bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Egypt’s Path to Transition: Democratic Challenges behind the Constitution Reform Process
Authors: Bernard-Maugiron Nathalie
Published: October 2011

This article will focus on the constitutional and legal developments that have taken place in Egypt since February 11, 2011, the date Hosni Mubarak was forced to step down, to show that behind technical and theoretical issues lay fundamental political challenges. It will start with a general chronological analysis of the developments, before focusing on the debate around the sequence of institutional events, and on the criticisms addressed to the army. It will conclude with an analysis of the major challenges that the country will face in drafting a new constitution.
Neo-Mamluk Legitimacy and the Arab Spring
Authors: W. Bulliet Richard
Published: October 2011

Many explanatory suppositions have been off ered to account for the civil disorder that struck so many Arab countries in the first six months of 2011. The popular term for this multi-nation upheaval is the Arab Spring. Most of these theories, however, have lacked a mechanism for linking the challenges to existing governments to the specific Arab societies that experienced them. The approach that will be advanced here is that the Arab Spring represented a failure of legitimacy on the part of a particular political formation —rule by military officers and their families, which bore the brunt of the popular uprisings of the Arab Spring. Why did the legitimacy of this system of rule suffer simultaneous collapse while other Arab regimes, in particular the monarchies, did not? I term this political formation neo-Mamluk rule to connect it to precursor regimes that go back to the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. Only by tracing the origins of neo-Mamluk rule can one discover the keys to the crisis of legitimacy that has been manifest in recent months.
Modernist Islamic Political Thought and the Egyptian and Tunisian Revolutions of 2011
Authors: Fadel Mohammad
Published: October 2011

As revolution in the Arab world became clear, questions were raised whether political Islam had or would hae any role in the revolutions. The popular press seemed to minimize or deny the role of Islam in the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions. The attempt to minimize the role of Islam in these revolutions does little to help us understand the course of Islamic political thought over the last 150 years in the Arab world, its relationship to the democratic demands of the Arab peoples, and the prospects for a reconciliation between modern Islamic political thought and certain forms of democratic secularism. The central hypothesis of this essay is that neither the Tunisian nor the Egyptian Revolutions can be properly understood without the contributions of Islamic modernism to modern political thought in the Arab world.
A Villa in the Jungle: Th e Arab Awakening through the Lens of the Israeli Media
Authors: Gordon Neve
Published: October 2011

In the Israeli media, the message conveyed to Hebrew-speaking audiences has been that the uprisings in the Arab world are clashes between ethnic, religious or tribal groups. Th is depiction fi ts well within the representational framework of Israel as an island of civilization surrounded by savages. Th is conceptual framework serves to determine Israel’s regional policies, both with many of its neighboring countries and with the Palestinians. Th e Israeli media, in other words, has perpetuated an isolationist jungle metaphor, while trying to convince the viewers that the uprisings will have only minor impact on the villa that is Israel.
Manifestations of areal convergence in rural Belarusian spoken in the Baltic-Slavic contact zone
Authors: Erker Aksana , Wiemer Björn
Published: October 2011

This article combines methods and insights from dialect geography, areal and contact linguistics. It focuses on a specific, yet heavily understudied mixed dialect of Belarusian spoken in the entire Slavic-Baltic contact region. It turns out that on practically all levels (from phonetics to syntax), the variation of features encountered in this dialect is, from all varieties of that region, the most representative for convergence phenomena characteristic of East Slavic, Polish and/or Baltic varieties in contact with each other. This convergence is so far-reaching that, for instance, it seems impossible to distinguish the rural Belarusian vernacular from regional varieties of Polish on the basis of structural properties alone, despite the fact that these varieties are clearly perceived as different by both native speakers and field linguists. Simultaneously, features of the Belarusian dialect – and, thus, of the whole contact region which it most accurately reflects – should be judged under the perspective of larger areal clines (in particular, within the eastern part of the Circum Baltic Area); this view is pursued on the basis of Wiemer (2004) and more recent insights into the areal distribution of structural features crossing family boundaries. Such areal continua, in turn, intersect with inner-Slavic dialect continua and phenomena occurring in various locally restricted “pockets” scattered around in Slavic. On the background of this, we approach answers to the problem of determining the influence of contact (with Baltic and/or Finnic) over “genetic heritage” and the question of which features are more “immune” against influence from genealogically less close contact varieties.
The Influence of English on the History of Hindi Relative Clauses
Authors: Puri Vandana
Published: October 2011

The influence of Hindi on English has been well documented; however, little has been said about the influence of English on the structure of Hindi. In this paper I provide evidence that Hindi “embedded” (i.e. post-nominal) relative clauses result from English influence. Hindi originally had Relative-Correlative (RC-CC) constructions that could adjoin to the left or the right of the main clause. Since evidence from early Hindi is limited, I draw on Awadhi and Braj Bhakha to provide greater time depth for the earlier history of Hindi. In addition I examine early 19 th century grammars and texts. None of these provide unambiguous evidence for embedded relative clauses. By contrast, late 19 th century and early 20 th century Hindi texts translated from English exhibit many instances of central embedded relative clauses (besides the old adjoined relativecorrelatives), thus supporting the argument that Hindi embedded relative clauses result from the influence of English. I argue that what may have helped in this developed is the occasional occurrence of potentially ambiguous structures in earlier Hindi, which could be reinterpreted as involving embedding, rather than a relative-correlative construction with deleted correlative pronoun.
A Systematic Comparison of Factors Affecting the Choice of Matrix Language in Three Bilingual Communities
Authors: Carter Diana , Davies Peredur , Deuchar Margaret , Couto María del Carmen Parafita
Published: October 2011

In this paper we compare the code-switching (CS) patterns in three bilingual corpora collected in Wales, Miami and Patagonia, Argentina. Using the Matrix Language Framework to do a clause-based analysis of a sample of data, we consider the impact of structural relationships and extra-linguistic factors on CS patterns. We find that the Matrix Language (ML) is uniform where the language pairs have contrasting word orders, as in Welsh-English (VSO-SVO) and WelshSpanish (VSO-SVO) but diverse where the word order is similar as in Spanish-English (SVO-SVO). We find that the diversity of the ML in Miami is related to the diversity of degrees of proficiency, ethnic identities, and social networks amongst members of that community, while the uniformity of the ML in Wales is related to the uniformity of these factors. This is not so clear in Patagonia, however, where there is little CS produced in conversation. We suggest that the members of the speech community use Spanish or Welsh mostly in a monolingual mode, depending on the interlocutor and the social situation.
Social stereotypes and masculine homosexualities: The Spanish case
Authors: Guasch Oscar
Published: October 2011

The Spanish democracy has brought about important transformations in the cultural construction of homosexual masculinities. Leaving behind the classical southern Mediterranean stereotypical images — structured around the binary opposition between ‘top’ and ‘bottom’ sexualities — a new model has emerged where the idea of ‘gayness’ replaces old ways of thinking about male homosexuality. These changes have shaped both the hegemonic view of homosexuals in society and perceptions by homosexuals themselves. Slowly, Spanish homosexuals have created new narratives dissociated from strategies of adaptation to the homophobic contexts of the Francoist regime. Spanish homosexuals no longer mechanically reproduce social prejudices about male homosexuality. They have also developed new frameworks to think about themselves. These new narratives help Spanish society enrich its own view of homosexual identity by incorporating variables such as social class and age. This article explores these transformations from a socio-historical perspective and delineates key historical moments: pre-gay, gay and hyper-gay.
Fe3O4/o-Carboxymethyl Chitosan/Curcumin-based Nanodrug System for Chemotherapy and Fluorescence Imaging in HT29 Cancer Cell Line
Authors: Thu Ha Phuong , Huong Le Thi Thu , Nhung Hoang Thi My , Tham Nguyen Thi , Tu Nguyen Dac , Thi Ha Thi Minh , Hanh Pham Thi Bich , Nguyet Tran Thi Minh , Quy Nguyen Thi , Nam Pham Hong , Lam Tran Dai , Phuc Nguyen Xuan , Quang Duong Tuan
Published: October 2011

A multifunctional nanodrug system containing Fe3O4, o-carboxymethyl chitosan (OCMCs), and curcumin (Cur) has been prepared and characterized by infrared and fluorescence spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). The fluorescent staining experiments showed that this system not only had no effect on the cell internalization ability of curcumin but also successfully led curcumin into the HT29 cells as expected. From real-time cell analysis (RTCA), the effect of Fe3O4/OCMCs/Cur on this cancer cell line was found to be much stronger than that of pure curcumin. This system contained magnetic particles and, therefore, could be also considered for hyperthermia therapy in cancer treatment.
Study of vitreous potassium correlation with time since death in the postmortem range from 2 to 110 hours using capillary ion analysis
Authors: Bortolotti Federica , Pascali Jennifer P , Davis Gregory G , Smith Frederick P , Brissie Robert M , Tagliaro Franco
Published: October 2011

The time-dependent postmortem increase of potassium concentration in the eye fluids has been studied since the 1960s. However, important discrepancies on the reproducibility of the phenomenon have hampered the use of this parameter in real cases. In recent years, a new analytical approach based on capillary ion analysis (CIA) has been reported. In the present work, the correlation between vitreous potassium and postmortem interval (PMI) has been re-evaluated by using CIA in a group of 164 cases with PMIs ranging from 2 to 110 hours. The correlation of the two parameters was described by the following regression equation: y = 0.1733x + 2.3008 (x = PMI; y = K+ concentration); correlation coefficient = 0.962. The re-calculation of PMIs on the basis of this equation provided calculated PMIs with an average error of 5.54 hours (SD = 4.16). However, the percent PMI calculation error decreased with the increase of PMI, becoming acceptable for practical application above 24 hours since death.
Psychic trauma as cause of death
Authors: Terranova C , Snenghi R , Thiene G , Ferrara S D
Published: October 2011

Aim of study

Psychic trauma is described as the action of ‘an emotionally overwhelming factor’ capable of causing neurovegetative alterations leading to transitory or persisting bodily changes. The medicolegal concept of psychic trauma and its definition as a cause in penal cases is debated. The authors present three cases of death after psychic trauma, and discuss the definition of cause within the penal ambit of identified ‘emotionally overwhelming factors’.

Materials and methods

The methodological approach to ascertainment and criterion-based assessment in each case involved the following phases: (1) examination of circumstantial evidence, clinical records and documentation; (2) autopsy; (3) ascertainment of cause of death; and (4) ascertainment of psychic trauma, and its coexisting relationship with the cause of death.

Results

The results and assessment of each of the three cases are discussed from the viewpoint of the causal connotation of psychic trauma. In the cases presented, psychic trauma caused death, as deduced from assessment of the type of externally caused emotional insult, the subjects’ personal characteristics and the circumstances of the event causing death.

Conclusions

In cases of death due to psychic trauma, careful methodological ascertainment is essential, with the double aim of defining ‘emotionally overwhelming factors’ as a significant cause of death from the penal point of view, and of identifying the responsibility of third parties involved in the death event and associated dynamics of homicide.
The role of the anterior border of the hip bone in sexual dimorphism: a morphometric study in the North Indian population
Authors: Sachdeva Kanika , Singla Rajan Kumar , Kalsey Gurdeep
Published: October 2011

Understanding sexual dimorphism is very important in studies of human evolution and skeletal biology. The ability to determine sex from unknown skeletal remains is vital and methods to do this on the various bones of the human skeleton have been researched extensively especially in the studies related to forensic anthropology. The distinctive morphology and clear sexual dimorphism of the hip bone makes it an ideal bone for sex determination. Whereas the roles of the parameters of its posterior border (including the greater sciatic notch) are well established, those of the anterior border are not much explored. The present study was designed to establish the morphometric pattern of the anterior border of the hip bone and its role in sexual dimorphism. Material for the current investigation comprised 100 hip bones belonging to 50 cadavers ([M:F = 80:20] and [R:L = 50:50]) obtained from the Department of Anatomy, Government Medical College, Amritsar, Punjab, India. Sixteen parameters of the anterior border were taken and three indices were calculated. Eight parameters were significantly greater in males: (i) straight distance anterior superior iliac spine (ASIS)–symphyseal surface (SS); (ii) straight distance ASIS–pubic tubercle (PT); (iii) straight distance anterior inferior iliac spine (AIIS)–SS; (iv) straight distance AIIS–PT; (v) arch of anterior interspinous notch (ASIS–AIIS); (vi) arch between AIIS and ilio-pubic (IP); (vii) depth of notch between AIIS and IP; (viii) arch of anterior border (ASIS–SS). The results of the present study could be helpful in pronouncing an opinion, for a single specimen, about its origin in general terms or sex.
The potential effects of floor impact surfaces on infant head injury outcome during a short fall
Authors: Jones M D , Theobald P S
Published: October 2011

When considering cases of infant head injury as a result of a short fall, investigators often have to base their opinions on the potential severity of a head injury on a scene description and/or photographic evidence of the potential impact surfaces. While variation in the attenuation properties of typical domestic surfaces and underlying support structures have been reported in the literature, this study investigates whether there is a need to consider the nature and composition of specific potential impact floor surfaces/sites, within a scene, prior to providing an opinion about the likely head impact injury outcome. An instrumented headform was impacted within a suspected crime scene to determine whether different potential impact sites posed different risks of producing head injury. The impact acceleration–time waveform, for the headform, was shown to vary considerably across the floor. By applying recognized head impact injury risk measures (peak g and head injury criterion), it was illustrated that the risk of an infant sustaining a significant head injury could vary considerably, depending upon the exact point of impact with the floor. This study highlights the potential for variation in impact force across a scene and illustrates the need to consider surface composition at specific sites across the entire potential impact area, since the risk of head injury can vary significantly. Caution should therefore be exercised when expressing opinions based solely on verbal, written or photographic evidence of head impact surfaces, without due consideration of the specific area onto which a head might have impacted.
Once Burned, Twice Shy: How Naive Learning, Counterfactuals, and Regret Affect the Repurchase of Stocks Previously Sold
Authors: Strahilevitz Michal Ann , Odean Terrance , Barber Brad M.
Published: October 2011

Investors’ previous experiences with a stock affect their willingness to repurchase that stock. Using detailed trade data from two brokers, the authors document that investors are reluctant to repurchase stocks previously sold for a loss and stocks that have risen in price subsequent to a prior sale. The authors propose that this behavior reflects investors’ emotional reactions to trading and their attempts to distance themselves from negative emotions (e.g., disappointment, regret). Investors are disappointed when they sell a stock for a loss and regret having ever purchased the stock; these negative emotions deter investors from later repurchasing stocks they sold for a loss. Having sold a stock, investors are disappointed if the stock continues to rise and regret having sold the stock in the first place; these negative emotions deter investors from repurchasing stocks that go up since being sold. Thus, investors engage in reinforcement learning by repurchasing stocks whose previous purchase resulted in positive emotions and avoiding stocks whose previous purchase resulted in negative emotions.
Capturing the Cumulative Effect in the Pump Probe Transient Thermoreflectance Technique using Network Identification by Deconvolution Method
Authors: Ezzahri Y. , Pernot G. , Joulain K. , Shakouri A.
Published: October 2011

Network Identification by Deconvolution (NID) method is used to capture the heat cumulative effect in the homodyne configuration of the Pump-Probe Transient Thermoreflectance (PPTTR) experiment. This cumulative effect is very important in the interpretation of the PPTTR which is becoming widely used for the extraction of thin film thermal conductivity. We show that this intrinsic behavior can be introduced as a cumulative effect weight function in the time constant spectrum of the structure under study. We show how the main features of this weight function change when we change the laser repetition rate and/or the laser pump beam modulation frequency, and how these changes may affect the extraction of the thermal properties of the sample under study, particularly the thermal conductivity and the interface thermal resistance. Numerical simulations of the PPTTR experiment are used to validate the application of NID method. Limitations of the method will also be discussed.
Productivity and efficiency of nitrogen fertilization in maize under different levels of urea and NBPT-treated urea
Authors: Silva Douglas Ramos Guelfi , Pereira André Ferreira , Dourado Ronaldo Liberato , Silva Frederico Pinto da , Ávila Fabrício William , Faquin Valdemar
Published: October 2011

The management of nitrogen fertilization is complex due to the various transformations of the nitrogen that occur in the soil-plant-atmosphere system, reducing the efficiency of the fertilization, productivity and the profit margin of the maize production areas. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different levels of common urea and urea treat with NBPT [N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide] on the productivity and efficiency of the nitrogen fertilization in maize, correlated with simple economic analysis. The design of the field experiment was in randomized complete blocks with six repetitions, in a 2 x 4 factorial outline, made up of by two sources of nitrogen (urea and NBPT-treated urea) and four levels of nitrogen as top dressing (60, 120, 180 and 240 kg ha-1). The sources and applied nitrogen levels influenced the productivity and the leaf and grain nitrogen contents, while the production components (size and diameter of the ear, and percentage of straw and cob) were not altered. The agronomic efficiency of the nitrogen fertilization decreased with the increase of the applied nitrogen levels. The highest gross profit margin in the maize culture is obtained with 180 kg ha-1 of nitrogen supplied in the NBPT-treated urea.
Caracterização nutricional e compostos antioxidantes em resíduos de polpas de frutas tropicais
Authors: Sousa Mariana Séfora Bezerra , Vieira Luanne Morais , Silva Manoel de Jesus Marques da , Lima Alessandro de
Published: October 2011

O Brasil é um dos países que mais produz resíduos agroindustriais, como os resíduos de frutas pelas indústrias de polpas, o que tem contribuído para o aumento da produção do lixo orgânico, provocando graves problemas ambientais. Nesse contexto, estudos têm sido conduzidos com o intuito de investigar o valor nutricional desses resíduos, valorizando-os e sugerindo novas alternativas de utilização. Assim, neste trabalho, objetivou-se realizar a caracterização nutricional e determinar os compostos antioxidantes dos resíduos de polpas de frutas tropicais: acerola (Malpighia glabra L.), goiaba (Psidium Guayaba L.), abacaxi (Ananas comosus L.), cupuaçu (Theobroma grandiflorum), bacuri (Platonia insignis) e graviola (Annona muricata L.). Os resultados encontrados mostraram que os resíduos analisados apresentaram quantidades significativas de macronutrientes (carboidratos, proteínas e lipídios). Todos os resíduos avaliados, com exceção do cupuaçu, apresentaram valores elevados de vitamina C. Quanto aos carotenóides, destacou-se o resíduo de acerola com 881,56 ± 9,01 µg/100 g e o resíduo de goiaba, com 644,9 ± 10,02 µg/100 g. Os resíduos analisados apresentaram baixas concentrações de antocianinas e flavonóides. Com relação aos teores de fenólicos totais se destacou o resíduo da polpa de acerola com 247,62 ± 2,08 mg/100 g. Portanto, pode-se concluir que os resíduos de polpas de frutas empregados neste estudo são fontes potenciais de macronutrientes e compostos bioativos, destacando-se os resíduos de acerola e goiaba como mais ricos em compostos antioxidantes.
Predator–prey spatial game as a tool to understand the effects of protected areas on harvester–wildlife interactions
Authors: Tolon Vincent , Martin Jodie , Dray Stéphane , Loison Anne , Fischer Claude , Baubet Eric
Published: October 2011

No‐take reserves are sometimes implemented for sustainable population harvesting because they offer opportunities for animals to spatially avoid harvesters, whereas harvesters can benefit in return from the reserve spillover. Here, we used the framework of predator–prey spatial games to understand how protected areas shape spatial interactions between harvesters and target species and determine animal mortality. In these spatial games, the “predator” searches for “prey” and matches their habitat use, unless it meets spatial constraints offering the opportunity for prey to avoid the mortality source. However, such prey refuges could attract predators in the surroundings, which questions the potential benefits for prey. We located, in the Geneva Basin (France), hunting dogs and wild boarSus scrofaL. during hunting seasons with global positioning systems and very‐high‐frequency collars. We quantified how the proximity of the reserve shaped the matching between both habitat uses using multivariate analyses and linked these patterns to animals' mortality with a Cox regression analysis. Results showed that habitat uses by both protagonists disassociated only when hunters were spatially constrained by the reserve. In response, hunters increased hunting efforts near the reserve boundary, which induced a higher risk exposure for animals settled over the reserve. The mortality of adult wild boar decreased near the reserve as the mismatch between both habitat uses increased. However the opposite pattern was determined for younger individuals that suffered from the high level of hunting close to the reserve. The predator–prey analogy was an accurate prediction of how the protected area modified spatial relationships between harvesters and target species. Prey‐searching strategies adopted by hunters around reserves strongly impacted animal mortality and the efficiency of the protected area for this harvested species. Increasing reserve sizes and/or implementing buffer areas with harvesting limitations can dampen this edge effect and helps harvesters to benefit durably from source populations of reserves. Predator–prey spatial games therefore provide a powerful theoretical background for understanding wildlife–harvester spatial interactions and developing substantial application for sustainable harvesting.
Childhood and Adolescent Violent Victimization and the Risk of Young Adult Intimate Partner Violence Victimization
Authors: Murphy Lisa M.
Published: October 2011

Using a nationally representative sample of participants, this study investigates childhood victimization in the home and adolescent violent victimization in the community on the risk of being a victim of intimate partner violence (IPV), general violence, or both during early adulthood. The study findings indicate being left home alone and being physically abused during childhood, and adolescent violent victimization in the community had strong independent effects on an individual’s likelihood of becoming a victim of IPV, general violence, or both in early adulthood. The study findings suggest a consistent pattern of victimization across the life course, and intervention programs need to be developed that address the specific needs of children and adolescents at high risk for home and community violent victimization.
Social Control Correlates of Arrest Behavior Among Homeless Youth in Five U.S. Cities
Authors: Ferguson Kristin M. , Bender Kimberly , Thompson Sanna J. , Maccio Elaine M. , Xie Bin , Pollio David
Published: October 2011

This study identified homelessness, substance use, employment, and mental health correlates of homeless youths’ arrest activity in 5 cities. Two hundred thirty-eight street youth from Los Angeles, Austin, Denver, New Orleans, and St. Louis were recruited using comparable sampling strategies. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression results reveal that being arrested for criminal activity is associated with length of homelessness, history of juvenile detention and incarceration, receiving income from theft, substance abuse, and mental illness. Arrests are also associated with interactions between lack of formal employment income and receiving income from theft and between drug and alcohol abuse/dependency. Understanding the health and situational factors associated with homeless youths’ delinquent activity has implications for providing more comprehensive health, mental health, and substance abuse services.
Supporting Fathering Through Infant Massage
Authors: Cheng Carolynn Darrell , Volk Anthony A. , Marini Zopito A.
Published: October 2011

Fathers may feel dissatisfied with their ability to form a close attachment with their infants in the early postpartum period, which, in turn, may increase their parent-related stress. Our study sought to determine if an infant massage intervention assisted fathers with decreasing stress and increasing bonding with their infants during this time. To address the complex father‐infant relationship, we conducted a pilot study using a mixed methodology approach. Twelve infant‐father dyads participated in the intervention, and 12 infant‐father dyads populated a wait-list control group. Paternal stress was measured using the Parenting Stress Index at baseline and at postintervention. We found infant massage instruction significantly decreased paternal stress. Our findings were also supported by the qualitative data and suggest fathers may benefit from applied postnatal education.
Prenatal Parenthood
Authors: O’Leary Joann , Warland Jane , Parker Lynnda
Published: October 2011

In this article, we discuss the intuitive knowledge mothers have of their unborn baby. We propose a shift in focus from caregivers’ merely providing information to first listening to pregnant mothers as they share their intuitive knowledge of their baby. This approach enables mothers and fathers or partners to know they are already parents to their unborn baby and empowers them to get in touch with their baby’s presence and who he or she is during pregnancy. This intuitive knowledge may be a protective behavior that will enable mothers to keep babies safe during pregnancy.
Pre-Power Amplifier for 5.2 - 5.8 GHz Band
Authors: Kelleci Burak , Palamutcuoglu Osman
Published: October 2011

The design of a low-voltage and broadband pre-power amplifier for 5.2 GHz-5.8 GHz band is presented. The purpose of the pre-power amplifier is to separate the external power amplifier and internal mixer to deliver the required input power to the power amplifier. The amplifier is designed in 0.35 \um. SiGe technology. Differential topology is used in order to reduce the effect of the bonding inductances. The amplifier is optimized for maximum yield. The simulation results of the amplifier show 0 dBm output power with 13 dB gain. The gain variation is less than 0.5 dB in band.
Defect-oriented mixed-level fault simulation in digital systems
Authors: Ubar Raimund , Raik Jaan , Ivask Eero , Brik Marina
Published: October 2011

A new method for mixed level defect-oriented fault simulation of Digital Systems represented with Decision Diagrams (DD) is proposed. We suppose that a register transfer level (RTL) information along with gate-level descriptions for RTL blocks are available. Decision diagrams (DDs) are exploited as a uniform model for describing circuits on both levels. The physical defects in the system are mapped to the logic level and are simulated on the mixed gate- and RT levels. The approach proposed allows to increase the accuracy of test quality estimation, and to reduce simulation cost in comparison to traditional gate-level fault simulation methods.
Evolutionary algorithm based approach to impedance design
Authors: Herceg Dejana , Pekaric-Nadj Neda
Published: October 2011

Bus bars of complex cross section were designed in order to achieve desirable characteristics for use with high power switching devices. High permeability material was introduced between the copper bus bars, to increase non-linear rise of the bars' resistance with frequency. Micro genetic algorithm (?GA) was used to search for the most suitable combination of parameters. The main goal was to design bus bars with adequately adapted resistance and inductance at 10 kHz and 50 Hz simultaneously. The frequency dependant resistance and inductance were calculated utilizing 2D FEM software.
3D electric field analysis of a voltage transformer using boundary integral equation method and general-purpose cad system
Authors: Yatchev Ivan , Miltchev Radoslav , Terziisky Asen
Published: October 2011

The paper presents an application of indirect Boundary Integral Equation Method to the analysis of three-dimensional electric field of a voltage transformer. The employed mathematical model consists of Fredholm boundary integral equations of the first and second kind. The real geometry of the voltage transformer has been taken into account using parametric description. General-purpose CAD system has been used at pre- and post- processing level. Results have been obtained for the distribution of electric potential and the field intensity. The influence of additional high voltage shields has also been estimated.
Low-voltage 0.35-/mi cmos wideband operational transconductance amplifier
Authors: Bouzerara Lyes , Belaroussi Mohand
Published: October 2011

A low voltage CMOS wideband operational Tran conductance amplifier (OTA) using regulated cascade structure with an active positive feedback frequency-dependent current mirrors and feed forward techniques, is presented and analyzed. Such techniques stand as a powerful method of gain bandwidth, output impedance and phase margin enhancements. In this paper, an efficient implementation of a high output impedance current mirror is used in the design of an OTA by means of the regulated cascade circuits. This amplifier operates at ?1.25 V power supply voltage, exhibits a voltage gain of 68 dB, and provides a gain bandwidth product of 166 MHz. It drives a capacitive load of 1.6 pF and gives a power dissipation of 8.5 mW. The predicted performance is verified by simulations using HSPICE tool with 0.35 /itm CMOS TSMC parameters.
Starting generator driving torque modeling in the studies of synchronous starting of synchronous machines
Authors: Stajic Zoran , Petrovic Dragan , Arnautovic Dusan
Published: October 2011

The paper deals with significance of the starting generator (SG) driving torque modeling in the studies of synchronous starting of synchronous machines (SSSM). The detailed mathematical model of SSSM in reversible pumped storage plant (RPSP) "Bajina Basta" is derived. Because it is very difficult to include the detailed model of the SG turbine in the system model, function of SG driving torque is modeled approximately. The most frequent case in SSSM studies is its approximation with a time linear function, until it reaches the value that should provide rotating of both machine rotors with synchronous velocities, which is also used in the paper Afterwards, three different cases are considered: constant, linear and polynomial approximation in terms of SG rotor velocity. Numerical results obtained by applying developed models to a particular case of synchronous starting are compared with the corresponding experimental results. In this way, it is shown that the application of the most frequently used SG driving torque modeling leads to the erroneous results. The advantages of the polynomial approximation suggested in the paper and its validity is demonstrated.
Variational solution of the steady magnetic field distribution in ferromagnetic conductor
Authors: Velickovic Dragutin , Aleksic Slavoljub , Stojanovic Zlatica
Published: October 2011

A distribution of the steady magnetic filed in a very large ferromagnetic conductor of arbitrary, but known cross-section is determined using variational approach with Ritz's method for approximate solving of the problem. Then an axial component of the magnetic vector potential is presented as finite functional series, automatically satisfying boundary condition that the normal component of the magnetic induction on the conductor's surface vanishes. The convergence and the accuracy of the proposed method are investigated. Several results for maps of the force lines and of the inductivity per unit conductor length are compared with corresponding numerical results obtained by Finite Element Method (program package FEMM) and excellent agreement s observed.
Optimal control of a two-wheeled mobile robot: Simulation for selecting of the motors
Authors: Radulovic Milovan , Popovic Dejan , Jaukovic Novak
Published: October 2011

This paper presents how a novel simulation package for optimal control based on dynamic programming can be used for selecting the drives once the constraints are known: range of speeds, trajectory (minimum radius for turns), load that will be carried by the mobile robot and its position on the platform (inertia! properties of the mobile robot with the load). We calculate the necessary driving torques at the wheels of the mobile robot for various trajectories having a shape of the figure eight within a given time. The simulation uses fully customized dynamic model of the mobile robot that is propelled by two independent wheels and has third non-powered wheel that freely rotates around the vertical shaft to ensure three degrees of freedom. Dynamic programming and the discrete mathematic model allow simulation of the non-holonomic system. We presented in this paper only one possible application, that is, the analysis of three different loads carried along the same trajectory. The simulation clearly shows the relation between the tracking error and required diving torque; thereby, allow selection of the adequate driving motors for a given load and vice versa.
Voltage controlled delay line for digital signal
Authors: Jovanovic Goran , Stojcev Mile
Published: October 2011

This paper describes dual delay locked loop architecture with a mixed mode phase tuning method. The circuit accomplishes low jitter, unlimited phase shift in a large operating range, and accurate phase alignment with high resolution for relatively low input clock frequency. The architecture employs two DLL loops. The first one is digital and is used for generating coarsely spaced clock pulses, while the second is analog and is intended for accurate and precise fine phase shifting. Simulations show that this circuit has 2?r radians phase shift capability, and can resolve 25ps phase error at input clock frequency of 1MHz, using 1.2^m double-metal double-poly CMOS technology.
Speech signal processing in ASR&TTS algorithms
Authors: Delic Vlado , Pekar Darko , Obradovic Radovan , Secujski Milan
Published: October 2011

Speech signal processing and modeling in systems for continuous speech recognition and Text-to-Speech synthesis in Serbian language are described in this paper. Both systems are fully developed by the authors and do not use any third party software. Accuracy of the speech recognizer and intelligibility of the TTS system are in the range of the best solutions in the world, and all conditions are met for commercial use of these solutions.
School satisfaction among secondary school students: Relations with school achievement and mental health indicators
Authors: Jovаnovic Veljko , Jerkovic Ivan
Published: October 2011

School satisfaction among secondary school students is a neglected research
topic in the field of school psychology. The main aim of this research was to
examine the relations between school satisfaction, school achievement and
indicators of subjective well-being and emotional distress. The research was
carried out on a sample of 408 secondary school students, with the mean age
16.6 years. The results of a one-way ANOVA showed that students reporting
very high school satisfaction (upper quartile) had significantly higher
levels of subjective well-being, lower levels of emotional distress and
greater school achievement that students with both very low (lower quartile)
and average (middle 25%) school satisfaction. The results of this research
suggest that not only school satisfaction is an important aspect of
subjective well-being, it can also be used as a valid general measure of
adaptive functioning among pupils.
The effects of framing and ego-involvement on performance on the Wason selection task
Authors: Jovanovic Katarina , Zezelj Iris
Published: October 2011

Man?s deep-rooted tendency to maintain and reinforce a positive self-image
makes man inclined to uncritically accept desirable information (the
confirmation bias) as well as to criticize and reject undesirable information
(the disconfirmation bias). Since disconfirmation strategy leads to a
logically correct solution to the four-card Wason selection task, we
predicted that ego-involvement manipulation would have a significant effect
on the success rate of the task. Specifically, we hypothesized that subjects
who were exposed to personally threatening information would try to reject it
and thus be more successful on Wason task than those who were exposed to
non-threatening information, as established in previously published study by
Dawson et al. (2002a). Furthermore, we wanted to examine if manipulating
valence framing of the Wason task rule would result in a higher success rate
for the group exposed to the threatening and negatively framed rule (that
implied their own early death) than the group exposed to the threatening but
positively framed rule (that category of people other than the one they
belong to live longer). One hundred ninety five high school students from
Kragujevac, Serbia participated in the experiment. The results confirmed the
expected effect of involvement, while the main effect of framing did not
occur. However, there was a marginally significant involvement by framing
interaction: unexpectedly, non involved participants were more likely to
solve the task correctly when it was positively framed than when in was
negatively framed, whilst in the involved group there was no difference in
correct responding depending on framing. The findings suggest that the
success rate in Wason task can be sensitive to the valence framing of the
rule, but only when respondents are not highly personally threatened.
Potential methodological interventions in ego-involvement manipulation and
content of the rules are discussed.
Research in the Laboratory of Supramolecular Chemistry: Functional Nanostructures, Sensors, and Catalysts
Authors: Severin Kay
Published: October 2011

This article summarizes research activities in the Laboratory of Supramolecular Chemistry (LCS) at the EPFL. Three topics will be discussed: a) the construction of functional nanostructures by multicomponent self-assembly processes, b) the development of chemosensors using specific
receptors or ensembles of cross-reactive sensors, and c) the investigation of novel synthetic procedures with organometallic catalysts.
Study of the pO2-Sensitivity of the Dendrimeric and Free Forms of Pd-meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin, Incorporated or not in Chitosan-Based Nanoparticles
Authors: Nowak-Sliwinska Patrycja , Käuper Peter , Van den Bergh Hubert , Wagnières Georges
Published: October 2011

The concentration of oxygen and its rate of consumption are important factors in certain medical treatments, such as radiotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Measuring the tissue concentration of oxygen or its partial pressure (pO2) can be achieved by taking advantage
of the oxygen-dependent luminescence lifetime of certain molecules, including metallo-porphyrin derivatives, due to the oxygen-dependent quenching of their triplet state. Unfortunately, most of these porphyrin derivatives are phototoxic due to the O21? produced
in the pO2 measurement procedure. The aim of this work was to characterize new nanoparticle oxygen sensors, where the palladium-porhyrin molecule (Pd-meso-tetra(4-carboxyphenyl)porphyrin) or its dendrimer form, is incorporated into an oxygen permeable matrix of chitosan-based colloidal
particles. It was hypothesized that the reactive O21? produced during the pO2 measurement would react inside the particle thus reducing its toxicity for the surrounding tissue, whereas the 3? ground state of O2, that is to
be measured, would diffuse freely in the peptide. We observed that the incorporation of the porphyrin in the nanoparticles resulted in a reduction of the phosphorescence lifetime sensitivity to pO2 by about one order of magnitude. Our studies of these new sensors indicate that the
oxygen concentration can be measured in aqueous solutions with a precision of ±20% for oxygen concentrations ranging between 0% and 25%.
Integrated Approach for the Intensification of Heterogeneous Catalytic Processes
Authors: Kiwi-Minsker Lioubov , Crespo-Quesada Micaela
Published: October 2011

The integrated approach for the design of solid catalysts for process intensification is presented addressing simultaneously different levels of scale and complexity involved in the development starting from the molecular/nano-scale of the active phase optimization up to the macro-scale
of the catalytic reactor design. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated through case studies carried out in our group.
Organometallic Chemistry in Non-Classical Environments
Authors: Dyson Paul J.
Published: October 2011

A summary of our on-going research on organometallic chemistry is provided with an emphasis on the function, reactivity and mechanisms of organometallic compounds in water, ionic liquids and in living systems. The role of organometallic compounds in both catalysis and medicinal chemistry
are briefly described.
Safety Management and Risk Assessment in Chemical Laboratories
Authors: Marendaz Jean-Luc , Friedrich Kirstin , Meyer Thierry
Published: October 2011

The present paper highlights a new safety management program, MICE (Management, Information, Control and Emergency), which has been specifically adapted for the academic environment. The process starts with an exhaustive hazard inventory supported by a platform
assembling specific hazards encountered in laboratories and their subsequent classification. A proof of concept is given by a series of implementations in the domain of chemistry targeting workplace health protection. The methodology is expressed through three examples to illustrate how the
MICE program can be used to address safety concerns regarding chemicals, strong magnetic fields and nanoparticles in research laboratories. A comprehensive chemical management program is also depicted.
Tenure reformed
Authors: James Deborah
Published: October 2011

This article explores the contradictory and contested but closely inter- locking efforts of NGOs and the state in planning for land reform in South Africa. As government policy has come increasingly to favor the better-off who are potential commercial farmers, so NGO efforts have been directed, correspondingly, to safeguarding the interests of those conceptualized as poor and dispossessed. The article explores the claim that planned “tenure reform” is the best way to provide secure land rights, especially for laborers residing on white farms; illustrates the complex disputes over this claim arising between state and NGO sectors; and argues that we need to go beyond the concept of “neoliberal governmentality” to understand the relationship between these sectors.
Invaded city
Authors: Lund Sarah
Published: October 2011

In Peru, land invasions have played an informal yet prominent role in implementing agrarian reform. In the southern Andes, peasant mobilization and land takeover were used as a means to circumvent a stalled expropriation process. Strategic lessons learned in agrarian settings have application on the margins of cities as well. New “urban areas” created out of expropriated hacienda lands in Cuzco were initiated by spontaneous occupancy which gradually became regulated and standardized in predictable ways. Administrative planning becomes a response to land takeover, playing a retrospective role in situations in which internal kinds of development already are unfolding. State permissiveness towards illegal occupancy is a carefully courted prize, not to be taken for granted. Nevertheless, residents invest years of effort in building their homes and neighborhoods, in the hope of eventually prevailing, despite contradictory and frustrating experiences with changing policies and bureaucratic encounters.
Policing production
Authors: Schrauwers Albert
Published: October 2011

This article reexamines the Cultivation System in early nineteenth-century Java as part of an assemblage of Crown strategies, programs, and technologies to manage the economy—and more particularly, “police” the paupers—of the “greater Netherlands.” This article looks at the integrated global commodity chains within which the System was embedded, and the common governmental strategies adopted by the Dutch Crown to manage these flows in both metropole and colony. It focuses on the role of an early corporation, the Netherlands Trading Company, that also served as the administrator of poverty-relief efforts in the Eastern Netherlands where cotton cloth was produced. The article argues that corporate governmentality arose as a purposive strategy of avoiding liberal parliamentary scrutiny and bolstering the “enlightened absolutism” of the Crown. By withdrawing responsibility for the policing of paupers from the state, and vesting it in corporations, the Crown commercialized the delivery of pauper relief and reduced state expenditure, while still generating large profits.