bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of different carbon sources on the in vitro multiplication of Annona sp.
Authors: Santana José Raniere Ferreira de , Paiva Renato , Souza Ana Valéria de , Oliveira Lenaldo Muniz de
Published: May 2011

The Annonaceae family comprises approximately 2.300 species, some with significant commercial value. Although commercial plantations have suffered due to problems related to seedling production. As micropropagation is a viable technique for seedling production, the present work evaluated the effects of different carbon sources on in vitro bud induction in five Annonaceae species. Nodal segments obtained from plants of the Annona glabra, A. cauliflora, A. coriacea, A. bahiensis and Rollinia silvatica species were inoculated into solid WPM culture medium with 8.87 μM BAP, 0.86 mM of benomyl, and 87.64 mM of the following carbon sources: glucose, sucrose, fructose, galactose, sorbitol and maltose. We evaluated the buds number, the length and weight of the largest bud, the number of expanded leaves per bud, the length of the largest leaf and the dry matter of the buds. No significant difference was observed among the different carbon sources used in terms of the number of produced buds; however, the length of the largest bud, the number of expanded leaves, the length of the largest leaf, and dry weight of the buds presented significant difference according to the studied speciesas well as the carbon sources used, with the lowest value being obtained with sorbitol. The results obtained here indicated that, except for sorbitol, any of the carbohydrates tested could be used in the in vitro multiplication protocols for A. bahiensis, A. cauliflora, A. coriacea, A. glabra and R. silvatica.
Nitrogen, calcium and phosphorus balance of broilers fed diets with phytase and crystalline amino acids
Authors: Gomide Elisangela Minati , Rodrigues Paulo Borges , Zangeronimo Márcio Gilberto , Bertechini Antônio Gilberto , Santos Luziane Moreira dos , Alvarenga Renata Ribeiro
Published: May 2011

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of reduced-crude protein (CP) and available phosphorus (aP) diets, added with phytase and amino acids for broilers in the growing (14 to 21 days old) and retirement (35 to 42 days) phases on nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus balance. Ninety Cobb broilers were distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments and six replications with five and three birds per experimental unit in the growing and retirement phases, respectively. Diets were elaborated to contain reduced CP and aP levels (19 and 17% CP in the growing phase, with 0.34% aP; and 18 and 16% CP in the retirement phase, with 0.30% aP), supplemented with crystalline amino acids and 500 FTU of phytase/kg diet. These were compared to a control diet (21% CP and 0.46% aP for growing phase and 19% CP and 0.40% aP for retirement phase). The reduction of CP in four percentual units reduced the N excretion and increased the retention of this element, showing that the phytase had no influence on N balance when used the crystalline amino acids in the diets. The phytase reduced the P excretion and increased the retention ones. The potassium excretion decreased in reduced-CP diets, but this excessive reduction decreased the retention of this element, except in the retirement phase. It was concluded that the reduced-CP and aP diets, supplemented with phytase and amino acids, are efficient in reducing the pollutant power of the broilers excrements in the growing and retirement phases of production.
Produtividade e composição bromatológica de Brachiaria spp., no Alto Vale do Jequitinhonha
Authors: Pereira Rosana Cristina , Ribeiro Karina Guimarães , Pereira Odilon Gomes , Silva Janaina de Lima , Santos Jakline Magela dos , Rigueira João Paulo Sampaio
Published: May 2011

Avaliaram-se a produtividade de matéria seca (MS), proporção de lâminas e composição bromatológica de Brachiaria spp., colhidas com 42 dias de rebrotação, em Diamantina, MG. Para a determinação dos teores de MS, PB, FDN, FDA e lignina utilizaram-se o esquema em parcelas subsubdivididas, no DIC, com quatro repetições. Nas parcelas foram distribuídas as cultivares Basilisk, Marandu, Xaraés, Llanero e B. humidicola comum; nas subparcelas, dois cortes, e, nas subsubparcelas, dois anos experimentais. A produção de MS total e a proporção de lâminas foram analisadas em esquema de parcelas subdivididas, com espécies/cultivares nas parcelas e anos nas subparcelas. A produção de MS no segundo ano (3 cortes) foi mais alta que no primeiro (2 cortes), destacando-se as cultivares Basilisk, Xaraés e Llanero. De modo geral, as cultivares apresentaram teores satisfatórios de PB, mais altos no segundo ano. Os teores de FDN foram mais baixos no segundo ano e os de lignina mais baixos no primeiro ano. As cultivares Xaraés e Marandu destacam-se pela elevada proporção de folhas e apresentam composição bromatológica semelhante a da cultivar Basilisk. Associando-se a composição bromatológica com a produtividade de MS, recomendam-se as cultivares Xaraés e Basilisk para as condições do Alto Vale do Jequitinhonha.
"Parcerias" com a cana-de-açúcar: tensões e contradições no desenvolvimento das experiências de assentamentos rurais em São Paulo
Authors: Ferrante Vera Lucia Silveira Botta , Barone Luís Antonio
Published: May 2011

A controversa presença da cana nos assentamentos rurais nos últimos anos exige uma cuidadosa reflexão sobre sua interferência no modo de vida dos assentados e na relação dos assentamentos com a dinâmica do desenvolvimento regional. A presença da cana-de-açúcar nos assentamentos tem causado conflitos internos e debates não consensuais sobre o passado/presente/futuro dessas experiências. A análise da parceria com as agroindústrias é atravessada, do nosso ponto de vista, pela noção de trama de tensões, exigindo que sejam submetidas ao crivo analítico as desigualdades constitutivas desta polêmica integração dos assentados às usinas de açúcar e álcool, assim como as consequências socioeconômicas e ambientais da problemática transformação dos assentamentos rurais em celeiros da cana. No âmbito desse artigo, serão considerados como objetos da investigação os assentamentos das regiões de Araraquara e do Pontal do Paranapanema e analisadas perspectivas de outro modelo de desenvolvimento.
'Vamo fazê maravilha!': avaliação estético-ritual das performances do Reinado pelos congadeiros
Authors: Lucas Glaura
Published: May 2011

Os significados da 'maravilha' no contexto do Reinado de Nossa Senhora do Rosário, tal como o termo é utilizado nos cantos e nas elaborações discursivas dos congadeiros, são aqui abordados a partir da perspectiva desses participantes sobre a origem e o percurso histórico de sua tradição religiosa, calcada na experiencia da dor de seus ancestrais escravizados. Tais fatos e eventos ainda motivam o pertencimento a essa tradição no presente e preenchem de sentido, de significância e, consequentemente, de maravilha as ações performáticas atuais.
Decoro, engenho e maravilha nos largos e igrejas de Santa Bárbara e Catas Altas
Authors: Bastos Rodrigo Almeida
Published: May 2011

O texto é a base da palestra itinerante que encerrou a II Semana de Música Antiga da UFMG (entre 27/10 e 02/11/2009). A palestra se realizou em visita comentada aos povoados, largos e igrejas de Santa Bárbara e Catas Altas, onde foram analisados aspectos como a implantação no sítio, planta, frontispícios e ornamentação, que conformaram sua formosura, seu engenho e sua maravilha.
Maravilha e conhecimento na arte religiosa de Minas colonial
Authors: Viana Fábio Henrique
Published: May 2011

A arte religiosa barroca construiu verdadeiras máquinas capazes de maravilhar quem se aproximasse. O objetivo era a conversão do fiel e a maravilha, a isca que o podia atrair, fazendoo considerar os ensinamentos da Igreja. Nesse sentido, procurase identificar na pintura, talha e música religiosas de Minas colonial alguns artifícios usados para maravilhar e ensinar os fiéis.
A prática musical religiosa no Brasil e em Portugal na segunda metade do século XVIII: paralelo e fundamentação para a interpretação vocal da música de José Joaquim Emerico Lobo de Mesquita
Authors: Oliveira Katya Beatriz de , Rónai Laura
Published: May 2011

Na busca da sonoridade histórica e estilisticamente embasada para a interpretação vocal da música sacra mineira da segunda metade do século XVIII e início do XIX, tornase necessário um paralelo com a música realizada em Portugal durante o século XVIII, que constate a influência desta sobre a música mineira setecentista. Neste artigo pretendemos investigar as similaridades estilísticas entre a música do compositor mineiro José Joaquim Emerico Lobo de Mesquita, particularmente no solo de soprano de sua Missa em Mi bemol, com o solo de soprano de uma Missa a cinco vozes do compositor David Perez e o primeiro movimento do moteto Care Deus si respiro, para soprano solo e cordas, de Niccolò Jommelli, compositores italianos da escola napolitana atuantes em Portugal na segunda metade do século XVIII. Temos como objetivo justificar a utilização de tratados europeus para a fundamentação dos aspectos interpretativos da música mineira.
Veni Sancte Spiritus: um moteto de José Maurício Nunes Garcia
Authors: Virmond Marcos da Cunha Lopes , Nogueira Lenita Waldige Mendes
Published: May 2011

A produção musical no gênero sacro teve importantes representantes no período do Brasil Colônia e Imperial, entre os quais se destaca o Padre José Maurício Nunes Garcia, responsável pela música da Sé Imperial do Rio de Janeiro antes e após a chegada da família real em 1808. Sua vasta produção resistiu ao tempo através de manuscritos autógrafos ou não, os quais têm sido alvo de intensos estudos, com destaque para as pesquisas pioneiras de Cleofe Person de Mattos. Mesmo assim, atualmente, apenas parte de sua obra encontrase restaurada do ponto de vista musicológico com vistas à perfomance. Desta forma, este estudo visa comentar a transcrição musicológica de um moteto de exemplar fatura, intitulado Veni Sancte Spiritus, para pequena orquestra de cordas, duas flautas e coro a quatro vozes.
Análise do desenvolvimento das práticas urbanas de lazer relacionadas a produção cultural no período nacional-desenvolvimentista à globalização
Authors: Almeida Marco Antonio Bettine de , Gutierrez Gustavo Luis
Published: May 2011

Apresentar-se-á um cenário geral do desenvolvimento do lazer desde o nacional-desenvolvimentismo com Getúlio Vargas, Juscelino Kubitschek, Regime Militar até a globalização com a redemocratização e ampliação vertiginosa do lazer de consumo. Este panorama geral possibilitará afirmar que o lazer se desenvolveu pelo investimento estatal. Discutiu-se cada um dos momentos históricos contemplando as ações políticas, econômicas e culturais mais significativas, conforme análise bibliográfica. Objetivou-se construir neste trabalho a complexificação sistêmica do lazer no Brasil, concluindo que o lazer se complexificou a partir da racionalização das formas de vida, sistematização dos tempos e desencantamento do mundo. Com a teoria habermasiana fez-se a síntese entre as esferas de influência do lazer (Estado, Mercado e Cultura). Na conclusão apresentou-se a definição do lazer como fruto das relações entre subjetividades intactas no sistema capitalista, que se desenvolveu por meio da complexificação da sociedade, possuindo uma íntima ligação cultural-artística. Expressando as três esferas do Mundo da Vida (cultura, sociedade e personalidade).
Efeitos da estimulação da fluência de leitura com ênfase na prosódia
Authors: Pinto Joana Cecilia Baptista Ramalho , Navas Ana Luiza Gomes Pinto
Published: May 2011

OBJETIVO: Caracterizar a leitura de crianças com cinco anos de escolaridade segundo os parâmetros temporais, e comparar o desempenho da fluência de leitura pré e pós-estimulação de leitura por meio de programa baseado em padrões de prosódia. MÉTODOS: Participaram 32 crianças do 5º ano do Ensino Fundamental I. As crianças realizaram leituras de textos e descrição de uma figura. Foram observados: taxa de leitura, velocidade de fala, compreensão de textos e adequação da variação da prosódia durante a leitura. Em seguida, foi aplicado o programa de estimulação de leitura com ênfase na prosódia, composto por cinco sessões de 15 minutos cada, com tarefas de leitura. Ao final do programa, foi realizado o mesmo procedimento de avaliação, a fim de se verificar o desempenho pós-estimulação. RESULTADOS: Houve modificações quanto às médias da taxa de leitura, ao número de palavras lidas de forma incorreta e à qualidade da prosódia realizada durante a atividade de leitura. CONCLUSÃO: O programa de estimulação promoveu modificações positivas nas medidas de fluência de leitura
Avaliação da restrição de participação e de processos cognitivos em idosos antes e após intervenção fonoaudiológica
Authors: Magalhães Ruth , Iório Maria Cecilia Martinelli
Published: May 2011

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a restrição de participação em atividades de vida diária e de processos cognitivos em idosos, de acordo com gênero e faixa etária, antes e após intervenção fonoaudiológica. MÉTODOS: Participaram 50 idosos, 23 do gênero feminino e 27 do gênero masculino. Os idosos foram distribuídos em dois grupos etários: Grupo 1 - 24 idosos, com idade entre 60 e 74 anos (11 do gênero feminino e 13 do gênero masculino); Grupo 2 - 26 idosos com idade igual ou superior a 75 anos (12 do gênero feminino e 14 do gênero masculino). Os idosos foram avaliados antes após um ano de adaptação da prótese auditiva, por meio do questionário HHIE e o teste MEEM. Foram realizados acompanhamentos bimestrais totalizando sete reuniões, a fim de garantir a utilização efetiva da prótese. Quanto à estatística, foram realizadas análises descritivas e análise de variância. RESULTADOS: Houve redução da restrição de participação nas escalas emocional e social do HHIE no período pós-intervenção, nos dois grupos, em indivíduos de ambos os gêneros. Os resultados do teste MEEM foram melhores no período pós-intervenção, independentemente do gênero e idade do participante. CONCLUSÃO: Há menor autopercepção das restrições de participação em atividades de vida diária após intervenção fonoaudiológica. Além disso, idosos de diferentes idades e de ambos os gêneros referem diminuição de restrições cognitivas após adaptação de prótese auditiva
Prediction of daily crop reference evapotranspiration (ET0) values through a least-squares support vector machine model
Authors: Guo Xianghong , Sun Xihuan , Ma Juanjuan
Published: May 2011

Real-time prediction of daily reference crop evapotranspiration (ET0) is the basis for estimating crop evapotranspiration and for computing crop irrigation requirements. In recent years, least-squares support vector machines (LSSVMs) have been applied for forecasting in many fields of engineering. In this paper, LSSVMs are applied to forecast ET0 using public weather forecasting data (minimum and maximum temperature, average relative humidity, wind scale and weather conditions). LSSVM-estimated ET0 is compared with Penman–Monteith (PM)-estimated ET0 using measured meteorological data. Based on a comparison between LSSVM and PM over a 2 month period, the results show that the root mean square error and mean absolute error are less than 0.5 and 0.4 mm d−1, respectively, and that the model efficiency is greater than 90%. This indicates that ET0 can be successfully estimated using public weather forecasts through the LSSVM approach.
H2 consumption by anaerobic non-methanogenic mixed cultures
Authors: Dinamarca C. , Gañán M. , Liu J. , Bakke R.
Published: May 2011

The impact of H2 consumption, by homoacetogens, on the overall hydrogen yield in mixed culture fermentation is the focus of this study. Batch reactors were used to test the ability of anaerobic digested sludge, heat treated to eliminate methanogens, to produce and consume molecular hydrogen. The measured average hydrogen production rate from 4.2 g glucose/L was 44 ± 4 mmol H2/L sludge · d, while the H2 consumption rate varied much more, in the range from 4 to 62 mmol H2/L sludge · d. Hydrogen consumption rate depends on acetic acid concentration, headspace H2 partial pressure and mass transfer rates. Different but relatively long lag-phases for hydrogen consumption were observed. It is concluded that homoacetogenesis can have a significant negative effect on bio-H2 production by mixed cultures, limiting the possibilities for sustainable solutions.
Is the whole the sumof its parts? Agent-basedmodelling of wastewater treatment systems
Authors: Schuler A. J. , Majed N. , Bucci V. , Hellweger F. L. , Tu Y. , Gu A. Z.
Published: May 2011

Agent-based models (ABMs) simulate individual units within a system, such as the bacteria in a biological wastewater treatment system. This paper outlines past, current and potential future applications of ABMs to wastewater treatment. ABMs track heterogeneities within microbial populations, and this has been demonstrated to yield different predictions of bulk behaviors than the conventional, “lumped” approaches for enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) completely mixed reactors systems. Current work included the application of the ABM approach to bacterial adaptation/evolution, using the model system of individual EBPR bacteria that are allowed to evolve a kinetic parameter (maximum glycogen storage) in a competitive environment. The ABM approach was successfully implemented to a simple anaerobic-aerobic system and it was found the differing initial states converged to the same optimal solution under uncertain hydraulic residence times associated with completely mixed hydraulics. In another study, an ABM was developed and applied to simulate the heterogeneity in intracellular polymer storage compounds, including polyphosphate (PP), in functional microbial populations in enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) process. The simulation results were compared to the experimental measurements of single-cell abundance of PP in polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs), performed using Raman microscopy. The model-predicted heterogeneity was generally consistent with observations, and it was used to investigate the relative contribution of external (different life histories) and internal (biological) mechanisms leading to heterogeneity. In the future, ABMs could be combined with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models to understand incomplete mixing, more intracellular states and mechanisms can be incorporated, and additional experimental verification is needed.
The Rhizopur® process ten years on: a green solution for sewage treatment in small communities
Authors: Aguilera Soriano G. , Raveneau-Champion B. , Dauthuille P.
Published: May 2011

Ten years ago the Rhizopur® process was conceived in order to treat sewage from small towns. Since 1999 when the first Rhizopur® plant was commissioned, the number of facilities has been growing steadily and today there are more than fifty Rhizopur® facilities in France. This process combines three existing technologies, i.e. biofilm, infiltration/percolation and mineralisation in constructed wetlands, to conduct both wastewater and sludge treatment in a very cost-effective fashion. A trickling filter or a rotating biological contactor is combined with constructed wetlands to produce a high quality effluent, i.e. BOD5<20 mg/l, COD<100 mg/l and TSS<30 mg/l, and to achieve high removal efficiencies, i.e. BOD5 removal >90%, COD removal >80% and TSS removal >90%. Nitrification can also be achieved by increasing the size of the trickling filter. Part of the success of this process has been its modularity and compactness that have resulted in its easiness for extension, as well as its capacity to blend with the environment. The characteristics of this process make of it an appropriate solution for sewage treatment in the developing countries. The objective of this work is to give an overview of the performance and features of this process according to the operational experience gained during the last 10 years.
Estimating the risk from sewage treatment plant effluent in the Sydney catchment area
Authors: van den Akker B. , Whiffin V. , Cox P. , Beatson P. , Ashbolt N. J. , Roser D. J.
Published: May 2011

This study employed Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) to estimate the gastrointestinal risks associated with Cryptosporidium and Giardia discharged from three STPs located within the Lake Burragorang catchment. The QMRA considered baseline and various hazardous event scenarios (e.g. plant failure and heavy rainfall). Under baseline conditions, the combined effect of constructed barriers, catchment barriers and dilution reduced pathogen numbers from the discharge of all three STPs by 10 to 14 orders of magnitude. This was sufficient for the risk to be well below currently mooted benchmarks of ‘tolerable risk’, even when relatively conservative assumptions were applied. For all hazardous event scenarios, the level of risk remained low, which illustrated the benefit of multiple barriers. Provisionally it appears that the STPs currently discharging into the waterways of the catchment do not pose an unacceptable or unmanageable risk to Sydney's drinking water consumers.
An approach to assess and compare quality of security models
Authors: Matulevicius Raimundas , Lakk Henri , Lepmets Marion
Published: May 2011

System security is an important artefact. However security is typically
considered only at implementation stage nowadays in industry. This makes it
difficult to communicate security solutions to the stakeholders earlier and
raises the system development cost, especially if security implementation
errors are detected. On the one hand practitioners might not be aware of the
approaches that help represent security concerns at the early system
development stages. On the other hand a part of the problem might be that
there exists only limited support to compare different security development
languages and especially their resulting security models. In this paper we
propose a systematic approach to assess quality of the security models. To
illustrate validity of our proposal we investigate three security models,
which present a solution to an industrial problem. One model is created using
PL/SQL, a procedural extension language for SQL; another two models are
prepared with SecureUML and UMLsec, both characterized as approaches for
model-driven security. The study results in a higher quality for the later
security models. These contain higher semantic completeness and correctness,
they are easier to modify, understand, and facilitate a better communication
of security solutions to the system stakeholders than the PL/SQL model. We
conclude our paper with a discussion on the requirements needed to adapt the
model-driven security approaches to the industrial security analysis.
Diversity Analysis in Rice Using GENSTAT and SPSS Programs
Authors: Rahman MM , Ansari A , Rashid MM
Published: May 2011

A study was conducted to assess the morpho-physiological divergence among 21 T. Aman rice cultivars at BRRI regional station, Sonagazi, Feni, during July 2008 to December 2008. Data were collected on 13 morphological and 14 physiological traits. Cluster analysis were carried out separately by using two softwares viz. GENSTAT v 5.5 and SPSS v 12.0 where in, both the software divided the cultivars into five clusters in both cases. The resulted clusters seemed to be very similar to some swapping genotypes which indicate that the softwares showed little dissimilarity. When clusterings were carried out using 13 morphological data, multivariate analysis showed five clusters in both GENSTAT and SPSS software with 19.05% swapping genotypes. When multivariate analyses were done with GENSTAT and SPSS softwares based on 14 physiological data, five clusters were also found with 14.29 % swapping genotypes. Of the two programs, GENSTAT appeared to be more reliable than the SPSS program. Inclusion of BR3, BR5, BR11, BR23, BRRI dhan33, BRRI dhan38, BRRI dhan44 and BRRI dhan46 giving emphasis on BRRI dhan33, BRRI dhan38, BRRI dhan44 and BRRI dhan46 is recommended for effective development of a breeding strategy in diallel fashion. Keywords: Clustering; multivariate analysis; rice; transplanted aman. DOI: 10.3329/agric.v8i2.7572 The Agriculturists 8(2): 14-21 (2010)
Evaluation of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Genotypes for Quality Seedlings
Authors: Akhtar Shahrina , Ahmed Jalal Uddin , Hamid Abdul , Islam Md Rafiqul
Published: May 2011

A study was conducted to evaluate 100 chickpea genotypes to explore their genetic diversity in respect of emergence and growth attributes. A high genotypic variation was observed in the characters studied. The highest positive correlation corresponded to the root mass and total plant biomass of the seedlings. Seedling biomass production was highly subjective to seedling vigor. Using discriminant function analysis, the first two functions contributed 46.2 and 39.0%, and altogether 85.2% of the variability among the genotypes. Function 1 was positively related to dry weight of root and total plants. The character with the greatest weight on function 2 was seedling emergence rate. The total dry weight of seedlings played the most dominant role in explaining the maximum variance in the genotypes. The genotypes were grouped into six clusters. Each cluster had specific seedling characteristics and the clusters 5 and 6 were closely related and clearly separated from clusters 1 and 4 for their higher amount of root and total biomass production, and vigorous seedlings, where as, the genotypes in cluster 2 and 3 were intermediate. The genotypes in cluster 5 followed by cluster 6 appeared to be important resources for selecting and developing chickpea variety. Keywords: Chickpea; genotypes; seedling; quality DOI: 10.3329/agric.v8i2.7584 The Agriculturists 8(2): 108-116 (2010)
The study of authorial voice: using a Spanish–English corpus to explore linguistic transference
Authors: Sanz Rosa Lorés
Published: May 2011

The widespread use of English as the language for the dissemination of scientific knowledge is placing increasing demands on non-native scholars to use English as their language of research and publication. This can result in non-native scholars experiencing difficulties in drafting papers that are linguistically and rhetorically appropriate. This study 2 2 This research has been carried out within the framework of the research group InterLAE ( www.interlae.com ), and was given financial support by the Spanish Ministerio de Educación (FF12009–09792). focusses on the exploration of the authorial voice (namely, the sequence ‘exclusive we+verb’) of Spanish Business Management (BM) scholars in English. For such purposes, I analyse part of the Spanish–English Research Article Corpus (SERAC) corpus. The corpus contains research articles in English by Anglophone writers, and in Spanish and English by Spanish writers, and was built specifically as a tool for cross-cultural research, with the aim of identifying areas of transference between the author's native cultural and linguistic background and the international one, which expresses itself in English. Results show divergences in the frequency and distribution of the sequence under investigation, both in terms of function and tense (including the association with modal verbs), which reveal the existence of pragmatic and cultural factors that may hinder the projection of a firm, confident authorial voice by Spanish academics in an increasingly competitive academic environment.
Civil partnership – “gay marriage in all but name”: a corpus-driven analysis of discourses of same-sex relationships in the UK Parliament
Authors: Bachmann Ingo
Published: May 2011

This paper deals with the language used in the debates in both Houses of Parliament in the United Kingdom that allowed civil partnerships to take place. My aim is to uncover discourses of same-sex relationships which are accessed in British Parliament. For this purpose, a corpus of these debates was compiled and its keywords were taken as a starting point for further analysis. As different keyword lists can be calculated by comparing different data sets, I argue that the best approach in this study is to take the corpus as a whole and to compare it to a reference corpus. I then grouped the keywords thematically and analysed them in context, scrutinising collocations and concordance lines in order to see how (recurrent) uses of language construct gay and lesbian relationships. Different, rather contradicting, discourses are drawn on by different parties in the debates. We can see that discourses are often used to frame a line of argumentation.
Melting trends over the Greenland ice sheet (1958–2009) from spaceborne microwave data and regional climate models
Authors: Fettweis X. , Tedesco M. , van den Broeke M. , Ettema J.
Published: May 2011

Abstract. To study near-surface melt changes over the Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) since 1979, melt extent estimates from two regional climate models were compared with those obtained from spaceborne microwave brightness temperatures using two different remote sensing algorithms. The results from the two models were consistent with those obtained with the remote sensing algorithms at both daily and yearly time scales, encouraging the use of the models for analyzing melting trends before the satellite era (1958–1979), when forcing data is available. Differences between satellite-derived and model-simulated results still occur and are used here to identify (i) biases in the snow models (notably in the albedo parametrization, in the thickness of a snow layer, in the maximum liquid water content within the snowpack and in the snowfall impacting the bare ice appearance in summer) and (ii) limitations in the use of passive microwave data for snowmelt detection at the edge of the ice sheet due to mixed pixel effect (e.g., tundra or rock nearby the ice sheet). The results from models and spaceborne microwave sensors confirm a significant (p-value = 0.01) increase in GrIS surface melting since 1979. The melt extent recorded over the last years (1998, 2003, 2005 and 2007) is unprecedented in the last 50 yr with the cumulated melt area in the 2000's being, on the average, twice that of the 1980's.
Camera-Based Motion Recognition for Mobile Interaction
Authors: Hannuksela Jari , Barnard Mark , Sangi Pekka , Heikkilä Janne
Published: May 2011

Multiple built-in cameras and the small size of mobile phones are underexploited assets for creating novel applications that are ideal for pocket size devices, but may not make much sense with laptops. In this paper we present two vision-based methods for the control of mobile user interfaces based on motion tracking and recognition. In the first case the motion is extracted by estimating the movement of the device held in the user's hand. In the second it is produced from tracking the motion of the user's finger in front of the device. In both alternatives sequences of motion are classified using Hidden Markov Models. The results of the classification are filtered using a likelihood ratio and the velocity entropy to reject possibly incorrect sequences. Our hypothesis here is that incorrect measurements are characterised by a higher entropy value for their velocity histogram denoting more random movements by the user. We also show that using the same filtering criteria we can control unsupervised Maximum A Posteriori adaptation. Experiments conducted on a recognition task involving simple control gestures for mobile phones clearly demonstrate the potential usage of our approaches and may provide for ingredients for new user interface designs.
Dead Embryos despite Low Contaminant Loads in Eggs of Eleonora's Falcon
Authors: Gschweng Marion , Tataruch Frieda , Fröhlich Otmar , Kalko Elisabeth K. V.
Published: May 2011

As a long-distance migrant which crosses more than 20 African countries, Eleonora's Falcons might have experienced a substantial accumulation of contaminants when returning to their breeding grounds. In 2004 and 2005, we collected 21 failed eggs from two colonies on Sardinia, Italy. We found a high percentage of dead embryos and suspected this was due to a high contaminant load. Despite this, the overall values for the contaminants analysed were rather low and lay within the range found in other raptor species. We analysed the eggs for residues of DDT (p,p′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane), PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl), and heavy metals. Although infertile eggs seem to be correlated with the highest values of∑DDT, we did not find substantial values of any of the contaminants investigated. Because of the low world population of the species and varying reproduction rates in the colonies ranging from Cyprus to the Canaries, we highly recommend further censuses of the reproductive success of Eleonora's Falcon, including the examination of failed eggs.
Biohybrid Carbon Nanotube/Agarose Fibers for Neural Tissue Engineering
Authors: Lewitus Dan Y. , Landers John , Branch Jonathan R. , Smith Karen L. , Callegari Gerardo , Kohn Joachim , Neimark Alexander V.
Published: May 2011

A novel approach for producing carbon nanotube fibers (CNF) composed with the polysaccharide agarose is reported. Current attempts to make CNFs require the use of a polymer or precipitating agent in the coagulating bath that may have negative effects in biomedical applications. It is shown that, by taking advantage of the gelation properties of agarose, one can substitute the bath with distilled water or ethanol and, hence, reduce the complexity associated with alternating the bath components or the use of organic solvents. It is also demonstrated that these CNF can be chemically functionalized to express biological moieties through available free hydroxyl groups in agarose. Agarose CNF are not only conductive and nontoxic; in addition, their functionalization is shown to facilitate cell attachment and response both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings suggest that agarose/CNT hybrid materials are excellent candidates for applications involving neural tissue engineering and biointerfacing with the nervous system.
An Electrolyte‐Free Fuel Cell Constructed from One Homogenous Layer with Mixed Conductivity
Authors: Zhu Bin , Raza Rizwan , Abbas Ghazanfar , Singh Manish
Published: May 2011

Rather than using three layers, including an electrolyte, a working fuel cell is created that employs only one homogenous layer with mixed conductivity. The layer is a composite made from a mixture of metal oxide, Li0.15Ni0.45Zn0.4 oxide, and an ionic conductor; ion‐doped ceria. The single‐component layer has a total conductivity of 0.1–1 S cm−1 and exhibits both ionic and semiconducting properties. This homogenous one‐layer device has a power output of more than 600 mW cm−2 at 550 °C operating with H2 and air. Overall conversion is completed in a similar way to a traditional fuel cell, even though the device does not include the electrolyte layer critical for traditional fuel‐cell technologies using the three‐component anode–electrolyte–cathode structure.
Porous Supramolecularly Templated Optical Resonators Built in 1D Photonic Crystals
Authors: Hidalgo Nuria , Calvo Mauricio E. , Bellino Martín G. , Soler‐Illia Galo J. A. A. , Míguez Hernán
Published: May 2011

A synthetic route to attain photonic multilayers that presents controlled porosity only at the middle‐layer level is shown. The spectral resonance associated with this porous layer shows strong sensitivity to the presence of vapors adsorbed or condensed within the void network, providing a potentially relevant material for gas detection. The importance of the interplay between pore and probe‐molecule diameters is studied and its implications in size‐selective detection are discussed.
Numerical simulation of dilute turbulent gas‐particle flow with turbulence modulation
Authors: Rao Akhil , Curtis Jennifer S. , Hancock Bruno C. , Wassgren Carl
Published: May 2011

A numerical study of a dilute turbulent gas‐particle flow with inelastic collisions and turbulence modulation in an Eulerian framework is described. A new interpretation is provided for the interaction/coupling terms, based on a fluctuating energy transfer mechanism. This interpretation provides for a new robust closure model for the interaction terms with the ability to predict the turbulence dampening as well as the turbulence enhancement phenomenon. Further, the model developed herein is investigated along with a variety of other published closure models used for the interaction/coupling terms, particle drag, and solid stress. The models are evaluated against several sets of benchmark experiments for fully‐developed, turbulent gas‐solid flow in a vertical pipe. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012
Variability of the BCHE gene in Amerindians from Paraná, Brazil
Authors: Silva‐Alves Hugo , Petzl‐Erler Maria Luiza , Chautard‐Freire‐Maia Eleidi Alice , Souza Ricardo Lehtonen Rodrigues
Published: May 2011

Objective:

This study aims to better understand the variability of the BCHE gene, and regions adjacent to it, in different populations. More specifically, it also aims to analyze the diversity of this DNA segment among two Amerindian populations, whose distinct characteristics provide us an extremely interesting material for genetic, evolutionary and anthropological studies, since they diverge genetically and culturally in spite of a very close living relationship in space and time.

Methods:

The two Amerindian populations analysed were from Guarani‐Mbyá and Kaingang ethnic groups, both from the Rio das Cobras indian reservation area (Paraná, Brazil). The other populations data were obtained from the HapMap Project data, NCBI data and previously studies. The variability of seven SNPs was analyzed: two downstream, three within and two upstream of the BCHE gene.

Results

The number of different BCHE variants in Amerindians is lower than in other populations. The present data are in accordance with the genetic distance between Guarani and Kaingang, and from them to other populations. Some SNPs (rs3495, rs7624915 and rs4387996) presented an interesting frequency pattern, with a higher frequency of the ancestral allele in the region of the modern human origin and its frequency decreasing gradually, from Africa toward the Americas.

Conclusions:

Despite the geographical coexistence throughout their dispersion, each of these two Amerindian groups retains a high degree of genetic identity, probably maintained by cultural and social isolation. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Co‐occurring SHOC2 and PTPN11 mutations in a patient with severe/complex Noonan syndrome‐like phenotype
Authors: Ekvall Sara , Hagenäs Lars , Allanson Judith , Annerén Göran , Bondeson Marie‐Louise
Published: May 2011

Noonan syndrome (NS) is a heterogeneous disorder caused by activating mutations in the RAS‐MAPK signaling pathway. It is associated with variable clinical expression including short stature, congenital heart defect, unusual pectus deformity, and typical facial features and the inheritance is autosomal dominant. Here, we present a clinical and molecular characterization of a patient with Noonan‐like syndrome with loose anagen hair phenotype and additional features including mild psychomotor developmental delay, osteoporosis, gingival hyperplasia, spinal neuroblastoma, intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis, and liver hemangioma. Mutation analysis of PTPN11, SOS1, RAF1, KRAS, BRAF, MEK1, MEK2, NRAS, and SHOC2 was conducted, revealing a co‐occurrence of two heterozygous previously identified mutations in the index patient. The mutation SHOC2 c.4A > G; p.Ser2Gly represents a de novo mutation, whereas, PTPN11 c.1226G > C; p.Gly409Ala was inherited from the mother and also identified in the brother. The mother and the brother present with some NS manifestations, such as short stature, delayed puberty, keratosis pilaris, café‐au‐lait spots, refraction error (mother), and undescended testis (brother), but no NS facial features, supporting the notion that the PTPN11 p.Gly409Ala mutation leads to a relatively mild phenotype. We propose that, the atypical phenotype of the young woman with NS reported here is an additive effect, where the PTPN11 mutation acts as a modifier. Interestingly, co‐occurrence of RAS‐MAPK mutations has been previously identified in a few patients with variable NS or neurofibromatosis‐NS phenotypes. Taken together, the results suggest that co‐occurrence of mutations or modifying loci in the RAS‐MAPK pathway may contribute to the clinical variability observed among NS patients. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Is autosomal recessive Silver–Russel syndrome a separate entity or is it part of the 3‐M syndrome spectrum?
Authors: Akawi Nadia A. , Ali Bassam R. , Hamamy Hanan , Al‐Hadidy Azmy , Al‐Gazali Lihadh
Published: May 2011

Intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) is a nonspecific finding that occurs in approximately 0.17% of all live‐births. However, IUGR can also be a significant feature of many recognized genetic syndromes including Silver–Russel syndrome (SRS), Three M syndrome (3‐M), Dubowitz syndrome, and Mulibrey nanism. Differentiation of 3‐M syndrome from autosomal recessive SRS has been difficult because of the phenotypic variability of the latter. Limb length asymmetry is seen in over half of those with autosomal recessive SRS, but not in individuals with 3‐M syndrome. Characteristic radiologic findings of 3‐M syndrome are not present in SRS. We used single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarrays to investigate the cause of phenotypic features of SRS that shows autosomal recessive inheritance in three consanguineous families, two from United Arab Emirates (UAE), and one from Jordan. The mapped regions contained CUL7 and OBSL1, the genes that have recently been shown to cause 3‐M syndrome. Subsequently, direct DNA sequencing of CUL7 and OBSL1 genes revealed novel mutations in both genes including two mutations in OBSL1 [c.1119G>C (p.W373C) and c.681_682delinsTT (p.Q228X)], and a nonsense mutation in CUL7 [c.203G>A (p.W68X)]. In addition, a six nucleotide deletion in CUL7 [c.649_654delAGCCGC (p.217_218delSR)] was found in a consanguineous family from UAE that had the typical features of 3‐M. As a result of these findings, we question the identity of the autosomal recessive SRS and suggest that all apparently recessive SRS families should be tested for mutations in CUL7 and OBSL1. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Human sinonasal epithelial cells direct dendritic function and T‐cell T helper 1/T helper 2 skewing following Aspergillus exposure
Authors: Mulligan Jennifer K. , Mulligan Ryan M. , Atkinson Carl , Schlosser Rodney J.
Published: May 2011

Background

In lower airway disease such as asthma, epithelial cells have been shown to be potent regulators of dendritic cell (DC) functions. However, it is unclear how human sinonasal epithelial cells (HSNECs) from patients with sinusitis regulate DC functions. Therefore, in these studies we investigated the ability of Aspergillus fumigatus exposed HSNECs to regulate DC antigen uptake, maturation, and direction of T‐cell T helper 1 (Th1)/Th2 skewing.

Methods

Primary HSNECs were cultured from control (n = 8), chronic sinusitis without nasal polyps (CRSsNP) (n = 9), and chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) (n = 7) patients and exposed to Aspergillus. Conditioned media was placed upon monocyte‐derived DCs from healthy controls. DC antigen uptake was assessed by dextran–fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) uptake. DC differentiation and maturation was assessed by immunostaining for CD209, CD80, and CD86 followed by flow cytometric analysis. DC direction of T‐cell Th1/Th2 skewing was evaluated by immunostaining followed by intracellular flow cytometric analysis for interferon (IFN)‐γ and interleukin (IL)‐5.

Results

Control and CRSsNP HSNECs have the capacity to stimulate DC antigen uptake, differentiation, and maturation following Aspergillus exposure. CRSwNP HSNECs stimulate DC activation independent of Aspergillus exposure. Furthermore, Aspergillus‐exposed CRSwNP HSNECs skew T‐cells toward a Th2 phenotype.

Conclusion

CRSwNP‐derived HSNECs stimulate DC maturation and Th2 skewing independent of Aspergillus exposure. However, control and CRSsNP HSNECs induce DC maturation and Th2 skewing after Aspergillus exposure. These in vitro studies demonstrate that HSNECs are key regulators of DC functions in the sinus microenvironment. © 2011 ARS‐AAOA, LLC.
Nanoporous silica polyamine composites for metal ion capture from rice hull ash
Authors: Berlin Matt , Allen Jesse , Kailasam Varadharajan , Rosenberg David , Rosenberg Edward
Published: May 2011

Rice hull ash (RHA) was converted to amorphous silica gel using a modified version of published literature procedures. The gels were characterized by a comparison of their Cross Polarization Magic Angle Spinning 29Si NMR and scanning electron microscopy images with commercial silica gels. The resulting gels were silanized with a 7.5:1 mixture of methyltrichlorosilane and chloropropyltrichlorosilane and then reacted with poly(allylamine) (PAA) to produce the silica polyamine composite (SPC) BP‐1. The BP‐1 was then further modified with pyridine‐2‐carboxaldehyde to form the copper‐selective SPC, CuSelect. This procedure follows that used to produce the commercialized version of these composite materials from commercially available amorphous silica gels. The composites were characterized by solid‐state NMR techniques, elemental analysis, SEM, porosimetry and metal ion capacity and selectivity. The overall goal of the project was to determine the feasibility of using RHA to make SPC. The observed strengths and weaknesses of this approach are discussed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preparation and characterization of maleated thermoplastic starch‐based nanocomposites
Authors: Raquez Jean‐Marie , Nabar Yogaraj , Narayan Ramani , Dubois Philippe
Published: May 2011

Biodegradable nanoscale‐reinforced starch‐based products were prepared from an in situ chemically modified thermoplastic starch and poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) through reactive processing. Natural montmorillonite (hydrophilic Cloisite Na) and organophilic Cloisite 30B were studied. In situ chemically modified thermoplastic starch (MTPS) was first prepared starting from (nano)clay (previously swollen in glycerol as plasticizer), and maleic anhydride (MA) as an esterification agent. Then, these nanoscale‐reinforced MTPS was reactively melt‐blended with PBAT through transesterification reactions promoted by MA‐derived acidic moieties grafted onto the starch backbone. The tensile and barrier properties of resulting (nano)composites were studied. High‐performance formulations with superior tensile strength (>35 MPa as compared with 16 MPa for the PBAT‐g‐MTPS copolymer) and break elongation (>800%) were obtained, particularly with Cloisite30B. Better water vapor and oxygen barrier properties of nanoscale‐reinforced MTPS‐g‐PBAT were achieved rather than the PRECURSORS. Wide angle X‐ray diffraction and transmission electronic microscopy analyses show that partial exfoliation of the clay platelets was observed within the PBAT‐g‐MTPS graft copolymer‐Cloisite 30B nanocomposite. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011