bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Talajnedvesség mérése mikrohullámú Michelson-féle interferométerrel
Authors: Ujfaludi László , Rajkai Kálmán , Vida József , Szombathy Csaba , Zoller Gábor
Published: June 2007

A Michelson-féle
(optikai) interferométer mikrohullámú változatát széles körben használják
különböző anyagok dielektromos állandójának meghatározására. Jelen tanulmányban
a berendezést talajnedvesség-mérésre alkalmaztuk. A tájékozódó mérések során
kiderült, hogy a mintáról visszavert hullám az interferenciaképre és ezáltal a
mérésekre zavarólag hat. A visszavert hullám okozta hibát a minta megdöntésével
küszöböltük ki. Ferde sugármenetes mérési elrendezést alakítottunk ki, amellyel
a mérési eredmények megbízhatóak és reprodukálhatóak lettek. 3,1 mm vastag
víztelített homokréteg kiszáradását végig követve, a Topp-féle talaj
ε-értékekhez közeli dielektromos állandókat kaptunk. Megállapítottuk, hogy
a mikrohullámú hullámhossz-tartományban a vizsgálható talajréteg-vastagság
korlátozott. Közvetlen sugármenetes (nem interferometriás) összeállításban a
mintán átmenő és az arról reflektálódó hullámenergia meghatározását is
elvégeztük. Az eredmények a fizikai elvárásokkal összhangban vannak. A módszer
alkalmazása szempontjából bíztató, hogy a mérések szerint a reflektált energia
és a víztartalom kapcsolata közel lineáris. Összefoglalóan megállapítható,
hogy: az interferometriás mérési elrendezés alkalmas a talaj víztartalmának
meghatározására. Alkalmazása azonban kis rétegvastagságokra korlátozódik; a
közvetlen sugármenetes reflexiómérés is alkalmasnak látszik a talaj
víztartalmának mérésére. Ebben a mérési megoldásban nincsenek
talajréteg-vastagsági korlátok. Mindkét mérési eljárás gyakorlati, kiváltképp
terepi alkalmazása további kutató-fejlesztő munkát igényel.
A mechanikai és a hidraulikai talajstabilitás közötti összefüggés vizsgálata a terhelési idő függvényében
Authors: Fazekas Orsolya , Horn Rainer
Published: June 2007

Növekvő terhelésnél nő a térfogattömeg és a
pórusvíznyomás. Emelkedő terhelési idővel nagyobb süllyedés jön létre és
ezáltal egy kisebb előterhelés. Az előterhelést a hidraulikus
feszültségváltozáson keresztül a talajdeformáció befolyásolja, a terhelés és a terhelési
idő függvényében. Egy lezárt süllyedési folyamathoz és ezáltal egy valós
előterhelési értékhez addig terheljük a talajt, amíg a terhelés hatására
fellépő pórusvíznyomás ismét az adott terhelési szintnél a kezdeti érték
közelébe nem kerül. A hidraulikus feszültségváltozásból egy terhelési folyamat
(0-tól 400 kPa-ig) alatt lehet a kritikus tartományt meghatározni. A
pórusnagyság, a térfogattömeg és a telítettségi fok függvényében a deformáció
során elért kritikus tartományban az előterhelés előtt a talaj kevésbé
víztelített, mint az első terhelési ágban. A hidraulikus feszültség nagyságának
változása alacsonyabb terhelésnél következik be, mint amit a Casagrande(1936) módszerével kiszámolt
előterhelés mutat. A Casagrande-féle előterhelés mellett meg kellene nevezni
azt a terhelési értéket is, amelynél a hidraulikus feszültségváltozás
található. Az előterhelési értékkel és a hidraulikus feszültségváltozással
együtt számszerűsíthető egy terhelés hatására bekövetkezett szerkezet- és
pórusfunkció- változás a talajban. A hidraulikus feszültség fordulópontja és az
összenyomódási görbe legkisebb görbületi sugara által meghatározott pontokra
illesztett egyenesek közelítenek egymáshoz növekvő terhelési idővel és metszik
egymást egy elméleti pontban. Az elméleti metszéspontban a hidraulikai és
mechanikai feszültségek a talajban kiegyenlítik egymást. Az egyenesek által
lehatárolt terület függ a talaj szerkezetétől.
Tiszántúli öntözetlen szikes és réti talajú gyepek produkciónövelése talajjavítással
Authors: Nagy Jenő
Published: June 2007

A talajok mélyebb
rétegéig - B genetikai szintig is - kiterjedő kémiai és fizikai talajjavítási
eljárásokat a Debreceni Agrártudományi Egyetem Karcagi Kutató Intézetében
szántóföldi növényekkel teszteltek, a gyepgazdálkodás területén azonban ez nem
történt meg. Ezen célból állítottam be mélyben karbonátos közepes sztyeppesedő
réti szolonyec talajon, újratelepített gyepterületen6 kezeléssel, 3
ismétlésben, 550 m²-es területen nagyparcellás szabatos kísérletet. Az
1978 és 1983 évek között (5 évben) vizsgáltam a gyeptársulás produkcióját. A
kísérletek adatait értékelve megállapítható, hogy a kísérletben alkalmazott
mélyebb rétegig- B genetikai szintig is - kiterjedő kémiai és fizikai
talajjavítási eljárások az újratelepített gyepek szárazanyag-termését a
negyedik, ötödik évben növelték statisztikailag is megbízható mértékben. Ez a
termésnövekedés 8,53-16,25% volt. A különböző szikes talajokon az
újratelepített öntözetlen gyepek gyökérzónája alatt elhelyezett javítóanyagok
és műtrágyák hatásának vizsgálatára egy kisparcellás és egy modellkísérletet
állítottam be a DATE Karcagi Kutató Intézetében és egyet az Intézet mellett
elhelyezkedő mélyben karbonátos közepes sztyeppesedő réti szolonyec talajú
újratelepített gyepen. A kisparcellás kísérletben négy év, a modellkísérletben
két év termésadataiból az alábbiakat állapítottam meg: - Az újratelepített
gyepek gyökérzónája alatt elhelyezett javítóanyagok és műtrágyák termésnövelő
hatása a tartamkísérletben már az első évben igen figyelemre méltó. A négy éves
terméseredményeket vizsgálva megállapítható, hogy az 15-18%. - Az újratelepített gyepek gyökérzónája alatt
elhelyezett javítóanyagok és műtrágyák termésnövelő hatása a tenyészedényes
modellkísérletben két év összesített terméseredménye alapján 14 és 29% volt. -
A vizsgált évek összesített szárazanyag-termése szempontjából a legkedvezőbb
kezeléskombináció a kisparcellás tartamkísérletben a felszín alatti 15-30 cm
közötti lazítás, a 15 cm-re kiadott 3 évi PK-alapműtrágya és a számított
gipszadag harmad része, valamint a N-műtrágyázás évente volt (7. kezelés). -
A kezeléshatások alapján az állapítható meg, hogy a produkciónövekedés akkor a
legnagyobb, ha a gyökérzet döntő részét tartalmazó 10-15 cm-es réteg alá adjuk
a tartalékoló PK-trágyákat és az 1/3-ra csökkentett javítóanyag-mennyiséget.
Digital Soil and Landsite Mapping in Forest Management Planning
Authors: Illés Gábor , Kovács G. , Bidló A. , Heil B.
Published: June 2007

The current
methodology of forest site evaluation has some challenging weaknesses, which
may greatly influence the efficiency of both forest planning and forest
management practice. This fact keeps us searching for new methods to overcome
the difficulties. The present paper gives a short overview of our research on
GIS based digital soil mapping techniques and their possible application in
forestry, offering a powerful tool for forest site evaluation. The paper
focuses on four main issues. First, the main weakness in site evaluation,
second, methods of digital soil mapping, third, the description of the study
areas and mapping procedures, and finally, the possible outcomes and the major
directions of further development.
Internet-based Land Valuation System Powered by a GIS of 1:10,000 Soil Maps
Authors: Tóth Tibor , Németh T. , Fábián T. , Hermann T. , Horváth E. , Patocskai Z. , Speiser F. , Vinogradov Sz. , Tóth G.
Published: June 2007

An internet-based land
valuation system is being developed to replace the scientifically obsolete
Hungarian land valuation system, the so-called AK (“Gold Crown”) ratings. The
new system is supported by a GIS and it is unique in its capability of
providing an up-to-date index of soil quality and land value. The geographical
information is provided by national map databases on genetic soil maps and soil
attributes at the scale of 1:10.000, combined with cadastral maps, digital
terrain model, topographic map, orthophotos of aerial photographs and agronomic
field records. The automated algorithms are easy to update, can be made legally
binding and can provide a transparent system for land taxation, calculation of
subsidies, appropriation. Given that detailed (1:10,000 or finer) soil map
coverage will be completed for all lands of Hungary (at date only 60% of the
croplands have soil maps), this way a multifunctional system will be available
that promotes an optimum use of land resources.
Transport of As in the Soil-Plant System in a Long-term Field Experiment
Authors: Kádár Imre
Published: June 2007

The first grown deep-rooting crop, maize in 1991 and
sunflower in 1998 did not reveal any yield loss on the contaminated soil. The
crops responding most sensitively to As were peas, winter wheat and winter
barley. In the 4
th
year of the trial the peas practically died out
on the highest As level.  The “total” As
(digested with cc. HNO
3
+ cc. H
2
O
2
) amounted
to 70-80% of the As added to the ploughed layer 4 years earlier. The NH
4
-acetate
+ EDTA soluble As fractions revealed great fluctuations during the sampling
time. In the first 4 years the ratio of As detectable in the ploughed layer in
this form ranged between 12 and 30%, while in 2000 between 10 and 13%. On the
basis of deep profile sampling, it was established that As displayed no
significant vertical movement after 10 years, using
the HN
4
-acetate + EDTA method (Lakenen
& Erviö, 1974). The concentration
of As, as a rule of thumb, declined in the direction
from root-shoot-leaves-straw-grain in grain crops. The mobility of As is
limited within the soil-plant system at this site. Even on the heavily loaded
soil, the amount of As in the whole above-ground biomass remained negligible,
usually below 5-10 mg As/kg dry matter. Under such conditions, the remediation
of soil contaminated with higher loads would theoretically take thousands of
years in the case of As via plant uptake. The transfer coefficient,
expressing the total straw/soil As concentration by barley, had a value of 0.02.
As does not seem to be a very dangerous contaminant either to soil, plants or
groundwater. Extreme loads, however, caused phytotoxicity in some crops and
resulted in products unfit for animal or human consumption. Soil life was also
damaged. Higher As loads decreased nodule formation by green peas, and the
endomycorrhizal symbiosis was hindered as well.
Effect of NPK Fertilization on the Yield and Mineral Element Content of an Established All-grass
Authors: Ragályi Péter , Kádár Imre
Published: June 2007

The grass herbage had a very favourable wet year in
2001 with more than 700 mm rainfall during the total vegetation period. The hay
yield of the unfertilized control plots was 1.7 and 1.2 t/ha in the 1
st

and 2
nd
cut, while the N
3
P
3
K
3

treatment produced 8.8 and 4.2 t/ha yields, resp. NPK fertilization increased
the air-dry hay yield from 3 to 13 t/ha (1
st
+2
nd
cuts
together). The N requirement of the young grass was moderate, while the P
response significant in the 1
st
cut. The optimum P supply was 150
mg/kg ammonium lactate soluble AL-P
2
O
5
in the ploughed
layer. No K responses were observed on the soil with 135 mg/kg AL-K
2
O
values. There were no P responses by the 2
nd
cut even on the soil
with low P supply (66 mg/kg AL-P
2
O
5
value), while the
applied N caused a 4-fold increase in hay yield. The optimum N content in the
hay, leading to maximum yield, amounted to 2% in the 1
st
cut and
2.5-3.0% in the 2
nd
. The applied N decreased the air-dry content of
the 1
st
cut from 33% to 31%, and that of the 2
nd
cut from
27% to 21%. Summarizing the above, it can be stated that long-term
fertilization can drastically change (in some cases with an order of magnitude)
the concentrations and ratios of elements built in hay through synergetic or
antagonistic effects. In the hay of the 1
st
cut, for example, the
minima-maxima contents of measured elements varied in air-dry hay as follows: N
0.90-3.02, Ca 0.4-0.7, S 0.14-0.32, P 0.12-0.30, Mg 0.10-0.24%; Na 70-700, Fe
100-288, Al 45-250, Mn 71-130, Sr 10-22, Zn 7-14, Ba 6-11, B 3.6-8.1, Ni
0.3-1.6, Cr 0.1-0.4, Mo 0.04-0.44, Co 0.04-0.12 mg/kg.
Normalization Method for the Detection of Low Level Chromium Contamination in the Soil of the Tisza River Floodplain (Hungary)
Authors: Prokisch József , Kovács B. , Győri Z. , Németh T. , West L. , Harper S. , Adriano D.
Published: June 2007

A normalization method was tested for the detection
of low level chromium contamination in the soil of the Tisza River Floodplain
in Hungary. The soils' so-called “total” metal concentration (strong acid
extractable fraction) is the basis of many environmental evaluation methods,
soil tests.  In the floodplain soils
cadmium, lead, zinc and copper occur in elevated concentrations, but their
chromium concentration is not significantly higher than that of the control
soils.  The normalization method makes it
possible to calculate the anthropogenic and geogenic chromium concentration in
soil. Anthropogenic chromium was not detectable on the control sites, but a
significant amount (4-14 mg/kg) was found in the floodplain soil samples. The
applied normalization method proved the low level chromium contamination in the
floodplain.
Characterization of Hungarian Red Soils
Authors: Fekete József , Szendrei G. , Csibi M.
Published: June 2007

Some pedological and micromorphological
investigations were carried out on representative red clay samples selected
from a large number of profiles. On the basis of conclusions drawn from the
analytical results, the red clays can be divided into the following groups:
-

The
red clays of the foothills of the Tokaj Mountains
were formed on
rhyolite or rhyolite tuff, and are covered by loess in some areas. They are
relic soils, older than loess, formed under the warm climate of the Tertiary
Period. In addition to quartz they contain feldspars, illite, montmorillonite
and a small amount of kaolinite.
-
The
red clays of Aggtelek Karst

are Tertiary relic soils formed on Mesozoic limestone. The dominant clay
mineral is kaolinite, but they contain a siginificant amount of smectite as
well.
-
The
red clays of the Northern periphery of the Hungarian
Plain
are situated on clay, silt and sand layers of different origin or
between loess depositions. They were formed in the Pliocene and at the turn of
the Pliocene and Pleistocene. These soils have a medium clay content, with a
large quantity of montmorillonite and a small amount of kaolinite.
- Red
clays formed on Permian sandstones
. These rocks were formed in the Permian
period, and were issued from a mixture of sediments under tropical climate,
tropical weathering. They are the signs of the oldest soil formation in
Hungary. They can be characterized by their kaolinite, illite, montmorillonite
and hematite contents.
-
The
red clays of the Transdanubian hilly
region
wereformed by the weathering of thePannonian surface
between the end of the Miocene Period and the lower Pleistocene. Medium clay
content is characteristic of these red clays. They contain kaolinite,
montmorillonite, chlorite and a small amount of hematite. Concerning
micromorphological features, speckled and granostriated b-fabrics of the
groundmass, mainly due to swelling and shrinking, were observed in some
samples. Clay coatings are mainly interpreted as micromorphological features of
illuviation. The investigated red clays are similar to tropical and
sub-tropical ferrallitic soils in respect of their formation and mineral
characteristics.
Characterization of Clay Minerals in Brown Forest Soil Profiles (Luvisols) of the Cserhát Mountains (North Hungary)
Authors: Németh Tibor , Sipos P.
Published: June 2007

The clay mineral
composition of four brown forest soil profiles (Luvisols) developed on
different parent rocks was studied in detail to determine the major clay
mineral alteration processes. In the studied profiles a siltstone bedrock
weathered to chlorite/vermiculite and vermiculite in a less developed, shallow
soil profile, while the major product of soil formation in a clayey,
well-developed deep soil is a typical soil montmorillonite with heterogeneous
charge distribution. The most possible pathway of clay alteration is illite
smectitization via charge reduction, and considerable degradation of smectite
in the soil formed on limestone. On the contrary, weathering of andesite parent
rock involves the formation of low charged smectite altering to high charged vermiculite
during pedogenesis.
Use of Soil Water Retention Capacity and Hydraulic Conductivity Estimation in the Preparation of Soil Water Management Maps
Authors: Tóth Brigitta , Makó A. , Rajkai K. , Sz. Kele G. , Hermann T. , Marth P.
Published: June 2007

According to the Hungarian Soil Information and
Monitoring System's (HSIMS) database a group estimation method was developed to
predict the mean soil hydrophysical properties. The estimation efficiency of
the worked out prediction procedures was controlled on a test database, and on
a dataset of a study area. It can be established that the water retention and
the hydraulic conductivity of soils are sufficiently predictable from the
category data of soil maps. The 10-digit map codes of the PWW mapping method were
created by different estimation methods, and as a result the PWW map was drawn.
However, it is not always possible to estimate the necessary soil hydrophysical
properties from the available map information for preparing the PWW map.
Sometimes the knowledge gained from the field reports is needed as well.
Further studies are planned for integrating these morphological information
into our estimations.
Importance of metal ion metabolism and oxidative stress in male patients suffered with porphyria cutanea tarda
Authors: Székely Edit , Tasnádi Gyöngyi , Szentmihályi Klára , Almási Andrea , Bor Márta , Fehér János , Blázovics Anna
Published: June 2007

Az elmúlt évtizedekben egyre több betegségről derült ki, hogy patogenezisében az oxidatív stressznek és a fémionoknak fontos szerepük van. Ez a magyarázata annak, hogy az antioxidáns-kezelés jelentősége felértékelődött, és napjaink kutatásaiban is előtérbe került. Porphyria cutanea tardában (PCT) a hem bioszintézise károsodik, amely az uroporfirinogén-dekarboxiláz enzim csökkent aktivitásának következtében alakul ki. A hem-prekurzorok akkumulálódnak a vérben, a májban és a bőrben. A hem-prekurzorok és a porfirin a széklettel és a vizelettel ürülnek. Az enzimdefektus autoszomális domináns. A bőrtünetek napfény hatására felerősödnek. Ennek oka a bőrben felszaporodó uroporfirinek és a heptakarboxilporfirin fényérzékenyítő, valamint a vas lipidperoxidációt kiváltó hatása. A genetikai eredet mellett az alkoholfogyasztás, hepatotoxikus vegyületek, ösztrogén és a vírusfertőzések is hozzájárulnak a betegség kialakulásához. Az elfogadott kezelési mód az időnkénti vérlebocsátás. A májkárosodás talaján kialakuló, sporadikus porphyria cutanea tarda esetében a felhalmozódó vas felelős elsősorban az oxidatív stressz kialakulásáért. Megváltozik a betegek redox-homeostasisa és az antioxidánsszint csökken. A máj redoxstátuszának vizsgálata, valamint az antioxidáns kiegészítő kezelés hatásának követése phlebotomizált porphyria cutanea tardában szenvedő betegeknél a klinikai diagnosztika mellett biokémiai és fémanalitikai módszerekkel történhet. Vizsgálatok igazolták, hogy a phlebotomia jó kezelési módszernek bizonyult a phototoxikus bőrtünetek kezelésében, de az eljárás nem változtatta meg kedvezően a fémionok egymáshoz viszonyított arányát a betegek vérében.
Peripheral arterial obliterative disease and physical activity
Authors: Landi Anna , Jassó István
Published: June 2007

Az arteriosclerosis obliterans az atherothrombosis egyik karakterisztikus klinikai manifesztációja. Előfordulása 2–3%, tehát Magyarországon 2–300000 beteggel kell számolni. Gyakori az együttes előfordulása a coronariasclerosissal és a carotisrendszer atherothromboticus megbetegedésével. A perifériás obliterativ verőér-megbetegedés terápiájában a rendszeres fizikai tréning alapvetően fontos. Az arteriosclerosis obliterans kezelése a társult atheroscleroticus betegségek előfordulását, illetve kimenetelét is befolyásolja. A rendszeres fizikai tréning fő célja a perifériás érbetegek életminőségének javítása, az alsó végtagok funkcionális kapacitásának növelése. A reguláris, egyénre szabott járatás, tornagyakorlatok több olyan folyamatot indítanak el a szervezetben, melyek az atherosclerosis kialakulását, tovahaladását gátolják. Tréning alatt számolni kell a stenoticus érszakasz nyomásgrádiens-növekedéséből és a kollaterálisok megnyílásából álló hemodinamikai változásokkal, az endothel diszfunkció javulásával, a terhelésre jó irányba módosuló vascularis válasszal. A kórképet jellemző diszlipidémiát kedvezően befolyásolja; az LDL-koleszterint csökkenti, a HDL-t növeli. Jótékonyan befolyásolja a vér reológiai tulajdonságait is. A vázizomzatban strukturális változásokat hoz létre, az anyagcsere oxidációs folyamatainak enzimkoncentrációját növeli, és fokozza a célzott vázizomzat rostjainak kapilláris ellátottságát. Az eddig publikált adatok szerint a claudicatio intermittens kezelésében legelőnyösebben legalább heti 3 alkalommal végzett, 30–60 percen át tartó, 5–5 perces bemelegítést és levezetést is tartalmazó, szakember által irányított 3–6 hónapos, járásgyakorlatok formájában kivitelezett tréningkurzus ajánlatos. Az otthon végzett gyakorlatok hasznossága is figyelemre méltó.
Certification of building structural design in Scotland
Authors: Walker D.
Published: June 2007

Most societies have systems of building control that are intended to minimise the risks associated with errors in design. Building failures are, however, often associated with a failure of these controls. Many such systems rely on private sector self-certification, but this can be an unsafe practice if it fails to take into account human fallibility. Between 1992 and 2005 self-certification by the structural designer was permitted in Scotland, although not elsewhere in the UK. Many practising engineers believed that this did not provide an adequate standard of public safety. New regulations introduced to Scotland in 2005 removed this option and radically changed the way in which design can be certified for building regulation compliance. The UK professional institutions have developed a scheme for the design certification of building structures. The scheme had to meet the stringent requirements for certification schemes set by the Scottish Parliament, be regarded as workable by the practising engineers and also have a sound business case that would make operation commercially viable. Key to the new arrangements is the requirement for certifying engineers to be registered after undergoing an assessment of their competence. Checking of structural design is mandatory and the integrity of the system is demonstrated by regular audit of the activities of certifying engineers.
Elastic analysis of ground-floor slabs under multiple loads
Authors: Abbas A. A. , Pavlović M. N. , Kotsovos M. D.
Published: June 2007

The design of ground-floor slabs focuses mainly on single-load cases applied at the centre, edge and corner of the slab. The need for extending existing guidelines that allow for the effect of multiple loads, and for the effect of loads being at some distance from the three aforementioned locations, is fundamental for both safety and economy, and is increasingly recognised in the industry. Some elastic guidelines, which date back nearly a century ago, do exist but they are incomplete, cumbersome and generally little known. In the present paper, a new set of influence lines (previous data really refer to certain stress contours) is proposed for both stresses and deflections owing to loads moving along the centrelines, edges and corner bisectors. These diagrams are based on linear finite element analysis (LFEA), and thus allow the use of direct superposition to accommodate any number of applied loads. Nonlinearities and/or plastic methods are outside the scope of this paper.
Synthesis and Patterning of Luminescent CaCO3–Poly(p‐phenylene) Hybrid Materials and Thin Films
Authors: Sindhu S. , Jegadesan S. , Hairong L. , Ajikumar P. K. , Vetrichelvan M. , Valiyaveettil S.
Published: June 2007

Nature employs specialized macromolecules to produce highly complex structures and understanding the role of these macromolecules allows us to develop novel materials with interesting properties. Herein, we report the role of modified conjugated polymers in the nucleation, growth, and morphology of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) crystals. In situ incorporation of sulfonated poly(p‐phenylene) (s(PPP)) into a highly oriented calcium carbonate matrix is investigated along with the synthesis and patterning of luminescent CaCO3–PPP hybrid materials. Functionalized PPP with polar and nonpolar groups are used as additives in the mineralization medium. The polymer (P1) with polar groups give iso‐oriented calcite crystals, whereas PPP with an additional alkyl chain (P2) results in vaterite crystals. The crystallization mechanism can be explained based on self‐assembly and aggregation of polymers in an aqueous environment. Such light‐emitting hybrid composites with tunable optical properties are excellent candidates for optoelectronics and biological applications.
Isothermal crystallization kinetics and melting behavior of multiwalled carbon nanotubes/polyamide‐6 composites
Authors: Li Juan , Fang Zhengping , Zhu Yan , Tong Lifang , Gu Aijuan , Liu Fu
Published: June 2007

Pristine and functionalized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) were used to fabricate polyamide 6 (PA6) composites through melt blending. The functionalized MWNTs were obtained by grafting 1,6‐hexamethylenediamine (HMD) onto the pristine MWNTs to improve their compatibility with PA6 matrix. The effect of MWNTs on the isothermal crystallization and melting behavior of PA6 was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD). The Avrami and Lauritzen–Hoffmann equations are used to describe the isothermal crystallization kinetics. The values of the Avrami exponent found for neat PA6, the pristine MWNTs/PA6 and functionalized MWNTs/PA6 composite samples are about 4.0, 1.7, and 2.3, respectively. The activation energies are determined by the Arrhenius method, which is lower for the composites, −320.52 KJ/mol for pristine MWNTs/PA6 and −293.83 KJ/mol for functionalized MWNTs/PA6, than that for the neat PA6 (−284.71 KJ/mol). The following melting behavior reveals that all the isothermally crystallized samples exhibit triple melting endotherms at lower crystallization temperature and double melting endotherms at higher crystallization temperature. The multiple melting endotherms are mainly caused by the recrystallization of PA6 during heating. The resulting equilibrium melting temperature is lower for the composites than for neat PA6. In addition, polarizing microscopy (PLM) and small angle light scanning (SALS) were used to study the spherulite morphology. The results show that the MWNTs reduce the spherulite radius of PA6. This reduction is more significant for pristine MWNTs. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007
Heat capacity measurement in polymers using a differential scanning calorimeter: Area measurement method
Authors: Hernández‐Sánchez F.
Published: June 2007

It has always been difficult to determine the heat capacity of a polymer experimentally. However, with the arrival of differential scanning calorimetry, the determination of such heat capacity could be achieved more quickly, but the precision of the measurement was always limited by the need to correlate the relative heights of thermogram signals obtained from the polymer under study and a standard reference material. The technique reported in this article is as fast as the traditional technique in differential scanning calorimeter, but the accuracy of the measured heat capacity is high because it is based on the measurement of areas rather than determination of height differences. In addition, it is not necessary to use a standard sample as a reference. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2007
Evaluation of the reinforcing effect of ground wood pulp in the preparation of polypropylene‐based composites coupled with maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene
Authors: Méndez J. A. , Vilaseca F. , Pèlach M. A. , López J. P. , Barberà L. , Turon X. , Gironès J. , Mutjé P.
Published: June 2007

Polypropylene‐based composites reinforced with ground wood pulp (pulp stone) were prepared in the reinforcing range of 20–50 wt %. The mechanical properties of the system were evaluated through the observation of a stiffening effect of the prepared materials, which reached Young's moduli up to 2.3 times higher than that of plain polypropylene, for formulations with 50 wt % ground wood pulp as a reinforcement. In contrast to this result, the ultimate tensile strength decreased because of the different polarities of the components of the composite. To overcome this problem, maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene was added as a coupling agent (6 wt %, with respect to the ground wood pulp content, as the optimal composition), giving rise to an important improvement in the ultimate tensile strength close to 125%, in comparison with the uncoupled composite, for the composite filled with 50 wt % ground wood pulp. The addition of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene also diminished the capacity for absorbing water, improving the durability of the composite under wet conditions. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007
Synthesis of high‐molecular‐weight poly(lactic acid) from aqueous lactic acid cocatalyzed by ϵ‐caprolactam and tin(II) chloride dihydrate
Authors: Lei Zi‐Qiang , Wang Shou‐Feng , Bai Yan‐Bin
Published: June 2007

Poly(lactic acid) was synthesized from cheap, commercially available aqueous lactic acid (85–90% w/w) with ε‐caprolactam and SnCl2·2H2O as catalysts in the absence of organic solvents. As a result, poly(lactic acid) with a molecular weight of 50,000 and a yield of 87–94% was prepared in 16 h. The new procedure is quite simple and cheap. The starting material is renewable aqueous lactic acid. The effects of the amount of the catalyst, the reaction temperature, and the reaction time on the polymerization were investigated in detail. The polymers obtained by ε‐caprolactam and SnCl2·2H2O were characterized with gel permeation chromatography, infrared, and nuclear magnetic resonance. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007
Comparison of the influence of different compatibilizers on the structure and properties of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer/modified clay nanocomposites
Authors: Guduri B. R. , Luyt A. S.
Published: June 2007

Nanocomposites of an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and clay were prepared by melt blending and extrusion. Two different compatibilizers, ethylene glycidyl methacrylate (EGMA) and maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAPP), were used in these nanocomposites. The structural properties of the composites were characterized with X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The surface morphology was characterized with polarized optical microscopy. The tensile and permeability properties were studied. The thermal stability of the nanocomposites was characterized through thermogravimetric analysis. MAPP‐compatibilized nanocomposites had intercalated and partially exfoliated structures, whereas EGMA‐compatibilized nanocomposites had completely exfoliated structures. The EGMA‐compatibilized nanocomposites were thermally more stable than the MAPP‐compatibilized nanocomposites. The mechanical and permeability properties of the EGMA‐compatibilized nanocomposites were better than those of the MAPP‐compatibilized nanocomposites. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2007
Behavioral conceptualizations and treatments of Tourette's syndrome: A review and overview
Authors: Houlihan Daniel , Hofschulte Lisa , Patten Christi
Published: June 2007

This article reviews behavioral conceptualizations and approaches to the treatment of Tourette's Syndrome. The main purpose of the review is to point out the importance of associated aberrant behaviors that frequently coincide with Tourette's and discuss the efficacy of behaviour therapy as a viable option in the treatment of the disorder. There is discussion of past and present treatments, as well as comments on possible future directions in the behavioral treatment of the disorder.
Brief report: The development of superstitious beliefs in the effectiveness of treatment of anger: Evidence for the importance of experimental program evaluation in applied settings
Authors: Moore Kevin J. , Shannon Kelly K.
Published: June 2007

Many youth placed in out of home care have serious anger and aggression problems. These youth create much administrative and staff frustration. This frustration can cause program administrators to look to new treatment modalities whether inside or outside of their specific milieu for the therapeutic solutions to these problems. This randomized control group study provides an example of the importance of experimental program evaluation when an applied setting begins a drift towards the use of new treatment modalities. The results showed that both treatment and control groups improved over time but that there was no differences between groups in the daily number of angry incidents, the number of youth negatively terminated from the program, or self‐report of state‐trait anger expression. The results also suggest that without this research the noneffective intervention would have continued to be funded and given causative status for the observed improvements in referred youth behavior into the foreseeable future. Moreover, the development of these types of superstitious beliefs may lead child care organizations to spend scarce dollars on expensive treatments that do not increase the efficacy of the treatment as usual. Thus, this study shows that there are potential economic and treatment efficacy reasons for the use of experimental program evaluation when new treatments are implemented.
Preparing direct service staff to teach people with severe disabilities: A comprehensive evalution of an effective and acceptable training program
Authors: Parsons Marsha B. , Reid Dennis H. , Green Carolyn W.
Published: June 2007

In light of the continuing need for residential, direct service staff to be able to teach people with severe disabilities, we comprehensively evaluated a program to train staff in behavioral teaching strategies. The program was developed and evaluated with attention given to recent concerns in the staff management literature regarding shortcomings with staff training research. The training program, involving a maximum of four, 2‐hr classroom instruction sessions and three in vivo observation and feedback sessions, was evaluated in four studies. In Study 1, the program was shown to improve verbal skills of 13 direct service staff regarding behavioral teaching principles and terminology. In Study 2, the program was demonstrated to improve performance based teaching skills of nine staff and four staff supervisors. In Study 3, the program was shown to result in improvements in adaptive skills of three clients with severe disabilities when direct care staff used their newly acquired teaching skills with the clients. In Study 4, the training program was shown to be well received among 17 staff trainees, although the trainees were more accepting of some program components than others. Results of the studies are discussed in regard to the importance of agencies providing effective and acceptable staff training programs. Future research areas also are noted, focusing on the need to determine, and minimize where possible, the amount of time required to conduct successful staff training.
Quality care in residential placement for children and youth with developmental disabilities
Authors: McDonald Linda , Owen Marya , McDonald Stewart
Published: June 2007

There is a growing concern for quality care in residential placements outside of the natural family for children and youth with developmental disabilities. Ideally, children with developmental disabilities should remain with their natural parent or parents of parents with appropriate supports until the age when children typically leave home. In reality, parents of children and youth with development disabilities are not always able or willing to care for their children at home, and alternate residential placements must be found. This paper will discuss some of the issues surrounding the provision of quality care in out‐of‐home residential placements for children and youth with developmental disabilities.
Validation of technical criteria for setting IPP goals for persons with developmental disabilities in residential settings
Authors: Dagnan David J. , Sturmey Peter
Published: June 2007

Data were collected from documentation from an annual IPP system on the technical adequacy of goals set and subsequently achieved. Goal characteristics coded included functionality of goal set (natural environment, natural materials, and age‐appropriateness), ideological characteristics (community presence, choices and decisions, maintaining and developing competence, positive social role, and community participation), behavioral technical adequacy (named person responsible, achievement date, and stated in measurable terms), and curriculum domain. Multiple regression analysis revealed that goals that were written in a technically correct fashion and that involved functional skills were more likely to be achieved. A greater variety of life goals predicted fewer goals being achieved.
Using sociometric measures to predict help seeking behaviors of youth in a positive peer culture program
Authors: Vincent James , Houlihan Daniel , Mitchell Patricia
Published: June 2007

Sociometric measures were used to predict help seeking behaviors of youth in a residential treatment center. Seventeen female adolescents with conduct disorders were asked to choose three peers in their group who were most popular, similar, and competent. These sociometric measures were correlated with the degree to which the participants would seek help from their peers across four problem scenarios representing actual situations encountered in residential settings. A multiple linear regression analysis suggested that sociometric measures of “competence” was the best predictor of intentions to seek help across the problem scenarios. Discussion focused on the implications of using sociometric measures within a residential treatment setting.
Toilet training children with sensory impairments in a residential school setting
Authors: Luiselli James K.
Published: June 2007

Acquisition of toileting skills is an essential educational objective for children with developmental disabilities. However, there are few empirical reports of toilet training programs for children who have developmental disabilities and combined sensory impairments. The present studies evaluated toileting programs for two children with multiple disabilities and vision and hearing deficits. The programs featured systematic prompting, scheduling, and reinforcement procedures that were applied in a residential school setting. Each child was successfully habit‐trained with results maintained 1–5 months posttraining. One of the children also demonstrated consistent, self‐initiated toileting.
The aversive nature of gentle teaching
Authors: Jones Robert S. P.
Published: June 2007

The proponents of gentle teaching have undertaken a sustained attack on the aversive nature of procedures used in applied behavior analysis and this attack was recently updated in an article (McGee, 1992) which suggested similarities between methods of torture and methods of applied behavior analysis. The relativity and contextual nature of aversiveness is discussed using examples from the gentle teaching literature itself and it is concluded that any intervention, be it contingent electric shock or “unconditional valuing,” can be regarded as aversive depending on the function of the problem behavior and specific circumstances surrounding the treatment administration.
Case study: The combined use of imipramine and behavior modification to reduce aggression in an adult male diagnosed as having autistic disorder
Authors: Hittner James B.
Published: June 2007

The present study examined the behavior decelerative effects of combined imipramine (tofranil) and behavior modification in a severely retarded, depressed autistic man. A simple interrupted time‐series design was conducted and the primary data analytic techniques consisted of modified trend analyses and dependent samples t‐tests. Consistent with previous theory and scant empirical research, results indicated that combined imipramine and behavior modification significantly reduced daily episodes of self‐directed and other‐directed aggression. Specifically, controlling for the effects of time, the combined treatment regimen led to significant reductions in both level and slope across three topographies of aggressive behavior. Limitations of the present study and recommendations for future research were discussed. It was concluded that combined imipramine and behavior modification may be an effective strategy for reducing aggression in the developmentally disabled.
An examination of response covariation in the behavioral treatment of identical twin boys with multiple behavioral disorders
Authors: Soutor Todd A. , Houlihan Daniel , Young April
Published: June 2007

This study examined the response covariation phenomenon in the behavioral treatment of a noncompliant, nonattentive child with autism in a school setting. The treatment consisted of reinforcement for compliance and attention. Results showed that the reinforcement of compliance was associated with increased levels of compliance, attending, and directed verbalizations. Sequential scatterplot data analysis suggested that compliance and attending directly covaried as a function of the reinforcement for compliance contingency. The results of this multiple treatment study suggests that reinforcement of compliance had the broadest positive effect for the subject since positive collateral changes were observed in attending and directed verbalizations when compliance was reinforced.
Testing for spontaneous use of requests after sign language training with two severely handicapped adults
Authors: Sigafoos Jeff
Published: June 2007

A variety of procedures have been used to promote spontaneous requesting in persons with developmental disabilities. However, effective use of such procedures depends in part on identifying the stimuli that gained control of requests during intervention. In the present study, two adults with severe disabilities were taught to request a preferred food item with a modified gesture for “eat.” After learning to respond when the trainer held up an item, an assessment of stimulus control was conducted to determine if requests would occur spontaneously, that is, without the trainer having to offer the item. One learner displayed a number of spontaneous requests during the assessment. Natural maintaining contingencies were then introduced to maintain his spontaneous requests. The other learner made no spontaneous requests during the initial assessment, but subsequent tests revealed that he sometimes requested as the trainer was about to display the item. It thus appeared that both learners were responding at an earlier point in the trial sequence. The results suggest that an assessment of stimulus control may be helpful when selecting strategies to promote spontaneous requesting.
Evaluating and improving residential treatment during group leisure situations: An independent replication
Authors: Sturmey Peter
Published: June 2007

This study reports an independent replication of Parson and Reid's (1993) Group active treatment procedure for adults with developmental disabilities. This study differed from the earlier study in that it took place over a 12‐month period, and involved all scheduled leisure activities from Monday through Sunday at all scheduled times of the day. In this study maladaptive behaviors decreased, the percentage of clients with materials increased, the percentage of clients receiving interactions increased, and the percentage of clients receiving social reinforcement increased as a function of the introduction of the Group active treatment. The data in the intervention phase were highly variable indicating that staff performance was a function of variables other than the intervention. Nevertheless, this procedure lead to a sustained improvement in the use of leisure time throughout the intervention period.
Direct comparisons between residential and community students on school performance measures in a public school setting
Authors: Vincent James , Kramer Jack J. , Shriver Mark , Spies Rob
Published: June 2007

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the school performance of residential youth who attended a public school setting. Direct comparisons were made between the residential youth and students in the community on a number of school measures. Results from a multivariate analysis of covariance indicated that the residential students had significantly lower grades, participated in significantly fewer extracurricular activities, and exhibited more problematic behaviors such as tardies and absences. These findings were consistent with previous research which found that many residential youth have a number of behavioral, social, and academic difficulties that interfere with school functioning. A number of recommendations were made regarding educational placement for residential youth.
Brief report: Effects of informational feedback on aluminum can recycling
Authors: Larson Michael E. , Houlihan Daniel , Goernert Phillip N.
Published: June 2007

The impact of informational feedback on the depositing of aluminum cans in recycling receptacles at a medium‐sized university was investigated. Informational signs were placed over 20‐recycling receptacles in three academic buildings. Each informational sign was placed at eye level, with the number of aluminum cans deposited for recycling during the previous week displayed in red digits. A 65% increase in the number of aluminum cans deposited in recycling receptacles with the informational signs was observed. Furthermore, removal of the informational signs was observed to reliably decrease the number of aluminum cans deposited. These results are discussed in the context of employing feedback to increase environmental protection behaviors.
Antecedent exercise as a treatment for disruptive behavior: Testing hypothesized mechanisms of action
Authors: Basile Vincent C. , Motta Robert W. , Allison David B.
Published: June 2007

This study evaluated the effects of antecedent physical exercise (AE) and a mastery task on behaviorally disturbed children's self‐concepts and rates of disruptive behaviors. In addition, we evaluated whether changes in self‐concept mediated any exercise induced changes in rates of disruptive behavior. Fifty‐eight children were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (a) antecedent exercise (jog/walk), (b) “mastery” task (a successive improvement miniaturebasketball shooting task), and (c) no treatment control group. A week of baseline was followed by 4 weeks of treatment and, finally another week of return to baseline. Results indicated that: (a) AE produced significantly less disruptive behavior than no treatment, (b) the “Mastery” task did not produce significantly less disruptive behavior than no treatment, (c) neither treatment produced increases in self‐concept relative to no treatment, and (d) changes in self‐concept did not mediate AE induced reductions in disruptive behaviors.
Case study: Controlling self‐injurious escape behaviors
Authors: Blindert H. Dieter , Hartridge Cheryl L. , Gwadry Fuad G.
Published: June 2007

The present study investigated the effects of a treatment program on the self‐injurious behaviors of a 12‐year‐old autistic male. Initial observations indicated that these behaviors functioned primarily as escape responses to terminate performance demands. For 1 year the subject received general compliance training with the frequency of demands being systematically increased through consecutive treatment weeks. The subject's self‐injurious behaviors were no longer reinforced by his escaping from demands nor did they receive social attention. Compliance to demands and appropriate behaviors in general were positively reinforced. The treatment produced substantial reductions in the rates of self‐injurious behaviors and increased compliance. Additionally, the intensity of the subject's self‐injurious behaviors decreased over the course of treatment. The present study suggests that the treatment approach is a reliable means of not only reducing self‐injurious behaviors but also expanding performance repertoires.