment problem stems from two factors. First, the predominance of national energy interests over communal ones undermines credible commitment. The variation in energy needs of Member States prevents the EU from acting in unison in external energy policy. Similarly, Turkey also prioritizes its own energy security, particularly in its relations with suppliers, which undermines cooperation with the EU. Second, the EU and Turkey hold divergent perspectives on the potential political payoffs of energy cooperation. Turkish decision makers are convinced that energy cooperation warrants palpable progress in Turkey’s accession while most EU actors appear hesitant to establish a direct connection between energy and accession.
A Virtual Firewall Mechanism Using Army Nodes to Protect Cloud Infrastructure from DDoS Attacks
Authors: Jeyanthi N , Mogankumar P. C.
Published: November 2014

Cloud is not exempted from the vulnerability of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, a serious threat to any distributed network and has considerably less effective solutions to deploy in the network. This paper introduces a novel mechanism to protect and prevent the cloud from the spurious packets targeting the depletion of server resources. The army nodes called “Cloud DDoS Attack Protection” (CDAP) nodes are installed at the cloud server farm/ Datacenter (DC). These army nodes act as virtual firewall without destroying the Cloud Infrastructure and improve the availability of DC, even at the time of DDoS attack. By continuously monitoring the incoming packets, CDAP filters the attack packets intruding the Cloud DC. Availability is further improved by handing over the threat detection and attack mitigation to CDAP nodes and by redirecting the malicious user requests to the dump network. The simulation results prove that the introduction of CDAP nodes improve the availability and reduce the response time and the cost incurred.
Landmark Sequence Data Association for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping of Robots
Authors: Yi Yingmin , Huang Ying
Published: November 2014

The paper proposes landmark sequence data association for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) for data association problem under conditions of noise uncertainty increase. According to the space geometric information of the environment landmarks, the information correlations between the landmarks are constructed based on the graph theory. By observing the variations of the innovation covariance using the landmarks of the adjacent two steps, the problem is converted to solve the landmark TSP problem and the maximum correlation function of the landmark sequences, thus the data association of the observation landmarks is established. Finally, the experiments prove that our approach ensures the consistency of SLAM under conditions of noise uncertainty increase.
Study of Post-Cracking Torsional Behaviour of High-Strength Reinforced Concrete Beams with a Ferrocement Wrap
Authors: Behera Gopal Charan , Rao Tippabhotla Durga Gunneswara , Kameswara Chittem Butchi
Published: November 2014

The post-cracking behaviour of structures subjected to torsion can be well predicted by Hsu’s softened truss model. The softened truss model is applicable to structures having symmetry in their material properties on all four sides. Wrapping on three faces is a common phenomenon when the top face is provided with a flange or slab. Such a wrapping on three faces of a beam is referred to as a “U” wrap. “U” wraps are better wrapping strategies for distressed structures, as their top face is not accessible for many structures. The material property of an unwrapped face differs from the rest of wrapped faces. For the effective use of wrapping, the unwrapped face needs to be provided with a material having a higher resistance to tension and shear. For this, high-strength concrete in the core is a better option. Here, an attempt is made to predict the torsional capacity of “U” wrapped high-strength concrete beams having an asymmetry in the material using a softened truss model with suitable modifications of the material properties. Efficient algorithms are proposed for the solution of simultaneous equations. The predictions are found to be in good agreement with the experimental test results
The Future Of Court Interpreting In Croatia
Authors: Dobrić Katja
Published: November 2014

Court interpreting in Croatia is a very unregulated field especially regarding the training and the skills that are to be acquired in order to pro- vide accurate translation at courts. One of the prerequisites according to the Regulations on Court Interpreters in Croatia is knowledge of the structure of judicial power, state government and legal terminology. Although the Regulations prescribe that the training should last no longer than two months, the organisations providing such training shorten this to three or four days. Taking into account all that has been said one realizes that in such short time a per- son cannot be properly qualified to practice as a court interpreter. According to the EU Directive on the right to interpretation and translation in criminal proceedings member states should provide adequate training in order to ensure the quality of interpretation and to avoid that suspected or accused persons complain that the quality of interpretation was not good enough to secure the fairness of the proceeding, which according to Article 2 of the Directive they have the right to. Since Croatia joined the European Union on 1 July 2013, it will have to change its Regulations on Court Interpreters in order to com- ply with this Directive. This paper will try to analyze the problems within the scope of court interpreter’s profession in Croatia both in civil and in criminal proceedings. Several examples will be suggested as the possible model for modifying court interpreting in Croatia. Since this profession is often underrated by the national courts, the paper will suggest ways to prevent such views and point out the importance of good court interpretation
Geneza, Właściwości i Klasyfikacja Czarnych Ziem w Polsce
Authors: Labaz Beata , Kabała Cezary
Published: November 2014

Streszczenie

Czarne ziemie, w randze osobnej j ednostki, wyodrębnione zostały przez Miklaszewskiego ze względu na ich poba-giennągenezę, podmokłość oraz specyficzny typ „kwaśnej” próchnicy. Z czasem zaczęto określać tym mianem także inne podmokłe gleby z głębokim poziomem próchnicznym o różnej genezie: (1) czarne ziemie pojeziorne (pobagienne), (2) czarne ziemie błotne (z przeobrażenia gleb torfowo- i torfiastoglej owych), (3) czarne ziemie deluwialne, (4) czarne ziemie ukształtowane w procesie werty-lizacji, (5) czarne ziemie powstałe w efekcie zwiększenia wilgotności czarnoziemów łąkowo-leśnych, (6) poligenetyczne czarne ziemie z poziomem iluwiacji iłu. Klasyfikacja gleb o tak zróżnicowanej genezie musi opierać się na wspólnych kryteriach morfologicznych, to j est zgodnie z trendem wyznaczonym przez systematyki gleb Polski z lat 1989 i 2011. Jednak przynależność do czarnych ziem nie zawsze jest jednoznaczna, ze względu na nieprecyzyjne rozgraniczenie w punktach stycznych z pokrewnymi glebami, w tym z czarnoziemami (intensywność oglejenia), madami i glebami deluwialnymi (stratyfikacja materiału macierzystego i/lub poziomu mollic), vertisolami (obecność poziomów mollic i vertic) oraz glebami murszastymi (brak różnic w kryteriach diagnostycznych). Ponadto, uzupełnienia wymagają charakterystyki czarnych ziem pod kątem rodzaju oglejenia (gruntowego oraz opadowego), rodzaju węglanów (wtórnych i pierwotnych) oraz obecności poziomu diagnostycznego anthric.
ASSESSMENT OF LAND USE CHANGE IN SHIVAPURI NAGARJUN NATIONAL PARK: THE CASE OF SUNDARIJAL VDC, KATHMANDU
Authors: Shrestha Sujata , Joshi Laxman , Dangol Mukesh
Published: November 2014

This research aimed to assess land use and its change between 1990, 2000 and 2010 in Sundarijal VDC of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park (SNNP). Land use change was assessed using Landsat TM data for 1990, 2000 and 2010. The drivers of land use change and its implications on ecosystem services were studied through field study comprising reconnaissance survey, questionnaire survey, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. GIS analysis showed that forest land and bare land area declined by 0.19% and 0.53%, respectively from 1990 to 2010, while agricultural land increased by 0.72%. The local people see the change in water quantity and quality, soil erosion and biodiversity loss as impacts of land use change. The key drivers of land use change include over harvesting of fuel wood for alcohol production, timber extraction and non-conducive government policies. Due to limited livelihood options, people residing inside SNNP boundary are involved in illegal extraction of fuel wood mainly for alcohol production. Respondents stressed that alternative livelihood options are required for minimizing such illegal activities. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/eco.v20i0.11441ECOPRINTAn International Journal of EcologyVol. 20, 2013Page: 53-59
FOREST STRUCTURE AND REGENERATION PATTERN OF BETULA UTILIS D. DON IN MANASLU CONSERVATION AREA, NEPAL
Authors: Sujakhu Hishila , Gosai Kamal Raj , Karmacharya Siddhi Bir
Published: November 2014

Forest structure and regeneration of Betula utilis (D. Don) was studied in birch forestlocated in Samagaun valley (3500 – 4000 m) of Manaslu Conservation Area. Vegetationsampling was done by quadrat method. Altogether 40 quadrats were sampled to determinethe Importance Value Index (IVI) of tree species, and distribution pattern of seedlings andsaplings. Regeneration was assessed by density - diameter curve. Four tree species wererecorded from the forest. Betula utilis was the dominant tree species with the highestImportance Value Index (173.22) in mixed Betula forest and 262.96 in pure Betula forestand Abies spectabilis was the co – dominant species (65.95) in mixed Betula forest whileRhododendron campanulatum was the co-dominant species (37.03) in pure Betula forest.Density of Betula utilis increased with increase in elevation where as density of other treespecies decreased with increase in elevation. Mixed Betula forest at lower elevation wasyoung. The density diameter curve of the tree population of Betula utilis, both on mixed andpure forests, deviated slightly from the typical reverse J shaped structure and hence did notshow the sustainable regeneration. The sapling density was higher than seedling density.The distribution of seedlings and saplings were not uniform among the sampling plots.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/eco.v20i0.11472ECOPRINT An International Journal of EcologyVol. 20, 2013page: 107-113
Thermal and Tensile Behavior of HD-PE Films Containing Iron (III) Acetylacetonate after UV Irradiation
Authors: Kiryakova D. , Mihaleva S. , Atanassov A. , Tavlieva M.
Published: November 2014

The thermal, tensile and other properties of high density polyethylene films containing iron (III) acetylacetonate as pro-oxidant additive have been studied after exposure to UV irradiation for up to 300 h. The effect of photooxidation on polyethylene films with and without pro-oxidant was estimated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, Differential scanning calorimeter measurements and the tensile properties. It was observed that UV irradiation had almost no effect on the melting temperature of the different samples. After exposure, the degree of crystallinity increased from 69% to 72% for the initial polyethylene samples without pro-oxidant additive and by 3% for the samples containing iron (III) acetylacetonate. It was found that the increase in the carbonyl index of initial HDPE was not significant even after 60 h exposure to UV irradiation while samples with pro-oxidant suffered substantial degradation still for 35 h. It was observed that the decrease of the tensile strength is more pronounced for the samples with pro-oxidant under irradiation for 60 to 70 h. The films containing pro-oxidant lose ∼90% of its initial elongation at break after 35 h exposure.
Advancing Safety Performance Monitoring at Signalized Intersections through use of Connected Vehicle Technology
Authors: Songchitruksa Praprut , Zha Liteng
Published: November 2014

Crash-based safety evaluation is often hampered by randomness, lack of timeliness, and rarity of crash occurrences. This situation is particularly true for technology-driven safety improvement projects that are frequently updated or replaced by newer ones before adequate crash data for a reliable and defensible before-and-after evaluation can be gathered. Surrogate safety data are commonly used as alternatives to crash data; however, the current practice is resource intensive and prone to human errors. The advent of connected vehicle technology allows vehicles to communicate with each other and with the infrastructure wirelessly. Through this platform, vehicle movements and signal status at facilities can be automatically and continually monitored in real time. This study explored the viability of long-term monitoring of connected vehicle data for evaluation of safety performance. A safety monitoring application that used connected vehicle data to detect potential safety indicators at signalized intersections was proposed. As limited saturation of onboard equipment (OBE) was expected in near-term evolution, development focused on a roadside equipment application to process data elements from OBE by way of vehicle-to-infrastructure communications through standard message sets. A microscopic simulation was designed to evaluate effectiveness of the proposed safety indicators in detection of degrading safety performance. A signalized intersection test bed was created in VISSIM, while the wireless communications capability and the application were implemented in a car-to-devices application programming interface. Evaluation results indicated that the application could effectively detect changes in safety performance at full market penetration. Future research needs to quantify the combination of penetration rates and monitoring periods that can yield effective detection of changes in safety performance at intersections with varying operating characteristics.
Patterns of Single-Vehicle Crashes on Two-Lane Rural Highways in Granada Province, Spain
Authors: López Griselda , Abellán Joaquín , Montella Alfonso , de Oña Juan
Published: November 2014

In Spain, 74% of injury crashes occur on rural two-lane highways. Therefore, one of the strategic priorities detailed in highway safety plans is the specific study of these highways. This study aimed at investigating crash patterns and contributory factors on rural two-lane highways so as to propose specific road safety countermeasures. The analysis method consisted in identifying decision rules extracted from decision trees (DTs). As the traditional method of rule extraction is limited by a DT's structure, some important relationships between variables may not be identified. For this problem to be overcome, an in-depth method for extracting rules from DTs was used. Because the implementation of any corrective road safety measure is constrained by the available resources, the strongest patterns that describe the road safety issue must be extracted. For identification of the strongest rules, a new criterion, lift increase criterion, was defined. Single-vehicle crashes on two-lane rural highways in the province of Granada in Spain were analyzed. Crash data were relative to the 7-year period 2003 to 2009. Rules were obtained by using both gain information and the information gain ratio as splitting criterion. The rules obtained by application of both criteria were consistent and complementary; therefore, the authors recommend the use of both methods to build DTs. Results of the study highlighted several patterns contributing to severe crashes and potentially effective countermeasures. Main patterns were pedestrian crashes, run-off-the-road crashes, run-off-the-road crashes involving powered two-wheelers, crashes involving powered two-wheelers, and crashes at night without illumination.