bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fracture and Mechanical Properties of Fire Resistant Fibre Composites Containing Fine Ground Ceramic Powder
Authors: Reiterman Pavel , Holčapek Ondřej , Vogel Filip , Jogl Marcel , Koťátková Jaroslava
Published: February 2014

Significant advances in the field of building materials leads to increasingly frequent enforcement of these high performance materials in real constructions. Efforts to maximize the efficient use of non-renewable resources and especially energy-intensive materials lead to efforts to achieve maximum efficiency and usability [. Paper presents results of an experimental program focused on development of fire-resistance composites based on aluminous cement with fine ground ceramic powder (FGCP). Studied fibre composites were loaded by temperature 600 °C and 1000 °C. The influence of applied thermal load on composites was evaluated by means of fracture energy, compressive strength, bending strength and modulus of elasticity in bending.
Study of Influence of Fly Ash Character on its Behaviour during Clinkering Process
Authors: Černý Vit , Melichar Tomáš
Published: February 2014

Fly ash is currently secondary raw material, which is produced in huge quantities and its applicability is still not optimal. Even though it is used in cement, concrete, mortars, aerated concrete, ceramics, etc., it is still used, more than 80 % of it, for the reclamation of industrial areas and open cast mines. The production of artificial aggregate by clinkering fly ash utilizes at least 90 % of fly ash in the mixture and it is, together with aerated concrete, one of the ways to make the most of the potential of this raw material. This article deals with the description of the nature of individual fly ash types produced in the Czech Republic and the study of its influence on the behaviour during the thermal process. Chemical composition is the decisive parameter; it indicates the ratio of silicon, iron and aluminium oxides, and thus affects the melting point of the entire complex. This article points out the differences among the various fly ash types and it directly shows, using a picture-analysis, the changes in a sample cross-section during annealing.
The Use of Industrial Waste as a Secondary Raw Material in Restoration Plaster with Thermal Insulating Effect
Authors: Václavík Vojtěch , Daxner Jaromír , Valíček Jan , Dvorský Tomáš , Kušnerová Milena , Harničárová Marta , Bendová Miroslava , Břenek Aleš
Published: February 2014

The article describes the results of an experimental research dealing with the use of industrial waste in the form of secondary raw material - polyurethane foam after the end of its life cycle, as a 100% substitute of filler in restoration plaster with thermal insulating effect. The article presents the formulas of restoration plaster and its properties. They are: mortar consistency, volume weight, strength characteristics, thermal conductivity coefficient, coefficient of capillary water absorption, porosity and resistance against salts.
Development of a New Kind of Aerated Screeds for Lightweight Floors
Authors: Tumova Eva , Drochytka Rostislav
Published: February 2014

This paper is focused mainly on analyzing the possibility of combining direct and indirect lightening of building materials, especially the combination of lightweight porous aggregates in combination with aerated concrete respectively. As a part of indirect lightening the lightweight inorganic aggregate will be described.
Study of Properties of Sprayed Concrete Prepared in Laboratory
Authors: Hubáček Adam
Published: February 2014

Sprayed concrete is widely applied in spite of developing economical crisis. The paper focuses on possibilities of manufacture and testing basic physical parameters of sprayed concrete prepared in common laboratory mixer and compacted by vibration combined with defined level of pressure. The aim is assessment of basic properties of sprayed concrete: compressive strength of early age sprayed concrete, strength of drilled core, assessment of homogeneity and density of concrete, determination of elasticity modules. On the basis of results, possible correlation relationships will be predicted for this manufacture process and for common application by means of spraying onto a structure.
Resistant Multilayer Floor Systems Based on Epoxy Binders with Recycled Various Glass Particles
Authors: Tupý Michael , Petranek Vít
Published: February 2014

The aim of the work was to use common waste glass materials as fillers in polymer resin and to propose the use it for selected multilayer polymer flooring systems which belongs to widespread materials for industrial and also public constructions. Authors decided to use polymer binder based on two different 2-component commercial epoxides Lena N 102 and Lena N 128. Common available secondary materials which replaced original filler were tested in mentioned polymer binder. Tested glass fillers were chosen according its chemical composition and physical properties. Used recycled materials were glass of windscreen, glass beads, screen, glass packaging and fluorescent glass. The filler compatibility with binder matrix was determined according mixture processability, applicability and evaluation of hardened surface.
Reduction of CO2 Emissions at Firing of Binders Type Portland Cement
Authors: Fridrichová Marcela , Gemrich Jan , Stachová Jana , Magrla Radek
Published: February 2014

Presented article deals with burn of raw admixtures with low content of carbon component for Portland cement burn. Fluidized ash is used as substitution of carbon component. At burnt model cements there are tested basic technological properties and it is observed hydrating process.
Use of Blast Furnace Slag Cements for the Construction of a Canal Lock
Authors: Marquardt Iris , Diederichs Ulrich , Petranek Vít
Published: February 2014

Locks are highly stressed massive concrete structures. Depending on the location and function of the specific component, different demands regarding temperature development, workability, compressive strength and durability of the building materials have to be fulfilled. Particularly the design and the production of the chamber wall concrete with a high frost resistance and strict limitations of the development of the heat of hydration represents a concrete technological challenge. In this paper the experiences gained in the development, production and placing of the concretes of a lock in Northern Germany are compiled.
Polypropylene Fibres and Micro Cracking in Fire Exposed Concrete
Authors: Pistol Klaus , Weise Frank , Meng Birgit , Diederichs Ulrich
Published: February 2014

Though, concrete in general is a non-combustible building material, modern High Performance Concrete (HPC) is very susceptible to violent explosive spalling during a fire attack. This requires protective measures for fire safety design of concrete structures. The current most worthwhile method to prevent explosive spalling is the addition of monofilament Polypropylene fibres (PP-fibres). However, since it has become common knowledge that PP-fibres are suitable for fire safety design, a variety of theories concerning the mode of action of PP-fibres have been suggested. The present article summarizes the most important hypothesis and presents an innovative method for the analysis of micro structural processes in heated specimens. The results show that due to the thermal decomposition of PP-fibres capillary channels are created. Simultaneously, a netlike micro crack formation occurs, which connects these capillary channels. This enables the relief of internal stresses (mechanical effect) and the formation of a permeable transport system for the escaping water vapour (permeation effect).
Carbonation Depth vs. Physical-Mechanical Properties of Concretes with Alternative Additions of Concrete Recyclate and Silicate Admixtures
Authors: Stavař Tomáš , Stehlík Michal
Published: February 2014

The paper focuses on exploring the correlation dependence between the physical-mechanical properties of concretes and alternatively concretes with concrete recyclate and silicate admixtures and the susceptibility of concretes to carbonation. Determining the susceptibility of concretes to carbonation by testing the permeability of their surface layer using the TORRENT, ISAT, or GWT methods is relatively lengthy and requires expensive instrumentation. The first estimate of durability or susceptibility of concretes to carbonation can be easily made on the basis of standard physical-mechanical tests. It seems that the values of volume masses and tensile splitting strengths of concretes could be a good basis for the estimate of their durability.
Sodium Hexametaphosphate as Deflocculation Agent for Calcium Aluminate Cements in Porcelain Body
Authors: Sokolař Radomír , Vodová Lucie
Published: February 2014

Influence of typical ceramic deflocculant – sodium hexametaphosphate – on the rheological properties (viscosity) of calcium aluminate cement paste, porcelain raw materials mixture (casting slip), and fired porcelain body respectively, was determined. It was used two different typed of calcium aluminate cements (from two sources – producers - Istra, Almatis) with different content of Al2O3 (40 % and 70 %). Sodium hexametaphosphate decreases of water content needed to prepare slip casting with constant viscosity. Deflocculant increases the modulus of rupture MOR of dried green body and its bulk density. Sodium hexametaphosphate admixture is very suitable for the creation of porcelain body with low porosity after firing.
Analysis of Building Stone of the Medieval Historical Building
Authors: Bálintová Magdaléna , Eštoková Adriana , Sicakova Alena , Holub Marian , Singovszka Eva
Published: February 2014

The reconstruction of the historical buildings needs the replacement of the original and damaged materials using possible compatible materials that closely replicates the original ones in its appearance, chemical, physical and mineralogical properties, strength and durability. Thus, a complex approach based on advanced analytical methods is needed to identifying of the suitable materials. The paper is aimed at the study of the chemical and mineralogical properties of the historical stones of the medieval castle in the East Slovakia in order to replacement the original materials by the new ones with similar composition. The carbonates and silicates were confirmed as the main components of the stones by X ray fluorescence (XRF) and Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR) methods. The mineralogical analysis confirmed the presence of the calcite as the dominated carbonate minerals as well as the presence of the quartz and muscovite representing the silicate forms.
Laboratory Verifying of Injection Screens Efficiency
Authors: Melichar Jindřich , Drochytka Rostislav , Dohnálek Pavel
Published: February 2014

Nowadays is method of creating additional hydroinsulaitng injection screen in wet masonry quite widespread in Europe and also the rest of the world. The biggest advantages of this progressive method is fast and inexpensive application during which no harm to the construction is caused. Meaning, that damaging of buildings statics is not really possible. Final goal of this paper is to describe application and experimental testing of final efficiency of injection screens.
On Some Aspects of Application of Vegetative Roofs in Building Structures
Authors: Majsniar Michal , Šťastník Stanislav
Published: February 2014

The paper shows the possibilities of the arrangement of particular layers of vegatative roofs for building structures and the influence of soil on the distribution of temperature in a roof structure, using the software based on the non-stationary thermal analysis.
Decorative Multi-Component Alkali Activated Cements for Restoration and Finishing Works
Authors: Kryvenko Pavlo V. , Sanytsky Myroslav , Kropyvnytska Tetiana , Kotiv Roman
Published: February 2014

The paper is devoted to development and research of decorative multi-component alkali activated cements with enhanced quality characteristics. The use of finely dispersed mineral additives and alkali metal salts allows to obtain multi-component cements with the lower content of OPC clinker. In chemical composition these decorative multi-component cements are similar to Roman cement. The developed multi-component cements have comparable or better performance properties compared to Roman cement and allow for to use them successfully in making plasters, mortars, etc. for restoration, finishing works and decoration of facades.
Industrial Resources for the Production of Sulphate Binders
Authors: Gazdič Dominik
Published: February 2014

The territory of our country is very poor in natural resources of gypsum and the natural resource of anhydrite is missing completely. A considerable amount of gypsum is produced in the country as a secondary raw material originating during the desulphurization of flue gases in thermal power plants using limestone washing and in the chemical industry. This paper describes the different types of industrially generated gypsum, the production technology, and its potential use in the construction industry.
Efficiency of Sulphate Paste Liquefaction
Authors: Fridrichová Marcela , Hájková Iveta , Dvořák Karel
Published: February 2014

The aim of the research was to find and test suitable plasticizing admixtures, which have result in reduction of high water coefficient, in order to improve final technological gypsum properties from waste sources of raw material.
Influence of Grinding α-Gypsum on its Final Property
Authors: Dvořák Karel , Hájková Iveta , Fridrichová Marcela
Published: February 2014

The purpose of research work has been to verify an influence of α-gypsum grinding on its final property. The production of α-gypsum was performed by pressureless method in salt solution with partial substitute still used dehydrating solution of sodium chloride and calcium chloride.
The Behavior of the Advanced Materials for Blast Energy Absorption under Low and High Velocity Load
Authors: Drdlová Martina , Prachař Vladan , Buchar Jaroslav
Published: February 2014

This paper describes experimental investigation on the response of new advanced materials to low and high velocity load. Foams were designed using two types of porous lightweight spherical raw materials with dimensions of 30-100 μm, combined with polymer matrix. Prism shaped specimens were prepared and loaded to obtain physical-mechanical parameters bulk density, compressive and flexural strength under quasistatic load and impact strength. The load-displacement data were captured. The slab specimens were prepared of selected materials, covered with a layer of ballistic laminates on both surfaces to form the sandwich element and were subjected to the blast load of 100 g Semtex 1A from a distance of 10 cm. Blast energy absorption was measured on test rig STAND T0-B according to methodology M-T0-B VTÚO 10_09.
Photoluminescence from Gold and Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Pattabi Manjunatha , Pattabi Rani M.
Published: February 2014

This review is an attempt to highlight some of the significant results of the work carried out on the photoluminescence from nanoparticles of the noble metals, particularly gold and silver, over the past two decades. Although quite an immense amount of reports can be found, those that have contributed in throwing some light on the underlying mechanism behind photoluminescence have been considered here. Interband radiative recombination of electrons in metals or photoluminescence (PL), though very weak, was first reported in Au, Cu and Au-Cu alloys. A simple model attributes the PL to the radiative recombination of conduction band electrons below the Fermi energy with d-band holes. Most of the mechanisms are based on this concept. Only small sized clusters are known to exhibit luminescence, with the appearance of additional features which changed with the surfactants suggesting ligand to metal charge transfer. Further, the observation that more polar ligands do indeed enhance the luminescence intensity supports ligand to metal charge transfer. A non-radiative decay of excited electrons from 6sp-band to interface electron energy levels or bands (IEEB), that could be created due to charge transfer from the ligand to the metal core, followed by radiative recombination of electrons from these levels with the hole in the d-band could be another possible mechanism, which is supported by the size independence of the PL emission peak position. However, it is possible that these mechanisms operate independently or even simultaneously depending on various factors like size, ligands, dispersion medium, particle surface topography and so on.
Polyanilino-Carbon Nanotubes Derivatised Cytochrome P450 2E1 Nanobiosensor for the Determination of Pyrazinamide Anti-Tuberculosis Drugs
Authors: Sidwaba Unathi , Ajayi Rachel F. , Feleni Usisipho , Douman Samantha , Baker Priscilla Gloria Lorraine , Vilakazi Sibulelo L. , Tshikhudo Robert , Iwuoha Emmanuel Iheanyechukwu
Published: February 2014

Pyrazinamine (PZA) is one of the most commonly prescribed anti-tuberculosis (anti-TB) drug due to its ability to significantly shorten the TB treatment period. However, excess PZA in the body causes hepatotoxicity and liver damage. This, therefore, calls for new methods for ensuring reliable dosing of the drug, which will differ from person to person due to interindividual differences in drug metabolism. A novel biosensor system for monitoring the metabolism of PZA was prepared with nanocomposite of multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), polyaniline (PANI) and cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) electrochemically deposited on a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The nanocomposite biosensor system exhibited enhanced electroactivity that is attributable to the catalytic effect of the incorporated MWCNTs. The biosensor had a sensitivity of 7.80 μA/μg mL-1PZA and a dynamic linear range of 4.92 160 ng/mL PZA.
The Effect of a Postpartum Nursing Intervention Program for Immigrant Mothers.
Authors: Bang Kyung Sook , Huh Bo Yun , Kwon Mi Kyung
Published: February 2014

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to develop a postpartum nursing intervention program for immigrant women and evaluate the effects on postpartum depression, child rearing confidence, home environment, and infant temperament.METHODS: This research was a non-equivalent control group pre-test and post-test design. Participants were pregnant immigrant women from China, Vietnam, and the Philippines residing in Kyunggi province and Seoul. Twenty women were assigned to the intervention group, and 19 women to the control group. For the intervention group, the women were visited at home and provided emotional support and parenting education for three months. To analyze the intervention effects, repeated measure ANOVA and t-test were used.RESULTS: Child rearing confidence was higher in the experimental group than the control group at interaction effect of time and group, six weeks and three months postpartum. However, there were no significant effects for maternal depression, infant temperament, and husband support. Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) score in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group at three month postpartum.CONCLUSION: Results indicate that the nursing intervention program had positive effects and can be used to further the health status of immigrant mothers and children.
Development and Effect of the Feeding Protocol for Preterm Infants.
Authors: Lee Jae Young , Son Hyun Mi , Park Kyung Hee
Published: February 2014

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to develop a feeding protocol for premature infants and to evaluate the effects of protocol.METHODS: The feeding protocol was developed through a literature review and discussions of an expert group. The developed feeding protocol was tested with 85 preterm infants in one neonatal intensive care unit in B city. A non-equivalent control group non-synchronized design was used. Data were collected from January 1 to April 30, 2013 for the control group and from June 1 to September 30, 2013 for the experimental group. The experimental group (n=38) received the feeding protocol, whereas the control group (n=47) had routine feeding care. Collected data were analyzed by t-test and -test using SPSS/WIN version 18.0.RESULTS: First feeding time (t=2.22, p=.029) and full enteral feeding time (t=2.28, p=.026) were significantly decreased in the experimental group compared to the control group. There was no difference in incidence of complications (p>.05). Also no significant differences in weight reduction rate between the two groups were observed at the 7th postnatal day (t=-1.23, p=.222).CONCLUSION: The results indicate that the feeding protocol for preterm infants is effective in decreasing first feeding time and full enteral feeding time.
Factors Influencing Maternal Support for Physical Activity of Preschool Children.
Authors: Ra Jin Suk , Chae Sun Mi
Published: February 2014

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore maternal physical activity support for preschool children.METHODS: Survey methodology using a self-administered questionnaire was employed. Mothers with preschool children from a daycare center in Daejeon participated in the study.One hundred and fifty-six questionnaires were analyzed.RESULTS: Mothers with preschool children showed a moderate level of physical activity support for their children.Significant factors affecting physical activity support of mothers were monthly household income (beta=.417, p=.002), maternal self-efficacy for physical activity support (beta=.231, p=.003), information for physical activity support (beta=.173, p=.022), and experience of education about physical activity support (beta=.237, p=.002). These variables explained 26.4% of the variance in physical activity support (F=7.628, p<.001).CONCLUSION: To improve maternal support for increasing physical activity of preschool children, maternal education and appropriate information should be provided to improve self-efficacy for physical activity support.
Miospores from the Mississippian Horton group, eastern Canada
Authors: Playford G
Published: February 2014

Fifty-three species of small spores, assigned to twenty-eight existing genera, are recorded from thirteen localities in the Horton Group. This group is a thick, non-marine sequence in eastern Canada and is of early Mississippian age. Twenty-one species are
described as new. One of these, Schopfites augustus n. sp., represents the first record of Schopfites Kosanke in rocks of pre-Westphalian age. It is shown that two distinct assemblages of miospores are present in the Horton Group, which, in its type area, comprises the Horton Bluff Formation and the
conformably overlying Cheverie Formation. One of the microfloras appears to be characteristic of the Horton Bluff, whereas the other younger assemblage has been encountered only in the type Cheverie. Stratigraphic implications of the microfloras are discussed, and the potential value of palynology
in the resolution of Horton correlation problems is indicated. The Horton microfloras include certain species that occur in assemblages of comparable age from Russia, Britain, and Spitsbergen, but affiliations with previously described assemblages are not marked. The study constitutes an extension
of Hacquebard's (1957) palynological investigation of two coals from the Horton Group, both of which contain the Horton Bluff microflora.
The first linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecium in India: High level resistance in a patient with no previous antibiotic exposure
Authors: Kumar Simit , Bandyoapdhyay Maitreyi , Chatterjee Mitali , Mukhopadhyay Prabir , Poddar Sumon , Banerjee Parthajit
Published: February 2014

Linezolid provides high rates of the clinical cure and microbiological success in complicated infections due to Enterococcus spp., including vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium. However, the emergence of resistance during linezolid treatment has been reported for clinical strains of Enterococcus, which is alarming given the fact that, this leaves the clinician with very few treatment options. We report the first case of linezolid resistant Enterococcus faecium from India, which was isolated from the blood culture of a hypoglycemic encephalopathy patient. There have been previous reports of linezolid resistant enterococci from different parts of the world, with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ranging from 16 to 64 μg/mL and most of them were associated with vancomycin resistance but the isolate reported over here had an MIC of 1024 μg/mL and interestingly was sensitive to vancomycin.
Methods and applications for visualization of SNOMED CT concept sets
Authors: Sundvall E. , Gøeg K.R. , Højen A.R.
Published: February 2014

Inconsistent use of SNOMED CT concepts may reduce comparability of information in health information systems. Terminology implementation should be approached by common strategies for navigating and selecting proper concepts. This study aims to explore ways of illustrating common pathways and ancestors of particular sets of concepts, to support consistent use of SNOMED CT and also assess potential applications for such visualizations.

The open source prototype presented is an interactive web-based re-implementation of the terminology visualization tool TermViz that provides an overview of concepts and their hierarchical relations. It provides terminological features such as interactively rearranging graphs, fetching more concept nodes, highlighting least common parents and shared pathways in merged graphs etc.

Four teams of three to four people used the prototype to complete a terminology mapping task and then, in focus group interviews, discussed the user experience and potential future tool usage. Potential purposes discussed included SNOMED CT search and training, consistent selection of concepts and content management.

The evaluation indicated that the tool may be useful in many contexts especially if integrated with existing systems, and that the graph layout needs further tuning and development.

Citation: Højen AR, Sundvall E, Gøeg KR. Methods and applications for visualization of SNOMED CT concept sets. Appl Clin Inf 2014; 5: 127–152

http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2013-09-RA-0071
A Rigorous Algorithm To Detect And Clean Inaccurate Adult Height Records Within EHR Systems
Authors: Muthalagu A. , Aufox S. , Peissig P. L. , Fuehrer J. T. , Tromp G. , Kho A. N. , Rasmussen-Torvik L. J. , Pacheco J. A.
Published: February 2014

Background: Height is a critical variable for many biomedical analyses because it is an important component of Body Mass Index (BMI). Transforming EHR height measures into meaningful research-ready values is challenging and there is limited information available on methods for “cleaning” these data.

Objectives: We sought to develop an algorithm to clean adult height data extracted from EHR using only height values and associated ages.

Results: The algorithm we developed is sensitive to normal decreases in adult height associated with aging, is implemented using an open-source software tool and is thus easily modifiable, and is freely available. We checked the performance of our algorithm using data from the Northwestern biobank and a replication sample from the Marshfield Clinic biobank obtained through our participation in the eMERGE consortium. The algorithm identified 1262 erroneous values from a total of 33937 records in the Northwestern sample. Replacing erroneous height values with those identified as correct by the algorithm resulted in meaningful changes in height and BMI records; median change in recorded height after cleaning was 7.6 cm and median change in BMI was 2.9 kg/m2. Comparison of cleaned EHR height values to observer measured values showed that 94.5% (95% C.I 93.8-% – 95.2%) of cleaned values were within 3.5 cm of observer measured values.

Conclusions: Our freely available height algorithm cleans EHR height data with only height and age inputs. Use of this algorithm will benefit groups trying to perform research with height and BMI data extracted from EHR.

Citation: Muthalagu A, Pacheco JA, Aufox S, Peissig PL, Fuehrer JT, Tromp G, Kho AN, Rasmussen-Torvik LJ. A rigorous algorithm to detect and clean inaccurate adult height records within EHR systems. Appl Clin Inf 2014; 5: 118–126 http://dx.doi.org/10.4338/ACI-2013-09-RA-0074
Climate changes of hydrometeorological and hydrological extremes in the Paute basin, Ecuadorean Andes
Authors: Mora D. E. , Campozano L. , Cisneros F. , Wyseure G. , Willems P.
Published: February 2014

Abstract. Investigation was made on the climate change signal for hydrometeorological and hydrological variables along the Paute River basin, in the southern Ecuador Andes. An adjusted quantile perturbation approach was used for climate downscaling, and the impact of climate change on runoff was studied for two nested catchments within the basin. The analysis was done making use of long daily series of seven representative rainfall and temperature sites along the study area and considering climate change signals of global and regional climate models for IPCC SRES scenarios A1B, A2 and B1. The determination of runoff was carried out using a lumped conceptual rainfall–runoff model. The study found that the range of changes in temperature is homogeneous for almost the entire region with an average annual increase of approximately +2.0 °C. However, the warmest periods of the year show lower changes than the colder periods. For rainfall, downscaled results project increases in the mean annual rainfall depth and the extreme daily rainfall intensities along the basin for all sites and all scenarios. Higher changes in extreme rainfall intensities are for the wetter region. These lead to changes in catchment runoff flows, with increasing high peak flows and decreasing low peak flows. The changes in high peak flows are related to the changes in rainfall extremes, whereas the decreases in the low peak flows are due to the increase in temperature and potential evapotranspiration together with the reduction in the number of wet days.
Assimilation of surface soil moisture into a multilayer soil model: design and evaluation at local scale
Authors: Parrens M. , Mahfouf J.-F. , Barbu A. L. , Calvet J.-C.
Published: February 2014

Abstract. Land surface models (LSM) have improved considerably in the last two decades. In this study, the Interactions between Surface, Biosphere, and Atmosphere (ISBA) LSM soil diffusion scheme is used (with 11 soil layers represented). A simplified extended Kalman filter (SEKF) allows ground observations of surface soil moisture (SSM) to be assimilated in the multilayer LSM in order to constrain deep soil moisture. In parallel, the same simulations are performed using the ISBA LSM with 2 soil layers (a thin surface layer and a bulk reservoir). Simulations are performed over a 3 yr period (2003–2005) for a bare soil field in southwestern France, at the SMOSREX (Surface Monitoring Of the Soil Reservoir Experiment) site. Analyzed soil moisture values correlate better with soil moisture observations when the ISBA LSM soil diffusion scheme is used. The Kalman gain is greater from the surface to 45 cm than below this limit. For dry periods, corrections introduced by the assimilation scheme mainly affect the first 15 cm of soil whereas weaker corrections impact the total soil column for wet periods. Such seasonal corrections cannot be described by the two-layer ISBA LSM. Sensitivity studies performed with the multilayer LSM show improved results when SSM (0–6 cm) is assimilated into the second layer (1–5 cm) than into the first layer (0–1 cm). The introduction of vertical correlations in the background error covariance matrix is also encouraging. Using a yearly cumulative distribution function (CDF)-matching scheme for bias correction instead of matching over the three years permits the seasonal variability of the soil moisture content to be better transcribed. An assimilation experiment has also been performed by forcing ISBA-DF (diffusion scheme) with a local forcing, setting precipitation to zero. This experiment shows the benefit of the SSM assimilation for correcting inaccurate atmospheric forcing.
Blood levels of cobalt and chromium are inversely correlated to head size after metal-on-metal resurfacing arthroplasty
Authors: Parry Michael C. , Eastaugh-Waring Steve , Bannister Gordon C. , Learmonth Ian D. , Case Charles Patrick , Blom Ashley W.
Published: February 2014

Resurfacing arthroplasty has fallen out of favour in recent years due to unfavourable survivorship in joint registries and alarming reports of soft tissue reactions around metal on metal prostheses. Our aim was to assess the effect of head size, implant design and component positioning on metal production by resurfacing arthroplasties. We measured whole blood cobalt and chromium and component position in matched populations implanted with two designs of resurfacing arthroplasty over a two-year period. Both implants resulted in a significant increase in blood metal levels (p<0.001) though the ASR design generated significantly higher metal levels (p = 0.041). A significant inverse correlation was seen between component size and blood cobalt levels (p = 0.032) and blood chromium levels (p<0.001). No correlation was identified between component position and blood metal levels. Small diameter metal resurfacing components result in increased metal generation compared with larger components. As increased metal generation has been correlated to wear and therefore failure, caution must be used on implantation of smaller components and indeed, in those who require smaller components, alternative bearing materials should be considered. These results contrast with recent findings which have demonstrated early failure for larger diameter stemmed metal-on-metal prostheses.
Reason, Religion, and Postsecular Liberal-Democratic Epistemology
Authors: Gillespie Ryan
Published: February 2014

Reason, religion, and public culture have been of significant interest recently, with critics reevaluating modernity's conception of secularism and calling for a “postsecular” public discourse. Simultaneously, one sees rising religious fundamentalisms and a growing style of antirationalism in public debate. These conditions make a reconceptualization of public reason necessary. The main goals of this article are to establish agnostic public reason as the conceptual guide and normative ethic for public debate in liberal democracies by considering the secular/religious reason boundary explicitly and to argue that this ethic of public reason requires a commitment to reason giving and a particular epistemic attitude but that it does not, nor should it, take precedence over first-order judgments. An ethics of citizenship based on the process of reason giving with the appropriate epistemic stance might be one step toward rectifying the problem of an increasing separation between enclave publics, even if, by design, it cannot solve fundamental disagreement.
Levinas as a Media Theorist:
Authors: Pinchevski Amit
Published: February 2014

This article explores the way Levinas communicates his ethical message through the media at work in his work: speech, writing, and rare references to modern media. Levinas's ethical message concerns the import of the relation with the other, a relation that interrupts any attempt at its thematization, including Levinas's own philosophy. Levinas's text serves as an exemplary medium for this ethical message in conveying the teaching of ethics along with the interruption it advocates. The article then extends the logic of the ethical message beyond the two key media present in Levinas's work—speech and writing—to speculate on whether the interruption it effects can be carried over to audiovisual media. Running throughout is the question of mediation, which takes the discussion outside the context of the face to face, where Levinas's thought is typically situated, to the context of the third and of justice. Levinas's thought may thus lead toward a radical ethics of media—radical in the sense that it posits the act of mediation itself as the root of such ethics.
The Perennial Pleasures of the Hoax
Authors: Fredal James
Published: February 2014

Though popular in the nineteenth century and widespread since, the elements of the hoax form can be traced to the origins of rhetorical theorizing, principally in the strategies of probability and counterprobability developed by the early orators and sophists. This article begins by defining features of the hoax as a textual event and then describes how hoaxes use traditional rhetorical techniques of both probability and improbability to transport viewers from credulity and acceptance to doubt and disbelief, demonstrating technical mastery over rhetorical conventions of the genre to mock their targets and to entertain and instruct their audience.
Cultural Diversity Education: Does this 'Soft Science' Deserve a Place in Medical Curricula?
Authors: Nwokolo Munachiso
Published: February 2014

Cultural diversity issues surround us in today’s society and there continues to be much political and social debate about the myriad of topics that come under this heading. However this is yet to be mirrored in medical school curricula across the country. In the UK the need to train medical undergraduates and healthcare professionals to interact and work well with individuals from a diverse range of backgrounds has been emphasised by the General Medical Council (GMC) publication Tomorrow’s Doctors, and the discussion papers that followed. It states that “[Graduates] must understand a range of social and cultural values, and differing views about healthcare and illness... They must make sure that they are not prejudiced by patients’ lifestyle, culture, beliefs, race, colour, gender, sexuality, age, mental or physical disability and social or economic status” (GMC, 2007). As this is found in the Curricular Content section it would imply that Cultural Diversity Training should be integrated into the medical school programme.
The Future of the Past - When Will it Become History?
Authors: James Douglas
Published: February 2014

When, in the ’sixties and ’seventies, the ‘deconstructionists’ were busy blowing up conceptual bridges, history neither escaped attention nor survived intact. So violent were the explosions that many of history’s fundamental concepts were uprooted and tossed sky-high. For some, this blew fresh air through a stagnant subject. Others, meanwhile, have been suffocated by the dust or crushed by the debris. The aftershock is still affecting history today, both by what is studied, and by how it is studied. I hope in this piece to address some issues raised by ‘deconstruction’. To what end? Briefly, I propose an amicable divorce of history from the present (the marriage is not destined to fail), and a settlement imposed on any continued dalliance of history with social prophesy.
Life as a “Part-Time” Scientist
Authors: Banerjee Ambily
Published: February 2014

Within the Faculty of Life Sciences, I am yet to encounter a part-time researcher. Why has this species never successfully evolved within the ecosystem that we call academia? When I returned to work eighteen months ago after my maternity break, I was offered the option of working part-time, as the law demands. I chose to try it out for a month, working three days a week. During this time, I realised two things: I had to rely heavily on my colleagues to cover for me on the days I was off, and my project moved ahead at a grindingly slow pace. Neither of these scenarios was acceptable to me. As someone who had dedicated three years of hard work towards obtaining a Ph.D. I couldn’t envisage throwing away a rewarding career in favour of full time motherhood. But my family was also my first priority. So, like many working mothers I came up with a compromise. My day starts at 5am, and I work my full time hours by 3pm. Although some people still class me as a part-timer, as I am normally leaving work by the time they come back from lunch, I am happier that I get a few quality hours with my child everyday.
Dining on Death Row: Last Meals and the Crutch of Ritual
Authors: Jones Michael Owen
Published: February 2014

This essay examines last meal requests by those facing execution. After surveying food and beverage selections, I explore how culinary choices are marked by ethnicity, region, class, and gender, as well as inflected by memories, the longing for certain sensory experiences, and the intent to make a moral, political, or philosophical statement. I also consider which last suppers and comments have inspired movies, TV shows, musical compositions, and advertising; why the public desires information about the food requested by those facing death; how the condemned’s meals have become politicized, feeding arguments by both those for and those against the death penalty; what the origin of the last meal ritual is; and why the custom is perpetuated. Possessing varied meanings for different participants in the drama of execution, the ceremonial last meal is one of the most powerful symbolic elements within a larger phenomenon laden with rituals and symbols.
Various scenarios of the cell pattern formation in Arabidopsis lateral root
Authors: Białek Jolanta , Potocka Izabela , Szymanowska-Pułka Joanna M.
Published: February 2014

During lateral root (LR) development a coordinate sequence of cell divisions, accompanied by a change of the organ form takes place. Both the order of anatomical events and morphological features may vary for individual primordia. At early stages of LR primordia development oblique division walls are inserted in cells that are symmetrically located on both sides of the axis of the developing LR primordium, and thereby allow for the protrusion of the LR. We hypothesize that both oblique cell wall insertion and continuous changes in primordium form could be a consequence of a local change in stress distribution in the region of the LR initiation.
Le Chevalier délibéré de Olivier de la Marche traducido por Acuña: poesía y emblemática
Authors: Rubio Árquez Marcial
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACT: If in the French original of Le Chevalier délibéré one can appreciate the intimate relationship between the poetic text and the gorgeous engravings that accompany and illustrate it, in the tranlated version of Acuña this association is even stronger, to the point that one might say that the translator not only translates the French text linguistically, but also the book's images. This results then in a fusion between text and images that points clearly towards an emblematic vision in the book. KEYWORDS: Hernando de Acuña, Le Chevalier délibéré, Emblematics, Translation   RESUMEN: Si en la edición original francesa de Le Chevalier délibéré se aprecia una íntima relación entre el texto poético y los bellísimos grabados que lo acompañan e ilustran, en la versión de Acuña esta asociación se hace todavía más fuerte, hasta el punto que bien pudiera decirse que el traductor no solo traslada lingüísticamente el texto francés, sino también las imágenes del mismo. Se produce así una fusión entre texto e imágenes que apunta claramente a una visión emblématica del libro. PALABRAS CLAVES: Hernando de Acuña, Le Chevalier délibéré, emblemática, traducción.
Imagen e iconografía en las exequias del príncipe Baltasar Carlos en Zaragoza en 1646.
Authors: Serrano Monferrer Alberto
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACT: This article studies the ceremonial funeral rites for Prince Baltasar Carlos of Austria, son of Philip IV and the hope for the healing of a monarchy in crisis, in the exequies celebrated in the city of Zaragoza, where the young heir to the throne died shortly before his seventeenth birthday, in 1646. The monumental catafalque erected in the plaza of the market place (a fantastic ephemeral tumulus characterized by a splendid Baroque architecture full of symbols), demonstrates the magnificence with which the death of such a beloved prince was presented to the public, in the second third of the seventeenth century. KEYWORDS: Prince Baltasar Carlos of Austria, Spanish Golden Age, royal funeral rites, ephemeral architecture, Baroque.   RESUMEN: Esta comunicación aborda el ceremonial funerario en el príncipe Baltasar Carlos de Austria, hijo de Felipe IV y esperanza de saneamiento en una monarquía en crisis, en sus exequias en la ciudad de Zaragoza, donde murió el joven heredero poco antes de cumplir los diecisiete años, en 1646. El gran catafalco erigido en la Plaza del mercado –un fantástico túmulo de carácter efímero, espléndida arquitectura barroca llena de símbolos– da muestra de la magnificencia con que se presentó públicamente la muerte de tan querido príncipe, en el segundo tercio del siglo XVII. PALABRAS CLAVES: Príncipe Baltasar Carlos de Austria, Siglo de Oro español, exequias reales, arquitectura efímera, Barroco.
El ritual de la dedicación de la iglesia en los pontificales medievales y su ciclo iconográfico
Authors: Gallart Pineda Pascual Ángel
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACT: The 12th century saw the culmination of a massive reform movement within the Church, intended both to reinforce the figures of the Pope and bishops and to standardise the Western European liturgy, based on the one utilized at that time in the papal chapel. To this end, a number of books were published, among which was a new version of the pontifical, accompanied by an iconographic cycle in which the descriptive dimension of the portrayals stands out prominently to support the text in its task of ritual codification. The aim of this study is to analyse the iconographic cycle that depicts the ritual of church dedication and its relationship with the rubrics described in the rites. KEYWORDS: Church Dedications, Iconographic Cycle, Pontifical, Roman Ritual, Gallican Ritual, Liturgy, Moving of Relics, Altar Consecration, Aspersion, Unction.   RESUMEN: En el siglo XIII culmina un gran movimiento de reforma en el seno de la Iglesia que pretendía, además de reforzar la figura del papa y de los obispos, unificar la liturgia de la Europa occidental a partir de la que estaba vigente en la capilla papal. Para este fin verán la luz una serie de libros, entre ellos, una nueva versión del pontifical, que ahora irá acompañado de un ciclo iconográfico en el que destacará la dimensión descriptiva de las imágenes, con el objetivo de ayudar al texto en esa tarea de codificación ritual. Este estudio pretende analizar el ciclo iconográfico que ilustra el ritual para la dedicación de la iglesia y la relación que se establece con las rúbricas que describen los ritos. PALABRAS CLAVES: dedicación de la iglesia, ciclo iconográfico, pontifical, ritual romano, ritual galicano, liturgia, traslado reliquias, consagración altar, aspersión, unciones.
Voglio tempo. Reflejos emblemáticos en Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno de Benedetto Pamphilij y Georg Friedrich Handel.
Authors: Díaz Marroquín Lucía
Published: February 2014

ABSTRACT: Allegorical and emblematic images do not appear exclusively in visual literature: Genres such as the Italian or the Italian-inspired Counter-Reformation oratorios, cantatas and sacred or moral operas often contain images quite similar in form and function to those published in the Seventeenth and early Eighteenth-century European collections of emblems. This article analyses some of these parallelisms in the particular case of Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno (c. 1707), by the librettist and patron of the arts Cardinal Benedetto Pamphilj and the composer Georg Friedrich Handel. KEYWORDS: Emblem, Opera, Oratorio, Academy, Discourse, Allegory, Rhetoric, Aural, Visual, Pamphilj, Handel, Time, Affects, Passions.   RESUMEN: Las imágenes alegóricas o emblemáticas no resultan exclusivas de la literatura visual: géneros como el oratorio, la cantata y la ópera moral o sacra contrarreformista italiana o de inspiración italiana contienen a menudo imágenes muy similares en su forma y función a las que aparecen publicadas en las colecciones europeas de emblemas en los siglos XVII y XVIII. Este artículo analiza algunos de estos paralelismos en el caso de la obra Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno (c. 1707), compuesta por Georg Friedrich Handel a partir de un libretto del poeta y mecenas Cardenal Benedetto Pamphilj. PALABRAS CLAVES: Emblema, ópera, oratorio, accademia, discurso, alegoría, retórica, auditivo, visual, Pamphilj, Handel, tiempo, afectos, pasiones.