bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Priming Effects and Performance Expectations in Mixed-Sex Task Groups
Authors: Dippong Joseph
Published: November 2015

I report the results of a laboratory experiment in which I examine the relationship between cognitive categorization processes and status-organizing processes, focusing on how seemingly irrelevant information becomes relevant to the informational structure of a task situation. In phase one, participants completed a task in which they were primed with photographs of women occupying either stereotypical or counter-stereotypical roles. In phase two, participants, along with a partner, completed a collective decision-making task. The two experimental phases were ostensibly unrelated from the participants’ point of view. Results indicate that priming manipulations significantly affected patterns of influence in mixed-sex groups. These effects were driven primarily by altering expectations of female group members.
Race, Ethnicity, Sexuality, and Women’s Political Consciousness of Gender
Authors: Harnois Catherine E.
Published: November 2015

Existing research emphasizes the importance of group identification and perceived similarity in the development of group consciousness. Intersectionality suggests that for many women, a political consciousness of gender may also stem from experiences with race, ethnicity, and sexuality and may be interconnected with a consciousness of other forms of inequality. This study analyzes data from a recent national survey to investigate how race, ethnicity, and sexuality intersect with women’s gendered political consciousness. Analyses reveal no support for the proposition that membership in racial, sexual, and ethnic minority groups significantly reduces women’s gendered political consciousness. In addition, women who perceive high levels of racial, ethnic, or sexuality-based discrimination are more likely than other women to hold a strong political consciousness of gender. Results challenge the idea that gendered political consciousness emerges primarily from perceived similarity and highlight the need to conceptualize gendered political consciousness within the context of multiple inequalities.
Reward Stability Promotes Group Commitment
Authors: Park Hyomin , Melamed David
Published: November 2015

A pressing problem for the social sciences is to understand the processes leading to commitment within organizational settings. Toward this end, we argue for the stability of rewards derived from groups as a key dimension of commitment. We present a theory that links reward stability to justice evaluations and corresponding emotional reactions, which in turn predict group commitment. From this theory, we derive several hypotheses, the key one being that justice evaluations and corresponding emotional reactions explain the effect of reward stability on commitment. To evaluate our theoretical predictions, we collect experimental data manipulating the stability of rewards through time in a group context. The results support the main tenets of the theory and also validate previously established findings. In addition to developing and testing a theory of reward stability and commitment, we discuss the implications of our theory for organizational and government policies.
Effects of Heterogeneity and Homophily on Cooperation
Authors: Aksoy Ozan
Published: November 2015

The article provides a micro-behavioral model and an experimental design to understand the effect of heterogeneity in social identities on cooperation while accounting for endogenous sorting. Social identity is induced exogenously using the minimal group paradigm. The experiment manipulates sorting with three treatments: having subjects interact with both in- and outgroup members, giving them the choice to interact either with ingroup or outgroup members, and isolating the groups from the outset. Cooperation is measured by the Prisoner’s Dilemma Games at the dyadic level and by Public Goods Games at the tetradic level. The results show that heterogeneity hampers between-group cooperation at the dyadic level. In addition, endogenous sorting mitigates this negative effect of heterogeneity on cooperation. Heterogeneity hampers cooperation at the tetradic level most substantially if there is a commonly known negative history between groups.
Land pollution, environmental risks and bank lending
Authors: Brown Lloyd A.
Published: November 2015

With empirical data collected from semi-structured interviews with ‘elite’ professionals working in the environmental risk management teams of clearing and investment banks, this paper shows that a paradigm shift has occurred in the UK bank lending community’s overall perception of the environment-related risks. This article does two things. It (1) outlines the primary legal framework that heightened the threat of the environmental risks for UK banks in the 1990s and 2000s; and (2) documents the banks’ previous and current perceptions of the environmental risks, therefore showing the paradigm change. By deploying unique interview data, the article updates the knowledge and understanding of environmental risks and bank lending.
Mandating corporate environmental responsibility by creating a new directors’ duty
Authors: Grant Nick
Published: November 2015

This article explores the legal and commercial reasons for companies’ failure to internalise their environmental externalities, and suggests that the company law framework, nature of environmental harm and rise of short-term shareholders are all jointly responsible. It then explores the possibility of remedying this situation through altering company law briefly analyses a number of alternative legal structures and concludes that it would be preferable to introduce a directors’ duty of environmental care, which should be monitored by a new industry body.
The effect of mild induced hypothermia on outcomes of patients after cardiac arrest: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
Authors: Zhang Xi Wen , Xie Jian Feng , Chen Jian Xiao , Huang Ying Zi , Guo Feng Mei , Yang Yi , Qiu Hai Bo
Published: November 2015

Introduction

Mild induced hypothermia (MIH) is believed to reduce mortality and neurological impairment after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. However, a recently published trial demonstrated that hypothermia at 33 °C did not confer a benefit compared with that of 36 °C. Thus, a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was made to investigate the impact of MIH compared to controls on the outcomes of adult patients after cardiac arrest.

Methods

We searched the following electronic databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Library, Embase, the Web of Science, and Elsevier Science (inception to December 2014). RCTs that compared MIH with controls with temperature >34 °C in adult patients after cardiac arrest were retrieved. Two investigators independently selected RCTs and completed an assessment of the quality of the studies. Data were analysed by the methods recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration. Random errors were evaluated with trial sequential analysis.

Results

Six RCTs, including one abstract, were included. The meta-analysis of included trials revealed that MIH did not significantly decrease the mortality at hospital discharge (risk ratio (RR) = 0.92; 95 % confidence interval (CI), 0.82–1.04; p = 0.17) or at 6 months or 180 days (RR = 0.94; 95 % CI, 0.73–1.21; p = 0.64), but it did reduce the mortality of patients with shockable rhythms at hospital discharge (RR = 0.74; 95 % CI, 0.59–0.92; p = 0.008) and at 6 months or 180 days. However, MIH can improve the outcome of neurological function at hospital discharge (RR = 0.80; 95 % CI, 0.64–0.98; p = 0.04) especially in those patients with shockable rhythm but not at 6 months or 180 days. Moreover, the incidence of complications in the MIH group was significantly higher than that in the control group. Finally, trial sequential analysis indicated lack of firm evidence for a beneficial effect.

Conclusion

The available RCTs suggest that MIH does not appear to improve the mortality of patients with cardiac arrest while it may have a beneficial effect for patients with shockable rhythms. Although MIH may result in some adverse events, it helped lead to better outcomes regarding neurological function at hospital discharge. Large-scale ongoing trials may provide data better applicable to clinical practice.
Draft genome sequence of Janthinobacterium lividum strain MTR reveals its mechanism of capnophilic behavior
Authors: Valdes Natalia , Soto Paola , Cottet Luis , Alarcon Paula , Gonzalez Alex , Castillo Antonio , Corsini Gino , Tello Mario
Published: November 2015

Janthinobacterium lividum is a Gram-negative bacterium able to produce violacein, a pigment with antimicrobial and antitumor properties. Janthinobacterium lividum colonizes the skin of some amphibians and confers protection against fungal pathogens. The mechanisms underlying this association are not well understood. In order to identify the advantages for the bacterium to colonize amphibian skin we sequenced Janthinobacterium lividum strain MTR, a strain isolated from Cajón del Maipo, Chile. The strain has capnophilic behavior, with growth favored by high concentrations (5 %) of carbon dioxide. Its genome is 6,535,606 bp in size, with 5,362 coding sequences and a G + C content of 62.37 %. The presence of genes encoding for products that participate in the carbon fixation pathways (dark CAM pathways), and the entire set of genes encoding for the enzymes of the glyoxylate cycle may explain the capnophilic behavior and allow us to propose that the CO2 secreted by the skin of amphibians is the signal molecule that guides colonization by Janthinobacterium lividum.
Characters in Time: Staël, Shelley, Leopardi, and the Construction of Italianness in Romantic Historicism
Authors: Mucignat Rosa
Published: November 2015

This article considers how the concept of national character changed in post-revolutionary Europe by examining how Italians are depicted in Madame de Staël's Corinne, Percy Bysshe Shelley's “Lines Written among the Euganean Hills,” and Giacomo Leopardi's “La ginestra.” I show how national typing based on immutable factors such as climate and physiology was reformulated in a way that foregrounded history and human agency. The old discourse of civic humanism, with its emphasis on virtues and good government, is invoked here both as explanation and remedy for Italy's decline. Staël's “immersive” version of Italian history, Shelley's indictment of moral degeneration, and Leopardi's theory of society all hark back to the values of citizenship, liberty, and solidarity of classical republicanism. By connecting representations of Italy to contemporary developments in the philosophy of history and national typing, this essay raises new questions about the Romantic engagement with the idea of Italy.
“Negras Aguas”: The Poe Tradition and the Limits of American Africanism
Authors: Sandler Matt
Published: November 2015

This article tests Americanist claims about Edgar Allan Poe's racism against Latin American, Caribbean, and contemporary African-American literature written under his influence. I start with a discussion of Toni Morrison's agenda-setting reading of Poe in Playing in the Dark: Whiteness and the Literary Imagination (1992). I show how Poe's only novel, The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym (1838), resists Morrison's interpretation by playing ironically on white anxiety and Black creativity. I then follow this mode along an international itinerary of authors working in styles and modes pioneered by Poe: Comte de Lautréamont, Ruben Darío, the Negritude poets, and the contemporary African American novelist Mat Johnson. I submit that these later writers exploit Poe's formal strategies for more explicitly anti-racist and anti-colonial aesthetics.
Cloud Computing in Space
Authors: Huang Jiangchuan , Kirsch Christoph M. , Sengupta Raja
Published: November 2015

We apply virtual machine abstractions to networked vehicles, enabling what we call cloud computing in space to create performance isolation between customers. In analogy to conventional system virtualization and cloud computing, there are customer-operated virtual vehicles that essentially perform like real vehicles, although they are in reality hosted by fewer, shared, provider-operated real vehicles. The motion of the virtual vehicles and real vehicles creates migration gain. As a result, cloud computing in space can do better than conventional cloud computing in the sense of realizing high performance isolation (e.g., 98%) while requiring significantly fewer real vehicles (e.g., approximately one for five).

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Machine Learning Approaches for Early DRG Classification and Resource Allocation
Authors: Gartner Daniel , Kolisch Rainer , Neill Daniel B. , Padman Rema
Published: November 2015

Recent research has highlighted the need for upstream planning in healthcare service delivery systems, patient scheduling, and resource allocation in the hospital inpatient setting. This study examines the value of upstream planning within hospital-wide resource allocation decisions based on machine learning (ML) and mixed-integer programming (MIP), focusing on prediction of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs) and the use of these predictions for allocating scarce hospital resources. DRGs are a payment scheme employed at patients’ discharge, where the DRG and length of stay determine the revenue that the hospital obtains. We show that early and accurate DRG classification using ML methods, incorporated into an MIP-based resource allocation model, can increase the hospital’s contribution margin, the number of admitted patients, and the utilization of resources such as operating rooms and beds. We test these methods on hospital data containing more than 16,000 inpatient records and demonstrate improved DRG classification accuracy as compared to the hospital’s current approach. The largest improvements were observed at and before admission, when information such as procedures and diagnoses is typically incomplete, but performance was improved even after a substantial portion of the patient’s length of stay, and under multiple scenarios making different assumptions about the available information. Using the improved DRG predictions within our resource allocation model improves contribution margin by 2.9% and the utilization of scarce resources such as operating rooms and beds from 66.3% to 67.3% and from 70.7% to 71.7%, respectively. This enables 9.0% more nonurgent elective patients to be admitted as compared to the baseline.
What Motivates Contributors vs. Lurkers? An Investigation of Online Feedback Forums
Authors: Phang Chee Wei , Kankanhalli Atreyi , Tan Bernard C. Y.
Published: November 2015

Organizations are setting up online forums to obtain inputs and feedback from key stakeholders, such as employees, customers, and citizens. Examples of such virtual spaces are online policy deliberation forums (OPDFs) initiated by government organizations to garner citizens’ views on policy issues. Incorporating the inputs from these forums can result in more inclusive policies for societal benefit. Yet, as with other such forums, a common issue facing OPDFs is the sustainability of participation. When examining this issue, previous research has mostly explored the participation antecedents of existing contributors. However, engaging lurkers is also important, because these forums need to compensate for contributor attrition and become more effective with greater reach. Thus motivated, this study develops a model to explain the antecedents of both contributors’ and lurkers’ participation deriving from public participation and information technology-enabled public goods theories. It hypothesizes differences in the antecedents for contributors versus lurkers based primarily on construal level theory. The model was empirically validated through a survey of contributors and lurkers in a nationwide OPDF. The results reveal significant differences in the participation antecedents of the two groups as hypothesized. Specifically, contributors are influenced by political career benefit and political efficacy motives, whereas lurkers’ future participation intention is driven by collective benefits, possession of civic skills, and mobilization. Furthermore, perceived connectivity of the OPDF directly influences participation intention for contributors and indirectly impacts participation intention for both groups via perceived communality. Perceived communality, on the other hand, influences collective and persuasion benefits for both contributors and lurkers. These findings are useful for understanding and promoting participation through differential strategies for contributors and lurkers in OPDFs in particular, and by extension, other feedback or online forums.
Managing User-Generated Content: A Dynamic Rational Expectations Equilibrium Approach
Authors: Ahn Dae-Yong , Duan Jason A. , Mela Carl F.
Published: November 2015

This paper considers the creation and consumption of content on user-generated content platforms, e.g., reviews, articles, chat, videos, etc. On these platforms, users’ expectations regarding the amount and timing of participation by others becomes germane to their own involvement levels. Accordingly, we develop a dynamic rational expectations equilibrium model of joint consumption and generation of information. We estimate the model on a novel data set from a large Internet forum site and offer recommendations regarding strategies of managing sponsored content and content quality.

Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2015.0937 .
Coil Batching to Improve Productivity and Energy Utilization in Steel Production
Authors: Tang Lixin , Meng Ying , Chen Zhi-Long , Liu Jiyin
Published: November 2015

This paper investigates a practical batching decision problem that arises in the batch annealing operations in the cold rolling stage of steel production faced by most large iron and steel companies in the world. The problem is to select steel coils from a set of waiting coils to form batches to be annealed in available batch annealing furnaces and choose a median coil for each furnace. The objective is to maximize the total reward of the selected coils less the total coil–coil and coil–furnace mismatching cost. For a special case of the problem that arises frequently in practical settings where the coils are all similar and there is only one type of furnace available, we develop a polynomial-time dynamic programming algorithm to obtain an optimal solution. For the general case of the problem, which is strongly NP-hard, an exact branch-and-price-and-cut solution algorithm is developed using a column and row generation framework. A variable reduction strategy is also proposed to accelerate the algorithm. The algorithm is capable of solving medium-size instances to optimality within a reasonable computation time. In addition, a tabu search heuristic is proposed for solving larger instances. Three simple search neighborhoods, as well as a sophisticated variable-depth neighborhood, are developed. This heuristic can generate near-optimal solutions for large instances within a short computation time. Using both randomly generated and real-world production data sets, we show that our algorithms are superior to the typical rule-based planning approach used by many steel plants. A decision support system that embeds our algorithms was developed and implemented at Baosteel to replace their rule-based planning method. The use of the system brings significant benefits to Baosteel, including an annual net profit increase of at least 1.76 million U.S. dollars and a large reduction of standard coal consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
Knowledge of diabetic patients on the first symptoms of diabetic foot
Authors: Chrobak-Bień Joanna , Gawor Anna , Ignaczak Anna ,   Wydział Lekarski, Uniwersytet Medyczny, Łódź,   Zakład Pielęgniarstwa Internistycznego i Środowiskowego, Wydział Nauk o Zdrowiu, Uniwersytet Jagielloński Collegium Medicum, Kraków,   Wydział Nauk o Zdrowiu, Uniwersytet Medyczny, Łódź
Published: November 2015

Introduction. Diabetic foot syndrome with multiple clinical pictures, as ulceration, infection, gangrene, necrosis is a major challenge for doctors and nurses and all health service managers. This is a disease which deteriorates the patients’ quality of life, causes frequent hospital admissions as well as increases the risk of disabilities, even if there is no amputation included. Aim. The aim of the study is to assess diabetic patients’ knowledge about the diabetic foot syndrome and its first symptoms. Material and methods. The study was conducted on diabetic patients living in Lodz region. The study lasted from October to December 2012. The study involved 100 patients diagnosed with type 1 and 2 diabetes. The study was conducted in the Department of Diabetes in Medical University of Lodz. The study was conducted with a questionnaire designed by authors. It consists of closed questions divided into: alternative questions-predicting two possible answers: yes or no; dysjunctive questions- requiring a choice from more than two possible answers; conjunctive questions- requiring a selection of more than one of the following answers. Results. The overwhelming majority of respondents were female (60%) while other members of the study group were men (40%). The age of respondents ranged from 30 to 80. Patients between 46 and 60 constituted a largest group in the study. Conclusion. It was established that the patients affected with Type 1 and 2 diabetes know very little about their disease and its late consequences which is unsatisfactory Diabetic patients fail to care for themselves which is due to their lack of knowledge about the disease, unhealthy habits (like cigarette smoking,) as well as lack of concern for the condition of their feet. Efforts are needed to make education about diabetes more effective.
Victims of bullying face range of mental health problems
Authors: Henshaw Pete
Published: November 2015

Half of bullied young people experience mental health problems Children with SEN or disabilities are more likely to be bullied One in 10 students face some form of bullying on a daily basis
¿Cómo afecta la crisis económica al contexto de la prostitución de calle?
Authors: Meneses Falcón Carmen , Guindeo Aguerri Laura
Published: November 2015

Este estudio tiene la finalidad de describir las repercusiones que la crisis económica ha supuesto en las poblaciones más vulnerables, en concreto en las mujeres que ejercen la prostitución en la calle, así como en las entidades que les prestan apoyo. Para desarrollar los objetivos se ha realizado trabajo etnográfico (observación participante y entrevistas) en una zona de prostitución de calle de la ciudad de Madrid. Así mismo se ha realizado entrevistas semiestructuradas a las entidades principales que trabajan con estas mujeres que ejerce la prostitución en la misma ciudad para poder triangular la información y complementarla. Entre las consecuencias destacan una reducción de los clientes y por tanto de los ingresos, con más largas horas de presencia en la calle, aceptando servicios o prácticas de riesgo a cambio de un incremento económico y la inaccesibilidad a los servicios sanitarios básicos. Los resultados nos llevan a concluir que la reducción de asistencia social y sanitaria en los colectivos más vulnerables conlleva la transformación de los mismos en grupos en exclusión social, así como posibles repercusiones en salud pública al no poder detectar y prevenir muchas de las infecciones que puedan producirse.
Shape Optimisation of Curved Interconnecting Ducts
Authors: Srinivasan K. , Balamurugan V. , Jayanti S.
Published: November 2015

Practical ducting layout in process plants needs to satisfy a number of on-site constraints. The search for an optimal flow path around the obstructions is a multi-parameter problem and is computationally prohibitively expensive. In this study, authors proposed a rapid and efficient methodology for the optimal linkage of arbitrarily oriented fluid flow ducts using a single-parameter quadratic/cubic Bézier curves in two/three dimensions to describe the centreline of the curved duct. A smooth interconnecting duct can then be generated by extruding the duct face along the curve. By varying the parameter either along the angular bisector or along the axes of the ducts, a family of Bézier curves is generated. Computational fluid dynamics simulations show that the relationship between pressure drop and the adjustable parameter is a unimodal curve and the optimal connecting duct is the one which has the least pressure drop while satisfying on-site constraints can be used for linking the ducts. The efficacy of the method is demonstrated by applying it to some cases of practical interest.

Defence Science Journal, Vol. 65, No. 4, July 2015, pp. 300-306, DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14429/dsj.65.8353

 
Path Planning Algorithm based on Arnold Cat Map for Surveillance UAVs
Authors: Curiac Daniel-Ioan , Volosencu Constantin
Published: November 2015

During their task accomplishment, autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles are facing more and more threats coming from both ground and air. In such adversarial environments, with no a priori information about the threats, a flying robot in charge with surveilling a specified 3D sector must perform its tasks by evolving on misleading and unpredictable trajectories to cope with enemy entities. In our view, the chaotic dynamics can be the cornerstone in designing unpredictable paths for such missions, even though this solution was not exploited until now by researchers in the 3D context. This paper addresses the flight path-planning issue for surveilling a given volume in adversarial conditions by proposing a proficient approach that uses the chaotic behaviour exhibited by the 3D Arnold’s cat map. By knowing the exact location of the volume under surveillance before take-off, the flying robot will generate the successive chaotic waypoints only with onboard resources, in an efficient manner. The method is validated by simulation in a realistic scenario using a detailed Simulink model for the X-4 Flyer quadcopter.
Evolution of a Hybrid Model for an Effective Perimeter Security Device
Authors: Selvakumar S. , Vasudevan A.R.
Published: November 2015

Clustering and classification models, or hybrid models are the most widely used models that can handle the diverse nature of NIDS dataset. Dirichlet process clustering technique is a non-parametric Bayesian mixture model that considers the data distribution of the dataset for the formation of distinct clusters. The number of clusters is not known a priori and it differs across different datasets. Determining the number of clusters based on the distribution of data instances can increase the performance of the model. Naive Bayes model, a supervised learning classification technique, maintains a better computational efficiency, by reducing the training time. In this paper, we propose a hybrid model to exploit the positive aspect of proper clustering of data instances and the computational efficiency in building a NIDS. RIPPER algorithm is used to extract rules from the traffic description for updation of the rule database. Experiments were conducted in the KDD CUP’99 and SSENet-2011 datasets to study the performance of the proposed model. Also, a comparison of three hybrid methods with the proposed hybrid model was carried out. The results showed that the proposed hybrid model is superior in building a robust perimeter security device.
Finite Element and Experimental Analyses of an Armoured Vehicle Subjected to Landmine Blast
Authors: Erdik Atıl , Ucar Vahdet , Kilic Namik
Published: November 2015

Landmines severely threaten the armoured vehicles. The principal objective is to present a methodology for blast simulations of vehicles subjected to landmine explosions. First, free field blast experiment of 2 kg TNT charge in a steel pot is carried out to validate the blast parameters used in the numerical simulation. Overpressure-time history collected in the free field blast experiment is compared to the numerical simulation results. Numerical simulations are performed in LS-DYNA hydrocode that employs Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian formulation enabling a fully coupled interaction between the blast wave, the detonation gases, and the vehicle. Second, the full-scale field test of an armoured vehicle exposed to 6 kg of TNT charge in a steel pot underneath the rear end of the vehicle is conducted. Maximum dynamic deformations measured inside the vehicle are compared to the results calculated in the numerical simulation. Results show that the numerical simulation is in good agreement with the full-scale field test.
Use of BI-Pb-Sn-Cd Alloy in Self-neutralisation Mechanism for Sub-munitions
Authors: Ma Qingyan , Zhang Ya
Published: November 2015

Unexploded sub munitions for military operations posed economic loss and health hazard. The need for unexploded sub munitons to be rendered safe after a certain period of time was of importance to the militaty. In this work, a self-neutralizing sub-component using soft metal penetration principle was developed and incorporated to the existing sub munitions so as to include a self-neutralizing feature in such sub munitions. This study was also conducted to determine the potential to use a steel wire to cut BI-Pb-Sn-Cd alloy at different temperatures (-40 °C～40 °C). The effect of temperature on neutralisation time was evaluated in experiments. The experimental results indicated that the neutralisation time was dependent on temperature of soft metal and decreased with increasing temperature. While BI-Pb-Sn-Cd alloy with thickness of 0.75±0.01 mm and height of 2.40 ±0.02 mm was cut by steel wire with a diameter of 0.12 mm, self-neutrlisation of sub munitions was completed ranging from 1min5s to 143 h 2 min. It was concluded that self-neutralisation based on BI-Pb-Sn-Cd alloy could meet its setting requirements in the battlefield, and its failure rate reached less than 10% at between -40 °C and 40 °C, and the self-neutralisation time could be adjusted by the size of soft metal.
The relationship between prosocial and antisocial behaviors in sport, general self-efficacy and academic self-efficacy: Study in department of physical education and sport teacher education
Authors: Yıldız Mevlüt , Şenel Ender , Şahan Hasan
Published: November 2015

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between prosocial and antisocial behaviors in sport, general self-efficacy and academic self-efficacy beliefs of students studying in physical education and sport teacher education department. 118 students in department of physical education and sport teacher education at Mugla Sitki Kocman University voluntarily participated in the study.  31 of the participants were national athletes while 87 of them were non-national athletes. 50 of the participant were females while 68 of them were males. Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior in Sport Scale (PABSS) was used to determine the behaviors of students whether prosocial or antisocial. General self-efficacy scale was used to determine the self-efficacy beliefs of participants. Academic Self-Efficacy scale was used to determine academic self-efficacy beliefs of students. Positive correlations have been found between age and prosocial opponent. Positive correlations have been found between general self-efficacy and prosocial teammate, prosocial opponent. Positive correlations have been found between academic self-efficacy and prosocial teammate, prosocial opponent, general-self-efficacy. Consequently, students having high level of self-efficacy beliefs in physical education and sport teacher education department can adopt prosocial behaviors.
Ball Indentation Studies on the Effect of Nitrogen on the Tensile Properties of 316LN SS
Authors: Mathew M. D. , Ganesh Kumar J. , Ganesan V. , Laha K.
Published: November 2015

Type 316L(N) stainless steel (SS) containing 0.02–0.03 wt% carbon and 0.06–0.08 wt% nitrogen is used as the major structural material for the components of fast reactors. Research is underway to improve the high-temperature mechanical properties of 316LN SS by increasing the nitrogen content in the steel above the level of 0.08 wt%. In this investigation, ball indentation (BI) technique was used to evaluate the effect of nitrogen content on the tensile properties of 316LN SS. BI tests were conducted on four different heats of 316LN SS containing 0.07, 0.11, 0.14 and 0.22 wt% nitrogen in the temperature range 300–923 K. The tensile properties such as yield strength and ultimate tensile strength increased with increase in nitrogen content at all the investigated temperatures. These results were consistent with the corresponding uniaxial tensile test results. These studies showed that BI technique can be used to optimize the chemical composition during alloy development by evaluating tensile properties with minimum volume of material.
High-Temperature Graphitization Failure of Primary Superheater Tube
Authors: Ghosh D. , Ray S. , Roy H , Mandal N. , Shukla A. K.
Published: November 2015

Failure of boiler tubes is the main cause of unit outages of the plant, which further affects the reliability, availability and safety of the unit. So failure analysis of boiler tubes is absolutely essential to predict the root cause of the failure and the steps are taken for future remedial action to prevent the failure in near future. This paper investigates the probable cause/causes of failure of the primary superheater tube in a thermal power plant boiler. Visual inspection, dimensional measurement, chemical analysis, metallographic examination and hardness measurement are conducted as the part of the investigative studies. Apart from these tests, mechanical testing and fractographic analysis are also conducted as supplements. Finally, it is concluded that the superheater tube is failed due to graphitization for prolonged exposure of the tube at higher temperature.
Kinetics Study on Reduction of CaWO4 by Si from 1423 K to 1523 K
Authors: Shu Qifeng , Wu Jing , Chou Kuochih
Published: November 2015

Investigation on reduction kinetics of scheelite(CaWO4) provides important fundamental knowledge to control and optimize process of Ferrotungsten manufacturing and direct reduction of scheelite in steelmaking. In this work, the isothermal reduction kinetics of CaWO4 powder by Si powder at 1,423 K, 1,473 K and 1,523 K, where all reactants and products are in solid state, was investigated by using X-ray diffraction quantitative analysis. Scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) attached with energy dispersive spectra (EDS) was also employed to investigate the microstructure of reaction interface. Both Jander model and Ginstling–Brounshtein model could describe kinetics of reduction of CaWO4 well, whereas 3D interfacial reaction model could not describe the kinetics of reduction of CaWO4. The rate determining step for reduction of CaWO4 could be diffusion of Si across product layer. The values of activation energies obtained by fitting kinetic data using Jander and Ginstling–Brounshtein model are as great as 379.93 kJ/mol and 387.16 kJ/mol respectively. The oxygen partial pressure during reduction has impact on the kinetics of reduction. The reduction was retarded by increase of oxygen partial pressure.
Adsorption of As (III) on Iron Coated Quartz Sand: Influence of Temperature on the Equilibrium Isotherm, Thermodynamics and Isosteric Heat of Adsorption Analysis
Authors: Gautam Shashi Bala , Alam Siraj , Kamsonlian Suantak
Published: November 2015

The influence of temperature on the sorption of As(III) onto iron oxide coated quartz sand (IOCQS) was studied in the temperature range of 298–318 K. An increase in temperature was found to have positive influence on the adsorption of As(III) ions onto IOCQS surfaces because of increased diffusion of As(III) ions into the pores of IOCQS at higher temperature. The enhanced sorption at higher temperature indicated endothermic adsorption process. Equilibrium isotherms for the adsorption of As(III) on IOCQS were analyzed at different temperatures. Among the conventional isotherms, Freundlich isotherm best predicted specific uptake at different temperatures, followed by Redlich–Peterson, Langmuir and Temkin isotherm models. Various thermodynamic parameters namely heat of adsorption (∆H
0), change in entropy (∆S
0), and Gibbs free energy change (∆G
0) were computed from the equilibrium constant (K
D) values. The results indicated positive value for heat of adsorption ∆H
0, a positive ∆S
0 and a negative ∆G
0. Finally, the isosteric heat of adsorption (ΔH
st,a) values were calculated and quantitatively correlated with the fractional loading of As(III) onto IOCQS. The surface heterogeneity of adsorbents could be quantitatively described with an isosteric enthalpy function of fractional loading based on Do and Do model. The results show that the IOCQS possesses heterogeneous surface with sorption sites having different activities.
Helices of fractionalized Maxwell fluid
Authors: Jamil Muhammad , Abro Kashif Ali , Khan Najeeb Alam
Published: November 2015

In this paper the helical flows of fractionalized Maxwell fluid model, through a circular cylinder, is studied. The motion is produced by the cylinder that at the initial moment begins to rotate around its axis with an angular velocity Omegatp, and to slide along the same axis with linear velocity Utp. The solutions that have been obtained using Laplace and finite Hankel transforms and presented in series form in terms of the newly defined special function M(z), satisfy all imposed initial and boundary conditions. Moreover, the corresponding solutions for ordinary Maxwell and Newtonian fluid obtained as special cases of the present general solution. Finally, the influence of various pertinent parameters on fluid motion as well as the comparison among different fluids models is analyzed by graphical illustrations.
On the syntactic category of Akan compounds
Authors: Appah Clement Kwamina Insaidoo
Published: November 2015

In accounting for the properties of morphological constructions, one may adopt a source-oriented view where every property of the whole emanates from the parts or a product-oriented view where the whole may have properties that do not come from the parts. Such properties are called holistic constructional properties. Studies on Akan compounds have been invariably source-oriented, assuming that every property in a compound, including the syntactic category, has to come from its constituents. I show that compounding in Akan is blind to the syntactic category of the constituents. Thus, notwithstanding the syntactic category of the constituents the Akan compound is invariably nominal. This paper, therefore, provides evidence of holistic properties of morphological constructions in the form of the syntactic category of Akan compounds. I also present a Construction Morphology modelling of the syntactic category of the Akan compound as a holistic constructional property which is inherited from a constructional meta-schema that is pre-specified to be nominal. Finally, I posit and exemplify four schemas which inherit the category N from the meta-schema but differ in terms of the presence and position of a head constituent.
Kinetic modelling for polyphenol extraction from onion (Allium cepa) solid wastes using acidified water/ethanol mixture
Authors: Makris D.P. , Kefalas P.
Published: November 2015

Previous reports highlighted the onion solid wastes as abundant, residual material that might contain a significant load of antioxidant polyphenols. Although there have been studies pertaining to polyphenol recovery from onion wastes, the effect of temperature has not been adequately addressed. In this line, this study was undertaken with the aim of establishing a correlation between the extraction yield in total polyphenols and the extraction temperature, using acidified aqueous ethanol as the solvent system. Extraction of polyphenols from onion solid wastes was found to obey 2nd-order kinetics. On such a basis, the yield in total polyphenols at saturation could be very effectively determined and correlated with temperature using non-linear regression. The results indicated that the extraction yield at saturation is highly correlated with temperature, following a quadratic function. The extract obtained at optimal temperature (40 °C) had a total polyphenol yield of 21.10 mg gallic acid equivalents per gram of dry weight, and it was further analysed by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy to characterise its major constituents. The polyphenols detected were quercetin glucosides, as well as quercetin oxidation derivatives, including certain degradation products and dimers. The outcome of this study outlined that temperatures above 40 °C are rather not favourable for polyphenol extraction from onion solid wastes, as suggested by the model established through kinetics. The extract obtained under optimal conditions contained peculiar polyphenolic composition, not encountered in any other food processing residue.
Bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and minerals in flours prepared with tropical fruit peels
Authors: Sabino L.B.S. , Gonzaga M.L.C. , Soares D.J. , Lima A.C.S. , Lima J.S.S. , Almeida M.M.B. , Sousa P.H.M. , Figueiredo R.W.
Published: November 2015

This study is aimed at performing the determination of bioactive compounds, antioxidant activity, and the identification of the minerals in the flours produced with the tropical fruit peels of mango, papaya, melon, and pineapple. The results showed that the papaya peel flour has the highest amount of ascorbic acid and lycopene when compared with the other studied flours. The mango peel flour has a high content of total extractable polyphenols and a high antioxidant activity. Regarding the mineral content, the by-product of melon stood out with 523.24±26.12 mg/100 g of potassium, 104.15±3.52 mg/100 g of calcium and 6.62±0.30 mg/100 g of iron. The flours prepared with mango, papaya, melon, and pineapple peels are potential sources of bioactive compounds and minerals, also presenting good antioxidant activity, being, therefore, recommended to be used in food products to improve the nutritional quality of the product.
Internal quality control of an enzyme-linked immunoassay for Cry1Ab toxin detection applied in animal tissues
Authors: Takács E. , Nagy A. , Gelencsér É. , Székács A.
Published: November 2015

Reliable determination of microbial or transgenic Cry toxins is an essential issue in food and feed analyses, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are the method of choice for quantifying these toxins currently in food and environmental analysis. Internal Quality Control (IQC) is an indispensable method to assess accuracy, precision, and reproducibility of analytical measurements. To assess the utility of the ELISA method, IQC was performed on EnviroLogix Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac QualiPlate ELISA with manufacturer supplied analytical standards. Applicability of negative and positive controls (C− and C+) was examined by Shewhart Control Charts for bias and Control Chart of the Range of Duplicates for precision. Linear regression (up to 5 ng ml−1 Cry1Ab concentration) of the commercial ELISA kit was compared to sigmoid calibration (up to 60 ng ml−1 Cry1Ab concentration). For immunoassay optimization process, possible matrix effects in different liquid and solid vertebrate tissues were examined by determination of the limit of detection values in these matrices.
Antimicrobial activity of camel milk casein and its hydrolysates
Authors: Jrad Z. , El Hatmi H. , Adt I. , Khorchani T. , Degraeve P. , Oulahal N.
Published: November 2015

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of camel caseins and their hydrolysates by gastrointestinal proteolytic enzymes against 3 Gram-positive and 2 Gram-negative bacterial strains. Camel caseins (CN) were hydrolysed by successive action of pepsin and pancreatin. Hydrolysis of CN was checked by electrophoresis and gel filtration chromatography (GFC). Both techniques showed that CN was hydrolysed into peptides. Among the tested bacteria, a decrease of 19.3%±0.02 of E. coli XL1 blue cells growth was observed in the presence of undigested camel casein at a concentration of 20 mg ml−1. After successive hydrolyses by pepsin and pancreatin, camel milk casein hydrolysates still exhibited anti-bacterial activity against E. coli XL1 blue strain (19.73±0.01% growth inhibition under the same conditions). Gram-positive strain growth was not affected by intact camel CN, while, at the same concentration (20 mg ml–1), their hydrolysates slightly inhibited the growth of these bacteria. This suggests that antibacterial peptidic fragments of caseins were generated by pepsin and pancreatin.
An Improved Computational Model for Adaptive Communication Channel Estimation
Authors: Akinboro S.A. , Olaniyan O.M , Aderounmu G.A. , Olajubu E.A. , Ajayi A.O. , Ogundoyin I.K.
Published: November 2015

Channel estimation is an important and necessary function performed by modern wireless receivers. The goal of channel estimation is to measure the effects of the channel on known or partially known transmission. The usual practice in acquiring knowledge about a channel is to model the channel and then acquire the parameters involved in the model. This paper proposes a variable partial update model for adaptive communication channel estimation with a view to improving signal error at the receiver station. The proposed model is composed of finite impulse response transversal adaptive filter and least mean square adaptation algorithm. The performance of the proposed model was compared with the full update model. The evaluation results indicated that the proposed model performed better than the full update model in terms of computational complexity, memory load, and convergence rate.
Perturbation in Population of Pulse-Coupled Oscillators Leads to Emergence of Structure
Authors: Bartha Attila , Dumitrescu D.
Published: November 2015

A new synchronization model based on pulse-coupled oscillators is proposed. A population of coupled oscillators is represented as a cellular automaton. Each cell periodically enters a firing state. Firing of a cell is sensed by other cells in a neighborhood of radius R. As a result the sensing cell may change its firing rate. The interaction strength between a firing and a sensing cell decreases with the squared distance between the two cells. For most starting conditions waves of synchronized firing cells emerge. Simulations indicate that for certain parameter values the emergence of synchronization waves occurs only if there is dispersion in the intrinsic firing frequencies of the cells. Emergence of synchronization waves is an important feature of the model.
Influence of some admixtures on the formation of primary and secondary ettringite
Authors: Ahmed Doaa A. , Mohammed Maha R.
Published: November 2015

Different types of admixtures (2% each of superplasticiser, barium nitrate and stearic acid) were added to examine their effect on the hydration reactions of pure tricalcium aluminate (C3A) in presence of gypsum (G). The effect of 5% magnesium sulfate solution on the formation of secondary ettringite was examined for different time intervals, 3, 7, 28, 60 and 90 days. The hydration products were investigated using X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared and scanning electron microscopy. The time taken for ettringite formation was determined without admixture and in the presence of admixtures. The results showed that superplasticiser, barium nitrate and stearic acid retard ettringite formation whereas they accelerate the formation of calcium mono-sulfoaluminate hydrate phase and tetracalcium aluminate.