bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application and importance of cost-benefit analysis in energy efficiency projects implemented in public buildings: The case of Serbia
Authors: Mihic Marko , Petrovic Dejan , Vuckovic Aleksandar , Obradovic Vladimir , Djurovic Dejan
Published: July 2012

The main objective of this paper is to present the advantages of using
Cost-Benefit analysis in energy efficiency projects implemented in public
buildings, and to prove the hypothesis that Cost-Benefit analysis boosts the
effectiveness and efficiency of the said type of projects. The paper offers
theoretical and practical explanation of the implementation of Cost-Benefit
analysis in the relevant area. Since energy efficiency projects in public
buildings usually represent a part of a broader portfolio of similar projects
and their implementation demands allocation of substantial financial
resources, communities are often be interested in achieving maximal economic
and non-economic benefits. This paper aims to demonstrate that Cost-Benefit
analysis can represent an excellent contribution when attempting to select
the projects for implementation within a broader portfolio of energy
efficiency projects in public buildings. This hypothesis was demonstrated by
putting a greater emphasis on non-economic benefits and the costs arising
from implementation of the aforementioned types of projects. In addition, a
practical test of this hypothesis was performed through the implementation of
an energy efficiency portfolio in public buildings, worth several tens of
millions of dollars - the Serbian Energy Efficiency Project. The paper
concludes that the use of Cost-Benefit analysis can help us to effectively
evaluate and manage projects of this type aimed at achieving maximum benefits
for the community in question.
Chemical reaction effects on unsteady MHD free convective flow in a rotating porous medium with mass transfer
Authors: Govindarajan Arunachalam , Chamkha Ali , Kesavan Sundarammal , Vidhya Mohanakrishnan
Published: July 2012

An investigation of unsteady MHD free convective flow and mass transfer
during the motion of a viscous incompressible fluid through a porous medium,
bounded by an infinite vertical porous surface, in a rotating system is
presented. The porous plane surface and the porous medium are assumed to
rotate in a solid body rotation. The vertical surface is subjected to uniform
constant suction perpendicular to it and the temperature at this surface
fluctuates in time about a non-zero constant mean. Analytical expressions for
the velocity, temperature and concentration fields are obtained using the
perturbation technique. The effects of R (rotation parameter), k0
(permeability parameter), M (Hartmann number) and w (frequency parameter) on
the flow characteristics are discussed. It is observed that the primary
velocity component decreases with the increase in either of the rotation
parameter R, the permeability parameter k0, or the Hartmann number M. It is
also noted that the primary skin friction increases whenever there is an
increase in the Grashof number Gr or the modified Grashof number Gm. It is
clear that the heat transfer coefficient in terms of the Nusselt number
decreases in the case of both air and water when there is an increase in the
Hartmann number M. It is observed that the magnitude of the secondary
velocity profiles increases whenever there is an increase in either of the
Grashof number or the modified Grashof number for mass transfer or the
permeability of the porous media. Concentration profiles decreases with an
increase in the Schmidt number.
Estimation of condensate mass flow rate during purging time in heat recovery steam generator of combined cycle power plant
Authors: Ehyaei M.A.
Published: July 2012

In this paper the transient modeling of HRSG (Heat recovery steam generator)
in purging time was considered. In purging time, compressed air from the gas
turbine was used to purge a combustible gas from HRSG. During this time;
steam condensate was formed in the superheater stage which should be drained
completely to avoid some problems such as deformation of superheaters.
Because of this reason, estimation of drain formation is essential to avoid
this problem. In this paper an energy model was provided and this model was
solved by MATLsoftware. Average model error is about 5%. Results show
that, during purge time, steam temperature was decreased from 502 (?C)
(Superheater 2), 392 (?C) (Superheater1) and 266 (?C) (Evaporators 1&2) to
130 (?C), 130 (?C) and 220 (?C), respectively and also steam pressure was
decreased from 52 (bar) to 23(bar) during purge time. At end of purge time,
condensate formation was about 220 (l) when inlet gas temperature was equal
to 100 (?C) and purge gas mass flow rate was equal to 386.86 (kg/s).
Modelling of solar distillation system with phase change material (PCM) storage medium
Authors: Al-Hamadani Ali , Shukla Shailendra
Published: July 2012

An experimental investigation on a passive solar still with myristic acid as
phase change material (PCM) is carried out to examine the effect of both the
mass of PCM and basin water on the daily distillate output and efficiency of
the system under indoor simulated condition. Basic energy balance equations
are written to predict the water and glass temperatures, daily distillate
output and instantaneous efficiency of the single slope solar distillation
system with PCM. It is found that the higher mass of PCM with lower mass of
water in the solar still basin significantly increases the daily yield and
efficiency, but when the amount of PCM exceeds 20 kg productivity reduces.
Therefore, a novel and simple of solar stills with PCM is proposed to enhance
the overall productivity of the distillation system. The new solar still has
increased the distillate output by 35-40%. The use of inner glass cover
temperature for productivity prediction has also been investigated, and the
prediction shows relatively better agreement with the experimental data.
Examining the occurrence of residues of flunixin meglumine in cull dairy cows by use of the flunixin cull cow survey
Authors: Deyrup Cynthia L. , Southern Kristal J. , Cornett Julie A. , Shultz Craig E. , Cera Deborah A.
Published: July 2012

Objective—To determine whether cull dairy cows with signs of certain clinical conditions, termed suspect, are more likely than healthy-appearing cull dairy cows to have violative concentrations of flunixin meglumine in their tissues at slaughter.

Design—Cross-sectional study.

Animals—961 cull dairy cows.

Procedures—Suspect cull dairy cows were selected from 21 beef slaughter establishments with a high production volume of dairy cows, and kidney and liver tissues were collected for screening. Kidney tissues were screened for antibiotics and sulfonamides with the fast antimicrobial screening test (FAST). Liver tissues were screened for flunixin meglumine with an ELISA, and quantitative analysis of ELISA-positive samples was performed with high-performance liquid chromatography. During the same time period, liver tissues from 251 healthy-appearing cull dairy cows were collected for the Food Safety and Inspection Service National Residue Program Scheduled Sampling Plan, but were screened only for flunixin meglumine.

Results—Of 710 suspect cull dairy cows, 50 (7.04%) had liver tissue flunixin concentrations higher than the flunixin tolerance concentration (0.125 ppm). Thirty-one of 168 (18.45%) FAST-positive and 19 of 542 (3.51%) FAST-negative suspect cull dairy cows had violative tissue flunixin concentrations. Two of the 251 (0.80%) healthy-appearing cull dairy cows had violative tissue flunixin concentrations.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Suspect cull dairy cows, especially those that were also FAST positive, had a significantly higher incidence of violative tissue flunixin concentrations than healthy-appearing cull dairy cows at slaughter. Targeted sampling plans for flunixin meglumine in suspect dairy cows can help to support more efficient use of resources and further safeguard the nation's food supply.
Free CR distributions
Authors: Schmalz Gerd , Slovák Jan
Published: July 2012

There are only some exceptional CR dimensions and codimensions such that the geometries enjoy a discrete classification of the pointwise types of the homogeneous models. The cases of CR dimensions n and codimensions n
2 are among the very few possibilities of the so-called parabolic geometries. Indeed, the homogeneous model turns out to be PSU(n+1,n)/P with a suitable parabolic subgroup P. We study the geometric properties of such real (2n+n
2)-dimensional submanifolds in $\mathbb{C}^{n + n^2 } $ for all n > 1. In particular, we show that the fundamental invariant is of torsion type, we provide its explicit computation, and we discuss an analogy to the Fefferman construction of a circle bundle in the hypersurface type CR geometry.
Perturbation technique for unsteady MHD mixed convection periodic flow, heat and mass transfer in micropolar fluid with chemical reaction in the presence of thermal radiation
Authors: Pal Dulal , Talukdar Babulal
Published: July 2012

An analytical study is presented for the problem of unsteady hydromagnetic heat and mass transfer for a micropolar fluid bounded by semi-infinite vertical permeable plate in the presence of first-order chemical reaction, thermal radiation and heat absorption. A uniform magnetic field acts perpendicularly to the porous surface which absorbs the micropolar fluid with a time-dependent suction velocity. The basic partial differential equations are reduced to a system of nonlinear ordinary differential equations which are solved analytically using perturbation technique. Numerical calculations for the analytical expressions are carried out and the results are shown graphically. The effects of the various dimensionless parameters related to the problem on the velocity, angular velocity, temperature and concentration fields are discussed in detail.
Probing the QCD critical point by higher moments of net-proton multiplicity distributions at STAR
Authors: Luo Xiaofeng
Published: July 2012

Higher moments (kurtosis (κ), skewness (S) and variance (σ
2)) of multiplicity distributions are sensitive to the correlation length and can be used to search for the QCD critical point. The moment products κσ
2 and S
σ of net-proton distributions, which are also related to volume independent baryon number susceptibility ratios, can be compared with Lattice QCD and Hadron Resonance Gas (HRG) model calculations. We discuss the recent progress in the higher moments analysis of net-protons multiplicity distributions.
Isolated fracture of hyoid bone as a result of bicycle injury
Authors: Mitrović Slobodan , Nikolić Olivera , Jović Rajko , Nikolić Marijana
Published: July 2012

Authors present a rare case of isolated hyoid bone fractures as a result of a traffic accident. Ten hours before the exam, the patient injured his neck by hitting it against a metal pole which he did not notice while riding a bicycle. Immediately afterwards he felt the pain, and came for an examination due to pain with swallowing. ENT examination discovered no signs of trauma in the oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, larynx and visible part of trachea. Computed tomography discovered an isolated fracture of hyoid bone. After 24 hour observation, patient was discharged for home care, and was shown a swallowing technique which significantly reduces swallowing pain. At control ENT examination 10 days later patient had no complaints. Control CT examination was not performed, as patient refused it.
Geochemical background - an environmental perspective
Authors: Gałuszka Agnieszka , Migaszewski Zdzisław
Published: July 2012

Geochemical background - an environmental perspective

This article presents the concept of geochemical background from an environmental perspective. The idea of establishing the typical concentrations of elements in various environmental compartments, proposed by exploratory geochemists almost 50 years ago was important for the detection of anomalous element concentrations, thus providing a basic tool in the search for new mineral deposits. At present, the knowledge of the geochemical background of hazardous elements is essential for: defining pollution, identifying the source of contamination, and for establishing reliable environmental quality criteria for soils, sediments and surface waters. The article presents geochemical methods of evaluation of anthropogenic influence on the environment and discusses the problem of defining and understanding the term "geochemical background" and related terms in environmental sciences. It also briefly presents methods of geochemical background evaluation based on the results of environmental sample analyses. It stresses the role of geochemical background in our understanding of environmental pollution and pollution prevention.
Geochemical features of fossil fuel contaminants found in urban wastes (Siemianowice Śląskie, Poland)
Authors: Wojtoń Anna , Fabiańska Monika
Published: July 2012

Geochemical features of fossil fuel contaminants found in urban wastes (Siemianowice Śląskie, Poland)

In sludge samples collected in the "Centrum" wastewater treatment plant in Siemianowice Śląskie, Poland, the composition of aliphatic- and aromatic hydrocarbons and polar compound fractions were investigated by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Samples collected in accordance with Polish standards were extracted, the extracts were separated into fractions with preparative thin layer chromatography (TLC), which next were investigated by GC-MS. The following compound groups of the geochemical origin were identified:n-alkanes in the range ofn-C14ton-C.39, acyclic isoprenoids (mainly pristane and phytane), steranes, tri- and pentacyclic triterpanes. Based on the distribution of biomarkers and their parameters, it was established that the dominant component of extractable organic matter in sluge is petroleum material of an unspecified origin. Its geochemical features indicate that its most likely source was crude oil (or its products) of a relatively high degree of thermal maturity (catagenic stage of thermal evolution corresponding to vitrinite reflectance 0.7-0.8%). Aromatic hydrocarbons probably originated from petroleum also, though some of them can be attributed to the products of combustion or to sources such as bituminous coals, the ash from coal/biofuel combustion or coal wastes stored nearby.
Diagenetic signals from ancient human remains - bioarchaeological applications
Authors: Szostek Krzysztof , Stepańczak Beata , Szczepanek Anita , Kępa Małgorzata , Głąb Henryk , Jarosz Paweł , Włodarczak Piotr , Tunia Krzysztof , Pawlyta Jacek , Paluszkiewicz Czesława , Tylko Grzegorz
Published: July 2012

Diagenetic signals from ancient human remains - bioarchaeological applications

This preliminary study examines the potential effects of diagenetic processes on the oxygen-isotope ratios of bone and tooth phosphate (δ18O) from skeletal material of individuals representing the Corded Ware Culture (2500-2400 BC) discovered in Malżyce (Southern Poland). Intra-individual variability of Ca/P, CI, C/P, collagen content (%) and oxygen isotopes was observed through analysis of enamel, dentin and postcranial bones. Using a variety of analytical techniques, it was found that, despite the lack of differences in soil acidity, not all the parts of a skeleton on a given site had been equally exposed to diageneticpost mortemchanges. In a few cases, qualitative changes in the FTIR spectrum of analysed bones were observed. The data suggest that apart from quantitative analyses, i.e., the calculation of Ca/P, CI, C/P and collagen content, qualitative analyses such as examination of the absorbance line are recommended. The degree to which a sample is, contaminated on the basis of any additional, non-biogenic peaks, deemed to be contaminated should also be specified.
H:Q Ratios and Bilateral Leg Strength in College Field and Court Sports Players
Authors: Cheung Roy , Smith Andrew , Wong Del
Published: July 2012

H:Q Ratios and Bilateral Leg Strength in College Field and Court Sports Players

One of the key components in sports injury prevention is the identification of imbalances in leg muscle strength. However, different leg muscle characteristics may occur in large playing area (field) sports and small playing area (court) sports, which should be considered in regular injury prevention assessment. This study examined the isokinetic hamstrings-to-quadriceps (H:Q) ratio and bilateral leg strength balance in 40 male college (age: 23.4 ± 2.5 yrs) team sport players (field sport = 23, soccer players; court sport = 17, volleyball and basketball players). Five repetitions of maximal knee concentric flexion and concentric extension were performed on an isokinetic dynamometer at two speeds (slow: 60 °·s-1 and fast: 300°·s-1) with 3 minutes rest between tests. Both legs were measured in counterbalanced order with the dominant leg being determined as the leg used to kick a ball. The highest concentric peak torque values (Nm) of the hamstrings and quadriceps of each leg were analyzed after body mass normalization (Nm·kg-1). Court sport players showed significantly weaker dominant leg hamstrings muscles at both contraction speeds (P < 0.05). The H:Q ratio was significantly larger in field players in their dominant leg at 60°·s-1 (P < 0.001), and their non-dominant leg at 300°·s-1 (P < 0.001) respectively. Sport-specific leg muscle strength was evident in college players from field and court sports. These results suggest the need for different muscle strength training and rehabilitation protocols for college players according to the musculature requirements in their respective sports.
Effects of Exercise Continued Until Anaerobic Threshold on Balance Performance in Male Basketball Players
Authors: Erkmen Nurtekin , Suveren Sibel , Göktepe Ahmet
Published: July 2012

Effects of Exercise Continued Until Anaerobic Threshold on Balance Performance in Male Basketball Players

The objective of the present study was to determine the effects of exercise continued until the anaerobic threshold on balance performance in basketball players. Twelve male basketball players (age = 20.92 ± 2.81 years, body height = 192.72 ± 7.61 cm, body mass = 88.09 ± 8.41 kg, training experience = 7.17 ± 3.10 years) volunteered to participate in this study. A Kinesthetic Ability Trainer (KAT 2000 stabilometer) was used to measure the balance performance. Balance tests consisted of static tests on dominant, nondominant and double leg stance. The Bruce Protocol was performed by means of a treadmill. The exercise protocol was terminated when the subject passed the anaerobic threshold. After the exercise protocol, balance measurements were immediately repeated. Statistical differences between pre and post-exercise for dominant, nondominant and double leg stance were determined by the paired samples t-test according to the results of the test of normality. The post-exercise balance score on the dominant leg was significantly higher than pre-exercise (t = -2.758, p < 0.05). No differences existed between pre- and postexercise in the balance scores of the nondominant leg after the exercise protocol (t = 0.428, p > 0.05). A significant difference was found between pre and post-exercise balance scores in the double leg stance (t = -2.354, p < 0.05). The main finding of this study was that an incremental exercise continued until the anaerobic threshold decreased balance performance on the dominant leg in basketball players, but did not alter it in the nondominant leg.
Effects of multi-ingredient supplementation on resistance training in young males
Authors: Willems Mark , Sallis Chris , Haskell Jonathan
Published: July 2012

Effects of multi-ingredient supplementation on resistance training in young males

Muscle strength and fatigue resistance increases with resistance training. Resistance training adaptations can be enhanced with single-ingredient or dual-ingredient supplementation but less is known about resistance training adaptations by multi-ingredient supplementation. We examined the effects of a commercial multi-ingredient supplement on resistance training adaptations for training-specific and non-training-specific tasks in young males. Male participants (n = 16, age 21±2 years, body mass 74.5±5.9 kg, body height 177±5 cm) had at least 1 year experience with resistance training exercises. Training (7 muscle groups, 4 sessions/week, weekly adjustments) consisted of two 6 weeks blocks with 4 weeks between blocks. During training, participants consumed placebo (i.e. maltodextrin, n = 7) or the sports nutritional supplement Cyclone (Maximuscle Ltd, UK, n = 9) (main ingredients creatine monohydrate, whey protein, glutamine and HMB) twice daily with one intake <15 min following a training session. Unpaired Student's ttest was used for placebo and Cyclone group comparison of percentage changes with p < 0.05. Effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated for the Cyclone group. Cyclone did not enhance maximal voluntary isometric force (MVIF) (p = 0.56), time to fatigue at 70% MVIF (p = 0.41) and peak concentric strength (60°·s
-1) (p = 0.66) of m.quadriceps femoris (i.e. the non-specific training tasks). For the specific-training tasks, Cyclone did not enhance one-repetition maximum (1-RM) of lateral pull (p = 0.48) but there was a trend and large effect size for 1-RM of bench press (p = 0.07, d = 0.98) and 45° leg press (p = 0.07, d = 1.41). Cyclone resulted in an increase in number of repetitions for 80% pre-training 1-RM for lateral pull (p = 0.02, d = 1.30), bench press (p = 0.03, d = 1.20) with a trend for 45° leg press (p = 0.08, d = 0.96). Cyclone during resistance training enhanced the performance of 1-RM and number of repetitions at 80% of pretraining 1RM of some training-specific tasks, all with large effect sizes. Our observations suggest that Cyclone during resistance training substantially improves the ability to perform training-related tasks.
A Review on the Effects of Soccer Small-Sided Games
Authors: Aguiar Marco , Botelho Goreti , Lago Carlos , Maças Victor , Sampaio Jaime
Published: July 2012

A Review on the Effects of Soccer Small-Sided Games

Over the last years there has been a substantial growth in research related to specific training methods in soccer with a strong emphasis on the effects of small-sided games. The increase of research in this topic is coincident with the increase of popularity obtained by specific soccer conditioning, which involves training players to deal with soccer match situations. Given the limited time available for fitness training in soccer, the effectiveness of small-sided games as a conditioning stimulus needs to be optimized to allow players to compete at the highest level. Available studies indicate that physiological responses (e.g. heart rate, blood lactate concentration and rating of perceived exertion), tactical and technical skill requirements can be modified during small-sided games by altering factors such as the number of players, the size of the pitch, the rules of the game, and coach encouragement. However, because of the lack of consistency in small-sided games design, player fitness, age, ability, level of coach encouragement, and playing rules in each of these studies, it is difficult to make accurate conclusions on the influence of each of these factors separately.
Stability Ball Training on Lower Back Strength has Greater Effect in Untrained Female Compared to Male
Authors: Sukalinggam Chandra , Sukalinggam Gabriel , Kasim Fajar , Yusof Ashril
Published: July 2012

Stability Ball Training on Lower Back Strength has Greater Effect in Untrained Female Compared to Male

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of short-term stability ball (SB) training on males and females by comparing the strength changes produced in the core muscles. Forty-two previously untrained subjects, mean age = 23.62 ± 2.89 years were matched by their maximum strength (back strength: male = 190-200 kg, female = 45-50 kg and abdominal strength: male = 110-120 kg, female = 35-40 kg 1RM) and randomly placed in either one of these 3 groups; unstable SB group (n = 14), stable floor group (n = 14) and control group (n = 14) who did no exercise. SB training showed greatest improvement (p < 0.001) in back and abdominal strength (25.79 % and 29.51 % respectively), compared with the gain in floor training (FT) back and abdominal strength (10.28 % and 8.47 % respectively). Untrained female subjects achieved a higher percentage of improvement in strength compared to males in both back and abdominal muscles, and this is most evident in the SB training group. It is apparent that performing core training exercises on unstable surfaces stressed the musculature, possibly activating the neuro-adaptive mechanisms that led to the early phase gains in strength.
Innovativeness of Poland's Economy – Conditions and Prospects for Development
Authors: Kasperkiewicz Witolod
Published: July 2012

This paper considers the very important issue of innovativeness of Poland’s economy with particular attention given to its innovation strategy. The major thesis of the paper argues that the growth of innovativeness of the Polish economy requires structural, institutional, and financial changes in the long run. The analysis is based on the set of indices reported by the European Commission, the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Washington, and UNU – MERIT Maastricht University. The structure of the article is as follows: the introduction is followed by an assessment of the level of innovativeness of Poland’s economy, explanation of the reasons of poor innovativeness, and then the conditions for innovation in Poland are outlined with particular emphasis on strategic aspects and the final part presents synthetic conclusions derived from the analysis.
Improving the Consistency and Continuity of MODIS 8 Day Leaf Area Index Products
Authors: Kandasamy Sivasathivel , Neveux Philippe , Verger Aleixandre , Buis Samuel , Weiss Marie , Baret Frédéric
Published: July 2012

Improving the Consistency and Continuity of MODIS 8 Day Leaf Area Index Products

Time Series Analysis of Leaf Area Index (LAI) is vital to the understanding of global vegetation dynamics. The LAI time series derived from satellite observations are usually not complete and noisy due to cloud contamination and uncertainties in the retrieval techniques. In this paper, the continuity and consistency of the MODIS 8 day LAI products are improved using a method based on Caterpillar Singular Spectrum Analysis. The proposed method is compared with other standard methods: Savitzky-Golay filter, Empirical Mode Decomposition, Low Pass filtering and Asymmetric Gaussian fitting. The experiment demonstrates the smoothing and gapfilling ability of the developed method, which is more robust across the biomes both in terms of root mean square error metrics and bias metrics as compared to the standard methods.
Predictive Maintenance Sensors Placement by Combinatorial Optimization
Authors: Borissova Daniela , Mustakerov Ivan , Doukovska Lyubka
Published: July 2012

Predictive Maintenance Sensors Placement by Combinatorial Optimization

The strategy of predictive maintenance monitoring is important for successful system damage detection. Maintenance monitoring utilizes dynamic response information to identify the possibility of damage. The basic factors of faults detection analysis are related to properties of the structure under inspection, collect the signals and appropriate signals processing. In vibration control, structures response sensing is limited by the number of sensors or the number of input channels of the data acquisition system. An essential problem in predictive maintenance monitoring is the optimal sensor placement. The paper addresses that problem by using mixed integer linear programming tasks solving. The proposed optimal sensors location approach is based on the difference between sensor information if sensor is present and information calculated by linear interpolation if sensor is not present. The tasks results define the optimal sensors locations for a given number of sensors. The results of chosen sensors locations give as close as possible repeating the curve of structure dynamic response function. The proposed approach is implemented in an algorithm for predictive maintenance and the numerical results indicate that together with intelligent signal processing it could be suitable for practical application.
Is polychaete diversity in the deep sublittoral of an Antarctic fiord related to habitat complexity?
Authors: Pabis Krzysztof , Siciński Jacek
Published: July 2012

Is polychaete diversity in the deep sublittoral of an Antarctic fiord related to habitat complexity?

Seventy-six species of Polychaeta were found in 19 quantitative samples collected in the deep sublittoral (200-500 m) of Admiralty Bay (South Shetlands). Three assemblages were distinguished by similarity analysis (clustering, nMDS). The soft bottom in depths from 200 to 300m was strongly dominated byMaldane sarsi antarcticaand had very low species richness and diversity. The second assemblage was distinguished in the areas of the sea floor in the same depth range but with aggregations of Ascidiacea and Bryozoa. It was again characterized by high abundance ofMaldane sarsi antarctica, but showed significantly higher species richness and diversity. Diversity of polychaete feeding guilds was also high in these areas. This pattern was probably associated with an increased habitat complexity due to the presence of dense aggregations of large suspension feeders. High species richness and diversity was also noted in the third assemblage, associated with the deepest sublittoral (400-500 m) of Admiralty Bay. This is the area characterized by very stable environmental conditions, where the assemblage was dominated byTharyx cincinnatus, Sternaspissp.,Maldane sarsi antarctica, andAsychis amphiglypta.
Surface and bed morphology of Hansbreen, a tidewater glacier in Spitsbergen
Authors: Grabiec Mariusz , Jania Jacek , Puczko Dariusz , Kolondra Leszek , Budzik Tomasz
Published: July 2012

Surface and bed morphology of Hansbreen, a tidewater glacier in Spitsbergen

Hansbreen, a medium size tidewater glacier in Southern Spitsbergen (Svalbard) is one of the most intensively studied glaciers in the Arctic. This work presents new digital elevation models of its surface and basal topography based on data collected during GPS/GPR campaigns conducted in the spring seasons of 2005 and 2008, as well as on other recent topographic/bathymetric sources. The mean thickness of the glacier is calculated as 171 m and its volume is estimated to be 9.6 (±0.1) km3. The main feature of the bedrock morphology is a vast depression that is overdeepened below sea level and extends as far as 11 km upstream from the glacier front. This depression is divided into four individual basins by distinct sills that are related to the main geological/tectonic features of the area. The bedrock morphology affects considerably the glacier's surface topography. The influence of bedrock and surface relief on the subglacial drainage system geometry is discussed. Vast depressions on the glacier surface favor concentration of meltwater and development of moulin systems.
Records of the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) nests with two fledged young without human intervention in Slovakia
Authors: Maderič Boris , Danko Štefan , Dravecký Miroslav
Published: July 2012

Records of the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) nests with two fledged young without human intervention in Slovakia

An intensive research of the Lesser Spotted Eagle biology is conducted in Slovakia since the 80ties of the 20th century. A lot of attention has been paid to the process of cainism. Despite this strong feature in the species bionomy, scarcely cainism is overcome and 2 young fledge from a single nest without human intervention. In 1981 the first finding of this kind was recorded in Slovakia. Since then until the year 2008 there were 64 records of this kind out of 1775 surveyed productive breedings recorded in Slovakia. In the mentioned time period, it represents 3.61 % on average (in individual years it varied from 1.15-9.65 %) when 2 young fledged from a single nest without human intervention.
Cainism, nestling management in Germany in 2004-2007 and satellite tracking of juveniles in the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina)
Authors: Meyburg Bernd-Ulrich , Graszynski Kai , Langgemach Torsten , Sömmer Paul , Bergmanis Ugis
Published: July 2012

Cainism, nestling management in Germany in 2004-2007 and satellite tracking of juveniles in the Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina)

The Lesser Spotted Eagle belongs to a species with obligatory cainism, which means that in the natural state it is rare that two young eagles fledge, although as a rule two chick's hatch. The breeding population in Germany is at the western edge of the species' range and is declining (a 23% decrease between 1993 and 2007). Local extinction can be anticipated and therefore nestling management has been implemented in the German federal state of Brandenburg since 2004 as a conservation measure by using human intervention to prevent the death of the younger sibling. This is in addition to other methods such as nest-site protection, habitat preservation, legislation etc. Furthermore, in 2007, second hatched eagle chicks (Abels) from Latvia were translocated for the first time. The managed pairs (nests physically inspected) were on average more successful than the unmanaged pairs (nests not physically inspected). It cannot be determined as to whether the inspection of the nests had a negative effect on breeding. Breeding success of the pairs present in Brandenburg, including non-breeders, increased by 57 % in 2007 due to nestling management, and that of the managed pairs alone by 67 %. In 2007 the behaviour of six young eagles was studied using satellite telemetry. This study determined that the Abels migrated as well as the first hatched eagle chicks (Cains), and that their survival chances were equally good. The Abels imported from Latvia migrated in two out of three cases along the same route as the German Lesser Spotted Eagles to the Bosporus. One Latvian Abel which fledged in Germany was tracked by satellite to Zambia where many Lesser Spotted Eagles winter. A German Abel wintered North of the Equator in the Sudan and neighbouring countries for over six months and started its return migration on 27 April 2008.
Evaluation of the Possibilities of Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide in Aqueous Suspensions of Selected Fly Ash
Authors: Uliasz-Bocheńczyk Alicja , Gawlicki Marek , Pomykała Radosław
Published: July 2012

Ocena możliwooeci sekwestracji ditlenku węgla w wodnych zawiesinach wybranych popiołów lotnych

Energetyka zawodowa jest największym emitentem antropogenicznego ditlenku węgla. Podstawowymi paliwami w Polsce są paliwa stałe - węgiel kamienny oraz węgiel brunatny, w procesach spalania których powstają znaczne ilooeci odpadów, głównie popiołów lotnych. Popioły z węgla brunatnego, ze względu na skład chemiczny i fazowy, a tym samym właoeciwooeci, mają dotychczas ograniczone zastosowanie gospodarcze. Jedną z możliwooeci ich wykorzystania jest mineralna sekwestracja ditlenku węgla, ze względu na relatywnie dużą zawartość aktywnych CaO i MgO, które mogą reagować z ditlenkiem węgla w zawiesinach wodnych. W artykule przedstawiono teoretyczną pojemność związania oraz wyniki badań pochłaniania CO2 przez zawiesiny popiołowo-wodne sporz ądzone z popiołów lotnych ze spalania węgla brunatnego z El. Pątnów i El. Turów. Obliczona dla badanych popiołów maksymalna teoretyczna pojemność związania ditlenku węgla wyniosła odpowiednio: 14% dla popio łów z El. Pątnów oraz 14,4% dla popiołów z El. Turów. Badania wykazały, że najwięcej CO2 - 8,15 g/100 g popiołu - zostało pochłonięte przez zawiesiny sporządzone z popiołu fluidalnego z El. Turów o stosunku masowym popiołu do wody wynoszącym 0,8:1. W przypadku popiołu z El. Pątnów pochłanianie było mniejsze i wyniosło maksymalnie 8,7 g CO2/100 g popiołu. Największy przyrost pochłaniania CO2 obserwowano w pierwszych 30 minutach prowadzenia procesu karbonatyzacji w zawiesinach popiołu lotnego z El. Pątnów i pierwszych 15 minutach w zawiesinach popiołu lotnego z El. Turów. Po tym czasie pochłanianie wzrastało już powoli. Stwierdzono wzrost temperatury w komorach instalacji, potwierdzający zachodzenie procesu karbonatyzacji oraz jej endotermiczny charakter. Najwyższą temperaturę - 44,8°C zarejestrowano w zawiesinie popiołów z El. Turów o stosunku popiołu do wody - 0,8:1, w której stwierdzono również największe pochłanianie CO2. Przedstawione wyniki badań potwierdzają przydatność tych popiołów do sekwestracji ditlenku węgla.
A wireless subglacial probe for deep ice applications
Authors: Smeets C.J.P.P. , Boot W. , Hubbard A. , Pettersson R. , Wilhelms F. , Van Den Broeke M.R. , Van De Wal R.S.W.
Published: July 2012

We present the design and first results from two experiments using a wireless subglacial sensor system (WiSe) that is able to transmit data through 2500 m thick ice. Energy consumption of the probes is minimized, enabling the transmission of data for at least 10 years. In July 2010 the first prototype of the system was used to measure subglacial pressure at the base and a temperature profile consisting of 23 probes in two 600 m deep holes at Russell Glacier, a land-terminating part of the West Greenland ice sheet near Kangerlussuaq. The time series of subglacial pressure show very good agreement between data from the WiSe system and the wired reference system. The wireless-measured temperature data were validated by comparison with the theoretical decrease of melting point with water pressure inside the water-filled hole directly after installation. To test the depth range of the WiSe system a second experiment using three different probe types and two different surface antennas was performed inside the 2537 m deep hole at NEEM. It is demonstrated that, with the proper combination of transmission power and surface antenna type, the WiSe system transmits data through 2500 m thick ice.
Impact of Molecular Technologies on Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Breeding Strategies
Authors: Gnanasambandam Annathurai , Paull Jeff , Torres Ana , Kaur Sukhjiwan , Leonforte Tony , Li Haobing , Zong Xuxiao , Yang Tao , Materne Michael
Published: July 2012

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a major food and feed legume because of the high nutritional value of its seeds. The main objectives of faba bean breeding are to improve yield, disease resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, seed quality and other agronomic traits. The partial cross-pollinated nature of faba bean introduces both challenges and opportunities for population development and breeding. Breeding methods that are applicable to self-pollinated crops or open-pollinated crops are not highly suitable for faba bean. However, traditional breeding methods such as recurrent mass selection have been established in faba bean and used successfully in breeding for resistance to diseases. Molecular breeding strategies that integrate the latest innovations in genetics and genomics with traditional breeding strategies have many potential applications for future faba bean cultivar development. Hence, considerable efforts have been undertaken in identifying molecular markers, enriching genetic and genomic resources using high-throughput sequencing technologies and improving genetic transformation techniques in faba bean. However, the impact of research on practical faba bean breeding and cultivar release to farmers has been limited due to disconnects between research and breeding objectives and the high costs of research and implementation. The situation with faba bean is similar to other small crops and highlights the need for coordinated, collaborative research programs that interact closely with commercially focused breeding programs to ensure that technologies are implemented effectively.
Fat Triangulations, Curvature and Quasiconformal Mappings
Authors: Saucan Emil , Katchalski Meir
Published: July 2012

We investigate the interplay between the existence of fat triangulations, P L approximations of Lipschitz–Killing curvatures and the existence of quasiconformal mappings. In particular we prove that if there exists a quasiconformal mapping between two P L or smooth n-manifolds, then their Lipschitz–Killing curvatures are bilipschitz equivalent. An extension to the case of almost Riemannian manifolds, of a previous existence result of quasimeromorphic mappings on manifolds due to the first author is also given.
Valued Graphs and the Representation Theory of Lie Algebras
Authors: Lemay Joel
Published: July 2012

Quivers (directed graphs), species (a generalization of quivers) and their representations play a key role in many areas of mathematics including combinatorics, geometry, and algebra. Their importance is especially apparent in their applications to the representation theory of associative algebras, Lie algebras, and quantum groups. In this paper, we discuss the most important results in the representation theory of species, such as Dlab and Ringel’s extension of Gabriel’s theorem, which classifies all species of finite and tame representation type. We also explain the link between species and K-species (where K is a field). Namely, we show that the category of K -species can be viewed as a subcategory of the category of species. Furthermore, we prove two results about the structure of the tensor ring of a species containing no oriented cycles. Specifically, we prove that two such species have isomorphic tensor rings if and only if they are isomorphic as “crushed” species, and we show that if K is a perfect field, then the tensor algebra of a K -species tensored with the algebraic closure of K is isomorphic to, or Morita equivalent to, the path algebra of a quiver.
Breaking Barriers to an AIDS Model with Macaque-Tropic HIV-1 Derivatives
Authors: Thippeshappa Rajesh , Ruan Hongmei , Kimata Jason T.
Published: July 2012

The development of an animal model of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)/AIDS that is suitable for preclinical testing of antiretroviral therapy, vaccines, curative strategies, and studies of pathogenesis has been hampered by the human-specific tropism of HIV-1. Although simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) or HIV-1/SIV chimeric viruses (SHIVs)-rhesus macaque models are excellent surrogates for AIDS research, the genetic differences between SIV or SHIV and HIV-1 limit their utility as model systems. The identification of innate retroviral restriction factors has increased our understanding about blockades to HIV-1 replication in macaques and provided a guide for the construction of macaque-tropic HIV-1 clones. However, while these viruses replicate in macaque cells in vitro, they are easily controlled and have not caused AIDS in host animals, indicating that we may not fully understand the restrictive barriers of innate immunity. In this review, we discuss recent findings regarding HIV-1 restriction factors, particularly as they apply to cross-species transmission of primate lentiviruses and the development of a macaque model of HIV-1/AIDS.
Information Theory Estimators for the First-Order Spatial Autoregressive Model
Authors: Perevodchikov Evgeniy V. , Marsh Thomas L. , Mittelhammer Ron C.
Published: July 2012

Information theoretic estimators for the first-order spatial autoregressive model are introduced, small sample properties are investigated, and the estimator is applied empirically. Monte Carlo experiments are used to compare finite sample performance of more traditional spatial estimators to three different information theoretic estimators, including maximum empirical likelihood, maximum empirical exponential likelihood, and maximum log Euclidean likelihood. Information theoretic estimators are found to be robust to selected specifications of spatial autocorrelation and may dominate traditional estimators in the finite sample situations analyzed, except for the quasi-maximum likelihood estimator which competes reasonably well. The information theoretic estimators are illustrated via an application to hedonic housing pricing.
Multivariate Multi-Scale Permutation Entropy for Complexity Analysis of Alzheimer’s Disease EEG
Authors: Morabito Francesco Carlo , Labate Domenico , La Foresta Fabio , Bramanti Alessia , Morabito Giuseppe , Palamara Isabella
Published: July 2012

An original multivariate multi-scale methodology for assessing the complexity of physiological signals is proposed. The technique is able to incorporate the simultaneous analysis of multi-channel data as a unique block within a multi-scale framework. The basic complexity measure is done by using Permutation Entropy, a methodology for time series processing based on ordinal analysis. Permutation Entropy is conceptually simple, structurally robust to noise and artifacts, computationally very fast, which is relevant for designing portable diagnostics. Since time series derived from biological systems show structures on multiple spatial-temporal scales, the proposed technique can be useful for other types of biomedical signal analysis. In this work, the possibility of distinguish among the brain states related to Alzheimer’s disease patients and Mild Cognitive Impaired subjects from normal healthy elderly is checked on a real, although quite limited, experimental database.
The Characteristics of the Exergy Reference Environment and Its Implications for Sustainability-Based Decision-Making
Authors: Gaudreau Kyrke , Fraser Roydon A. , Murphy Stephen
Published: July 2012

In the energy realm there is a pressing need to make decisions in a complex world characterized by biophysical limits. Exergy has been promoted as a preferred means of characterizing the impacts of resource consumption and waste production for the purpose of improving decision-making. This paper provides a unique and critical analysis of universal and comprehensive formulations of the chemical exergy reference environment, for the purpose of better understanding how exergy can inform decision-making. Four related insights emerged from the analysis, notably: (1) standard and universal chemical exergy reference environments necessarily encounter internal inconsistencies and even contradictions in their very formulations; (2) these inconsistencies are a result of incompatibility between the exergy reference environment and natural environment, and the desire to model the exergy reference environment after the natural environment so as to maintain analytical relevance; (3) the topics for which exergy is most appropriate as an analytical tool are not well served by comprehensive reference environments, and (4) the inconsistencies point to a need for deeper reflection of whether it is appropriate to adopt a thermodynamic frame of analysis for situations whose relevant characteristics are non-thermodynamic (e.g., to characterize scarcity). The use of comprehensive reference environments may lead to incorrect recommendations and ultimately reduce its appeal for informing decision-making. Exergy may better inform decision-making by returning to process dependent reference states that model specific processes and situations for the purpose of engineering optimization.