bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influential parameters of nitrogen oxides emissions for microturbine swirl burner with pilot burner
Authors: Adzic Miroljub , Zivkovic Marija , Fotev Vasko , Milivojevic Aleksandar , Adzic Vuk
Published: May 2010

Swirl burners are the most common type of device in wide range of applications, including gas turbine combustors. Due to their characteristics, swirl flows are extensively used in combustion systems because they enable high energy conversion in small volume with good stabilization behavior over the wide operating range. The flow and mixing process generated by the swirl afford excellent flame stability and reduced NOx emissions. Experimental investigation of NOx emission of a purposely designed micro turbine gas burner with pilot burner is presented. Both burners are equipped with swirlers. Mixtures of air and fuel are introduced separately: through the inner swirler - primary mixture for pilot burner, and through the outer swirler - secondary mixture for main burner. The effects of swirl number variations for the both burners were investigated, including parametric variations of the thermal power and air coefficient. It was found that the outer swirler affects the emission of NOx only for the air coefficient less than 1.4. The increase of swirl number resulted in decrease of NOx emission. The inner swirler and thermal power were found to have negligible effect on emission.
The structure and glass transition behavior of PLLA under the influence of gamma radiation
Authors: Milicevic Dejan , Trifunovic Sasa , Mudrinic Tihana , Leskovac Andreja , Ignjatovic Nenad , Dojcilovic Jablan , Suljovrujic Edin
Published: May 2010

The influence of gamma radiation on the structure and glass transition behavior of poly-L-lactide (PLLA) has been studied. Since PLLA exposed to high-energy radiation in the presence of air is prone to chain scission reactions and large degradation, changes in molecular weight were obtained by the gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Alterations in the glass transition behaviour were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The apparent activation energy, ?H*, for the glass transition was determined on the basis of the heating rate dependence of the glass transition temperature, Tg. Our findings support the fact that chain scission is the main reason for the decrease of Tg and ?H* with the absorbed dose. At low doses, despite large changes in molecular weight, only small alterations are observed in the glass transition temperature and apparent activation energy. Further increase in the absorbed dose introduces not only significant changes in the molecular weight but also in the glass transition temperature and the activation energy. Such glass transition behaviour is a manifestation of a well-known effect of molecular weight on Tg, postulated by the Fox-Flory equation. However, all the observed alterations are small and tolerable at absorbed doses required for sterilization (up to 25 kGy in most circumstances). Furthermore, this study reveals that the radiation-induced changes in the molecular weight and the glass transition temperature occur in a predictable and fairly accurate manner. Therefore, gamma radiation can be used not only for sterilization but also for tailoring desirable end-use properties of PLLA based implants.
The effect of bi presence as impurities in anodic copper on kinetics and mechanism of anodic dissolution and cathodic deposition of copper
Authors: Stankovic Zvonimir , Cvetkovski Vladimir , Grekulovic Vesna
Published: May 2010

The influence of Bi, as foreign metal atoms in anode copper, on kinetics and mechanism of anodic dissolution and cathodic deposition of copper in acidic sulfate solution was investigated using the galvanostatic single-pulse method. Results indicate that presence of Bi atoms in anode copper increases the exchange current density, as determined from the Tafel analysis of the electrode reaction, which is attributed to the increase of the crystal lattice parameter determined from XRD analysis of the electrode material.
Attentional networks and biological motion
Authors: Chandrasekaran Chandramouli , Turner Lucy , Bülthoff Heinrich , Thornton Ian
Published: May 2010

Our ability to see meaningful actions when presented with point-light traces of human movement is commonly referred to as the perception of biological motion. While traditional explanations have emphasized the spontaneous and automatic nature of this ability, more recent findings suggest that attention may play a larger role than is typically assumed. In two studies we show that the speed and accuracy of responding to point-light stimuli is highly correlated with the ability to control selective attention. In our first experiment we measured thresholds for determining the walking direction of a masked point-light figure, and performance on a range of attention-related tasks in the same set of observers. Mask-density thresholds for the direction discrimination task varied quite considerably from observer to observer and this variation was highly correlated with performance on both Stroop and flanker interference tasks. Other components of attention, such as orienting, alerting and visual search efficiency, showed no such relationship. In a second experiment, we examined the relationship between the ability to determine the orientation of unmasked point-light actions and Stroop interference, again finding a strong correlation. Our results are consistent with previous research suggesting that biological motion processing may requite attention, and specifically implicate networks of attention related to executive control and selection.
Variability driven animacy effects: Evidence of structural, not conceptual differences in processing animates and inanimates
Authors: Kovic Vanja , Plunkett Kim , Westermann Gert
Published: May 2010

The present eye-tracking study demonstrates that when animate and inanimate object pictures are presented within a single-study, there are no systematic differences between processing these two categories objects. Although participants were taking less time to initiate their first gaze towards animate than to inanimate objects, a result compatible with findings of Proverbio et al. (2007), it turned out that this quicker initiation of the first look in animates was driven by mammals and reptiles only and did not apply to insects or aquatic animals, most probably due to the structural differences within these subcategories. Fixations in this study do not cluster around certain features or areas of the objects for either animate or inanimate categories. Moreover, detailed analysis of looking behaviour does not reveal a clear animateinanimate distinction. Thus, given the failure of finding systematic differences between animates and inanimates when assessed using various looking behaviour measurements, the results do not support the prediction from modality specific conceptual account. In fact, these results are more in agreement with an alternative, distributed account of semantic representation that explains processing differences by structural differences between animate and inanimate objects.
Is syntactic working memory language specific?
Authors: Kljajevic Vanja
Published: May 2010

One question that has emerged from recent studies on sentence processing pertains to the nature of a specific cognitive mechanism implicated in maintenance of unintegrated syntactic information in ongoing sentence processing. In addition to evidence from language, recent research on musical syntax has suggested that processing of musical sequences may require a similar cognitive mechanism. In this paper evidence is discussed for the implication of syntactic working memory (SWM) in processing of language and musical syntax, arithmetic sequences, as well as in complex motor movements used with a specific expressive purpose. The idea is that an anticipatory structure-building component governs interpretation in each of these domains by processing relevant integrations within sequences of structurally dependent elements. The concept of SWM is anchored in representational modularity and the shared syntactic integration resources hypothesis, and empirically supported by neurophysiological and neuroimaging evidence.
Partnering with Practice: Staffing to Achieve Excellence in Accounting Education
Authors: Geary William , Kutcher Eugene J. , Porco Barbara M.
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACT: The supply of research-based, tenure-track accounting faculty is not commensurate with the demand. To address this challenge, colleges and universities, including those who typically rely upon adjuncts and clinical faculty, may wish to consider entering into a formal collaboration with a public accounting firm whereby a partner with support from the firm commits to teach an accounting course or a designated module in a course. One pilot program—the Partner Teaches Program (PTP), recently inaugurated by a public accounting firm—provided the opportunity to study the impact of such a program and generate recommendations. The findings support the conclusion that properly selected partners, matched with the demands of a particular course and properly prepared, supported, and integrated into the curriculum, can make significant positive contributions to accounting education. Based on these data, we have made recommendations to encourage firms and schools to consider initiating similar arrangements.
Rekindling the Debate: What’s Right and What’s Wrong with Masters of Accountancy Programs: The Staff Auditor’s Perspective
Authors: Frecka Thomas J. , Reckers Philip M. J.
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACT: Global commerce has undergone massive changes over the last two decades. No less so has the worldwide public accounting profession. We have seen two market crashes in the span of eight years, a host of financial reporting fiascoes, and the demise of Arthur Andersen. Historical cost-based accounting is giving way to fair-value accounting, and International Financial Reporting Standards are replacing national rules and regulations. And, yet, not since the Accounting Education Change Commission 20 years ago has there been a significant nationwide dialog regarding changing societal needs and the adequacy of our collegiate accounting programs to meet those needs. With this void in mind, the Education Committee of the American Accounting Association launched in 2008 an initiative to ignite a nationwide dialog of practitioners, academics, and other prominent stakeholders to assess the quality and level of satisfaction with current Master’s of Accountancy programs, the relevance of current coursework, and to identify and prioritize future curriculum initiatives. The first phase of that initiative was a survey conducted in the late spring of 2009 of more than 500 recent graduates of Master’s of Accountancy programs (auditors with two to six years experience); this article reports the findings of that survey. In a nutshell, these young auditors were asked what was right and what was wrong with Master’s of Accountancy programs from their perspective. This is a first step in a larger effort to help give direction to program revisions that would best serve the interests of students, the profession, and society. The purpose of the survey is not to definitively resolve outstanding controversies but rather to encourage further necessary debate. Various interpretations of the findings of the survey are inevitable, invited, and welcome. To that end, it is the authors’ intent to raise as many questions in the following pages as those resolved. Over the last decade academics have witnessed an endless litany of suggestions for curriculum changes from individuals, committees, associations, and firms. Unfortunately, those many recommendations have often been conflicting and provide limited, if any, prioritization of what to add to existing curricula and what to withdraw. Furthermore, we acknowledge that while this article does not provide a substantive discussion of the necessarily complimentary roles of university education, continuing professional education, and on-the-job training, such issues must be included in future dialogs.
What It Means to be an Accounting Professor: A Concise Career Guide for Doctoral Students in Accounting
Authors: Beyer Brooke , Herrmann Don , Meek Gary K. , Rapley Eric T.
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACT: The purpose of this paper is to provide a concise career guide for current and potential doctoral students in accounting and, in the process, help them gain a greater awareness of what it means to be an accounting professor. The guide can also be used by accounting faculty in doctoral programs as a starting point in mentoring their doctoral students. We begin with foundational guidance to help doctoral students better understand the “big picture” surrounding the academic accounting environment. We then provide specific research guidance and publishing guidance to help improve the probability of publication success. Actions are suggested that doctoral students and new faculty can take to help jump-start their academic careers. We finish with guidance regarding some important acronyms of special interest to doctoral students in accounting.
The Ethics of Indemnity Clauses in Academic Publication Contracts
Authors: Mock Rodney P. , Savage Arline , Simkin Mark G.
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACT: Publishers ask authors to sign publication agreements with “indemnity clauses” to defend themselves from third-party lawsuits. When academics sign such agreements, who is liable if a third party sues the publisher—the author, the author’s university, the author’s faculty union, or only the publisher? This article uses a stakeholder approach to analyze the ethical implications that indemnity clauses have in academia on authors, publishers, universities, and unions. The article concludes that indemnification clauses are most advantageous to the publishers and universities involved, while the authors and unions are most disadvantaged by such provisions.
Return of the Tallahassee BeanCounters: A Case in Forensic Accounting
Authors: Dee Carol Callaway , Durtschi Cindy
Published: May 2010

ABSTRACT: Your firm has been engaged to conduct a forensic investigation of the Tallahassee BeanCounters (TBC), a privately owned minor league baseball team in Tallahassee, Florida. Team owner Franklin Kennedy has told employees that the audit is related to the mortgage TBC obtained for the recently constructed training facility. However, Mr. Kennedy tells you privately that the investigation is not due to loan requirements; rather, it is due to his concerns arising from an anonymous tip he received in the mail. The assignment requires you and your investigative team to (1) analyze the financial and background data provided; (2) brainstorm the possible ways in which a fraud could be perpetrated and concealed within the organization; (3) determine the additional information you need to confirm or disprove your suspicions; and (4) request this information from the appropriate party at TBC. When your investigation is complete, you will present your written results to the owner, including (1) who committed the fraud, (2) how it was committed, (3) the economic impact of the fraud to TBC, and (4) the financial benefit your suspect(s) received from committing the crime.
An Investigation of Authenticity in a Nepalese Secondary ESL Textbook and its Supplementation
Authors: Baral Lekh Nath
Published: May 2010

This article starts with a brief discussion of the concept of authenticity of language learning/teaching materials followed by an introductory discussion of Nepal's school level English curriculum. Moving away from the conventional notion of authenticity which only takes ‘textual authenticity' on board, the present article investigates the authenticity of a text material from the perspective of learner and task along with the textual authenticity and presents supplementation of the material under investigation. Key words: authenticity; curriculum; learner-centeredness; supplement(ation); task DOI: 10.3126/nelta.v14i1.3085 Journal of NELTA Vol.14, No 1&2, 2009 December Page: 1-13
The First Activity in Research
Authors: Bhattarai Anjana
Published: May 2010

This paper aims to highlight the process of selecting a research topic through the identification of broad area and then narrowing it down to the research title. The article starts with the brief introduction to research and its micro activities. It also clarifies that topic selection is the base for all other microactivitie. The focus is laid on reviewing the literature as the preliminary step in the selection of research topic. In order to facilitate the new researchers and to remind the experienced ones, a list of some possible broad areas in applied linguistics is presented. Before concluding the article, I have argued that without reading and reviewing the existing literature topic selection is very difficult. Key words: Research problem, research process, micro activity, broad area, specific area DOI: 10.3126/nelta.v14i1.3087 Journal of NELTA Vol.14, No 1&2, 2009 December Page: 21-25
The Politics of ‘Unplanning’ of Languages in Nepal
Authors: Giri Ram Ashish
Published: May 2010

The elites, who have held power in Nepal since its inception in the eighteenth century, have deliberately ignored issues related to minority/ethnic languages in favour of the languages of their choice. While this ‘unplanning' of languages has been responsible for the loss of scores of languages, it has helped the elites to achieve ‘planned' linguistic edge over the speakers of other languages. This article outlines the sociopolitical and linguistic pretexts of the ‘unplanning' of languages which favours Nepali and English, and explains why privileging of Nepali and English, essential though they are for education, employment and access to the world resources, has, in the existing situation, done more harm than good. Key words: language planning, unplanning of languages, multilingualism, linguistic elitism, hegemony DOI: 10.3126/nelta.v14i1.3089 Journal of NELTA Vol.14, No 1&2, 2009 December Page: 32-44
Challenges & Suitability of TESL at the College Level in Bangladeshi Context
Authors: Hasan Kamrul , Akhand Mohd. Moniruzzaman
Published: May 2010

This paper presents the result of a study about teaching English to Bangladeshi college students. It analyses the problems faced by Bangladeshi English teachers, including methodological problems and expertise problem. The shifting from grammar based to communicative approach has produced acute problems of expertise in the field, resulting in inefficiency of the classroom instructors and lack of appropriate resources for language teaching. In response to the problems, this paper also discusses CLT methodology and considers the suitability of the Content-Based Approach (CBA) in Bangladeshi context. It then tries to uphold a balanced curricular and pedagogical suggestion for making language teaching more effective, arguing that blending of two approaches, CLT and CBA, can help English language teachers achieve maximum learning among students. Key Words: Communicative Language Teaching (CLT), Content-based Approach (CBA), Curriculum development DOI: 10.3126/nelta.v14i1.3090 Journal of NELTA Vol.14, No 1&2, 2009 December Page: 45-54
Give me an Easy Topic, Please: My Experience of Supervising Theses
Authors: Karn Sajan Kumar
Published: May 2010

Thesis writing is demanding in that it requires a great deal of time, patience, study, creativity, writing proficiency and also critical and analytical expertise on the part of researchers. Unfortunately, many of the beginners do not seem to understand the gravity of such a high level academic feat and consequently pose a lot of problems for thesis supervisors, guidance committee, university department, etc. This paper endeavors to scrutinize students' misconceptions and negligence against depth and requisites of the thesis writing. Besides this, it also tries to specify the expected responsibilities of supervisors and researchers. This largely draws on my experience and inferences obtained while supervising M. Ed. (English) theses, unstructured interview (conversation) with the students/researchers, a close examination of thesis drafts, and interactions with colleagues (thesis supervisors). Key words: Research, plagiarism,research problem, thesis writing DOI: 10.3126/nelta.v14i1.3092 Journal of NELTA Vol.14, No 1&2, 2009 December Page: 63-70
Delivering training in ‘Sounds of English’: An Ongoing Action Research Project
Authors: Miller Kate
Published: May 2010

This paper started as a narrative about ELT training in Far West, Nepal but is now taking its place as an Action Research project. I removed ‘Far West' from the title because I will argue that this approach is appropriate to all levels of ELT in all areas. I will state my arguments for justification of the structured teaching of sounds, pronunciation, to teachers. I will then go on to share how I planned and delivered the content of my programme, followed by reflection on my/our input as trainers, what we learned from the experience, and what we need to improve to take this training forward. Key words: Action research, pronunciation, phonemics, phonics, IPA DOI: 10.3126/nelta.v14i1.3095  Journal of NELTA Vol.14, No 1&2, 2009 December Page: 91-100
Processing Instruction: An Input Based Approach for Teaching Grammar
Authors: Neupane Madhu
Published: May 2010

The present article is an attempt to highlight the importance of teaching grammar in Second Language Acquisition (SLA). It outlines the arguments forwarded for and against teaching grammar and approaches to teaching grammar. Mainly the article focuses on Processing Instruction-an input based approach for teaching grammar. It also presents the methodology followed by its originators to provide the researchers who want to conduct a similar research. Key words: Second Language Acquisition, Processing instruction, input, output DOI: 10.3126/nelta.v14i1.3097 Journal of NELTA Vol.14, No 1&2, 2009 December Page: 111-118
Measurement of the lattice misfit of Pt–Al–Cr superalloy by convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED)
Authors: Nikulina Elizaveta , Völkl Rainer , Glatzel Uwe
Published: May 2010

Convergent beam electron diffraction is a well known technique for measuring local lattice parameters with high accuracy. In this work we investigate the possibility of applying convergent beam electron diffraction to a Pt-based superalloy. The measurements were made at room temperature and at – 170 °C along the [9 2 27] zone axis. It is shown that despite strong dynamic effects and inelastic scattering, the lattice parameter in this orientation can be determined with acceptable accuracy of 0.1 – 0.3 pm.
Enrichment of boron at grain boundaries of platinum-based alloys determined by electron energy loss spectroscopy in a transmission electron microscope
Authors: Preußner Johannes , Fleischmann Ernst , Völkl Rainer , Glatzel Uwe
Published: May 2010

Polycrystalline platinum-based alloys show very good creep properties at high temperatures. Small amounts of boron (less than 1 at.%) considerably increase the creep strength. Transmission electron microscopy measurements were conducted to localize the element boron in the samples. With image electron energy loss spectroscopy spectra were extracted revealing an enrichment of B at grain boundaries. The boron distribution was plotted with the three window method.
Oxidation behaviour of TiAl-based intermetallic coatings on γ-TiAl alloys
Authors: Braun Reinhold , Fröhlich Maik , Leyens Christoph
Published: May 2010

TiAl-based intermetallic layers with additions of Ag, Cr, Y and Hf were deposited on γ-TiAl specimens using magnetron sputtering. The oxidation behaviour of the coated Ti-45Al-8Nb (at.%) alloy was investigated at 850 °C and 900 °C under cyclic oxidation conditions in air. The ternary Ti-50Al-2Ag (at.%) coating did not provide oxidation protection to the substrate material at 850 °C. Two-phase γ-TiAl + Ti(Cr, Al)2 Laves coatings exhibited high oxidation resistance at 900 °C for up to 1000 cycles of 1 h dwell time at high temperature. During thermal exposure phase dissolution and transformation occurred. The slow oxide growth rates observed for the Ti – Al – Cr intermetallic layers were associated with the formation of a thin continuous alumina top scale established by the Laves, B2 and Z-phases. Small additions of hafnium and yttrium improved the oxidation resistance. In contrast, Ti – Al – Cr – Ag coatings exhibited poor oxidation behaviour at 900 °C.
Oxidation and fatigue behaviour of γ-TiAl coated with HIPIMS CrAlYN/CrN nanoscale multilayer coatings and EB-PVD thermal barrier coatings
Authors: Braun Reinhold , Schulz Uwe , Leyens Christoph , Hovsepian Papken E. , Ehiasarian Arutiun P.
Published: May 2010

CrAlYN/CrN nanoscale multilayer coatings were deposited on γ-TiAl substrate material using high power impulse magnetron sputtering technology. The nitride coating provided effective oxidation protection to γ-TiAl at 850 °C for exposure time periods exceeding 2 000 cycles of 1 h dwell time at high temperature in air. High oxidation resistance was also observed at 900 °C. After exposure to air at 850 °C for 300 h, coated tension specimens exhibited a reduction in fatigue strength of about 70 MPa compared to the bare γ-TiAl alloy. Zirconia topcoats produced by electron-beam physical vapour deposition were well adherent to the CrAlYN/CrN coating with an oxy-nitride overcoat. When thermally cycled at 900 °C, the lifetime of this thermal barrier coating system on γ-TiAl exceeded 1 000 1 h cycles. Below cracks in the nitride coating, the substrate was oxidised and protrusions of an outer oxide scale with columnar structure formed.
Effect of martensite volume fraction on mechanical properties of dual-phase treated AISI-4012 sheet steels
Authors: Aksakal B. , Karaca F. , Arikan R.
Published: May 2010

Hot rolled AISI-4012 sheet steels have been heat treated to obtain a ductile dual phase microstructure. The specimens were heat treated in the ferrite (α) and austenite (γ) phase region at temperatures of 740, 760, 790 and 820 °C and corresponding time intervals of 15, 30, 60 and 90 min and then quenched into water. Hardness measurements, tensile, bending, and impact tests were performed in order to determine the mechanical properties of the dual phase steel. These were examined with respect to the martensite volume fraction. Both the flow and tensile stresses increased whereas elongation decreased with increasing dual phase treatment temperature and martensite volume fraction. The optimum mechanical properties and the appropriate dual-phase microstructure are achieved at 740 and 760 °C annealing with subsequent water quenching. From examinations it was deduced that ductile fracture occurred in the tested samples.
Surgery of Primary Melanomas
Authors: Rutkowski Piotr , Zdzienicki Marcin , Nowecki Zbigniew I. , Van Akkooi Alexander C. J.
Published: May 2010

Surgery remains the mainstay of melanoma therapy, regardless of the tumor site. Only the early diagnosis combined with proper surgical therapy currently gives patients affected by this malignancy the chance for a full cure. The main goal of surgical therapy is to provide the local control of the disease and to secure long-term survival of the patient without reasonable functional and esthetic impairment. The recommended method of biopsy—excisional biopsy, as an initial diagnostic and, to some extent, therapeutic procedure—is performed under local anesthesia as an elliptical incision with visual clear margins of 1–3 mm and with some mm of subcutaneous tissue. The extent of radical excision of the primary tumor (or scar after excisional biopsy) is based on the histopathologic characteristics of the primary tumor and usually consists of 1–2 cm margins with primary closure. The philosophy behind conducted randomized clinical trials has been to find the most conservative surgical approach that is able to guarantee the same results as more demolitive treatment. This has been the background of the trials designed to define the correct margins of excision around a primary cutaneous melanoma. Much less definition can be dedicated to the surgical management of patients with non-cutaneous melanomas.
Lutein Protects RGC-5 Cells Against Hypoxia and Oxidative Stress
Authors: Li Suk-Yee , Lo Amy C. Y.
Published: May 2010

Retinal ischemia and oxidative stress lead to neuronal death in many ocular pathologies. Recently, we found that lutein, an oxy-carotenoid, protected the inner retina from ischemia/reperfusion injury. However, it is uncertain whether lutein directly protects retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). Here, an in vitro model of hypoxia and oxidative stress was used to further investigate the neuroprotective role of lutein in RGCs. Cobalt chloride (CoCl2)and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) were added to a transformed RGC cell line, RGC-5, to induce chemical hypoxia and oxidative stress, respectively. Either lutein or vehicle was added to cultured cells. A higher cell count was observed in the lutein-treated cells compared with the vehicle-treated cells. Our data from this in vitro model revealed that lutein might protect RGC-5 cells from damage when exposed to either CoCl2-induced chemical hypoxia or H2O2-induced oxidative stress. These results suggest that lutein may play a role as a neuroprotectant.
Heterogenic Solid Biofuel Sampling Methodology and Uncertainty Associated with Prompt Analysis
Authors: Pazó Jose A. , Granada Enrique , Saavedra Ángeles , Patiño David , Collazo Joaquín
Published: May 2010

Accurate determination of the properties of biomass is of particular interest in studies on biomass combustion or cofiring. The aim of this paper is to develop a methodology for prompt analysis of heterogeneous solid fuels with an acceptable degree of accuracy. Special care must be taken with the sampling procedure to achieve an acceptable degree of error and low statistical uncertainty. A sampling and error determination methodology for prompt analysis is presented and validated. Two approaches for the propagation of errors are also given and some comparisons are made in order to determine which may be better in this context. Results show in general low, acceptable levels of uncertainty, demonstrating that the samples obtained in the process are representative of the overall fuel composition.
A Multi-D-Shaped Optical Fiber for Refractive Index Sensing
Authors: Chen Chien-Hsing , Tsao Tzu-Chein , Tang Jaw-Luen , Wu Wei-Te
Published: May 2010

A novel class of multi-D-shaped optical fiber suited for refractive index measurements is presented. The multi-D-shaped optical fiber was constructed by forming several D-sections in a multimode optical fiber at localized regions with femtosecond laser pulses. The total number of D-shaped zones fabricated could range from three to seven. Each D-shaped zone covered a sensor volume of 100 μm depth, 250 μm width, and 1 mm length. The mean roughness of the core surface obtained by the AFM images was 231.7 nm, which is relatively smooth. Results of the tensile test indicated that the fibers have sufficient mechanical strength to resist damage from further processing. The multi-D-shaped optical fiber as a high sensitive refractive-index sensor to detect changes in the surrounding refractive index was studied. The results for different concentrations of sucrose solution show that a resolution of 1.27 × 10−3–3.13 × 10−4 RIU is achieved for refractive indices in the range of 1.333 to 1.403, suggesting that the multi-D-shaped fibers are attractive for chemical, biological, and biochemical sensing with aqueous solutions.
Domestic Separation and Collection of Municipal Solid Waste: Opinion and Awareness of Citizens and Workers
Authors: De Feo Giovanni , De Gisi Sabino
Published: May 2010

The state of the art on Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) management is based on the domestic separation of materials produced. After domestic separation, the resident has to transfer the separated materials to the MSW manager through the hands of collection workers. It is exactly at this stage that an end-use product changes its status and property becomes waste. This paper analyzes and compares the opinions and awareness of citizens and kerbside collection workers on this subject by means of two structured questionnaires in the city of Mercato San Severino (about 22,000 people), in Southern Italy.
Land Use Scenario Modeling for Flood Risk Mitigation
Authors: Barredo José I. , Engelen Guy
Published: May 2010

It is generally accepted that flood risk has been increasing in Europe in the last decades. Accordingly, it becomes a priority to better understand its drivers and mechanisms. Flood risk is evaluated on the basis of three factors: hazard, exposure and vulnerability. If one of these factors increases, then so does the risk. Land use change models used for ex-ante assessment of spatial trends provide planners with powerful tools for territorial decision making. However, until recently this type of model has been largely neglected in strategic planning for flood risk mitigation. Thus, ex-ante assessment of flood risk is an innovative application of land use change models. The aim of this paper is to propose a flood risk mitigation approach using exposure scenarios. The methodology is applied in the Pordenone province in northern Italy. In the past 50 years Pordenone has suffered several heavy floods, the disastrous consequences of which demonstrated the vulnerability of the area. Results of this study confirm that the main driving force of increased flood risk is found in new urban developments in flood-prone areas.
HIV Nuclear Entry: Clearing the Fog
Authors: Shah Vaibhav B. , Aiken Christopher
Published: May 2010

HIV-1 and other lentiviruses have the unusual capability of infecting nondividing cells, but the mechanism by which they cross an intact nuclear membrane is mysterious. Recent work, including a new study (Lee, K.; Ambrose, Z.; Martin, T.D.; Oztop, I.; Mulky, A.; Julias, J.G.; Vandergraaff, N.; Baumann, J.G.; Wang, R.; Yuen, W. et al. Flexible use of nuclear import pathways by HIV-1. Cell Host Microbe 2010,7, 221-233) confirms that the viral capsid plays a key role in HIV-1 nuclear entry in both dividing and nondividing cells. The identification of mutations in the viral capsid that alter the virus’s dependence on host cell nucleoporins represents an important advance in this poorly understood stage of the virus life cycle.
Human Mobility in Roman Italy, II: The Slave Population
Authors: Scheidel Walter
Published: May 2010

In this paper, I seek to delineate the build-up of the Italian slave population. My parametric model revolves around two variables: the probable number of slaves in Roman Italy, and the demographic structure of the servile population. I critique existing estimates of slave totals and propose a new ‘bottom-up’ approach; discuss the probable sex ratio, mortality regime and family structure of the Italian slaves; and advance a new estimate of the overall volume of slave transfers. I argue that the total number of slaves in Roman Italy did not exceed one-and-a-half million, and that this population had been created by the influx of between two and four million slaves during the last two centuries B.C.
Structure and Allusion in Horace's Book of Epodes
Authors: Lyne R. O. A. M.
Published: May 2010

This article, which was substantively complete at the time of Professor Lyne's sad death, takes a close look at Horace Epodes 13. Lyne displays the complex intertextual and generic resonances of the poem, which is crossed between iambic and lyric ancestry. The poem also functions as a major structural element in the book of Epodes, since it appears to signal a closure which does not happen, and which is wittily picked up in the following poem's apology to Maecenas for the poet's inability to finish the book. This play with finishing, and with iambic books of 13 or 17 poems in length, alludes to Callimachus and his book of Iambi. The closural elements in Epode 13 resonate which similar closurality in Iambus XIII, and the continuation in Epodes 14–17 is Horace's reflection on the puzzle about whether Iambus XIII represents closure ‘followed by heterogeneous material [filled out either by Callimachus himself or by a copyist] or “false closure” followed by more Iambi’.
Augustus, Domitian and the So-called Horologium Augusti
Authors: Heslin Peter
Published: May 2010

Buchner's reconstruction of the Horologium Augusti continues to be influential, despite fatal flaws demonstrated by Rodríguez-Almeida and Schütz; so we begin by reviewing the state of the evidence. There is no credible indication that Augustus or his successors built an extensive sundial, so we must conclude with Schütz that what Pliny described and what the excavations of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) uncovered was a solar meridian line. We then proceed to discuss its significance in the context of the Augustan building programme. Since the DAI in fact discovered a Flavian reconstruction, the final question to be addressed is what purpose it served Domitian to rebuild a largely symbolic Augustan instrument that had grown inaccurate over time.
Domitian, the Rhinoceros, and the Date of Martial's Liber De Spectaculis
Authors: Buttrey T. V.
Published: May 2010

Martial's Liber de Spectaculis is almost universally considered a work describing the remarkable 100-day games held by Titus on the inauguration of the new Flavian Amphitheatre in A.D. 80. There is in fact no internal evidence for this attribution, which has been justified by Martial's praise of the building (“it sounds new”) and the inexact parallels between the description of Titus' games in Dio and the events memorialized by Martial. The highpoint of animal activities in Martial concerns the rhinoceros, not mentioned at all by Dio. Under Domitian a sudden, extensive and unparalleled issue of coins with the rhinoceros type signals the advertisement of that rare beast in his games. The coins date to A.D. 83–85. It is to that period, and to the reign of Domitian, that Martial's work should be dated.
The Greek Census Inscriptions of Late Antiquity
Authors: Harper Kyle
Published: May 2010

This article reconsiders a set of Late Roman inscriptions which record the tax liabilities of dozens of landowners in terms of post-Diocletianic fiscality. The stones, from eleven cities in the Aegean and western Asia Minor, are evaluated as evidence for the social and economic history of the Late Empire, challenging Jones' fundamental study in which the inscriptions are read as a sign of structural crisis. With their non-Egyptian provenance, the inscriptions offer unique, quantitative insights into land-ownership and labour. The inscriptions reveal surprising levels of slave labour in the eastern provinces, particularly in a new inscription from Thera. This last document allows, for the first time, an empirical analysis of the demographics of an estate-based population of slaves in antiquity.
Horace, Pindar and the Censorini in Odes 4.8
Authors: Kovacs David
Published: May 2010

Odes 4.8 is anomalous: its thirty-four lines are not a multiple of four. Most editors delete two or six lines, but this involves deleting at least one blameless line and disturbing the stanzaic structure of the poem. Instead mark a lacuna of two or six lines before the final couplet. The missing lines will have contained a prayer for Censorinus' immortality and some words of praise, thereby fulfilling the expectations raised earlier in the poem. Vota in 34 refers to Horace's prayer, which Bacchus fulfils as god of poetry. Finally, the conceit that uates potentes can in real terms immortalize or deify their subjects chimes in with a feature of Roman religion noted by A. D. Nock.
Palladas and the Age of Constantine
Authors: Wilkinson Kevin W.
Published: May 2010

This article begins with a review of the traditional dates for Palladas (c. A.D. 360–450) and the current consensus of most scholars (c. A.D. 319–400). The first of these relies almost exclusively on the dubious manuscript lemmata and the second on an interpretation of Palladas' epigrams pertaining to the rise of Christianity and the weakening of the pagan cults, which are supposed to be Theodosian in date. Both timelines are difficult to reconcile with two external clues, which together suggest that his floruit must have been earlier than the second half of the fourth century. Further analysis reveals that the important pagan-Christian epigrams are full of Constantine's political and religious propaganda post-324. Another line of inquiry establishes a new set of dates: c. A.D. 259–340.
Provinciales, Gentiles, and Marriages between Romans and Barbarians in the Late Roman Empire
Authors: Mathisen Ralph
Published: May 2010

Codex Theodosianus 3.14.1, issued in the early 370s, has been understood in the past to indicate a ban on all marriages between ‘Romans’ and ‘barbarians’. But this interpretation contradicts evidence that Roman-barbarian marriages occurred with great frequency, and the lack of any other evidence for such a ban. This study argues that the specific wording of the law, referring to gentiles (barbarian soldiers) and provinciales (residents of provinces), suggests that the ban was imposed to ensure the continued performance of specific duties incumbent upon these two classes of individuals, and had nothing to do with ethnicity-qua-ethnicity.
Linguistic Co-existence in Constantinople: Greek and Latin (and Syriac) in the Acts of the Synod of 536 C.E.
Authors: Millar Fergus
Published: May 2010

This paper considers the interplay of Latin and Greek in the workings of both State and Church in sixth-century Constantinople, and the way that these two languages are represented in the written records of each. The richest source of evidence is provided by the Acts of the Church Councils and Synods, because at the end of a session, or of a multi-authored document, it was the custom for those involved to make a one-sentence statement of assent in their own handwriting. These processes also leave room for reflections of the use of Syriac (but not for items of actual Syriac text), but of no other language.
El plutón Precámbrico-Cámbrico Inferior de Vila Nova (Centro de Portugal)
Authors: Reis A. I.M. , Silva M. M.V.G. , Antunes I. M.H.R.
Published: May 2010

El plutón de Vila Nova es un pequeño cuerpo granítico pre-varisco, que intruyó en las rocas de la Zona Centro Ibérica, cerca del contacto con la Zona de Ossa Morena, siendo afectado por varias fallas y zonas de cizalla. Su aureola de metamorfismo de contacto consiste en esquistos con porfiroblastos y corneanas. Pequeños xenolitos metasedimentarios aparecen dispersos por todo el cuerpo granítico. Presenta una gran diversidad mineralógica, con amplias variaciones en las relaciones biotita/moscovita y microclina/plagioclasa, siendo clasificado como tonalita-granodiorita-granito. Se trata de un leucogranito fuertemente peralumínico (A/CNK = 1.31 – 1.64), magnesiano y calco-alcalino a alcalino-cálcico. Los diagramas muestran variaciones curvilíneas con la variación de sílice. Eu/Eu* = 0.47 – 0.77 y hay un ligero enriquecimiento de LREE en relación con HREE. Los diagramas indican que la norma es un granito dominante de la corteza, relacionados con la subducción. El isótopo U-Pb circón y monacita indican una edad de 540-542 Ma.
Evaluación de la reactividad árido-álcali en diversos áridos silicatados. Alternativas para minimizar esta reacción
Authors: Martín A. , Gadea J. , Campos P. L. , Calderón V. , García Calleja M. A. , Rodríguez A.
Published: May 2010

Los áridos silíceos se caracterizan por reaccionar con el hidróxido cálcico liberado en el proceso de hidratación del cemento, lo que debido a su elevada avidez por el agua genera geles expansivos, que provocan importantes tensiones disruptivas en el seno del hormigón.
En este trabajo hemos evaluado la reactividad potencial de varios áridos silíceos (granitos, gneis, corneanas, granitos, cuarcita y serpentina) mediante el método acelerado de barras de mortero (normalizado), y el método de reactividad superficial, observando los geles silicocalcoalcalinos formados mediante microscopía electrónica de barrido (SEM).
Por otra parte, aportamos dos vías de minimización de esta reacción disruptiva, empleando ladrillo cerámico molido en un caso, y cemento CEM IV UNE-EN 197-1 en el otro.
Niveles de fondo geoquímico e influencia del marco geológico en las concentraciones edafogeoquímicas de base de suelos seleccionados de Castilla-La Mancha
Authors: Jiménez Ballesta R. , Conde Bueno P. , Martín Rubí J. A. , García Giménez R.
Published: May 2010

La determinación de las concentraciones geoquímicas de base es necesaria para la legislación ambiental y toma de decisiones, especialmente en la evaluación de suelos contaminados.
Aunque la terminología sobre concentraciones geoquímicas (variaciones naturales en la concentración en el medio ambiente de superficie), aparece en los estudios geoquímicos y programas internacionales, probablemente, nunca ha sido bien definida.
Para contestar a cuestiones como ¿cuál es la concentración natural de una serie de elementos traza en suelos y rocas de Castilla-La Mancha?, se determinan el fondo geoquímico y las concentraciones edafogeoquímicas de base, a la vez que se calculan los valores umbrales de los mismos. Todos los elementos traza muestran concentraciones promedio similares con los valores de referencia para los suelos de otras zonas de España (Galicia, Andalucía, Madrid, etc.), la Unión Europea y el mundo. Los patrones de distribución de las concentraciones de los elementos son principalmente influenciados por la naturaleza geoquímica de la roca.
Human Lung Mast Cells Mediate Pneumococcal Cell Death in Response to Activation by Pneumolysin
Authors: Cruse Glenn , Fernandes Vitor E. , de Salort Jose , Pankhania Depesh , Marinas Marta S. , Brewin Hannah , Andrew Peter W. , Bradding Peter , Kadioglu Aras
Published: May 2010

Mast cells are emerging as contributors to innate immunity. Mouse mast cells have a pivotal role in protection against bacterial infection, and human cord blood-derived mast cells reduce bacterial viability in culture. The objectives of this study were to determine whether human lung mast cells (HLMCs) might be protective against pneumococcal lung infection through direct antimicrobial activity. Tissue-derived HLMCs and the human mast cell lines HMC-1 and LAD2 were cocultured with wild-type and mutant pneumococci, and viability and functional assays were performed. Mast cells were also stimulated with purified pneumolysin. HLMCs killed wild-type serotype-2 (D39) pneumococci in coculture but had no effect on an isogenic pneumolysin-deficient (PLN-A) pneumococcus. D39 wild-type, but not PLN-A pneumococci, induced the release of leukotriene C4 from human mast cells in a dose-dependent manner, which was not accompanied by histamine release. Stimulation of mast cells with sublytic concentrations of purified pneumolysin replicated this effect. Furthermore, pneumolysin induced the release of the cathelicidin LL-37 from HLMCs, purified LL-37 reduced pneumococcal viability, and neutralizing Ab to LL-37 attenuated mast cell-dependent pneumococcal killing. In addition, at high concentrations, all pneumococcal strains tested reduced HLMC viability through a combination of pneumolysin and H2O2-dependent mechanisms. HLMCs exhibit direct antimicrobial activity to pneumococci through their activation by pneumolysin. This antimicrobial activity is mediated, in part, by the release of LL-37 from HLMCs. This suggests that mast cells provide an early warning system and potentially limit pneumococcal dissemination early in the course of invasive pulmonary pneumococcal disease.