bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of an improved method of simulating lung nodules in chest tomosynthesis
Authors: Svalkvist Angelica , Johnsson Åse Allansdotter , Vikgren Jenny , Håkansson Markus , Ullman Gustaf , Boijsen Marianne , Fisichella Valeria , Flinck Agneta , Molnar David , Månsson Lars Gunnar , Båth Magnus
Published: August 2012

Background

Simulated pathology is a valuable complement to clinical images in studies aiming at evaluating an imaging technique. In order for a study using simulated pathology to be valid, it is important that the simulated pathology in a realistic way reflect the characteristics of real pathology.

Purpose

To perform a thorough evaluation of a nodule simulation method for chest tomosynthesis, comparing the detection rate and appearance of the artificial nodules with those of real nodules in an observer performance experiment.

Material and Methods

A cohort consisting of 64 patients, 38 patients with a total of 129 identified pulmonary nodules and 26 patients without identified pulmonary nodules, was used in the study. Simulated nodules, matching the real clinically found pulmonary nodules by size, attenuation, and location, were created and randomly inserted into the tomosynthesis section images of the patients. Three thoracic radiologists and one radiology resident reviewed the images in an observer performance study divided into two parts. The first part included nodule detection and the second part included rating of the visual appearance of the nodules. The results were evaluated using a modified receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.

Results

The sensitivities for real and simulated nodules were comparable, as the area under the modified ROC curve (AUC) was close to 0.5 for all observers (range, 0.43–0.55). Even though the ratings of visual appearance for real and simulated nodules overlapped considerably, the statistical analysis revealed that the observers to were able to separate simulated nodules from real nodules (AUC values range 0.70–0.74).

Conclusion

The simulation method can be used to create artificial lung nodules that have similar detectability as real nodules in chest tomosynthesis, although experienced thoracic radiologists may be able to distinguish them from real nodules.
Publish to flourish
Authors: Rajasekaran S.
Published: August 2012

In 2006, approximately 1.3 million peer-reviewed scientific articles were published, aided by a large rise in the number of available scientific journals from 16 000 in 2001 to 23 750 by 2006. Is this evidence of an explosion in scientific knowledge or just the accumulation of wasteful publications and junk science? Data show that only 45% of the articles published in the 4500 top scientific journals are cited within the first five years of publication, a figure that is dropping steadily. Only 42% receive more than one citation. For better or for worse, “Publish or Perish” appears here to stay as the number of published papers becomes the basis for selection to academic positions, for tenure and promotions, a criterion for the awarding of grants and also the source of funding for salaries. The high pressure to publish has, however, ushered in an era where scientists are increasingly conducting and publishing data from research performed with ‘questionable research practices’ or even committing outright fraud. The few cases which are reported will in fact be the tip of an iceberg and the scientific community needs to be vigilant against this corruption of science.
Digital radio switchover: The UK experience
Authors: Lax Stephen
Published: August 2012

The United Kingdom remains one of the world’s leading countries in the development of digital radio. However, it is unclear when radio will migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting in a similar way to television, which is progressively switching to digital transmission in
a number of countries. When digital radio was first emerging, the industry, regulators and policymakers were broadly united in promoting digital radio as the natural successor to analogue. Yet other groups, such as small broadcasters and a number of consumer groups, expressed doubt that digital
radio would, or should, replace analogue. The ensuing years have seen these doubts become more widely expressed, particularly as the United Kingdom’s roll-out of digital radio has not been emulated in other European countries, and a switchover in 2015, a deadline anticipated by the UK
government, looks uncertain. This article examines the relationship between industry, policymakers and listeners in the process of developing digital radio as a potential analogue replacement.
Public policy best practice in the field of Digital Terrestrial Television: Lessons from Sweden and Spain
Authors: Candel Roberto Suárez
Published: August 2012

This article aims to provide research results in the field of public policy addressing the implementation of digital terrestrial television. First, it identifies those particularities of the terrestrial platform that result in the need for public policy in order to face and successfully
complete its switchover. Next, the national experiences of Sweden and Spain are compared, paying attention to the articulation of the institutional network involved and to those policies carried out in order to determine the market structure and the business model of the platform, as well
as to plan the analogue switch-off. The final objective is to identify best practices and to extract lessons that are useful for those countries still dealing with the digitalization of terrestrial broadcasting. In addition, the reflections within this article might also be valuable for media
policy-makers dealing with ongoing or future transition processes within the television system.
International broadcasting revived: Does it merit the effort? A case study of eight developing countries
Authors: Rotheray Brian , Geniets Anne
Published: August 2012

In the context of increased competition and growing restrictions on public investment in the media, state-supported western international broadcasters have found themselves under increasing pressure to adapt their business strategies to a changed global media environment. Established
providers have responded to these pressures by cutting vernacular radio services to expand international television. While these strategies may reflect shifts in media consumption from radio to television, they can threaten the ability to tailor content to cater for local audiences. The objective
of this article is to investigate the provision and consumption of international broadcast news supply in developing countries from three angles: the current level of activity of international broadcasting; the change in local environments and its potential effect on international broadcasting;
and the fit between consumer demand and broadcast supply.
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: Bond Martyn , Seel Peter B.
Published: August 2012

THE CHANGING BUSINESS OF JOURNALISM AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR DEMOCRACY, DAVID A. L. LEVY AND RASMUS KLEIS NIELSEN (EDS) (2010) Oxford: Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, 152 pp., ISBN 978-1-907-384-01-1, Paperback E-COMMERCE AND CONVERGENCE: A GUIDE TO THE LAW OF DIGITAL
MEDIA, MIKE BUTLER (ED.), 4TH EDITION (2010) West Sussex: Bloomsbury Professional, 240 pp., ISBN 978-1-84766-452-2, Hardback, £125
Mobile television in Italy: The key to success, the cause of failure
Authors: EVENS TOM , PRARIO BENEDETTA
Published: August 2012

Several years ago, the mobile and audio-visual industry was betting on Digital Video Broadcasting – Handheld (DVB-H) and mobile television as the newest growth opportunity. But today, commercial deployments are scarce and end-user adoption is below expectations. This article focuses
on developments within the Italian market, known as the best developed market for mobile television services in Europe. Making a case study analysis, the article aims to provide an in-depth overview of the Italian mobile television market, and a better insight into the business model design
issues mobile service providers face with regard to mobile television. Such an understanding of the pioneering Italian mobile market makes it possible to identify the key factors of the initial success and eventual failure of DVB-H services, setting perspectives for future mobile television
services and industries all over the world.
User experience with digital television: Aqualitative investigation of young and elderly people
Authors: Papa Filomena , Sapio Bartolomeo , Pelagalli M. Felicia
Published: August 2012

This article introduces a qualitative investigation to explore and analyse user experience with digital television and, more generally, with future services made available by broadband Information and Communications Technology (ICT). The investigation is focused on some specific segments
of the population where it seemed more interesting to evaluate the effects of change: the elderly and young people. For the segment comprising elderly people, the results show that the impact of the change is very strong. The investigation suggests that the elderly people extensively utilizing
new digital television channels are the same as those utilizing their explorative abilities over the Internet (looking for old friends on Facebook or reading online newspapers). For teenagers the impact of the change is minimal. Their readiness to grasp and deal with the unexpected, coupled
with a growing distance from television, makes them crucial actors in supporting elderly relatives in need, but also distracted viewers regarding the innovations offered by digital television.
DBD plasma reactor for oxidative decomposition of Chlorobenzene
Authors: Sivachandiran L. , Karuppiah J. , Subrahmanyam Ch.
Published: August 2012

Oxidative decomposition of chlorobenzene diluted in air was carried out in a dielectric barrier discharge reactor. In order to understand the role of the ground electrode, various reactor configurations were tested. Among silver paste, copper wire and aluminum foil tested as the outer electrodes, typical results indicated the best performance of silver paste, probably due to uniform distribution of microdischarges. Likewise, low flow rates gave better conversion and selectivity to gaseous products.
The Role of Catalytic Site Deposition on Cobalt Catalysts Supported on Carbon Nanotubes for Fisher-Trospch Synthesis
Authors: Surisetty Venkateswara Rao , Epelde Eva , Trépanier Mariane , Kozinski Janusz , Dalai Ajay K.
Published: August 2012

The influence of the catalytic site deposition on Fischer-Tropsch synthesis was investigated on cobalt catalysts supported on carbon nanotubes. The catalysts were prepared using incipient wetness impregnation by controlling the deposition of catalytic sites on either the inner or the outer surfaces of nanotubes. The catalysts were characterized extensively and the reaction was performed at similar operating conditions. The in-10Co/CNT catalyst showed better CO conversion compared to the out-10Co/CNT catalyst at all reaction temperatures. An improvement on the catalyst performance was demonstrated in the case of particle deposition inside the pores of the nanotubes with higher C5+ and C2-C4 selectivity.
Benchmarking Radioactive Particle Tracking (RPT) with Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA)
Authors: Upadhyay Rajesh K. , Roy Shantanu , Pant Harish J.
Published: August 2012

In current work, Radioactive Particle Tracking (RPT) experiment has been performed in a rectangular bubble column having dimensions reported by Pfleger et al. (1999). As has been reported in recent decades, RPT has come to be accepted now as a reliable and versatile non-invasive flow measurement technique for mapping the flow fields in multiphase reactors.In this work, the objective has been to benchmark RPT (which is a very versatile technique) against reported data (Pfleger et al. 1999) with Laser Doppler Anemometry (LDA) (which is claimed to be a very accurate technique at low volume fractions of the dispersed phase). We show that RPT does remarkably well both in terms of versatility and accuracy. Overall, this work helps to establish the accuracy standards of the RPT technique.
Influence of the kinetic sub-model on the performance of a comprehensive model of a micro-scale catalytic reactor
Authors: Vaccaro Salvatore , Malangone Luca
Published: August 2012

This work investigated a micro-scale catalytic plate reactor designed for thermal coupling of an exothermic reaction (combustion) to endothermic reforming reactions. The system was studied through both experiments and modelling. A 3D model, previously developed by the authors, was employed and adapted to simulate the real reactor geometry. The aim of the work was to study the influence of different kinetic sub-models for the reforming reactions on the model results. Multi-component mass transport was modelled using a Fick-like law. Operating conditions utilized in the experiments and for the modelling were those typical of reforming reactions. The kinetics sub-models of the methane reforming and combustion reactions were taken from the literature. In particular, for the combustion process a power-law kinetic expression was used with a linear dependence on methane concentration and zero dependence on oxygen concentration. Instead, for the reforming reactions two different kinetics, suggested, respectively, by Xu and Froment and by Hou and Hughes, were employed. The comparison between model results and experimental findings was performed to discriminate which of the two reforming kinetics was more suitable to describe the experiments. It was found that when using the reforming proposed by kinetics Hou and Hughes was employed, the agreement between model results and experiments was elevated while it resulted poor when the other kinetic sub-model was used. An analysis of the features and of the origins of the two sub-models was performed and the comparisons with the characteristics of our experiments was carried out in order to find the reasons for the different agreement.
Microwave Assisted Synthesis of Schiff Bases: A Green Approach
Authors: Chakraborty Mousumi , Baweja Sanjay , Bhagat Sunita , Chundawat TejpalSingh
Published: August 2012

In the present study Schiff’s bases are synthesized by the conventional as well as by microwave irradiation. Excellent yield within short reaction time is obtained using microwave irradiation along with other advantages like mild reaction condition, non-hazardous and safer environmental conditions. The effects of temperature, reactant molar ratio, and microwave power variation on yield are observed. Mathematical model has been developed using matlab software to obtain the yield as a function of microwave power. Kinetic study of the reaction has also been attempted. Schiff’s bases structures are confirmed by IR, 1HNMR, Mass Spectra and elemental analysis.
Validation and Application of Computational Modeling to Reduce Erosion in a Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler
Authors: Blaser Peter J. , Corina Giorgio
Published: August 2012

The 40 MW Strongoli power plant, located in the Calabria region of Italy, produces power from 100% biomass sources. The combustion of wood biomass, exhausted olive residues and palm kernel shells, occurs in a sand-filled, Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) combustor. Operational experience with the unit dates back to 2003. This paper describes the optimization of the boiler in order to minimize erosion on internal surfaces and structures. Detailed three-dimensional, transient, multiphase gas-solid flow fields were computed and are presented. Details of the complex geometry include the combustion chamber, cyclone, cyclone dipleg, seal pot, fluidized bed heat exchanger and cyclone outlet structures including suspension tubes. The gas-solid flow was computed using the commercially-available software package Barracuda, a CFD software based on a unique Eulerian-Lagrangian formulation that was essential to the success of the subject work. Both instantaneous and time-averaged results were obtained. Results were validated against operational erosion experience. The validated model, in turn, was utilized to redesign various components of the boiler, optimizing both erosion characteristics and performance behaviour of the system. The redesigned unit was commissioned in early 2012.
New Correlations of Volumetric Liquid-Phase Mass Transfer Coefficients in Gas-Inducing Agitated Tank Reactors
Authors: Yu Hesheng , Tan Zhongchao
Published: August 2012

Volumetric liquid-phase mass transfer coefficient (kLa) is one of the most important parameters for the evaluation of the performance of a gas-inducing agitated tank (GIAT). In this paper, two equations in terms of power input per unit liquid volume (P/VL) and relative gas dispersion parameter (NI/Ncd), respectively, are developed according to data in literature. They can correlate existing kLa values within ±20% of measured ones for bladed impellers with different impeller submergence to tank diameter ratios in the range of 0.5 -1.23. In order to validate these equations, the liquid phase mass transfer coefficients in a continuous GIAT equipped with a 4-blade straight impeller were measured by removal of oxygen from water. It was found that the equation in P/VL criterion could correlate kLa values within ±12% of the experimental data, and the equation in NI/Ncd criterion could correlate kLa values within ±15.6% with an exception of 26.8% for NI = 16.7 Hz.
COx Free Hydrogen Production From Ammonia Decomposition Over Platinum Based Siliceous Materials
Authors: Varisli Dilek , Rona Tugba
Published: August 2012

Ammonia has become an important source for hydrogen especially for fuel cell applications that require COx free hydrogen. In this study, high surface area Pt incorporated mesoporous siliceous materials were prepared for ammonia decomposition reaction to produce clean hydrogen. The results of a fixed bed flow reactor tests, conducted using pure ammonia showed that Pt-SiO2 type catalysts which were prepared by a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis procedure were very active in ammonia decomposition, such as 72% conversion was reached at 500°C at a gas hourly space velocity of 5,100 ml/h.gcat over the catalyst prepared at Pt/Si mol ratio of 0.03. Activity of the synthesized catalysts increased with an increase in Pt loading. Platinum incorporated siliceous materials prepared by impregnation procedures were also tested in ammonia decomposition and highly promising results were obtained.
ANN - SQP Approach For NOx Emission Reduction In Coal Fired Boilers
Authors: Balamurugan Ilamathi , Gounder Selladurai V. , Kulendran Balamurugan
Published: August 2012

In this research paper, predictive modelling of NOx emission of a 210 MW capacity pulverized coal-fired boiler and combustion parameter optimization to reduce NOx emission in flue gas is proposed. The effects of oxygen concentration in flue gas, coal properties, coal flow, boiler load, air distribution scheme, flue gas outlet temperature and nozzle tilt were studied. The data collected from parametric field experiments were used to build a feed-forward back-propagation artificial neural net (ANN). The coal combustion parameters were used as inputs and NOx emission as outputs of the model. The ANN model was developed for full load condition and its predicted values were verified with the actual values. The algebraic equation containing weights and biases of the trained net was used as fitness function in sequential quadratic programming (SQP) to find the optimum level of input operating conditions for low NOx emission. The results proved that the proposed approach could be used for generating feasible operating conditions.
Remittances and the Financing of Terrorism In Sub-Saharan Africa: 1974 - 2006
Authors: Elu Juliet U. , Price Gregory N.
Published: August 2012

Remittances have been recognized as an important determinant of economic growth for Sub-Saharan African economies as they can finance other determinants that constitute drivers of growth. To the extent that remittances finance terrorism, they can also inhibit economic growth as terrorism can constrain important drivers of growth such as investment and consumption expenditures. In this paper, we appeal to a theory of rational terrorism and consider whether remittances to Sub-Saharan Africa finance terrorism. We estimate the parameters of a static and dynamic terrorism incident supply function with maximum likelihood and Generalized Estimating Equation count data estimators for Sub-Saharan Africa between 1974 and 2006. Our parameter estimates suggest that for Sub-Saharan Africa, remittances are a source of finance for terrorism. We find that approximately one terrorism incident is financed in Sub-Saharan Africa for remittance inflows that range between approximately one quarter of a million dollars and one million dollars.
Analysis of Whey Proteins Solubility at High Temperatures
Authors: Pelegrine Daniela Helena Guimarães , Gomes Maria Thereza Moraes Santos
Published: August 2012

This work showed the whey proteins solubility curves, according with temperature and pH conditions. The product constituted of a whey protein isolate obtained from cow milk (ALACENTM 895), acquired by New Zeland Milk Products Ltd. There is a straight analogy between fouling and protein unfolding when milk derived fluids are processed in equipments of heat exchangers, where whey proteins are unfolded in an irreversible way, exposing hidrophobic groups, and they become insoluble and form aggregates. An integrated study was conducted on the effects of temperature and pH on the solubility of whey proteins. The solubility was determined experimentally in the temperature range of 40-90 °C, and pH range of 5.0 - 6.8. The results showed that, both the temperature and pH influenced in the protein solubility; besides, the solubility values were minimum at the pH 4.0 for all temperature values. It was also observed that solubility decreased with temperature increased.
Production of Iron Premix for the Fortification of Table Salt
Authors: Oshinowo Toks , Diosady Levente L. , Yusufali Rizwan , Wesley Annie S.
Published: August 2012

The feasibility of using fluidized bed technology for the production of an iron premix of ferrous fumarate encapsulated with soy stearine for iron fortification of table salt has been successfully demonstrated. Ferrous fumarate was selected as source of iron, in preference to ferrous sulphate heptahydrate, ferric sodium EDTA and reduced elemental iron, for its bioavailability, bland taste, stability and high iron content. Potassium iodate was used as iodine source. Fluid-bed processors of 7, 200 and 500 kg capacity were used to granulate ferrous fumarate with a solution containing, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, sodium hexametaphosphate and titanium dioxide for binding, stabilization and colour masking, respectively. Encapsulation of granulated ferrous fumarate was achieved by top-spraying hot soy stearine containing more titanium dioxide at 98ºC on the fluidized bed. The premix contained 46.4 wt. % of ferrous fumarate. Double Fortified Salt (DFS), made by dry blending 1 part of iron premix and 150 parts of already iodized salt, contained 1000 ppm of iron and 50 ppm of iodine. Less than 10% of the iron in the premix, with a bulk density of 0.78 g/cc, dissolved in HCl at pH of 4.0 indicating good coating integrity. Particle size distribution of iron premix was consistently centred on 300 µm with more than 90% of the particles in the size range of 150 to 710 µm, similar to that of free flowing refined salt.
Yield and Composition of Indonesian Cananga Oil Obtained by Steam Distillation and Organic Solvent Extraction
Authors: Kristiawan Magdalena , Sobolik Vaclav , Allaf Karim
Published: August 2012

Cananga oil has high economical value because of its utilisation as fragrance and food flavour. In the present work, the oil was isolated by steam distillation and organic solvent extraction from dry mature flowers of Cananga odorata Hook. fil. et Thomson, forma macrophylla. Chloroform and hexane were used as solvents with different polarities. The yield of volatile oil and its grouped compounds (LOC, sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons and HOC) was investigated as a function of time. LOC consists of oxygenated monoterpenes and other light oxygenated compounds whereas HOC comprises oxygenated sesquiterpenes and other heavy oxygenated compounds. The oil yields of 5.1, 3.8 and 2.5 % dry matter were obtained with chloroform (8 h), hexane (8 h) and steam distillation (16 h), respectively. The isolation rate was described by a first-order kinetics equation. The rate was lowest with steam distillation, intermediate with hexane extraction and best with chloroform extraction. The oil composition was analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The steam-distilled oil and chloroform oil had a similar composition, with a high content of oxygenated compounds (61.7% and 58.3%), while hexane oil was rich in sesquiterpenes hydrocarbons (66.5%).
Optimization of Monacolin K Production by Monascus purpureus MTTC 410 in Submerged Fermentation
Authors: H.P. Mohan-Kumari , Dhale Mohan A. , Govindaswamy Vijayalakshmi
Published: August 2012

Monascus purpureus, a traditional Chinese fermentation fungus, is used as a natural dietary supplement. Among the metabolites of M. purpureus, monacolin K (lovastatin) is found to be very important and have been proven to be cholesterol-lowering drug. They are potent inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA). Cultural condition has a significant influence on the yield of monacolin K. This study deals with the cultural parameters like carbon, nitrogen, pH and temperature on monacolin K production by M. purpureus. The effect of different carbon sources (glucose, fructose, maltose, sucrose and lactose) on monacolin K production indicated that maltose as carbon source yielded more monacolin K (71.07 mg/L) followed by glucose (61.99 mg/L). Among different nitrogen sources (ammonium nitrate, ammonium sulphate, yeast extract, peptone and ammonium chloride), peptone produces highest concentration of monacolin K (62.00 mg/L) followed by ammonium chloride (52.30 mg/L). Optimum temperature was found to be 28°C with 72 mg/L of monacolin K. pH also plays a major role on the synthesis of monacolin K. pH 5.0 was found optimum (56 mg/L) when compared to other pH values. An enhanced amount of monacolin K (81.27 mg/L) was achieved with the above optimum parameters by controlling the fermentation condition.
Drying of Wheat: A Numerical Study Based on the Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics
Authors: Oliveira Vital Araújo Barbosa de , de Lima Antonio Gilson Barbosa , Silva Carlota Joaquina e
Published: August 2012

A new coupled mathematical modeling to predict heat and moisture (liquid and vapor) transfer in capillary-porous bodies with particular reference to wheat kernel is presented. The mathematical model is based on the non-equilibrium thermodynamics by considering the wheat as prolate spheroid, variable transport coefficients and equilibrium boundary conditions at the surface of the solid. All the partial differential equations presented in the model have been written in prolate spheroidal coordinates. The finite-volume method has been used to obtain the numerical solution of the governing equations. Results of the average moisture content, average temperature, heat flux, liquid flux, vapor flux, and moisture content and temperature distributions inside a wheat kernel during drying process (T=87.8 oC, RH=5.6% and v=1.71 m/s) are presented and analyzed.
Effect of Drying on Degradation kinetics of carotenoids and color of tomato pulp
Authors: Parmar Indu , Chandi Gurpreet Kaur , Gupta Kalika , Gill Balmeet Singh
Published: August 2012

Tomato pulp was dried under various drying conditions using hot air oven (65-950C), and cabinet drier (65-950C). The drying rate constant increased with increase in drying temperature. Among different combinations of Hunter L, a and b parameters, L*a could be used to describe the visual color change in tomato pulp during dehudration process.
Glass Transition Temperature, Mechanical Properties of Rice and their Relationships with Milling Quality
Authors: Tajaddodi Talab Kobra , Ibrahim Mohd. Nordin , Spotar Sergey , Talib Rosnita A. , Muhammad Kharidah
Published: August 2012

Glass transition temperatures (Tg) of MR219 rice variety were measured by differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). State diagram was developed and used to evaluate drying process in this study. Glass transition temperatures range of 9.65- 61.79°C were observed for gains with moisture content of 26.8  7.4% (w.b.). For mechanical properties and milling test, statistical analysis was performed by using a two factor experiment in completely randomized design (CRD). Two selected factors were drying temperatures at 5 levels (40, 45, 50, 55, and 60°C) and final moisture content (FMC) at 4 levels (10-10.5, 11-11.5, 12-12.5 and 13-13.5%). Threepoint bending test was applied to measure the mechanical properties of rice kernel. Generally, bending strength, apparent modulus of elasticity and fracture energy of brown rice kernel increased with decreasing the grain moisture content. Maximum bending strength was 35.69 and 33.64 MPa for 55, and 60°C, respectively. All samples that were dried at 55 and 60°C experienced to go through the glass transition line after reaching their temperature to the room temperature at the end of drying process. The effect of drying temperature, paddy FMC and their interactions on whole kernel percentage (WKP) and mechanical properties were significant (α = 0.05). An inverse relationship was observed between WKP and the percentage of strong kernels for all treatments.
Modelling of Heat and Moisture Transfer Phenomena During Dry Biscuit Baking by Using Finite Element Method
Authors: Ferrari Enrico , Marai Simone V. , Guidetti Riccardo , Piazza Laura
Published: August 2012

This paper validates a simultaneous heat and mass transfer model proposed to describe the discontinuous biscuit baking process. The mathematical model includes the moving evaporation front and the development of the crust observed during the baking process. The problem is solved over a two-dimensional geometry using the finite element method. Thermo-physical properties were computed by means of continuous functions. Variations in temperature and water content during baking were predicted with high to discrete accuracy using this model.
A Mathematical Model Of Solar Drying Of Rice
Authors: Meas Pyseth , Paterson Anthony H.J. , Cleland Donald J. , Bronlund John E. , Mawson A. John , Hardacre Allan , Rickman Joseph F.
Published: August 2012

A mathematical model describing the heat and moisture transfer within a solar drying system of rice was formulated. A numerical solution using MATLAB was implemented due to the many coupled PDEs and nonlinear algebraic equations. The model was checked for a range of the space steps and by comparison to analytical solutions for completed situations and was shown to contain no significant numerical errors. After estimating the best values and uncertainties of the system inputs the model was validated by comparison with experimental data for solar drying of rice. It was shown to be a very good mechanistic tool with advantages of simplicity and practical accuracy. The model accurately predicted the drying time and the temperature, and moisture content (MC) within the bed during drying except when a polystyrene drying pad was used. However, the model did not predict the experimental bed water activity (relative humidity) consistently well.
Ultrasound as Pre-Treatment for Drying of Genipap (Genipa americana L.)
Authors: Fernandes Fabiano An. , Rodrigues Sueli
Published: August 2012

Genipap (Genipa americana L.) is an exotic tropical fruit that can be used in production of sweets, liqueurs, and several other foodstuffs. In this work the effect of ultrasonic pre-treatment prior to air-drying on dehydration of genipap was investigated. The study allowed estimating the water diffusivity in the air-drying process for genipaps submitted to ultrasound. Results showed that the water diffusivity increased after application of ultrasound and that the overall drying time was reduced by 28.2%. During the ultrasonic treatment, genipaps lost sugar showing that the ultrasonic pre-treatment can be a valuable process to produce dried fruits with lower sugar content.
Carrageenan drying with dehumidified air: drying characteristics and product quality
Authors: Djaeni Mohamad , Sasongko Setia Budi , Prasetyaningrum Aji , Jin Xin , van Boxtel Anton J.
Published: August 2012

Applying dehumidified air is considered as an option to retain quality in carrageenan drying. This work concerns the effects of operational temperature, air velocity, and carrageenan thickness on the progress of drying and product quality when using dehumidified air. Final product quality and progress of drying were measured by experiments, and a two dimensional model was developed to analyze progress of drying for the different operational conditions. The experimental and modeling results showed that air dehumidification with zeolite reduces the drying time the most at low temperatures. Under these conditions the carrageenan qualities whiteness and gel strength are the least affected by the exposure to the drying temperature. The drying time is the shortest at 120°C, but at this temperature the carrageenan quality degrades the most and is not be improved by air dehumidification. Moreover, the quality is improved by increasing the air velocity and by drying thin carrageenan sheets.
Formation of Nε-(Carboxymethyl)lysine in Saccharide-Lysine Model Systems by Different Heat Treatments
Authors: Fu Quanyi , Li Lin , Li Bing
Published: August 2012

Advanced glycation endproducts (AGEs) form when proteins are heated with reducing sugars. Nε-(Carboxymethyl) lysine (CML), as one of the common AGEs studied in consumed foods, was determined by HPLC-MS/MS in this experiment. The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of forming CML incubated by different heat treatments in saccharide - lysine model systems. Different heating treatment such as water heating (W- heating), drying oven heating (D- heating) and microwave heating (M- heating) in saccharide-lysine model systems can affect the production of CML. M-heating method showed higher formation of CML capacity than W-heating method and D-heating method. The higher temperature and higher molar ratio of saccharide to lysine can increase the CML content. The order of reactivity for the formation of CML was lactose > glucose > sucrose.
Filtration of crude canola oil miscella utilizing PVDF membrane: the effects of pretreatments and operating conditions
Authors: Niazmand Razieh , Farhoosh Reza , Razavi Seyed Mohammad Ali
Published: August 2012

This study was conducted on adding chemical agents (aqueous solutions of CaCl2, EDTA and SDS) to crude canola oil miscella before ultrafiltration through polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) membrane with MWCO 50 kDa in a magnetically stirred flat membrane cell. Operating conditions including pressures 2-5 bar and temperatures 25-55 °C were employed. Permeate flux of pretreated oil samples exhibited sharp risings with increasing temperature and pressure. Except for the oils pretreated with SDS, the rejection of free fatty acids (FFAs) decreased in all oil samples. Increasing the operating pressure to 4 bar decreased the rejection of FFAs. Pretreatment of the oils with SDS and EDTA resulted in higher amounts of phosphorous rejection, while increasing temperature decreased it. Reduction of color values (L, a, and b) of the oil samples was not considerable through the PVDF membrane.
Modelling of Rheological Behaviour of Pulps and Purées from Fresh and Frozen-Thawed Murta (Ugni molinae Turcz) Berries
Authors: Ah-Hen Kong S. , Vega-Gálvez Antonio , Moraga Nelson O. , Lemus-Mondaca Roberto
Published: August 2012

The rheological behaviour of purées and pulps from fresh and frozen-thawed murta (Ugni molinae Turcz) berries was studied at 30, 45, 60 and 75 °C. The Mitschka method was shown to be applicable to the murta berries, with its products showing non-Newtonian pseudoplastic behaviour. Rheological models as Ostwald-de Waele, Herschel-Bulkley, Bingham, Casson and Mizrahi-Berk fitted the experimental data with high values for correlation coefficients. Effect of temperature was evaluated using an Arrhenius-type equation. Compared to the murta pulp, the fresh or frozen-thawed murta purées had higher apparent viscosity at any shear rate and would undergo a more rapid change in viscosity with temperature. Activation energy for fresh and frozen-thawed purées were 22.335 kJ mol-1 (R2 = 0.9225), and 16.478 kJ mol-1 (R2 = 0.9654) respectively, while for fresh and frozen-thawed pulp Ea values of 8.967 kJ mol-1 (R2 = 0.9618) and 6.943 kJ mol-1 (R2 = 0.9773) were determined respectively.
Moisture Sorption Isotherms of Lentil Extrudates
Authors: Penov Nikolay , Petrova Todorka , Ruskova Milena , Toshkov Nesho , Menkov Nikolay
Published: August 2012

The equilibrium moisture contents (EMC) were determined for lentil extrudates produced under different processing conditions at 25°C and eight relative humidity (RH) in the range of 0.113 – 0.902. It was established that for the ten extruded samples the EMC values at the same RH were not statistically equal. Four models – Chung-Pfost, Halsey, Oswin, and Henderson equations were applied for analyzing the experimental data. The Oswin model was most suitable for describing the relationship between the EMC and RH.
Solubility of egg white proteins: Effect of pH and temperature.
Authors: Gomes Maria Thereza Moraes Santos , Pelegrine Daniela Helena Guimarães
Published: August 2012

Effects of different temperatures and pH values on the solubility of egg white proteins were studied. The solubility was determined experimentally in the temperature range of 40 to 100°C, and pH of 7.5 and 9.0. Morr et al (1985) and Bradford (1976) methods were used to determine the solubility and the results were compared. The results showed that the solubility of egg white protein was influenced by pH as well as temperature. The integrated study provided valuable information for dried egg white protein solubility analysis. Temperature and pH changes alter the solubility of egg white proteins and consequently both temperature and pH influences in functional properties. Besides, it was also observed an interaction among the temperature and pH on egg white proteins solubility. The minimum solubility values were achieving at 60°C, indicating possible protein coagulation from this temperature.
When Educators Are the Learners: Private Contracting by Public Schools
Authors: Forbes Silke , Gordon Nora
Published: August 2012

We investigate decision-making and the potential for social learning among school administrators in the market for school reform consulting services. Specifically, we estimate whether public schools are more likely to choose given Comprehensive School Reform service providers if their âpeerâ schoolsâdefined by common governance or geographyâhave performed unusually well with those providers in the past. We find strong evidence that schools tend to contract with providers used by other schools in their own districts in the past, regardless of past performance. In addition, our point estimates are consistent with school administrators using information from peers to choose the plans they perceive to have performed best in the past. Despite choosing a market with an unusually comprehensive data source on contracts between public schools and private firms, our statistical power is sufficiently weak that we cannot reject the absence of social learning.
The Inequality Effects of a Dual Income Tax System
Authors: Lambert Peter J. , Thoresen Thor O.
Published: August 2012

A dual income tax system, combining progressive taxation of labor income with proportional taxation of income from capital, may or may not be unambiguously inequality reducing. Examples show that the degree of correlation between the distributions of wage and capital income, the degree of tax rate differentiation in the DIT, and reranking of tax-payers can be expected to complicate a clear-cut analysis. We trace out what can be said definitively, obtaining sufficient conditions for unambiguous inequality reduction in certain cases, and more generally identifying the nature of the implicit redistribution between labor and capital income components which is sufficient to ensure overall inequality reduction.
Stem Cell Donor Matching for Patients of Mixed Race
Authors: Bergstrom Ted C. , Garratt Rod , Sheehan-Connor Damien
Published: August 2012

Much attention has been given to the plight of minorities and persons of mixed race in need of a bone marrow transplant. This has led to increased efforts to recruit minority and mixed-race donors. There is strong evidence that members of racial minorities are less likely to find a match than those of European descent. Because the relevant sample sizes are small, direct estimation of the distribution of immunity types for mixed-race populations have not been available. We show how to estimate the distribution of HLA types for persons of mixed race indirectly, using simple principles of probability and the combinatorics of diploid reproduction. We show that recruitment of mixed race donors is cost-effective, but not for the expected reasons. While recruitment of mixed-race donors increases the welfare of patients with the same racial background, the benefits to the targeted recipients do not exceed the costs. However, when account is taken of the likelihood that a mixed-race registrant will be the only available match for a patient classified as being of a single race, the recruitment of mixed race donors turns out to be highly cost-effective.
Numerical gradient-index design for coherent mode conversion
Authors: Lin Di , Leger James R.
Published: August 2012

We present a numerical gradient-index (GRIN) design methodology for application in coherent mode conversion. Within the framework of geometric optics, a one-to-one correspondence between the field description and the ray description of the propagating beam is established using optical path lengths and the conservation of energy within a bundle of rays. A family of ray paths is chosen to transform the initial ray distribution into a target ray distribution. The specified ray paths are used to calculate the index profile of the GRIN structure required to effect the gradual transformation from the input beam to the desired output beam. We demonstrate our approach with a GRIN structure design that converts a Gaussian beam into a flat-top beam.
论“虚实象似”原理*—韵律和语法之间的扭曲对应
Authors: 沈, 家煊
Published: August 2012

提要

为了解释汉语的韵律结构和语法结构之间的对应关系，已有的研究提出两条原理，“轻重象似”和“松紧象似”。本文建议用“虚实象似”把上述两条原理统一起来，并且着重阐明这种象似是“扭曲对应”关系。这样做的好处是，使解释变得更加简单和充分，说明汉语和印欧语之间的异同，对构建一般语言理论也有重要意义。
从学习者偏误看汉语程度副词的教学
Authors: 刘, 振平 , 杨, 延宁
Published: August 2012

提要

本文从汉语学习者的真实偏误入手，探讨汉语程度副词的教学重点。文章检索汉语学习者中介语语料库，提取已有研究成果中的示例，搜集整理了以汉语作为第二语言学习过程中常用程度副词的偏误，并归纳了有关偏误的12个主要类型。通过偏误分析，找出了以汉语作为第二语言的学习者没有完全掌握的知识点，进而确定了需进一步加强教学的内容。
Analytical validation of the Roche 25-OH Vitamin D Total assay
Authors: Knudsen Cindy Soendersoe , Nexo Ebba , Højskov Carsten Schriver , Heickendorff Lene
Published: August 2012

Background: Vitamin D deficiency is considered a major health issue and therefore there is a need for reliable routine tests for measurement of the vitamin in blood samples. Here we present a validation of the recently released Roche 25-OH Vitamin D Total assay (Vitamin D Total).

Methods: We analyzed control materials (2 levels) and patient serum pools (3 levels) ranging from 34 to 123 nmol/L 84 times over a period of 21 days, and we analyzed five serum pools in 10 separate runs to verify the limit of quantification. We also analyzed 53 paired samples of serum and Li-heparin plasma. We evaluated the 25-OH Vitamin D Total assay in comparison to our in-house liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method [194 patient samples without 25-hydroxy vitamin D2 (25OHD2) and 23 patient samples containing 25OHD2].

Results: At concentrations of 34 and 56 nmol/L within-run CVs were 4.8% and 1.9% and total CVs were 8.3% and 6.1%. We verified that the limit of quantification was 22.5 nmol/L, as stated by the manufacturer. No significant difference was observed between serum and plasma samples (Li-heparin). Comparison with LC-MS/MS using 194 samples containing 25OHD3 only (no 25OHD2) showed Vitamin D Total nmol/L=1.07×(LC-MS/MS) nmol/L+4.7 nmol/L, whereas comparison of 25OHD2 using 23 patient samples showed Vitamin D Total nmol/L=0.55×(LC-MS/MS) nmol/L–2.38 nmol/L (Demings regression).

Conclusions: The Roche Vitamin D Total assay is judged suitable for measurement of 25OHD in serum and Li-heparin plasma. Results for 25OHD3 are comparable to those obtained by LC-MS/MS, while results for 25OHD2 are around half of those obtained by LC-MS/MS.
Neurophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin as a new biomarker in laboratory medicine
Authors: Makris Konstantinos , Rizos Demetrios , Kafkas Nikolaos , Haliassos Alexander
Published: August 2012

Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) is a 25 kDa protein of the lipocalin superfamily. This protein is expressed and secreted by immune cells, hepatocytes, and renal tubular cells in various pathologic states. NGAL has recently generated great interest as an early biomarker of renal injury. However, like many other endogenous biomarkers it is not produced by just one cell type and it exists in more than one molecular form. As recent research has shown different pathological conditions may involved in the production of this molecule. This review summarizes the current knowledge about the biology of NGAL and examines the role of this molecule of acute renal injury as well as in other pathologic conditions like neoplasia, anemia, pregnancy, cardiovascular disease chronic kidney disease and in cardiorenal syndrome. Commercial and research immunoassays are used to measure NGAL in both plasma and urine but these assays are not standardized. The existence of different molecular forms of NGAL and their expression at various disease states further complicates the interpretation of the results. Pre analytical issues and biological variation are also not fully elucidated.
UrineCART, a machine learning method for establishment of review rules based on UF-1000i flow cytometry and dipstick or reflectance photometer
Authors: Yuan Cao , Ming Cheng , Chengjin Hu
Published: August 2012

Background: Automated systems have been broadly used in the counting of particles in urine, while manual microscopic analyses are still required for confirming components of urine sediments, especially pathologic casts and other unknown particles. Good review rules can reduce the number of manual urine microscopy examinations safely, thereby increasing productivity. Although several methods have been proposed, establishment of microscopic review rules for flow cytometer remains challenging.

Methods: A total of 3014 urine samples from outpatient and inpatient were examined using UF-1000i flow cytometry, Urisys-2400 dipstick and RS 2003 urine sediment workstation, respectively. Based on the results above, three supervised machine learning methods were employed to construct classifiers for screening urine samples.

Results: Here, we propose a novel method for construction of microscopic review rules, termed UrineCART, which was based on a classification and regression tree (CART) method. With a cut-off value of 0.0745 for UrineCART, we obtained a sensitivity of 92.0%, a specificity of 81.5% and a total review rate of 32.4% on an independent test set. Comparisons with the existing methods showed that UrineCART gave the acceptable sensitivity and lower total review rate.

Conclusions: An algorithm based on machine learning methods for review criteria can be achieved via systematic comparison of UF-1000i flow cytometry and microscopy. Using UrineCART, our microscopic review rate can be reduced to around 30%, while decreasing significant losses in urinalysis.