bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Water Injection Benefits in a 3-Cylinder Downsized SI-Engine
Authors: Khatri Jayesh , Denbratt Ingemar , Dahlander Petter , Koopmans Lucien
Published: January 2019

With progressing electrification of automotive powertrains and demands to meet increasingly stringent emission regulations, a combination of an electric motor and downsized turbocharged spark-ignited engine has been recognized as a viable solution. The SI engine must be optimized, and preferentially downsized, to reduce tailpipe CO2 and other emissions. However, drives to increase BMEP (Brake Mean Effective Pressure) and compression ratio/thermal efficiency increase propensities of knocking (auto-ignition of residual unburnt charge before the propagating flame reaches it) in downsized engines.

Currently, knock is mitigated by retarding the ignition timing, but this has several limitations. Another option identified in the last decade (following trials of similar technology in aircraft combustion engines) is water injection, which suppresses knocking largely by reducing local in-cylinder mixture temperatures due to its latent heat of vaporization. Addition of adequate water can lead to stoichiometric air/fuel ratio engine operation, and hence both reduction in fuel consumption and full utilization of a three-way catalytic converter (TWC).

Further information about effects of various water injection parameters is required. Thus, in this study, a 4-stroke, 1.5 liter, 3-cylinder turbocharged engine with direct fuel injection and port water injection was operated on 91, 95 and 98 RON gasoline fuel to assess effects of water injection on knock mitigation, combustion phasing, required air:fuel ratios and exhaust gas temperature control. Full- and part-load curves obtained with different fuels and water injection strategies are presented and discussed.
Assessing the Impact of FAME and Diesel Fuel Composition on Stability and Vehicle Filter Blocking
Authors: Gopalan Kesavan , Chuck Christopher J. , Roy-Smith Christopher , Bannister Christopher D.
Published: January 2019

In recent years, there has been an impetus in the automotive industry to develop newer diesel injection systems with a view to reducing fuel consumption and emissions. This development has led to hardware capable of higher pressures, typically up to 2500 bar. An increase in pressure will result in a corresponding increase in fuel temperature after compression with studies showing changes in fuel temperatures of up to 150 °C in 1000-2500 bar injection systems.

Until recently, the addition of Fatty Acid Methyl Esters, FAME, to diesel had been blamed for a number of fuel system durability issues such as injector deposits and fuel filter blocking. Despite a growing acceptance within the automotive and petrochemical industries that FAME is not solely to blame for diesel instability, there is a lack of published literature in the area, with many studies still focusing on FAME oxidation to explain deposit formation and hardware durability.

The majority of studies into diesel degradation are conducted under non-representative laboratory conditions, or are extrapolated from the deposits found in filters from vehicles with failed injectors. In this study, the cause of this degradation was investigated by using a novel High Pressure Common Rail (HPCR) non-firing rig designed to mimic a diesel common rail system, simulating realistic, albeit accelerated, operating conditions. The degree of deposition on the system fuel filter was monitored, for both petroleum diesel (B0), RF79 (B0), Bx (where x is percentage volume/volume of FAME) and surrogate diesel fuel components.

A systematic study of synthetic surrogates demonstrated that, as well as FAME, any base fuel component, under sufficiently high pressures and temperatures experienced in the HPCR are prone to degradation irrespective of the concentration of the component in the original fuel. The most unstable component acts as the instigator, thus promoting fuel oxidation. The other components in the fuel such as FAME, aromatic and cycloalkane portions will also oxidise and eventually polymerise to form solids blocking the filter. This also demonstrates that while a large body of work on the oxidative instability of biodiesel in the chemical laboratory is indicative of instability this does not mimic what is seen under more realistic vehicle conditions and the focus on FAME instability is misleading.
Comparative Assessment of Two Robot-Assisted Therapies for the Upper Extremity in People With Chronic Stroke
Authors: Hung Chung-shan , Hsieh Yu-wei , Wu Ching-yi , Lin Keh-chung , Lin Jui-chi , Yeh Li-min , Yin Hsin-pei
Published: January 2019

OBJECTIVE. We investigated the effects on motor and daily function of robot-assisted therapies in people with chronic stroke using the Bi-Manu-Track (BMT) and InMotion 3.0 (IMT) compared with control treatment (CT).

METHOD. In this comparative efficacy trial, 30 participants were randomized to receive BMT, IMT, or CT. Outcome measures included the Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA), Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Motor Activity Log (MAL), and Medical Research Council (MRC) scale.

RESULTS. The IMT group improved more in FMA and proximal MAS scores than the BMT group (both ps < .01) and the CT group (p < .01 and p = .03, respectively). The IMT and BMT groups showed clinically relevant improvements after treatment on the MRC rather than the MAL.

CONCLUSION. The results indicate that the IMT might improve motor function. The IMT and BMT groups showed similar benefits for muscle power but limited improvements in self-perceived use of the affected arm.
Seesaw haze pollution in North China modulated by the sub-seasonal variability of atmospheric circulation
Authors: Zhang Ge , Gao Yang , Cai Wenju , Leung L. Ruby , Wang Shuxiao , Zhao Bin , Wang Minghuai , Shan Huayao , Yao Xiaohong , Gao Huiwang
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Utilizing a recent observational dataset of particulate matter with diameters less than
2.5 µm (PM2.5) in North China, this study reveals a
distinct seesaw feature of abnormally high and low PM2.5 concentrations
in the adjacent two months of December 2015 and January 2016, accompanied by
distinct meteorological modulations. The seesaw pattern is postulated to be
linked to a super El Niño and the Arctic Oscillation (AO). During the
mature phase of El Niño in December 2015, the weakened East Asian winter
monsoon (EAWM) and the associated low-level southerly wind anomaly reduced
planetary boundary layer (PBL) height, favoring strong haze formation. This
circulation pattern was completely reversed in the following month, in part
due to a sudden phase change of the AO from positive to negative and the
beginning of a decay of the El Niño, which enhanced the southward shift
of the upper tropospheric jet from December to January relative to
climatology, leading to an enhanced EAWM and substantially lower haze
formation. This sub-seasonal change in circulation is also robustly found in
1982–1983 and 1997–1998, implicative of a general physical mechanism
dynamically linked to El Niño and the AO. Numerical experiments using the
Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Community Multiscale Air Quality
(CMAQ) model were used to test the modulation of the meteorological
conditions on haze formation. With the same emission, simulations for three
super El Niño periods (1983, 1997 and 2015) robustly show higher
PM2.5  concentrations under the mature phase of the super El Niño,
but substantially lower PM2.5 concentrations during the decay phase of
El Niño (and the sudden AO phase change), further verifying the
modulation effect of the sub-seasonal circulation anomaly on PM2.5
concentrations in North China.
The composition and distribution of semi-labile dissolved organic matter across the southwest Pacific
Authors: Panagiotopoulos Christos , Pujo-Pay Mireille , Benavides Mar , Van Wambeke France , Sempéré Richard
Published: January 2019

Abstract. The distribution and dynamics of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved
combined neutral sugars (DCNS) were studied across an increasing oligotrophic
gradient (18 to 22∘ S latitude) in the tropical South Pacific Ocean,
spanning from the Melanesian Archipelago (MA) area to the western part of the
South Pacific gyre (WGY), in austral summer as a part of the OUTPACE
project. Our results show that DOC and DCNS concentrations exhibited no
statistical differences between the MA and WGY areas (0–200 m:
47–81 µM C for DOC and 0.2-4.2 µM C for DCNS). However,
due to a deepening of the euphotic zone, a deeper penetration of DOC was
noticeable at 150 m of depth at the WGY area. Excess DOC (DOCEX)
was determined as the difference between surface and deep-sea DOC values, and
euphotic zone integrated stocks of both DOC and DOCEX were higher
in the WGY than the MA area. Considering DOCEX as representative
of semi-labile DOC (DOCSL), its residence time was calculated
as the ratio of DOCSL to bacterial carbon demand (BCD). This
residence time was 176±43 days (n=3) in the WGY area, about 3 times
longer than in the MA area (Tr=51±13 days, n=8), suggesting
an accumulation of semi-labile dissolved organic matter (DOM) in the
surface waters of WGY. Average epipelagic (0–200 m) DCNS yields
(DCNS × DOC−1) based on volumetric data were roughly similar
in both areas, accounting for ∼2.8 % of DOC. DCNS exhibited
a longer residence time in WGY (Tr=91±41 days, n=3) than
in MA (Tr=31±10 days, n=8), further suggesting that this DCNS
pool persists longer in the surface waters of the WGY. The accumulation of
DOCEX in the surface waters of WGY is probably due to very
slow bacterial degradation due to nutrient and/or energy limitation of heterotrophic
prokaryotes, indicating that biologically produced DOC can be stored in the
euphotic layer of the South Pacific gyre for a long period.
A novel isotope pool dilution approach to quantify gross rates of key abiotic and biological processes in the soil phosphorus cycle
Authors: Wanek Wolfgang , Zezula David , Wasner Daniel , Mooshammer Maria , Prommer Judith
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Efforts to understand and model the current and future behavior of the global phosphorus (P) cycle are limited by the availability of global data on gross rates of soil P processes, as well as its environmental controls. We here present a novel isotope pool dilution approach using 33P labelling of live and sterile soils, which allows to obtain high quality data on gross fluxes of soil inorganic P (Pi) sorption and desorption, as well as of gross fluxes of organic P mineralization and microbial Pi uptake. At the same time, net immobilization of 33Pi by soil microbes and abiotic sorption can be easily derived and partitioned. Compared to other approaches, we used short incubation times (up to 48 h), avoiding tracer re-mineralization, which was confirmed by separation of organic P and Pi using isobutanol fractionation. This approach is also suitable for strongly weathered and P impoverished soils, as sensitivity is increased by extraction of exchangeable bio-available Pi (Olsen Pi; 0.5 M NaHCO3) followed by Pi measurement using the malachite green assay. Biotic processes were corrected for desorption/sorption processes by using adequate sterile abiotic controls that exhibited negligible microbial and extracellular phosphatase activities. Gross rates are calculated using analytical solutions of tracer kinetics, which also allows to study gross soil P dynamics under non-steady-state conditions. Finally, we present major environmental controls of gross and net P cycle processes that were measured for three P-poor tropical forest and three P-rich temperate grassland soils.
Demystifying academics to enhance university–business collaborations in environmental science
Authors: Hillier John K. , Saville Geoffrey R. , Smith Mike J. , Scott Alister J. , Raven Emma K. , Gascoigne Jonathon , Slater Louise J. , Quinn Nevil , Tsanakas Andreas , Souch Claire , Leckebusch Gregor C. , Macdonald Neil , Milner Alice M. , Loxton Jennifer , Wilebore Rebecca , Collins Alexandra , MacKechnie Colin , Tweddle Jaqui , Moller Sarah , Dove MacKenzie , Langford Harry , Craig Jim
Published: January 2019

Abstract. In countries globally there is intense political interest in fostering
effective university–business collaborations, but there has been scant
attention devoted to exactly how an individual scientist's workload
(i.e. specified tasks) and incentive structures (i.e. assessment criteria)
may act as a key barrier to this. To investigate this an original, empirical
dataset is derived from UK job specifications and promotion criteria, which
distil universities' varied drivers into requirements upon academics. This
work reveals the nature of the severe challenge posed by a heavily
time-constrained culture; specifically, tension exists between
opportunities presented by working with business and non-optional duties
(e.g. administration and teaching). Thus, to justify the time to work with
business, such work must inspire curiosity and facilitate future novel
science in order to mitigate its conflict with the overriding imperative for
academics to publish. It must also provide evidence of real-world changes
(i.e. impact), and ideally other reportable outcomes (e.g. official status as
a business' advisor), to feed back into the scientist's performance
appraisals. Indicatively, amid 20–50 key duties, typical full-time
scientists may be able to free up to
0.5 day per week for work with business. Thus
specific, pragmatic actions, including short-term and time-efficient steps,
are proposed in a “user guide” to help initiate and nurture a long-term
collaboration between an early- to mid-career environmental scientist and a
practitioner in the insurance sector. These actions are mapped back to a
tailored typology of impact and a newly created representative set of appraisal
criteria to explain how they may be effective, mutually beneficial
and overcome barriers. Throughout, the focus is on environmental science,
with illustrative detail provided through the example of natural hazard risk
modelling in the insurance sector. However, a new conceptual model of
academics' behaviour is developed, fusing perspectives from literature on
academics' motivations and performance assessment, which we propose is
internationally applicable and transferable between sectors. Sector-specific
details (e.g. list of relevant impacts and user guide) may serve as
templates for how people may act differently to work more effectively
together.
Multiresolution wavelet analysis applied to GRACE range rate residuals
Authors: Behzadpour Saniya , Mayer-Gürr Torsten , Flury Jakob , Klinger Beate , Goswami Sujata
Published: January 2019

Abstract. For further improvements of gravity field models based on Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) observations, it is necessary to identify the error sources within the recovery process. Observation residuals obtained during the gravity field recovery contain most of the measurement and modeling errors and thus can be considered as a realization of actual errors. In this work, we investigate the ability of wavelets to help in identifying specific error sources in GRACE range rate residuals. The Multi-Resolution Analysis (MRA) using Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) is applied to decompose the residual signal into different scales with corresponding frequency bands. Temporal, spatial, and orbit-related features of each scale are then extracted for further investigations. The wavelet analysis has proved to be a practical tool to find the main error contributors. Beside the previously known sources such as K-Band Ranging (KBR) system noise and systematic attitude variations, this method clearly shows effects which the classic spectral analysis is hardly able or unable to represent. These effects include long-term signatures due to satellite eclipse crossings and dominant ocean tide errors.
The Parcels v2.0 Lagrangian framework: new field interpolation schemes
Authors: Delandmeter Philippe , van Sebille Erik
Published: January 2019

Abstract. With the increasing amount of data produced by numerical ocean models, so increases the need for efficient tools to analyse these data. One of these tools is Lagrangian ocean analysis, where a set of virtual particles are released and their dynamics is integrated in time based on fields defining the ocean state, including the hydrodynamics and biogeochemistry if available. This popular methodology needs to adapt to the large variety of models producing these fields at different formats. This is precisely the aim of Parcels, a Lagrangian ocean analysis framework designed to combine (1) a wide flexibility to model particles of different natures and (2) an efficient implementation in accordance with modern computing infrastructure. In the new Parcels v2.0, we implement a set of interpolation schemes to read various types of discretised fields, from rectilinear to curvilinear grids in the horizontal direction, from z- to s- levels in the vertical and different variable distributions such as the Arakawa's A-, B- and C- grids. In particular, we develop a new interpolation scheme for a three-dimensional curvilinear C-grid and analyse its properties. Parcels v2.0 capabilities, including a suite of meta-field objects, are then illustrated in a brief study of the distribution of floating microplastic in the North West European continental shelf and its sensitivity to different physical processes.
Description and evaluation of the process-based forest model 4C at four European forest sites
Authors: Lasch-Born Petra , Suckow Felicitas , Reyer Christopher O. P. , Gutsch Martin , Kollas Chris , Badeck Franz-Werner , Bugmann Harald K. M. , Grote Rüdiger , Fürstenau Cornelia , Schaber Jörg
Published: January 2019

Abstract. The process-based model 4C (FORESEE) has been developed over the past twenty years. The objective of this paper is to give a comprehensive description of the main features of 4C and to present an evaluation of the model at four different forest sites across Europe. The evaluation was focused on growth parameters, carbon, water and heat fluxes. The main data source for the evaluation was the PROFOUND database. We applied different statistical metrics of evaluation and compared the inter-annual and inter-monthly variability of observed and simulated carbon and water fluxes. The ability to reproduce forest growth differs from site to site and is best for the pine stand site Peitz. The model's performance in simulating carbon and water fluxes was very satisfactory on daily and monthly time scales in contrast to the annual time scale. This underlines the conclusion that processes that are either not represented in dependence on on medium- to long-term dynamic influences such as allocation, or those that are not represented at all but may have a large impact at specific sites – such as the dynamics of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) and ground vegetation growth – need to be elaborated for general forest growth investigations under climate change. On the other hand, 4C has shown a great potential for improvement since it emphasizes the representation of boundary conditions such as soil temperature at different depths. Therefore, more spatial differentiation of processes such as organ-specific respiration should easily be accomplished. Nonetheless, by using the PROFOUND database we were able to demonstrate the applicability and reliability of 4C.
Influence of input and parameter uncertainty on the prediction of catchment-scale groundwater travel time distributions
Authors: Jing Miao , Heße Falk , Kumar Rohini , Kolditz Olaf , Kalbacher Thomas , Attinger Sabine
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Groundwater travel time distributions (TTDs) provide a robust description of
the subsurface mixing behavior and hydrological response of a subsurface
system. Lagrangian particle tracking is often used to derive the groundwater
TTDs. The reliability of this approach is subjected to the uncertainty of
external forcings, internal hydraulic properties, and the interplay between
them. Here, we evaluate the uncertainty of catchment groundwater TTDs in an
agricultural catchment using a 3-D groundwater model with an overall focus on
revealing the relationship between external forcing, internal hydraulic
properties, and TTD predictions. Eight recharge realizations are sampled from
a high-resolution dataset of land surface fluxes and states.
Calibration-constrained hydraulic conductivity fields (Ks
fields) are stochastically generated using the null-space Monte Carlo
(NSMC) method for each recharge realization. The random walk particle
tracking (RWPT) method is used to track the pathways of particles and compute
travel times. Moreover, an analytical model under the random sampling
(RS) assumption is fit against the numerical solutions, serving as a
reference for the mixing behavior of the model domain. The StorAge Selection
(SAS) function is used to interpret the results in terms of quantifying the
systematic preference for discharging young/old water. The simulation results
reveal the primary effect of recharge on the predicted mean travel time
(MTT). The different realizations of calibration-constrained Ks
fields moderately magnify or attenuate the predicted MTTs. The analytical
model does not properly replicate the numerical solution, and it
underestimates the mean travel time. Simulated SAS functions indicate an
overall preference for young water for all realizations. The spatial pattern
of recharge controls the shape and breadth of simulated TTDs and SAS
functions by changing the spatial distribution of particles' pathways. In
conclusion, overlooking the spatial nonuniformity and uncertainty of input
(forcing) will result in biased travel time predictions. We also highlight
the worth of reliable observations in reducing predictive uncertainty and the
good interpretability of SAS functions in terms of understanding catchment
transport processes.
Assimilation of SST data in the POSEIDON system using the SOSSTA statistical-dynamical observation operator
Authors: Korres Gerasimos , Denaxa Dimitra , Jansen Eric , Mirouze Isabelle , Pimentel Sam , Tse Wang-Hung , Storto Andrea
Published: January 2019

Abstract. In spite of their long-standing availability, the optimal assimilation of sea surface temperature (SST) observations retrieved from infrared and microwave space-borne sensors is still challenging in oceanographic forecast systems. One prominent problem stems from the fact that ocean general circulation models do not resolve the diurnal variability of SST data as measured by satellites. In order to improve SST data assimilation schemes and enhance the exploitation of swath SST data, an observation operator capable of representing the SST diurnal cycle is introduced and called SOSSTA. Firstly, a one-dimensional turbulence model is used to produce a data set of upper ocean temperature profiles with corresponding skin and subskin SSTs. A canonical correlation analysis is then used to extract the maximally correlated modes of variability between temperatures at depth and skin/subskin SST, conditioned to atmospheric state (insolation and wind speed). These canonical correlations form the novel observation operator, which is implemented in the POSEIDON model forecasting system (Aegean Sea) to test the assimilation of daytime SST retrievals from the SEVIRI infrared radiometer. Comparison of misfits (off-line assessment) suggests that the new operator outperforms the mere use of the first model level to calculate SST innovations. Real-world data assimilation experiments indicate that the use of the SOSSTA operator is beneficial to the skill scores and in particular improves the sea surface height analysis and forecast skill scores, whose improvement is maintained throughout a one year long experiment.
Correlation between tectonic stress regimes and methane seepage on the western Svalbard margin
Authors: Plaza-Faverola Andreia , Keiding Marie
Published: January 2019

Abstract. Methane seepage occurs across the western Svalbard margin at water depths
ranging from < 300 m, landward from the shelf break, to
> 1000 m in regions just a few kilometres from the mid-ocean
ridges in the Fram Strait. The mechanisms controlling seepage remain elusive.
The Vestnesa sedimentary ridge, located on oceanic crust at a depth of
1000–1700 m, hosts a perennial gas hydrate and associated free gas system.
The restriction of the occurrence of acoustic flares to the eastern segment
of the sedimentary ridge, despite the presence of pockmarks along the entire
ridge, indicates a spatial variation in seepage activity. This variation
coincides with a change in the faulting pattern as well as in the
characteristics of the fluid flow features. Due to the position of the
Vestnesa Ridge with respect to the Molloy and Knipovich mid-ocean ridges, it
has been suggested that seepage along the ridge has a tectonic control. We
modelled the tectonic stress regime due to oblique spreading along the Molloy
and Knipovich ridges to investigate whether spatial variations in the
tectonic regime along the Vestnesa Ridge are plausible. The model predicts a
zone of tensile stress that extends northward from the Knipovich Ridge and
encompasses the zone of acoustic flares on the eastern Vestnesa Ridge. In
this zone the orientation of the maximum principal stress is parallel to
pre-existing faults. The model predicts a strike-slip stress regime in
regions with pockmarks where acoustic flares have not been documented. If a
certain degree of coupling is assumed between deep crustal and near-surface
deformation, it is possible that ridge-push forces have influenced seepage
activity in the region by interacting with the pore-pressure regime at the
base of the gas hydrate stability zone. More abundant seepage on the eastern
Vestnesa Ridge at present may be facilitated by the dilation of faults and
fractures favourably oriented with respect to the stress field. A modified
state of stress in the past, due to more significant glacial stress for
instance, may explain vigorous seepage activity along the entire Vestnesa
Ridge. The contribution of other mechanisms to the state of stress (i.e.
sedimentary loading and lithospheric flexure) remain to be investigated. Our
study provides a first-order assessment of how tectonic stresses may be
influencing the kinematics of near-surface faults and associated seepage
activity offshore of the western Svalbard margin.
Arctic freshwater fluxes: sources, tracer budgets and inconsistencies
Authors: Forryan Alexander , Bacon Sheldon , Tsubouchi Takamasa , Torres-Valdés Sinhué , Naveira Garabato Alberto C.
Published: January 2019

Abstract. The traditionally divergent perspectives of the Arctic Ocean freshwater budget provided by control volume-based and geochemical tracer-based approaches are reconciled, and the sources of inter-approach inconsistencies identified, by comparing both methodologies using an observational data set of the circulation and water mass properties at the basin's boundary in summer 2005. The control volume-based and geochemical estimates of the Arctic Ocean (liquid) freshwater fluxes are 147 ± 42 mSv (1 Sv = 106 m3 s−1) and 140 ± 67 mSv, respectively, and are thus in agreement. Examination of meteoric, sea ice and seawater contributions to the freshwater fluxes reveals near equivalence of the net freshwater flux out of the Arctic and the meteoric source to the basin, and a close balance between the transport of solid sea ice and ice-derived meltwater out of the Arctic and the freshwater deficit in the seawater from which the sea ice has been frozen out. Inconsistencies between the two approaches are shown to stem from the distinction between "Atlantic" and "Pacific" waters based on tracers in geochemical tracer-based calculations. The definition of Pacific waters is found to be particularly problematic, because of the non-conservative nature of the inorganic nutrients underpinning that definition, as well as the low salinity characterising waters entering the Arctic through Bering Strait - which makes them difficult to isolate from meteoric sources.
The comparison of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, P, Pb, Zn concentrations in ash of the roots of some herbaceous plant species (Filipendula ulmaria, Carex species, Urtica dioica)
Authors: Suuroja Margit , Petersell Valter , Meidla Tõnu
Published: January 2019

A common problem in biogeochemical mapping and contamination studies is that the same plant species are not available everywhere. Filipendula ulmaria is a widely used indicator plant but it does not grow in dry and high altitude areas. We used different plant species (F. ulmaria, Carex species and Urtica dioica) and analysed the concentrations of Cd, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Pb, Zn and P in the material from 19 sampling points in eastern Estonia. The geometric mean concentrations of Pb, Cd and Zn were similar in F. ulmaria and Carex, as were the dominating ranges of Cu, Mn and Zn. The geometric mean concentrations typically differ between F. ulmaria and U. dioica. Simultaneous use of multiple indicator plants could generally not be recommended. Still, in case of urgent need the results could be amalgamated for the elements with more than 50% similarity of dominating ranges in different plants.
Pedogenesis of a Retisol with fragipan in Karelia in the context of the Holocene landscape evolution
Authors: Pogosyan Lilit , Sedov Sergey , Pi-Puig Teresa , Ryazantsev Pavel , Rodionov Aleksander , Yudina Anna V. , Krasilnikov Pavel
Published: January 2019

Fragipan is a compacted but non-cemented subsurface horizon, considered as a pedogenic horizon, but the mechanism of its formation is not well understood. The main hydro-consolidation hypothesis involves a collapse of soil structure when it is loaded and wet, resulting a reorganisation of pore space. Soils with fragipan never have been marked in Russian soil maps. In the South Karelia, located in Eastern Fennoscandia (34.50921 E and 61.33186 N, 110 m asl) we studied a soil profile of Albic Fragic Retisol (Cutanic), developed in the glacial till of Last Glaciation with flat subhorizontal topography under an aspen-spruce forest. The aim of this study was to demonstrate how the fragic horizon was formed in the Retisol located in South Karelia. Observations were made in each soil horizon using micromorphological method, particle size analysis and the study of mineralogical composition of clay fraction by X-ray diffraction. The analysis of the morphological description combined with the laboratory data have led us to the conclusion that the consolidation of the fragipan occurred after the textural differentiation of the profile, following the Atlantic Optimum, and does not depend on the presence of swelling clay minerals. The well-developed argic horizon was probably formed around 6000 years ago, under climatic conditions more favourable for clay illuviation than in present time. Fragipan is supposed to be developed during the Sub-Boreal cooling.
Directors’ Remuneration and Corporate Social Responsibility: A Study on Malaysian Listed Firms
Authors: Mohd Razali Mohd Waliuddin , Ying Hew Jing , Lunyai Janifer , Abd Rahman Noraisyah
Published: January 2019

The main objective of this paper is to examine the relationship between directors’ remuneration and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for listed firms in Malaysia. All financial data such as firm size, performance and leverage can be collected from Thomson Reuters DataStream while directors’ remuneration and CSR disclosures were collected from annual reports. 377 samples of listed firms on Bursa Malaysia were collected from year 2014 to 2016. The results of this study show that increase director’ remuneration motivates the directors to perform higher CSR. The CSR practices should benefit people and firms. Therefore, more benefits gained by public and firms from CSR should not be compensated with low directors’ remuneration. The results also show that firm size and leverage have positive relationship with CSR. This study can be extended using other measurements of CSR such as Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), human rights and environmental reporting which could give new insights on the relationship between CSR and directors’ remuneration.
Awareness about breast and cervical cancers among nursing students in Beni-Suef University
Authors: Mohamed Amel Abd-Elazim , Hassan Hanan Elzeblawy , Gamel Wafaa Mostafa Ahmed , Arafa Ahmed Emadeldin
Published: January 2019

Background and objective: Breast and cervical cancers represent a public health concern since they result in high mortality and disability rates. The aim of our study was to assess the knowledge of nursing students in Beni-Suef University about both Breast and cervical.Subjects and methods: A total of 500 students representing all scholastic years from the Technical Institute of Nursing (both 2 years of post-high school nursing education), Beni-Suef University, Egypt, participated in this study that was conducted during the 1st semester of the academic year 2017/2018. The knowledge of the students was assessed using a self-administered questionnaire. The assessment included knowledge of students about 4 aspects; risk factors, manifestations, screening, and management of breast and cervical cancers.Results: The mean age of the students was 19.2 ± 0.7 years, and most of them (77.6%) were females. Precisely, 43% had optimal knowledge about breast cancer; 43.8% risk factors, 52.4% manifestations, 27.8% screening, and 48% management, while only 29% of students had optimal knowledge about cervical cancer; 21.8% risk factors, 38.2% manifestations, 12.4% screening, and 43.6% management. None of the studied personal characteristics showed association with the knowledge of students whether regarding breast or cervical cancers (p > .05). Healthcare givers, TV, and the Internet were the most commonly reported sources of knowledge about breast and cervical cancers: 42%, 33.2%, and 21.2%, respectively.Conclusion and recommendations: Students lacked the required knowledge about breast and cervical cancers. In particular, knowledge scores of students about screening for both cancers were the lowest. Further studies should focus on improving the knowledge of nursing students using awareness programs or educational modules.
EELC 2018/35 Employees who lose their jobs upon retirement are not entitled to statutory severance compensation (NL)
Authors: Vas Nunes Peter C.
Published: January 2019

EELC 2018/35 Employees who lose their jobs upon retirement are not entitled to statutory severance compensation (NL)

A provision of Dutch law, according to which employees who lose their jobs upon retirement are excluded from the right to statutory severance compensation, is not in breach of the Framework Directive.
EELC 2018/37 Supreme Court rules on discrimination for being overweight (FI)
Authors: Nurminen Janne
Published: January 2019

EELC 2018/37 Supreme Court rules on discrimination for being overweight (FI)

The Finnish Supreme Court has held that an employer discriminated against an employee by not renewing his employment at the end of a fixed-term contract because he was overweight.
EELC 2018/38 Collective Redundancies: Failure to notify Employment Service cannot be healed by postponing termination (AU)
Authors: Tinhofer Andreas
Published: January 2019

EELC 2018/38 Collective Redundancies: Failure to notify Employment Service cannot be healed by postponing termination (AU)

The Austrian Supreme Court has held that the employer must notify the Employment Service (AMS) when it is contemplating collective redundancies, even if they are carried by mutual agreement. The duty of notification is triggered if the employer proposes a mutual termination agreement to a relevant number of employees, provided the offer is binding and can be accepted by the employees within 30 days. If the employer fails to notify the AMS, any subsequent redundancies (or mutual terminations of employment occurring on the employer’s initiative) are void, even if effected after 30 days.
EELC 2018/40 Equal treatment of leased employees by ‘false’ works agreements (AU)
Authors: Lurf Sarah
Published: January 2019

EELC 2018/40 Equal treatment of leased employees by ‘false’ works agreements (AU)

A ‘false’ works agreement, which reduces the standard weekly working hours for permanent staff, also applies to leased employees. However, the pay of leased employees remains governed by the applicable collective bargaining agreement, rather than by the ‘false’ works agreement. Therefore, leased (part-time) employees benefitted from the reduced working hours by the ‘false’ works agreement, but received full pay based on the collective bargaining agreement.
EELC 2018/45 The limits to checking emails out of business hours (IR)
Authors: O’Neill Lucy
Published: January 2019

EELC 2018/45 The limits to checking emails out of business hours (IR)

In a recent decision, the Labour Court awarded an employee € 7,500 for working in excess of 48 hours a week, contrary to working time legislation. The complainant allegedly regularly checked and responded to emails outside of business hours, occasionally after midnight. The Labour Court reiterated it is the employer’s responsibility to ensure that employees are not permitted to work beyond the statutory maximum period and that if an employer is aware that an employee is working excessive hours, must take steps to curtail this.
Distritos Industriales e inmigración: el caso de la industria cerámica valenciana
Authors: Molina José Luis , Martínez-Cháfer Luis , Molina Morales Francesc-Xavier , Lubbers Miranda Jessica
Published: January 2019

Objeto: La relación entre los Distritos Industriales (DIs) y la inmigración ha sido estudiada hasta ahora a través de casos de las economías étnicas desarrolladas dentro de los DIs por parte de empresarios inmigrantes. En este estudio sostenemos que existe una interacción más general y compleja entre los dos fenómenos que puede dar lugar bien al desarrollo de economía étnicas, bien a la emergencia de enclaves migratorios (concentración de personas emigradas de una misma nacionalidad) dependiendo del grado de formalidad del DI y de las condiciones locales de los grupos inmigrados. A través del estudio de caso del DI cerámico de Castellón sugerimos que la interacción entre la oferta de empleo formal característica del sector cerámico y la existencia de una red de apoyo iniciada por la iglesia adventista, permitió a la población de origen rumano disponer de condiciones iniciales comparativamente favorables en relación a otros colectivos emigrantes, llegando a representar el 12% de la población total de la provincia en 2012. Diseño/Metodología: Se trata de un trabajo exploratorio y descriptivo basado en la observación participante realizada entre los meses de febrero a julio de 2016. Las actividades propias de la observación etnográfica se han complementado con documentación estadística y entrevistas abiertas a representantes de Iglesias, asociaciones caritativas, autoridades locales, el consulado rumano en Castelló, empresas orientadas a la población rumana (telefonía móvil y servicios de transporte), empresarios y expertos en el sector cerámico de Castellón.Aportaciones y Resultados: Tomando como ejemplo el DI cerámico de Castellón, mostramos como este DI contribuye a la creación de las condiciones que propician un enclave migratorio rumano excepcional tanto por su importancia demográfica como por la ausencia de conflicto o tensiones significativas. Proponemos que la oferta de empleo formal del DI aunque minoritaria en relación al total de empleos típicamente ocupados por emigrantes, tuvo un efecto positivo en las decisiones de sedentarización de esta población.Originalidad/Valor: Se trata de un estudio que combina disciplinas diferentes como la economía y la antropología para ofrecer una visión hasta ahora poco conocida de los efectos del DI cerámico en la inmigración. Por último, se propone un primer modelo general de interacción entre DI e inmigración.
Symposium grafica 2018. El Diseño y la Publicidad, de la mano
Authors: Badajoz Dávila David
Published: January 2019

El IV Symposium Grafica se celebró en Barcelona los días 6, 7 y 8 de septiembre de 2018 en la histórica sede de Salesians de Sarrià. Nexo de unión entre profesionales, académicos, docentes y/o investigadores, el simposio contó con profesores de distintos grados relacionados con el diseño y la publicidad, de universidades catalanas tanto públicas como privadas, profesionales del sector gráfico y de la publicidad, así como los colegios profesionales y representantes de empresas. El simposio se consolida a largo plazo como reunión de la academia catalana en diseño gráfico y publicidad.
Analysis of temperature gradient in concrete pavement
Authors: Rogojsz Grzegorz
Published: January 2019

The paper presents the results of experimental research that is the continuation of the research
conducted as a part of a Ph.D. dissertation. The experimental research consisted in measuring
the temperature at various depths inside a concrete slab, including its surface, and measuring the air
temperature. The temperature distribution was measured on a concrete slab with dimensions similar
to real road slab dimensions. The aim of the research was to determine the temperature gradient
in the concrete slab in Polish climatic conditions and to verify the available analytical methods.
Keywords: temperature gradient, concrete pavement, thermal stress in concrete pavement.
Stress wave method in dynamic resistance analysis of an explosion-proof valve
Authors: Pieńko Bartłomiej , Szcześniak Zbigniew
Published: January 2019

The paper presents the concept of a novel stress wave method (SWM) for determining
the dynamic reaction of structural elements of an explosion-proof valve. The stress wave method
is an original solution to the issue of the dynamic reaction of structural elements and systems. It
is particularly recommended in the case of intensive percussive or explosive impacts. The method
was developed by the author of works [14, 15]. It reflects the wave nature of stress development. The
paper presents the origin, assumptions and the basic dependencies of the method. The characteristics
of the method are illustrated by means of solutions to issues closely related to the requirements for
testing the resistance of shelter explosion-proof valves. The description also includes
a comparison of the calculation results with the results obtained by the finite element method (FEM)
and the results of experimental tests. The possibility of significant differences between the compared
solutions has been shown. It should be noted that geometric attenuation, reflections and interference
of waves are natural for the dynamic reaction of an element and therefore for wave processes. These
phenomena can significantly affect the distribution of the parameters of the sought dynamic reaction
in space and time. The proposed method of analysis is distinguished by high accuracy of calculations.
Keywords: stress waves, structural element vibrations, discrete models, differential solution, explosion-
proof valve
Analysis of solution of a fire signaling system for a choice railway building
Authors: Klimczak Tomasz , Paś Jacek
Published: January 2019

The paper presents an analysis of the technical solution of the fire alarm system for the
selected railway facility. The task of fire alarm systems (FAS s) and fixed fire extinguishers (FFEs), used
in transport facilities, is to detect the fire dangers present in the transport process − both for stationary
and mobile objects. These systems are increasingly used in the transport process, where they ensure
the safety of people (e.g. airports, railway stations, ports, etc.), transported goods at fixed facilities (e.g.
logistic bases, land and sea transshipment terminals, etc.) and transported goods in mobile objects
(rail, road, and sea transport). Due to the functions performed in the transport process, they must
have a proper functional and reliability structure to ensure safety in the transport process.
Keywords: exploitation, complex technical object, handling.
Is Orally Administered Pentobarbital a Safe and Effective Alternative to Chloral Hydrate for Pediatric Procedural Sedation?
Authors: Anderson Jordan , Dalabih Sevilay , Birisi Esma , Dalabih Abdallah
Published: January 2019

OBJECTIVES Chloral hydrate had been extensively used for children undergoing sedation for imaging studies, but after the manufacturer discontinued production, pediatric sedation providers explored alternative sedation medications. Those medications needed to be at least as safe and as effective as chloral hydrate. In this study, we examined if pentobarbital is a suitable replacement for chloral hydrate.

METHODS Subjects who received pentobarbital were recruited from a prospectively collected database, whereas we used a retrospective chart review to study subjects who received chloral hydrate. Sedation success was defined as the ability to provide adequate sedation using a single medication. We included electively performed sedations for subjects aged 2 months to 3 years who received either pentobarbital or chloral hydrate orally. We excluded subjects stratified as American Academy of Anesthesiologists category III or higher and those who received sedation for electroencephalogram. The data collected captured subject demographics and complications.

RESULTS Five hundred thirty-four subjects were included in the final analysis, 368 in the chloral hydrate group and 166 in the pentobarbital group. Subjects who received pentobarbital had a statistically significant higher success rate [136 (82%) vs 238 (65%), p < 0.001], but longer sleeping time (18.1% vs 0%, p < 0.001) in all age groups. Subjects who received chloral hydrate had a higher risk of airway complications in the <1 year of age group (6.5% vs 1.8%, p = 0.03).

CONCLUSIONS For pediatric patients younger than 3 years of age undergoing sedation for imaging studies, oral pentobarbital may be at least as effective and as safe as chloral hydrate, making it an acceptable and practical alternative.
Evaluation of the Cardiovascular Effects of Clonidine in Neonates Treated for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
Authors: Meddock Raymond P. , Bloemer Deirdre
Published: January 2019

OBJECTIVES Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) is characterized by withdrawal symptoms in neonates exposed to legal or illegal substances in utero, and it is often managed with medications such as opiates, phenobarbital, and clonidine. Clonidine use is increasing, but further safety data regarding its use in neonates are warranted. This study evaluated the effects of clonidine on heart rate and blood pressure in neonates treated for NAS at doses up to 24 mcg/kg/day.

METHODS A retrospective review via the electronic medical record of infants at least 35 weeks' gestation treated adjunctively with clonidine for NAS in the neonatal intensive care unit at St Elizabeth was conducted. Heart rate, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure were recorded at baseline, while on different dose ranges of clonidine (small: ≤1.5 mcg/kg per dose every 3 hours; medium: >1.5 to 2 mcg/kg per dose every 3 hours; and large: >2 mcg/kg to 3 mcg/kg per dose every 3 hours), and upon discontinuation.

RESULTS A total of 64 infants treated with clonidine for NAS between August 2015 and December 2016 were included. Heart rate decreased in all clonidine dose ranges compared with baseline (average reduction of 7 bpm [CI: −12 to −2], 9 bpm [CI: −16 to −2], and 10 bpm [CI: −18 to −1] for the small, medium, and large dose ranges, respectively; p < 0.0001). Systolic and diastolic blood pressure were not significantly different from baseline when infants were receiving any dose of clonidine, except diastolic blood pressure while on medium–dose range clonidine, where diastolic blood pressure was higher than baseline (p = 0.0128). Increases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were evident upon discontinuation of clonidine (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0156, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS Clonidine doses up to 24 mcg/kg/day are well tolerated in neonates ≥35 weeks' gestation treated for NAS. Any decreases in heart rate are likely clinically insignificant, and increases in blood pressure upon discontinuing clonidine are mild and may be mitigated further with extended discontinuation protocols. Further trials should be conducted to evaluate the long-term safety of clonidine in this population.