bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of health behaviors and their associated factors among a sample of university students in India
Authors: Peltzer Karl , Pengpid Supa , Mohan Krishna
Published: January 2014

Objective: With advances in knowledge about health promotion, public health professionals are in search for the determinants of personal health behaviors. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of health behaviors and its associated factors in a sample of Indian university students.

Materials and methods: Using a cross-sectional survey, we assessed health behavior among a sample of randomly selected university students. The sample included 800 university students from non-health (mainly engineering and sciences) undergraduate courses of Gitam University, Visakhapatnam in India. The students were 541 (67.6%) males and 259 (32.4%) females in the age range of 17–20 years (Median age=18.2 years, SD=1.0).

Results: On average, students engaged in 15.8 out of 25 health behavior practices. There was a high rate of overweight and obesity (26.8% and 10.7%, respectively), low rate of brushing teeth at least twice a day (28.6%), annual dental check-up (25.8%), habitual seatbelt use (23%), and poor dietary patterns (79% ate less than the recommended fruit and vegetable consumption of five servings a day, and 68.5% did not avoid eating fat and cholesterol). In multivariate analysis among men, personal constraints (Odds Ratio=OR 1.75, Confidence Interval=CI 1.09–2.82), health benefits (OR=2.01, CI=1.27–3.17), and not suffering from depression (OR=0.60, CI=0.22–0.94) were associated with the health behavior index. Among women, those who were living away from their parents or guardians (OR=1.94, CI=1.06–3.55), economically better off (OR=2.16, CI=1.00–4.63), and had higher social support (OR=3.65, CI=1.75–7.63), were associated with the health behavior index.

Discussion: Students had a high proportion of health behavior practices. Several high health risk practices were identified, including overweight, poor dental practices, poor dietary and sleeping habits. It is hoped that the gender-specific predictors identified, including sociodemographics as well as social and mental health variables, can also be utilized in designing health promotion programs.
Influence of the Photoreactor Configuration and of Different Light Sources in the Photocatalytic Treatment of Highly Polluted Wastewater
Authors: Vaiano Vincenzo , Sacco Olga , Stoller Marco , Chianese Angelo , Ciambelli Paolo , Sannino Diana
Published: January 2014

In this study, a highly polluted wastewater from tannery industry is treated by photocatalysis using home-made N-doped TiO2 as catalyst. The doping by nitrogen of titania particles leads to a reduction in the absorption threshold from 3.2 to 2.5 eV, permitting the absorption of radiation characterized by a wavelength in the visible spectrum.Experiments were carried out by using different light sources, in particular white LEDs, blue LEDs, and UV lamps, with the aim to evaluate the process efficiency at different operating conditions. The obtained performances were compared with those using an undoped commercial TiO2 catalyst (Degussa P25).Moreover, a simplified mathematical model capable to correlate the power input of the used light sources, the geometrical properties of the reactor, and emitting sources spectra with the performances of the photocatalytic reaction was developed.
Multiphase High-Frequency Isolated DC–DC Converter for Industrial Applications
Authors: Maurya Rakesh , Srivastava S. P. , Agarwal Pramod
Published: January 2014

Industrial applications such as welding, plasma cutting, and surface hardening require a large DC current at low voltage. In such applications, the rating of power supply varies from few kilowatts to hundreds of kilowatts. The power supply employs in such applications particularly in arc welding process is expected to operate from open-circuit (no-load) to short-circuit (when the electrode sticks to the workpiece for a short span of time) quickly. In this paper, high-frequency isolated multiphase DC–DC converter is proposed which is well suited for aforementioned applications. Based on mathematical analysis, a simulation study with 5 kW, 5 V/1,000 A proposed model is carried out using Simulink block set and Sim Power System tool box and its performances are evaluated under symmetrical control methods. To verify the simulation results, scaled prototype model of rating 1.5 V/100 A is developed and tested with aforementioned control method under different operating conditions. In comparison with conventional welding power supply employed in many industries, the performance of proposed converter is improved significantly in terms of size and weight, efficiency and dynamic response.
Investigation on Swirling Gas-particle Hydrodynamics Using an Improved Momentum Transfer Coefficient
Authors: Li Guohui , Liu Yang , Liu Jian
Published: January 2014

Based on the Wen's 1966 empirical momentum transfer coefficient relation of gas-particle two-phase turbulent flows, a new model to make up for the discontinuous characteristics is developed using a three-stage continuous function with switch weight function. Incorporated into the kinetic theory of granular flows to consider particle collisions and the unified second-order moment two phase turbulent model, it is utilized to predict the hydrodynamics of swirl gas-particle turbulent flows and the validation from the experimental measurements by Sommerfeld and Qiu 1991 is also carried out as well. Numerical simulated results showed that the prediction results by this model are well in agreements with experimental results. The particle dispersion distributions have the distinctively anisotropic behaviors due to complicated effects of centrifugal force, turbulent diffusion and particle inertia, which are quietly different from gas flows. Meanwhile, distributions of axial-axial particle-gas correlated velocity fluctuation is always greater than axial-tangential particle-gas and the tangential-tangential particle-gas velocity fluctuation is also greater than tangential-axial particle-gas phase. At the stronger shear and the vortex flow regions, its results agreed with experiments are much better than Wen's model.
Recent advances in the analysis of nanotube-reinforced polymeric biomaterials
Authors: Reddy J.N. , Unnikrishnan Vinu U. , Unnikrishnan Ginu U.
Published: January 2014

Conventional experimental or computational techniques are often inadequate for the analysis and development of nanocomposite-based materials as they are tedious (e.g., experimental methods) or are unsuitable to capture the properties of these novel materials (e.g., conventional computational techniques), thereby requiring multiscale computational strategies. During the last 5 years, major developments were made by the authors on the formulation and implementation of multiscale computational models, using atomistic simulation and micro-mechanics-based techniques, to study the mechanical and thermal behavior of nanocomposite-based materials. In this article, the advances made in the computational analysis of nanocomposites for tissue engineering applications (e.g., scaffolds and bioreactors) would be discussed. The material properties of the nanocomposites in the lower scales were determined using molecular dynamics, and were then transferred to the macroscale using various homogenization techniques. Also in this article, the authors discuss the development of a theory of mixture-based finite element model for nutrient flow in a hollow fiber membrane bioreactor and the use of computational tools to improve the efficiency of the bioreactor.
Wedge disclination dipole in an embedded nanowire within the surface/interface elasticity
Authors: Shodja Hossein M. , Rezazadeh-Kalehbasti Shaghayegh , Gutkin Mikhail Yu
Published: January 2014

The elastic behavior of an arbitrary oriented wedge disclination dipole located inside a nanowire, which in turn is embedded in an infinite matrix, is studied within the surface/interface theory of elasticity. The corresponding boundary value problem is provided using complex potential functions. The potential functions are defined through modeling the wedge disclination in terms of an equivalent distribution of edge dislocations. The interface effects on the stress field and strain energy of the disclination dipole and image forces acting on it, the influence of relative shear moduli of the nanowire and the matrix, as well as the different characteristics of the interface are studied thoroughly. It is shown that the positive interface modulus leads to increased strain energy and extra repulsive forces on the disclination dipole. The noticeable effect of the negative interface modulus is the non-classical oscillations in the stress field of the disclination dipole and an extra attractive image force on it.
Gradient models in molecular biophysics: progress, challenges, opportunities
Authors: Bardhan Jaydeep P.
Published: January 2014

In the interest of developing a bridge between researchers modeling materials and those modeling biological molecules, we survey recent progress in developing nonlocal-dielectric continuum models for studying the behavior of proteins and nucleic acids. As in other areas of science, continuum models are essential tools when atomistic simulations (e.g., molecular dynamics) are too expensive. Because biological molecules are essentially all nanoscale systems, the standard continuum model, involving local dielectric response, has basically always been dubious at best. The advanced continuum theories discussed here aim to remedy these shortcomings by adding nonlocal dielectric response. We begin by describing the central role of electrostatic interactions in biology at the molecular scale, and motivate the development of computationally tractable continuum models using applications in science and engineering. For context, we highlight some of the most important challenges that remain, and survey the diverse theoretical formalisms for their treatment, highlighting the rigorous statistical mechanics that support the use and improvement of continuum models. We then address the development and implementation of nonlocal dielectric models, an approach pioneered by Dogonadze, Kornyshev, and their collaborators almost 40 years ago. The simplest of these models is just a scalar form of gradient elasticity, and here we use ideas from gradient-based modeling to extend the electrostatic model to include additional length scales. The review concludes with a discussion of open questions for model development, highlighting the many opportunities for the materials community to leverage its physical, mathematical, and computational expertise to help solve one of the most challenging questions in molecular biology and biophysics.
Surface waves in homogenous visco-elastic media of higher order under the influence of surface stresses
Authors: Sethi Munish , Gupta K.C. , Rani Monika , Vasudeva A.
Published: January 2014

The aim of the present paper is to investigate the surface waves in a homogeneous, isotropic, visco-elastic solid medium of nthorder, including time rate of strain under the influence of surface stresses. The theory of generalized surface waves is developed to investigate particular cases of waves such as the Stoneley, Rayleigh, and Love waves. Corresponding equations have been obtained for different cases. These are reduced to classical results, when the effects of surface stresses and viscosity are ignored.
Paare und Familien in der Anzeigenwerbung – eine interkulturelle Studie
Authors: Pittner Karin , Beaizak Mohamed
Published: January 2014

Whereas the representation of women in advertisements has been intensively described and also the representation of men has found some attention during the last decade, couples and families have attracted less interest so far.

The influential study by Goffman (1981) serves as a reference point in order to find out whether the representation of men and women has changed in the last decades in advertising in Western culture. It turns out that couples and families are often portrayed in a traditional way, but also the emancipation of women from their traditional role as mothers and housewives is reflected in German advertising.

It becomes evident by a comparison with advertisements from journals in Arabic countries, that the representation of the sexes, of couples and families is subject to expectations and norms that are specific to the different cultures. Arabian advertising exhibits a broad range in that it may be completely standardized according to Western norms or is adapted in various degrees to the cultural norms of Arabic countries and Islamic values. While there is a smaller percentage of representations of couples in Arabic advertising, couples are more often portrayed together with children. This shows a close relationship between marriage and parenthood and the higher value of children in Arabic countries. Naked body parts and allusions to sexual relationships occur less often than in German advertising and also a lying body position is avoided. The higher social status of men is reflected in their position in the advertisements. In contrast to German advertising, women are more often represented in their traditional role as housewives and mothers.
Zur Kompetenzvermittlung in den Übersetzungslehrbüchern „Verstehen und Übersetzen“ und „Fertigkeit Übersetzen“
Authors: Ramolla Maria
Published: January 2014

The aim of the present article is to analyse how translation competence is taught in the textbooks for self-study „Verstehen und Übersetzen. Ein Lehr- und Arbeitsbuch“ (Kußmaul 2010²) and „Fertigkeit Übersetzen. Ein Kurs zum Übersetzenlehren und -lernen“ (Nord 2010) as examples. The focal point of this analysis is the study of the contents of these textbooks, using the areas of competence defined in the EMT framework as point of reference. Moreover, the structure of the books, the use of elements of metacommunication, the choice of exercises and the objectives of the authors themselves are taken into account.
„… wo der Dollmetsch allzeit interpretirt.“
Authors: Reiter Clara
Published: January 2014

The present article focuses on court interpreters at the Imperial court of Vienna, who were employed in the Habsburg Monarchy from the early 16th century until the end of the 19th century. Based on the methodological concepts of professional intercultures introduced by Anthony Pym the article discusses the question whether or not court interpreters formed a professional group at the court. Different aspects of their profession such as competencies, remuneration, duties, reputation and their place in the organization of the court are discussed. For the application of Anthony Pyms model it will be shown that two main components, time and the intern differentiation of the group, are necessary to apply the model on a professional group like the court interpreters that was a highly complex group characterized by strong changes throughout their existence.
Kollokationen in der Übersetzerausbildung: ein korpuslinguistischer Ansatz
Authors: Yepes Guadalupe Ruiz
Published: January 2014

Students usually learn very quickly to deal with pragmatic and cultural translation problems, but very frequently lapse into repeating linguistic translation errors. A considerable amount of these errors are related to the use of collocations. This paper focuses on how to solve translation problems related to collocations by using corpus search techniques. Firstly, it gives an insight into the achievements obtained by using corpus linguistics methods in the teaching of a foreign language and in the training of translators. Secondly, different definitions of collocations will be presented and the strengths and limitations of different methods for the extraction of collocations from corpora will be commented. To round off this article, different parallel and comparable corpora will be presented and some corpus-based and corpus-driven exercises with comparable and parallel corpora will be designed to solve translation problems related to collocations.
Die Übersetzung eines spanischen notariellen Dokuments: eine Fallstudie
Authors: Holl Iris , Elena Pilar
Published: January 2014

As is widely known, when translators immerse themselves in new specialized fields they need to acquire knowledge of the topic and textual structure, without which it would be virtually impossible to interpret the source text (ST) meaning correctly. This is why we believe that developing quick and efficient acquisition of new knowledge must be a priority of translator training. In what follows, we present a case study method applied to German-language Ehevertrag, i.e. prenuptial agreements, which are a very specific type of notarial document. The method is applied in four phases. During the first phase, an initial diagnosis of pre-existing knowledge is conducted, leading to a second stage of case description and examination of all possibilities and/or alternatives available for systematic documentation. Once all available new information has been selected and prioritized in what comprises the third stage of our method, possible conclusions are drawn and applied not only to the task of interpreting the ST but also to the fourth-stage task of planning strategies and techniques for translating the ST.
Kreativität im Translationsunterricht
Authors: Kempa Thomas
Published: January 2014

This paper deals with the question how to use the creative resources of students in translation classes. It starts from the basic premise that every explicit concscious action, like formulating a translation, has its basis in implicit knowledge (cf. Joachim Renn, Übersetzungsverhältnisse). The explicitation of implicit knowledge always is an individual creative act which potentially differs (similar to Derrida’s differance) from every other act of translating the same item. By inducing the students to accept the fact of the creativity of human action the question of right and wrong in translation is relativized without abandoning a pragmatic grounding for the ensuing differing translations.
Parametric investigations on proton conducting membrane by radiation induced grafting of 4-vinylpyridine onto poly(vinylidene fluoride) and phosphoric acid doping
Authors: Shamsaei E. , Nasef M. M. , Saidi H. , Yahaya A. H.
Published: January 2014

Proton conducting membrane composed of grafted basic moiety doped with phosphoric acid (PA) was studied. The membrane
denoted as PVDF-g-4-VP/PA was prepared by radiation induced grafting of 4-vinylpyridine (4-VP) onto poly(vinylidene fluoride)
(PVDF) films followed by doping with PA. The effect of grafting conditions on the degree of grafting (G%) was
investigated. The acid doping conditions (G%, time and PA concentration) were also investigated with respect to
doping level. The grafted precursors and the acid doped membranes were characterized by means of Fourier transform infrared
(FTIR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and field
emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM). The membranes showed a thermal stability up to a temperature of ∼ 160 ℃, above which they undergo a multi-step degradation pattern due to decomposition of the protonated
functions, poly(4VP) grafts and PVDF matrix, respectively. The proton conductivities of the membranes were found to increase
with the increase in G% ( doping level) and the temperature with a maximum proton conductivity of 62 mS cm−1
achieved at 100 ℃ without any humidification. The results of the present study show that the prepared membrane
has a potential to be proposed for operating polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell above 80 ℃.
A novel 11β-HSD1 inhibitor improves diabesity and osteoblast differentiation
Authors: Park Ji Seon , Bae Su Jung , Choi Sik-Won , Son You Hwa , Park Sung Bum , Rhee Sang Dal , Kim Hee Youn , Jung Won Hoon , Kang Seung Kyu , Ahn Jin Hee , Kim Seong Hwan , Kim Ki Young
Published: January 2014

Selective inhibitors of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) have considerable potential as treatment for osteoporosis as well as metabolic syndrome including type 2 diabetes mellitus. Here, we investigated the anti-diabetic, anti-adipogenic, and anti-osteoporotic activity of KR-67500, as a novel selective 11β-HSD1 inhibitor. Cellular 11β-HSD1 activity was tested based on a homogeneous time-resolved fluorescence method. Oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and insulin tolerance test (ITT) levels were measured in diet-induced obese (DIO)-C57BL/6 mice administered KR-67500 (50 mg/kg per day, p.o.) for 28 days and, additionally, its anti-diabetic effect was evaluated by OGTT and ITT. Thein vitroanti-adipogenic effect of KR-67500 was determined by Oil Red O Staining. Thein vitroanti-osteoporotic activity of KR-67500 was evaluated using bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2)-induced osteoblast differentiation and receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclast differentiation model systems. KR-67500 improved thein vivoglucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in DIO-C57BL/6 mice. KR-67500 suppressed cortisone-induced differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells into adipocytes. KR-67500 enhanced BMP2-induced osteoblastogenesis in C2C12 cells and inhibited RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis in mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages. KR-67500, a new selective 11β-HSD1 inhibitor, may provide a new therapeutic window in the prevention and/or treatment of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and/or osteoporosis.
Asymptomatic Tonsillar Herniation in a Neonate With Cleidocranial Dysplasia
Authors: Myers Kenneth A. , Thomas Mary Ann , Wei Xing-Chang , Scantlebury Morris H.
Published: January 2014

A male neonate was antenatally diagnosed with cleidocranial dysplasia on the basis of prenatal ultrasound findings and molecular testing of the RUNX2 gene. The patient presented with urosepsis at 24 days of life and subsequently developed apneas after endoscopic examination of the vocal cords. Computed tomography and MRI studies of the head revealed crowding of the posterior fossa with tonsillar and uncal herniation. Apneas were initially thought to be related to brainstem compression; however, the patient responded immediately to caffeine and subsequently stabilized with antibiotic therapy. To our knowledge, this is the first published MRI study of the brain of a neonate with cleidocranial dysplasia to demonstrate the striking posterior fossa findings seen secondary to the reduced bony skull structures. However, despite the dramatic herniation, brainstem function was not compromised.
Rebuilding Woolwich Arsenal clock tower, London, UK
Authors: Foster Jeremy V.
Published: January 2014

In October 2008 the £70 million Warren Development at Woolwich Arsenal in London, UK was 90% complete when the historic clock tower suffered almost total destruction following impact by a large earth-moving digger. The project team employed rigorous investigation, traditional detailing, minimal intervention and detailed analytical techniques in the restoration. This case study takes a chronological journey through the events following the collapse to the completed restoration. At each stage the attention to conservation best practice is emphasised as empowering the entire reinstatement process. The following aspects are covered in detail: initial assessment, background research, survey, salvage, logging, testing, modelling, analysis, scheme design, interrogation of proposals, appropriate detailing, reconstruction and finishing. Through cross-referencing to conservation guidelines the author provides the argument that it is the attention to conservation best practice that allows the successful delivery of this sensitive restoration project both in terms of heritage and cost effectiveness. The project reinstated 85% of the original materials of the clock tower and helped ensure its future. This project was shortlisted for the ICE 2011 London Heritage Award and inclusion in Open House London.
Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis of the Effect of Various Laser Wavelengths in the Treatment of Peri‐Implantitis
Authors: Kotsakis Georgios A. , Konstantinidis Ioannis , Karoussis Ioannis K. , Ma Xiaoye , Chu Haitao
Published: January 2014

Background: The primary aim of this systematic review is to address the following focused question: Is laser therapy, as a monotherapy or as an adjunctive therapy, an efficacious treatment modality for patients with peri‐implantitis?

Methods: The PubMed database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were electronically searched, complemented by manual searches up to June 2013.

Results: The search yielded 137 titles and abstracts. After initial screening, 15 of 137 publications were scrutinized during the second phase of the review. In the second phase, nine articles were excluded from the analysis and six controlled, clinical studies were selected. Narrative synthesis of the results revealed that non‐surgical laser treatment with a single application of either an erbium:yttrium‐aluminum‐garnet (Er:YAG) (2,940‐nm) laser or a diode (660‐nm) laser in combination with a phenothiazine chloride dye is efficient in controlling inflammation around treated implants for at least 6 months following intervention, whereas it has only a mild effect on reduction in probing depth (PD) and gain in clinical attachment level (CAL). There is limited information regarding the clinical application of the CO2 (10.6‐µm) laser in the surgical treatment of peri‐implantitis; however, its use may be promising. A meta‐analysis could be performed only for the efficacy of Er:YAG laser due to the heterogeneity of the studies and the limited amount of data available. Meta‐analysis did not reveal statistically significant evidence for treatment effects in reducing PD and CAL levels in comparison to controls.

Conclusions: Based on the limited information currently available, any superiority of laser treatment in comparison to conventional treatment of peri‐implantitis could not be identified. Considering the high heterogeneity and the low number of included studies, the authors cautiously conclude that non‐surgical laser therapy may be investigated as phase I therapy for the treatment of peri‐implantitis. Future research should emphasize detailed description of the specific laser characteristics and power settings in clinical studies.
Consequence management of chemical intrusion in water distribution networks under inexact scenarios
Authors: Afshar Abbas , Najafi Ehsan
Published: January 2014

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s Response Protocol Toolbox provides a list of recommendations on actions that may be taken to minimize the potential threats to public health following a contamination threat. This protocol comprises three steps: (1) detection of contaminant presence, (2) source identification and (3) consequence management. This paper intends to explore consequence management under source uncertainty, applying Minimize Maximum Regret (MMR) and Minimize Total Regret (MTR) approaches. An ant colony optimization algorithm is coupled with the EPANET network solver for structuring the MMR and MTR models to present a robust method for consequence management by selecting the best combination of hydrants and valves for isolation and contamination flushing out of the system. The proposed models are applied to network number 3 of EPANET to present its effectiveness and capabilities in developing effective consequence management strategies.
Annual Risk of Tuberculosis Infection in Hellenic Air Force Recruits
Authors: Garyfalia Vlachou , Irini Gerogianni , Vasilios Skoufaras , Konstantinos Gourgoulianis
Published: January 2014

Background:

The annual risk of Tuberculosis infection (ARTI) is a key indicator in epidemiology, of the extent
of transmission in a community. There have been several suggested methods in order to evaluate the prevalence of
Tuberculosis infection using tuberculin skin data. This survey estimates the ARTI in young Hellenic air force recruits. The
effect of BCG vaccination has also been investigated.

Materials and Methods:

During the period November 2006-November 2007 tuberculin skin tests were conducted to
estimate the prevalence of mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and also to determine the ARTI. Tuberculin PPD-RT 23,
dose 2 IU was used in 7.492 Greek air force military recruits with a mean age of 23.57 years. All recruits were examined
for previous bacill Calmette-Guérin vaccination through BCG scar. A vast number of personal, epidemiological
significance, data of the participants was collected.

Results:

The ARTI was 0.2%, in those who were not previously BCG vaccinated; this was derived from a tuberculin skin
test cut-off point of 10 mm. There were not any statistically significant differences, neither between urban and rural
population concerning the positivity of the tuberculin skin test, nor among the population in recent contact with
immigrants from high-incidence countries.

Conclusion:

The estimated ARTI among non BCG vaccinated young Greek men is 0.2%.
A Chemical Lost Circulation Agent for Severe Leakage in Drilling
Authors: Lv Kaihe , Zhong Hanyi , Ren Guanlong
Published: January 2014

This study presents a chemical lost circulation agent with some distinct advantages that make it suitable for use in controlling severe leakage during drilling process. It is a granular solid with irregular shape and able to bridge or fill the cracks and other porous or faulty formations into where the drilling fluid is lost. Then this agent will undergo a chemical reaction with water, and the reaction products fill between particles and bind tightly lost circulation agent particles to each others or to the rocks at the lost circulation zone, thus effectively enhance the compressive strength of the cementing body formed by the agent and prevent lost circulation. Temperature, particle size, and additives added have been shown to have a significant influence on the consolidating rate and compressive strength of the cementing body. In addition, the cementing body has certain permeability, and the permeability can be adjusted, so this agent is proper for use to control lost circulation in reservoir.
Wine and the vine in Upper Moesia archaeological and epigraphic evidence
Authors: Pilipovic Sanja
Published: January 2014

Vine-growing and winemaking in the area of the Roman province of Upper Moesia
are looked at based on the information supplied by the ancient sources, and
the archaeological and epigraphic evidence (inscriptions, artistic
depictions, vinedressing and winemaking implements, drinking and transport
vessels). Viniculture is associated with the Greco-Roman cultural orbit,
while the native central-Balkan tribes typically consumed alcoholic beverages
made from cereals. Therefore the goal of the research is to shed as much
light as currently possible on the significance of vine-growing and wine in
the life of the inhabitants of Upper Moesia.
Poetic grounds of epic formulae
Authors: Delic Lidija
Published: January 2014

The study of oral formulae in the twentieth century had several phases. After
the initial - very stimulating and influential - research by M. Parry and A.
B. Lord, who focused on the technique of composing the poem and the
mnemotechnic function of formulae, the focus at first shifted to the concept
of performance (J. M. Foley), and then to the mental text (L. Honko), which
introduced into research horizons social, ideological, psychological and
mental conditions of improvisation, interaction between the singer and the
audience, collective and individual factors of memorising, cultural
representation, and the like. Although all the abovementioned aspects
undoubtedly determine the structure of a specific variant, it should be kept
in mind that formulae transcend concrete improvisations and connect different
epic zones, different local traditions and different times. The formula
precedes verbal improvisation both chronologically and logically. Therefore -
before explaining the repeating of formulae by the needs and nature of
improvisation (composition-in-performance) or the generating of formulae in
specific variants by textualisation of mental text - we must explain the
existence of the formula in the first place. This paper seeks to point out
the complex system of factors that determine the genesis of formulae.
Formulae are regarded as cultural codes, which combine elements from
different spheres (the conceptualization of space, time, colour and so on,
elements of rituals, customary norms, historical experience, life realities,
ethics, etc.). Therefore, their structure is described in terms of hidden
knowledge, hidden complexity, frame semantics, the tip of the iceberg,
compressed meanings. Meanings ?compressed? in the formulae are upgraded with
new ?income? in every new/concrete realisation (i.e. poem) and this is the
area where aesthetics rivals poetics.
The varieties of formulaic diction in Turkic oral epics
Authors: Reichl Karl
Published: January 2014

This article tries to show that the formulaic diction on the level of verse
line and formulaic patterning in the composition of scenes are closely
related and must be studied together. The analysis is done on the example of
Turkic epics. Of the formulaic patterns the most prominent one is the variety
of use of the attribute ak (white), which appears to be one of the most
common epithets in Turkic epic poetry. It is usually connected with cloth
(e.g. caftan, yurt), different parts of body (face, bosom), antelope, the
lumps of gold given as bride-price and various kinds of arms (sword, spear)
etc. It is usually denoted evaluatively as purity and beauty. In this matter
Turkic epics share its position with many national epics of the middle ages
including Serbian, Old English, Old German etc. The same role is analyzed for
the opposite pattern ?dust of earth?, and for the two themes: preparation of
the hero for his journey and council scenes which are also mutual to many
medieval epic traditions such as aforementioned Serbian and others.
Generic lacuna in the epic poems using the fog formula
Authors: Detelic Mirjana
Published: January 2014

This article is about the modellative potential of a genre, i.e. about one of
the main theoretical questions connected with the poetics of oral literature.
This is exemplified here by Serbian oral decasyllabic epic poetry, more
precisely by the modelling of the epic formula the ?appearance of the
horseman/hero from/in the fog?.
Dositej Obradovic and the Greek enlightenment
Authors: Kitromilides Paschalis
Published: January 2014

In this communication an attempt is made to broaden the basis of received
knowledge concerning Dositej Obradovic?s affinities with the culture of the
Greek Enlightenment by suggesting working hypotheses concerning a much
expanded range of possible contacts and relationships with major
personalities and sources of Greek Enlightenment literature, hitherto
unnoticed by research on his life and thought. The denser texture of
Dositej?s encounters with Greek Enlightenment culture could also be seen to
illustrate the transcultural and transnational basis of the Enlightenment
movement in Southeastern Europe.
Herbert Vivian a British traveller in late nineteenth-century Serbia
Authors: Pejic Radmila
Published: January 2014

The famous British journalist and author Herbert Vivian (1865-1940) visited
Serbia twice (1896 and 1903). On his first visit he stayed for several months
in order to research into everyday life, customs, political situation and
economic potentials of Serbia, which were little known to the British public.
His famous book Servia. The Poor Man?s Paradise (1896) was a major
contribution to British travel writing about Serbia with its in-depth
analysis and rather objective portrayal of the country?s political system,
religious practices and economic situation. He was convinced that his book
would have an effect on the British attitude towards Serbia by drawing
attention of British high society to this country. Vivian was highly
impressed by the simple life of Serbian peasants, an idealised
self-sufficient social group that was satisfied with the land they tilled.
After the 1903 regicide, Vivian, an admirer of the late King Alexander
Obrenovic became disappointed with Serbia?s elite, but remained enchanted
with the simple life of Serbian peasants. This article analyses the accuracy
of his account and provides a fresh insight into Vivian?s attitude towards
Serbia.
The new territories of Serbia after the Balkan Wars of 1912-1913 the establishment of the first local authorities
Authors: Svircevic Miroslav
Published: January 2014

In the Balkan Wars of 1912-13, the Kingdom of Serbia wrested Old Serbia and
Macedonia from Ottoman rule. The process of instituting the constitutional
order and local government institutions in the liberated and annexed areas
was phased: (1) the building of provisional administration on the
instructions of government inspectors and the head of the Military Police
Department; (2) implementation of the Decree on the Organization of the
Liberated Areas of 14 December 1912; and (3) implementation of the Decree on
the Organization of the Liberated Areas of 21 August 1913. Finally, under a
special royal decree issued in 1913, implementation began of some sections of
the Constitution of the Kingdom of Serbia. In late December 1913, the
interior minister, Stojan M. Protic, submitted the bill on the Annexation of
Old Serbia to the Kingdom of Serbia and its Administration to the Assembly
along with the opinion of the State Council. The bill had, however, not been
put to the vote by the time the First World War broke out, and the issue lost
priority to the new wartime situation until the end of the war.
Storm over Serbia the rivalry between civilian and military authorities (1911-1914)
Authors: Batakovic Dusan
Published: January 2014

As a new force on the political scene of Serbia after the 1903 Coup which
brought the Karadjordjevic dynasty back to the throne and restored democratic
order, the Serbian army, led by a group of conspiring officers, perceived
itself as the main guardian of the country?s sovereignty and the principal
executor of the sacred mission of national unification of the Serbs, a goal
which had been abandoned after the 1878 Berlin Treaty. During the ?Golden
Age? decade (1903-1914) in the reign of King Peter I, Serbia emerged as a
point of strong attraction to the Serbs and other South Slavs in the
neighbouring empires and as their potential protector. In 1912-13, Serbia
demonstrated her strength by liberating the Serbs in the ?unredeemed
provinces? of the Ottoman Empire. The main threat to Serbia?s very existence
was multinational Austria-Hungary, which thwarted Belgrade?s aspirations at
every turn. The Tariff War (1906-1911), the annexation of Bosnia-Herzegovina
(1908), and the coercing of Serbia to cede her territorial gains in northern
Albania (1912-1913) were but episodes of this fixed policy. In 1991, the
Serbian army officers, frustrated by what they considered as weak reaction
from domestic political forces and the growing external challenges to
Serbia?s independence, formed the secret patriotic organisation ?Unification
or Death? (Black Hand). Serbian victories in the Balkan Wars (1912-1913)
enhanced the prestige of the military but also boosted political ambitions of
Lt.-Colonel Dragutin T. Dimitrijevic Apis and other founding members of the
Black Hand anxious to bring about the change of government. However, the idea
of a military putsch limited to Serbian Macedonia proposed in May 1914 was
rejected by prominent members of the Black Hand, defunct since 1913. This was
a clear indication that Apis and a few others could not find support for
their meddling in politics. The government of Nikola P. Pasic, supported by
the Regent, Crown Prince Alexander, called for new elections to verify its
victory against those military factions that acted as an ?irresponsible
factor? with ?praetorian ambitions? in Serbian politics. This trial of
strength brings new and valuable insights into the controversial relationship
between the Young Bosnians and the Black Hand prior to the Sarajevo
assassination in June 1914.
Bulgarian crimes against civilians in occupied Serbia during the First World War
Authors: Pisarri Milovan
Published: January 2014

Since sufferings of civilian populations during the First World War in
Europe, especially war crimes perpetrated against civilians, have - unlike
the political and military history of the Great War - only recently become an
object of scholarly interest, there still are considerable gaps in our
knowledge, the Balkans being a salient example. Therefore, suggesting a
methodology that involves a comparative approach, the use of all available
sources, cooperation among scholars from different countries and attention to
the historical background, the paper seeks to open some questions and start
filling lacunae in our knowledge of the war crimes perpetrated against Serb
civilians as part of the policy of Bulgarization in the portions of Serbia
under Bulgarian military occupation.
Influence of the reconstruction filter on the performance of a switched-mode power amplifier
Authors: Serebryakova Elena , Blau Kurt , Hein Matthias
Published: January 2014

This paper presents an analysis of a reconstruction filter in a switched mode
power amplifier system. Doubly and singly terminated filters for current-mode
class-S power amplifiers were analyzed previously through analytical,
numerical, and experimental approaches, and it was shown that only singly
terminated filters can fulfill the requirements of current-mode switching
amplifiers, owing to their constant input resistance over the pass-band. In
this paper potential effects of the parasitic components in the actual
filters and the filter termination are evaluated. The simulation and
measurement results of current mode class-S power amplifier systems employing
GaN HEMT MMICs are presented and critically analyzed.
Two approaches to design of forward adaptive piecewise uniform scalar quantizers
Authors: Nikolic Jelena , Peric Zoran
Published: January 2014

In this paper, two forward adaptive piecewise uniform scalar quantizers are
proposed for high-quality quantization of speech signals modeled by the
Laplacian probability density function. In designing both forward adaptive
piecewise uniform scalar quantizers an equidistant support region partition
is assumed and a distribution of the number of reproduction levels per
segments is optimized. The proposed models differ in the approach of
determining the reproduction levels. In particular, one model defines the
reproduction levels as the cell centroids and the other one as the cell
midpoints. We show that, in the high-resolution case, the proposed quantizers
provide approximately the same performance being close to the one of the
forward adaptive nonlinear scalar compandor with equal number of quantization
levels.
Synthesis of micro-mesopores flowerlike γ-Al2O3 nano-architectures
Authors: Abdollahifar Mozaffar , Zamani Reza , Beiygie Ehsan , Nekouei Hosain
Published: January 2014

The micro-mesopores flowerlike ?-Al2O3 nano-architectures have been
synthesized by thermal decomposition method using the synthesized AlOOH
(boehmite) as precursor. After calcination at 500?C for 5 h, the obtained
flowerlike ?-Al2O3 has similar structure like the AlOOH precursor. X-ray
diffraction (XRD), FTIR, TG, FESEM and TEM techniques were used to
characterize morphology and structure of the synthesized samples. The
specific surface area (BET), pore volume and pore-size distribution of the
products were determined by N2 adsorption-desorption measurements. The
flowerlike ?-Al2O3 showed BET high specific surface area 148 m2 g-1 with
total pore volume 0.59 cm3 g-1.
Effect of Olea europea L. leaf extract on haemodynamic status and lipid peroxidation in spontaneously hypertensive rats
Authors: Miloradovic Zoran , Gvozdenov Maja , Jovovic Djurdjica , Mihailovic-Stanojevic Nevena , Ivanov Milan , Vajic Una , Karanovic Danijela , Milanovic Sladjan , Grujic-Milanovic Jelica
Published: January 2014

Hypertension is one of the main causes of cardiovascular disorders and since
ancient times olive tree leaves have been used in its therapy. However the
mechanisms of their atihypertensive effect have not been sufficiently
explained yet. The main objective of our study was to investigate acute
effect of olive tree leaves extract on haemodynamics and lipid peroxidation
in rats with congenital hypertension under normal and blocked synthesis of
nitric oxide. For the purpose of our research, there were used olive tree
leaf extract EFLA? 943 as well as inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase enzyme
L-NAME. Nitric oxide synthesis inhibition led to statistically significant
increase of mean arterial pressure, reducing heart rate and cardiac output,
increase of total vascular resistance and lipid peroxidation in plasma.
Treatment by olive leaf extract led to decrease of mean arterial pressure,
reducing the frequency and cardiac output, without change in lipid
peroxidation. Olive leaf extract under blockade of nitric oxide led to
decrease of mean arterial pressure, total peripheral resistance remained
high, cardiac output low, and lipid peroxidation significantly increased.
General conclusion is that olive leaf extract has a strong antihypertensive
effect, decreases cardiac pre and after load and does not influence lipid
peroxidation. Under blockade of nitric oxide synthesis, this extract keeps
antihypertensive properties, but due to strong endothelial dysfunction, it is
unable to regulate increased total peripheral resistance and marked lipid
peroxidation.
Microelements and heavy metals in raw cow milk from various regions in Serbia
Authors: Zivkov-Balos Milica , Jaksic Sandra , Mihaljev Zeljko , Cupic Zeljko , Stojanov Igor , Apic Jelena , Jovicin Milovan
Published: January 2014

In this study, the investigation results of raw milk and animal feed samples
from farms located around industrial areas and from rural areas in Serbia are
presented. Various microelements and heavy metals (Zn, Cu, Fe, Pb and Cd)
were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS). Mean
concentration of Zn, Cu, Fe and Cd in raw milk were 5.94, 0.239, 2.034 and
below 0.005 mg/kg, respectively. The mean lead concentration found in milk
from a farm located near industrial area was 0.242?0.166 mg/kg (mean Pb
concentrations for other four investigated farms were below 0.05 mg/kg). The
obtained results indicate that particular attention should be paid to control
of Pb residues in food, water and environment.
Natural radionuclides in mineral fertilizers and farmland
Authors: Mitrovic Branislava , Vitorovic Gordana , Andric Velibor , Stojanovic Mirjana , Vitorovic Dusko , Grdovic Svetlana , Vicentijevic Mihajlo
Published: January 2014

Contemporary agriculture production is based on use of mineral fertilizers,
which however can have high activity of natural radionuclides and so cause
the appearance of technologically elevated radioactivity. In order to
determine the influence of mineral fertilizers application in arable land,
there was used gamma spectrometric method for defining the activity of
natural radionuclides (40 K, 238U, 226Ra) in imported mineral fertilizers as
well as in arable and fallow land in the area of suburban municipalities of
Belgrade. The obtained results have shown that in the tested mineral
fertilizers the measured activity of 40K ranged from 70 to 4590 Bq/kg, 238U
from 18 to 1400 Bq/kg and 226Ra from 15 to 999Bq/kg. Average activities of
natural radionuclides in arable land are: 626 Bq/kg for 40K, 54 Bq/kg for
238U, 55 Bq/kg for 226Ra and 55Bq/kg for 232Th, and in fallow land 596 Bq/kg
for 40K, 54 Bq/kg for 238U, 54 Bq/kg for 226Ra and 53 Bq/kg for 232Th.
Average values of radium radioactivity equivalent (175 Bq/kg) and index of
radiation risk (0,48), point out that in the tested areas there is no
significant radiation risk for inhabitants due to terrestrial exposure. This
investigation has also shown that current use of mineral fertilizers has not
caused the increase of natural radioactivity in the tested arable land.