bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling and Compensation of the Thermal Error on Feed Drive System of CNC Grinding Machine
Authors: Peng W.C. , Wang Su Juan , Xia Hong Jian
Published: February 2016

Thermal errors cause serious dimensional errors to a workpiece in precision machining. A feed drive system generates more heat through friction at contact areas, such as the Linear encoder and the guide, thereby causing thermal expansion which affects machining accuracy. Therefore, the thermal deformation of a Linear encoder is one of the most important objects to consider for high-accuracy machine tools. This paper analyzes the increase of the temperature and the thermal deformation of a Linear encoder feed drive system. During temperature variation is measured by using thermocouples , meanwhile, the thermal error of the guide is measured by a laser interferometer. A thermal error model is proposed in this study by using back propagation neural network (BPN). An experiment is carried out to verify the thermal error of the guide under different feed rates and environmental temperature.
A Study of Tool Path Generation for Machining of Precision Roller with Wavy Patterned Microstructures by Slow Tool Servo
Authors: Kong Ling Bao , Cheung Chi Fai , Lee Wing Bun , To Suet , Wang Su Juan , Liu Ming Yu
Published: February 2016

Embossing by patterned rollers is one of the most efficient machining approaches for manufacturing plastic films with patterned microstructures, and the precision roller with patterned microstructures is the key tooling component in the roll-to-roll process. Single-point diamond turning with a slow or fast tool servo is an enabling and efficient ultra-precision machining process to fabricate microstructures through a simple process to achieve optical surface finish directly. Most of the current studies on slow or fast tool servo machining processes either focus on face machining of patterned microstructures, or on tool servo machining of microstructures in the radial direction of precision rollers. Relatively little research work is found in relation to machining patterned microstructures on a precision roller by using the tool servo in the axial direction. This paper presents a pilot study on the development of a tool path generator for machining precision rollers with wavy patterned microstructures by using slow tool servo machining in the axial direction on a precision roller. The machining mechanism is firstly explained, based on which the tool path generator is developed for machining wavy patterned microstructures on a precision roller surface. Preliminary experimental work was conducted to study the generation of wavy patterned microstructures on a precision roller using a four-axis ultra-precision machine. The machined wavy microstructures on the roller surface are measured and analyzed to successfully validate the performance of the proposed tool path generator.
Modeling of the Positioning Error in Ultra-Precision Machine Tools
Authors: Zou Hua Bing , Chen Xin Du , Xia Hong Jian
Published: February 2016

The positioning error of ultra-precision machine tools is the primary factor directly affecting the machining accuracy. It mainly depends on the machine tools guide. And its variation trend contains the same inertia as that of the machine tools movement. The variation trend of the positioning error is the derivative of a function fitted with the positioning errors of three adjacent testing points. The variation trends function is fitted with the variation trend of many points. The model of positioning error is the integral of the variation trends function. Because the variation trend of positioning error has certain inertia, the model of positioning error which is obtained in this way is more precise and more reliable than error function model which is directly fitted with limited discrete data.
Effects of Axial Spindle Vibration on Surface Generation in Ultra-Precision Diamond Turning
Authors: Zhang Shao Jian , To Suet
Published: February 2016

In ultra-precision diamond turning (UPDT), axial spindle vibration (ASP) plays a crucial role influencing nanometric surface quality. In this study, a simplified model for ASP is proposed to study its effects on surface generation in UPDT as the spindle is idealized as a mass-spring-damper system. Significantly, the model successfully explains that ASP induces radial patterns at a machined surface. More importantly, this proposed model can be employed to easily predict and understand the effects of ASP on surface generation in UPDT.
The Kinematics Research of Elliptical Vibration Polishing Based on the Vibration Parameter Optimization
Authors: Song Dun Lan , Zhao Ji , Ji Shi Jun , Wang Xin
Published: February 2016

Polishing, the last manufacturing procedure in the process of optics manufacturing, has been restricted by the existed contradictory propositions of efficiency and accuracy. As a result, a variety of new combined processing techniques put forward by researchers in many countries. While, elliptical vibration polishing (short as EVP) well considers efficiency and accuracy in machining. This paper focuses on the kinematics research of EVP tools, and proves the superiority of EVP through the vibration parameter optimization. Perfect tool path gets by the impact analysis of phase difference, frequency ratio and amplitude of the polishing tool. Meanwhile the optimum frequency for EVP is studied from the cost and efficiency perspective. The simulations reveal that the perfect tool path will be obtained in the following situations: phase difference at 90°, frequency ratio at 0.909, adjusts the tool vibration amplitude in consideration of minimum curvature radius in polishing area, and appropriately select the vibration frequency.
The Design of LED Fiber Automotive Headlamp
Authors: Wang B. , To Suet , Wang Wen Kui , Cheung Ka Chun
Published: February 2016

It's more and more common to use LED as the light source in automotive lighting. But heat dissipation and low light output of single die light source have restricted the LED to be the mainstream. To use fiber as light-transmitting component could perfectly resolve above weakness. In the paper a design method of LED fiber automotive headlamp is mentioned. And for COB (chip on board) LED, a mathematic model of TIR (total internal reflected) lens is proposed. It could effectively focus the rays emitted from surface light source.
BNP-guided therapy optimizes the timing of discharge and the medium term risk stratification in patients admitted for congestive heart failure
Authors: Valle Roberto , Aspromonte Nadia , Carbonieri Emanuele , De Michele Giorgio , Di Tano Giuseppe , Giovinazzo Prospero , Cioè Roberta , Di Giacomo Tiziana , Milani Loredano , Noventa Federica , Chiatto Mario
Published: February 2016

most important cause of hospitalizations and is associated with high cost. Despite a consistent body of data demonstrating the benefits of drug therapy in HF, persistently high rates of readmission, especially within six months of discharge, continue to be documented. Neurohormonal activation characterizes the disease; plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), is correlated with the severity of left ventricular dysfunction and relates to outcome. Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate if plasma levels of BNP would provide an index to guide drug treatment and to predict medium-term prognosis in HF patients (pts) after hospital discharge. Methods and Results: We evaluated 200 consecutive pts (age 77±10 (35–96) years, 49% male versus 51% female) hospitalized for HF (DRG 127). Standard echocardiography was performed and left ventricular systolic/diastolic function was assessed; plasma BNP levels were measured with a rapid point-of-care assay (Triage BNP Test, Biosite Inc, San Diego, CA) on days 1 and after initial treatment. Using a cut-off of 240 pg/ml and/or changes in plasma BNP (days 2-3 after admission), 2 groups were identified: the low BNP group-responders (n= 68, BNP 30% reduction) and the high BNP group-non responders (n = 132, BNP >= 240 pg/ml and/or < 30% reduction). The high BNP group showed a different pattern of clinical variables according to the severity of the disease New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, left ventricular ejection fraction, ischemic etiology and age. A sustained elevation of plasma BNP (> 240 pg/mL) indicated the presence of a clinical unstable condition requiring further intervention whereas pts with low BNP values were discharged after 24 hours. During a mean follow-up period of 3 months, there were 62 cardiac events, including 15 cardiac deaths, 22 readmissions for worsening heart failure and 25 clinical decompensation requiring diuretic treatment. The incidence of clinical events was significantly greater in pts with higher levels of BNP (admission and discharge) than in those with lower levels (42% vs. 10%) and plasma values > 500 pg/ml identified a subgroup at high risk of death. Conclusions: The influence of BNP in the clinical course and prognosis of patients hospitalized for HF has not been studied. After initial treatment pts need to be risk stratified by means of the BNP test, to guide further management and to identify subjects with poor prognosis. An aggressive therapeutic and follow-up strategy may be justified for pts with high BNP levels and/or no changes after hospital admission for worsening HF. The changes in plasma BNP level at discharge were significantly related to cardiac events.
Tuk-tuk, ‘new kid on the block’ in Johannesburg: Operational and user travel characteristics, competition and impacts
Authors: Mbara Tatenda C.
Published: January 2016

The three-wheeler tuk-tuk, popular in Asian cities is now a common feature in many cities worldwide, across all five continents. Their growth has been attributed to their distinctive flexibility, stylistic simplicity and modest operational costs. In Johannesburg, the tuk-tuk represents a relatively new mode of public transport which stemmed from suggestions made by the local area residents association and other stakeholders to revamp the neighbourhood. The objective of the paper is to determine the operational and user travel characteristics of tuk-tuks as well as assessing their impacts. In Johannesburg, where competition from private transport operators can result in serious confrontation, the paper ascertains whether tuktuks pose a threat to other operators. Data was collected through telephonic interviews and electronic questionnaires. The results reveal that the tuk-tuk has filled a public transport gap by providing a much needed ‘first mile’/‘last mile’ service to community members.
Stroke Prevention with Percutaneous Left Atrial Appendage Closure
Authors: Fahmy Peter , Saw Jacqueline
Published: February 2016

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia with increasing prevalence. AF is associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Cardioembolic stroke results as a consequence of thrombus formation within the left atrial appendage (LAA) in patients with AF and has a significant impact on our health system. Oral anticoagulation with either vitamin K antagonists or the novel anticoagulants is an effective medical therapy for prophylaxis against strokes in patients suffering from AF. Unfortunately, bleeding complications and compliance issues limit their use. A need for newer approaches have thereby been developed and studied such as percutaneous occlusion of the LAA. Several LAA occlusion devices have been developed, and with improved operator experience, they have been successful in stroke prevention in patients with nonvalvular AF and fewer periprocedural complications. This article reviews the use of percutaneous LAA occlusion devices in the prevention of cardioembolic stroke.
Dynamics of the Formation of the Nitrogen-Vacancy Center in Diamond
Authors: Silverman Amihai , Adler Joan , Kalish Rafi
Published: February 2016

We present results of simulations of the energetics and dynamics involved in the realization of the NV (nitrogen-vacancy) center in diamond. We use the self-consistent charge-density functional tight-binding approximation and show that when the nitrogen resides on a single substitutional site, it fails to attract a vacancy, hence no NV center can be formed. However, if it occupies a split interstitial site and two vacancies reside on the second or third neighbor sites, an NV center will form following annealing at temperatures as low as 300°C and 650°C, respectively. These results provide guidelines to experimentalists on how to increase the efficiency of NV formation in diamond.
Le mythe d'Œedipe-Roi en face du "molinisme" de grandes tragédies cornéliennes
Authors: Turk Boštjan Marko
Published: January 2016

Cet article vise à relever le dynamisme interne du drame cornélien. Le substrat sur lequel s'accomplit la comparaison est l'histoire du roi Œdipe, telle qu'elle a été inaugurée par Sophocle. Dans ce contexte, l'article explore le rôle du hasard ou l'hamartie présenté par Aristote. Il est à noter que la coïncidence prend un ascendant considérable dans la genèse de grandes tragédies (Le Cid, Horace, Cinna, La Mort de Pompée, Polyeucte, Suréna) bien que fonctionnellement elle n'apparaisse pas en toutes lettres, puisque il y a, à tout instant, un vecteur dans la disposition des événements théâtraux qui remet l'action sous l'emprise rationnelle des protagonistes. L'écrit présent explore davantage le caractère complémentaire de la notion de vraisemblance que celles du hasard et de l'hamartie. L'article consacre finalement une attention particulière à Œdipe de Corneille lui-même, révélant un paradoxe intéressant. La grande majorité de la pièce pourrait être interprétée comme la négation des forces qui, en dehors de tout contrôle, agiraient contre l'homme faisant de lui un pantin impuissant en face du destin, ce qui serait en accord avec les idées molinistes en vogue à l'époque. Pourtant les derniers vers de la tragédie éponyme raffermissent ostensiblement la prédisposition de la fatalité et semblent identifier - ex post - la pièce entière à l'enjeu qui tient en son pouvoir l'Œdipe-Roi de Sophocle. On pourrait donc fonder une présupposition que le hasard ou l'hamartie pourraient avoir plus d'emprise sur la structure profonde de l'œuvre cornélienne qu'il n'apparait au premier abord.
Is there drama in contemporary America? : is there postmodernism in American drama?: Shepard vs. Mamet - whose America is (more) real?
Authors: Bratić Vesna
Published: January 2016

Judged by the literary research conducted over the last decades of the previous and the first decade of this century, not only was drama an illegitimate offspring in the American literature but was also treated as a weak premature-born child in the postmodernist thought in general. A stage cohabitation of the postmodern experiment and a realist frame in the contemporary theatre is well illustrated by the two popular contemporary playwrights: Sam Shepard and David Mamet. By their creative opus, not only in the fields of drama and theatre, but also in other literary genres (poetry, essay) as well as in film, through a variety of different characters and situations, these two authors reveal a rich variety of the many possible variations of American social (con)text. The society will be read in their plays as a unique cultural text outside which, as Derrida said, there is nothing. America, its myths and contemporary cultural industry, its class, racial and gender conflicts and the two authors established a mutual set of influences. The playwrights borrow raw materials from the treasury of mass culture (or should it, to be true to the new consumer culture, be more appropriate to say a warehouse) break it down and re-assemble fragments into collages that articulate the contemporary issues in more condensed, more intense and more effective ways. Mamet and Shepard borrow from the contemporary culture only to pay it back with interest: they endow the cultural (con)text with a richer content, impregnated with meaning.
The analysis of Sandra Cisneros' House on Mango Steet based on social criticism of Gloria Anzaldúa's Borderlands: La Frontera
Authors: Grum Špela
Published: January 2016

The article deals with the main female characters that appear in Sandra Cisneros' collection of vignettes, House on Mango Street (1991). It sheds light on their lives and motives for their actions, through social criticism of Gloria Anzaldúa and the main points she establishes in her semi-autobiographical collection of essays Borderlands: La Frontera (1999). The topics Anzaldúa addresses give an insight into the Chicano identity, and the struggle of Chicano women in particular. Through her vantage point, I discuss gender roles, the immigrants' search for identity and their quest for a more dignified life, by trying to reconcile the antagonizing forces of the different parts of their identity.
Narrating the marginalized Oriental female: silencing the colonized subaltern
Authors: Gohar Saddik
Published: January 2016

A scrutinized reading of the early fiction of Naguib Mahfouz, particularly his masterpiece Midaq Alley, reveals that the author's outward tendency to offer what seems to be a neutral presentation of Egyptian-Arab women is thwarted by a hegemonic master narrative originated in local patriarchal traditions. It either marginalizes the female subaltern downsizing her role in the fictional canvas or conflates her with a status of gender inferiority by assigning her a role which conforms to her image in the patriarchal taxonomy of Oriental women. In other words, the authorial attempt to create an objective narrative of the male/ female controversy in Midaq Alley is totally undermined by a plethora of male voices dominating the fictional text and deploying patriarchal discourses about the depravity of the female race and the invalidity of women's struggle for independence. In this context, the paper argues that due to a hegemonic narrative mechanism, Mahfouz's representation of the female protagonist conforms to domestic patriarchal visions of femininity while on the surface it masks itself as a progressive image of womanhood.
Bibliography: Janez Stanonik
Authors: Pegan Vičič Kristina
Published: January 2016

Bibliography: Janez Stanonik
The importance of temporal collocation for the evaluation of aerosol models with observations
Authors: Schutgens N. A. J. , Partridge D. G. , Stier P.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. It is often implicitly assumed that over suitably long periods the mean of observations and models should be comparable, even if they have different temporal sampling. We assess the errors incurred due to ignoring temporal sampling and show that they are of similar magnitude as (but smaller than) actual model errors (20–60 %).Using temporal sampling from remote-sensing data sets, the satellite imager MODIS (MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and the ground-based sun photometer network AERONET (AErosol Robotic NETwork), and three different global aerosol models, we compare annual and monthly averages of full model data to sampled model data. Our results show that sampling errors as large as 100 % in AOT (aerosol optical thickness), 0.4 in AE (Ångström Exponent) and 0.05 in SSA (single scattering albedo) are possible. Even in daily averages, sampling errors can be significant. Moreover these sampling errors are often correlated over long distances giving rise to artificial contrasts between pristine and polluted events and regions. Additionally, we provide evidence that suggests that models will underestimate these errors. To prevent sampling errors, model data should be temporally collocated to the observations before any analysis is made.We also discuss how this work has consequences for in situ measurements (e.g. aircraft campaigns or surface measurements) in model evaluation.Although this study is framed in the context of model evaluation, it has a clear and direct relevance to climatologies derived from observational data sets.
Particle hygroscopicity and its link to chemical composition in the urban atmosphere of Beijing, China, during summertime
Authors: Wu Z. J. , Zheng J. , Shang D. J. , Du Z. F. , Wu Y. S. , Zeng L. M. , Wiedensohler A. , Hu M.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. Simultaneous measurements of particle number size distribution, particle hygroscopic properties, and size-resolved chemical composition were made during the summer of 2014 in Beijing, China. During the measurement period, the mean hygroscopicity parameters (κs) of 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 nm particles were respectively 0.16  ±  0.07, 0.19  ±  0.06, 0.22  ±  0.06, 0.26  ±  0.07, and 0.28  ±  0.10, showing an increasing trend with increasing particle size. Such size dependency of particle hygroscopicity was similar to that of the inorganic mass fraction in PM1. The hydrophilic mode (hygroscopic growth factor, HGF  >  1.2) was more prominent in growth factor probability density distributions and its dominance of hydrophilic mode became more pronounced with increasing particle size. When PM2.5 mass concentration was greater than 50 μg m−3, the fractions of the hydrophilic mode for 150, 250, and 350 nm particles increased towards 1 as PM2.5 mass concentration increased. This indicates that aged particles dominated during severe pollution periods in the atmosphere of Beijing. Particle hygroscopic growth can be well predicted using high-time-resolution size-resolved chemical composition derived from aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) measurements using the Zdanovskii–Stokes–Robinson (ZSR) mixing rule. The organic hygroscopicity parameter (κorg) showed a positive correlation with the oxygen to carbon ratio. During the new particle formation event associated with strongly active photochemistry, the hygroscopic growth factor or κ of newly formed particles is greater than for particles with the same sizes not during new particle formation (NPF) periods. A quick transformation from external mixture to internal mixture for pre-existing particles (for example, 250 nm particles) was observed. Such transformations may modify the state of the mixture of pre-existing particles and thus modify properties such as the light absorption coefficient and cloud condensation nuclei activation.
Observing local turbulence and anisotropy during the afternoon transition with an unmanned aerial system – a case study
Authors: Lampert A. , Pätzold F. , Lobitz L. , Martin S. , Lohmann G. , Canut G. , Legain D. , Bange J.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. The article analyses airborne observations of turbulence in vertical and horizontal direction during the afternoon transition from turbulently mixed to stably stratified atmospheric conditions. The data were obtained during four flights at 14:30, 16:30, 18:30 and 20:30 UTC with the Meteorological Mini Aerial Vehicle M2AV during the BLLAST field experiment in summer 2011, which corresponds to 16:30, 18:30, 20:30 and 22:30 local time. Sunset was at 19:42 UTC. The anisotropy ratio defined here as the ratio of the variance of horizontal to vertical wind speed changes during the afternoon transition from a mean value about 1 to a mean value around 2 about one hour before sunset and then to a mean value around 8 at around one hour after sunset. The strongly enhanced horizontal wind speed variance during stable conditions in the lowermost 400 m is explained by a nocturnal Low-Level Jet (LLJ) as a source for turbulence in the horizontal direction. The gradient Richardson number indicates the generation of turbulence for the first and last flight only, where turbulence was created by thermal convection during the first flight, and by wind shear during the last flight. The development and small-scale inhomogeneous distribution of an LLJ was further analysed with frequent radiosonde and wind profiler observations.
Characteristics of an aged organic "brown" aerosol in the urban Po Valley atmosphere
Authors: Costabile F. , Gilardoni S. , Barnaba F. , Di Ianni A. , Di Liberto L. , Dionisi D. , Manigrasso M. , Paglione M. , Poluzzi V. , Rinaldi M. , Facchini M. C. , Gobbi G. P.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. We characterize the atmospheric nondust aerosol having the strongest spectral dependence of light absorption (as indicated by the Absorption Angstrom Exponent, AAE) at visible wavelengths in the urban Po Valley. In situ ground measurements of aerosol spectral optical properties, PM1 chemical composition (HR-ToF-AMS), and coarse and fine size distributions, were carried out in Bologna, and data statistically analysed. Findings prove that a "brown" aerosol (AAE from 2.5 to 6) in the ambient atmosphere is composed by "droplet" mode particles enriched in aged organic aerosol (OA) and nitrate. We provide a comprehensive physico-chemical characterisation of this brown aerosol, including its spectral optical signature, and possible sources. To our knowledge, no previous work has considered these issues in the ambient atmosphere. We compared to literature to put findings in a broader perspective. There is consistency with recent "diluted" urban observations (airborne, and AERONET), and combustion chamber observations. Our study adds to these previous ones that the high AAE values featuring the "brown" aerosol depend on the OA to Black Carbon (BC) ratio more than on OA, and that the link between AAE and OA-to-BC (already observed for freshly emitted primary aerosols from biomass burning) does exist in the ambient atmosphere for this aged "brown" aerosol, as well. The comparison with studies on the composition evolution of OA in the atmosphere strengthens the result that this "brown" aerosol is an aged OA, and provides experimental evidence for the aged "brown" OA formation in the ambient atmosphere. Findings will have important atmospheric implications for modeling studies, and remote sensing observations, as regards the parametrization and identification of Brown OA, and Brown Carbon in the atmosphere.
Proof of concept for turbulence measurements with the RPAS SUMO during the BLLAST campaign
Authors: Båserud Line , Reuder Joachim , Jonassen Marius O. , Kral Stephan T. , Paskyabi Mostafa Bakhoday , Lothon Marie
Published: February 2016

Abstract. The micro-RPAS SUMO (Small Unmanned Meteorological Observer) equipped with a five hole probe (5HP) system for turbulent flow measurements has been operated in 49 flight missions during the BLLAST (Boundary-Layer Late Afternoon and Sunset Turbulence) field campaign in 2011. Based on data sets from these flights we investigate the potential and limitations of airborne velocity variance and TKE (Turbulent Kinetic Energy) estimations by an RPAS system with a take-off weight below 1 kg. The integration of the turbulence probe in the SUMO system was still in an early prototype stage during this campaign. The main shortcomings were the use of two different, unsynchronized data loggers for the 5HP flow measurements and the aircraft’s attitude data required for the motion correction, and the different sampling rate for both data sets. Therefore, extensive post-processing of the data was required in order to calculate the turbulence parameters. In addition, the fine-tuning of the autopilot was not fully optimized, leading to oscillations in the vertical velocity that the motion correction routine was not able to remove. A simple block-filter has been used for the removal of these oscillations. For a filter constant of 0.61 s, the SUMO data show a good agreement to sonic anemometer data for the integral parameter of σω, but there is still a distinct difference in the underlying energy spectrum of the data sets. Resulting estimates of TKE profiles, obtained from consecutive flight legs at different altitudes, show reasonable results, both with respect to the overall TKE level, as well as the temporal variation. A thorough discussion of the methods used and the identified uncertainties and limitations of the system for turbulence measurements is included and should help the developers and users of other systems with similar problems.
The effect of a dynamic soil scheme on the climate of the mid-Holocene and the Last Glacial Maximum
Authors: Stärz M. , Lohmann G. , Knorr G.
Published: January 2016

Abstract. In order to account for coupled climate–soil processes, we have developed a soil scheme which is asynchronously coupled to a comprehensive climate model with dynamic vegetation. This scheme considers vegetation as the primary control of changes in physical soil characteristics. We test the scheme for a warmer (mid-Holocene) and colder (Last Glacial Maximum) climate relative to the preindustrial climate. We find that the computed changes in physical soil characteristics lead to significant amplification of global climate anomalies, representing a positive feedback. The inclusion of the soil feedback yields an extra surface warming of 0.24 °C for the mid-Holocene and an additional global cooling of 1.07 °C for the Last Glacial Maximum. Transition zones such as desert–savannah and taiga–tundra exhibit a pronounced response in the model version with dynamic soil properties. Energy balance model analyses reveal that our soil scheme amplifies the temperature anomalies in the mid-to-high northern latitudes via changes in the planetary albedo and the effective longwave emissivity. As a result of the modified soil treatment and the positive feedback to climate, part of the underestimated mid-Holocene temperature response to orbital forcing can be reconciled in the model.
Integrated water system simulation by considering hydrological and biogeochemical processes: model development, with parameter sensitivity and autocalibration
Authors: Zhang Y. Y. , Shao Q. X. , Ye A. Z. , Xing H. T. , Xia J.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. Integrated water system modeling is a feasible approach to understanding severe water crises in the world and promoting the implementation of integrated river basin management. In this study, a classic hydrological model (the time variant gain model: TVGM) was extended to an integrated water system model by coupling multiple water-related processes in hydrology, biogeochemistry, water quality, and ecology, and considering the interference of human activities. A parameter analysis tool, which included sensitivity analysis, autocalibration and model performance evaluation, was developed to improve modeling efficiency. To demonstrate the model performances, the Shaying River catchment, which is the largest highly regulated and heavily polluted tributary of the Huai River basin in China, was selected as the case study area. The model performances were evaluated on the key water-related components including runoff, water quality, diffuse pollution load (or nonpoint sources) and crop yield. Results showed that our proposed model simulated most components reasonably well. The simulated daily runoff at most regulated and less-regulated stations matched well with the observations. The average correlation coefficient and Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency were 0.85 and 0.70, respectively. Both the simulated low and high flows at most stations were improved when the dam regulation was considered. The daily ammonium–nitrogen (NH4–N) concentration was also well captured with the average correlation coefficient of 0.67. Furthermore, the diffuse source load of NH4–N and the corn yield were reasonably simulated at the administrative region scale. This integrated water system model is expected to improve the simulation performances with extension to more model functionalities, and to provide a scientific basis for the implementation in integrated river basin managements.
Geochemical inverse modeling of chemical and isotopic data from groundwaters in Sahara (Ouargla basin, Algeria)
Authors: Slimani R. , Guendouz A. , Trolard F. , Moulla A.-S. , Hamdi-Aissa B. , Bourrié G.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. New samples were collected in the three major Saharan aquifers namely, the “Continental Intercalaire” (CI), the “Complexe Terminal” (CT) and the Phreatic aquifer (Phr) and completed with unpublished more ancient chemical and isotopic data. Instead of classical Debye-Hückel extended law, Specific Interaction Theory (SIT) model, recently incorporated in Phreeqc 3.0 was used. Inverse modeling of hydro chemical data constrained by isotopic data was used here to quantitatively assess the influence of geochemical processes: at depth, the dissolution of salts from the geological formations during upward leakage without evaporation explains the tran sitions from CI to CT and to a first pole of Phr (pole I); near the surface, the dissolution of salts from sebkhas by rainwater explains another pole of Phr (pole II). In every case, secondary precipitation of calcite occurs during dissolution. All Phr waters result from the mixing of these two poles together with calcite precipitation and ion exchange processes. These processes are quantitatively assessed by Phreeqc model. Globally, gypsum dissolution and calcite precipitation were found to act as a carbon sink.
Interactions between the Somali Current eddies during the summer monsoon: insights from a numerical study
Authors: Akuetevi C. Q. C. , Barnier B. , Verron J. , Molines J.-M. , Lecointre A.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. Three hindcast simulations of the global ocean circulation differing by resolution (1/4 or 1/12°) or parametrization or atmospheric forcing are used to describe the interactions between the large anticyclonic eddies generated by the Somali Current system during the Southwest Monsoon. The present investigation of the Somalian coherent eddy structures allows us to identify the origin and the subsequent development of the cyclones flanked upon the Great Whirl (GW) previously identified by Beal and Donohue (2013) in satellite observations and to establish that similar cyclones are also flanked upon the Southern Gyre (SG). These cyclones are identified as potential actors in mixing water masses within the large eddies and offshore the coast of Somalia. All three simulations bring to light that during the period when the Southwest Monsoon is well established, the SG moves northward along the Somali coast and encounters the GW. The interaction between the SG and the GW is a collision without merging, in a way that has not been described in observations up to now. During the collision the GW is pushed to the east of Socotra Island, sheds several smaller patches of anticyclonic vorticity, and often reforms into the Socotra Eddy, thus proposing a formation mechanism for that eddy. During this process the GW gives up its place to the SG. This process is robust throughout the three simulations.
Relations between environmental gradients and diversity indices of benthic invertebrates in lotic systems of northern Italy
Authors: Aschonitis V. G. , Castaldelli G. , Fano E. A.
Published: February 2016

Abstract. The relations between environmental gradients, as measured by 19 independent variables, and traditional diversity indices (taxonomic richness, diversity and evenness) of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in the lotic systems of northern Italy were analyzed. Redundancy analysis (RDA) was used to describe the response of taxa to environmental gradients. Diversity indices were analyzed using generalized linear models (GLMs) with explanatory variables the first two major RDA axes. The results from RDA showed that taxa variance is mostly explained by altitude/latitude and combined pollution gradients. Taxonomic richness and diversity was higher in the low polluted upland sites (LPUs) in comparison to high polluted lowland sites (HPLs), suggesting that headwater streams have higher taxonomic richness than downstream reaches. On the other hand, evenness was lower in LPUs, probably due to the dominance of some taxa (e.g., Plecoptera) that are more tolerant of colder conditions.
MATERIALS DEVELOPMENT FOR LOWERING ROLLING RESISTANCE OF TIRES
Authors: Zhang Ping , Morris Michael , Doshi Dhaval
Published: February 2016

Many countries are implementing regulatory programs to promote the use of transportation technologies that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and enhance fuel economy of vehicles. These regulatory programs create a need for more durable and fuel-efficient tires. The increased cost of fuel for motor vehicles creates another driving force for improving the fuel economy of vehicles. Commercial vehicle operators recognize that fuel cost is a major driver of the total operating cost; therefore, they increasingly demand tires that are optimized for reducing the fuel cost of a trucking fleet. Rolling resistance of truck tires accounts for about one-third of the power required to move a heavy-duty truck and is the second most important contributor, after engine loss, to the total energy loss of heavy-duty trucks. Other than tire designs, rubber compound hysteresis contributes to the rolling resistance of tires, which affects vehicle fuel economy. There is a significant market demand, due to governmental regulations, concerns for the environment, and cost savings to the consumers, for developing tread compounds or tread compound systems that can reduce tire rolling resistance while maintaining the treadwear and durability of truck tires. This paper reviews materials technologies developed for reducing the hysteresis loss of rubber compounds at high temperatures, hence lowering the rolling resistance of tires. Compounding approaches that can be used to lower the hysteresis loss of rubber compounds and to reduce rolling resistance of tires also are discussed. Developments in elastomers and reinforcing materials, including nanoparticles, are highlighted, with focus on the benefits of those polymers and particles in reducing the hysteresis loss at high temperatures of rubber compounds.
Preparing Teachers for Special and Inclusive Education: Applicability of a Model Developed in New Zealand to the English Speaking Caribbean
Authors: Pilgrim Marcia , Hornby Garry
Published: February 2016

The focus of this article is to discuss the issue of teacher preparation for special and inclusive education in the English speaking Caribbean. The article suggests how teacher preparation for special and inclusive education in the Caribbean could be improved by the implementation of a competency-based, e-learning training program that was developed in New Zealand. The New Zealand training program is described and a brief summary of findings of a study evaluating the effectiveness of the program is presented. Finally, the article highlights how the New Zealand program can be translated into the Caribbean context.
Using Confluence Theory to Make Unusual Predictions about Desire, Expectation, and Intention Attributions
Authors: Rice Stephen , Trafimow David , Mehta Rian
Published: February 2016

The intention attribution literature suggests that a success or a failure by a skilled person will result in a large difference in the intentions others will attribute to that person, but that this effect will be attenuated dramatically if the person is unskilled. The received literature is less clear about what to predict for desire attributions or expectation attributions. Based on a recent theory, the confluence theory (Trafimow, 2009), we predicted very little attenuation for desire attributions and only moderate attenuation for expectation attributions. These findings were confirmed across six experiments. Together, the experiments suggest an attenuation continuum where the attenuation effect increases as attributions pertain to variables more proximal to actual behavior.
Multiorganism, Drug-Resistant Keratitis Treated by Corneal Crosslinking
Authors: Kymionis George D. , Kouroupaki Anna I. , Liakopoulos Dimitrios A. , Arandjelovic Ivana R. , Tsoulnaras Konstantinos I.
Published: February 2016

Purpose

To describe a case of multiorganism, drug-resistant keratitis that responded well to corneal crosslinking (CXL) treatment.

Methods

A 52-year-old man presented to our institute with a 2-month ocular history of infectious keratitis in his right eye, on topical antibacterial, antifungal, and antiprotozoan treatment, and complained of increase in pain, discomfort, and visual deterioration. Slit-lamp examination revealed advanced infectious keratitis (extensive deep corneal infiltrate with perineuritis). Cultural and molecular analysis of obtained corneal specimens demonstrated combined fungal and Acanthamoeba infection; confocal microscopy confirmed Acanthamoeba infection. Intense targeted topical antifungal and antiprotozoan treatment was initiated immediately and 1 month later CXL was performed due to drug resistance of the infection.

Results

Two weeks after CXL treatment, the corneal findings had deteriorated, while a corneal abscess was formed and extended at almost half of the cornea. This was gradually limited and the corneal infiltrate and abscess were eventually decreased. In addition, the symptoms improved.

Conclusions

Corneal crosslinking could be an effective therapy in the management of advanced infectious keratitis unresponsive to conventional medical treatment.
Novel Perspectives on the Hepatitis B Virus Vaccine in the Chronic Kidney Disease Population
Authors: Fabrizi Fabrizio , Martin Paul , Messa Piergiorgio
Published: January 2016

Background

The prevalence and incidence rates of hepatitis B virus (HBV) among patients undergoing maintenance dialysis in developed countries have declined over the last 2 decades thanks to the implementation of numerous infection control procedures in dialysis units, including the hepatitis B vaccine. It is well known that the immune response against HBV vaccine is unsatisfactory in the chronic kidney disease (CKD) population. The seroprotection rate after the HB vaccine schedule is low and the anti-HB titers are reduced, falling logarithmically over time.

Purpose

We did an extensive review of the medical literature on the mechanisms underlying the reduced response rate towards the HBV vaccine in patients with CKD. The efficacy and safety of HBV vaccines for use in the CKD population was also evaluated.

Results

Currently available vaccines against HBV are mostly plasma-derived or manufactured by recombinant DNA technology (yielding the S protein of the HBV envelope). The most promising strategy to enhance the immune response toward the HBV vaccine in the dialysis population is given by adjuvanted vaccines. Second-generation recombinant HB vaccines provided with a novel adjuvant (AS04, made of 3- O-4′-desacyl-monophosphoryl lipid A adsorbed on aluminum phosphate) demonstrated improved immunogenicity but a number of patients with an unsatisfactory response still occurs. Additional second-generation vaccines containing nonaluminum-based adjuvant systems such as AS02 (3- O-desacyl-4′-monophoshoryl lipid A and QS21) or 1018 (a Toll-like receptor 9 agonist) have shown higher immunogenicity and acceptable safety in the CKD population. The evidence in patients with end-stage renal disease is extremely limited on the use of third-generation vaccines, recombinant HBV vaccines expressed in mammalian cells containing S/Pre-S antigens.

Conclusions

The immunogenicity of HBV vaccines in patients with CKD is suboptimal but novel technologies promise to give better results in the near future.
Application of OECI Accreditation Program to Cancer Institutes of the Alleanza Contro il Cancro Italian Network: A Special Project Supported by the Italian Ministry of Health
Authors: Paradiso Angelo , Belardelli Filippo
Published: February 2016

The Ministry of Health of the Italian government requires for Italian Comprehensive Cancer Centers, called Istituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), to be certified according to international models. In this perspective, considering of particular interest the recent model for accreditation of cancer centers developed by the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI), the network of Italian IRCCS participating in Alleanza Contro il Cancro activated a project, supported in 2010 by the Ministry of Health, with the primary objective to verify the applicability of the OECI model to the Italian network of IRCCS. All 11 cancer IRCCS took part in the project. We describe in detail the activities performed, the results reached, and the impact of the initiative on the National Health Service. The initiative was concluded in November 2015 with the certification of all the Italian cancer IRCCS. Italy is the only European country that has applied the modern and tailored accreditation model of OECI to all their cancer centers.
The OECI Certification/Designation Program: The Genoa Experience
Authors: Orengo Giovanni , Pronzato Paolo , Ferrarini Manlio
Published: February 2016

Accreditation and designation procedures by the Organisation of European Cancer Institutes (OECI) have represented a considerable challenge for most of the Italian cancer centers. We summarize the experience of the San Martino-IST in Genoa, which, on the whole, was satisfactory, albeit demanding for the staff. The reorganization of most oncology/hematology operations within the disease management teams was probably the key point that allowed us to obtain approval as it brought about the possibility of bringing in uniform methods of diagnosis/treatment, increasing patient recruitment in clinical trials, and fostering translational research by promoting collaboration between clinicians and laboratory investigators. The creation of a more cohesive supportive and terminal care team facilitated both the OECI procedures as well as the operations within the institution. Finally, some considerations are added to the doctor and nurse management roles in Italian hospitals characterized by noticeable differences from northern Europe. These differences may represent an extra challenge for hospital management and evaluator teams more used to the northern European type of organization.
The Chapeau of the General Exceptions in the WTO GATT and GATS Agreements: A Reconstruction
Authors: Bartels Lorand
Published: February 2016

One of the most important issues in the law of the World Trade Organization is the right of WTO members to adopt measures for nontrade purposes. In the WTO’s General Agreement. on Tariffs and Trade (GATT 1994) and General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS), this right is secured in general exceptions provisions, which permit WTO members to adopt measures to achieve certain objectives, notwithstanding any other provisions of these agreements and also, in some cases, other WTO agreements. These objectives include, most importantly, the protection of public morals, the maintenance of public order, the protection of human, animal, or plant life or health, the enforcement of certain domestic laws, and the conservation of exhaustible natural resources.
Cyprus v. Turkey
Authors: Solomou Alexia
Published: February 2016

In a judgment rendered on May 12, 2014, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (Court) ordered Turkey to pay Cyprus unprecedented sums for nonpecuniary damage suffered by the relatives of missing persons and by the “enclaved” Greek Cypriot residents of the Karpas Peninsula stemming from the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 and its aftermath. In doing so, the Court applied Article 41 on just satisfaction of the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (European Convention or Convention) to an interstate complaint for the first time.