bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing plant biodiversity in species‐poor grassland through plant material transfer – the impact of sward disturbance
Authors: Schmiede Ralf , Otte Annette , Donath Tobias W.
Published: November 2011

Questions

Is the transfer of plant material a feasible measure for the enrichment of species‐poor alluvial grassland? Which is the proper degree of grass sward disturbance to enhance germination and establishment of plant material species? Does the establishment success depend on soil nutrient status of the restoration sites?

Location

Northern Upper Rhine valley, southwest Germany.

Methods

Seed‐containing plant material was transferred to species‐poor meadows. We tested two methods of sward disturbance: rotovation or ploughing before the transfer of plant material vs. a control, i.e. no disturbance but transfer of plant material. We studied vegetation development on nine sites for 3 yr.

Results

Three years after the transfer of plant material, 101 species were successfully re‐established on the restoration sites, including 28 Red List species. In contrast to our expectations, establishment was similar on rotovated and ploughed plots, both harbouring higher numbers and abundances of plant material species than the control plots. In contrast, the cover of resident grassland species differed significantly between ploughed plots (lowest cover), rotovated plots (intermediate cover) and control plots (highest cover) in the last 2 yr of vegetation recording. While elevated phosphorus was in line with reduced establishment of plant material species, potassium and total nitrogen had no negative effect.

Conclusions

The transfer of plant material is an appropriate method to enhance plant biodiversity in species‐poor grasslands. We show that a sward disturbance by rotovation or ploughing is crucial for species to re‐establish. Our results suggest that ploughing is the more promising disturbance measure because it more persistently suppresses grassland vegetation.
Post‐dispersal probability of germination and establishment on the shorelines of slow‐flowing or stagnant water bodies
Authors: Sarneel Judith M. , Soons Merel B.
Published: November 2011

Question

In Dutch fens, species that colonize open water and induce the formation of floating peat mats have become rare. Many such riparian pioneer species occur predominantly on shorelines sheltered from the wind, whereas the majority of seeds tend to be deposited on exposed shorelines, as seeds are dispersed via wind‐driven waves and currents. Do differences in germination and seedling survival between sheltered and exposed shorelines explain this difference?

Location

The fen reserve ‘De Westbroekse zodden’ (52 °10′ N; 5 °07′ E)

Methods

With a sowing experiment, the germination, seedling survival and overall recruitment of Berula erecta, Calla palustris, Comarum palustre, Glyceria maxima and Mentha aquatica were studied on sheltered and wind‐exposed banks in eight fen ponds. Temperature, light availability, water level, wave impact, litter and seed deposition and vegetation height were recorded over 16 wk. The probability of washing away was quantified with small seed mimics. With a greenhouse experiment, we separately examined the effects of environmental differences between sheltered and exposed banks.

Results

In the field, compared to sheltered shorelines, exposed shorelines had a higher wave impact, higher light availability in spring and more litter and seeds deposited on them. In the greenhouse experiment, only litter addition decreased germination. This effect was overridden in the field, where the higher light availability on exposed banks increased germination. In the field, the number of seedlings decreased strongly over time, and eventual recruitment was determined by the degree to which seeds and seedlings were washed away by wave action. The probability of being washed away was highest on exposed shorelines (where waves were larger), which resulted in higher recruitment on sheltered shorelines.

Conclusions

The recruitment of colonizing species to fen pond shorelines is limited by the probability that seeds and seedlings may be washed into the open water. This process can eventually cause more successful recruitment on upwind or lee‐side shorelines despite lower seed inputs there.
Income‐related inequalities in denture‐wearing by Europeans aged 50 and above
Authors: Listl Stefan
Published: November 2011

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2011.00590.x
 
Income‐related inequalities in denture‐wearing by Europeans aged 50 and above

Background:  Despite its importance for the planning of future treatment needs and an optimised allocation of health care resources, only little is known about socio‐economic inequalities in denture‐wearing by late middle‐aged and elderly generations.

Objectives:  To describe income‐related inequalities in denture‐wearing by elderly populations residing in different European countries.

Material and methods:  Data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE Wave 2) were used to assess income‐related inequalities in denture‐wearing by means of Concentration Indices (CI) for populations aged 50+ from 14 different European countries.

Results:  We could identify a significant disproportionate concentration of denture‐wearing amongst the poor elderly populations in Denmark (CI = −0.3534, corresponding to the highest level of inequality), Sweden (CI = −0.3479), Switzerland (CI = −0.2013), Greece (CI = −0.1953), the Netherlands (CI = −0.1413), France (CI = −0.1339), Austria (CI = −0.0974), Czech Republic (CI = −0.0959), Belgium (CI = −0.0947), Germany (CI = −0.0762), Ireland (CI = −0.0575) and Spain (CI = −0.0482, corresponding to the lowest level of pro‐poor inequality). Poland became evident as the only country in which individuals from the upper end of the income scale wear more dentures than their peers from the lower end of the income scale (CI = 0.0379). No significant income‐related inequalities were observable in Italy.

Conclusions:  There is considerable income‐related inequality in denture‐wearing by several elderly populations in Europe. Future resource planning for prosthetic care should, thus, specifically distinguish between the treatment needs of different socio‐economic groups within elderly populations.
Polly Peachum, a ‘Model of Virtue’? Questions of Morality in John Gay's Polly
Authors: PETZOLD JOCHEN
Published: November 2011

At first sight, John Gay's Polly (1729) seems to ‘rectify’ the moral problems of The Beggar's Opera (1728): Macheath is finally brought to justice, and the virtuous Polly finds a suitable husband. This view has been more or less taken for granted for almost 300 years. However, closer analysis reveals that Gay's treatment of the morality question is ironic, since Polly is not the model of virtue she has frequently been taken to be. In particular, some of the songs she sings highlight the discrepancy between her words and her actions.
Heat Transfer of Thin Fins With Stochastic Root Temperature
Authors: Hung H. M.
Published: November 2011

An analysis of the temperature distribution of straight and circular fins with stochastic root temperature is presented. The response autocorrelation functions and power spectral densities of temperatures with stationary Gaussian excitation temperatures are obtained. These excitations include purely stochastic and Markoff processes. Several numerical examples are studied. Graphical results are given. The convergence problem in computational experiments is found to be not very severe.
Analysis of Metal Ammonia Solutions as Heat Transfer Fluids to −185 deg C
Authors: Naiditch S. , Graper E. B.
Published: November 2011

The low freezing temperatures and high thermal conductivities of metal ammonia solutions make them attractive as heat transfer fluids in the range from +60 to −185 deg C, offering a potential substitute for the cryogenic boiling heat transfer usually required below −50 deg C. Although chemically metastable and highly corrosive, some of these solutions have been studied at 190 deg C for an hour without measurable decomposition and have been stored for years at room temperature.
Unsteady Temperature Distribution in a Sphere Subjected to Time-Dependent Surface Heat Flux and Internal Heat Source
Authors: O¨lc¸er N. Y.
Published: November 2011

General expressions are derived for the three-dimensional unsteady heating of a solid sphere under the influence of a variable internal heat source and an arbitrary initial temperature distribution when the entire surface is subjected to a variable heat flux. Both the volume heat source and the surface heat flux are prescribed in terms of arbitrary functions of space and time. Various forms of solutions are noted. These expressions, not available hitherto, contain the solutions of many special problems of technological importance. The results presented in two recent studies on the arbitrary heating of spheres are shown to be special cases of the general sphere problem treated here and the errors appearing in these studies are corrected. Other special cases are also discussed.
Decentralized PID Controllers Based on Probabilistic Robustness
Authors: Wang Chuanfeng , Li Donghai
Published: November 2011

A tuning method for decentralized PID controllers was developed based on probabilistic robustness for multi-input-multi-output plants, whose parameters vary in a determinate area. The advantage of this method is that the entire uncertainty parameter space can be considered for controller designing. According to model uncertainties, the probabilities of satisfaction for every item of dynamic performance requirements were computed and synthesized as the cost function of genetic algorithms, which was used to optimize the parameters of decentralized PID controllers. Monte Carlo experiments were used to test the control system robustness. Simulations for five multivariable chemical processes were carried out. Comparisons with a standard design method based on nominal conditions indicate that the method presented in this paper has better robustness, and the systems can satisfy the design requirements in a maximal probability.
Size Effects During Femtosecond Laser Interaction With Nanosized Metal Particles
Authors: Huang Jing , Zhang Yuwen , Chen J. K.
Published: November 2011

To obtain more in-depth knowledge about the microscopic process during laser sintering, phase change processes including melting, evaporation, and resolidification during the irradiation of femtosecond laser on nanosized gold particles were simulated. The effects of multiple reflections and pulse energy overlapping in small particle size were considered. The results show that when the particle size is big enough, the simulation results match those of old model. When the particle size is small and laser fluence is high, no resolidification takes place in the time range of the simulation. The laser fluence range to achieve partial melting is narrow when the particle is small. When the diameter is smaller than 400 nm, temperature gradient during the heating period is ignorable, which is different from the large particles. The threshold value of laser fluence to achieve vaporization is about two times higher than that of melting with the same particle size.
PRACTICAL STEADY-STATE SCHEDULING FOR TREE-SHAPED TASK GRAPHS
Authors: DIAKITÉ SÉKOU , MARCHAL LORIS , NICOD JEAN-MARC , PHILIPPE LAURENT
Published: November 2011

In this paper, we focus on the problem of scheduling a collection of similar task graphs on a heterogeneous platform, when the task graph is an intree. We rely on steady-state scheduling techniques, and aim at optimizing the throughput of the system. Contrarily to previous studies, we concentrate on practical aspects of steady-state scheduling, when dealing with a collection (or batch) of limited size. We focus here on two optimizations. The first one consists in reducing the processing time of each task graph, thus making steady-state scheduling applicable to smaller batches. The second one consists in degrading a little the optimal-throughput solution to get a simpler solution, more efficient on small batches. We present our optimizations in details, and show that they both help to overcome the limitation of steady-state scheduling: our simulations show that we are able to reach a better efficiency on small batches, to reduce the size of the buffers, and to significantly decrease the processing time of a single task graph (latency).
SIMPLE PERFORMANCE BOUNDS FOR MULTICORE AND PARALLEL CHANNEL SYSTEMS
Authors: GAMBOA CARLOS FERNANDO , ROBERTAZZI THOMAS
Published: November 2011

A simple modification of existing divisible load scheduling algorithms, boosting link speed by M for M parallel channels per link, allows time optimal load scheduling and performance prediction for parallel channel systems. The situation for multicore models is more complex but can be handled by a substitution involving equivalent processor speed. These modifications yield upper bounds on such parallel systems' performance. This concept is illustrated for ideal single level (star) tree networks under a variety of scheduling policies. Less than ideal parallelism can also be modeled though mechanisms of inefficiency require further research.
A NOTE ON THE VARIANCE OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF HEEGNER POINTS
Authors: LIU SHENG-CHI
Published: November 2011

In this note, we evaluate the variance of the distribution of Heegner points asymptotically. More precisely, we show [Formula: see text] for any Hecke–Maass cusp forms ϕ, ψ for SL 2(ℤ), where c is an explicit constant which depends on the eigenvalue of ϕ.
南洋大学校园规划与建筑设计(1953–1980)
Authors: 陈煜
Published: November 2011

本文以两部分回溯南洋大学校园选址与规划、建筑设计与建造。第一部分侧重分析南大校址择定与校园规划，指出南大校园体现当时新马华社思想中传统观念与现代性的并存。南大校园一方面有着现代规划的整体观念和分区组团概念，另一方面，在校园空间序列的构建上，流露出华人传统的等级观念和文化意识。第二部分集中探讨南大校园建筑，将其归纳为“华族传统复兴式建筑”与“具有热带特征的现代建筑”两大类，两者均采用现代建筑材料和技术建造，满足现代建筑功能要求，前者采用中国传统建筑元素表达民族特征，后者考虑到经济性和热带气候特征。本文将南大建设分为三个阶段：“民间自主期”、“师生自助期”、“政府参与期”，指出新马华社转变中的“中国意识”与“本土意识”。建校初期以优秀的中国大学为模式，采用华社传统方法募款与建设，逐渐转变为有意识地追求现代性和国际认同，后期政府介入校园建设，反映出新加坡独立后新生政权极力淡化种族意识，塑造国家认同感。
NANOPOROUS MEMBRANE FOR BIOSENSING APPLICATIONS
Authors: MO YANG , FEI TAN
Published: November 2011

Synthetic nanoporous membranes have been used in numerous biosensing applications, such as glucose detection, nucleic acid detection, bacteria detection, and cell-based sensing. The increased surface affinity area and enhanced output sensing signals make the nanoporous membranes increasingly attractive as biosensing platforms. Surface modification techniques can be used to improve surface properties for realizable bioanalyte immobilization, conjugation, and detection. Combined with realizable detection techniques such as electrochemical and optical detection methods, nanoporous membrane–based biosensors have advantages, including rapid response, high sensitivity, and low cost. In this paper, an overview of nanoporous membranes for biosensing application is given. Types of nanoporous membranes including polymer membranes, inorganic membranes, membranes with nanopores fabricated using nanolithography, and nanotube-based membranes are introduced. The fabrication techniques of nanoporous membranes are also discussed. The key requirements of nanoporous membranes for biosensing applications include surface functionality for bioanalyte immobilization, biocompatibility, mechanical and chemical stability, and anti-biofouling capability. The recent advances and development of nanoporous membrane–based biosensors are discussed, especially for the sensing mechanism and surface functionalization strategies. Finally, the challenges and future development of nanoporous membrane for biosensing applications are discussed.
ENCAPSULATION AND RELEASE PROFILE OF PROTEIN CAGE FROM A POLYMERIC MATRIX
Authors: LI YAN , TOYIP RIKE OKTAVIANTI , PENG TAO , LIM SIERIN
Published: November 2011

Protein cages have been widely investigated as molecular drug carrier. E2 protein from Bacillus stearothermophillus forms a dodecahedral cage structure of approximately 24 nm in diameter. To formulate a sustainable release profile, E2 protein was further encapsulated into poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microparticles to form a composite structure using water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double emulsion method. The influence of fabrication parameters on microparticle morphology and E2 protein release profile were investigated. The microparticle size increased when the stirring speed of the second emulsification decreased. Decrease in the volume of external aqueous phase led to the reduction of microparticle size without affecting its porosity. The higher ionic concentration of external aqueous phase in the presence of surfactant resulted in microparticles with closed pores on surface. Increase in polymer concentration also led to the formation of less porous microparticles. The E2 protein was not dissociated upon encapsulation into PLGA microparticles based on the unchanged particle size of E2 protein. E2 protein release was studied in phosphate-buffered saline solution at 37°C. The initial burst and release rate were lowered as the surfactant concentration in external water phase during the fabrication process was increased from 0.1% to 1% (w/v). After 14-day incubation, no observable polymer degradation was found while the surface of microparticles appeared to be smoother than before incubation.
Measurement Methods and Applications for Thermophysical Properties at Micro/nanoscales
Authors: Wang Jianli , Zhang Xing
Published: November 2011

The effect of thermal contact resistance (TCR) on the measurement of thermal properties of micro/nanowires is investigated using the changing length T type probe and the 3ω-T type probe. For the junction established by two crossed platinum microwires, the TCR is found to decrease as temperature increases, which can be possibly explained by the plastic deformation of the microscopic contacts. The same value of thermal effusivity of the test wire is obtained in the presence of different interstitial materials, and the one with small thermal impedance will give a decrease in the temperature oscillation of the hot wire. Based on this fact, the thermal conductivity and thermal effusivity of individual carbon fibers heat treated at 2800 and 1000 °C are measured, and the calculated specific heat is found to decrease with increasing heat-treatment temperature and to approach the value of graphite.
Thermophysical Property Measurements of High Temperature Melts Using an Electrostatic Levitation Method
Authors: Ishikawa Takehiko , Okada Junpei T. , Paradis Paul-François , Watanabe Yuki
Published: November 2011

Thermophysical properties of high temperature melts are important to better understand material processes such as casting, welding, and crystal growth. Containerless processing techniques combined with non-contact diagnostic methods play significant roles in thermophysical property measurements of high temperature melts because these methods can circumvent problems which arise from a reaction between container and melts. The electrostatic levitation method can measure density, surface tension, and viscosity of high temperature materials. Most of refractory metals including tungsten have been melted and their thermophysical data have been taken with this method. This paper briefly explains the technique and discusses the future measurements using microgravity environment in space.
Thermal Diffusivity Measurement for Thermal Spray Coating Attached to Substrate Using Laser Flash Method
Authors: Akoshima Megumi , Tanaka Takashi , Endo Satoshi , Baba Tetsuya , Harada Yoshio , Kojima Yoshitaka , Kawasaki Akira , Ono Fumio
Published: November 2011

Ceramic-based thermal barrier coatings are used as heat and wear shields of gas turbine blades. There is a strong need to evaluate the thermal conductivity of coating for thermal design and use. The thermal conductivity of a bulk material is obtained as the product of thermal diffusivity, specific heat capacity, and density above room temperature in many cases. Thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity are unique for a given material because they are sensitive to the structure of the material. Therefore, it is important to measure them in each sample. However it is difficult to measure the thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity of coatings because coatings are attached to substrates. In order to evaluate the thermal diffusivity of a coating attached to the substrate, we have examined the laser flash method with the multilayer model on the basis of the response function method. We carried out laser flash measurements in layered samples composed of a CoNiCrAlY bond coating and a 8YSZ top coating by thermal spraying on a Ni-based superalloy substrate. It was found that the procedure using laser flash method with the multilayer model is useful for the thermal diffusivity evaluation of a coating attached to a substrate.
Estimation Method for Attenuation Coefficient of Thermal Radiation in Thermal Insulators by Using Thermal Conductivity
Authors: Ohmura Takahiro , Onodera Masatake , Naito Makio
Published: November 2011

A new method of estimating the attenuation coefficients of thermal radiation in thermal insulators was proposed. This is a means of deriving the attenuation coefficient using thermal conductivity of thermal insulators. It has already been proposed that the effective thermal conductivity of thermal radiation in thermal insulators is proportional to T
3/ρ, determined using the absolute temperature T and the bulk density ρ. On the other hand, the effective thermal conductivity of thermal radiation in porous media with a high porosity is generally proportional to T
3/β, determined using the absorption coefficient β with respect to the thickness of the object. From the above relation, the estimation equation for the attenuation coefficient β/ρ was derived. By using this equation, the attenuation coefficient of porous media, as thermal insulators having an uneven bulk density, must be derived as the representative value of the specimen. Furthermore, the attenuation coefficients of three kinds of thermal insulators were also estimated.
Small Loop Heat Pipe with Plastic Wick for Electronics Cooling
Authors: Nagano Hosei , Nishigawara Masahito
Published: November 2011

In this paper, fabrication and test results of a small loop heat pipe (LHP) for electric cooling over a distance of 1100 mm are discussed. Poly(tetrafluoroethylene) porous material with 1.2 µm pore radius was used as a wick material for a primary pump of the loop to satisfy in both high thermal performance and low cost. High-grade ethanol was selected as a working fluid inside the loop. The small LHP with an outer diameter of 12 mm and length of 77 mm of an evaporator was made of stainless steel. The vapor and liquid transport lines are 1.8 mm in inner diameter and 1100 mm in length respectively in order to demonstrate the long-distance heat transport in a small tube, against the frictional resistance in the loop. The start-up process was monitored with an infrared camera, and quick start-up and its stable operation after the start-up were visually demonstrated. The loop could operate up to 50 W heat load with the operating temperature of around 70 °C in the evaporator. The thermal resistance between the evaporator and the condenser of the loop was 0.58 K/W at 50 W.
Specific Heat Capacity Measurement of Single-Crystalline Silicon as New Reference Material
Authors: Abe Haruka , Kato Hideyuki , Baba Tetsuya
Published: November 2011

We started to develop a new certified reference material for specific heat capacity measurement using a new type of cryogenic adiabatic calorimeter, applying a pulse-tube cryocooler in the temperature range from 50 to 350 K. A candidate certified reference material is single-crystalline silicon. To check the performance of the equipment, we measured the specific heat capacity of NIST SRM720, a type of synthetic sapphire. The relative expanded uncertainty of the measurement was estimated to be 0.65% at 350 K and 8.2% at 50 K, and the certified value of SRM720 was within the limits of uncertainty. In the next step, we measured the temperature dependence of the specific heat capacity of single-crystalline silicon. The result was compared with some reference data, and good agreement within 0.6% residual was found.
Electric-Field-Induced Formation of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Conductive Pathways in Positive Dielectric Anisotropic Nematic Liquid Crystal Host
Authors: Nayek Prasenjit , Ghosh Sharmistha , Karan Santanu , Kang Shin-Woong , Roy Subir Kumar , Dabrowski Roman
Published: November 2011

We report here electric-field-induced conductive pathway formation in a multiwalled carbon nanotube nematic liquid crystal blend. Experiments have performed by inserting the blend into a 10 µm planar, pre-aligned indium-tin-oxide coated sandwiched type electro-optical cell. The conductive pathway formation process have confirmed by in-situ porarized optical microscopy, dielectric monitoring and conductance measurements as a function of bias voltage. When bias voltage increases, conductivity and imaginary part of the dielectric constant (ε'') increases dramatically upto six and four order of magnitude respectively. Low electric field disordered state of nanotubes causes transition to the directionally aligned conductive state after some critical electric-field had applied. From our experimental results we have found that the critical field is ∼15 kV/cm. This electric-field controllable low conductive disordered to directionally aligned conductive transition technology is promising for the fabrication of low-dimensional conductive materials and applications of voltage-switch devices.
Excitation Mechanism of H, He, C, and F Atoms in Metal-Assisted Atmospheric Helium Gas Plasma Induced by Transversely Excited Atmospheric-Pressure CO2 Laser Bombardment
Authors: Lie Zener Sukra , Khumaeni Ali , Kurihara Kazuyoshi , Kurniawan Koo Hendrik , Lee Yong Inn , Fukumoto Ken-ichi , Kagawa Kiichiro , Niki Hideaki
Published: November 2011

To clarify the excitation mechanism of hydrogen in transversely excited atmospheric-pressure (TEA) CO2 laser-induced helium gas plasma, atomic emission characteristics of H, C, F, and He were studied using a Teflon sheet (thickness of 2 mm) attached to a metal subtarget. The TEA CO2 laser (750 mJ, 200 ns) was focused on the Teflon sheet in the surrounding He gas at 1 atm. Atomic emissions of H, C, F, and He occurred with a long lifetime, a narrow spectrum width, and a low-background spectrum. The correlation emission intensity curves of H–He and F–He indicated a parabolic functions. To explain the emission characteristics, we offered a model in which helium metastable atoms (He*) play an important role in the excitation processes; namely, atoms collide with helium metastable atoms (He*) to be ionized by the Penning effect, and then recombine with electrons to produce excited states, from which atomic emissions occur.
On contract satisfaction in a higher-order world
Authors: Dimoulas Christos , Felleisen Matthias
Published: November 2011

Behavioral software contracts have become a popular mechanism for specifying and ensuring logical claims about a program's flow of values. While contracts for first-order functions come with a natural interpretation and are well understood, the various incarnations of higher-order contracts adopt, implicitly or explicitly, different views concerning the meaning of contract satisfaction. In this article, we define various notions of contract satisfaction in terms of observational equivalence and compare them with each other and notions in the literature. Specifically, we introduce a small model language with higher-order contracts and use it to formalize different notions of contract satisfaction. Each of them demands that the contract parties satisfy certain observational equivalences.
On turbocharged, heat-seeking, robotic fishing poles
Authors: Toyama Kentaro
Published: November 2011

Applying a well-known proverb to socio-technical transformation.
DWEVOLVE
Authors: Thakur Garima , Gosain Anjana
Published: November 2011

Data warehouse integrate information from numerous data sources under a unified schema and format to provide effective results from multidimensional data analysis in order to facilitate reporting and trend analysis. These information sources are dynamic in nature and keep on changing owing to the autonomous nature of transactions being carried out in the organization along with the complexity involved in gathering requirements from the users. Requirements elicitation and collection is difficult to perform because user needs keep on changing. As a consequence, the data warehouse must evolve so that it improves the data quality by easily incorporating the changes in requirements as well as source schema. In this paper we present a theoretical framework called DWEVOLVE to support data warehouse evolution. The proposed framework enhances the functionality of previously designed framework by taking into account the requirements specified by the users. Provisions have also been made to define and generate customized reports according to the user needs.
A logical toolbox for ontological reasoning
Authors: Calì Andrea , Gottlob Georg , Lukasiewicz Thomas , Pieris Andreas
Published: November 2011

In ontology-enhanced database systems, an ontology on top of the extensional database expresses intensional knowledge that enhances the database schema. Queries posed to such systems are to be evaluated considering all the knowledge inferred from the data by means of the ontology; in other words, queries are to be evaluated against the logical theory constituted by the data and the ontology. In this context, tractability of query answering is a central issue, given that the data size is normally very large. This paper surveys results on a recently introduced family of Datalog-based languages, called Datalog+/-, which is a useful logical toolbox for ontology modeling and for ontology-based query answering. We present different Datalog+/- languages and related complexity results, showing that Datalog+/- can be successfully adopted due to its clarity, expressiveness and its good computational properties.
Integration of vectorwise with ingres
Authors: Inkster Doug , Zukowski Marcin , Boncz Peter
Published: November 2011

Actian Corporation recently entered into a cooperative relationship with VectorWise BV to integrate its Vector-Wise technology into the Ingres RDBMS server. The resulting commercial product has already achieved phenomenal performance results with the TPC-H industry standard benchmark, and has been well received in the analytical RDBMS market. This paper describes the integration of the VectorWise technology with Ingres, some of the design decisions made as part of the integration project, and the problems that had to be solved in the process.
Dexamethasone Treatment Reverses Cognitive Impairment but Increases Brain Oxidative Stress in Rats Submitted to Pneumococcal Meningitis
Authors: Barichello Tatiana , Santos Ana Lucia B. , Silvestre Cintia , Generoso Jaqueline S. , Cipriano Andreza L. , Petronilho Fabricia , Dal-Pizzol Felipe , Comim Clarissa M. , Quevedo João
Published: November 2011

Pneumococcal meningitis is associated with a significant mortality rate and neurologic sequelae. The animals received either 10 μL of saline or aS. pneumoniaesuspension and were randomized into different groups: sham: placebo with dexamethasone 0.7 mg/kg/1 day; placebo with dexamethasone 0.2 mg/kg/7 days; meningitis groups: dexamethasone 0.7 mg/kg/1 day and dexamethasone 0.2 mg/kg/7 days. Ten days after induction we evaluated memory and oxidative stress parameters in hippocampus and cortex. In the step-down inhibitory avoidance task, we observed memory impairment in the meningitis group with dexamethasone 0.2 mg/kg/7 days. The lipid peroxidation was increased in hippocampus in the meningitis groups with dexamethasone and in cortex only in the meningitis group with dexamethasone 0.2 mg/kg/7 days. The protein carbonyl was increased in hippocampus in the meningitis groups with dexamethasone and in cortex in the meningitis groups with and without dexamethasone. There was a decrease in the proteins integrity in hippocampus in all groups receiving treatment with dexamethasone and in cortex in all groups with dexamethasone (0.7 mg/kg/1 day). The mitochondrial superoxide was increased in the hippocampus and cortex in the meningitis group with dexamethasone 0.2 mg/kg/7 days. Our findings demonstrate that dexamethasone reverted cognitive impairment but increased brain oxidative stress in hippocampus and cortex in Wistar rats ten days after pneumococcal meningitis induction.
Positive Solution of Singular Fractional Differential Equation in Banach Space
Authors: Cao Jianxin , Chen Haibo
Published: November 2011

We investigated a singular multipoint boundary value problem for
fractional differential equation in Banach space. The nonlinear term f(t, x, y) is
positive and singular at x = θ and (or) y = θ. Employing regularization, sequential techniques, and diagonalization methods, we obtained some new existence results of positive solution.
Phasic and Tonic Smooth Muscle Function of the Partially Obstructed Guinea Pig Intestine
Authors: Zhao Jingbo , Liao Donghua , Yang Jian , Gregersen Hans
Published: November 2011

This study was to generate phasic and tonic stress‐strain curves for evaluation of smooth muscle function in the obstructed guinea pig jejunum. Partial and sham obstruction of the jejunum in guinea pigs was created surgically, with guinea pigs not being operated on served as normal controls. The animals survived 2, 4, 7, and 14 days, respectively. The jejunal segment was distended to 10 cm H2O. The pressure and outer diameter changes were recorded. Passive conditions were obtained by using papaverine. Total phasic, tonic, and passive circumferential stress and strain were computed from the diameter and pressure data with reference to the zero‐stress‐state geometry. The active phasic and tonic stresses were defined as the total phasic and tonic stress minus the passive stress. The thickness of intestinal muscle layers increased in a time‐dependent manner after obstruction. The amplitude of passive, total phasic, total tonic, active phasic, and active tonic circumferential stresses increased as function of strain 7 days after obstruction. However, when normalized to muscle layer thickness, the amplitude of active stresses did not differ among the groups. In conclusion, the long‐term‐obstructed intestine exhibits increased total smooth muscle contraction force. However, the contraction force per smooth muscle unit did not increase.
Treatment of Aggressive NK-Cell Leukemia: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Boysen Anders Kindberg , Jensen Paw , Johansen Preben , Dybkær Karen , Nyegaard Mette
Published: November 2011

Aggressive NK-cell leukemia is a rare malignancy with neoplastic proliferation of natural killer cells. It often presents with constitutional symptoms, a rapid declining clinical course, and a poor prognosis with a median survival of a few months. The disease is usually resistant to cytotoxic agents, and no treatment has emerged as the standard of care for these patients. We report a case of an 18-year-old male who obtains complete remission following two lines of combination chemotherapy. We describe in details our regimens for induction chemotherapy and perform a review of existing literature concerning treatment of aggressive NK-cell leukemia.
Complex Dynamics in Nonlinear Triopoly Market with Different Expectations
Authors: Ma Junhai , Pu Xiaosong
Published: November 2011

A dynamic triopoly game characterized by firms with different expectations is modeled by three‐dimensional nonlinear difference equations, where the market has quadratic inverse demand function and the firm possesses cubic total cost function. The local stability of Nash equilibrium is studied. Numerical simulations are presented to show that the triopoly game model behaves chaotically with the variation of the parameters. We obtain the fractal dimension of the strange attractor, bifurcation diagrams, and Lyapunov exponents of the system.
Characterization of Tool Wear in High-Speed Milling of Hardened Powder Metallurgical Steels
Authors: Klocke Fritz , Arntz Kristian , Cabral Gustavo Francisco , Stolorz Martin , Busch Marc
Published: November 2011

In this experimental study, the cutting performance of ball-end mills in high-speed dry-hard milling of powder metallurgical steels was investigated. The cutting performance of the milling tools was mainly evaluated in terms of cutting length, tool wear, and cutting forces. Two different types of hardened steels were machined, the cold working steel HS 4-2-4 PM (K490 Microclean/66 HRC) and the high speed steel HS 6-5-3 PM (S790 Microclean/64 HRC). The milling tests were performed at effective cutting speeds of 225, 300, and 400 m/min with a four fluted solid carbide ball-end mill ( = 6, TiAlN coating). It was observed that by means of analytically optimised chipping parameters and increased cutting speed, the tool life can be drastically enhanced. Further, in machining the harder material HS 4-2-4 PM, the tool life is up to three times in regard to the less harder material HS 6-5-3 PM. Thus, it can be assumed that not only the hardness of the material to be machined plays a vital role for the high-speed dry-hard cutting performance, but also the microstructure and thermal characteristics of the investigated powder metallurgical steels in their hardened state.
Preparation and Characterization of CoevaporatedCd1−xZnxSAlloy Thin Films
Authors: Li Wei , Yang Jiayi , Sun Zhen , Feng Lianghuan , Zhang Jingquan , Wu Lili
Published: November 2011

Cd1-xZnxSthin films have been prepared by the vacuum coevaporation method. The structural, compositional, and optical properties ofCd1-xZnxSthin films have been investigated using X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and optical transmittance spectra. As-depositedCd1-xZnxSthin films are polycrystalline and show the cubic structure forx=1and hexagonal one forx<1with the highly preferential orientation. The composition ofCd1-xZnxSthin films determined from Vegard's law and quartz thickness monitors agrees with that determined from the X-ray fluorescence spectra. Optical absorption edge of optical transmittance forCd1-xZnxSthin films shows a blue shift with the increase of the zinc content. The band gap forCd1-xZnxSthin films can be tuned nonlinearly withxfrom about 2.38 eV for CdS to 3.74 eV for ZnS. A novel structure for CuInS2-based solar cells with aCd0.4Zn0.6Slayer is proposed in this paper.
Effective Subthalamic Nucleus Deep Brain Stimulation Sites May Differ for Tremor, Bradykinesia and Gait Disturbances in Parkinson’s Disease
Authors: Hilliard Justin D. , Frysinger Robert C. , Elias W. Jeff
Published: November 2011

Background/Aims: Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective therapy for Parkinson’s disease (PD). This study investigates whether improvement for particular PD symptoms varies differentially with respect to stimulation location in the STN. Methods: Ten PD patients treated with bilateral STN DBS were enrolled in the study. Each electrode contact was stimulated independently to assess for changes in tremor, bradykinesia, and gait. Electrode contacts were localized via MRI. A novel iterative volumetric analysis was used to search the contact space for stimulation regions corresponding to alleviation of specific symptoms. Results: Tremor was best controlled with DBS applied to the more dorsal, anterior, and medial areas of the contact space. Improvement in bradykinesia was seen largely within the middle of the contact space. Gait improvement was observed with ventral contacts, likely bordering the ventral boundaries of the STN. Conclusion: The iterative volumetric analysis is a valuable tool in identifying anatomic regions responsive to DBS across a subject population treated for PD. In the subjects tested, overlapping efficacy for all symptoms was observed in the region of the STN, but anatomic variances in the responsiveness for tremor, bradykinesia, and gait were found.
Are Stroke Occurrence and Outcome Related to Weather Parameters? Results from a Population-Based Study in Northern Portugal
Authors: Magalhães Rui , Silva M. Carolina , Correia Manuel , Bailey Trevor
Published: November 2011

Background: Changes in meteorological parameters have been associated with cardiovascular mortality and stroke. The high incidence of stroke in Portugal may be modelled by short- or long-term weather changes whose effect may be different across stroke types and severity. Methods: Data include all patients with a first-ever-in-a-lifetime stroke registered in a population of 86,023 residents in the city of Porto from October 1998 to September 2000. Specific stroke types were considered and ischaemic stroke (IS) subtype was defined according to the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Projet classification and the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) criteria. Information on daily temperature, humidity and air pressure was obtained from the National Meteorological Office. The Poisson distribution was used to model the daily number of events as a function of each weather parameter measured over different hazard periods, and the binomial model to contrast effects across subgroups. Differential effects of meteorological parameters and hazard periods upon stroke occurrence and outcome were analysed in a stepwise model. Results: Among the 462 patients registered, 19.6% had a primary intracerebral haemorrhage (PICH) and 75.3% an IS. Among patients with IS, 21.6% were total anterior circulation infarcts (TACIs), 19.8% partial anterior circulation infarcts (PACIs), 19.5% posterior circulation infarcts (POCIs) and 39.1% were lacunar infarcts (LACIs). The aetiology of IS was large artery atherosclerosis in 6.9%, cardioembolism in 23.3% and small artery occlusion in 35.6%. The incidence of PICH increased by 11.8% (95% CI: 3.8–20.4%) for each degree drop in the diurnal temperature range in the preceding day. The incidence of IS increased by 3.9% (95% CI: 1.6–6.3%) and cardioembolic IS by 5.0% (95% CI: 0.2–10.1%) for a 1°C drop in minimum temperature in the same hazard period. The incidence of TACIs followed the IS pattern while for PACIs and POCIs there were stronger effects of longer hazard periods and no association was found for LACIs. The relative risk of a fatal versus a non-fatal stroke increased by 15.5% (95% CI: 6.1–25.4%) for a 1°C drop in maximum temperature over the previous day. Conclusions: Outdoor temperature and related meteorological parameters are associated with stroke occurrence and severity. The different hazard periods for temperature effects and the absence of association with LACIs may explain the heterogeneous effects of weather on stroke occurrence found in community-based and hospital admission studies. Emergency services should be aware that specific weather conditions are more likely to prompt calls for more severe strokes.
IL-4 and TNF-α Polymorphisms Are Associated with Risk of Multiple Superficial Tumors or Carcinoma in situ Development
Authors: Lima Luís , Silva Joana , Amaro Teresina , Morais António , Lopes Carlos , Medeiros Rui , Videira Paula A. , Santos Lúcio
Published: November 2011

Introduction: This study evaluates the influence of clinicopathological characteristics, bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapeutic schedule [maintenance (mBCG) or induction (iBCG)], and TNF-α and IL-4 polymorphisms on the outcome of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients treated with BCG. Material and Methods: DNA was extracted from 125 bladder cancer patients treated with BCG; TNF-308G/A and IL4-590C/T polymorphisms were genotyped. Results: The TNF-308A allele carriers had an increased risk of developing multiple tumors (OR: 2.80, p = 0.031). However, IL4-590 T carriers also had an increased risk of developing multiple and carcinoma in situ tumors (OR: 2.52, p = 0.033). For these polymorphisms, no association was found with BCG treatment outcome. When treated with iBCG, patients with multiple tumors had shorter recurrence-free survival (RFS) compared with those with a single tumor (p = 0.004); nevertheless, patients with multifocal tumors have improved RFS when treated with mBCG. Conclusions: Overall, the results suggest that multiple tumors and/or carcinoma in situ development are associated with the IL4-590C/T and TNF-308G/A polymorphisms, and emphasize the effectiveness of the mBCG schedule.
Subthalamic Deep Brain Stimulation in Parkinson’s Disease under Different Anesthetic Modalities: A Comparative Cohort Study
Authors: Chen Shin-Yuan , Tsai Sheng-Tzung , Lin Sheng-Huang , Chen Tsung-Ying , Hung Hsiang-Yi , Lee Chi-Wei , Wang Wan-Hsiang , Chen Shee-Ping , Lin Shinn-Zong
Published: November 2011

Background: The efficacy and feasibility of bilateral subthalamic deep brain stimulation (STN-DBS) for Parkinson’s disease (PD) under general anesthesia (GA) has not been evaluated. Objective: We compared the outcome of patients under GA with those who were operated on under local anesthesia (LA). Material and Methods: Thirty-three patients were assigned to the GA group (desflurane) and 19 patients were assigned to the LA group. Microelectrode recording (MER) was performed in both groups. The surgical outcomes of the patients were evaluated using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) after at least 12 months after surgery. Results: Postoperatively, there was no significant difference on the UPDRS scores in either groups. A significant deterioration in cognitive function in the GA group was observed (p = 0.017). The recorded electrode coordinates, the average tracts for the MER, and STN depth were comparable in both groups. The overall incidence of adverse effects did not show any difference except that the incidence of sialorrhea and dysarthria was significantly higher in the GA group. Conclusion: Desflurane GA was shown to be a good alternative anesthetic method for PD patients undergoing DBS. Although the motor outcomes were comparable, a significant cognitive decline may be seen in the GA group with a higher occurrence of stimulation side effects.
The Role of Transforming Growth Factor-α on Mucin Overproduction in Eosinophilic Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Authors: Ishinaga Hajime , Shah Said Ahmad , Sakaida Hiroshi , Takeuchi Kazuhiko
Published: November 2011

Objectives: Eosinophilic chronic rhinosinusitis (ECRS) is considered a refractory and intractable disease with thick mucus production, long-term nasal congestion, loss of sense of smell and intermittent acute exacerbations secondary to bacterial infections. In this study, we investigated which growth factor is deeply involved in the mucin overproduction in ECRS. Method: We employed fluorescence immunohistochemical analysis to evaluate whether or not TGF-α expression was upregulated in the nasal tissue of ECRS patients. We also examined MUC5AC transcription using a luciferase reporter plasmid in HM3-MUC5AC cells and A549 cells in order to assess the role of TGF-α in human epithelial cells. Results: TGF-α immunoreactivity was found markedly increased in the submucosal tissue in the ECRS patient compared with that of a normal patient and with noneosinophilic CRS. TGF-α synergized with TNF-α to upregulate MUC5AC expression in human epithelial cells through the ERK signaling pathway. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that TGF-α was highly expressed in the upper airway tract in ECRS patients and is deeply involved in mucus hypersecretion.