bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of coping program against creativity-based burnout on decreasing the burnout syndrome among nurses: a group study case
Yaratıcılığa dayalı tükenmişlikle başa çıkma programının hemşirelerin tükenmişliklerini azaltmadaki etkisi: bir grup çalışması örneği
Authors: Usluoğlu Feyruz , Gündüz Bülent , Çağlayan Erdinç
Published: April 2015

Present study probes into the effect of coping program against creativity-based burnout on decreasing the burnout syndrome among nurses. Data of the research in which pretest-final test control group experimental pattern is employed have been obtained from 22 nurses stationed in different units in a state hospital within Adana. 11 nurses were categorized under experiment group and 11 nurses were placed in control group in. Data of the research in which creativity-based coping program prepared by researchers have been utilized were collected via Maslach Burnout Inventory. In data analysis, nonparametric tests have been implemented and obtained results have proven that tested-program created significant effect in decreasing emotional burnout of nurses.

Özet

Bu araştırmada, yaratıcılığa dayalı tükenmişlikle başaçıkma programının hemşirelerin tükenmişliklerini azaltmadaki etkisi incelenmiştir. Öntest-sontest kontrol gruplu deneysel desenin kullanıldığı araştırmanın verileri Adana’da bir devlet hastanesinde farklı birimlerde görev yapmakta olan 11’i deney ve 11’i kontrol grubu olmak üzere 22 hemşireden elde edilmiştir. Araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan yaratıcılığa dayalı başaçıkma programının kullanıldığı çalışmanın verileri Maslach Tükenmişlik Envanteri ile toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde nonparametrik testler kullanılmış ve sonuçlar uygulanan programın hemşirelerin duygusal tükenmişliklerini azaltmada önemli düzeyde etkisinin olduğunu göstermiştir.
The relationship between cognitive distortions and forgiveness in romantic relationships
Authors: Aydın Gökçen , Kandemir Özdinç Nasibe , Aksu Meral
Published: April 2015

The purpose of the present study was to find out the relationship between cognitive distortions and forgiveness in romantic relationships of college students. The sample of the study was 340 college students who have a romantic relationship at a state university in Turkey. The purposeful sampling method was carried out in this correlational study. In order to collect data, three instruments were utilized: Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions Scale (ICDS), Heartland Forgiveness Scale and Demographic Data Form. The scales were put online to survey.metu.edu.tr and students having a romantic relationship were asked to complete the scale. In the present study, canonical correlation was conducted through SPSS 22 statistical package for data analysis in order to assess the relationship between two sets of variables: “Interpersonal Rejection”, “Unrealistic Relationship Expectation” and “Interpersonal Misperception” are the subscales of interpersonal cognitive distortions on one set and “Forgiveness of Self”, “Forgiveness of Others” and “Forgiveness of Situations” are the subscales of forgiveness on the other set. The study was significant because it might fill the gap in the literature and counseling field in terms of finding the relationship between two sets of variables to give a light to possible predictors in future research studying romantic relationships.
Dimensionen der Überlieferung: die Digitalisierung des Nachlasses von Max Horkheimer in der Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg
Authors: Jehn Mathias , Knepper Marko
Published: April 2015

Die Universitätsbibliothek Johann Christian Senckenberg in Frankfurt am Main befindet sich wie alle wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken in einer Phase der Umstrukturierung und Neuorientierung. Immer selbstverständlicher erwarten Benutzerinnen und Benutzer von der Bibliothek einen schnellen, verlässlichen und unkomplizierten Zugriff auf vorhandene digitale Ressourcen. Im Zuge der Retrodigitalisierung werden seit einigen Jahren in großem Umfang analog vorliegende Monographien und Zeitschriften digitalisiert und über das Internet verfügbar gemacht. Fernziel der Universitätsbibliothek ist eine vollständige Digitalisierung der wertvollen Bestände und Verbreitung in unterschiedlichen nationalen und internationalen Portalen, um ortsunabhängig und benutzerfreundlich alle jemals gedruckten Informationen anzubieten. Ein Großteil der Digitalisierungsprojekte der letzten Jahre befasste sich mit Druckwerken, die üblicherweise im Katalogsystem der Universitätsbibliothek verzeichnet sind. In jüngerer Zeit geraten aber zunehmend auch Handschriften, Nachlässe, Autografen und andere Materialtypen aus den Spezial- und Sondersammlungen in den Fokus der Digitalisierungsprojekte. Diese Sammlungen zeichnen sich gewöhnlich durch eine nichtstandardisierte Metadaten- bzw. Katalogstruktur aus, weil sie in unterschiedlichen Spezialverzeichnissen nachgewiesen sind. Die Digitalisierung und Erschließung dieser Bestände stellt sich deshalb als technisch aufwendiger und komplexer dar.
Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance: resolving uncertainty and evolving biology
Authors: Sharma Abhay
Published: April 2015

Transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in animals has increasingly been reported in recent years. Controversies, however, surround this unconventional mode of heredity, especially in mammals, for several reasons. First, its existence itself has been questioned due to perceived insufficiency of available evidence. Second, it potentially implies transfer of hereditary information from soma to germline, against the established principle in biology. Third, it inherently requires survival of epigenetic memory across reprogramming, posing another fundamental challenge in biology. Fourth, evolutionary significance of epigenetic inheritance has also been under debate. This article pointwise addresses all these concerns on the basis of recent empirical, theoretical and conceptual advances. 1) Described here in detail are the key experimental findings demonstrating the occurrence of germline epigenetic inheritance in mammals. 2) Newly emerging evidence supporting soma to germline communication in transgenerational inheritance in mammals, and a role of exosome and extracellular microRNA in this transmission, is thoroughly discussed. 3) The plausibility of epigenetic information propagation across reprogramming is highlighted. 4) Analyses supporting evolutionary significance of epigenetic inheritance are briefly mentioned. Finally, an integrative model of ‘evolutionary transgenerational systems biology’ is proposed to provide a framework to guide future advancements in epigenetic inheritance.
Nitrogen Oxides Emission Reduction using Sewage Sludge Gasification Gas Reburning Process / Obniżenie Emisji Tlenków Azotu Przy Użyciu Procesu Reburningu Gazem Ze Zgazowania Osadów Ściekowych
Authors: Werle Sebastian
Published: April 2015

Nitrogen oxides can be formed in various combustion systems. Strategies for the control of NOx emissions in hard coal boilers include the primary (during the combustion) and secondary measures (after combustion). Reburning is the one of the most attractive techniques for reducing NOx emissions. In the last several years, reburning technology has been widely studied but almost only in power engineering big load boilers. Nevertheless, NOx emission is an issue that needs to be considered for small capacity boilers as nitrogen oxides resulting from the combustion of any fossil fuels contribute to the formation of acid rain and photochemical smog, which are significant causes of air pollution. Poland is among the largest coal producing country in Europe. Due to this fact, coal fired boilers are very popular in power engineering and also in the municipal sector. Simultaneously, Poland is characterized by the lack of sewage sludge thermal treatment installation. Gasification is considered as a one of the most perspective method of thermal utilization any carbon-containing material. Syngas, which is the main product of gasification, can be used as a supplemental fuel to reduce the consumption of main fuel in boilers, and it has the potential to reduce NOx emissions. The paper proposes to link those two Polish features so the aim of the work is an experimental investigation of the reburning process of sewage sludge gasification gas in a small capacity domestic coal-fired boiler. The results obtained show how the addition of the reburning fuel influences on NOx reduction efficiency
Condition of South-Eastern Baltic Sea Shores and Methods of Protecting Them
Authors: Ostrowski Rafał , Pruszak Zbigniew , Babakov Alexander
Published: April 2015

The paper describes lithodynamic and morphodynamic processes occurring in the main part of the south-eastern Baltic coastal area, namely on the sea shores from the Vistula mouth in the Gulf of Gdansk to the Lithuanian-Latvian border. The study area is subject to intensive natural coastal changes, as well as shore evolution caused by anthropogenic impacts at several locations. Methods of coastal protection against erosion and shore stabilization systems applied in the past and currently are described. The paper deals with the causes of the dynamics of beach/dune shores and cliffs. It presents the authors’ field observations of 2010-2013, as well as previously gained knowledge and the results of Polish, Russian and joint Polish-Russian field surveys.
Modelling of Flood Wave Propagation with Wet-dry Front by One-dimensional Diffusive Wave Equation
Authors: Gąsiorowski Dariusz
Published: April 2015

A full dynamic model in the form of the shallow water equations (SWE) is often useful for reproducing the unsteady flow in open channels, as well as over a floodplain. However, most of the numerical algorithms applied to the solution of the SWE fail when flood wave propagation over an initially dry area is simulated. The main problems are related to the very small or negative values of water depths occurring in the vicinity of a moving wet-dry front, which lead to instability in numerical solutions. To overcome these difficulties, a simplified model in the form of a non-linear diffusive wave equation (DWE) can be used. The diffusive wave approach requires numerical algorithms that are much simpler, and consequently, the computational process is more effective than in the case of the SWE. In this paper, the numerical solution of the one-dimensional DWE based on the modified finite element method is verified in terms of accuracy. The resulting solutions of the DWE are compared with the corresponding benchmark solution of the one-dimensional SWE obtained by means of the finite volume methods. The results of numerical experiments show that the algorithm applied is capable of reproducing the reference solution with satisfactory accuracy even for a rapidly varied wave over a dry bottom.
Velocity Field Characteristics at the Inlet to a Pipe Culvert
Authors: Kolerski Tomasz , Wielgat Paweł
Published: April 2015

A poorly designed culvert inlet structure causes scouring, which can lead to the collapse of the culvert and significant damage to the neighboring land. A set of laboratory tests was evaluated to examine velocity distribution at the culvert inlet. A three-dimensional acoustic Doppler velocimeter was used to measure instantaneous flow velocity upstream of the culvert. The analysis of mean velocities, turbulence strength, and Reynolds stresses was performed to understand the flow structure near the culvert entrance.
Problem of Clogging in Drainage Systems in the Examples of the Żur and Podgaje Dams
Authors: Sterpejkowicz-Wersocki Witold
Published: April 2015

Drainage plays an extremely important role in hydraulic structures, such as earth dams. Observations of drainage in hydraulic structures under various soil conditions indicate that the phenomenon of clogging can lead to a radical reduction in the efficiency of drainage, making it non-functional within a few years after construction. This article describes the problems of drainage clogging by iron oxide in the examples of the Żur and Podgaje dams.
Numerical Simulations and Tracer Studies as a Tool to Support Water Circulation Modeling in Breeding Reservoirs
Authors: Zima Piotr
Published: April 2015

The article presents a proposal of a method for computer-aided design and analysis of breeding reservoirs in zoos and aquariums. The method applied involves the use of computer simulations of water circulation in breeding pools. A mathematical model of a pool was developed, and a tracer study was carried out. A simplified model of two-dimensional flow in the form of a biharmonic equation for the stream function (converted into components of the velocity vector) was adopted to describe the flow field. This equation, supplemented by appropriate boundary conditions, was solved numerically by the finite difference method. Next, a tracer migration equation was solved, which was a two-dimensional advection-dispersion equation describing the unsteady transport of a non-active, permanent solute. In order to obtain a proper solution, a tracer study (with rhodamine WT as a tracer) was conducted in situ. The results of these measurements were compared with numerical solutions obtained. The results of numerical simulations made it possible to reconstruct water circulation in the breading pool and to identify still water zones, where water circulation was impeded.
Detection of specific IgG, IgM, IgE and IgG subclass antibodies for serological diagnosis of human cystic echinococcosis
Authors: Naik M. I. , Tenguria R. Kumar , Haq Ehtishamul
Published: April 2015

An enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), based on sheep hydatid cyst fluid antigen was used for the detection of specific antibodies of IgG, IgM, IgE and IgG subclass in the serum samples of 62 clinically and radiologically diagnosed cystic echinococcosis (CE) patients, 8 clinically suspected cases of CE, 25 other parasitic disease controls and 25 healthy controls. The diagnostic sensitivity in the clinically and radiologically suggestive cases (n = 62) for IgG antibody detection was highest (93 %), followed by IgE, IgG4, IgG1, IgG2, IgM and IgG3 with 89 %, 87 %, 85 %, 76 %, 70 % and 55 % respectively. The detection of specific IgE, IgG1 and IgG4 antibody showed the higher diagnostic sensitivity and specificity to the extent that they can be safely used as better substitute to IgG. Even though, the diagnostic sensitivity of IgG was highest (93%) but was less specific (88 %) due to the frequent non-specific reactions in the sera of patients with other parasitic infections and healthy controls. None of the sera samples from healthy controls gave non-specific reaction with IgE, IgG1 and IgG4 and there was a considerably reduced cross-reaction with these antibodies. The most discriminatory and specific antibodies found in this study belonged to IgE, IgG1 and IgG4; therefore, these antibodies may serve as useful diagnostic markers for CE.
Virulence comparisons of high-temperature-adapted Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, Steinernema feltiae and S. carpocapsae
Authors: Susurluk I. A. , Ulu T. C.
Published: April 2015

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) are environmentally safe alternative control agents. Nematodes in the Heterorhabditidae and Steinernematidae families are widely used in biological control frameworks, especially for soil-inhabiting insect pests. In this experiment, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Poinar, 1976), Steinernema feltiae (Filipjev, 1934) and S. carpocapsae (Weiser, 1955) adapted at high temperature were assessed in order to detect differences in virulence between adapted and non-adapted populations. All species were exposed to 38 °C for 2 h. After this treatment, live infective juveniles (IJs) were used to infect to last instar Galleria mellonella (Linnaeus, 1758). larvae at the following doses: 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 IJs/larva. The LD50 and LD90 were obtained for these species. Non-adapted populations of the nematode species were used as controls for this experiment. The results indicated that differences in S. feltiae and S. carpocapsae virulence between the adapted and non-adapted populations were significant; no significant difference was observed between the adapted and non-adapted H. bacteriophora populations.
Pathological changes by Hapalotrema postorchis Rao 1976 (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) in a green turtle Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 1758 (Testudines, Cheloniidae) from Brazil
Authors: Werneck M. R. , Souza G. B. , Berger B. C. , Trazzi A. , Ribeiro R. B. , Silva M. A. , Leandro H. J. , Carvalho E. C. Q.
Published: April 2015

This note reports the occurrence of Hapalotrema postorchis Rao 1976 collected from an aortic aneurysm in a green turtle (Chelonia mydas Linnaeus 1758) found on the coast of Brazil. Besides the vascular lesion, granulomatous reactions with foreign - body giant cells were found surrounding the parasite eggs in the heart, intestines, liver, pancreas, spleen, brain and kidneys. This paper presents the first report of H. postorchis and accompanying lesions in a green sea turtle from the western South Atlantic Ocean.
Perceived competences in everyday activities: Children’s self-report and parents’ and teachers’ report using the first Austrian-German Perceived Efficacy and Goal Setting System (AG-PEGS) version / Einschätzungen kindlicher Kompetenzen in Alltagstätigkeiten durch Kinder, deren Eltern und Pädagogen/-innen, basierend auf der ersten deutschsprachigen PEGS (Perceived Efficacy and Goal Setting System)-Version
Authors: Costa Ursula Margarethe , Lindenthal Michael J.
Published: April 2015

Introduction: A systems-oriented approach in contemporary health-care requires health professionals to include clients’ and their proxies’ perceptions to design specific, efficient, and cost-effective interventions. This influences the choice of appropriate methods and means for assessment and intervention. To learn more about the benefits of a systems-approach in assessment and intervention planning, there is a need to study how children and their proxies describe children’s abilities. Aims: This study aimed to explore, describe, and compare perceived competences in everyday activities as reported by children with difficulties in their occupational performance, their parents and teachers, using the first Austrian-German version of the Perceived Efficacy and Goal Setting System (AG-PEGS). Method: Forty-two children, their parents and teachers completed the AG-PEGS. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, calculation of inter-rater agreement, differences between groups, and correlations between categories. Results: Overall, adults scored children’s competences lower than the children themselves. Statistically significant differences of the perception of children, parents and teachers were found in single items, total scores and life areas (productivity, self-care, leisure), respectively. Differences in perceived competence were also found related to gender and schooling. Agreement in children’s and adults’ scorings varied depending on shared life areas (children and parents showing most agreement in self-care). Conclusion. Agreement and differences in perceived competences support the importance of children’s and proxies’ participation in assessment in order to gain a comprehensive picture and a better understanding of a child’s situation and conditions, address a child’s and his/her proxies’ concerns, and provide individualized and context-relevant intervention. Children - assessment - self-efficacy - perceived competence - parents - teachers - participation
Entropy production and equilibrium conditions in general-covariant continuum physics
Authors: Muschik Wolfgang , von Borzeszkowski Horst-Heino
Published: April 2015

Starting out with an entropy identity, we establish the entropy flux, the entropy production,
and the corresponding Gibbs and Gibbs–Duhem equations of
general-covariant continuum thermodynamics. Non-dissipative materials and
equilibria are investigated. We prove that equilibrium conditions only put
on material properties cannot generate equilibria, rather the
Killing property of the 4-temperature is a necessary condition for space-times
in which equilibria are possible.
Conspiracy Theory as Therapy in Philip Roth’s “The Plot Against America”?
Authors: Różycki Michał
Published: April 2015

By focusing on a passage in Philip Roth’s book, this paper strives to outline how conspiratorial beliefs can have a therapeutic function for the community which has experienced a traumatic event. Fictitious groups depicted in such texts serve as the ultimate causes of humanity’s misgivings: from natural disasters and diseases that plague it to the inherent flaws of political and social systems. Such beliefs, however, are likely to become as dangerous as the cure, a threat Roth hints at in his work. The second part of the paper will look at the viability of conspiracism as a means to address traumatizing issues, in the context of the postmodern condition and the diffusion of motifs until recently present only in the radical texts of popular culture
Translation as Adaptation for Language Pedagogy
Authors: Laviosa Sara
Published: April 2015

This paper explores, within an ecological perspective on language learning (cf. van Lier 2004), the valuable role that translation as adaptation can play in mediating and making sense of cross-cultural experiences in the multilingual language classroom. The aim is to develop a multilingual pedagogy that includes translation as adaptation as an integral part of the language curriculum in order to foster translingual and transcultural competence, this being the goal of foreign language education in the 21st century (cf. MLA 2007:2). The first part of the paper introduces the theoretical framework that conceptualises translation as being closely related to adaptation. It then analyses salient scenes from Gianni Amelio’s bilingual drama La stella che non c'è/The Missing Star/L'Étoile Imaginaire (2006) filmed in Italy and China and screened in competition as part of the 2006 Venice Film Festival. Moving on from research to pedagogic practice, the final part of the paper outlines a teaching unit that is based on the film and is aimed at undergraduate L1 Chinese learners of Italian and L1 Italian learners of Chinese. The objective of the pedagogic unit is to raise awareness of the transformative power enshrined in linguistic and cultural exchanges mediated by audio-visual translation as an eminent example of adaptation.
Psychology and Adaptation: the Work of Jerome Bruner
Authors: Raw Laurence
Published: April 2015

This article offers a view as to why Jerome Bruner should become an important figure in future constructions of adaptation theory. It will be divided into three sections. In the first, I discuss in more detail his notions of transformation, paying particular attention to the ways in which we redefine ourselves to cope with different situations (as I did while visiting two specific museums in Vienna and Samos). The second will examine Bruner’s belief in the power of narrative or storytelling as ways to impose order on the uncertainties of life (as well as one’s expectations from it) that renders everyone authors of their own adaptations. In the final section I suggest that the capacity for “making stories” (Bruner’s term) assumes equal importance in psychological terms as it does for the screenwriter or adapter: all of us construct narratives through a process of individual distillation of experiences and information, and subsequently refine them through group interaction. Through this process we understand more about ourselves and our relationship to the world around us. I elaborate this notion through a brief case-study of Charlie Kaufman’s screenplay for the film Adaptation (2002).
From Adaptation to Appropriation: Framing the World Through News Translation
Authors: Valdeón Roberto A.
Published: April 2015

Terminological issues are problematic in the analysis of translation processes in news production. In the 1980s, Stetting coined the term “transediting”, which has been widely used in the translation studies literature, but “translation” itself becomes contentious in communication studies, a discipline closely related to news translation research. Only a few communication scholars have specifically dealt with the linguistic and cultural transformations of source texts, but they tend to regard translation as word-for-word transfer, unusual news production. More productive for the study of news translation seems to be the application of the concept of framing, widely used in communication studies. Framing considers the linguistic and paralinguistic elements of news texts in the promotion of certain organizing ideas that the target audience can identify with. In news translation, this entails the adaptation of a text for the target readership, a process can lead to appropriation of source material. Two examples are mentioned to illustrate this point: the appropriation of the US Department of State cables by the Wikileak organisation, and the pro-Romanian slogans produced by the Gandul newspaper as a response to Britain’s anti-immigration campaigns. The final section relates news adaptation to adaptation of other text types, such as literary and historical works.
Island cities: the case of Belfast, Northern Ireland
Authors: Royle Stephen A.
Published: April 2015

The paper considers Belfast as an ‘island city’ with reference to issues of identity and economy and especially in connection with a series of statements from the ‘Futures of Islands’ briefing document prepared for the IGU’s Commission on Islands meeting in Kraków in August 2014. Belfast as a contested space, a hybrid British/Irish city on the island of Ireland, exemplifies well how ‘understandings of the past condition the future’, whilst the Belfast Agreement which brought the Northern Ireland peace process to its culmination after decades of violence known as the ‘Troubles’ speaks to ‘island ways of knowing, of comprehending problems - and their solutions’. Finally, Belfast certainly demonstrates that ‘island peoples shape their contested futures’
The Bench: An open drug scene and its people
Authors: Gr⊘nnestad Trond Erik , Lalander Philip
Published: April 2015

Aims

This article describes life in an open illicit drug milieu in a Norwegian city. This site, called “the Bench”, is a stigmatised place, and if one sits there, one is marked with the stigma of the place. Our aim is to gain insights into what stigmatised people gain from frequently visiting and staying in a public place that in itself is stigmatised.

Method

– One of the authors spent a year of participant observation, studying what went on at the Bench. He managed to build rapport in a gradual process of inclusion. The theoretical perspective rests on classic ethnography, symbolic interactionism and sociology on labelling and purity and dirt.

Results

– “The Bench” is not only a local drug market, but also a social meeting place in which one can feel dignity, and where a certain humanisation process takes place through the rituals of everyday life. On “the Bench” it is possible to tell stories of decay, failures and shortcomings in life, stories that in other social arenas would be interpreted as symbols of stigma and degradation. “The Bench” is also a place in which different established power relations may be turned around through storytelling and jokes. This provides the bench-sitters with a sense of mutual control and agency.

Conclusion

– Socialising at “the Bench” is an expression of the need among social human beings to have their existences confirmed, in a society where they have been marginalised and looked upon as second-class citizens, as urban outcasts.
Hydrogen peroxide as a biodegradation stimulator in remediation processes of soils heavily contaminated with petrochemicals
Authors: Rosik-Dulewska Czesława , Krzyśko-Łupicka Teresa , Ciesielczuk Tomasz , Kręcidło Łukasz
Published: April 2015

The soil contaminated with petroleum products must be excluded from the crops and treated to reclamation processes. Natural processes of decomposition of hydrocarbon compounds go very slow, so it is necessary to use bioaugumentation or stimulation in order to accelerate the return of the soil to high culture. In this study the effect of hydrogen peroxide on the process of cleaning soil strongly contaminated with pertochemicals was investigated. For this purpose, a pot experiment lasting 60 days was carried. The dynamics of changes in the population of filamentous fungi, yeasts and bacteria were examined and also content of aliphatic hydrocarbons (n-alkanes), monoaromatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Experimental use of hydrogen peroxide in the process of biodegradation of petroleum compounds assisted in the analyzed soil led to an increase of the number of grampositive bacteria during the test. Stimulation of oil products biodegradation by hydrogen peroxide also increased by 35% decomposition efficiency of aliphatic hydrocarbons (C8-C40) and about 50% PAH’s in comparison to control samples without hydrogen peroxide. There was no influence of hydrogen peroxide on the content of monoaromatic hydrocarbons (BTEX) with respect to controls, although in the end of experiment, the total concentration decreased by about 50% compared to the initial content.
Impact of torrefaction technique on the moisture contents, bulk density and calorific value of briquetted biomass
Authors: Saeed M. Azam , Ahmad Syed Waqas , Kazmi Mohsin , Mohsin Muhammad , Feroze Nadeem
Published: April 2015

The concept of different compositional biomass is introduced to enhance the binding properties and utilize the use of different seasonal biomasses. The effect of densification on the heating values of single pure and mixed compositional biomasses is observed with and without applying special type of pretreatment named as ‘Torrefaction’. The moisture contents and bulk densities were also calculated for these briquettes. The effects of average moisture contents and bulk density (which show the swelling nature) on the heating values are also observed. The experiments have been performed on the pelletizer equipment to form briquetted biomass and bomb calorimeter was used to determine the calorific values of different briquettes. Finally, the percentage decrease in the average moisture contents of different categories of torrefied briquettes from non-torrefied briquettes were also calculated and compared.
20,000 In League Under the Sea: Anonymous Communication, Trust, MLATs, and Undersea Cables
Authors: Jaggard Aaron D. , Johnson Aaron , Cortes Sarah , Syverson Paul , Feigenbaum Joan
Published: April 2015

Motivated by the effectiveness of correlation attacks against Tor, the censorship arms race, and observations of malicious relays in Tor, we propose that Tor users capture their trust in network elements using probability distributions over the sets of elements observed by network adversaries. We present a modular system that allows users to efficiently and conveniently create such distributions and use them to improve their security. To illustrate this system, we present two novel types of adversaries. First, we study a powerful, pervasive adversary that can compromise an unknown number of Autonomous System organizations, Internet Exchange Point organizations, and Tor relay families. Second, we initiate the study of how an adversary might use Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) to enact surveillance. As part of this, we identify submarine cables as a potential subject of trust and incorporate data about these into our MLAT analysis by using them as a proxy for adversary power. Finally, we present preliminary experimental results that show the potential for our trust framework to be used by Tor clients and services to improve security.
Automated Experiments on Ad Privacy Settings
Authors: Datta Amit , Tschantz Michael Carl , Datta Anupam
Published: April 2015

To partly address people’s concerns over web tracking, Google has created the Ad Settings webpage to provide information about and some choice over the profiles Google creates on users. We present AdFisher, an automated tool that explores how user behaviors, Google’s ads, and Ad Settings interact. AdFisher can run browser-based experiments and analyze data using machine learning and significance tests. Our tool uses a rigorous experimental design and statistical analysis to ensure the statistical soundness of our results. We use AdFisher to find that the Ad Settings was opaque about some features of a user’s profile, that it does provide some choice on ads, and that these choices can lead to seemingly discriminatory ads. In particular, we found that visiting webpages associated with substance abuse changed the ads shown but not the settings page. We also found that setting the gender to female resulted in getting fewer instances of an ad related to high paying jobs than setting it to male. We cannot determine who caused these findings due to our limited visibility into the ad ecosystem, which includes Google, advertisers, websites, and users. Nevertheless, these results can form the starting point for deeper investigations by either the companies themselves or by regulatory bodies.
The body self-awareness among women practicing fitness: a preliminary study
Authors: Brytek-Matera Anna , Kozieł Anna
Published: April 2015

The purposes of the present study were to explore the relationship between body awareness and negative body attitude, interoceptive body awareness and physical self in women practicing fitness as well as to analyze the determinants of body awareness. The Body Awareness Questionnaire, the Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness, the Physical Self-Description Questionnaire and the Body Attitude Test were applied to 43 women practicing fitness and 32 non-fitness practitioners. Bodily self-awareness was connected with greater fitness practitioners’ interoceptive body awareness and greater physical self. Noticing and global esteem predicted body awareness in women practicing fitness.
Phenomenological and Psychodynamic Understanding of Schizophrenia (Silvano Arieti, Eugène Minkowski)
Authors: Szałek Piotr
Published: April 2015

Schizophrenia still poses the greatest theoretical problems in contemporary psychopathology. These problems should be investigated through the works of authors who deal with schizophrenia representing different psychological theories. The author takes into consideration psychoanalytic and phenomenological point of view. The statements of those theories are encountered in the field of humanistic psychology.
Memory bias training by means of the emotional short-term memory task
Authors: Paulewicz Borysław , Blaut Agata , Gronostaj Aleksandra
Published: April 2015

According to major cognitive theories of emotional disorders cognitive biases are partly responsible for their onset and maintenance. The direct test of this assumption is possible only if experimental method capable of altering a given form of cognitive bias is available. The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a novel implicit memory bias training procedure based on the emotional version of the classical Sternberg’s short-term memory task with negative, neutral and positive words. 108 participants, who completed the PANAS and the CES-D questionnaires, were randomly assigned to the control group (n = 33), the No-Negative group (n = 36), in which the target words in the Sternberg’s task were either positive or neutral but never negative or the Negative-New group (n = 39) in which the negative target words in the modified Sternberg’s task were always new. This training was followed by the recollection stage. Only one of the training protocols resulted in significant effects at the recall stage - individuals in the No-Negative group recalled more positive words and fewer negative words than those in the control group. These results show that it may be possible to experimentally induce memory bias characteristic of non-depressed individuals.
Ultrametric Distance in Syntax
Authors: Roberts Mark D.
Published: April 2015

Phrase structure trees have a hierarchical structure. In many subjects, most notably in taxonomy such tree structures have been studied using ultrametrics. Here syntactical hierarchical phrase trees are subject to a similar analysis, which is much simpler as the branching structure is more readily discernible and switched. The ambiguity of which branching height to choose, is resolved by postulating that branching occurs at the lowest height available. An ultrametric produces a measure of the complexity of sentences: presumably the complexity of sentences increases as a language is acquired so that this can be tested. All ultrametric triangles are equilateral or isosceles. Here it is shown that X̅ structure implies that there are no equilateral triangles. Restricting attention to simple syntax a minimum ultrametric distance between lexical categories is calculated. A matrix constructed from this ultrametric distance is shown to be different than the matrix obtained from features. It is shown that the definition of C-COMMAND can be replaced by an equivalent ultrametric definition. The new definition invokes a minimum distance between nodes and this is more aesthetically satisfying than previous varieties of definitions. From the new definition of C-COMMAND follows a new definition of of the central notion in syntax namely GOVERNMENT.
Clinical usefulness of serum neopterin in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Authors: Plata-Nazar Katarzyna , Szumera Małgorzata , Łuczak Grażyna , Liberek Anna , Sznurkowska Katarzyna , Szlagatys-Sidorkiewicz Agnieszka , Lange Magdalena , Kamińska Barbara
Published: April 2015

The aim of this study was to analyze the usefulness of the serum concentration of neopterin (NPT) as a marker of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). The study included 67 children with JIA (36 girls and 31 boys), aged between 3.8 and 17.9 years (mean 13.7±3.4 years), and 105 healthy controls (47 girls and 58 boys) of similar age, with no evidence of acute or chronic inflammation. Serum NPT was determined immunoenzymatically. The median serum concentration of NPT and prevalence of elevated serum NPT (>11 nmol/L) were significantly higher in children with JIA than in the controls: 6.044 vs. 4.734 nmol/L (p<0.001) and 30% vs. 5% (p<0.001), respectively. The serum concentration of NPT did not correlate with body temperature (R=0.00, p=0.97), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (R=0.09, p=0.47), leukocyte count (R=−0.05, p=0.70), C-reactive protein (R=−0.14, p=0.25), and procalcitonin levels (R=0.07, p=0.56). Furthermore, serum NPT was not associated with the type of JIA. However, children with exacerbation of JIA presented with significantly higher median serum level of NPT (10.912 vs. 4.471 nmol/L, p<0.001) and higher prevalence of serum NPT >11 nmol/L (50% vs. 0%, p<0.001) than did patients with remission. These data suggest that elevated serum concentration of NPT is an accurate marker of JIA exacerbation.
Morphological and Soil Determinants of Forest Cover Changes in Świętokrzyski National Park and Its Buffer Zone in the last 200 Years
Authors: Ciupa Tadeusz , Suligowski Roman , Wałek Grzegorz
Published: April 2015

The research described in the paper utilized GIS methods and comparative cartography in order to analyze changes in forest cover in the period 1800-2011 in the Świętokrzyski National Park (76.26 km²) and its buffer zone (207.86 km²). The research was done for predefined elevation intervals, slope gradients, and genetic soil types. Source materials included historical maps as well as a digital elevation model. Changes in forest cover were noted in spatial and temporal terms and were usually linked to morphology and soil type. While the 19th century was characterized by intense deforestation, this process reversed starting in the early 20th century. Nevertheless, forest cover in the study area has still not returned to its state from 1800.
Impact of Hydrotechnical Structures on Hydrological Regime of the Gwda and Drawa Rivers
Authors: Kubiak-Wójcicka Katarzyna , Kornaś Marika
Published: April 2015

The work attempts to determine the impact of hydrotechnical structures on regimes of rivers. The aim of the article is to compare hydrological regimes of the rivers Gwda and Drawa due to the differences of hydrotechnical works located on both rivers. The Gwda River is heavily managed by hydrotechnical infrastructure. Presently, there are twelve hydropower plants located along the entire length of the river. The Drawa River, on the other hand, has little hydrotechnical infrastructure. Only two hydropower plants are located on the Drawa River. The study of the hydrological regime was carried out on the basis of the analysis of changes of water stages and ice phenomena. River profiles selected for the analysis were located downstream of hydrotechnical works, i.e. hydropower plants. The conclusions were based on the comparative analysis. The impacts were identified as the differences in processes described by the analyzed parameters
Estimating DSGE model parameters in a small open economy: Do real-time data matter?
Authors: Capek Jan
Published: April 2015

This paper investigates the differences between parameters estimated using real-time and those estimated with revised data. The models used are New Keynesian DSGE models of the Czech, Polish, Hungarian, Swiss, and Swedish small open economies in interaction with the euro area. The paper also offers an analysis of data revisions of GDP growth and inflation and trend revisions of interest rates.

Data revisions are found to be unbiased and not autocorrelated in all countries. Inflation is usually measured more accurately in real-time than GDP growth, but this is not the case in the euro area. The results of the core analysis suggest that there are significant differences between parameter estimates using real-time data and those estimated using revised data. The model parameters that are most prone to significant differences between real-time and revised estimations are habit in consumption and persistence of domestic supply, of demand, and of world-wide technology shocks. The impulse response analysis suggests that the model behavior based on real-time and revised data is different.
Gravity Models of Internal Migration – the Czech Case Study
Authors: Jandová Monika , Paleta Tomáš
Published: April 2015

In this paper, the models of internal migration flows between regions (NUTS 3) in the Czech Republic in time series from 1991 to 2012 are tested. The paper aims to find out how size, distance and economic variables explain migration flows between Czech regions. Several versions of an extended gravity model were used for testing, where economic factors which are frequently mentioned in literature on migration were used as regressors (i.e. average wage, registered unemployment rate, job vacancies and job vacancies per applicant). Internal migration flow is the dependent variable. In comparison to the pure gravity model, the extending of models with the economic variables improves the results of the models only slightly. The results show that the highest explanatory value of migration is given by models with rates of the variables tested.
Particle Gibbs with ancestor sampling for stochastic volatility models with: heavy tails, in mean effects, leverage, serial dependence and structural breaks
Authors: Nonejad Nima
Published: April 2015

Particle Gibbs with ancestor sampling (PG-AS) is a new tool in the family of sequential Monte Carlo methods. We apply PG-AS to the challenging class of stochastic volatility models with increasing complexity, including leverage and in mean effects. We provide applications that demonstrate the flexibility of PG-AS under these different circumstances and justify applying it in practice. We also combine discrete structural breaks within the stochastic volatility model framework. For instance, we model changing time series characteristics of monthly postwar US core inflation rate using a structural break autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average (ARFIMA) model with stochastic volatility. We allow for structural breaks in the level, long and short-memory parameters with simultaneous breaks in the level, persistence and the conditional volatility of the volatility of inflation.
Terrestrial snails (Gastropoda: Pulmonata) from Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, Alberta, Canada
Authors: Forsyth Robert G. , Lepitzki Dwayne A. W.
Published: April 2015

There are few studies on the terrestrial molluscs of the Great Plains of Alberta. Nearly all previously published surveys have focused on the faunas of the Rocky Mountain Foothills, the Cypress Hills, the Parklands of Central Alberta, or the boreal forests. By means of hand-picking and litter samples, we surveyed for the first time the terrestrial snail fauna in the Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, southern Alberta, Canada. From among the hoodoos (weathered rock formations) and along the cliffs on the north side of the Milk River, we found terrestrial snails at four of our five sites within the hot, dry valley of the river. Our study confirms our assumptions that the terrestrial snail fauna in these hostile habitats lacks diversity.
Enhanced selective thermal emission with a meta-mirror following Generalized Snell’s Law
Authors: Khan M. Ryyan , Wang Xufeng , Sakr Enas , Alam Muhammad A. , Bermel Peter
Published: April 2015

Thermal emission plays a critical role in a wide variety of applications, including adjusting radiative losses in photovoltaics and selective solar absorbers, as well as enhancing the emission of high energy photons for thermophotovoltaics and photon-enhanced thermionic emission. In this work, we consider the benefit to thermal emission associated with replacing conventional mirrors with meta-mirrors following Generalized Snell’s Law. By reflecting light at a different angle than incident, they can couple internally guided thermal radiation modes to the escape cone, ideally starting from any internally-guided angle. We illustrate the concept with two meta-mirror structures: a graded index material and a xylophone structure. Even without optimization, angle-averaged selective thermal emission is significantly enhanced compared to the planar case at selected wavelengths. Furthermore, the central wavelength and bandwidth of the enhancement can be matched with the requirements of each application.
Phase-Field Modelling of radiation induced microstructures
Authors: Luneville L. , Demange G. , Pontikis V. , Simeone D.
Published: April 2015

This work shows that realistic irradiation-induced phase separation and the resulting microstructures can be obtained via an adapted Phase Field (PF) modelling combined with atomistic Monte Carlo simulations in the pseudo-grand canonical ensemble. The last allow for calculating the equilibrium phase diagram of the silver-copper alloy, chosen as a model of binary systems with large miscibility gap and, for extracting the parameters of the excess free-energy PF functional. Relying on this methodology, the equilibrium phase diagram of the alloy is predicted in excellent agreement with its experimental counterpart whereas, under irradiation, the predicted microstructures are functions of the irradiation parameters. Different irradiation conditions trigger the formation of various microstructures consistently presented as a non-equilibrium “phase diagram” aiming at facilitating the comparison with experimental observations.