bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Model of Cu-Al-Fe-Ni Bronze Crystallization
Authors: Pisarek B. P.
Published: September 2013

According to the analysis of the current state of the knowledge shows that there is little information on the process of phase transformations that occur during the cooling Cu-Al-Fe-Ni hypo-eutectoid bronzes with additions of Cr, Mo and/or W, made additions individually or together, for the determination of: the type of crystallizing phases, crystallizing phases, order and place of their nucleation. On the basis of recorded using thermal and derivative analysis of thermal effects phases crystallization or their systems, analysis of the microstructure formed during crystallization - observed on the metallographic specimen casting ATD10-PŁ probe, analysis of the existing phase equilibrium diagrams forming elements tested Cu-Al-Fe-Ni bronze, with additions of Cr, Mo, W and/or Si developed an original model of crystallization and phase transformation in the solid state, the casting of high quality Cu-Al-Fe-Ni bronze comprising: crystallizing type phase, crystallizing phase sequence, place of nucleation.
Variable Gravity Effects on Thermal Instability of Nanofluid in Anisotropic Porous Medium
Authors: Chand R. , Rana G.C. , Kumar S.
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we study the effects of variable gravity on thermal instability in a horizontal layer of a nanofluid in an anisotropic porous medium. Darcy model been used for the porous medium. Also, it incorporates the effect of Brownian motion along with thermophoresis. The normal mode technique is used to find the confinement between two free boundaries. The expression of the Rayleigh number has been derived, and the effects of variable gravity and anisotropic parameters on the Rayleigh number have been presented graphically
Numerical Solution of Non-Newtonian Fluids Flow Past an Accelerated Vertical Infinite Plate in the Presence of Free Convection Currents
Authors: Patel M. , Timol M.G.
Published: September 2013

A similarity analysis of non-Newtonian fluid flow past an accelerated vertical infinite plate in the presence of free convection current is carried out. A group theoretic generalized dimensional analysis is employed to achieve the governing non-linear ordinary differential equations in the most general form. Numerical solutions of these equations are given with the plot of their velocity profiles with the effects of Pr-Prandtl number and Gr-Grashof number
Response of Non-Linear Shock Absorbers-Boundary Value Problem Analysis
Authors: Rahman M.A. , Ahmed U. , Uddin M.S.
Published: September 2013

A nonlinear boundary value problem of two degrees-of-freedom (DOF) untuned vibration damper systems using nonlinear springs and dampers has been numerically studied. As far as untuned damper is concerned, sixteen different combinations of linear and nonlinear springs and dampers have been comprehensively analyzed taking into account transient terms. For different cases, a comparative study is made for response versus time for different spring and damper types at three important frequency ratios: one at r = 1, one at r > 1 and one at r <1. The response of the system is changed because of the spring and damper nonlinearities; the change is different for different cases. Accordingly, an initially stable absorber may become unstable with time and vice versa. The analysis also shows that higher nonlinearity terms make the system more unstable. Numerical simulation includes transient vibrations. Although problems are much more complicated compared to those for a tuned absorber, a comparison of the results generated by the present numerical scheme with the exact one shows quite a reasonable agreement
Effects of Chemical Reaction on Magneto-Micropolar Fluid Flow from a Radiative Surface with Variable Permeability
Authors: Sharma B.K. , Singh A.P. , Yadav K. , Chaudhary R.C.
Published: September 2013

This paper presents a study of a hydromagnetic free convection flow of an electrically conducting micropolar fluid past a vertical plate through a porous medium with a heat source, taking into account the homogeneous chemical reaction of first order. A uniform magnetic field has also been considered in the study which acts perpendicular to the porous surface of the above plate. The analysis has been done by assuming varying permeability of the medium and the Rosseland approximation has been used to describe the radiative heat flux in the energy equation. Numerical results are presented graphically in the form of velocity, micro- rotation, concentration and temperature profiles, the skin-friction coefficient, the couple stress coefficient, the rate of heat and mass transfers at the wall for different material parameters. The study clearly demonstrates how a chemical reaction influences the above parameters under given conditions
Non-Perturbative Solution for Hydromagnetic Flow Over a Linearly Stretching Sheet
Authors: Makinde O.D. , Mahabaleswar U.S. , Maheshkumar N.
Published: September 2013

In this paper, the Adomian decomposition method with Padé approximants are integrated to study the boundary layer flow of a conducting fluid past a linearly stretching sheet under the action of a transversely imposed magnetic field. A closed form power series solution based on Adomian polynomials is obtained for the similarity nonlinear ordinary differential equation modelling the problem. In order to satisfy the farfield condition, the Adomian power series is converted to diagonal Padé approximants and evaluated. The results obtained using ADM-Padé are remarkably accurate compared with the numerical results. The proposed technique can be easily employed to solve a wide range of nonlinear boundary value problems
Method of Skeletal System Modelling
Authors: Olszewski Henryk , Wojnicz Wiktoria , Wittbrodt Edmund
Published: September 2013

An original method of skeletal system modelling is presented in detail. Using DICOM images obtained from CT and PET tests, shell models of nine bones were created (humerus, radius, ulna, scapula, clavicle, femur, tibia, fibula, pelvis). Two methods of bone behaviour are also proposed, the first method treating the bone as a solid structure and the second method treating the bone as a complex porous structure. The behaviour of model parts is numerically examined by using the finite element method
Rigid Finite Elements and Multibody Modelling used in Estimation and Reduction of Rod Vibrations
Authors: Lipinski Krzysztof
Published: September 2013

In the paper, a mechanical set composed of a robot (manipulator) and of an elastic beam is considered. The beam is fixed to the top of the robot structure. In most of similar cases, undesired vibrations can be excited in the beam. They create an especially significant problem when dynamics in the robot braking period is examined. In the paper, estimation and modification of length of the braking period is proposed, in order to reduce the undesired vibrations. Investigations are restricted to numerical models, only. The rigid finite elements modelling and the multibody modelling are used together to obtain the numerical model required for the system. Instead of the classical rigid finite elements, its modified version is used, where some of the relative deformations are locked between the neighbour elements. As a result, sizes of the obtained matrices can be reduced as well as the time of the numerical calculations.
Modelling Articulated Vehicles with a Flexible Semi-Trailer
Authors: Warwas Kornel , Adamiec-Wójcik Iwona
Published: September 2013

The paper presents a model of an articulated vehicle with a flexible frame of a semi-trailer. The rigid finite element method in a modified formulation is used for discretisation of the frame. In order to carry out effective numerical simulation, a reduced model with a considerably smaller number of degrees of freedom is proposed. The parameters of the reduced model are chosen in an optimization process by using a genetic algorithm. To this end, it is assumed that the full and reduced model have to be similar in the range of static deflections and frequencies of free vibrations. Numerical simulations are concerned with the influence of the flexibility of the frame on the motion of the articulated vehicle during an overtaking maneuver. Results are presented and discussed
Computer Aided Stereometric Evaluation of Porostructuralosteoconductive Properties of Intra-Osseous Implant Porous Coatings
Authors: Uklejewski Ryszard , Winiecki Mariusz , Rogala Piotr
Published: September 2013

The proper interaction of bone tissue - the natural porous biomaterial - with a porous coated intra-osseous implant is conditioned, among others, by the implant porous coating poroaccessibility for bone tissue adaptive ingrowth. The poroaccessibility is the ability of implant porous coating outer layer to accommodate the ingrowing bone tissue filling in its pore space and effective new formed bone mineralizing in the pores to form a biomechanically functional bone-implant fixation. The functional features of the microtopography of intra-osseous implant porous surfaces together with the porosity of pore space of the outer layer of the porous coating are called by bioengineers the porostructural-osteoconductive properties of the porous coated implant. The properties are crucial for successful adaptive bone tissue ingrowth and further long-term (secondary) biomechanical stability of the boneimplant interface. The poroaccessibility of intra-osseous implants porous coating outer layers is characterized by - the introduced in our previous papers - set of stereometric parameters of poroaccessibility: the effective volumetric porosity fVef, the index of the porous coating space capacity VPM, the representative surface porosity fSrep, the representative pore size pSrep, the representative angle of the poroaccessibility Wrep and the bone-implant interface adhesive surface enlargement index y. Presented in this paper, an original method of evaluation of the porostructural-osteoconductive properties of intra-osseous implant porous coatings outer layer by means of the parameters of poroaccessibility was preliminary verified during experimental tests performed on the representative examples of porous coated femoral stems and acetabular cups of various hip endoprostheses. The computer-aided stereometric evaluation of the microstructure of implant porous coatings outer layer can be now realized by the authoring application software PoroAccess_1.0 elaborated in our research team in Java programming language
Filtering Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS) Altitude Data
Authors: Palacios Rafael , Hansman R. John
Published: September 2013

Enhanced Traffic Management System (ETMS) stores all the information gathered by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from aircraft flying in the US airspace. The data stored from each flight includes the 4D trajectory (latitude, longitude, altitude and timestamp), radar data and flight plan information. Unfortunately, there is a data quality problem in the vertical channel and the altitude component of the trajectories contains some isolated samples in which a wrong value was stored. Overall, the data is generally accurate and it was found that only 0.3% of the altitude values were incorrect, however the impact of these erroneous data in some analyses could be important, motivating the development of a filtering procedure. The approach developed for filtering ETMS altitude data includes some specific algorithms for problems found in this particular dataset, and a novel filter to correct isolated bad samples (named Despeckle filter). As a result, all altitude errors were eliminated in 99.7% of the flights affected by noise, while preserving the original values of the samples without bad data. The algorithm presented in this paper attains better results than standard filters such as the median filter, and it could be applied to any signal affected by noise in the form of spikes
A Smart and Distributed Measurement System to Acquire and Analyze Mechanical Motion Parameters
Authors: Pereira J.M. Dias , Viegas Vítor , Postolache Octavian , Girão Pedro Silva
Published: September 2013

This paper presents a low-cost and smart measurement system to acquire and analyze mechanical motion parameters. The measurement system integrates several measuring nodes that include one or more triaxial accelerometers, a temperature sensor, a data acquisition unit and a wireless communication unit. Particular attention was dedicated to measurement system accuracy and compensation of measurement errors caused by power supply voltage variations, by temperature variations and by accelerometers’ misalignments. Mathematical relationships for error compensation were derived and software routines for measurement system configuration, data acquisition, data processing, and self-testing purposes were developed. The paper includes several simulation and experimental results obtained from an assembled prototype based on a crank-piston mechanism
Actinomyces Ruminicola G10 - The Rumen Bacterium Recovered from Glycerol Enriched Cultivation Media
Authors: Vandžurová Anna , Bódy Gabriel , Javorský Peter , Pristaš Peter
Published: September 2013

Gradual increasing of glycerol concentration up to 10% using sheep ruminal fluid as an inoculum for in vitro cultivation was accompanied by significant changes in bacterial population as documented by DGGE analysis. The resulting bacterial consortium was composed of three dominant bacteria with Actinomyces related bacterium to be predominant. Upon cultivation on media with glycerol as a sole carbon source a single bacterium was cultivated from this consortium. Isolate G10 was found to be anaerobic, Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that G10 isolate is related to the Actinomyces ruminicola species (97.7% of similarity). The role of rumen actinobacteria is largely unknown and their participation in glycerol utilization (tolerance) has not been described yet. The G10 bacterium and related consortium could be possibly used to improve glycerol tolerance and uptake by ruminants
On the Social Nature of Linguistic Prescriptions
Authors: Miłkowski Marcin
Published: September 2013

The paper proposes an empirical method to investigate linguistic prescriptions as inherent corrective behaviors. The behaviors in question may but need not necessarily be supported by any explicit knowledge of rules. It is possible to gain insight into them, for example by extracting information about corrections from revision histories of texts (or by analyzing speech corpora where users correct themselves or one another). One easily available source of such information is the revision history of Wikipedia. As is shown, the most frequent and short corrections are limited to linguistic errors such as typos (and editorial conventions adopted in Wikipedia). By perusing an automatically generated revision corpus, one gains insight into the prescriptive nature of language empirically. At the same time, the prescriptions offered are not reducible to descriptions of the most frequent linguistic use.
The Utilization of Rapeseed for Biofuels Production in the EU
Authors: Zentková Iveta , Cvengrošová Eva
Published: September 2013

Biofuels production has risen rapidly in the past decade. Growing tendency can be expected in the future if national governments will continue in achievement of higher share of ‘green energy’. Diversification and self-sufficiency in energy and environmental aspects should underpin national and international policy. Consumption of biofuels in the transport sector has been significantly increasing since 2000. Biofuels produced in the EU are mostly first-generation biofuels, mainly produced from agricultural raw materials. The aim of the article is utilization assessment of the main agriculture crop used in biofuels production in the EU, which is rapeseed. For achievement of the research objective have been used analysis methods, basic statistical indices, the share of rapeseed production used in industrial purposes estimation and self - sufficiency index. The results of the research confirm authors’ expectations concerning shifting of agricultural production primarily intended for food and feed production to industrial purposes due to continually growing demand for biofuels.
National mental health policy – 1996, what has been achieved: a review
Authors: Upadhaya KD
Published: September 2013

Neuropsychiatry conditions account for a significant proportion of the global burden of disease. Significant numbers of people of developing economies of the world often tend to be deprived of quality mental health services and even if they receive them and they tend not be evidence based. In such condition policies on mental health act as guides to render quality mental health services at affordable price to the needy population. The paper presents a review the mental health policy of Nepal-1996 on the basis of the basic objectives outlined by the policy and also tries to analyze whether those objectives have been attained as of date. The focus on four major aspect of the policy document i.e. access and availability to basic mental health services, development of required manpower, protection of fundamental human rights of mentally ill, improve awareness about mental health, mental disorders, and the promotion of mentally healthy life styles. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpan.v2i1.8567 J Psychiatrists’ Association of Nepal Vol .2, No.1, 2013 2-6
Study of psychiatric morbidity of patients attending free mental health check up camp, Simara, Bara district of Nepal
Authors: Sedain CP
Published: September 2013

Introduction: Maryknoll Nepal has been running community mental health clinics different part of the country. The aim of the study was to find out psychiatric morbidity of patients attending Maryknoll free check up clinic Simara, Bara district of Nepal. Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study comprised of all consecutive patients attending Maryknoll free check up clinic Simara, Bara district, Nepal. All the patients attending the free clinics were taken as cases. The study was conducted in January 2009. Demographic data and disease profile of 87 patients attending the clinic were analyzed. The ratios and proportions were used for statistical analysis. Results: Data from Simara free mental health clinic shows that the male to female ratio was 0.55:0.44.The age group 30-39(N-25, 28.74%) followed by age group 20-29 (N-19, 21.84%) was the commonest. The farmer were (N-49, 56.31 %) the most common visitor. The highest number of cases were depressive disorder (N-16, 18.93 %) followed by mania/BPAD (N-14, 16.09 %) and Schizophrenia (N-12, 13.73 %). Conclusion: The commonest incidence of psychiatric illness attending the free clinic is depressive disorder and mania/BPAD. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpan.v2i1.8572 J Psychiatrists’ Association of Nepal Vol .2, No.1, 2013 30-34
Promoting Mental Health for healthier subsistence
Authors: Upadhya KD
Published: September 2013

Mental health is not merely an absence of mental illness. It’s also a relationship between an individual and the society that the individual dwells and all the social process and institutions that a society embodies within. There exist several personal and environmental factors culminating into some form of mental illness. Therefore prevention of these factors helps prevent mental illness or delay their onset for timely intervention. Various public health strategies have genuine implications in day to day life an individual and population at large. The combination of mental health with such public health strategies will have synergistic effect. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpan.v2i1.8574 J Psychiatrists’ Association of Nepal Vol .2, No.1, 2013 39-42
Use of Multisource Global Positioning System Data to Characterize Multiday Driving Patterns and Fuel Usage in a Large Urban Region
Authors: Venter Christoffel J. , Joubert Johan W.
Published: September 2013

The paper describes the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) data obtained from commercial and project-specific sources to examine the travel behavior and fuel consumption patterns of drivers over a 3-day period in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Data for commercial (truck and light delivery vehicle) traffic were obtained from a commercial fleet management provider that continuously tracked the movements of 42,000 vehicles. Data for private car users came from a panel of 720 drivers, whose multiday driving activity was tracked by mobile passive GPS loggers. The driving behavior of the two driver populations was analyzed and compared in terms of the total distance traveled: spatial patterns (e.g., the amount of travel on different types of road) and temporal variations (e.g., variations between times of day and between multiple days). The detailed nature of the GPS data permitted the estimation of fuel consumption at a very disaggregate level (by link and time of day) and the identification of differences between user groups; these factors have significant implications for transport and energy policy. A new indicator, the recovery ratio, was introduced to assess the relationship between fuel use and distance traveled on different classes of road and to help identify equity distortions between user groups. The paper also discusses research needs related to the collection and integration of GPS data from multiple sources for model calibration and program evaluation.
Evaluating the Performance of Algorithms for the Detection of Travel Time Outliers
Authors: Moghaddam Soroush Salek , Hellinga Bruce
Published: September 2013

Several technologies—including automatic license plate readers, cell phone probes, dedicated Global Positioning System probes, the automatic identification of vehicles equipped with transponders or toll tags, and Bluetooth detectors—can acquire vehicle travel times. The travel times measured by all these technologies contain errors and biases. As a result, several filtering and outlier detection algorithms have been proposed to identify erroneous data and to exclude them from the analysis. However, it is difficult to assess the performance of an outlier detection algorithm in absolute terms or relative to any other algorithm through the use of field data because the true travel times are unknown. Furthermore, it is not possible to identify how well the algorithm can identify a given source of outliers. In this paper a framework is proposed for the evaluation of algorithms that detect travel time outliers. The framework can be customized to address the specific characteristics of any travel time sensor technology. However, in this paper the framework is demonstrated through its application to travel times acquired by Bluetooth detectors on arterial roadways. The framework is used to evaluate the performance characteristics of two outlier detection algorithms proposed by Dion and Rakha. The results show the performance characteristics of both algorithms for a wide range of operating conditions. One of the algorithms is shown to have an approximately 30% likelihood of providing worse results than if no outlier detection algorithm is used. The other algorithm is shown to provide improvements under almost all conditions, with a relative improvement of up to 60%.
Book Reviews
Authors: Butler Shelley Ruth , McCarthy Conal , McDonald Fiona P.
Published: September 2013

SANDELL, Richard, and Eithne NIGHTINGALE, eds., Museums, Equality and Social Justice

PHILLIPS, Ruth B., Museum Pieces: Towards the Indigenization of Canadian Museums

BUSZEK, Maria Elena, ed., Extra/Ordinary: Craft and Contemporary Art

HANSEN, Tone, ed., (Re)Staging the Art Museum
Posterior corrective fusion using a double-trajectory technique (cortical bone trajectory combined with traditional trajectory) for degenerative lumbar scoliosis with osteoporosis
Authors: Ueno Masaki , Imura Takayuki , Inoue Gen , Takaso Masashi
Published: September 2013

The authors report on the usefulness and problems of a new surgical procedure—posterior corrective fusion using a double-trajectory technique (cortical bone trajectory technique combined with traditional trajectory technique) in a patient with degenerative lumbar scoliosis and osteoporosis—with the aim of achieving and maintaining complete correction. A 64-year-old woman with severe osteoporosis required decompression and posterior lumbar fusion. Teriparatide therapy had recently been initiated, but the impairment that she was experiencing in her activities of daily living was severe enough that surgery could not be delayed until teriparatide might show efficacy. We decided to employ the double-trajectory technique described in this report in order to achieve the most solid fixation. As of the 14-month follow-up evaluation, the patient's postoperative course had been uneventful and there had been no loss of correction. The authors suggest that the double-trajectory method is useful for posterior fusion in patients with severe osteoporosis.
Effect of symptomatic pseudomeningocele on improvement in pain, disability, and quality of life following suboccipital decompression for adult Chiari malformation Type I
Authors: Parker Scott L. , Godil Saniya S. , Zuckerman Scott L. , Mendenhall Stephen K. , Tulipan Noel B. , McGirt Matthew J.
Published: September 2013

Object

Suboccipital decompression is a common procedure for patients with Chiari malformation Type I (CMI). Published studies have reported complication rates ranging from 3% to 40%, with pseudomeningocele being one of the most common complications. To date, there are no studies assessing the effect of this complication on long-term outcome. Therefore, the authors set out to assess the effect of symptomatic pseudomeningocele on patient outcomes following suboccipital decompression for CM-I.

Methods

The study comprised 50 adult patients with CM-I who underwent suboccipital craniectomy and C-1 laminectomy with or without duraplasty. Clinical presentation, radiological studies, operative variables, and complications were assessed for each case. Baseline and 1-year postoperative patient-reported outcomes were assessed to determine improvement in pain, disability, and quality of life. The extent of improvement was compared for patients with and without development of a postoperative symptomatic pseudomeningocele.

Results

A symptomatic pseudomeningocele developed postoperatively in 9 patients (18%). There was no difference with regard to clinical, radiological, or operative variables for patients with or without a postoperative pseudomeningocele. Patients without a pseudomeningocele had significant improvement in all 9 patient-reported outcome measures assessed. On the other hand, patients with pseudomeningocele only had significant improvement in headache (as measured on the Numeric Rating Scale) and headache-related disability (as measured on the Headache Disability Index) but no improvement in quality of life. Twenty-nine (71%) of 41 patients without a pseudomeningocele reported improvement in health status postoperatively compared with only 3 (33%) of 9 patients with a postoperative pseudomeningocele (p = 0.05).

Conclusions

Surgical management of CM-I in adults provides significant and sustained improvement in pain, disability, general health, and quality of life. Development of a postoperative symptomatic pseudomeningocele has lingering effects at 1 year, and it significantly diminishes the overall benefit of suboccipital decompression for CM-related symptoms. Further research is needed to accurately predict which patients may benefit from decompression alone without duraplasty.
Management of subdural hygromas associated with arachnoid cysts
Authors: Maher Cormac O. , Garton Hugh J. L. , Al-Holou Wajd N. , Trobe Jonathan D. , Muraszko Karin M. , Jackson Eric M.
Published: September 2013

Object

Arachnoid cysts may occasionally be associated with subdural hygromas. The management of these concurrent findings is controversial.

Methods

The authors reviewed their experience with arachnoid cysts and identified 8 patients with intracranial arachnoid cysts and an associated subdural hygroma. The medical records and images for these patients were also examined.

Results

In total, 8 patients presented with concurrent subdural hygroma and arachnoid cyst. Of these 8 patients, 6 presented with headaches and 4 had nausea and vomiting. Six patients had a history of trauma. One patient was treated surgically at the time of initial presentation, and 7 patients were managed without surgery. All patients experienced complete resolution of their presenting signs and symptoms.

Conclusions

Subdural hygroma may lead to symptomatic presentation for otherwise asymptomatic arachnoid cysts. The natural course of cyst-associated subdural hygromas, even when symptomatic, is generally benign, and symptom resolution can be expected in most cases. The authors suggest that symptomatic hygroma is not an absolute indication for surgical treatment and that expectant management can result in good outcomes in many cases.
Mechanistic Study of the Formation of a Phosphonate Ester Containing 2-Fluoroaniline: Theoretical Assignment of the Resulting Isomer
Authors: Habibi-Khorassani Sayyed Mostafa , Maghsoodluo Malek Taher , Ebrahimi Ali , Ghalandarzehi Yunes , Ghodsi Fatemeh , Asheri Osman
Published: September 2013

For the first time, theoretical calculations have been employed for assignment of the most stable isomers ([(2S*, 3S*) or (2R*, 3R*)] and [(2S*, 3R*) or (2R*, 3S*)] of a phosphonate ester containing 2-fluoroaniline at HF/6-31G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) levels of theory. The results were showed that the compound with gauche arrangement and [(2S*, 3S*) or (2R*, 3R*)] configuration was more stable than the anti arrangement with [(2S*, 3R*) or (2R*, 3S*)] geometry. In addition, experimental 1H, 13C and 31P NMR data along with X-ray crystallographic data of the compound were consistent with the results obtained from theoretical calculations. Kinetic studies were performed on the reaction between triphenyl phosphite, dialkylacetylene dicarboxylates in the presence of an NH-acid, namely as 2-fluoroaniline (as a protic/nucleophilic reagent) for the generation of the compound with a gauche arrangement and [(2S*, 3S*) or (2R*, 3R*)] configuration. Kinetic data were obtained spectrophotometrically and a temperature study yielded activation parameters. A mechanistic scheme is proposed which fits all the kinetic data.
Isomerisation Reactions of α-Methyl Allyl [Acetate, Trifluoroacetate]: Theoretical Study
Authors: Shiroudi Abolfazl , Zahedi Ehsan
Published: September 2013

The [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement reactions of α-methyl allyl acetate (1), and α-methyl allyl trifluoroacetate (2) have been studied using ab initio molecular orbital (MO) methods at the HF, B3LYP, B3PW91, and BHandHLYP levels with a 6-31++G** basis set. Among the methods used in this study, the values for activation parameters obtained with the BHandHLYP/6-31++G** method are in good agreement with experimental values. The calculated data demonstrate that in the rearrangement reactions of the compounds studied, the polarisation of the O3–C4 bond is rate determining. Optimised transition states at the BHandHLYP/6-31++G** level were used for calculating the nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) and also a natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis was carried out at the same level.

Based on the optimised ground state geometries using the BHandHLYP/6-31++G** method, the NBO analysis of donor–acceptor (bonding–antibonding) interactions revealed that the stabilisation energies associated with electronic delocalisation from the σO(3)–C(4) bonding orbital to the π*C(5)=C(6) antibonding orbital, increase from compounds 1 to 2. The σO(3)–C(4) →π*C(5)=C(6) resonance energies for compounds 1 and 2 are 1.59 and 1.62 kcal mol−1, respectively. Also, analysis of the donor–acceptor interactions σO(3)–C(4) →π*C(5)=C(6) suggests that in these rearrangements, the TS structure in compound 2 has more aromatic character than for compound 1. The NBO results revealed that in these rearrangements, activation energies are not controlled by the σO(3)–C(4) →π*C(5)=C(6) resonance energy. NICS results indicate that the aromaticities of the transition states are controlled by the out-of-plane component.

The predicted high-pressure-limit rate constants for the rearrangement reactions of compounds 1 and 2 are represented as 6.12 × 1012 exp(–21604/T), and 1.04 × 1013 exp(–17846/T) s−1, respectively. The fall-off pressures for the rearrangement reactions 1 and 2 are found to be 9.56 × 10−5 and 1.09 × 10−3 mmHg, respectively. The fall-off pressures of compounds 1 and 2 in both reactions are in the following order: P1/2(2) > P1/2(1) and the rates follow as: rate(2) > rate(1). Analysis of bond order, NBO charges, bond indices and synchronicity parameters suggest the Claisen rearrangement reactions of 1 and 2 occur through a concerted and slightly asynchronous six-membered cyclic transition state type of mechanism.
Effect of Time of Tiller Separation on Grain Growth and Seed Yield of Transplant Aman Rice
Authors: Alam MA , Sheuly MS
Published: September 2013

An experiment was carried out to study the effect of time of tiller separation on grain growth and yield of transplant aman rice. The experiment consisted of 3 times of tiller separation viz. tiller separation at 25 (T1), 35 (T2) and 45 (T3) days after transplanting (DAT); and 5 levels of number of tillers kept hill-1 viz. intact hills (K0), 1 tiller kept hill-1 (K1), 2 tillers kept hill-1 (K2), 3 tillers kept hill-1 (K3) and 4 tillers kept hill-1 (K4). The experiment was conducted in randomized complete block design with three replications. The unit plot size was 4 m 2.5 m. With a few exceptions, the highest grain growth parameters like number of panicles hill-1, dry weight panicle-1, number of grains panicle-1, dry weight grain-1 and grain growth rate were observed when tillers were separated at 25 DAT but the lowest values were found at 45 DAT. The grain growth rate decreased with the advance of time. The highest grain yield (5.25 t ha-1) was obtained from tillers separated at 25 days after transplanting (DAT) but the lowest values (4.13 t ha-1) were recorded when tillers were separated at 45 DAT. The maximum grain yield (5.88 t ha-1) was found in intact hills, while the lowest values (2.64 t ha-1) were obtained when 1 tiller kept hill-1. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v10i1.16274 J Sci Foundation, January-June 2012;10(1):12-19
Influence of Date of Planting on the Growth and Yield of Locally Popular Traditional Aromatic Rice Varieties in Boro Season
Authors: Mannan MA , Bhuiya MSU , Akhand MIM , Rana MM
Published: September 2013

The experiment was conducted at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute Farm, Gazipur, in boro season to determine the optimum planting date and to select the varieties having high yield potential. Traditional aromatic photoperiod sensitive fine rice varieties; Kalijira, Kataribhog, Chinigura and Badshabhog were transplanted from 10 December and continued up to 25 January, both in 2000 and 2001 years, at an interval of 15 days. Forty-day old seedlings were transplanted spaced at 20 cm x 20 cm. Results exhibited that plant tallness, number of tillers and dry matter increased with the advancement of planting dates. On the contrary, the number of panicles, grains panicle-1, panicle length, grain yield, straw yield and growth duration decreased with delaying of planting dates. The intermediate short stature plant type of Chinigura exhibited higher number of panicles (300-331 m-2) and comparatively heavier individual grain (12.25-12.31 g), consequently gave higher grain yield (2.79-3.53 t ha-1 ) planted with in December. However, in late planted situation in 10 January Kalijira exhibited higher number of panicles, grains panicle-1, resulted higher grain yield than the rest of the varieties. Thus, cultivation of traditional aromatic fine rice Chinigura and Kalijira have the potentiality to produced higher grain yield when planted in early December in Boro season. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v10i1.16275 J Sci Foundation, January-June 2012;10(1):20-28
Dimensions of Poverty among the Lower Income People in Dhaka City
Authors: Hossain BM Sajjad
Published: September 2013

Poverty has become a part of human history, but its meaning has changed through time. Most people in traditional societies were poor, and this was accepted as natural and unavoidable, and that is should be possible to find ways to eradicate it. It can be said that poverty is multidimensional and complex issue but the dynamics of poverty are indeed very much complex, involving many inter-related and often interaction variables, the relative importance of which varies from place to place are any given time. In this study, poverty is defined as the condition of lack of education, inequality in land ownership, landlessness, inequality in income distribution, lack of income opportunities and poor government policies. In Bangladesh, thousands of NGOs are working with micro financing and most of them are based on rural area. The urban poverty is only focused on media to just only focus not take steps to reduce or any preventional steps. Both the limited and lower-income earning people of the cities like Dhaka are facing the atrocious scenario of poverty. So its time to establish a proper education system, taking suggestion form the experts, working against beauracracy, corruption, and ensuring political stability for a poverty free Bangladesh. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jsf.v10i1.16276 J Sci Foundation, January-June 2012;10(1):29-37
Impacts of Pesticide Exposure on Paddy Farmers Health
Authors: Bhattacharjee Subhra , Chowdhury MAZ , Fakhruddin ANM , Alam MK
Published: September 2013

Effects of pesticide exposure on farmers health are conducted mostly in developed countries, which is rare in least developed countries like Bangladesh. Here farmers had less guidance and instruction about the preventive measures to protect themselves and environment. This work was studied to assess the impacts of pesticide exposure on the paddy farmers health in two different Upazilas of Manikganj, Bangladesh. The study was conducted as cross-sectional study with quantitative and qualitative components. Five hundred eighty two farmers (368 sprayers and 214 non-sprayers) were interviewed. Chi-squared tests and multinomial logistic regression analysis were performed for statistical analysis. Three hundred sixty eight farmers (64.3%) sprayed pesticides and were directly exposed to chemicals. Among them 64.22% and 9.06%, farmers used moderately and highly hazardous pesticides, respectively. 257 farmers (69.8%) were not taken any protective measures to handle pesticides. Excessive sweating, burning eyes and fatigue were reported by 26.3%, 24.4% and 18.8% of the farmers, respectively. These types of symptoms were significantly associated among male farmers. The study reveals that due to lack of awareness, occupational exposures of pesticides among farmers are common in Bangladesh and it also emphasize the importance of use of personal protective equipments. Jahangirnagar University Environmental Bulletin, Vol.2, 18-25, 2013 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jueb.v2i0.16326
Comparative study on physico chemical parameters of soil and water among three aquatic successional stages at Jahangirnagar University campus
Authors: Sultana Sharmin , Huda ME
Published: September 2013

Jahangirnagar University Environmental Bulletin, Vol.2, 26-34, 2013 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jueb.v2i0.16327
Leptin’s Pro-Angiogenic Signature in Breast Cancer
Authors: Gonzalez-Perez Ruben , Lanier Viola , Newman Gale
Published: September 2013

Obesity is linked to increased incidence of breast cancer. The precise causes and mechanisms of these morbid relationships are unknown. Contradictory data on leptin angiogenic actions have been published. However, accumulating evidence would suggest that leptin’s pro-angiogenic effects in cancer play an essential role in the disease. Leptin, the main adipokine secreted by adipose tissue, is also abnormally expressed together with its receptor (OB-R) by breast cancer cells. Leptin induces proliferation and angiogenic differentiation of endothelial cells upregulates VEGF/VEGFR2 and transactivates VEGFR2 independent of VEGF. Leptin induces two angiogenic factors: IL-1 and Notch that can increase VEGF expression. Additionally, leptin induces the secretion and synthesis of proteases and adhesion molecules needed for the development of angiogenesis. Leptin’s paracrine actions can further affect stromal cells and tumor associated macrophages, which express OB-R and secrete VEGF and IL-1, respectively. A complex crosstalk between leptin, Notch and IL-1 (NILCO) that induces VEGF/VEGFR2 is found in breast cancer. Leptin actions in tumor angiogenesis could amplify, be redundant and/or compensatory to VEGF signaling. Current failure of breast cancer anti-angiogenic therapies emphasizes the necessity of targeting the contribution of other pro-angiogenic factors in breast cancer. Leptin’s impact on tumor angiogenesis could be a novel target for breast cancer, especially in obese patients. However, more research is needed to establish the importance of leptin in tumor angiogenesis. This review is focused on updated information on how leptin could contribute to tumor angiogenesis.
Consideration on Singularities in Learning Theory and the Learning Coefficient
Authors: Aoyagi Miki
Published: September 2013

We consider the learning coefficients in learning theory and give two new methods for obtaining these coefficients in a homogeneous case: a method for finding a deepest singular point and a method to add variables. In application to Vandermonde matrix-type singularities, we show that these methods are effective. The learning coefficient of the generalization error in Bayesian estimation serves to measure the learning efficiency in singular learning models. Mathematically, the learning coefficient corresponds to a real log canonical threshold of singularities for the Kullback functions (relative entropy) in learning theory.
A Molecular and Chemical Perspective in Defining Melatonin Receptor Subtype Selectivity
Authors: Chan King , Wong Yung
Published: September 2013

Melatonin is primarily synthesized and secreted by the pineal gland during darkness in a normal diurnal cycle. In addition to its intrinsic antioxidant property, the neurohormone has renowned regulatory roles in the control of circadian rhythm and exerts its physiological actions primarily by interacting with the G protein-coupled MT1 and MT2 transmembrane receptors. The two melatonin receptor subtypes display identical ligand binding characteristics and mediate a myriad of signaling pathways, including adenylyl cyclase inhibition, phospholipase C stimulation and the regulation of other effector molecules. Both MT1 and MT2 receptors are widely expressed in the central nervous system as well as many peripheral tissues, but each receptor subtype can be linked to specific functional responses at the target tissue. Given the broad therapeutic implications of melatonin receptors in chronobiology, immunomodulation, endocrine regulation, reproductive functions and cancer development, drug discovery and development programs have been directed at identifying chemical molecules that bind to the two melatonin receptor subtypes. However, all of the melatoninergics in the market act on both subtypes of melatonin receptors without significant selectivity. To facilitate the design and development of novel therapeutic agents, it is necessary to understand the intrinsic differences between MT1 and MT2 that determine ligand binding, functional efficacy, and signaling specificity. This review summarizes our current knowledge in differentiating MT1 and MT2 receptors and their signaling capacities. The use of homology modeling in the mapping of the ligand-binding pocket will be described. Identification of conserved and distinct residues will be tremendously useful in the design of highly selective ligands.
Flavonoids from Orostachys japonicus A. Berger Inhibit the Invasion of LnCaP Prostate Carcinoma Cells by Inactivating Akt and Modulating Tight Junctions
Authors: Shin Dong , Lee Won , Jung Ji , Hong Su , Park Cheol , Kim Hye , Kim Gi-Young , Hwang Hye , Kim Gon , Jung Jin-Myung , Ryu Chung , Shin Sung , Hong Soon , Choi Yung
Published: September 2013

Tight junctions (TJs) are a mode of cell-to-cell adhesion in epithelial or endothelial cells, and serve as a physical barrier to maintenance of homeostasis in body by controlling paracellular transport. Claudins are the most important molecules of the TJs, but paradoxically these proteins are frequently over-expressed in cancers and their overexpression is implicated in the invasive potential of cancer. Hence, we investigated the effects of flavonoids extracted from Orostachys japonicus A. Berger (FEOJ) on TJs and the expression of claudins as well as cancer invasion along with in LnCaP human prostate cancer. FEOJ suppressed cancer cell motility and invasiveness at the concentrations where FEOJ did not show anti-proliferative activity. FEOJ increased transepithelial electrical resistance (TER) associated with tightening TJs, and suppressed expression of claudin proteins. Furthermore, FEOJ suppressed the activities of MMP-2 and -9 in a dose-dependent manner, which came from the activation of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) by FEOJ. FEOJ suppressed migration and invasion by suppressing PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Taken together, this study suggest that FEOJ suppresses cancer migration and invasion by tightening TJs through the suppression of claudin expression, and by suppressing MMPs in LnCaP human prostate cancer cells, which at least in part results from the suppression of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.
Novel Strategies for the Prevention and Treatment of Biofilm Related Infections
Authors: Chen Meng , Yu Qingsong , Sun Hongmin
Published: September 2013

Biofilm formation by human bacterial pathogens on implanted medical devices causes major morbidity and mortality among patients, and leads to billions of dollars in healthcare cost. Biofilm is a complex bacterial community that is highly resistant to antibiotics and human immunity. As a result, novel therapeutic solutions other than the conventional antibiotic therapies are in urgent need. In this review, we will discuss the recent research in discovery of alternative approaches to prevent or treat biofilms. Current anti-biofilm technologies could be divided into two groups. The first group focuses on targeting the biofilm forming process of bacteria based on our understanding of the molecular mechanism of biofilm formation. Small molecules and enzymes have been developed to inhibit or disrupt biofilm formation. Another group of anti-biofilm technologies focuses on modifying the biomaterials used in medical devices to make them resistant to biofilm formation. While these novel anti-biofilm approaches are still in nascent phases of development, efforts devoted to these technologies could eventually lead to anti-biofilm therapies that are superior to the current antibiotic treatment.