bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Strategies for emissions control in heavy-duty diesel engines to achieve low-emissions combustion with a high efficiency
Authors: Chen Guisheng , Di Lei , Shen Yinggang , Zhang Wei , Mao Bin
Published: June 2015

In this paper, the strategies for emission controls to achieve clean and high-efficiency combustion were studied in detail in a common-rail heavy-duty diesel engine coupled with exhaust gas recirculation. The results show that, in comparison with a single-stage turbocharger, a two-stage turbocharger dramatically improves the exhaust gas recirculation recyclability and enhances the air-to-fuel mass flow ratio. Therefore, nitrogen oxide emissions can be reduced to a much lower level, and the nitrogen oxide–brake specific fuel consumption trade-off relationship as well as the nitrogen oxide–soot trade-off relationship can be greatly improved simultaneously at low-speed high-load conditions. However, the peak cylinder pressure increases evidently at high-load conditions for a two-stage turbocharger. The brake specific fuel consumption, the soot emissions and the peak cylinder pressure can be lowered simultaneously by appropriately reducing the compression ratio and optimizing the geometry of the combustion chamber (such as the re-entrant diameter and the bowl depth) as well as using an injector with a tapered nozzle hole. At low- speed high-load conditions, the soot emissions can be reduced obviously without serious penalties in the brake specific fuel consumption when the nitrogen oxide emissions were kept constant by delaying the main-injection timing and reducing the injection pressure. However, it is necessary to employ a higher injection pressure together with a post-injection to reduce the brake specific fuel consumption and the soot emissions at high speeds. The combustion characteristics are mainly dominated by the cetane number of the fuel. With the addition of lower-cetane-number fuel to pure diesel, the ignition delay is prolonged as the exhaust gas recirculation rate increases, thereby also increasing the premixed combustion and reducing the soot emissions sharply. Meanwhile, the crank angle at which there is 50% completion of the accumulated heat release has less influence on the brake thermal efficiency with the addition of lower-cetane-number fuel. 2,5-dimethylfuran, as a novel oxygenated biofuel with a lower cetane number, is superior to gasoline for reducing the soot emissions, which may be a promising and clean alternative in compression ignition engines coupled with exhaust gas recirculation.
Start-of-injection-based software optimization for consistency between the cylinders in common-rail diesel engines
Authors: Mao Xiaojian , Wei Xiong , Wang Junxi , Tang Hangbo , Zhang Yan , Zhao Hua , Jiang Zuhua
Published: June 2015

A common-rail system is widely used in electronically controlled diesel engines and has been used in Euro IV diesel engine development, as its consistency between the fuel injection quantities of the injectors can be controlled accurately. In Chinese home-made common-rail systems, the bottleneck is mainly caused by the mechanical manufacturing, which results in variation in the fuel injection quantity of different injectors. In spite of the low-class hardware limit, this paper introduces a software method to correct the inconsistency between the fuel injection quantities of the injectors over the whole range during which the engine is running. First, the main factor affecting the inconsistency between the fuel injection quantities of the injectors is determined on the basis of a series of experiments. Second, an optimization algorithm based on the start of injection is proposed to compensate for the difference between the injectors. Finally, the algorithm is verified on an EFS 8246 fuel-pump-testing platform and further on a YC6A diesel engine. The experiments demonstrate that the correction based on the start of injection not only can reduce the inconsistency between the fuel injection quantities of the injectors but also can improve both the idling control and the emission performance for the electronically controlled diesel engine. This paper also provides a successful example for improving the consistency between the fuel injection quantities from cylinder to cylinder in an electronically controlled diesel engine by this software optimization method.
Out-of-plane vibrations and relaxation length of the tyres for single-track vehicles
Authors: Doria Alberto , Taraborrelli Luca
Published: June 2015

The properties of tyres have a large influence on the stability of single-track vehicles. This paper focuses on the characterization of the dynamic properties of tyres. In the first section of the paper, modal analysis of the tyres is presented. Two motorcycle tyres and four scooter tyres are modally tested in order to measure the natural frequencies and the damping coefficients of the first typical modes of vibration. Tests are carried out for seven different inflation pressures in order to study how the pressure affects the properties of the tyres. The modal stiffnesses and the damping coefficients are identified for each mode of vibration. The second section of the paper focuses on the characterization of the transient properties of the tyres according to a ring model, in which the tyre tread is a ring connected to the rim with a series of springs and dampers. A comparison between a first-order model, which takes into account only the modal stiffnesses, and a second-order model, which considers also the self-aligning torques and the modal damping coefficients, is made. A prediction of the relaxation length according to the first-order model is presented. The relaxation length is calculated considering the term due to the measured contact patch, the terms due to the stiffnesses of the lateral and camber modes and the residual stiffness term, which accounts for the modes with ring deflection. In the last section, the predicted relaxation lengths are compared with those measured by means of a tester machine.
The threshold lies in the method
Authors: Picinali Federico
Published: June 2015

The last few decades have seen several scholars and courts striving to understand the meaning of the reasonable doubt standard and, in particular, to produce instructions that would enlighten jurors in this regard. The focus has been on defining the standard as a threshold indicating the quality and quantity of evidence sufficient for a finding of fact, or the degree of confidence that the fact finder should have before convicting. The results of these endeavours have not been satisfactory and nowadays it is still frequent that juries ask the court for clarification on the meaning of the standard. This paper argues that the reasonable doubt standard is better conceived and explained to the jury as requiring a particular method of reasoning, rather than merely a threshold. A direct explanation of the threshold is elusive and potentially encroaches on the fact finder’s role. Reference to a method of reasoning instead promises to provide useful directions to the jury which promote compliance with the threshold itself. The paper advances methodological directives inspired by works in philosophy of the mind and virtue epistemology. The paper then concludes with practical recommendations for devising a new instruction on the standard of proof.
‘A very valuable tool’
Authors: Henderson Emily
Published: June 2015

The intermediary is the first new, active role to be introduced into the criminal trial in two centuries, and could be seen as a potential threat to the principle of party control of the evidential process. The merits of the scheme are of considerable interest to jurisdictions such as New Zealand, Australia and even South Africa, where similar ideas are under discussion. This article reports on findings from a recent series of interviews with judges, advocates and Registered Intermediaries in England and Wales as to how the scheme is received by practitioners and as to whether it is in fact being experienced as a threat to the counsel’s ability to examine witnesses. The findings suggest that there is in fact little to fear from the intermediary system.
Reconceptualising good character
Authors: Monaghan Nicola
Published: June 2015

This case note concerns the recent decision of the Court of Appeal in Hunter v R; Saruwu v R; Johnstone v R; Walker v R; Lonsdale v R. The Court of Appeal clearly intended this decision to be the leading authority on the nature and extent of good character directions. The court took the opportunity to conduct a comprehensive review of the law, and concluded that the principles of good character had been extended too far so that defendants with bad criminal records or those not entitled to good character directions were claiming entitlement to such directions. This led to a significant increase in applications for leave to appeal against the good character directions given by trial judges. The problem with the principles of good character arose in light of the wider definition given to the term ‘bad character’ under the Criminal Justice Act 2003, and this inevitably necessitated a reconsideration of the scope of good character directions. Thus, the court sought to reconceptualise good character, categorising defendants into those of ‘absolute good character’, ‘effective good character’ and ‘bad character’, and held that whether a defendant is one of effective good character or whether a defendant of bad character is entitled to good character directions are matters for the trial judge’s discretion. It is argued that this is a welcome decision which will likely eliminate the recent practice of defence counsel manipulating good character principles to coax trial judges into endorsing the defence case.
ION Orchard: atmosphere and consumption in Singapore
Authors: Hudson Chris
Published: June 2015

Every major shopping mall in Singapore is pervaded by atmospheres designed to attract consumers, but recent innovations in the production of atmosphere at ION Orchard make it a key site for the examination of the link between atmospheres and consumption. If a shopping mall is to distinguish itself from the many other shopping spaces in a city with such a proliferation of malls as Singapore, it needs to offer more than just shopping. It must provide the possibility for novel forms of embodied sensory experiences and the constant reinvention of excitement. In Singapore the instrumental generation of atmospheres of excitement is also practised on a national scale. This article examines the production of atmosphere in ION Orchard – one of Singapore’s newest and most spectacular malls. It places the discussion in the context of government-directed attempts to universalize sensory manipulation and create a more general sense of affective atmosphere in the nation-state.
On atmosphere and darkness at Australia’s Anzac Day Dawn Service
Authors: Sumartojo Shanti
Published: June 2015

The Anzac Dawn Service is an established and increasingly well-commemorated Australian national day. Its rhythms include music, readings of ritual texts and moments of scripted silence and stillness, all of which take place in familiar commemorative environments. This article takes up the role of darkness in shaping how and what participants perceive of the Dawn Service. It draws on renderings of darkness as generative of atmosphere, linking this to national identity and commemoration. It dwells on three analytical points: that darkness recasts the built environment as mysterious and shadowy, drawing together representational and non-representational aspects of the event; second, that darkness conjures the crowd of participants as unknowable and therefore imagined to each other; and finally, that the dawning light introduces a sense of special temporality, as the inevitability of the changing light conditions moves participants through a range of affective states linked to a specifically national narrative.
Light design and atmosphere
Authors: Edensor Tim
Published: June 2015

This article explores how designing with illumination and darkness can contribute to atmospheres. Light and dark possess multiple qualities, extend across space, blend the representational and the non-representational, and meld sensation, affect and emotion. Though always conducive to the production of myriad atmospheric effects, new forms of lighting art and the creations devised for light festivals offer opportunities to re-enchant urban space, generating vibrant, dynamic atmospheres. Moreover, there has recently been a reappraisal of the qualities of darkness, which is also increasingly being deployed in novel ways to foster atmospheres. Firstly, the author discusses Spectra, by Ryoji Ikeda, installed in London for a week in August 2014. Secondly, he focuses on Ron Haselden’s Fête at Durham’s 2013 Lumière light festival. Thirdly, he looks at a concert staged in the dark by a blind Malian couple, Amadou and Mariam, as part of Manchester International Festival of 2011.
Low Doses of Camptothecin Induced Hormetic and Neuroprotective Effects in PC12 Cells
Authors: Zhang Chao , Chen Shenghui , Bao Jiaolin , Zhang Yulin , Huang Borong , Jia Xuejing , Chen Meiwan , Wan Jian-Bo , Su Huanxing , Wang Yitao , He Chengwei
Published: June 2015

Hormetic response is an adaptive mechanism for a cell or organism surviving in an unfavorable environment. It has been an intriguing subject of researches covering a broad range of biological and medical disciplines, in which the underlying significance and molecular mechanisms are under intensive investigation. In the present study, we demonstrated that topoisomerase I inhibitor camptothecin (CPT), a potent anticancer agent, induced an obvious hormetic response in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. Camptothecin inhibited PC12 cell growth at relative high doses as generally acknowledged while stimulated the cell growth by as much as 39% at low doses. Moreover, low doses of CPT protected the cells from hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced cell death. Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt and nuclear factor-E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)/heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) pathways were reported playing pivotal roles in protecting cells from oxidative stress. We observed that these 2 pathways were upregulated by low doses of CPT, as evidenced by increased levels of phosphorylated PI3K, phosphorylated Akt, phosphorylated mammalian target of rapamycin, Nrf2, and HO-1; and abolishment of the growth-promoting and neuroprotective effects of CPT by LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor. These results suggest that the hormetic and neuroprotective effects of CPT at low doses on PC12 cells were attributable, at least partially, to upregulated PI3K/Akt and Nrf2/HO-1 pathways.
Preparation and characterization of mechanical properties of foam glass for artificial floating island carrier
Authors: Zhai Chenxi , Zhong Ying , Li Zhihong , Wang Xiuduo , Zhao Lejun , Pan Liuming , Zhang Jing
Published: June 2015

Base compositions of the foam glasses in this study include commercial silica, alumina, boric acid, sodium carbonate, potassium carbonate, carbon powder, and disodium hydrogen phosphate. The foam glasses with partial Na2O replaced by Li2O were prepared and investigated as a possible artificial floating island carrier of water purifying unit. The effects of Li2O dosage on the density, mechanical strengths, and microstructures were studied. Foam glass with 15 mol% Na2O replaced by Li2O displayed a good compressive strength, 3.582 MPa, while the bulk density was relatively low, about 0.398 g/cm3. The chemical stability of samples was evaluated with inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometer, which showed low ion dissolution content in different pH dissolutions. The experimental results showed that the foam glass sample with 15 mol% Na2O replaced by Li2O exhibited excellent comprehensive properties, and the reason may contribute to the mixed alkali effect that proper amount of Li+ could impede the migration of large-radius ions like Na+ and K+ and thus could improve the glass network structure.
A model-based approach for sustainability and value assessment in the aerospace value chain
Authors: Bertoni Marco , Hallstedt Sophie , Isaksson Ola
Published: June 2015

In the aerospace industry, systems engineering practices have been exercised for years, as a way to turn high-level design objectives into concrete targets on system functionality (e.g. range, noise, and reliability). More difficult is to decompose and clarify sustainability implications in the same way and to compare them against performance-related capabilities already during preliminary design. This article addresses the problem of bringing the important—yet typically high level and complex—sustainability aspects into engineering practices. It proposes a novel integrated model-based method that provides a consistent way of addressing the well-known lack of generic and integrated ways of clarifying both cost and value consequences of sustainability in early phases. It further presents the development and implementation of such approach in two separate case studies conducted in collaboration with a major aero-engine sub-system manufacturer. The first case concerns the assessment of alternative business configurations to maintain scarce materials in closed loops, while the second one concerns the production technology of an aero-engine component. Eventually, this article highlights the learning generated by the development and implementation of these approaches and discusses opportunities for further development of model-based support.
Analysis on inflowing of the injecting Water in faulted formation
Authors: Youjun Ji , Jie Wang , Liuke Huang
Published: June 2015

As to low permeability reservoir, faults and fractures have a significant impact on effect of water injection and may lead up to the lower efficiency of oil displacement, which will bring about low efficiency of injecting water, and the intended purpose of improving recovery factor by water injection will not be reached. In order to reveal the mechanism for channeling of injecting water, research work is conducted as follows: First of all, based on seepage mechanics, fluid mechanics, rock mass mechanics, and multifield coupling theory, the mathematical model considering fluid–solid coupling of water-flooding development for low permeability reservoir is established, the numerical solution of the coupling model is obtained, and by creating an interface program between the seepage simulation procedure and stress computation program, we set up a feasible method to simulate the process of development of reservoir considering deformation of reservoir stratum; second, some cores are selected to test the stress sensitivity of rock in reservoir, and the relation of permeability and stress is proposed to connect the field parameters of the coupling model; finally, taking the S11 block of Daqing Oilfield, for instance, the seepage field and deformation of reservoir stratum is analyzed, and then the mechanism for leakage of injecting water in this block is given out, and the advice for adjustment of injection–production scheme in the future development stage is provided.
Effect of interference fit size on local stress in single lap bolted joints
Authors: Bi Yunbo , Jiang Jiefeng , Ke Yinglin
Published: June 2015

The interference fit is an effective process technique to improve the fatigue life of aircraft structures. In this article, the experiments including the interference fit bolt installation and tensile loading in bolted joint were carried out. A three-dimensional finite element model was established to simulate the experimental process, and the finite element model was validated by comparing the simulated data with the experimental data of the squeeze forces and the strains. By finite element simulation and analysis, it can be concluded that the location of maximum value of the maximum principal stress on the upper plate faying surface is going far away from the hole edge with the increase in interference fit size. Furthermore, by analyzing the hoop stress variations along a prescribed path, the maximum value of the hoop tensile stress is smallest at the interference fit size of 1.5%.
Effects of Newly Designed Hospital Buildings on Staff Perceptions
Authors: Schreuder Eliane , van Heel Liesbeth , Goedhart Rien , Dusseldorp Elise , Schraagen Jan Maarten , Burdorf Alex
Published: June 2015

Objective:

This study investigates effects of the newly built nonpatient-related buildings of a large university medical center on staff perceptions and whether the design objectives were achieved.

Background:

The medical center is gradually renewing its hospital building area of 200,000 m.2 This redevelopment is carefully planned and because lessons learned can guide design decisions of the next phase, the medical center is keen to evaluate the performance of the new buildings.

Method:

A pre- and post-study with a control group was conducted. Prior to the move to the new buildings an occupancy evaluation was carried out in the old setting ( n = 729) (pre-study). Post occupation of the new buildings another occupancy evaluation (post-study) was carried out in the new setting (intervention group) and again in some old settings (control group) ( n = 664). The occupancy evaluation consisted of an online survey that measured the perceived performance of different aspects of the building. Longitudinal multilevel analysis was used to compare the performance of the old buildings with the new buildings.

Results:

Significant improvements were found in indoor climate, perceived safety, working environment, well-being, facilities, sustainability, and overall satisfaction. Commitment to the employer, working atmosphere, orientation, work performance, and knowledge sharing did not improve. The results were interpreted by relating them to specific design choices.

Conclusion:

We showed that it is possible to measure the performance improvements of a complex intervention being a new building design and validate design decisions. A focused design process aiming for a safe, pleasant and sustainable building resulted in actual improvements in some of the related performance measures.
Loving Nature From the Inside Out
Authors: McGee Beth , Marshall-Baker Anna
Published: June 2015

Objective:

The development of the Biophilic Design Matrix (BDM) was to aid designers or other specialists in identifying and quantifying biophilic features through a visual inventory of interior spaces.

Background:

With mounting evidence to support the healing attributes of biophilic environments, we propose a method to identify biophilic content within interior spaces. Such a strategy offers much promise to the advancement of restorative environments.

Methods:

The BDM was based on Stephen Kellert’s biophilic design attribute list and modified to be appropriate for interior environments, specifically children’s healthcare spaces. A photo-ethnographic documentation method of 24 child life play spaces within a South Atlantic state was used to determine whether the BDM could reliably reveal biophilic features (listed as attributes by Kellert in 2008).

Results:

This matrix appears useful in documenting biophilia within the pediatric healthcare context, attesting to the usability and functionality of the BDM for this special population. Specifically, the BDM revealed that biophilic attributes were constantly present in some spaces while others were completely absent. When a biophilic attribute was present, the BDM indicated that they varied considerably in type and occurrence. Thus, use of the BDM in the hospital areas designed for patient recreation and play successfully provided a visual inventory of biophilic features as well as the frequency of application.

Conclusions:

Further use of the BDM as a tool for strategizing biophilic feature inclusion can thus increase the connections available with nature in the interior, beneficial for optimizing health and wellness.
Hospital Patient Room Design
Authors: Lavender Steven A. , Sommerich Carolyn M. , Patterson Emily S. , Sanders Elizabeth B.-N. , Evans Kevin D. , Park Sanghyun , Umar Radin Zaid Radin , Li Jing
Published: June 2015

Objective:

The aim of this study was to learn from a wide range of hospital staff members about how the design of the patient room in which they work adversely affects their ergonomics or hinders their job performance.

Background:

In addition to providing a healing space for patients, hospital patient rooms need to serve as functional workplaces for the people who provide clinical care, to clean, or to maintain room functions. Therefore, from a design perspective, it is important to understand the needs of all the users of hospital patient rooms with regard to room design.

Method:

One hundred forty-seven people, representing 23 different occupational stakeholder groups, participated in either focus groups or interviews in which they were asked to identify room design issues that affect the performance of their work tasks.

Results:

Key issues shared across multiple stakeholder groups included an inability to have eye contact with the patient when entering the room, inadequate space around the bed for the equipment used by stakeholders, the physical demands experienced as stakeholders move furnishings to accomplish their activities or access equipment, and a lack of available horizontal surfaces. Unique issues were also identified for a number of stakeholder groups.

Conclusions:

There are a number of issues that should be addressed in the next generation of hospital patient rooms, or when refurbishing existing facilities, so that all occupational stakeholder groups can work effectively, efficiently, and without undue physical stress.
Evidence-Based and Value-Based Decision Making About Healthcare Design
Authors: Zadeh Rana , Sadatsafavi Hessam , Xue Ryan
Published: June 2015

Objective:

This study describes a vision and framework that can facilitate the implementation of evidence-based design (EBD), scientific knowledge base into the process of the design, construction, and operation of healthcare facilities and clarify the related safety and quality outcomes for the stakeholders. The proposed framework pairs EBD with value-driven decision making and aims to improve communication among stakeholders by providing a common analytical language.

Background:

Recent EBD research indicates that the design and operation of healthcare facilities contribute to an organization’s operational success by improving safety, quality, and efficiency. However, because little information is available about the financial returns of evidence-based investments, such investments are readily eliminated during the capital-investment decision-making process.

Method:

To model the proposed framework, we used engineering economy tools to evaluate the return on investments in six successful cases, identified by a literature review, in which facility design and operation interventions resulted in reductions in hospital-acquired infections, patient falls, staff injuries, and patient anxiety.

Results:

In the evidence-based cases, calculated net present values, internal rates of return, and payback periods indicated that the long-term benefits of interventions substantially outweighed the intervention costs. This article explained a framework to develop a research-based and value-based communication language on specific interventions along the planning, design and construction, operation, and evaluation stages.

Conclusions:

Evidence-based and value-based design frameworks can be applied to communicate the life-cycle costs and savings of EBD interventions to stakeholders, thereby contributing to more informed decision makings and the optimization of healthcare infrastructures.
Amelioration of deficit syndrome of schizophrenia by norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor
Authors: Shoja Shafti Saeed , Jafarabad Mohammad Sadeghe , Azizi Reza
Published: June 2015

Objective:

Negative symptoms are a significant barrier to successful functional outcome and recovery in individuals with schizophrenia and their management is not unproblematic. Reboxetine is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (NRI). Previous studies regarding the useful effects of reboxetine on deficit symptoms of schizophrenia have resulted in inconsistent results. The present study therefore evaluated the effectiveness of reboxetine as an adjunctive treatment in a group of schizophrenic patients with prominent negative symptoms.

Method:

A total of 50 male inpatients meeting diagnosis of schizophrenia entered into a 12-week parallel group, double-blind study for random assignment to reboxetine ( n = 25 patients) or placebo ( n = 25 patients). The inclusion criterion, in addition to the diagnosis of schizophrenia, was the existence of obvious negative symptoms for a duration of at least 2 years. The Scale for Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) was used as the primary outcome measure. The Scale for Assessment of Positive Symptoms (SAPS), Simpson Angus Scale (SAS), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D) and Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE) were used for comparison of the intervening parameters in this study.

Results:

According to the findings, 76% of patients in the target group showed some positive response to reboxetine compared with 24% in the control group ( p < 0.01). The mean total score of SANS in the reboxetine group decreased significantly from 79.94 ± 1.20 to 74.23 ± 4.07 ( p < 0.0001) at the end of the study; such an improvement was not significant in the placebo group with a decrease from 80.42 ± 2.46 to 79.08 ± 5.83 ( p < 0.29). Changes of SAPS were insignificant in both groups. Effect size analysis for changes of SANS at the end of assessment indicated a large improvement with reboxetine (Cohen’s d = 2.91).

Conclusion:

Reboxetine, as an adjuvant to haloperidol, may have a helpful effect on the deficit syndrome of schizophrenia.
A Comparison of Two Methods for Measuring Land Use in Public Health Research
Authors: King Katherine E.
Published: June 2015

Public health researchers have identified numerous health implications associated with land use. However, it is unclear which of multiple methods of data collection most accurately captures land use, and “gold standard” methods vary by discipline. Five desirable features of environmental data sources are presented and discussed (cost, coverage, availability, construct validity, and accuracy). Potential accuracy issues are discussed by using Kappa statistics to evaluate the level of agreement between data sets collected by two methods (systematic social observation [SSO] by trained raters and publicly available data from aerial photography coded using administrative records) from the same blocks in Chicago, Illinois. Significant Kappa statistics range from 0.19 to 0.60, indicating varying levels of intersource agreement. Most land uses are more likely to be reported by researcher-designed direct observation than in the publicly available data derived from aerial photography. However, when cost, coverage, and availability outweigh a marginal improvement in accuracy and flexibility in land-use categorization, coded aerial photography data may be a useful data source for health researchers. Greater interdisciplinary and interorganization collaboration in the production of ecological data is recommended to improve cost, coverage, availability, and accuracy, with implications for construct validity.
Exploring the Consumption of Organic Foods in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Al-Taie Wasan A. A. , Rahal Mohamad K. M. , AL-Sudani Aya S. A. , AL-Farsi Khaled A. O.
Published: June 2015

The objectives of this study were to determine the extent of organic food consumption in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), examine the consumers’ perceptions of the effects of organic foods on human health and the environment, and investigate the factors that limit the consumption of organic foods. Five hundred questionnaires were randomly distributed to communities in the UAE from October to December 2013, and 266 questionnaires were completed and returned giving us a response rate of 53%. Our findings indicated that organic food is more recognized among the youth. Furthermore, organic fish, fruits, and chocolates are consumed more than other types of organic foods. Health and environmental awareness are the main reasons that people consume organic foods. Moreover, the development of society, an individual’s social level and peers, and advertisements encourage people to buy organic foods by presenting the consumption of organic foods as a new trendy lifestyle that generates a type of prestige. Conversely, cost, availability, shelf life, taste, and a lack of knowledge are the main factors that limit the consumption of organic foods. We recommend that organic foods should be highlighted more through research, media, lectures, and health campaigns to enhance the public’s knowledge of organic foods. Moreover, we believe that the cost of organic foods could be reduced by increasing the number of standard local organic food farms throughout the UAE.
Talent Production in Interaction
Authors: Kilger Magnus , Jonsson Rickard
Published: June 2015

In sports, there is an extensive interest in identifying and selecting talented children in order to develop elite adult athletes. The process of selecting and screening talents involves not only physical and technical skills but also efforts to find adequate personality traits. Therefore, different types of performance appraisal interviews (PAIs) are becoming increasingly common within the field. Departing from fieldwork in two selection camps for Swedish youth national teams in soccer and hockey, we will take a closer look at the PAIs employed during these camps. This article takes on a narrative approach, emphasizing PAI as a narrative genre and a framework for a specific form of interaction. Our findings show how eligibility is performed in interaction through following three practices: (i) showcasing gratitude without tipping into flattery, (ii) using temporality as a way of displaying developmental potential, and (iii) adopting the role of the self-reflecting subject. This genre of interviews not only produces certain practices but also preferred subject positions and narratives. The PAI is thus a narrative genre where the players are encouraged to perform talent in order to appear selectable.
Biological Fandom
Authors: Mwaniki Munene F.
Published: June 2015

In the last few decades, our exposure to sport has increased dramatically through advancements in television, Internet, and mobile technologies. This rise in exposure and accessibility has increased biological knowledge among sport “fans,” a concept I use broadly, and complicated our relationship with sport. Using Rose’s notion of biological citizenship, which draws on Foucault’s concepts of biopolitics and biopower, I introduce “biological fandom” as a way to think about the intensification of bioknowledge in and around sport. As a problem space where various relationships of power intersect, biofandom creates new forms of knowledge, surveillance, and ethical problems. In this article, I sketch the relations of power that create biological fandom. First, I focus on aspects of the media that are concerned with quantifying the bodies of athletes and new biomedical treatments in sports medicine. Second, within this larger media context, I proceed to explore what I see as a particularly concentrated manifestation of biofandom, fantasy sports. Using examples from fantasy sports media, I argue that biological fandom perpetuates neoliberal norms that encourage self-work and individualism among “biofans,” while also fetishizing the individual athlete and creating undifferentiated athletic masses.
Rapid Glucocorticoid Feedback Inhibition of ACTH Secretion Involves Ligand-Dependent Membrane Association of Glucocorticoid Receptors
Authors: Deng Qiong , Riquelme Denise , Trinh Loc , Low Malcolm J. , Tomić Melanija , Stojilkovic Stanko , Aguilera Greti
Published: June 2015

The hypothesis that rapid glucocorticoid inhibition of pituitary ACTH secretion mediates a feedforward/feedback mechanism responsible for the hourly glucocorticoid pulsatility was tested in cultured pituitary cells. Perifusion with 30 pM CRH caused sustained the elevation of ACTH secretion. Superimposed corticosterone pulses inhibited CRH-stimulated ACTH release, depending on prior glucocorticoid clearance. When CRH perifusion started after 2 hours of glucocorticoid-free medium, corticosterone levels in the stress range (1 μM) caused a delayed (25 min) and prolonged inhibition of CRH-stimulated ACTH secretion, up to 60 minutes after corticosterone withdrawal. In contrast, after 6 hours of glucocorticoid-free medium, basal corticosterone levels inhibited CRH-stimulated ACTH within 5 minutes, after rapid recovery 5 minutes after corticosterone withdrawal. The latter effect was insensitive to actinomycin D but was prevented by the glucocorticoid receptor antagonist, RU486, suggesting nongenomic effects of the classical glucocorticoid receptor. In hypothalamic-derived 4B cells, 10 nM corticosterone increased immunoreactive glucocorticoid receptor content in membrane fractions, with association and clearance rates paralleling the effects on ACTH secretion from corticotrophs. Corticosterone did not affect CRH-stimulated calcium influx, but in AtT-20 cells, it had biphasic effects on CRH-stimulated Src phosphorylation, with early inhibition and late stimulation, suggesting a role for Src phosphorylation on the rapid glucocorticoid feedback. The data suggest that the nongenomic/membrane effects of classical GR mediate rapid and reversible glucocorticoid feedback inhibition at the pituitary corticotrophs downstream of calcium influx. The sensitivity and kinetics of these effects is consistent with the hypothesis that pituitary glucocorticoid feedback is part of the mechanism for adrenocortical ultradian pulse generation.
The Photographs of Mia Gröndahl
Authors: Chambers Eddie
Published: June 2015

Photographer Mia Gröndahl takes as her subject the people caught in the struggles and seismic changes taking place in countries and sites of tension, such as Egypt and Palestine. In ways markedly distinct from typical photojournalism, Gröndahl’s images show her to be a particularly empathetic documenter of the visual manifestations of struggle, resistance, and change, revealing both the humanity and tenacity of her subjects. Gröndahl has produced fascinating visual documents that emphatically avoid the simple dichotomies beloved of the mainstream media, frequently enabling, or compelling, us to look again at the powerful medium of graffiti and how, in cities such as Cairo, the graffiti artist articulates and documents social upheaval. To engage with Gröndahl’s photographs is to begin to engage with the complexities of the Arab Spring and the ways in which Cairo’s graffiti artists have learned so much from the graffiti of the Palestinian struggle.
Uso da fixação interna rígida em fraturas de mão. Use of internal rigid fixation in hand fractures.
Authors: Silva Joaquim José de Lima , Lima Antonia Artemisa Aurélio Soares , Maia Rafael Costa Lima , Melo Igor Furtado Sioares
Published: June 2015

Introdução: Diversas técnicas são utilizadas no manejo de pacientes com fraturas de mão, tendo o cirurgião plástico o papel capital para evitar sequelas típicas dessa condição. Abordamos a fixação interna rígida utilizando miniplacas de titânio. Metodologia: Analisados 24 casos. A osteossíntese foi realizada por meio da fixação interna rígida, isto é, com o uso de miniplacas e parafusos de titânio, e os pacientes foram encaminhados para tratamento fisioterápico a partir do 15º dia de pós-operatório. Resultados: 69,5% da amostra são provenientes da capital. Acidente de moto, PAF e violência interpessoal foram as principais causas. Os 24 pacientes da amostra tiveram 33 ossos da mão fraturados: 18 metacarpos, nove falanges proximais e quatro falanges distais.  O 5º metacarpo foi o osso mais acometido, seguidos pelo 4º e 2º metacarpos. A combinação de uma placa com quatro parafusos foi utilizada em 67,7% dos ossos da amostra aqui analisada. Em três, foram utilizados parafusos do tipo Lag-Screw. Conclusão: A técnica apresentada confere uma maior estabilidade, o que possibilita uma melhor reabilitação da mão fraturada.
High-resolution 7-Tesla fMRI data on the perception of musical genres – an extension to the studyforrest dataset
Authors: Hanke Michael , Dinga Richard , Häusler Christian , Guntupalli J. Swaroop , Casey Michael , Kaule Falko R. , Stadler Jörg
Published: June 2015

Here we present an extension to the studyforrest dataset – a versatile resource for studying the behavior of the human brain in situations of real-life complexity (http://studyforrest.org). This release adds more high-resolution, ultra high-field (7 Tesla) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from the same individuals. The twenty participants were repeatedly stimulated with a total of 25 music clips, with and without speech content, from five different genres using a slow event-related paradigm. The data release includes raw fMRI data, as well as precomputed structural alignments for within-subject and group analysis. In addition to fMRI, simultaneously recorded cardiac and respiratory traces, as well the complete implementation of the stimulation paradigm, including stimuli, are provided. An initial quality control analysis reveals distinguishable patterns of response to individual genres throughout a large expanse of areas known to be involved in auditory and speech processing. The present data can be used to, for example, generate encoding models for music perception that can be validated against the previously released fMRI data from stimulation with the “Forrest Gump” audio-movie and its rich musical content. In order to facilitate replicative and derived works, only free and open-source software was utilized.
Certain Issues Concerning Legal Regulation of Trade Mark License Contracts
Authors: Prokofiev Aleksandr , Smirnova Valeriya
Published: June 2015

The article examines current legal problems which arise in connection with trade mark license contracts. In the contemporary business environment a problem of liability for non-ensuring quality control under trade mark licensing law has become increasingly important. Restrictive business practices and regulation of parallel import is another concern. Authors analyze not only provisions of the substantive law but also legal regulation of the relevant issues concerning the conflict of laws rules. The article also tackles a major problem in the sphere of international private law: correlation of lex contractus and lex loci protectionis connecting factors. Lex contractus covers contractual aspects of the trade mark license such as contract interpretation, mutual obligations of the parties, their performance, discharge and consequences of breach thereof. And lex loci protectionis governs non-contractual aspects such as existence, validity and protection of the right to the trade mark itself. Sometimes it is difficult to label certain issues, like the licensee’s allowed continued use of the mark after the termination of the license, as contractual or non-contractual. The article offers comprehensive analysis of all these questions on the basis of the most recent legislation, court practice and doctrines, both Russian and foreign.
To the Question of Private Ownership of Agricultural Land in Russia and Kazakhstan: Comparative and Legal Analysis
Authors: Dyusyupova Almagul
Published: June 2015

Socio-economic nature and legal content of private ownership of agricultural land in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan have accumulated new features that have not yet received sufficient theoretical understanding, scientific analysis and cross-light. This scientific article deals with the right of private ownership of agricultural land under the laws of Russia and Kazakhstan. The article describes the formation and development of the institution of private ownership of land in the Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan from the philosophical, historical, legal and economic perspectives. The author determines the legal essence, the characteristics and features of private ownership of agricultural land under the new economic conditions in the competitive environment. The author makes an attempt to understand the formation and development of this institution at the present stage of the development of our society.
Criminal Characteristic of the Object of Bankruptcy Crimes
Authors: Kubantsev Sergey
Published: June 2015

The article raises the question of the object of a bankruptcy crime. The major problem is the coincidence of the generic and specific objects of such crime. Such vagueness in the legislative regulation generates incoherent law enforcement and confusion in practice in cases of a bankruptcy crime. Besides it creates opportunities for the criminal law abuse in certain cases. The author suggests changing theoretical and legislative approaches to the definition of the specific object of bankruptcy crimes. In particular, a specific object of bankruptcy crimes should be identified according to the characteristic of an independent specific object of the crime, which will result in its significant elaboration for this type of crime, without changing the content and focus of the Special part of the Criminal code. The author considers the direct object of the bankruptcy crime that refers to the totality of social relations concerning legal protection of the statutory recognition of a debtor as a bankrupt, voluntary satisfaction of creditors’ claims, and proportional and priority distribution of the bankruptcy estate as a result of applying bankruptcy procedures, to be a matter of principle.
On Consistency of Legal Regulation of State Administration in the Russian Federation
Authors: Aleksandrov Oleg , Yuzhakov Vladimir , Talapina Elvira
Published: June 2015

The article explores the problem of legal coverage for quality improvement of the Russian state administration. The main conclusions of the research are as follows: 1) the low quality of the current Russian state administration is to a great extent related not only to the shortcomings of certain regulatory legal acts, but also in general to the lack of consistency in its legal regulation; 2) consistency of legal regulation of the Russian state administration can be ensured through drafting and adoption of the federal law on the basics of state administration. The author provides suggestions on the concept of the basic, backbone federal law “On the Basics of State Administration in the Russian Federation”. The article was written following the results of the research work “Analysis of completeness and sufficiency of legal regulation of the state administration process and concept development for the federal law on state administration in the Russian Federation”, executed by the Center of State Administration Technologies with the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration as part of the RANEPA’s government task in 2014.
Legal Mechanisms of Interaction of Public Authorities and Local Governments with Economic Operators in the Investment Sphere in the Context of Capital Investments
Authors: Dementeva Olga
Published: June 2015

The article considers the dynamics of the federal legislation that regulates investments in capital construction projects: principles of town-planning and investment activity, the order of acceptance and execution of decisions in the sphere of construction and capital repairs, interaction between public bodies, economic operators, and citizens. On the basis of the analysis of the federal laws on investment activity and the Town-planning code of the Russian Federation the author draws conclusion on the necessity of a comprehensive adjustment of the legislation for this sphere of economic activity. Such adjustment should affect two major areas. On the one hand there is the protection of interests in proper environment of public-law entities’ population. The achievement of this goal will provide finding the balance of interests of the population and investors in town-planning design standards and public procedures for the adoption of all town-planning decisions. On the other hand, there is the protection of investors’ legitimate interests consisting of establishing unambiguous legislative regulations that provide protection of their investments.