bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Conflicting Aims within the Canadian University
Authors: Edel
Published: March 2013

The predicament of the teacher who cannot serve the mass of his students without sacrificing the few most capable, nor devote himself to these without neglecting the mass, is a commonplace. It is especially serious in the university. It is not a defect of the teacher, but an ineradicable contradiction in the material with which he deals and the system which limits his method. One given to sweeping or imaginative generalizations may see in it a manifestation of the age-old struggle between democracy and aristocracy, and accordingly take up the cudgels for his pet prejudice. In Canadian academic circles it is more customary to refer to the problem as the conflict of English and American tendencies. This simplification appeals to the dramatic sense: in drama forces are most stirring when they are unadulterated and precisely antithetical. Hence it is said that the Canadian university aspires to what is English and is swept towards the American: it preaches English sportsmanship and plays American games; it imports English professors and invites them to meet the Americanized minds of the students; it aims at scholarship and drifts towards popularization. Obviously this is but attaching names to likes and dislikes, running to extremes of adulation and animosity.
That Shepherd, Who First Taught the Chosen Seed: A Note on Milton's Mosaic Inspiration
Authors: Hanford James
Published: March 2013

In the third of Milton's plans for a drama on the subject of the fall of man there occurs a notation which challenges attention by its oddity, and which, like so many other items in the Trinity Manuscript, proves on examination to have a more than curious interest in relation to the poet's finished art. This notation is an amplification of the first entry, “Moses x3C0x3C1x3BBx3BFx3B3x3B9x3B6x3B5x3B9,” and may well have been added after the rest of the third outline stood complete. Moses prologuizes, “recounting how he assum'd his true bodie, that it corrupts not because of his [converse] with god in the mount, declares the like of Enoch and Eliah, besides the purity of the pl[acee] that certaine pure winds, dues, and clouds praeserve it from corruption, whence [he] exhorts to the sight of god, tells they cannot se Adam in the state of innocence by reason of thire sin.”
French-Canadian Letters
Authors: Kirkconnell Watson
Published: March 2013

Reviews of French-Canadian books published in Canada in 1938.
Driving Behavior in Emergency Situations
Authors: Hoogendoorn Raymond , Hoogendoorn Serge , Brookhuis Karel
Published: March 2013

Simulation software packages have been developed to simulate traffic flow operations in emergency situations. However, it is not yet clear which adaptation effects in empirical longitudinal driving behavior can be observed. Furthermore, it is not yet clear to what extent these adaptation effects in emergency situations are represented in current car-following models. A driving simulator experiment was performed to induce longitudinal driving behavior under emergency conditions. Longitudinal driving behavior was measured through registered behavior in the driving simulator and analyzed with a multivariate analysis of variance. A new data analysis technique used so-called action points in psychospacing models. Acceleration and jumps in acceleration at action points were determined with multivariate regression analysis as well. The results show that substantial and significant adaptation effects in longitudinal driving behavior can be observed in an emergency situation. The results also show substantial differences in the position of action points in the speed–spacing plane in the psychospacing model between normal driving conditions and emergency conditions, as well as substantial differences in acceleration and jumps in acceleration at these action points.
Modeling Driver, Driver Support, and Cooperative Systems with Dynamic Optimal Control
Authors: Hoogendoorn Serge , Hoogendoorn Raymond , Wang Meng , Daamen Winnie
Published: March 2013

Previous work proposed an optimal control framework for modeling driver behavior. Drivers were assumed to minimize the predicted subjective effort of their control actions, taking into account the anticipated actions of other drivers. The framework was generic. Several assumptions and simplifications had to be made; this factor hampered the applicability of the framework. One of these assumptions was that the behavior of other vehicles in the flow was stationary during the prediction horizon. Furthermore, the resulting model was computationally complex. A new approach based on the generic optimal control framework is proposed for modeling and computing driving behavior. The model can deal with the dynamics of the vehicles to which a driver reacts. At the same time, the computational complexity is small and does not increase exponentially with the complexity of the prediction model or with the size of the control vector. The mathematical solution approach is presented and illustrated with several examples. Face validity of the model is shown, and an application of the theory in the field of automated vehicle guidance is discussed. In particular for these applications, the proposed optimization approach allows for the computation of cooperative driving strategies that minimize a generic range of objective functions. The improvements in performance made by cooperation are substantial, as illustrated by several examples.
Influence of Midblock Pedestrian Crossings on Urban Street Capacity
Authors: Bak Radoslaw , Kiec Mariusz
Published: March 2013

The design of pedestrian crossings is a complex problem that must consider various factors. The basic criterion for determining the choice of a particular type of pedestrian crossing is traffic safety. To improve traffic safety, typical zebra crossings are being reconstructed, usually with implementation of refuge median islands or traffic signals. However, traffic engineers cannot properly take into account the influence of a type of pedestrian crossing on capacity and traffic progression as negative consequences for both pedestrians and vehicles. A study was conducted on the influence of various types of midblock pedestrian crossings on road capacity. Zebra crossings, crossings with refuge median islands, and signalized crosswalks were analyzed. For the evaluation, a simulation model was built in VISSIM and calibrated with research results on driver and pedestrian behavior. Empirical research confirmed the strong influence of regulations and pedestrian crossing types on the behavior of drivers. The results show that willingness to give right of way on urban streets influences capacity reduction and delays. Taking as a basic criterion overall delay for both vehicles and pedestrians, volume limits for implementation of a pedestrian crossing with a median island or traffic signals are proposed.
Evaluation of Real-Time Freeway End-of-Queue Alerting System to Promote Driver Situational Awareness
Authors: Nowakowski Christopher , Vizzini Daniel , Gupta Somak Datta , Sengupta Raja
Published: March 2013

This paper presents the final results of a connected-vehicles field experiment conducted under the U.S. Department of Transportation's SafeTrip-21 Initiative. A real-time freeway end-of-queue alerting system was developed and tested at 3,400 locations along San Francisco Bay Area freeways in California. The Networked Traveler Foresighted Driving Advanced Driver Assistance System, which used vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, provided drivers with an auditory alert when they approached slow traffic ahead on a freeway to improve the driver's situational awareness. The system was not a last-second collision warning; rather, it was designed to provide soft safety alerts approximately 60 s before the driver reached the slowed traffic. Twenty-four drivers participated in the experiment, and each was given an instrumented vehicle for 2 weeks. During the first week, the alerting system was active but muted, providing a measure of baseline driving behavior. During the second week, auditory alerts sounded whenever the driver approached traffic moving at least 15 mph slower. The desired outcome was an increase in driver situational awareness resulting in a smoother transition into the end of the queue and a reduction in the risk of rear-end crashes. Drivers rated the majority of alerts as either good or neutral and found the system most useful when they encountered an unexpected traffic queue. Several driving performance metrics were also examined. In addition to a smoother deceleration profile, the auditory alerts provided a small but significant reduction in mean peak deceleration rates during morning and off-peak travel as compared with baseline conditions.
Traffic Incident Detection Using Multiple-Kernel Support Vector Machine
Authors: Xiao Jianli , Liu Yuncai
Published: March 2013

This paper presents applications of the multiple-kernel learning support vector machine (MKL-SVM) in traffic incident detection. The standard SVM was applied in traffic incident detection and achieved good results. However, the results depended greatly on the kernel function and parameters, and choosing the appropriate ones for the SVM was a procedure of trial and error. Unlike the SVM, the MKL-SVM used a convex combination of basic kernel functions instead of a single basic kernel function to construct an adaptive SVM model. This adaptive model could improve average performance in traffic incident detection just by randomly selecting the kernel function and parameters. As a result, the MKL-SVM avoided the burden of choosing the appropriate kernel function and parameters. The SVM ensemble algorithm trained many individual SVM classifiers to construct the classifier ensemble and then used this classifier ensemble to detect traffic incidents. Consequently, training occurred many times. Compared with the SVM ensemble algorithm, the training time cost of the MKL-SVM was much lower because training occurred only once. Extensive experiments were performed to evaluate the performance of three algorithms: standard SVM, SVM ensemble, and MKL-SVM. The experimental results showed that the performance of the MKL-SVM was much better than that of the standard SVM and slightly better than the SVM ensemble. More important, the performance of the MKL-SVM was stable.
Vehicle Class–Specific Route Guidance of Freeway Traffic by Model-Predictive Control
Authors: Schreiter Thomas , Landman Ramon L. , van Lint J. W. C. (Hans) , Hegyi Andreas , Hoogendoorn Serge P.
Published: March 2013

Few active traffic management measures proposed in the past considered the distinction of different vehicle classes. Examples of measures specific to vehicle class are truck lanes and high-occupancy toll lanes. It is proposed that the distinction of different vehicle classes, with different flow characteristics and societal and economic functions, can contribute to the effectiveness of traffic management measures. This study developed a multiclass controller that rerouted the traffic class specifically. Vehicle class–specific properties such as vehicle length and value of time were used in a model-predictive control approach to minimize the total time spent in the network by vehicles and the corresponding economic costs. By means of a simple test case with synthetic data, it was shown that a multiclass controller outperformed a single-class controller and that the multiclass control signals were sensitive to the value of time and the capacity of the network.
Impacts of Cooperative Adaptive Cruise Control on Freeway Traffic Flow
Authors: Shladover Steven E. , Su Dongyan , Lu Xiao-Yun
Published: March 2013

This study used microscopic simulation to estimate the effect on highway capacity of varying market penetrations of vehicles with adaptive cruise control (ACC) and cooperative adaptive cruise control (CACC). Because the simulation used the distribution of time gap settings that drivers from the general public used in a real field experiment, this study was the first on the effects of ACC and CACC on traffic to be based on real data on driver usage of these types of controls. The results showed that the use of ACC was unlikely to change lane capacity significantly. However, CACC was able to increase capacity greatly after its market penetration reached moderate to high percentages. The capacity increase could be accelerated by equipping non-ACC vehicles with vehicle awareness devices so that they could serve as the lead vehicles for CACC vehicles.
Vehicle Platoon Control in High-Latency Wireless Communications Environment
Authors: Zhou Hao , Saigal Romesh , Dion Francois , Yang Li
Published: March 2013

Recent developments in vehicle onboard computers and vehicle-to-vehicle communications technology allow automatic control of vehicles and the organization of vehicles into platoons with short intraplatoon distances. One of the major issues with platoon control is latency in wireless communications. Latency has a negative impact on safety and disrupts the stability of platoons. A decentralized longitudinal platoon-controlling mechanism that uses a model predictive control approach to control vehicles safely, even in harsh communications environments, is proposed. The sensitivity of this method was analyzed to derive the conditions for this method to work safely. A simulation test bed for this control method was implemented to test effectiveness and safety under two communications latency settings. The results showed that the model predictive control method could safely control the platoon even in harsh communications environments.
Effects of Open Road Tolling on Safety Performance of Freeway Mainline Toll Plazas
Authors: Yang Hong , Ozbay Kaan , Bartin Bekir
Published: March 2013

Advances in intelligent transportation systems technologies promoted the implementation of open road tolling (ORT) on tolled freeways worldwide. This new tolling solution converts existing barrier toll booths to express lanes that are capable of collecting tolls at high speed. ORT has demonstrated numerous benefits in reducing traffic congestion and air pollution. However, the effects of ORT on safety are still not clear because most ORT systems have been operated for a relatively short period. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the safety impacts of ORT by examining recent practices in New Jersey. Multiple-year crash data at toll plazas before and after the implementation of the ORT systems were analyzed. The full Bayes methodology was employed to develop crash frequency models as a function of traffic and toll plaza configurations. These models were used to estimate the crash frequency on the assumption that the ORT systems were not installed. The estimations were then compared with the observed crash counts that occurred after the deployment of the ORT systems. Comparisons showed that crash reductions were obtained at most of the toll plazas. The overall comparison showed that crash frequency decreased by about 24% after the deployment of the ORT systems and suggested that the use of ORT is a beneficial solution to improve the safety of the toll plazas. From an implementation point of view, the analysis results also indicated that special attention should be paid to operational elements such as signage, diversion, and merge designs of the ORT systems.
Microsimulation Modeling of Coordination of Automated Guided Vehicles at Intersections
Authors: Makarem Laleh , Pham Minh-Hai , Dumont André-Gilles , Gillet Denis
Published: March 2013

One of the challenges with autonomous vehicles is their performance at intersections. An alternative control method for the coordination of autonomous vehicles at intersections is shown. The proposed approach was grounded in multiple-robot coordination and took into account vehicle dynamics as well as realistic communications constraints. The existing concept of decentralized navigation functions was combined with a sensing model, and a crossing strategy was developed. The simulation results showed that because of the proposed approach, vehicles had smoother trajectories when crossing at a four-way intersection. The proposed method was compared with adaptive traffic lights and roundabouts in terms of throughput. Results showed that using a decentralized navigation function for the coordination of autonomous vehicles improved their performance by reducing energy consumption and pollution emissions.
Vehicle-to-Infrastructure and Vehicle-to-Vehicle Information System in Work Zones
Authors: Maitipe Buddhika R. , Ibrahim U. , Hayee M. I. , Kwon Eil
Published: March 2013

This paper describes the architecture, functionality, and field demonstration results of a newly developed dedicated short-range communication–based vehicle-to-infrastructure work zone traffic information system with vehicle-to-vehicle assistance. The new system is portable and can automatically acquire important work zone travel information such as the travel time and the starting location of congestion and then relay this information to drivers approaching the congestion site. Such information can help drivers make informed decisions on route choice, prepare for upcoming congestion, or both. The authors had designed a similar system earlier; that system had limited congestion coverage and message broadcast ranges, but the new system can achieve a much longer broadcast range (up to a few tens of kilometers) and can handle much longer congestion coverage (up to a few kilometers) by incorporating vehicle-to-infrastructure communication assisted by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The system requires only a single roadside unit to acquire traffic data by engaging the vehicles traveling on the road whether within or outside of its direct wireless access range. From the traffic data, the system estimates important traffic parameters such as travel time and starting location of congestion and periodically broadcasts this information back to the vehicles approaching the congestion well before they enter the congested area. The results from the field demonstration show that the new system can adapt to a dynamically changing work zone traffic environment and can handle much longer congestion lengths as compared with the previous system, which used only vehicle-to-infrastructure communication without vehicle-to-vehicle assistance.
Waste biomass as sources for activated carbon production-A review
Authors: Islam MS , Rouf MA
Published: March 2013

A review of the production of activated carbons from waste biomass has been presented. The effects of various process parameters on the pyrolysis stage have been reviewed. Influences of activating conditions, physical and chemical, on the active carbon properties have been discussed. Under certain process conditions several active carbons with BET surface areas, ranging between 250 and 2410 m2/g and pore volumes of 0.022 and 91.4 cm3/g, have been produced. A comparison in characteristics and uses of activated carbons from waste biomass with those of commercial carbons has been made. Waste biomass being highly efficient, low cost and renewable sources of activated carbon production. Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 47(4), 347-364, 2012 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjsir.v47i4.14064
Callus induction and plant regeneration of paederia foetida L., a widely used medicinal vine in Bangladesh
Authors: Hassan AKMS , Roy CK , Sultana R , Khatun R
Published: March 2013

An efficient protocol was established for in vitro plant regeneration of Paederia foetada L. (Family. Rubiaceae), a widely used medicinal vine of Bangladesh through callus culture in using nodal segment. Yellowish green nodular callus was observed from nodal segments on MS basal medium supplemented with 1.5 mg/L BAP + 0.5 mg/L NAA within three weeks. Large number of shoots (14.4±1.29) were obtained when the callus was sub cultured on MS medium with 0.5 mg/L BAP. In vitro raised shoots rooted on half strength MS medium with 0.5 mg/L IBA. The survival rate of plantlets was found to be 85%. Regenerated plants were morphologically uniform having normal leaf shape and growth. Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 47(4), 373-378, 2012 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjsir.v47i4.14066
Tissue quality of formalin adulterated nile tilapia Oreochromis Niloticus fish: A histopathological perspective
Authors: Nomanuzzaman SM , Naser MN , Begum M , Abdullah ATM , Khan TA , Rahman MM , Khan N
Published: March 2013

NOTE: on 29th July 2013 the word 'aile' was changed to 'nile' in the title of this paper.In view of recent adulteration of fish in retail markets with formalin, a mock-up effort was made at laboratory condition to assess the tissue quality of formalin contaminated fish. Tilapia fish samples were intentionally despoiled with 1% formalin for 1 hour and kept exposed in open shelves for spoilage. Fish tissue quality was histopathologically tested at 0, 6, 12, 16, 20 and 24 hours intervals. From the histopathological perspective the tissue quality were found to be deteriorating gradually with time. The rate of desolation of tissue was maximum after 20 hours of sampling. The fresh (0 hour) muscle sample was found to be fairly intact. Observation of the fish samples at 6, 12 and 16 hours showed minimum degradation of muscle tissue within acceptable level. One hour exposure to 1% formalin was not found sufficient to prevent deterioration and preserve fish muscle for longer period. But this concentration of formalin and the exposure time retained the tissue quality and delayed desolation of muscle tissue for 15 to 16 hours. Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 47(4), 441-444, 2012 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjsir.v47i4.14074
Microcontroller based maximum power point single axis Tracking System
Authors: Ullah Hafiz
Published: March 2013

Positioning a photovoltaic (PV) panel in the plane of maximum irradiation can increase the power output up to 57%. An automatic microcontroller based system for maximum power point tracking (MPPT) was designed and analyzed. The system was based on positioning the PV panel perpendicular to the solar irradiation. Photosensors were used to measure the difference of solar radiation intensity among three planes. The tracking system used an 8051 microcontroller to control a stepper motor which rotated the panel towards the plane with highest radiation intensity. The MPPT system was found to be 25.9% more effective in capturing solar power than a fixed panel with the same rating. This system would be useful to increase the power output of currently operating solar panels with minor modifications in mounting. Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 47(4), 427-432, 2012 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjsir.v47i4.4689
Effects of bath composition and current density on the electrodeposition of Fe-Ni alloy on copper substrate and the property of deposited alloy
Authors: Moniruzzaman Md. , Islam Md. Aminul
Published: March 2013

One simple and six complex baths are used to electrodeposit Fe-Ni alloy coating on copper substrate. All baths contain the same 1.04 Ni/Fe ratio. In addition to NiSO4.7H2O, FeSO4.7H2O, H3BO3 used in simple bath, the complex baths contain Ascorbic acid, Saccharin and Citric acid in different ratios. Electrodepositions have been carried out in the bath pH and constant current density range of 1 - 2.6 and 20 - 140 mA/cm2, respectively. Anomalous nature of Fe-Ni alloy electrodeposition is suppressed in the complex baths. Microhardness as well as corrosion resistance of coating increased with increasing %Ni content in the deposit. The morphology of the Fe-Ni films obtained from simple baths is characterized by coarse-grained, non-smooth surface with presence of microcracks onto it. Coatings from complex baths are finegrained with smooth surfaces. Bangladesh J. Sci. Ind. Res. 47(4), 379-386, 2012 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjsir.v47i4.8699
Morphological and Functional Analysis of Hepatocyte Spheroids Generated on Poly-HEMA-Treated Surfaces under the Influence of Fetal Calf Serum and Nonparenchymal Cells
Authors: Acikgöz Ali , Giri Shibashish , Cho Man-Gi , Bader Augustinus
Published: March 2013

Poly (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (HEMA) has been used as a clinical material, in the form of a soft hydrogel, for various surgical procedures, including endovascular surgery of liver. It is a clear liquid compound and, as a soft, flexible, water-absorbing material, has been used to make soft contact lenses from small, concave, spinning molds. Primary rat hepatocyte spheroids were created on a poly-HEMA-coated surface with the intention of inducing hepatic tissue formation and improving liver functions. We investigated spheroid formation of primary adult rat hepatocyte cells and characterized hepatic-specific functions under the special influence of fetal calf serum (FCS) and nonparencymal cells (NPC) up to six days in different culture systems (e.g., hepatocytes + FCS, hepatocytes – FCS, NPC + FCS, NPC – FCS, co-culture + FCS, co-culture – FCS) in both the spheroid model and sandwich model. Immunohistologically, we detected gap junctions, Ito cell/Kupffer cells, sinusoidal endothelial cells and an extracellular matrix in the spheroid model. FCS has no positive effect in the sandwich model, but has a negative effect in the spheroid model on albumin production, and no influence in urea production in either model. We found more cell viability in smaller diameter spheroids than larger ones by using the apoptosis test. Furthermore, there is no positive influence of the serum or NPC on spheroid formation, suggesting that it may only depend on the physical condition of the culture system. Since the sandwich culture has been considered a “gold standard” in vitro culture model, the hepatocyte spheroids generated on the poly-HEMA-coated surface were compared with those in the sandwich model. Major liver-specific functions, such as albumin secretion and urea synthesis, were evaluated in both the spheroid and sandwich model. The synthesis performance in the spheroid compared to the sandwich culture increases approximately by a factor of 1.5. Disintegration of plasma membranes in both models was measured by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release in both models. Additionally, diazepam was used as a substrate in drug metabolism studies to characterize the differences in the biotransformation potential with metabolite profiles in both models. It showed that the diazepam metabolism activities in the spheroid model is about 10-fold lower than the sandwich model. The poly-HEMA-based hepatocyte spheroid is a promising new platform towards hepatic tissue engineering leading to in vitro hepatic tissue formation.
Everyday Problem Solving and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living: Support for Domain Specificity
Authors: Kimbler Kristopher
Published: March 2013

Research suggests that performance on cognitive tasks resembling daily challenges (i.e., everyday problem-solving tasks) may be a better indicator of functional ability in old age compared to traditional measures of cognitive ability. Findings demonstrating this link, however, have yielded mixed results. The current study examined performance on the Everyday Problems Test (EPT) and self-reported ability to perform Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADLs) in a sample of adults over age 50. The EPT measures cognitive performance on tasks with domains consistent with IADLs (telephone use, shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping, transportation, health and finances). Although overall EPT scores and self-reported IADLs were significantly related (rs = 0.20; p < 0.05), additional analyses revealed that domain-specific EPT performance related to IADL reports within the same domain for shopping, meal preparation, housekeeping, and financial management after accounting for other variables such as age, sex, and measures of cognitive ability including total EPT score. These findings suggest that domain-specific performance on cognitive everyday problem-solving tasks may add to the predictability of specific IADLs.
New Climatic Indicators for Improving Urban Sprawl: A Case Study of Tehran City
Authors: Ghanghermeh Abdolazim , Roshan Gholamreza , Orosa José , Calvo-Rolle José , Costa Ángel
Published: March 2013

In the modern world, the fine balance and delicate relationship between human society and the environment in which we exist has been affected by the phenomena of urbanisation and urban development. Today, various environmental factors give rise to horizontal dispersion, spread and growth of cities. One of the most important results of this is climatic change which is directly affected by the urban sprawl of every metropolis. The aim of this study is to identify the relationship between the various horizontally distributed components of Tehran city and changes in essential microclimate clusters, by means of the humidex index. Results showed that, when the humidex was calculated for each of the obtained clusters, it was evident that it had increased with time, in parallel with Shannon’s entropy, as a consequence of the average temperature and relative humidity of each cluster. At the same time, results have shown that both temperature and relative humidity of the study area are related with urban sprawl, urbanisation and development, as defined by Shannon’s entropy and, in consequence, with humidex. In consequence, this new concept must be considered in future research works to predict and control urban sprawl and microclimate conditions in cities.
Lung Cancer Risk from Occupational and Environmental Radon and Role of Smoking in Two Czech Nested Case-Control Studies
Authors: Tomasek Ladislav
Published: March 2013

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the risk of lung cancer from combined exposure to radon and smoking. Methodologically, it is based on case-control studies nested within two Czech cohort studies of nearly 11,000 miners followed-up for mortality in 1952–2010 and nearly 12,000 inhabitants exposed to high levels of radon in homes, with mortality follow-up in 1960–2010. In addition to recorded radon exposure, these studies use information on smoking collected from the subjects or their relatives. A total of 1,029 and 370 cases with smoking information have been observed in the occupational and environmental (residential) studies, respectively. Three or four control subjects have been individually matched to cases according to sex, year of birth, and age. The combined effect from radon and smoking is analyzed in terms of geometric mixture models of which the additive and multiplicative models are special cases. The resulting models are relatively close to the additive interaction (mixing parameter 0.2 and 0.3 in the occupational and residential studies, respectively). The impact of the resulting model in the residential radon study is illustrated by estimates of lifetime risk in hypothetical populations of smokers and non-smokers. In comparison to the multiplicative risk model, the lifetime risk from the best geometric mixture model is considerably higher, particularly in the non-smoking population.
Covalently Bonded Chitosan on Graphene Oxide via Redox Reaction
Authors: Bustos-Ramírez Karina , Martínez-Hernández Ana , Martínez-Barrera Gonzalo , Icaza Miguel , Castaño Víctor , Velasco-Santos Carlos
Published: March 2013

Carbon nanostructures have played an important role in creating a new field of materials based on carbon. Chemical modification of carbon nanostructures through grafting has been a successful step to improve dispersion and compatibility in solvents, with biomolecules and polymers to form nanocomposites. In this sense carbohydrates such as chitosan are extremely valuable because their functional groups play an important role in diversifying the applications of carbon nanomaterials. This paper reports the covalent attachment of chitosan onto graphene oxide, taking advantage of this carbohydrate at the nanometric level. Grafting is an innovative route to modify properties of graphene, a two-dimensional nanometric arrangement, which is one of the most novel and promising nanostructures. Chitosan grafting was achieved by redox reaction using different temperature conditions that impact on the morphology and features of graphene oxide sheets. Transmission Electron Microscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared, Raman and Energy Dispersive spectroscopies were used to study the surface of chitosan-grafted-graphene oxide. Results show a successful modification indicated by the functional groups found in the grafted material. Dispersions of chitosan-grafted-graphene oxide samples in water and hexane revealed different behavior due to the chemical groups attached to the graphene oxide sheet.
Effects of Hydrolysed Whey Proteins on the Techno-Functional Characteristics of Whey Protein-Based Films
Authors: Schmid Markus , Hinz Lesley-Virgina , Wild Florian , Noller Klaus
Published: March 2013

Pure whey protein isolate (WPI)-based cast films are very brittle due to its strong formation of protein cross-linking of disulphide bonding, hydrogen bonding as well as hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions. However, this strong cross-linking is the reason for its final barrier performance. To overcome film brittleness of whey protein layers, plasticisers like glycerol are used. It reduces intermolecular interactions, increases the mobility of polymer chains and thus film flexibility can be achieved. The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of hydrolysed whey protein isolate (WPI) in whey protein isolate-based cast films on their techno-functional properties. Due to the fact, that the addition of glycerol is necessary but at the same time increases the free volume in the film leading to higher oxygen and water vapour permeability, the glycerol concentration was kept constant. Cast films with different ratios of hydrolysed and not hydrolysed WPI were produced. They were characterised in order to determine the influence of the lower molecular weight caused by the addition of hydrolysed WPI on the techno-functional properties. This study showed that increasing hydrolysed WPI concentrations significantly change the mechanical properties while maintaining the oxygen and water vapour permeability. The tensile and elastic film properties decreased significantly by reducing the average molecular weight whereas the yellowish coloration and the surface tension considerably increased. This study provided new data which put researchers and material developers in a position to tailor the characteristics of whey protein based films according to their intended application and further processing.
Omega-Conotoxins as Experimental Tools and Therapeutics in Pain Management
Authors: Hannon Heidi , Atchison William
Published: March 2013

Neuropathic pain afflicts a large percentage of the global population. This form of chronic, intractable pain arises when the peripheral or central nervous systems are damaged, either directly by lesion or indirectly through disease. The comorbidity of neuropathic pain with other diseases, including diabetes, cancer, and AIDS, contributes to a complex pathogenesis and symptom profile. Because most patients present with neuropathic pain refractory to current first-line therapeutics, pharmaceuticals with greater efficacy in pain management are highly desired. In this review we discuss the growing application of ω-conotoxins, small peptides isolated from Conus species, in the management of neuropathic pain. These toxins are synthesized by predatory cone snails as a component of paralytic venoms. The potency and selectivity with which ω-conotoxins inhibit their molecular targets, voltage-gated Ca2+ channels, is advantageous in the treatment of neuropathic pain states, in which Ca2+ channel activity is characteristically aberrant. Although ω-conotoxins demonstrate analgesic efficacy in animal models of neuropathic pain and in human clinical trials, there remains a critical need to improve the convenience of peptide drug delivery methods, and reduce the number and severity of adverse effects associated with ω-conotoxin-based therapies.
Response to Wiart, C. Lee et al., Inhibitory Effect and Mechanism of Antiproliferation of Isoatriplicolide Tiglate (PCAC) from Paulownia coreana. Molecules 2012, 17, 5945-5951: A Note Regarding Paulownia coreana. Molecules 2013, 18, 2587-2588.
Authors: Lee Myeong-Sok
Published: March 2013

In a Comment recently published in Molecules [1], Prof. C. Wiart took issue with our identification of the plant species used in our work as Paulownia coreana. Although this name was assigned by H. Uyeki in 1925 [2], appears as such in handbooks of Korean flora [3], and examples of its use can be found in the recent literature [4–9], after reviewing the arguments and references presented in [1], we now recognize that this is no longer considered an accepted species name, and therefore we wish to revise our assignment to Pauwlonia tormentosa (Thunb.) Steud. We thank Prof. Wiart for bringing this fact to our attention and apologize to the readership of Molecules for any confusion caused by our previous classification of the species. [...]
Whole-tree Agarwood-Inducing Technique: An Efficient Novel Technique for Producing High-Quality Agarwood in Cultivated Aquilaria sinensis Trees
Authors: Liu Yangyang , Chen Huaiqiong , Yang Yun , Zhang Zheng , Wei Jianhe , Meng Hui , Chen Weiping , Feng Jindong , Gan Bingchun , Chen Xuyu , Gao Zhihui , Huang Junqin , Chen Bo , Chen Hongjiang
Published: March 2013

Agarwood is the fragrant resin-infused wood derived from the wounded trees of Aquilaria species. It is a valuable non-timber forest product used in fragrances and as medicine. Reforestation for Aquilaria trees in combination with artificial agarwood-inducing methods serves as a way to supply agarwood and conserve of wild Aquilaria stock. However, the existing agarwood-inducing methods produce poor-quality agarwood at low yield. Our study evaluated a novel technique for producing agarwood in cultivated Aquilaria trees, called the whole-tree agarwood-inducing technique (Agar-Wit). Ten different agarwood inducers were used for comparison of Agar-Wit with three existing agarwood-inducing methods. For Aquilaria trees treated with these ten inducers, agarwood formed and spread throughout the entire tree from the transfusion point in the trunk to the roots and branches of the whole tree. Agarwood yield per tree reached 2,444.83 to 5,860.74 g, which is 4 to 28 times higher than that by the existing agarwood-inducing methods. Furthermore, this agarwood derived from Agar-Wit induction was found to have a higher quality compared with the existing methods, and similar to that of wild agarwood. This indicates Agar-Wit may have commercial potential. Induction of cultivated agarwood using this method could satisfy the significant demand for agarwood, while conserving and protecting the remaining wild Aquilaria trees.
Solution-Processed Organic Photovoltaics Based on Indoline Dye Molecules Developed in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
Authors: Liu Zhaoyang , Ojima Haruhiko , Hong Ziruo , Kido Junji , Tian Wenjing , Wang Xiao-Feng
Published: March 2013

A donor-acceptor (D-A) type indoline dye, D149, was used as an electron donor in solution-processed organic solar cells (OSCs). For bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) type OSCs with PC70BM as electron acceptor, the power conversion efficiency (PCE) is sensitive to the amount of D149 in the D149/PC70BM blend film. When the concentration of D149 in the blend film was as low as 5%, the highest PCE of up to 1.29%, together with a short-circuit current density (Jsc) of 4.58 mA·cm−2, an open-circuit voltage (Voc) of 0.90 V and a fill factor (FF) of 0.31, was achieved. In order to improve the PCE of D149-based OSCs, a bilayer-heterojunction configuration with C70 as electron acceptor has been employed. By optimizing the thickness of the D149 layer and varying the electron- and hole-transport layers, a highest PCE of up to 2.28% with a Jsc of 4.38 mA·cm−2, a Voc of 0.77 V, and an FF of 0.62 was achieved under AM 1.5G solar illumination (100 mW·cm−2).
The Impacts of Spatial Planning on Degrowth
Authors: Wächter Petra
Published: March 2013

As the current growth economy has created severe environmental pollution and unbalanced distribution of prosperity, there is an increasing amount of critical voices calling for a change. The new concept of degrowth addresses a fundamental change in political, economic and institutional levels underpinning different norms and values towards sustainability. Spatial planning institutions have a decisive role in the transition process insofar as they take decisions regarding the use of land and its attributed space. Especially in three areas spatial planning has influential potentials to stimulate the transition process towards degrowth by enhancing: (i) a sustainable use of renewable energy sources; (ii) sustainable settlement structures; and (iii) the creation of social capital by more community based facilities. The paper explores these possibilities for intervention and shows how spatial planning can have positive impacts on degrowth.
Discursive Overlap and Conflictive Fragmentation of Risk and Security in the Geopolitics of Energy
Authors: Fernández Carril Luis , García Arrazola Roeb , Rubio Julio
Published: March 2013

As it touches all aspects of human activity and society in general, energy has become an object of discourse. Two main discourses have formed on the use of energy: risk discourse and security discourse. While environmental changes and oil depletion continue, a new application for the term security has appeared: energy security. This concept can be interpreted within the terms of risk discourse, which is oriented towards rational consensus and decision making, or as an exercise of power, sovereignty and hegemony. The boundaries between interpretations are often unclear. Thus, in an institutional framework that has fragmented principles, norms and rules, opposing discourses will overlap. Political agents and institutions deploy strategies based on these discourses. With this overlapping of discourses, the performative powers of different institutions clash, thus creating conflictive fragmentation in a governance architecture. The purpose of this investigation is to analyze the use of, replication of, and ambiguities surrounding the concept of energy security, so as to understand how and why these discourses overlap and the profound consequences that this overlap may have for present and future energy use, environmental negotiations, and political climate.
Stem Cell Therapy for Craniofacial Bone Regeneration: A Randomized, Controlled Feasibility Trial
Authors: Kaigler Darnell , Pagni Giorgio , Park Chan Ho , Braun Thomas M. , Holman Lindsay A. , Yi Erica , Tarle Susan A. , Bartel Ronnda L. , Giannobile William V.
Published: March 2013

Stem cell therapy offers potential in the regeneration of craniofacial bone defects; however, it has not been studied clinically. Tissue repair cells (TRCs) isolated from bone marrow represent a mixed stem and progenitor population enriched in CD90- and CD14-positive cells. In this phase I/II, randomized, controlled feasibility trial, we investigated TRC cell therapy to reconstruct localized craniofacial bone defects. Twenty-four patients requiring localized reconstruction of jawbone defects participated in this longitudinal trial. For regenerative therapy, patients were randomized to receive either guided bone regeneration (GBR) or TRC transplantation. At 6 or 12 weeks following treatment, clinical and radiographic assessments of bone repair were performed. Bone biopsies were harvested and underwent quantitative micro-computed tomographic (μCT) and bone histomorphometric analyses. Oral implants were installed, subsequently restored, and functionally loaded with tooth restorations. Reconstructed sites were assessed for 1 year following therapy. No study-related, serious adverse events were reported. Following therapy, clinical, radiographic, tomographic, and histological measures demonstrated that TRC therapy accelerated alveolar bone regeneration compared to GBR therapy. Additionally, TRC treatment significantly reduced the need for secondary bone grafting at the time of oral implant placement with a fivefold decrease in implant bony dehiscence exposure (residual bone defects) as compared to GBR-treated sites ( p < 0.01). Transplantation of TRCs for treatment of alveolar bone defects appears safe and accelerates bone regeneration, enabling jawbone reconstruction with oral implants. The results from this trial support expanded studies of TRC therapy in the treatment of craniofacial deformities ( ClinicalTrials.gov number CT00755911).
Synthesis of meso-substituted dihydro-1,3-oxazinoporphyrins
Authors: Sharma Satyasheel , Nath Mahendra
Published: March 2013

Novel dihydro-1,3-oxazinoporphyrins and naphtho[e]bis(dihydro-1,3-oxazinoporphyrin) derivatives, in which the porphyrin macrocycle is covalently linked to the dihydro-1,3-oxazine ring system were successfully synthesized from 5-(4-aminophenyl)-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin in good yields. The structures of the target products were established on the basis of spectral data and elemental analyses.
Ein neuester Text im Ḫana-Stil in mittelassyrischer Schrift
Authors: Tsukimoto Akio
Published: March 2013

Le contrat de vente de champ publié dans cette contribution peut être ajouté au nombre de ceux réunis par A. Podany dans son livre sur The Land of Hana: Kings, Chronology, and Scribal Tradition , 2002, même s’il est plus tardif. Le texte est rédigé en écriture médioassyrienne et date du règne de Teglat-Phalasar I (1114-1076 av. J.-C.) La mention de la ville de Qa?una permet de proposer que ce texte provienne de la région du Moyen Habur comme deux autres contrats tardifs de l’époque de « Hana », LH 15 et LH 17. Cela devrait indiquer que les traditions scribales et juridiques du royaume de Hana ont perduré au-delà de l’époque durant laquelle cette dynastie a dominé la région. Dans ce cas, les traditions étaient ancrées et transmises dans les communautés locales plus que par le pouvoir royal.
The Toponyms, ‘the Land of Māri', in the Late Second Millennium B.C.
Authors: Shibata Daisuke
Published: March 2013

Depuis que, dans les années 1990, un petit royaume local médio-assyrien appelée « Pays de Mari » a été découvert dans la région du Moyen Habur, la question de la signification du toponyme Mari a fait couler beaucoup d’encre. La présente contribution reprend le débat en énumérant les attestations diverses de ce toponyme durant la deuxième moitié du IIe millénaire. Les résultats de ce survol sont : (1) certaines attestations du toponyme renvoient à la région du Moyen Euphrate, probablement à la prestigieuse ville de Mari, tandis que d’autres se réfèrent au Moyen Habur. Cela veut dire que nous avons affaire à deux toponymes différents, homonymes, et utilisés en même temps dans la deuxième moitié du IIe millénaire. (2) Les attestations de ce toponyme dans des textes de Nuzi peuvent être considérées comme les références les plus anciennes actuellement connues à la dynastie locale du « Pays de Mari » du Habur.